Dickens of a Christmas

Dickens is a beloved holiday festival in the Historic City Farmers Market in Downtown Roanoke spanning the first three Fridays in December.

There’s fun for the entire family with horse drawn carriage rides, street performers, music and dance, vendors, outdoor holiday movie, pet costume contest, kids zone, holiday parade and much more. There is no charge for this event, but a good time being had by all is required

Friday night December 17, downtown Roanoke VA 540-342-2028

Downtown RVA Christmas Lights Tour

In conjunction with the Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest, Christmas-in-Virignia.com has arranged a FREE trolley tour of downtown Richmond to view the Christmas lights.

Thirty-minute tours will run from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm on Thursday night, December 16th from the “Miller & Rhodes” Hilton Garden Inn parking lot in downtown Richmond, VA.

The tour will include lights at the James Center, Monument Avenue, Carytown, and the Christmas display windows of the historic Miller & Rhoads building.

Free hot cocoa and cake just inside the Hilton Garden Inn while you wait to ride.

FREE Downtown Richmond Christmas Lights Tour

Thursday night, December 16, 2010 804-545-0804

After you have seen the Trees in the Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest, vote for your favorite tree here.

Holiday Party at Paradise Springs Winery

This first celebration of what is planned to be an annual event will feature great wine, treats, hot mulled wine, bonfires, holiday cheer, and a special visit from someone who may be wearing a red suit. Last minute holiday shopping specials will be announced throughout the evening. By the way, admission to the event is free of charge.

Paradise Springs Winery, 13219 Yates Ford Road, Clifton VA

December 17, 2010 4 pm – 9 pm Call 703-830-WINE

Thoughtful Christmas Gift

And suddenly, it was Winter in Virginia and with the cold wind came dry, rough Virginian hands.

Did you know that the most popular gift out there this year for mothers, aunts and grandmothers is a product that makes their hands look and feel dramatically younger in just 90 days?

The product is called Satin Hands and it’s a three-step process that really works.

First, mom will apply a softener that prepares the hands for ex-foliation. After the softener is massaged into the skin, she will gently rub her hands with the satin-smooth, semi-liquid hand scrub.

After mom rinses off the hand scrub, she will be amazed at how young and soft her hands feel.

The last step is a radically new hand cream that absorbs quickly and provides a protective layer on the hands, lasting up to 24 hours through several hand washings.

The Satin Hands Pampering Set costs only $34.00 and is available in Peach, Fragrance Free and delicious Vanilla.

Call Liz Crowe at 804-559-5881 to reserve a set for a special lady in your life. Talk nice to her and Liz just might gift wrap it for you, too.

Ships anywhere in the US for an additional $5.00.

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens

There are lots of evenings to enjoy Christmas Town with your family, both before and after Christmas.

On every street corner you’ll hear the sounds of the season. From traditional Christmas favorites in Banbury Cross, England, to country-style classics in New France and Celtic sounds in the streets of Killarney, Ireland, this is the music you love.

You can also ride some of your favorite rides while you celebrate the holidays. Admission is $21.99 and the schedule is posted below:

Friday, December 10 through Monday, December 13th (3:00 PM-10:00 PM)

Friday, December 17 through Thursday, December 23rd (3:00 PM-10:00 PM)

Friday, December 24, 2010 Christmas Eve (3:00 PM-9:00 PM)

Sunday, December 26 through Friday, December 31st (3:00 PM-10:00 PM)

Busch gardens Christmas Town details.

Not too Late for Custom Christmas Cards

No matter where in Virginia you live, CCE Graphics in Virginia Beach can help you get your personalized Christmas and New Year’s Cards off in time for Christmas.

It’s never too late to send your own, very special holiday cards.

CCE Graphics can create a card just for you or your business, upload your address and signatures, then get your stuffed and stamped cards sent to the post office for you.

On your part, it will be as easy as sending an email message, but it certainly won’t look that way.

CCE Graphics will make your cards look just as personal or professional as you need for them to be. Although your dainty hands with never touch the cards, they will arrive in your contact’s mail box looking as if you spent hours and hours getting out your holiday cards.

Give Una Toibin-Hamilton a call and just let her explain the process. It’s reasonably priced and easy on that tennis wrist of yours. CCE Graphics 757-271-5742

Holiday Pops! at Harrison Opera House

Nothing says the holidays like the classical and popular song sounds of the season.

Experience a new tradition with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops, filled with beloved carols and holiday songs that are sure to warm your heart. Featuring their seventy-nine musicians with the Virginia Symphony Chorus and special guests. This performance promises holiday delight for your entire family. It’s a joyous way to celebrate the season!

The Harrison Opera House itself is a magnificent setting for any grand tradition. The dramatic towers of the totally refurbished Harrison Opera House frame the dynamic new facade and enclose the elegant staircase to the grand foyer and balcony levels. Experience for yourself the three-story grand lobby with cantilevered balcony lobby, floor to ceiling windows, superior acoustics and box seating on mezzanine and balcony levels that enhance the spectacular interior.

Harrison Opera House, 160 East Virginia Beach Boulevard, Norfolk, VA

Friday, December 17, 2010 at 8:00 PM 757-623-1223

Night Before Christmas Hay Ride and Story

Bring a warm blanket, your singing voice and sense of humor for singing holiday songs during a hay-wagon ride through the winter woods.

Then, back at the visitor center, enjoy hot refreshments and a rendition of the classic holiday story, T’was the Night Before Christmas.

Reservations are required.

It’s only $3 per person or $8 for the whole family.

Dec. 17 and 23, the trip is at 7 p.m. – Dec. 11 and 18, the trip is at 5 and 7 p.m

King George, Virginia 540-775-4386   kgpr@co.kinggeorge.state.va.us

Party at the Palace

Celebrate the Holiday Season at the Historic Palace Theatre in Cape Charles, Virginia.

Starting at 4pm, the Stage Door Gallery hosts the popular Christmas Open House.

Check out the art, jewelry, pottery, fiber arts and note cards!

Then at 5:30 pm, the Christmas Classic “It’s A Wonderful Life” will be showing on the big screen.

Bring treats to share, because this free, pot-luck, community open house is fun for all ages.

Dec 19, Palace Theatre, 305 Mason Avenue, Cape Charles, VA 757-331-2787

American Shakespeare Company

The Twelve Dates of Christmas

Now playing through December 30 for mature audiences

What happens when Mary sees her fiance making out with his co-worker on national TV at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

The Santaland Diaries

Now playing through December 31

The Santaland Diaries is an outrageously funny one-man play about author David Sedaris’s experiences as an unemployed actor/writer taking a job as an elf at Macy’s.

A Christmas Carol

Now playing through December 29

The American Shakespeare Company on Tour takes a break from touring the country to give you some ghostly season’s greetings.

New Year’s Eve Concert

December 31, 2010

Say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011 at the Blackfriars Playhouse with our New Year’s Eve concert featuring the American Shakespeare Company touring troupe

Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market Street, Staunton, VA Box Office: (540) 851-1733

American Shakespeare Company Holiday schedule

Holiday Glamour Tip:

Sleigh bells, jingle bells and silver bells are all ringing and that means looking for just the perfect “do” to complement your holiday frocks.

Sheila Harris of the Riverside Salon & Spa in Fredericksburg, Virginia recommends you look to the Fashion Week runways for inspiration. “Why not try a Twist with a Twist?”

“We’re seeing a lot of throwback styles that will make the perfect ladylike statement at your fancy Virginia, black-tie event. For instance, take this style from Elene Cassis created by artist Amit Abraham. It’s a modern ‘50s-inspired, chic and sophisticated French twist with a twist! It’s the perfect style for holiday parties.”

Amit says, “It’s a French twist with a kick that gives spontaneity around the face. The look is slightly more glam.”

1. To give hair a workable foundation, prep hair with Unite Hair Therapy Session Whip. Then spray hair section-by-section with Unite Hair Therapy Boosta Spray.

2. Next, use a crimping iron on the whole head of hair, section by section, for texture.

3. For volume, backcomb the entire head with a brush spraying with more Unite MaxControl Spray. Create an angled French twist at the back of the head to give it that ‘50s-inspired look.

4. Complete the twist with a pinned pouf at the top leaving sections out. Drape them back over the pouf and set with a smidge more MaxControl Spray.

5. Finish by spraying with Unite Session Max for a strong hold, and with ShinaMist to give it that holiday sparkle.

Take these instructions to your stylist, or better yet, go see Sheila in Fredericksburg. She’s used to having clients drive in from D.C. and fly in from California to experience her magic touch.

Riverside Salon & Spa, 1005 Sophia Street, Fredericksburg, VA

Phone 540-310-4937 or Text 540-656-4300

Coming next week . . .

Lots more details of the Charity Christmas Tree Contest plus great, last minute gift ideas.

Thanksgiving in Virginia

“To be a Virginian either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one’s Mother’s side is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from Above”.

The author of that declaration has remained undiscovered for hundreds of years making it possible for us all claim to the words equally.

