Christmas All Through the South: Colonial Williamsburg

It’s Christmas week, what better time for the Novel Bakers to share a wonderful book from Southern Living: Christmas All Through the South!  Not only does this book include tempting recipes (and not only extremes such as Martha Washington’s Great Cake with 4 pounds of sugar and 40 eggs), inspirational decor ideas, and essays from southern writers on such diverse topics as…

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Spider Under Glass

The brilliant blue sky and cool nights of autumn have arrived here in southern New England. It’s time for animals to grow winter coats ~~ ~~ and time for me to cut and dry my remaining hydrangea blooms. It’s also time to bring in my plants  to be repotted for their wintertime rest.  The spider babies need to be snipped…

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Irish Cloche

“Sir,” I asked in my most polite English, “are these cloches made here in Williamsburg?”   “Madam,” he exclaimed, “we are quite suspicious of strangers who so freely speak with French phrases, and do not take kindly to the French in our midst.  If you are referring to the bell glass, they are made nearby in Jamestown.”   The actors…

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Beginnings

Our family has visited Colonial Williamsburg many times, and after each visit I leave ready to empty my house of all decor and completely refurnish it with reproductions of colonial era goods and folk art. … I love the Georgian architecture … … the cute passageways … … the streets … … shops … … (even dishes!) … … and…

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