Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2021 i Victoria

Dear Friends As snowflakes dance outside my window on this brisk winter morning, I am content to linger before the fire, jotting a few lines to a friend. “To send a letter,” former Victoria Writer-in-Residence Phyllis Theroux observed, “is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.” Letter-writing helps us put into words our deepest gratitude for the people who have graced our lives during different seasons. The focus required to carry out this ritual removes us from the whirl around us, centering our minds on thoughts of admiration, love, nostalgia, or prayers. Keeping monogrammed stationery and related accoutrements close at hand encourages us to make a regular practice of reaching out, expanding from composing the occasional thank-you note to penning frequent missives. “The Art of…

Committing to our seven-year dream of opening a brewpub wasn’t possible for my husband and me without a move from our 4-acre hobby farm to a 700-square-foot apartment behind the future brewery. Relocating was necessary to make our new jobs as full-time renovators while raising four young children just a little more manageable. It wasn’t easy, however, to leave our small farm with its quaint red barn and coop, our large flock of golden hens, milking goats, and expanse of perennials. The only animals that came with us were four favorite hens and a beloved barn cat. I was determined to make our new place home and quickly set to work arranging a few favorite pieces of art and inherited furniture, including one new acquisition: my great-grandmother’s oak bed. My…

“After some time, I was able to understand the real impact of design. I think it’s so much deeper than most people realize.”CHERYL LUCKETT DWELL BY CHERYL INTERIORS Charlotte, North Carolina Interior designer Cheryl Luckett feels she has finally found her purpose. Throughout life, a number of signs pointed her to this career, but they often went unnoticed. The first was when the dorm room she decorated in college was used to tour prospective students; the second, when her first residence was featured in a local paper. Such incidents are evident to her in retrospect, but at the time her style remained only a hobby. Things began to change after a decade of working at a Fortune 500 company. Cheryl was being tapped for opportunities to climb the corporate ladder…

British poet Lord Byron once noted, “Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company.” How true is this observation! Alone at the desk, with a gentle fire kindling at the hearth, words pour out in flowery flourishes as if one’s very soul is speaking with a dear friend so far away and yet so near in thoughts. Creating a serene spot for penning handwritten messages not only fosters lyrical prose, it also connects the correspondent to generations of women who have taken pen in hand to scribe the innermost breathings of the heart upon the page. “EVERY BODY ALLOWS THAT THE TALENT OF WRITING AGREEABLE LETTERS IS PECULIARLY FEMALE.”—Jane Austen…

Anna Pavlova, once a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet, achieved fame during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although culinary historians debate whether the dish originated in New Zealand or Australia, most concur that the Pavlova was developed to honor the dainty prima ballerina whose impassioned interpretation of classic roles enchanted audiences around the world. SEE RECIPE INDEX, PAGE 99, FOR RECIPE INFORMATION.…

Victoria is pleased to welcome to its pages Jan Karon and Annie Sloan, whose nostalgic recollections and beautifully painted projects promise a year brimming with inspiration. WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE New York Times #1 best-selling author Jan Karon captivates millions with her character-driven works. At age fifty, Jan left a successful career in advertising to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a writer. She awoke one night with a mental image of an Episcopal priest walking down a village street. Musings about the character she named Father Tim Kavanagh grew into the first of fourteen volumes in the beloved Mitford series. Printed one hundred thirteen times since its debut in 1994, At Home in Mitford was nominated three times for an American Booksellers Book of the Year Award. With twenty-five titles to her…

Mississippi-born and universally celebrated author Eudora Welty said this: “What I do in writing of any character is to try to enter the mind, heart and skin of a human being who is not myself. Whether this happens to be a man or a woman, old or young, with skin black or white, the primary challenge lies in making the jump.” Actors and writers alike share the same challenge—and pleasure—of entering the skin of their fictional characters. When people ask if I’m Cynthia, the lead female character in my series of fourteen Mitford novels, I can truthfully say that I’m all of my characters. Even Uncle Billy, that darling and affable saint. Even Miss Rose, who lost most of her mind ages ago and wears a conglomerate wardrobe—just as I…

Framed by frosted windowpanes, snowflakes waft gently down to earth, hushing the harsh sounds that intrude upon one’s solitude. All that is left is the sizzle of a waning fire, the cat’s gentle purr, and the whistle of the tea kettle announcing afternoon refreshment. With Jane Austen as a worthy companion, day fades into evening and a bit of old-fashioned fun at the game table. But soon, drowsy eyes begin to flutter, and it’s off to bed, where dreams await beneath layers of coziness. “I WONDER IF THE SNOW LOVES THE TREES AND FIELDS, THAT IT KISSES THEM SO GENTLY? AND THEN IT COVERS THEM UP SNUG, YOU KNOW, WITH A WHITE QUILT; AND PERHAPS IT SAYS, ‘GO TO SLEEP, DARLINGS, TILL THE SUMMER COMES AGAIN.’”—Lewis Carroll Find our winter…

