Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2023 i Victoria

Dear Friends I remember so vividly discovering the premier issue of Victoria. It was like no other publication I had ever seen, and I was instantly captivated. The magazine debuted in 1987, promising “a return to loveliness” and ushering readers into a world of romance. Poring over its pages was akin to escaping into a dream of the best of what could be. Longtime readers will share my nostalgia that thirty-five years have passed since we fell in love with that first issue. It is one of the great honors of my life to stewardsuch a revered title, and I am joined on this path by creatives who appreciate all that Victoria represents. Our editor credits the magazine with shaping her ideals of gracious living when she set up housekeeping…

As a young girl, I still remember my dear mother, smile on her face, curled up with Family Circle magazine in her lap. She was engrossed in an article titled “Butternut Wisdom,” written by Gladys Taber. At my age, it didn’t mean a thing to me. But as I grew up and began perusing used bookstores as a hobby, I came across books written by Mrs. Taber. I would snatch them up and present them to my mother on special occasions. After she passed, I gathered all the books I had given my mother and put them away in my bookshelf. Soon after, I realized I had no idea what her precious books were about. I slowly opened one of the volumes and began reading, and after the second or…

“SILENTLY, LIKE THOUGHTS THAT COME AND GO, THE SNOWFLAKES FALL, EACH ONE A GEM.”—William Hamilton Gibson…

“Le Point Studio brought my life’s experiences together in the most beautiful and personal way. I know this is what I am meant to be doing.” ABBY LAM LE POINT STUDIO Minneapolis, Minnesota Like threading a needle, for a dream to become reality takes a steady countenance, passionate focus, and a bit of practice. Abby Lam grew up surrounded by the intricate patterns and colorful yarns that spilled over from her mother’s cross-stitch and needlepoint design career, but it wasn’t until the creative entrepreneur began studying textile design at the Savannah College of Art and Design that she cemented her love of stitching. “I learned and explored all types of embroidery, sewing, and needle crafts,” she says. “It was a really inspiring time in my life.” While studying abroad in…

An ancient skill, etching can be found in seashells and other natural elements dating back millennia. At the turn of the sixteenth century, a small unassuming hand tool known as the burin revolutionized artistic engraving and allowed craftsmen the ability to add dramatic flair and baroque embellishments to metals and wood. In modern times, this delicate handiwork is still widely appreciated for its elegant appearance and heartfelt significance. Though photographs and journal entries keep record of memories we hold most dear, perhaps an even more extraordinary way to mark an experience is with a bespoke keepsake designed to be cherished. A unique souvenir acquired in faraway domains, rustic foliage from Scotland’s rolling Lowlands allows a traveler to reminisce for years to come when the leaves are pressed in a gold…

As pure as alabaster snowfall and as glimmering as the frosted landscape, mother-of-pearl has an unmistakable iridescent quality that mirrors all the romance of winter. And yet, this glossy collectible has seaside origins that allow for its flawless incorporation into even the warmest seasons. Also known as nacre, the incredibly smooth substance is sometimes called “the most organic gemstone” due to its being formed by living creatures. It is produced within the shells of certain organisms, including oysters and mollusks, intended to protect them from foreign irritants. If such a nuisance—like a grain of sand—enters, the granule is coated with layers of luster until a pearl forms. Though these round baubles are renowned and rather rarer than their mother, the coating of nacre on the shell’s interior wall is still…

Bliss Defined If you were to dig through my bookshelves and the stacks of volumes piled in front of that library—as per Dr. Seuss’s oft-repeated words: “Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks”—you would find one of my most prized possessions: amore than 1,900-page, goldenrod-colored hardcover with speckled edges and gleaming gold lettering: Funk & Wagnalls New Comprehensive International Dictionary of the English Language (Encyclopedic Edition) from 1978. Around fourth grade, I transformed from someone who hated reading into an absolutely voracious reader. I credit my evolution to wading slowly into the Harry Potter novels and consulting my grandma’s eighties dictionary for so many words in the first two releases. Thanks to the combination of J. K. Rowling’s series and that lexicon,…

WRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE In their book The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming, Sally and Sarah Clarkson note taking time through the years “to thumb through Victoria magazines over steaming cups of tea.” With a combined total of more than twenty-five books, including the aforementioned title that they penned together, these best-selling authors also connect with readers via their respective podcasts, personal blogs, and speaking engagements around the world. Sally and her husband divide their time between Colorado and Oxford, England, while Sarah resides in Oxford, where she and her family are restoring a historic vicarage. In a full-circle moment, this mother and daughter who used to steal away to pore over Victoria together will meet once again in our pages as they share inspiring essays on the pursuit…

When first I saw the vast English house that would become my home, I was overawed. An elegant redbrick Victorian vicarage in Oxford, tucked away next to a lake, with a rambling garden and an ancient willow. We toured the property as part of my husband’s interview for a job. The house came with the position, and I had come with an eye to scope the possibilities of family and creative life. What I found seemed, at first, a dream: a spacious historical home of high ceilings, sunlit walls, and fireplaces in each room, with windows shaped like those in an old gothic church and a “room with a view” for my own little study. To live in such a storied old place, I thought, what bliss. The second time…

