Victoria Holiday Bliss 2018

Many people plan for Christmas all year long. As soon as the annual festivities are over and the trappings of celebration are packed away, they are looking for themes and do-it-yourself projects to fill the months ahead. Later, with Thanksgiving a memory, they pull out ladders and crates of ornaments and start the process of embellishing their homes to create the current year’s special moments. An important part of the planning process for creating the perfect environment for the late-year holidays is having exposure to what has worked for others. Finding new ideas is easy when you peruse magazines, study Pinterest, scan Instagram, and talk with relatives and neighbors to learn what has worked for them. For example, begin with this magazine, Holiday Bliss. We start our stories with a visit to…

As frosty winter winds sweep across the British lowlands, residents from Birmingham to Bromsgrove wrap their scarves a little tighter as they dart in and out of local shops, carrying daunting to-do lists. But in the village of Little Aston in Sutton Coldfield, Sarah Wilton-Basi is happily putting the finishing touches on her holiday décor, warmed by a blazing fire and her enthusiasm for the task at hand. Sarah and her husband, Param, moved into their circa 1660 semi-detached cottage in 2009 after a six-month renovation restored many of the home’s original features. The structure, which formerly served as the local schoolhouse, was christened Little Latches because of the number of latched doors on the property. It is a particularly appropriate venue for Sarah, who taught theatre studies at a performing…

Orange-Scented Pear Turnovers Makes 32 6 pears, peeled, cored, and diced1½ cups Chardonnay1 cup granulated sugar½ cup pear preserves1 tablespoon orange zest½ teaspoon ground cardamom1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed1½ cups confectioners’ sugar3 tablespoons fresh orange juice1 teaspoon orange extract 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a medium saucepan, combine pears, Chardonnay, granulated sugar, pear preserves, orange zest, and cardamom over medium heat; stir until well combined. Cook until reduced by a third, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool completely. 3. On a lightly floured surface, unfold pastry sheets and lightly dust with flour. Roll each sheet into a 12x12-inch square. Cut dough into 3x3-inch squares. Place equal amounts filling (about 1 teaspoon) on center of each square. 4. Dip a fingertip in water, and…

“WHEN DECORATING THIS APARTMENT FOR CHRISTMAS, I TRIED TO KEEP IT TRADITIONAL AND CLASSIC.”—Corey Amaro Christmas truly is a celebration in Provence, with vibrant holiday markets, miles of fairy lights, and crèches displayed throughout this popular region of France. Beginning with the Feast of Sainte Barbe on December 4th and continuing into the new year, the period the French call Calendales is a joyous time focused on family togetherness. In a setting that could be mistaken for a Cézanne landscape painting come to life, the community of Apt is tucked between the mountains of Luberon and Vaucluse. This quintessential Provençal town abounds with centuries-old residences that shine their brightest this time of year, and the beautiful seventeenth-century apartment owned by antiques dealers Nathalie and Jean-Bernard Masset is a perfect example. “They lovingly, completely…

Talented entrepreneurs and intrepid collectors, Pascale and Olivier Gisclard travel extensively to amass an expansive trove of eclectic wares from England, Italy, Sweden, and France. Twice yearly, they fill their historic French château with extraordinary finds and open it to the public for a memorable sale known as Le Grillon Voyageur (which charmingly translates to The Traveling Cricket). For three weekends in May, and again in December, the rooms of the mansion are artfully arranged to showcase rare pieces, as well as a few modern offerings of the couple’s own creation. In the village of Sézanne, in the Champagne region of France, the Gisclards happened upon a property for purchase that had once belonged to a cousin of Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, who likely visited the home. The house was built…