That for which we are so thankful is made all the more enjoyable because our hearts lie in Virginia. Our homes and families are forever tied to Virginia. Not only are we counting our Blessings this Thanksgiving time, we acknowledge that we are doubly blessed if we should find ourselves home in Virginia this year.

Be good to each other. We are a 400-year-old family.

How to Carve your Turkey

By popular demand, we are republishing Dennis Marron’s instructions on how a top chef carves a turkey.

Dennis Marron, head chef at The Grille at Morrison House in Alexandria, Virginia, has very precise ideas about how you should carve your Thanksgiving turkey. Read what Chef Marron has to say:

1. Give yourself room to break things down and set them aside. A side table or large counter space next to where you’re carving is essential to make sure each cut is made quickly and cleanly. You’ll need a sharp knife which should be honed every time you use it to keep the line of the blade intact. Tongs for grabbing the slices of meat as they’re carved are most helpful, but optional.

2. Let the bird breathe. If you’ve trussed it for more even cooking, you’ll want to be sure to remove any evidence of the twine used to keep everything compact.

3. Making the first cut. Take your sharpened knife and run it through skin into the crevice between the leg and the torso of the well-cooked bird. You’re not looking to remove anything at this point, but simply to release the tension on the legs and to allow them to stabilize the turkey while you’re carving.

4. Look closely at the turkey’s natural structure and follow it. Take your carving knife and find the breastbone. Run your knife along the breastbone and then down along the ribs. Slice down along either side of the central cartilage so that you can remove each half of the turkey breast completely for further carving. Remove the wing from the breast first by cutting it at the first joint between them.

5. Locate the hip joints on either side of the turkey. Continue your original cuts with a swift motion, separating the dark meat of the thighs and legs from the white meat portions of the carcass.

6. After the breasts, wings, thighs and legs are separated from the torso, you can make the individual slices for your guests. Cross-cut the breast meat after arranging it on your cutting board so that its longer side runs right to left. Then use up and down slices to make sure you’re cutting through the various muscle fibers instead of parallel to them. The slices of meat that you serve will be more tender if they are sliced with grain than if sliced against it.

7. Use the knife to slice the meat of the thigh away from the bone or bestow each turkey leg to the ones at the table who have earned the right to devour them.

Polish up your act by practicing on a large chicken before Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner. That rehearsal will give you much needed skill and more confidence when the big day rolls around.

Thanksgiving at The Jefferson Hotel

From noon till 4:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day, the Lemaire Restaurant will be serving a four-course meal featuring trational and delicious Virginia Specialties. The price is $50 per person plus tax and gratuity.

The slightly less formal restaurant at the Jefferson, TJ’s will serve a $35.00, three-course Holiday Menu featuring a cornucopia of traditional Thanksgiving fare from 5:00 pm until 10:00.

Thinking of staying home and adding a little wine to your festivities. Ben Eubanks, Director of Wine and Restaurants at the Jefferson writes these words of encouragement. “Wine is a vast, complex subject, but with just a few tips, selecting the right wine for your holiday party really can be fun!”

First and foremost, you’ll want to match the wines with the food. Those in the fall and winter are heartier, so choose wines that are full-bodied to match the intensity of the dish.

Next, wine preferences vary from person to person, so be sure to provide a few choices. You may want to consider offering a couple of different styles of wine, such as a fruity California Cabernet Sauvignon and mineral-laden red Bordeaux blend.

Finally, don’t spend a lot of money. The best producers now make a number of wines at a wide range of price points. The power is in your hands as a consumer; decide how much you are willing to spend and stick to it.

The Jefferson Hotel is a downtown Richmond landmark at 101 W. Franklin Street. To reserve Thanksgiving Dinner in either dining room, please call 804-649-4672.

Good Bye Gluten, Hello Thanksgiving

Shauna James Ahern, the “Gluten-Free Girl” shares with us her gluten-free version of Thanksgiving Stuffing.

8 cups gluten-free 1-inch bread cubes (that’s about 2 sandwich loaves)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 ribs celery, diced

1 large onion, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon each fine-chopped fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme

2 cups hot stock (turkey or chicken)

3 large eggs

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the bread cubes in a large bowl. Set a small pan on high heat and pour in the stock. Cook until it is boiling hot, then leave it simmering on the back burner. Beat the eggs together in a bowl.

Set a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Put the oil and butter in the pan. When the liquids move around the pan easily, add the diced celery and onions. Cook them, stirring, until they are soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the fresh herbs to the pan and cook, stirring, until they release their fragrance, about 1 minute.

Toss the softened celery and onions into the bowl with the bread cubes. Put it all into a 3-quart casserole pan.

Pour a few tablespoons of the hot stock into the beaten eggs. Stir, quickly, until the stock is incorporated. Add the remaining stock, slowly, continuing to stir.

Pour the eggy stock over the pan of bread cubes. Press down on the cubes with your hands, distributing the liquid evenly. Cover the casserole pan with aluminum foil.

Slide the stuffing into the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and cook until the stuffing is steaming hot and browned, but not dry, about 10 more minutes. If you can insert a toothpick into the middle of the stuffing and have it come out clean, the stuffing is done.

Cover with gravy, immediately. The recipe serves eight people.

Thanksgiving Day at the Holladay House

The Elswicks invite you to join their family for Thanksgiving dinner at their house this year. Samuel and Sharon Elswick, owners of the Holladay House Bed & Breakfast in Orange County, Virginia love being stewards of this circa 1830 historic property.

Feasting upon free-range turkey, lots of side dishes and desserts will begin at 6:30 pm. All they ask from you in return is good conversation and $39.00 a piece.

If you want to make a long weekend of it and do some holiday shopping at the surrounding shops and wineries, plan to stay the night. Stay at the Holladay House for two consecutive nights and they 25% off the second night’s stay. If you stay another night, take 50% off your third night stay.

Click here for contact information and directions

After Thanksgiving Recovery Dinner

Friday night, the 26th of November and Saturday night, the 27th at 6:00 pm, Chez Foushee in downtown Richmond is planning something completely different.

For starters, Bruschetta with Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese and Artichoke Caponata, Prosciutto, Manchego, Caramelized Onion and Olive Plate or Ricotta Meatball “Pinchos” with Oregano Vinaigrette and Romesco Coulis. That should get the taste of turkey out of your mouth.

After your salad, you’re going to have to choose between Grilled Salmon Steak with Potato Röstis, Pork Tenderloin Scaloppini over Polenta Cakes, Sirloin Steak with Yukon Gold Garlic Mash or Whole Wheat Fettuccine in a Creamy Pecan Sauce roasted sweet potatoes, spinach and Parmesan. And as much as I hate ending a sentence with a preposition, their desserts truly are to die for. Call 804-648-3225 for reservations.

Chez Foushee is located appropriately on the corner at 203 N. Foushee Street in Richmond, Virginia.

Thanksgiving Parade – Reston, Virginia

On Friday, November 26th, enjoy a full day of celebration in Reston, Virginia.

The festivities begin with the Annual Race for the Kids at Fountain Square.

The Thanksgiving parade includes Santa and Mrs. Claus joined by Macy’s style balloons, musical groups, dancers, and antique cars making their way down Market Street.

Don’t miss the horse drawn carriage rides, Holiday Tree Lighting & Sing Along with a chorus of traditional holiday music.

Thanksgiving at the Beach, in Richmond?

Every year, Ron Moody and the Centaurs throw a party they call “Thanksgiving at the Beach.”

This year they’ve found a new place to dance the night away. Head over to the Ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn Friday night after Thanksgiving for great food and music inside the beautifully restored Miller & Rhoads building. Tickets are $20 at the door and the Hilton Inn has arranged a special room rate of $69 just for the night.

The music starts at 8:00 pm and rocks on until Midnight. Enjoy half-price valet parking when you bring an un-wrapped toy donation for Toys for Tots. Call Beth Ann 727-2107 for reservations.

Ron Moody & the Centaurs, Friday, Nov 26 8:00p, Hilton Garden Inn, 5th Street and Broad.

If you don’t remember the Centaurs, take a peak at their website.

Coming next week . . .

December, of course!

Virginia Girls Choir cuts a Christmas Album

The Virginia Girls Choir, a civic choir from Richmond, Virginia just released its first album entitled “An Unexpected Christmas.” The girls choir recorded the album during the Summer of 2010 with singer-songwriter, Ana Hernández.

The album has 16 tracks, including Christmas favorites such as “Silent Night” and “The First Noel,” and also some “unexpected” tracks that include “The Holly and the Ivy” and a haunting, easter rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy.”

St. Stephen’s is the home of the Virginia Girls Choir, an exceptional choir of girls in grades four through eight, who learn to sing the music of the Anglican tradition with great spirit and depth of understanding. The choir bears witness to St. Stephen’s presence to the wider Richmond community and throughout Virginia, raising the hearts and minds of both the singers and the listeners.

To support the sense in which the founding members of the Virginia Girls Choir understand professional commitment and skill, each girl earns a monthly stipend, as well as a modest scholarship in her name to be placed in a college fund and presented to her at the end of her time in the choir.

