Victoria September - October 2011

I am, unabashedly, a Royal watcher. It started three decades ago when Princess Diana swept into my life via very early morning television as I sat rocking my newborn twins. Oh, the glamour of that wedding! The dress, the train, the veil, and those adorable little girls who buzzed around Diana as her attendants! I was enchanted. Over the years, I have collected a library of books and magazines devoted to my favorite Royal of all time. When her son William was born, I monitored the media for pictures of the little tyke, and I became his fan as well. So when the 2011 Royal wedding was on the horizon, I knew I would again be up early, watching as another English girl took the vows of marriage and became the…

1. MR. BROWN Celebrated British furniture designer Julian Chichester was guided by a multitude of styles and periods in creating his eclectic Mr. Brown line. Bespeaking “English informality for a modern life,” the collection includes witty upholstered pieces fashioned from classic designs that are infused with a playful spirit and downsized for smaller, more contemporary spaces. For a list of dealers, visit mrbrownhome.com. 2. SAVANNAH BEE COMPANY Fascinated by bees since childhood, Ted Dennard bottled honey in his kitchen and kept a colony of the insects on his roof before officially starting the Savannah Bee Company in 2002. Today, he operates from a warehouse on Wilmington Island (just across the bridge from Savannah, Georgia) and manages three retail stores, two lines of world-class honey, and a beeswax-based body-care line. Visit savannahbee.com. 3.…

THE WONDER OF WALES Take a visual vacation through this magical land with many additional exclusive photos on victoriamag.com. Tour more of our favorite country-house hotels, and enjoy glimpses of the luxurious guest rooms, finedining restaurants, and abundant natural landscapes surrounding these special destinations. We also bring you panoramic views of the glorious blooms that flourish in the National Trust property Bodnant Garden in Conwy and the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Carmarthenshire. AND DON’T MISS … ON SAFARI AT PEACOCK PARK Michigan entrepreneur Gina Galvin takes an enchanted expedition by pitching a tent in her own backyard. A rugged and romantic rendition of a nineteenth-century original she sells through her company, Peacock Park Design, the tent offers the ultimate escape as a fantasy dwelling of simple pleasures and timeless style. Filled…

The perfect pumpkin? To me, this symbol of my favorite season is always flawless, no matter its shape, size, or color. I start looking for pumpkins as soon as school starts. Even though the weather still feels like summer and the kids are wearing shorts and tank tops to class, I associate the arrival of fall with the first day of school. This is when my search begins. My pumpkins come in many forms—large ones purchased at the local grocery store for carving, and small ones for decorating the house. Pureed pumpkin comes in cans for baking pies and muffins; pumpkinshaped plastic pails are used for trick-or-treating; and even my favorite scented lotion contains pumpkin as an ingredient. Pictures of vintage pumpkins crowd my buffet and sit quietly among the real…

Greenbelt Pumpkin Festival Greenbelt, Maryland | October 19–20 This annual harvest celebration was founded twenty-one years ago in an effort to preserve and protect the ecosystem of the undeveloped forestland that comprises Maryland’s Old Greenbelt district. The two-day festival opens with a carving event using hundreds of pumpkins from local farms. The following evening, these jack-o’-lantern creations are illuminated with candles and placed along a winding pathway through the surrounding forest for a selfguided Pumpkin Walk. Music and free apple cider and hot chocolate add to the family-friendly ambience. For more information, visit greenbeltpumpkinwalk.com. Autumn in the Garden Tour & Market San Diego Master Gardener Association San Diego, California | October 1 Explore seven magnificent open gardens in the picturesque San Diego neighborhood of Point Loma, California, during this horticultural excursion. Showcasing water-wise landscapes…

“Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.” —JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE…