Country Living December/January 2023

I have been listening to The Nutcracker Suite on repeat since early September, when my 8-year-old son, Jack, was cast as Fritz, Clara’s mischievous, Nutcracker-breaking brother, in our community production. This is the second year he’s taken part in the performance, and I remain struck by what goes into an undertaking like this, let alone the juxtaposition of the seemingly effortless, balletic beauty happening onstage and the hard work and happy chaos leading up to opening night. And even then, there’s the frantic costume changes behind the curtain, the tiny ballerina-mice scurrying to receive another spritz of hair spray, the marzipan anxiously mingling. The whole process reminds me a bit of the buildup to the holidays, a whole production unto itself, with all the planning, shopping, schlepping, wrapping, and baking…

1 Cheerfully outfitted entries that lift the neighbors’ (and neighborhood mail carriers’) spirits 2 How the Christmas countdown doesn’t offcially begin until you’ve crafted your Advent calendar (Find dozens of ideas at countryliving.com/advent-calendars.) 3 Festive guest rooms layered in tartan flannel sheets (See more ways to go mad for plaid on pg. 68.) 4 Scattering shiny bits and baubles among your favorite collections 5 Snowy drives through the countryside—and the friendly furry faces you find along the way 6 The familiar smells of fresh fir, peppermint, mulled spices, and gingerbread (Check out the peppermint recipes on pg. 95.) 7 Lighting the servant (shamash) candle in anticipation of the eight days of Hanukkah 8 Embracing your homebody tendencies on New Year’s Eve as you settle in for a cozy winter PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID TSAY, STYLING BY LIZ STRONG…

Few holiday rituals are as steeped in tradition as the family stockings hung by the chimney with care—particularly if you are fortunate enough to claim one that is hand-knitted, artfully embroidered, or lovingly crafted courtesy of a midcentury sewing pattern. (Even better if it boasts your name in felt or humble hand-stitched letters.) A homemade stocking, likely occupying the same spot on the mantel year after year (or scooched over an inch or two with the arrival of each new grandkid), is a visual reminder that someone cared enough to stitch/sew/appliqué your way into the family fold, and that you forever have a place right here, where the home fires burn. Come Christmas morning, as others survey the bounty of fruit, candy, socks, or novelty knickknacks found tucked inside their…

1 CHARACTER BUILDER Reclaimed Wood Horizontal wood plank walls and salvaged pine beams from a former cotton mill add timeworn texture to James Farmer’s Perry, Georgia, cottage, Farmdale, which he modeled from an old house plan by storied architecture firm Spitzmiller & Norris. 2 DECORATIVE ACCENT Faux Bois Planter Taking center stage on the island, a faux bois planter is filled with an abundance of fresh finds from James’s garden, such as sprigs of juniper berries and winter’s best crop: lemons. French for “false wood,” faux bois relies on concrete and chicken wire to mimic wood’s natural form. GET THE LOOK: Faux Bois Trough Planter from $59; martha.com 3 COUNTRY CLASSIC Ironstone Tureens A collection of antique white ironstone adds architectural interest to open shelving. First produced in England during the early 19th century, ironstone earthenware originated as an…

$425,000 Dover, DE 4 BR; 3 BA; 2,591 SQ. FT. WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Taking a stroll through this shuttered showstopper is like taking a walk through time. Step beyond the front Federal-style portion of the historic Thomas Stevenson House, and you will find yourself in an early two-room schoolhouse and an expansive summer kitchen, both incorporated into the home’s floor plan. AGENT: Denise Cain; oceanatlantic.net WORK REQUIRED: The CL Fixer-Upper Scale MOVE-IN READY NEEDS MINOR IMPROVEMENTS INVEST IN A DECENT DRILL PUT THAT CONTRACTOR ON SPEED DIAL $600,000 Morgantown, IN 3 BR; 2 BA; 3,349 SQ. FT. WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: The exterior boasts elegant Italianate-style details like tall and narrow arched windows and ornate brackets. Inside, original features such as exposed brick, built-in bookcases, and doors with transom windows shine. AGENT: Carrie Vavul; carrievavul.callcarpenter.com WORK REQUIRED: $975,000 Cleveland, TN 6 BR; 6 BA; 7,620…

Merry Menagerie Made of embossed cardboard, Dresden ornaments were first manufactured in the Dresden-Leipzig area of Germany from the late 1800s through the early 20th century. After WWI, production largely shifted to what was then the Soviet Union, where the same processes were followed but brighter metallics, along with an abundance of circus motifs, were introduced. These colorful later pieces, such as those shown here, proliferated on the American market between the 1930s and ’50s and can be found for $5 to $100, depending on rarity of design, condition, and level of detail in the embossing. Moment of Ref lection Though the first string of tree lights was lit by Edison contemporary Edward Hibbard Johnson in 1882, they didn’t become common in American households until the 1930s. Early bulbs gave off a dim…