Please watch this short video of the choir rehersing, listen to their voices and Ms. Hernández’s insight into the project. This one you will want to share for Christmas.

Virginia Girls Choir cuts a Christmas Album (you tube)

“An Unexpected Christmas” CD is available on iTunes and CDBaby or simply click here to buy the CD now.

Virginia Gingerbread Christmas Party

Mrs. Claus Invites you to a special Gingerbread Christmas Party to be held on Thursday, December 2nd from 4:00 to 6:00 pm in Charlottesville, VA. Children will have fun visiting with Mrs. Claus and all of her friends from the North Pole. Holiday refreshments will be served including cookies and hot chocolate!

All children attending the celebration will get the opportunity to decorate their own cookies and cupcakes, as well as make holiday arts and crafts. The party will be followed by a presentation courtesy of Mr. Magic! Reservations are required for this event. Proceeds go to Big Brothers and Big Sisters. To register, please contact the Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville at 434-295-9073.

Don’t forget the Winter Wonderland of Gingerbread Houses brought to you by the Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville and the Omni Charlottesville Hotel. Gingerbread Houses from the 7th Annual DBAC Gingerbread Competition will be on display for everyone to enjoy.

The 7th annual Gingerbread House Competition will be held December 2nd through the 5th at the Omni Hotel, 235 West Main Street in the heart of the Downtown Mall. The competition is open to both amateur and professional bakers, with adult, youth and child categories. Prizes will be awarded in each category. Please contact the Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville at 434-295-9073 with any questions.

Click here to download an entry form

Poet Laureate to Judge Charity Christmas Tree Contest

Kelly Cherry, recently named the eleventh Poet Laureate of Virginia, has graciously agreed to serve on the Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest’s panel of judges. Mrs. Cherry remembers always being “delighted” by the Christmas scenes in the display windows of the old Miller & Rhoads department store in downtown Richmond.

Duties of Virginia’s Poet Laureate are many. Mrs. Cherry, who lives in Fredericksburg, wasn’t even planning on making a trip to Richmond this Holiday season, but after receiving details of the contest, she changed her plans.

“This is certainly a surprise,” Mrs. Cherry said “ It brings back to me wonderful Christmas memories of Richmond!” After being asked to volunteer to judge the Charity Christmas Tree Contest, she told her husband, “I really want to do this.”

Candlelight Processional in Lexington, Virginia

Hundreds gather the Friday after Thanksgiving, all with lighted candles and song sheets in hand and proceed down Main Street singing classic Christmas carols along the way. As the procession moves down Main Street many of the downtown businesses will illuminate their holiday windows as the carolers pass by. This creates a wave of lights effect, and is known as one the most beautiful sights of the Processional.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus lead, in a horse drawn carriage, down to Hopkins Green where a choir and City official greet them and light the Lexington Christmas Tree and officially usher in the holiday season.

Mary Jo Morman, local business owner of Celtic Tides says, “At Hopkins Green, everyone gathers, sings songs led by the local choirs, the Mayor lights the Christmas Tree and hot chocolate or cider is provided by the Lions Club. What a great way to start the holiday season!”

This year’s event kicks off at 5:30 pm on November 26th from Main St. by the Stonewall Cemetery. Call: 540-463-5375

Clean Your Home’s Jewelry for the Holidays

That’s the advice of Ken Roeper, owner of Chrystal Designs in Richmond, Virginia who has restored the lighting fixtures at the Virginia State Capitol, the Virginia Executive Mansion, the United States Capitol and Washington’s landmark Willard Hotel.

Ken likens a crystal chandelier to the diamond ring of any house. Just as an expert jeweler would with an expensive diamond, Mr. Roeper appraises the condition of you prized chandelier, then enhances its setting and restores it to its original “bling!”

On a recent visit to a client who wanted advice on how to lengthen an old gasolier, he told the owner as diplomatically as he could, “The prisms are really beautiful, but they’re on backwards. The pointed side of a prism should be on the inside, where it can refract the light. You know, like a diamond ring.” Others who had tended to the great beauty before Ken had failed to recognize that problem.

We laymen can make such a mess if we try cleaning a chandelier ourselves. For example, Ken says, “Some people make the mistake of trying to clean the fixture using a spray bottle. That can cause major damage. Water, metal and electricity don’t mix. Moisture can seep into the cracks of an old fixture, sit in reservoirs and then cause corrosion. Whatever you do, don’t spray a light fixture!”

So if spraying water on your fine light fixture is a faux pas, what would a profession do? Well, first Roeper “undresses” the fixture, then he cleans each crystal individually, hand dries them with a lint-free cloth and buffs with white gloves.

“Weak prism pins are replaced during the process. I may also have to replace other hardware or broken or missing prisms,” remarks Roeper, then adds, “After cleaning internally and externally, I rebuild and reinstall the fixture.”

Ken Roeper has an old printer’s cabinet full of vintage prisms and parts. In his spare time, Ken travels to antique shows and antiques shops looking for a variety of prisms and parts. “I rebuild and replicate what’s broken and missing in the fixtures,” ken says. “If I can’t get a part from a manufacturer, I find or fabricate a compatible replacement. It’s important for people to hold onto all original parts.”

In between professional cleanings, Ken says you can use the cool setting on a hand-held hair dryer to blow off the dust. “Never use a feather duster,” Ken warns. “The feathers get caught in the tiny crevices of metal and you can innocently pull the whole thing down on your head.”

Crystal Details, 1005 West Avenue Richmond, VA 23220 804.658.1555

crystaldetails@comcast.net

Garden Club of Virginia adopts Jefferson’s Poplar Forest

At the height of Thomas Jefferson’s power, the entire 18th Century world wanted a piece of the great man. In a bid for self-preservation, Jefferson created a retreat that few outside of his close circle of friends every visited. Jefferson called it Poplar Forest.

“Jefferson’s vision for his retreat was an integration of the natural and architectural – a retreat environment with roots in the Roman concept of a rural villa,” says the foundation whose mission is to preserve and restore the historic site.

Archeology is still going on there to discover more about the plantation community at Poplar Forest. What they have discovered so far are the amazing ornamental gardens and landscaping. This continuing work is vital because “no Jefferson-era drawings of the designed retreat grounds are known to exist. While Jefferson’s records, planting memoranda and letters provide many clues, it is through extensive excavating and lab analysis that archaeologists can develop a more complete picture of the gardens, grounds, and farm. Once archaeology brings those features into sharp focus, they can be restored.”

Once restoration of the Bedford Country retreat was deemed feasible, Poplar Forest’s directors applied for assistance from the Garden Club of Virginia, which represents 47 garden clubs statewide. In October, the GCV organization voted to adopt Poplar Forest’s initial landscape projects as its next garden restoration.

This adoption will provide financial support and expertise, including a landscape architect to do design work and drawings for the project, said Deedy Bumgardner, Garden Club of Virginia’s restoration committee chairwoman. Much of the garden and farm no longer exists, but plant memoranda, letters, archaeological excavations and lab analysis have revealed clues about what the third president incorporated into the landscape.

Jefferson began construction in 1806 on the secluded plantation, situated on a 4,800-acre plot inherited by his wife, Martha. The property, which is open to the public, is on Bateman Bridge Road in the Forest community of the county. The Garden Club’s mission is to restore historic gardens and landscapes, conserve Virginia’s natural resources, inspire interest in gardening and provide education for members and the public.

Special tours of Poplar Forest that feature holiday traditions in the early 19th-century will be held on Sunday, November 28th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Hot apple cider and cookies will be served in the Museum Shop.

More details here.

Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival at Poplar Forest

Celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s passion for wine! So much time spent in France during Jefferson’s diplomatic career gave him ample time to study the soil of their wine regions and the wine-making techniques of French vineyards. Thomas Jefferson became convinced that world-class wine could be produced in Virginia.

“The history of grape culture at Monticello suggests Jefferson’s unrelenting oscillation between a desire to grow the difficult yet rewarding vinifera, and the possibilities of well-adapted New World alternatives — the fox grape, Vitis labrusca, and the Scuppernong variety of the southern muscadine, Vitis rotundifolia. Although Jefferson probably never made a Monticello wine, the diverse collection of varieties he assembled and his influential advocacy of American viticulture were worthy accomplishments in themselves.” The Monticello Foundation

Join in the celebration from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on November 20, 2010 for the 2nd annual Thomas Jefferson Wine Festival at Poplar Forest. Visitors will enjoy tastings from 12 different Virginia wineries, savor fare from food purveyors and peruse work by local artisans. Explore Poplar Forest and enjoy fabulous musical entertainment. “Mr. Jefferson” himself will also be present to talk about his love wines and his home at Poplar Forest. Guided tours of Jefferson’s retreat home will also be available throughout the day

Enjoy house tours of Jefferson’s retreat home throughout the day for a reduced rate. Festival will be held in heated spaces and will occur rain or shine. Admission for those 21 and over includes a complimentary wine glass. Tickets: $20.00 in advance, $25.00 at the door. Tickets available online or by phone. Call (434) 534-8120 or visit www.thomasjeffersonwinefestival.com.