In 1918, Spencer Penrose gathered several hundred guests, including business magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, for a private opening of The Broadmoor, his new luxury hotel near Colorado Springs. With the renowned Boxhorn Orchestra providing the music, the impressed partygoers danced until midnight amid opulent surroundings brimming with antiques and art collected from the world over. Penrose and his wife, Julie, had assembled an illustrious team to realize their dreams for this ambitious venture. Notable contributors included the New York City architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore, who designed the Italian Renaissance–style, roseate-stucco structure that forms the main building of today’s sprawling complex. Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. turned his talents to the landscaping project, and Donald Ross was tapped to design the golf course. The latter apprenticed with Thomas…

FUN FINDS * PLACES TO GO * ENTREPRENEURS TO MEET Visit our website to read this issue’s online stories and to find more of the content you love. We love your ideas! Do you have any suggestions about something you’d like to see in the magazine? If so, reach out to us at victoriamag.com/contact-us. Take a closer look at some of our favorite January/February features: Business of Bliss Meet our esteemed 2023 panel of Business of Bliss entrepreneurs—seven successful women who share their wisdom and guidance for turning passions into profits. New Year’s Inspiration Victoria Artist-in-Residence Jenny Bohannon begins her tenure with thoughtful winter encouragement for truly making your home “a place of beauty for those you love most.” When Teatime Beckons Believing that manners add to the enjoyment of…

In the Quiet of Midwinter Across the icy threshold of this nascent season, a precious stillness awaits, offering time and inspiration for feathering one’s nest. Though she often describes herself as “an accidental social media influencer,” content creator Jenny Bohannon of website Tallwood Country House has parlayed her fresh, classically informed style into a platform to inspire others with both pictures and words. “I believe passionately that every woman has the potential to be a creative force in her own sphere and should feel equipped to be the stylist of her own home,” she says. With that empowering belief in mind, Jenny has bestowed her tenure as our Artist-in-Residence for 2023 with the theme “Year of the Every Woman.” As the calendar turns to a new page, the skies often…

BRIDGEWATER CHOCOLATE BROOKFIELD, CONNECTICUT Ever since he moved to Connecticut in 1995, Swedish chef Erik Landegren has been turning his boundless talents to making masterpieces from cocoa, sugar, and a bit of magic. Inspired by both American flavor combinations and European techniques, he creates decadent confections with the highest quality ingredients. Customers will find such delights as toffee, truffles, peanut butter patties, and, as a nod to Erik’s Scandinavian heritage, nut and caramel clusters known as Törtéls, all nestled inside Bridgewater’s signature hinged boxes, which are encircled with hand-tied bows. COCOA DOLCE WICHITA, KANSAS The certified chocolatiers and pastry chefs of Cocoa Dolce have an enviable job: creating sweet tooth–tempting confections that truly put the “art” in artisan chocolates. Not only do these handmade candies taste heavenly, but they are…

Iconic British textile designer William Morris once said, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Leslie Chittam and Mark Ardin, owners of Hartlex Antique Gallery in Huntsville, Alabama, take this notion to heart when filling their thirty-thousand-square-foot retail space with troves of European relics and timeworn finery. Patrons to this emporium explore beautifully designed displays brimming with both larger furnishings and more petite trinkets. A well-rehearsed production, the myriad alcoves are like stages set, waiting for a magical tale to unfold. The proprietors say these expertly adorned vignettes draw in customers from all over the country and present the ornate fixtures and bijou gems in settings akin to how they’d appear in a client’s home. For the collector, glass…

“THE TASTE SEEMED TO COME IN TWO PARTS—A SORT OF AWAKENING SHARPNESS FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY A WASH OF SWEETNESS.”—Julian Barnes SEE RECIPE INDEX, PAGE 103, FOR RECIPE INFORMATION.…

WRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 15–16: Sally and Sarah Clarkson are the best-selling authors of The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming. To learn more about this mother and daughter, including their respective books, podcasts, and other projects, visit their websites at sallyclarkson.com and sarahclarkson.com. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 17–20: Content creator Jenny Bohannon delights her Instagram audience with glimpses into life at Tallwood, her idyllic country home in Virginia. To learn more about Jenny, visit her website at tallwoodcountryhouse.com and her Instagram @tallwoodcountryhouse. SOFTLY FALLEN Pages 21-26: Special thanks to Maison de France, 1304 8th Street, Leeds, AL, 205-699-6330, info@mdfantiques.com. Page 21: Melea Markell Collection for Bradburn Home: Lindsey Blanc Lamp, $797.50; 404-355-8624, bradburnhome.com. The Lingerie Shoppe: Vintage handkerchiefs, call for pricing and availability; 205-871-8994, thelingerieshoppemtb.com. Urban Home Market: Ornate gold…