Innholdsfortegnelse for January - February 2010 i Victoria

A new year holds so much promise and the excitement of possibilities. For the first Victoria issue of 2010, we have compiled a special section that focuses on women entrepreneurs who dared to take a chance on a business venture because they believed in the possibilities of their ideas. If you are at the brink of a life-changing decision to pursue your dreams, read about these successful women who followed their hearts to new careers. (And let us know when you become an entrepreneur!) It gives me pleasure to announce that Catherine Calvert is our 2010 Victoria Writer-in-Residence. Catherine’s voice was a familiar one in the earlier history of this magazine. I, like you, will eagerly await her essays from England, as I’m sure they will speak to all of…

Basic Instructions 1 Using the templates** provided at victoriamag.com, create stencils by photocopying the shapes onto card stock and cutting them out. 2 Cut varying sizes of ovals from contrasting papers, and layer them as shown, using a glue stick. Add a silhouette cut from paper to complete the valentine. A handwritten message can be placed on the reverse side. 3 Create an envelope for your valentine by tracing the provided template onto card stock. Cut out. Fold the four outer flaps inward, and secure with a glue stick. Optional Variations EDGE TRIM: Select a trim with a seam allowance. Start by adhering trim along the edges of a paper oval with sparing amounts of fabric glue. (It may be necessary to clip the seam allowance so that the trim…

Tender, heart-shaped butter cookies, opposite and above left, are a scrumptious sweet for your valentine. Tucked among rose petals placed inside a Victorian-inspired box, the simple cookies become a beautiful offering. Shimmering in a dusting of fine sugar, classic French pâtes de fruit, top right, are akin to elegant, homemade gumdrops. Crisp Champagne and pink grapefruit juice give the jewel-like jellies bright, sweet-tart flavor. Chocolate truffles are probably the most timeless valentine gift. Far from ordinary, these simple-tomake, bite-size candies, right, are infused with a blend of warm cinnamon and just a sprinkle of chipotle pepper for a surprising (and delicious) hint of spice. Coarse sanding sugar adds texture and subtle sparkle, finishing the delectable treats with style. “Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou…

For an exciting start to the New Year, we’ve gathered a group of outstanding women entrepreneurs who are making the most of their talents and passions by doing what they love for a living—all with an eye toward environmental sustainability. Let their experiences (and beautiful wares) encourage and inspire you to fulfill your own dreams. Just as Nature Intended Frustrated by the lack of all-natural, organic beauty products, HollyBeth Anderson decided to make her own using the highest-quality ingredients she could find. What began as a hobby has blossomed into a thriving business of bliss. PHOTOGRAPHY KIMBERLY FINKEL DAVIS Having grown up in Georgia eating homegrown vegetables, HollyBeth Anderson says that her passion for an organic, sustainable lifestyle is directly tied to her upbringing. Much of her childhood was spent with her…

AA grouping of white wares, including a timeworn ceramic pitcher and a handful of grandmother’s buttons, makes a lovely winter scene. In the kitchen, all-white serving pieces let food’s innate beauty stand out. A frothy feather wreath calls to mind a fluffy, perfect white cloud floating in the sky above a snowy-white village of old-fashioned wooden buildings. “Winter… is a time to ga_ er golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.” —JOHN BOSWELL…

At the height of winter, when the snow- and ice-capped landscape seems to twinkle in the cool, almost-white sunlight, everything seems just a bit more magical. Here, we celebrate the frosty sparkle of the season with a collection of inspiring items for you and your home. The early mist had vanished and the fifields lay like a silver shield…. It was one of the days when the glitter of winter shines… .” —EDITH WHARTON Just as they can in the home, metallic accents instantly add panache to your wardrobe. A gold clutch from Graphic Image and sparkling jewelry by Judith Ripka, above left, make even a simple black dress party-worthy attire. Børn ballet flats in a luxe shade of silver, above center, are playful yet polished and look great dressed…

The search for the perfect antique doll brings out the historian, curator, and child in every collector. Each doll tells a story as unique as the owner who loves and passes her down through generations. Susan Moore, of Franklin, Tennessee, found her love of dolls when she discovered her family’s collection in the attic of her ancestral home. Susan’s fancy was particularly captured by the German china dolls among the collection, and she subsequently began a lifelong investigation of their origins. Identifying the makers of nineteenth-century dolls requires a childlike curiosity. Some bear their manufacturer’s mark or mold number on the back of their head, torso, or feet, but others reveal their birthplaces only through the styles of the times. For example, subtle shifts in the shape of their molded…

“I grew up in Belgium,” says Hilde Leiaghat, owner of the Los Angeles shop Pom Pom Interiors. “Linen has always been part of my life.” Pom Pom showcases her line of one-hundred-percent linen— glorious, natural-fiber wrappings for the bedroom—as well as décor mixed with vintage and aged furnishings. All things “boudoir” flourish here, from sheets barely kissed with color to Hilde’s custom gardenia scent to spritz on pillows or décolletage. “I do what my heart tells me to do. I surround myself with beautiful things.” —HILDE LEIAGHAT…

“Our joy in collecting these treasures is…our delight in decorating with repurposed or timeworn articles and the pleasure we find with our customers who share our passion.” —JOY PHELPS, CO-OWNER…

Begins on page 36 SWEET TOKENS OF CONFECTION Lemon Butter Cookies p.36 Makes about 3 dozen cookies 11/4 sticks softened unsalted butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 large egg at room temperature 11/2 teaspoons lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons toasted almond flour 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 3 tablespoons ground freeze-dried raspberries (optional) 1. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract; scrape down sides of bowl. In a small bowl, combine all-purpose flour and almond flour. Slowly add flours to butter mixture, beating until dough just comes together. Remove dough from bowl, shape into a disk, wrap tightly with…