Poplar Forest is located between Lynchburg and Bedford at 542 Bateman Bridge Road, Forest, VA 24551 click here for maps and directions.

Jefferson Thanksgiving Ball & Holiday Show

By now you must be asking yourself, is this the Jeffersonian newsletter of the Virginia Christmas newsletter? Point well taken, but we can’t ignore a Thanksgiving Ball, now can we?

Wouldn’t it be crazy to step back in time for a period Thanksgiving Ball as it might have been in Jefferson’s time in Charlottesville, Virginia? This 16th annual holiday show is held in the Omni Hotel Ballroom and features professional performers portraying three American Presidents, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe and lots of other famous citizens from the past. Live period music and dancing will be performed and taught to the audience by the Cuckoo Assembly Dancers. The event is suitable for all ages, however a cash bar is also available in a separate area. No costume is required for admission but is certainly welcomed. Ball fees are $5 for adults or $15 per family.

Omni Hotel Ballroom, 235 West Main Street in Charlottesville, Virginia. Saturday, November 20, 2010, 7:30 to 10:00 pm. (Prior to the Ball, a full Thanksgiving Dinner will be served at 6:00 pm for an additional charge of $30 per person.) Call 434-978-4466 or 434-202-9798 for details and reservations.

Charlottesville’s Grand Illumination is Friday night, November 19th and their Thanksgiving Parade is help Saturday morning at the Downtown Mall.

Details here.

100 Miles of Lights in Virginia

Six cities, two million twinkling lights and special events draw visitors to Virginia’s 100 Miles of Lights, which stretches from Virginia Beach to Richmond. Illuminated parades on land and sea, magical lighted drive-throughs, sparkling city skylines and country lanes viewed by Victorian horse-drawn carriages make Virginia’s 100 Miles of Lights an unforgettable experience and it all kicks off on Saturday, November 20th in Norfolk.

The 100-mile display features more than 100 events beginning next Saturday and running all the way through until January 1, 2011. The first event of this annual display begins in Norfolk on November 20 with their Grand Illumination Parade, where 100,000 voices take part in a community countdown to illuminate downtown Norfolk and Olde Towne Portsmouth skylines. This illumination signals the start of an unforgettable parade with lighted floats, giant balloons, dancers and Santa Claus.

GardenFest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond adds its half million lights or so lights on November 26th and Colonial Williamsburg turns on her Grand Illumination December 5th.

Then on December 3rd, Hollydazzle combines fireworks, special effects and music in a spectacular show on the five-acre Fountain Plaza in Newport News. The Hampton Holly Days Parade on December 11 is the area’s largest illuminated parade and includes well-crafted floats and marching bands. There is an equally festive daytime Coliseum Central Holiday Parade as well on November 20 where Santa makes an early appearance.

Think of it, 100 Miles of Christmas Lights! If you haven’t “been there, done that,” shouldn’t this be the year that you do!

Newsflash: White Christmas

Act fast to get half-price tickets to “White Christmas” performed at the Barksdale Theater. Click here for details.

Coming New Week . . .

More judges to be announced for the Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest

No Ordinary Pictures with Santa

Every year, the front room of Gitchell’s Studio is transformed into a family living room decorated for Christmas and anxiously awaiting Santa’s arrival.  “Santa” is so natural in the role that you have to wonder, if he really …. no, can’t be.

Jim Carpenter is currently the only Master Photographer, Certified Professional Photographer and Fellow Photographer in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. Jim doesn’t just take your child’s picture with Santa, he creates a motion-picture quality set that even has a working fireplace in the background.

Santa’s scheduled appearances at Gitchell’s Studio in Charlottesville this year are Thursday, November 18 and Friday, November 19th. Call to make your appointment now! 434-296-7558

These are no ordinary pictures with Santa. These shots are pure Holiday magic!

Gitchell’s Studio, 18-A Forest Street in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Holiday Lights at Virginia Beach

There is only one time of year when we are all allowed to actually drive on the thirty blocks of the Virginia Beach boardwalk and that is during the annual Holiday Lights at the Beach event. More than 30,000 vehicles are expected to drive through the grand illuminations this year and every single one of them will get a free Christmas music CD as they get in line for the drive.

Sponsor, McDonald’s calls the Holiday Lights at the Beach experience a “Fanta-Sea of lights.” If you are planning to drive on the beach this year, save some time to also see, or “sea” if you prefer, the Norfolk Garden of Lights. If you would like to make the journey in a horse-drawn carriage complete with jingle bells, the Sea Horse Carriage Company can help you there. Call them at 757-971-6200

You can enjoy the lights on the boardwalk between 2nd and 34th Streets from November 19th until the 2nd of January 2011.

Christmas Window Display Project is Growing

Last week we told you about the Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest. Well, since then, local business people and other nostalgic Richmonders have joined in the mission to bring back the former glory to the display windows of the old Miller & Rhoads building in downtown Richmond.

Not only will thirty one glittering Christmas trees grace her windows, but there will now be at least ten other dramatic window displays donated to the project by the Hilton Garden Inn, GreatScapes & More, Inc., Dementi Studios and Linda & Andy Young of Richmond, Virginia. People who remember what they saw through the plate glass of those beautiful windows long ago are working very hard to recreate them for all of you to see in time for Christmas 2010.

Anyone for a Singing Christmas Card?

Sweet Adelines International is a highly respected, worldwide organization of female singers committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performance. Region 14 of this organization includes all Sweet Adelines chapters in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and part of Tennessee.

The Sound Advice Quartet, part of the Vienna-Falls Chapter of Sweet Adelines has won the 2010 Region 14 Championships! Sound Advice often performs in shows, gives performances at various meetings and functions, and even delivers singing Valentines, Christmas cards and Birthday cards – in person or over the telephone.

Sound Advice has been singing together since 1999. Ginger Albertson, Bonnie Ashley, Carrie Bodoh and Beth Kimlick are also Vienna-Falls chorus musical leaders and even coach other choruses and quartets throughout the region. Yet through it all, all four have managed to remain married to their first husbands, all of whom are left-handed. Go figure.

These ladies have a little “sound advice” for others thinking of getting into a quartet:

1. Establish your sound; learn some songs and learn about each other – before you consider competing.

2. Set reasonable goals and revisit, revise and update as needed.

3. Play up your strengths while you work on your weaknesses.

4. Agree to disagree, it’s OK, but be considerate and forgiving with each other.

5. ALWAYS carry an extra pitch pipe.

6. Never have more costumes than you do songs.

For performance and information requests, call (703) 273-0317 soundadvice@viennafalls.org

Pentagon Row Outdoor Ice Skating Rink

You don’t have to take the train to Rockefeller Center in New York City to ice skate under the stars. Pentagon Row, in Arlington, Virginia not only has more than forty five shops and restaurants to enjoy, it also has a beautiful little open-air ice rink. If you don’t have your own, you can rent ice skates and you can get skating lessons as well.

Pentagon Row’s Ice Rink is open from November 1st through mid-March, but one event you won’t want to miss is their 8th Annual Pentagon Row Holiday Festival! Saturday, November 13th from 5 to 7:30 pm, Pentagon Row kicks off the holidays in style with hay rides, a special visit from Santa, strolling entertainment, live music, merchant specials and more! Believe it or not, it is guaranteed to snow for this Holiday event . . . with a little help from technology, that is.

You can even skate on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 10:00 am until 11:00 pm. Skate from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm on New Year’s Eve and from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm on New Year’s Day.

Pentagon Row is located at the corner of Army Navy Drive and South Joyce Street in Arlington, Virignia. Call (434) 977-9234 for more information including fees and regular skating hours.

Steve Latham, the Ice Artist

Speaking of ice . . . Ice Art has been creating custom designed, hand-carved ice sculptures for twenty two years. Steve is a member of the National Ice Carving Association and he attended the Culinary Institute of America. He left a long career as an executive chef to concentrate on full-time Ice Art.

All of Steve’s sculptures are hand-carved without the use of molds. They each begin with 300lb. crystal clear Clinebell ice blocks that they manufacture themselves. The blocks measure 40” x 20” x 10” and are made to be long lasting. Because they make their own blocks, they are able to freeze fresh flowers, photos or other objects into your sculpture.

Steve and his crew arrive approximately an hour prior to your event and provide complete setup in an attractive display pan with a drain system. They also deliver to any location from Richmond, Williamsburg and the Tidewater area to the Outer Banks and eastern North Carolina.

Here are a few things Steve, the ice man thinks you should know if you are adding ice sculpture to your holiday parties this year:

“Most ice sculptures have an indoor show life of about six hours. This means that at room temperature, it will take that long for the detail to melt away. However, your entire sculpture will remain for many hours longer.”

“We highly recommend lighting. It adds a beautiful glow to the sculpture while defining and highlighting the detail for that “wow” effect at first sight! We can illuminate your design with clear or colored lighting to match your theme or décor.”