Mere minutes from the location ofthe Wright brothers’ first flight, in the small coastal communityof Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, artist Elizabeth Corsa finds magic in the natural realm. From mice and cardinals to turtles, lively creatures to sketch abound in these environs. Elizabeth, also known as E. M. Corsa, has loved animals since her youth. She credits the affinity to her parents—her father often took her fishing and strolling through the Massachusetts woods—but she has continued to foster the infatuation by way of illustration. Another passion of hers since childhood, art is the only career Elizabeth has ever pursued, one that began in grade school when she sold drawings of horses. Today, the painter’s primary mode of creation is adding to the artistry of antique books. Whether the tattered…

WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 19–20: Jan Karon is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of twenty-five books. Set to open this year in Hudson, North Carolina, The Mitford Museum pays tribute to the novelist and her beloved Mitford series. To learn more about Jan, whose works will be the Victoria Classics Book Club focus throughout 2021, visit her website at mitfordbooks.com. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 21–24: Annie Sloan, a decorative painter, invented and manufactures Chalk Paint®. She has written twenty-six books and produces The Colourist, a bookazine dedicated to her passion for color. To learn more about Annie’s work, visit her website at anniesloan.com. A MEASURE OF REST Page 25: Scalamandré: Beaufort Velvet Tape in Linen, price upon inquiry, Zisa Jacquard Fabric in Avorio, price upon inquiry; 800-932-4361, scalamandre.com. Thibaut: Chardonnet Damask Printed…

Visit our website to read this issue’s online stories and to find more of the content you love. Take a closer look at some of our favorite January/February features: Among Drifts of Snow Bring back the joy of childhood days whiled away in a world transformed overnight into a wonderland of frosty delights. A Parisian Dream Peruse the authentic brocante finds of Ajiri Aki, and gleaninspiration for enhancing daily living with objects of beauty. Treats for the Reader Mini Orange Marmalade Cakes evoke the signature dessert inJan Karon’s Mitford series. Join the Victoria Classics Book Club this quarter as we discuss themes in Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good and At Home in Mitford. Paths to Success Meet the panel of entrepreneurs featured in our special section The Business of Bliss, and…

Decorative artist and entrepreneur Annie Sloan is a perfect example of the old English proverb, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” In 1990, as a working mother with three young lads, she needed paint that would not only achieve a variety of techniques but would dry quickly. Unable to find a suitable product, this enterprising craftsperson simply stirred up her own formula—which became an immediate and resounding success. “When I created Chalk Paint®,” she says, “the important thing was not having to do prep, so you can paint whenever the mood takes you.” The product’s palette of hues and infinite uses has inspired women the world over to try their hand at a range of diverse undertakings, both simple and quite complicated. Annie’s most recent passion project, a popular bookazine…

“EACH PIECE WAS SWEET AND LIGHT TO THE VERY CENTER AND EDMUND HAD NEVER TASTED ANYTHING MORE DELICIOUS.”—C. S. Lewis “IT HAD BEEN, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE SWELLEST AFFAIR SINCE PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON HAD ATTENDED A BALL AT FERNBANK.”—Jan Karon Bookmark our Mini Orange Marmalade Cakes, along with other resources for the Victoria Classics Book Club, at victoriamag.com. SEE RECIPE INDEX, PAGE 99, FOR RECIPE INFORMATION.…

Ajiri Aki is an advocate for the good china. In her adolescence, she often gazed up at her mother’s collection of precious vintage finds and wedding gifts carefully displayed behind protective glass doors. When the family invited company for a celebratory meal, which was often, little Ajiri would beg to bring out these delicate dishes for the party. Her mother always refused, declaring she was “saving them for a special occasion,” but such an event never came, and the hostess, unfortunately, passed without ever once dining on the stunning stoneware. Over time, Ajiri’s fondness for beautiful things matured and blossomed into a career path that carried her around the world: from her Nigerian community in Texas to New York and, finally, to France. The memory of her mother’s unused china…

Many years ago, one young woman showed off her proficient sewing skills by turning an everyday bedsheet—the only fabric she had available—into an elegant tablecloth, complete with exquisite pulled-thread and drawn-thread embroidery. Its fragile beauty endures, a cherished part of a collector’s beloved trove of timeless napery. It is easy to understand the abiding appeal of antique linens, whether one is fascinated with a piece’s provenance or simply appreciates the diligence required to create such intricate works of art. But far from being idle pretties to place upon a shelf, these coveted collectibles can—and should—be used often. The better the condition of the fabric, the more confident an owner can be that it will survive daily wear. Tiny tears might be repaired, and some spots can be treated according to…

Pages Past Thin slices of gold edge the velvety soft paper, delicate as lace and smelling of afternoon tea. The inscriptions are faded—some in pencil—lovingly addressed to grandchildren, parents, and friends. My fingertips trace the scripts, exquisitely crafted and dated, leaving me curious about the giver and the receiver. I have always loved books—especially the old ones barely held together by their brittle skeletons and blemished cloth skins. Much care was taken in crafting the covers and selecting the artists to create the lush illustrations inside. As an artist myself, my favorite books are the poetry books from the 1800s published in England that, fortunately, made their way across the pond. These are the books where writers left their hearts on the page along with their ink. Pledges of love,…