Victoria Holiday Bliss 2016

As December draws near, I look for ways to mark the festive holiday season—the period that usually represents the largest commitment of my time and energy to home décor. From a soaring evergreen laden with treasured ornaments to the sparkling china, silver, and crystal adorning the dining room table, the symbols of Christmas are all around me. It seems that every year, preparations require more planning than those of the previous one, so my celebration starts in late November with a day spent retrieving boxes of ornaments, garlands, ribbons, and tinsel to use in transforming my house into a fanciful wonderland. Although the components are always the same, the look achieved varies from year to year. One thing never changes—my use of back issues of Victoria as inspiration as I make plans…

“When Christmas Day comes, there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth at enfolds our hearts and our homes”. —JOAN WINMILL BROWN“Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl.” —BESS STREETER ALDRICH“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” —HAMILTON WRIGHT MABIE…

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other”. —BURTON HILLIS“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day.” —ANDY ROONEY…

A glittering tree beckons travelers exploring Washington, D.C., to settle in for a winter’s rest at The Hay-Adams, a boutique h otel surrounded by some of the country’s most significant points of interest. Panoramic views overlook St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square, the White House, and the Washington Monument. A heritage of hospitality characterizes the auberge, named for famous friends who inhabited the area in the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century. “The Five of Hearts” comprised John Hay, private secretary to Abraham Lincoln and, later, secretary of state; his wife, Clara; Henry Adams, acclaimed historian and descendant of two United States presidents; his wife, Marian (“Clover”); and Clarence King, a noted geologist and author. The families’ adjoining properties became a gathering place for many of the era’s prominent figures. In 1927,…

“As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is.” —ERIC SEVAREID“I sincerely hope your Christmas. . . may abound in the gaieties which the season generally brings.” —JANE AUSTEN…

“All we need is the awareness of how blessed we really are”. —SARAH BAN BREATHNACH“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” —NORMAN VINCENT PEALE…