“Your sculpture could be placed on a food table as the centerpiece to the buffet or as an integral part of your hors d’oeuvres display. We also offer shooter-type luge sculptures for the bar area or an entire bar made of ice!”

Take a look at the Ice Art website. It’s amazing what one man can do with a chain saw, chisel and blow torch.

Christmas Stockings

If all this talk of ice has left your tootsies a bit chilly, then Bethany O’Neil has just the thing for you! In conjunction with the Southern Virginia Artisan Center in Martinsville, Virginia, Bethany’s mission is to teach you how to knit Christmas stockings.

Every Thursday beginning on the 11th of November through December 2nd, Bethany is going to do her darnedest (pardon the pun) to teach anyone who has some basic knowledge of knitting to conquer the art of the Christmas stocking. Each student needs to be able to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off to start this class. Purchase own materials: 4 to 5 different color of Vanna’s Choice yarn; 1 skein of each color (JoAnn Fabrics), set of four US 7 (4.5mm) double-pointed needles, set of four US 6 (4mm) double-pointed needles, tapestry needle, stitch marker, stitch holder. Admission Fee: $49.00

Come on, now. You know you want to learn how to make those needles fly! To Register, Call 276-656-0260 Southern Virginia Artisan Center, 54 West Church Street, Martinsville, VA 24112

America’s first Thanksgiving Day

In 1619, Berkeley Hundred was the site of America’s first Thanksgiving Day. It later became known as Berkeley Plantation, and was long the traditional home of the Harrison family, one of the First Families of Virginia.

The Virginia Thanksgiving Festival will hold its celebration on the lawn of Berkeley Plantation on Sunday, November 7, 2010 from Noon until 4:00 PM.

In September of 1619, Captain John Woodlief and his band of 37 men sailed from Bristol, England, to settle The New World in a place called “Berkeley Hundred”. The London Company stated that, when they landed, they read the following proclamation:

“Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrivall at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.”

Upon landing in 1619 , they fell to their knees and thanked God for their safe passage. That was one year and 17 days before those folks up in Massachusetts sat down for their Thanksgiving Dinner.

On the first Sunday in November every year a group of volunteers work toward keeping that promise made almost 400 years ago. There are re-enactors, who stroll the grounds, re-create the landing and read the proclamation. Thereby, keeping the request of the London Company alive.

There is also music, activities and games for families and children, informative speeches, encampment, arts and crafts and the Chickahominy Indian Tribal Dancers perform and explain their history. Award winning caterer, Homemades by Suzanne will provide food and drink.

Berkeley Plantation, 12602 Harrison Landing Road, Charles City, VA 23030

Richmond on the Rivah

The first town of Richmond was perched on a hill in North Yorkshire, England looking down upon the Swale River. The second Richmond sat on the Thames and the third, our Richmond, upon the James.

The Alain Le Roux’s were a clan of fierce warriors who took control of Brittany, France about the time that William, Duke of Normandy, France was attempting to lay hold of the English crown. In order to defeat the English Saxon, King Harrold, William needed invincible troops on the ground to assure his victory so he offered a share of the gains to those powerful enough to help him. The Duke of Brittany, the highest-ranking Le Roux in the region, offered to finance one third of William’s forces, under the command of his son, Count Alain Fergant Le Roux. Alan the Red’s army crushed King Harrold and the Norman Invasion in 1066 was a success.

When William the Conquer was crowned King of England, he rewarded Alan the Red with a substantial amount of land on the Swales River which they named Riche-Monte, the Old French term for “strong hill.” William also gave the French Count a new title, the Honour of Richmond, making Alan the Red the first Earl of Richmond. In 1071, Alan the Red built a castle on the lofty hill overlooking the River Swale and the territory surrounding Richmond became Richmond Shire . For more than three hundred years the Honour of Richmond was controlled by the Dukes of Brittany or their relatives and who would have been addressed simply as Richmond.

From 1414 to 1435 the earldom of Richmond was held by John Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford and in 1452, it was conferred on Edmund Tudor, brother to King Henry VI. When Edmund Tudor’s son Henry ascended the throne as Henry VII in 1485 the earldom of Richmond merged in the crown. In 1499, King Henry Vll, the Earl of Richmond constructed a palace at a place called Sheen, set on the River Thames in the county of Surrey. The King then renamed the place, Richmond.

It is that royal Richmond in Surrey that William Byrd frequented as a child and after which Byrd named the town of Richmond on the James River in Virginia.

As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s good to look back and remember from whence we came. What a rich and varied heritage we all share as Virginians. However you and your family came to be in Virginia, this Holiday Season would be great time to come together and celebrate the journey!

Coming up next week . . .

Announcing the names of the Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest Judges.

Virginia Christmas Trees

The top Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, California, North Carolina and, just lately Virginia has made that list. The most popular live trees chosen as Christmas trees are the: Balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Noble fir, Scotch pine, White pine and Virginia pine.

2  Million  Sold each year! The Virginia Christmas tree industry is made up of thousands of growers.

The size of any Christmas tree farm ranges from less than an acre to as large as several hundred acres, with a few growers having a thousand or more acres.

It is estimated that there are over seven million Christmas trees growing in Virginia today and every year approximately one to two million Virginia grown trees are sold. For every tree that is harvested by Virginia Christmas tree farmers, at least two seedlings are planted in its place. The growing time from seedling to say a six-foot tree is anywhere from seven to fifteen years.

Christmas trees purchased at retail lots and chain stores may be Virginia grown, but just as likely come from out-of-state. Retail lots displaying the “Virginia’s Finest” logo is your best choice for a Virginia grown tree.

To Locate a Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association member in your region Click here.

Why Christmas Portraits?

Some say formal Christmas portraits are old fashioned. Well, of course they are . . . that’s the whole point!

In times of financial uncertainty like these, Virginians turn their thoughts back to simpler times and time-honored traditions like assembling the entire family together to have a Christmas portrait taken. Every time a mother or grandmother walks past her family’s portrait hanging on the wall, she feels a strong sense of security. “Times may be tough right now” she thinks to herself, “but at least we still have each other.”

Christmas-in-Virgnia.com is actively promoting the idea of Christmas family portraits because we feel very strongly about the comfort and joy family portraits could bring to anxious Virginians this year. When we went looking for top-quality photographers who would help by making family portraits affordable without giving up quality, Caston Studios immediately answered the call.

Laney Caston

Laney Caston is one of those guys that simply remains “cool” regardless of the year. Be on the look out in a couple of weeks for a really great and sometimes shocking article about Mr. Caston himself. For instance, Laney got his Master’s of Photography Award in Las Vegas from the legendary Ann Margaret. You definitely don’t want to miss that story!

Caston Studios is running an offer on family Christmas portraits that is impossible to beat and hard to refuse, no matter what your budget. Remember, portraits make wonderful Christmas gifts and instantly become family heirlooms.

Click here for details Caston Studio Christmas special.

Viva La Nicoise Cafe!

Finding La Niçoise Cafe snuggled in the Northern Shenandoah Valley may be something of a surprise to restaurant connoisseurs who would never expect an authentic French restaurant in Winchester, Virginia anyway and certainly not one with a menu straight off of the Riviera.

Chef Frederic Boukaia, a native of Nice, has always wanted a place of his own. “I’ve been looking to open my own place for the last 25 years,” the chef reveals. “Every day I have my routine: a cup of coffee and read The Washington Post. Every Sunday I look in the business opportunities and I see there’s a place for me to look at. I drove in from Leesburg and when I came in, I saw the bricks, the red bricks, and the size of the place and said ‘this is mine,’ this is what I wanted for so many years. I was tired to work for somebody,” he said. “If I had to work hard for 15 hours a day, I wanted to do it for myself.”

Southern French cuisine

The proprietor describes his restaurant’s cuisine as different from that found in northern France with heavy, cream-based sauces. In the restaurants of southern France, you get more olive oil, herbs and fresh vegetables. Many of the menu items are family recipes that Chef Frederic brought from home and that had been passed down from this parents.

Chef Frederic says, “A neighborhood cafe is what I want it to be. Nothing pretentious. I want people to be comfortable in my place. If people want to come, have a look, eat a Salade Niçoise, drink a glass of wine and enjoy the afternoon. That’s what I want, like we do in France.”

La Nicoise Cafe is located at 12 S. Braddock Street in Winchester. (540) 722-4557

Giving History for Christmas

Virginia is just full of history and so much of it is saved, then showcased for us to enjoy inside hundreds of museums all over the Commonwealth. History “nuts” like me spend hours enjoying the treasures of Virginia’s museums, just soaking it all in and imagining how it might have been. The trip is made even better when that museum offers some sort of souvenir store on the way out to the parking lot. My darling spouse says that I’ve never met a gift shop I didn’t like

The Virginia Historical Society is pleased to host the 16th annual Museum Stores of Richmond, Holiday Shoppers Fair on November 5th and 6th. If you’ve never before visited the Shoppers Fair, it presents an wonderful opportunity to see what fifteen different museums carry in their stores all under one roof.