The quiet in the house echoes the quiet outside, where ice-sheathed bare branches are gilded in the sunshine, and snow has stifled movement, except that marked by the little birds’ interwoven tracks. My own fledglings have flown away, back to college and a job, marking their passage with exotic lotions and potions left by the sink and sheets dropped into the washing machine. Life seems stopped, still, after the holiday hurly-burly. Even the tree is gone, although a stray silver ball still rolls out now and then. I mark the months’ passage before Christmas with a blizzard of cooking for the freezer and plans for a holiday that includes all the verities—stockings by the fireplace (even if the foot is size ten), recipes on cards in my grandmother’s handwriting, buying…

In Denver, there is a clear sense of support among shop owners and area artisans. Evidence of this is seen in businesses such as Pome, a delightful place filled to the rafters with old-fashioned ribbon, penny candy, tin toys, clothing, soaps, knitted cupcakes, all-natural home products, and gourmet olive oil—much of the merchandise made locally. Proprietress Kate Feinsod recently moved her shop a few doors away from its former location, and the space now includes a small grocery area, as well as coffee and tea service, and it will soon feature garden seating in the rear of the store. In the heart of Littleton, just outside the Denver city limits, is a sweet store called Prince Street Dry Goods. Owner Genna Morrow stocks the shelves with the vintage and antique…

The flowers of late winter…occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.” —Gertrude S. Wister When the window frame is filled with the season’s darkening skies, the blooms of winter evoke promise with burgeoning buds and brightening hues. In frosty months, forcing bulbs indoors brings scent and color to warm the gray days. For those who dwell in balmier climes, ashen days are enlivened by the winter blooms of camellias. Stately and shapely, the blossoms of amaryllis warm hearth and home. Patience and hope go hand in hand as the stalks grow straight and tall, until the showstopping blooms burst forth. Holiday cheer arrives courtesy of red and white Christmas varieties. As the festivities wind down to the New Year and hopes of spring flourish, the…

Old lace takes on new life when it trims pillows and shelves or embellishes a bedspread or linen tablecloth. There’s no such thing as too much lace; it’s designed to be lushly layered or mixed and matched, like the clothes in your wardrobe. Vanity trays with lace inserts give the boudoir a romantic look or can be used as serving trays for formal parties. A little lace goes a long way, so every piece is worth saving and turning into something special. Throughout the centuries, lace has signified sheer luxury. The fancy and frilly designs of its ornamental openwork offer intricate patterns, but its romance lies in what cannot be seen. “Whenever I touch lace, I connect with it,” says Beverly Ruff, whose eponymous shop in Birmingham, Alabama, specializes in…

Scented soap hand-wrapped in vellum, bottles of bubble bath adorned with corsages, pillow slips featuring hand-embroidered royal crowns, and lavish luminarias wearing necklaces of double-faced satin ribbon and teardrop crystals: These “lovely ladies” of the Lollia Life—sophisticated, utterly romantic little indulgences—never fail to charm. “Lollia gives every woman license to be feminine and girly,” says Margot Elena, who designed the bed, beauty, and bath line. “It is appealing because it feels and looks familiar. There’s a hint of nostalgia, yet it has a modern element. It’s like finding a little treasure.” Margot—and Lollia fans—delight in the delicious details. The collection names—Always, Breathe, Relax, Believe, Imagine, Inspire, Grenadine & Tonic, Mint Julep, and Wish—promise pure pleasure. So does the packaging. The Always bubble bath and perfume, for instance, come with a…

COVER Antique pillow, $140; available through Beverly Ruff Antiques and Linens, 205-262-9434. SHIMMER AND SHINE Page 16: Arte Italica Vetro Silver salad/dessert plate, $81 each, Florentine Silver dinner plate, $75 each, salad plate, $59 each, Vetro Silver wineglass, $86 each, flute, $85 each; 212- 213-4773, arteitalica.com. Pom Pom at Home Lux place mats in gray, $80/set of 4, napkins, $80/set of 4; 323-965-0600, pompomathome.com. Antique mercury glass bottles, $60 each; available through Beverly Ruff Antiques and Linens, 205-262-9434. Kravet Candice Olson Collection gold fabric (#30039-4), $99/yard, silver fabric (#30101-11), $95/yard; available to the trade, kravet.com. Page 17: Seabrook Wallpaper Rimini Collection in Jacobean (#CL11507), $85.99/roll; 800- 238-9152, seabrookwallpaper.com. Beacon House Wallpaper in Zinnia, $45/roll; 800-366- 1700, brewsterhomefashions.com for retail information. Abbott Collection square pillow with gold embellishment, $65; 800-263-2955, abbottcollection.com…

I have always been captivated by ephemera. Beyond the obvious beauty of old papers lies the far richer thrill of hearing voices that speak silently but eloquently from the past. I’m especially fond of old postcards. When browsing antiques shops, I’m irresistibly drawn to musty old boxes stuffed full of them, losing all track of time as I forage happily for “keepers.” Each one is an art piece, a unique collage. The subdued colors of old penny stamps marry well with the creamy tones of aged card stock. The publisher’s markings, ornately inscribed in sepia, evoke the elegance of times past. History lingers in the fine print—a regal insignia and a faint inscription indicate one of the card makers to be the humble “art publishers to their majesties the King…