These museum stores will be offering books, ornaments, jewelry, textiles, food, gifts, candles and so very, very much more:

• Agecroft Hall,
• Chesterfield Historical Society,
• Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen,
• Lewis Ginter botanical Garden,
• Library of Virginia,
• Old dominion Railway Museum,
• Poe Museum,
• John Marshall House and Scotchtown,
• Science Museum of Virginia,
• St. John’s Church,
• Valentine Richmond History Center,
• Virginia Center for Architecture,
• Virginia Historical Society,
• Virgina Holocaust Museum and the
• Virginia Museum of fine Arts.

More details of the fair available here.

Arlington Natl. Cemetery Christmas Wreaths

Each year Worcester Wreath Company makes and decorates holiday wreaths and places them on the headstones at Arlington National Cemetery. The company’s president, Morrill Worcester, started this annual event in 1992 to honor our nation’s fallen heroes. This year, in conjunction with wreaths sponsored through the Wreaths Across America program, there will be approximately 20,000 wreaths placed at Arlington in Sections 28, 38, 43 (in the older section of the Cemetery), and Section 60 where many of those lost in our current conflicts are laid to rest.

Volunteers welcome

On Saturday, December 11th, there will be a short welcome and briefing of all volunteers at 8:30 am at the intersection of Lincoln and Mitchell Drives within the Cemetery and there will be signs directing you to the location. Wreath placing will begin at 9:00 am and there will be special wreath ceremonies at the Kennedy Family Memorial at 11:00 am; at the Battleship USS Maine Monument at 11:30am and at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Noon. Volunteers are welcome and encouraged to attend the special services as well.

Last year, over 5,000 volunteers helped to honor and remember our American Veterans buried at Arlington.  Due to the large number of volunteers expected and the limited parking spaces available, your best bet would be to use the Metro Rail system (Blue Line) to get to Arlington Cemetery.

More details here.

November 2nd Promo Day

The people at Celtic Tides are running a promotion to encourage two things in Lexington, Virginia: shopping locally and exercising your right to vote. Anyone who comes into the Celtic Tides gift shop on election-day Tuesday wearing the “I voted” sticker, will receive 10% off any merchandise purchase in the store up until 7 pm.

Oh, and by the way, for those who live in Lexington, John Morman is running for City Council. John is a native of Dunfermline, Scotland and has lived in Lexington for ten years. His wife may think he’s crazy for making the commitment, but there is currently no retail merchant on the council and John feels strongly that the retail community should be represented there.

Regardless of whom you support in whatever election, just please go out and vote. Virginia wouldn’t be the same without you and your voice needs to be heard.

See Celtic Tides here

Holiday Glamour Tip:

This is really both a travel tip and a glamour tip. Whether you just jetted off on a business trip, drove the family to grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving or packed a few too many of those late-night, holiday events back to back, nothing is more disheartening than waking up to puffy eyes in the morning.

The normal accumulation of fluid trapped in the cells of the skin around and under your eyes is even more pronounced when you travel. When you fly, poor circulation, dehydration and low levels of oxygen make the problem even worse. Lack of sleep or a tearful outburst can make your eyes puffy, but then, so can too much sleep. Regardless of the cause, there are a few little tricks that will help to undo the damage.

If you have time to lie down for fifteen or twenty minutes, you can apply cold compresses to your eyes. Many stores and boutiques sell gel-filled eye packs. Stick them in the freezer for a few minutes and apply to your eyelids. Cold cucumber slices applied to the eyelids will also help, but laying your hands on vegetables may be more challenging just before a party than simply buying a drug store remedy.

Gently messaging the delicate skin around your eye area will encourage fluid build up to release and drain more quickly. Olay designed an inexpensive product for just this purpose called Olay Regenerist Eye Derma-Pods and regardless of any other product claims, they really do lesson puffy eyes almost immediately. Here’s how they work. Cleanse your face as you would normally. Select one derma-pod and press the center with your fingertips to release product onto the pad. Close one eye and gently apply derma-pod with dabbing motion. Then gently massage the product into skin around the eye in tiny circular motions for about a minute and a half then do the other eye. This stuff really works by coaxing the tiny cells to release excess fluid back into your blood stream and away from your beautiful eyes.

Coming up next week…

more Details of the Christmas Tree decorating contest in Richmond.

Fifteen Virginia Charities are still looking for a corporate sponsor for entry into the Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest. If you know of a bank, insurance agency, civic club or business that would like to sponsor one of these charities with $100, please let us know so that we can match them up with the charity of their choice. These corporate donations help fund the prize money, including the $1,000 grand prize to the charity with the 1st place tree. 804-545-0804

Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest

“The Thanksgiving-to-Christmas period is any department store’s busiest season, but Christmas at Miller & Rhoads was more than just intense shopping. Display windows drew national attention; new shops opened just for the season; and Santa Claus did a lot more than listen to children on his knee recite their Christmas wish lists.”  (Under the Clock; the story of Miller and Rhoads by Earle Dunford & George Bryson)

From many miles outside of the Old Dominion’s capital city, thousands of people used to drive in to see the Miller & Rhoads windows decorated for Christmas. Those windows, decorated by Milton Burke and his crew, became a spectacular holiday tradition. Milton dressed those windows for the last time in December 1989 before the store forever closed its doors the following January. For more than twenty Christmases, the windows of the Richmond-based department store where “Christmas is a Legend” have remained bare, but all of that is about to change.

This year, the windows of the historic Miller & Rhoads building will once again be ablaze with the reds and greens, glitter and golds of Christmas! The Hilton Garden Inn is partnering with Christmas-in-Virginia.com to breath new life back into this beloved, old Christmas memory.

Announcing the Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest. Thirty one Christmas trees will soon fill the big, plate-glass display windows of the historic Miller & Rhoads building to bring “comfort & joy” to all who walk by them or drive past on the streets of downtown Richmond. Each of those trees will be decorated by a specific charitable organization, then entered into a contest to see which of the 31 Christmas trees is the most glorious of all! The winning non-profit organization will win a $1,000 grand prize.

The abysmal economy has left some worthy charities at the brink of having to close their doors because many of the generous people who make up their donor base are themselves struggling financially. One thousand dollars could very well make a difference to whether or not certain non-profits survive another long winter.

The premise of the contest is this: Thirty one charities are being sought to decorate a Christmas tree for the windows of the Miller & Rhoads building in downtown Richmond. This contest is not limited to non-profits based in Richmond. Thirty-one different Virginia businesses or clubs will be asked to sponsor a tree by covering its contest entry fee. Those benefactors are encouraged to help their charitable group with the cost of decorations, but that is not a requirement of sponsorship.

In the tradition of television’s “Dancing with the Stars,” the winning tree will be chosen by a panel of judges and by the people of Virginia. The decision of the judges will count for only 50% of the contest’s point structure. The other 50% of the equation will be determined by the opinions of all Virginians who go onto the Christmas-in-Virginia.com website to vote for their favorite tree.

During the first week of November 2010, the windows of the Miller & Rhoads building will be covered over with paper, colorfully painted by a team of talented artists currently attending the elementary and middle schools of Richmond, Virginia. On the evening of November 30th, the paper will come off each window, revealing thirty one glowing and glittering Christmas trees just in time to be enjoyed over the Thanksgiving holidays.

As one of the Christmas-in-Virginia.com insiders, you will receive a link to the voting page before it is open for all the world to see.

To make sure your favorite charity/non-profit has an opportunity to enter the contest, please ask their representative to use the link below for more details:

http://www.christmas-in-virginia.com/virginia-christmas-charity-donation/index.html

Holiday Season Sails into Virginia

On Thursday November 4, 2010, the 96-year-old Norwegian tall ship, HNoMS Statsraad Lehmkuhl is scheduled to arrive in downtown Norfolk at 9:00 am. This majestic sailing ship will dock at Otter Berth next to Waterside in conjunction with the Waterside Festival.

The Statsraad Lehmkuhl is a three-masted barque (pronounced bark) of which the mainmast and the foremast are square-rigged, while the mizzenmast is fore-and-aft-rigged. Launched in 1914, she is Norway’s oldest and largest sailing vessel. The Statsraad Lehmkuhl carries a crew of 125 and has a hull made of high carbon steel. The height of her rig is one hundred and fifty eight feet. The ship’s beam is more than twelve and a half metres and she displaces 1,516 t of water.

Originally, the ship was purposed as a trainee ship for German commercial shipping, carrying the name of ‘Grossherzog Friedrich August’. After the first World War, the ship was taken by the British army as a trophy of war, then sold in 1921 to the former minister of Norway; Kristoffer Lehmkuhl. The name Statsraad Lehmkuhl literally means cabinet Lehmkuhl. With the exception of her time served in both World Wars, the ship has been a trainee vessel. Shipping tycoon, Hilmar Reksten bought the Statsraad Lehmkulh in 1967 and donated it to the Stiftelsen Seilskip Stadsraat Lehmkuhl foundation twelve years later.

The City of Norfolk and her community leaders will officially welcome the HNoMS Statsraad Lehmkuhl’s dramatic arrival with a dockside flag-raising and public welcome ceremony at 9:30 am. Lake Taylor High School’s NJROTC Color Guard will carry out the flag-raising ceremony. Norfolk has become a favorite port of call for the ship and her crew and this will be the sixth consecutive year that the ship has called on Norfolk as part of the Norwegian Royal Navy’s training schedule.

The Statsraad Lehmkuhl is sailed by the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy’s first year officer cadets who are participating in leadership training and team building during the trip. The cadets get a strong foundation of basic seamanship during their weeks on board. Stripped of modern communication technology, the students learn to work together to overcome timeless challenges of travelling the open sea by sail. The Royal Norwegian Navy has been leasing the Statsraad Lehmkuhl from the foundation that owns her since 2002 when its voyage became part of their basic training program.

The event is free and the public is invited to tour the ship on Friday, November 5th from Noon through 4:00 pm. Parents have a great opportunity here to establish a new family “tradition” that ushers in the Holiday season. School groups can reserve a private morning tour by contacting Hank Moseley at 757-441-2345, ext 3019.

National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Since 1923, the United States of America has celebrated the beginning of the Holiday season with the traditional lighting of our National Christmas Tree. The ceremony takes place each year on the grassy area known as the Ellipse, just south of the White House. The big tree shares the space with other seasonal displays including a Yule log, a large-scale model train, Santa’s workshop and a Nativity scene. Musical performances by volunteer choirs and dancers are also presented nightly on the Ellipse stage.

On November 6th, a sixty-seven-foot Engelmann spruce is scheduled to be cut from the Bridger-Teton National Forest in the least populated state in the union, Wyoming. The mammoth tree will then travel 3,000 miles on an 81-foot, flatbed truck to Washington, DC where it will be cemented into a five-foot hole on the Capitol lawn, strung with 10,000 LED lights and decorated with 5,000 ornaments.

Every year, sponsoring organizations from a different state provide the tree’s ornaments that are encased in a protective plastic globe to shield them from the weather. Wyoming had no problem raising the $100,000 in donations needed to cover the cost of shipping the tree to Washington, but coming up with 5,000 hand-made ornaments has been quite a trial. The entire population of the state of Wyoming is only 544,000 so that means everyone who lives there is either helping to make a Christmas decoration for the National Christmas Tree or knows someone who is making an ornament. The original deadline for the citizens of Wyoming to get their creations to the “packing station” in Jackson was October 8th. Unfortunately, only about a thousand ornaments made it there on time. On Friday the 22nd, the five thousandth decoration finally arrived. Whew!

Although the lighting of the 2010 National Christmas Tree will be at 5:00 pm on Thursday night, December 9th, the limited number of tickets must be sought more than a month in advance by means of an on-line lottery. The lottery will include 3,000 ticketed seats and 10,000 standing room tickets.

Beginning at 12:01 am Eastern Standard Time (Virginia Time – VT) on Friday, November 5th, you can log on to www.TheNationalTree.org and enter the lottery. The ticket lottery will remain open through 11:59 pm VT on Sunday, November 7th. Successful ticket seekers will be notified by email or US mail. After Wednesday, November 10th, all ticket seekers may check the status of their request online. Tickets will be mailed to the lottery winners by November 15, 2010.

Since parking is extremely limited near the National Christmas Tree, you might want to think seriously about riding the Metro to the event, if you do win tickets. The closest stops to the White House grounds are Metro Center, Federal Triangle and McPherson Square.

The Meadow Highland Games

Oct. 23 and 24, 2010 at the Meadow Event Park, exit 98 off I-95, one mile east of Kings Dominion in Doswell, Caroline County, Virginia. Click here for Celtic Festival map

http://www.meadowceltic.com/pdf/2010/2010_celticmap.pdf

Look for John and Mary Jo Morman this weekend at the sixteenth annual Meadow Highland Games & Celtic Festival. The Mormans own a great little shop in Lexington, Virginia called Celtic Tides and they’ll be bringing lots of their Irish, Welsh and Scottish treasures to their booth at the festival.

The event itself, formerly known as the Richmond Highland Games, has been moved to the Meadow Event Park up by Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Although the name and location may have changed, it will still be two full days of music, food and large men throwing stuff. In fact, competition abounds with the best athletes from around the world in the North American Highland Games Championships.

There will also be dance, fiddle and harp competitions … oh, and did we mention there were big guys … really BIG MEN in skirts throwing stuff? Celebrate your Celtic heritage with the Parade of Clans and Societies, pipe bands, living history encampments, the Dogs of the British Isles Parade and genealogical information. Traditional music and Celtic rock will be blasting from two entertainment stages all weekend and the Christmas shopping with over 60 vendors will be great, especially at the Celtic Tides booth If you miss John and Mary Jo at the festival, visit Celtic Tides at 19 W. Nelson Street in Lexington, Virginia.

Irish Publican of Virginia Beach

Speaking of all things Celtic, Irish-American restaurant owner, Bob Conklin, just launched IrishPublican.com, a virtual place where can you pull up a stool, lean across the bar and solve the problems of the world over a fair pint.

This Irish Publican owns Conklin’s Irish Rover down in Virginia Beach and he’s writing about the world’s pubs, family, the US Navy, adventures old and new, as well as Irish culture, rugby, music and history. The Irish Publican is a friendly place where you always find good banter and good fun. Join the conversation and go say “hello” to Bob!

Modern Atelier smells Like Virginia

Designer Amy George was a self-described bath-and-beauty-product junkie making her own scrubs when she realized she wanted to branch into perfume. “I was tired of walking around VCU and smelling the same perfume on every girl,” she says. Thus began Amy’s first quest for perfumer’s oil and the subsequent birth of her perfume company, Modern Atelier.

Ms. George was quite amused at the title a local article written about her new venture entitled “No Common Scents.” Amy laughs and says, “probably anyone with any common sense would not have bought a 5 gallon drum of perfumer’s alcohol and set out in the direction I did.“ Years later she can happily say, “The idea that my hand-crafted fragrances are being worn everywhere from Singapore to Finland and South Africa to Alaska is both exciting and humbling!”

Of all the fragrances Amy George has created, the most fun are her collection of Richmond-inspired perfumes. To mention but a few, her blended perfumes include Byrd Theatre: a mixture of coke, popcorn and chocolate scents; Kuba Kuba; a combo of pineapple, mint and rum; and a musky scent with hints of Chambord called Shockoe Bottom.

All of the scents, including those inspired by Belle Isle and the Fan, come packaged both in simple one-ounce bottles or stylish reed diffusers that can spread Richmond-esque aromas throughout your entire home. These little bottles make such perfectly personal gifts for the Richmond women in your life and they won’t break the bank, if you know what we mean.

Guess who’s coming to Virginia?

The answer, my friend is blowin’ in the wind. Bob Dylan, the legendary singer-songwriter and point man of sixtie’s music on several continents, returns to Charlottesville’s John Paul Jones Arena on November 10, 2010. So why is that tidbit of information in a Christmas newsletter?

Last year Bob Dylan released his first ever Christmas “album.” (album: large black, circular vinyl disc with music etched into its grooves, for those of you who weren’t around for Woodstock.) Can you even imagine Dylan singing “Here Comes Santa Claus” or “O’ Little Town of Bethlehem?!” We couldn’t either, so we went out and bought it. Let me just say that after you get over the shock itself, the thing is pretty darn good. Every time you listen to it, it seems to get better. It’s all about the words and how Dylan feels them. Hey don’t take our word for it, listen to these comments from a variety of innocent bystanders:

“When I first heard Dylan was releasing a Christmas album I was concerned it would be yet another ‘rockin around the Christmas tree’ style album. I was delighted to discover that Dylan instead infused his album with all the child-like joy that makes Christmas special. Sure, his voice is old and craggy compared to the 40′s style accompaniment. For some, it’s a weird contrast. But to me, the cracked and tired voice brimming with Christmas joy delivers one of the most joyfully meek sounds in all of Christmas music. Meekness. An essential element to the true Christmas spirit so often ignored by the music industry. And as Bob notes at the end of the album: “Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.” Zimmy

“I buy a few new Christmas albums every year and do not remember being as touched as I am by this one. These songs are so simply interpreted and beautifully accompanied they make me want to cry. Thank you, Bob, for bringing the old-time feeling back into Christmas. I am recommending this to everyone I know. Merry Christmas!?” Linda

“I love “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” A fine lineup of musicians singing lead as well as backup — like listening to carolers. Well done, Bob, and with good-natured and sly humor as well as Christmas charity.” Annie

“Bob Dylan’s new CD “ Christmas In The Heart” is, as far as I’m concerned, the most soulful, tender-hearted, and funniest(ALL AT THE SAME TIME—I kid you not) Christmas album of all time. I listened to every second of it on earphones – three nights in a row. It was so much fun, I’ve already bought 5 copies for people I love. A definite grand slam out of the park.” John Jeffrey Hodges

Coming next week . . .

Due to unforeseen holiday busy-ness, the article on choosing great Virginia wine will be in next week’s newsletter.

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Richmond gets Electric Trolleys in 1887

Electric street railway began to replace Richmond’s horse-drawn vehicles in 1887 when a trial run was made on what was designated the Clay Street line. Horse-drawn cars and wagons filled the streets from 1860 until about 1901, when a city ordinance regarding the animals threatening stiff fines put an end to that mode of transportation in town.

Life was much simpler and slower in the early days of the trolley. Back then, the chief diversion on Sundays and holidays was a ride out to one of the region’s parks which you reached by traveling through miles of virgin suburbs. The first terminals of the suburban trolley or street car lines were located in these parks until each area had enough commercial properties to be used as traffic originators.

Some of the most populous sections of the city were developed entirely by the trolley. Forest Hill, Highland Park, Ginter Park, the Fairmount neighborhood and Westhampton are examples of areas whose development was the direct result of this new type of cheap and “rapid” transportation.

Picnic pavilions at Westhampton and Seven Pines, the zoo at Lakeside and amusement resorts in Forest Hill Park and old Reservoir Park became both profitable for the trolley owners and pleasurable for the riders. It would cost you five cents to ride unless you bought six tickets for a quarter. If you were riding the trolley to work, there was a special price of two and a half cents.

The old, electric trolleys fell silent in 1949, but in 1984 the Greater Richmond Transit Company purchased a fleet of motorized trolleys. These trolleys, manufactured by Chance Corporation, were a flashback to the original designs seen in Richmond almost a century earlier. GRTC operated the motorized trolleys until 2001, when the majority of them were sold to Winn Bus Lines, Inc.

The Richmond Trolley Service remains a favorite among Richmond brides for weddings and Christmas revelers in search of Tacky Light tours. In fact, the trolleys add the perfect touch of nostalgia to any event. The trolleys continue to be owned and operated by Winn Bus Lines, the oldest continuously-owned family transportation company in Richmond, Virginia.

Virginia’s many Capitals

It seems that Richmond is not the only capital recognized by the citizens of Virginia. For example, Front Royal claims to be the Canoe Capital of Virginia and Strasburg purports to be the Antiques Capital of Virginia.

Several Virginia cities even assert domination over the entire world in one field or another. For instance, Chincoteague says it is the Clam Capital of the World. Tangier Island, we are promised, is the Soft-shell Crab Capital of the World, while Wachapreague calls itself the Flounder Capital of the World. Did you know that Winchester is known to be the Apple Capital of the World or that Gordonsville is the Fried Chicken Capital of the World?

Actually, some of the bold assertions would actually seem to hold water, if you will excuse the pun, like Newport News claiming to be the Shipbuilding Capital of the World. It also seems feasible that Smithfield could be the Ham Capital of the World, but please explain why Martinsville claims to be the Sweatshirt Capital of the World?

All of this “capitalism” brings us to the self-proclaimed, Christmas Capital of Virginia. “Who is that?” you might ask yourself. Well, the good and the great of Bedford, Virginia will tell you that it is their own “humble” city. In 1781, when Bedford County was split to make Campbell County, a new location had to be chosen for Bedford’s county seat so the village of Liberty was founded in 1782. In 1890, the town was renamed Bedford City. In 1968, the town’s name was changed again to the City of Bedford when the town became in independent city under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The City of Bedford is centrally located between the metropolitan areas of Roanoke and Lynchburg. Bedford has a population 6,299 and spans an area of less than seven miles. None of these facts, however, explain why Bedford would call itself the Christmas Capital of Virginia. Bedford does have one of the largest Christmas parades in the area, but it seems more likely that it’s the Elks Home Christmas Lights display that just might put Bedford over the top for the title.

The Elks Home Christmas Lights tradition began in 1953 and residents have been making and purchasing decorations to be added every year since. Thousands of cars pass through the Elks Home Christmas Lights display every year, some of them driving from as far away as Richmond and even Manassas! Estimates of just how many lights make up the display run from anywhere from 50,000 to well over a million. Anyway, there are a whole bunch of lights transformed into Angels, candy canes, Christmas trees and the happy couple, Santa and Mrs. Claus as well. Some displays stand perfectly still for hours as the cars full of squealing children are driven slowly past and other displays are just as animated as the little cherubs jumping up and down in the back seat. Let’s face it. Now, you’re just going to have to drive there sometime between December 10th through the 31st to judge for yourself whether or not Bedford really is the Christmas Capital of Virginia.

How about a Masquerade Ball

Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria consists of two buildings: one is the tavern built around 1785, and the other is the 1792 City Hotel. Prior to those buildings, Charles and Anne Mason had begun a tavern business on the same plot of land that they called Mason’s Ordinary and ran it between 1749 and 1752. Mary Hawkins opened a tavern on the lot now occupied by the Gadsby’s buildings in the 1770s. With the end of the Revolutionary War, and the booming economy that followed, Marylander, John Wise purchased the plot in 1782 and built the existing Georgian-style tavern.

The following year, John Wise had a state-of-the-art ice well constructed for his new high-end establishment, City Tavern. Wise designed his well to be accessible from the basement of the tavern through a brick-lined vaulted passageway and also included access by way of a removable panel from the street level. The ice well is approximately 17’3” at its widest point and about 11’9” deep at the lowest excavation point. It could hold at least 68 tons of ice, an amount that would last through the summer.

Englishman, John Gadsby leased the City Tavern which was the most prominent tavern in Alexandria back in 1796. He renewed the lease in 1802 to include the smaller 1780s tavern from Wise and operated both until 1808 when he moved to Maryland.

Mr. Gadsby’s establishment was a center of political, business and social life in early Alexandria. The tavern was the setting for dancing assemblies, theatrical and musical performances and meetings of local organizations.

Don’t kid yourself, this ice thing was “hot” in the late 18th century. Later, in June of 1805, Mr. Gadsby ran a newspaper ad to sell ice from his ice well for 8 cents a pound. Not only did ice cool drinks and preserve food, it started a whole new desert craze called “iced cream.” Ice cream was served at the homes of Washington, Jefferson, and Madison as well as in confectioner’s shops and taverns.

George Washington frequently visited the taverns and at least twice, attended the annual Birthnight Ball held in his honor. Other prominent customers of the tavern included John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Thomas Jefferson was feted in 1801 with a banquet in the upstairs ballroom of the City Tavern. President Andrew Jackson spent the first night of his presidency at the tavern; he sneaked out through a window of the White House and walked the six miles to Alexandria to avoid a particularly raucous inaugural party.

Fast forward to the 21st century and Gadsby’s Tavern Museum continues the tradition of holding an annual Masquerade Ball on October 23rd from 8 pm to 11:00. You are invited to attend dressed in your favorite 18th century costume and mask to enjoy live music, English Country dancing and a seasonal dessert collation . . . maybe even ice cream. Advanced registration is required and space is limited. The price of admission is $45, but if you have little ones, you might prefer to join them at an event earlier in the day.

Gadsby’s Tavern’s program for the younger crowd is called the “Mousequerade” Ball for Kids. Families with kids ages 4 through 7 can enjoy a reading of Alexander the Old Town Mouse by author Cheryl Barnes and have their books signed, then create a mask and enjoy a ball of their own – in the very same room where the story in the book takes place! Costumes are welcome, but not required. Reservations are recommended. The hour-long program begins at 1 pm. Cost is $10 per child ages 2 and older. The event is free for adults attending with a paid child.

Thank Goodness it’s Fall Fridays

Spa Minérale at Lansdowne Resort announces Fall Friday Specials now through November 26, 2010.

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$30 Resort Credit;

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Holiday Glamour Tip:

Here’s the rule:

If you wouldn’t wash your delicate laundry in it, don’t put it on your face.

Never wash your face in chlorinated water. The corrosive characteristics of this chemical used to disinfect tap water will actually cause your skin to age at a much faster rate.

Cities originally added chlorine to their water systems in order to eliminate germs and bacteria that caused wide spread illness and disease including typhoid and cholera. Now more and more chlorine is being added to the water because it’s an inexpensive and easy way of eliminating the parasites and bacteria naturally found in drinking water.

One of the problems with chlorine is that it severely dries your skin. Even the most powerful and expensive moisturizers and hydration products aren’t able to keep up with the drying effects of chlorine. Even worse, if chlorine can kill nasty little microbes, it can also kill human cells.

Chances are you are already filtering the chlorine out of your water before you drink it, so filtering a little more water to prevent premature aging of your skin shouldn’t be much of a hassle. You could buy an extra pitcher with a filtering system for your bathroom, then use the water filtered through it to wash your face. You can keep a gallon of inexpensive spring water under your sink specifically to wash your face. Finally, you can install a water filter into your home water system or install a simple shower filter.

Filters can cut down your exposure to the chemical by as much as 80%, which is a huge deal when you’re trying to maintain your youthful looks and healthy skin.

The Christmas Train

Best selling author, David Baldacci was born in Virginia and continues to live here today. Mr. Baldacci got his BA in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University. After earning a law degree from the University of Virginia, Baldacci practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C., as both a trial lawyer and a corporate attorney.

If you’re familiar with Baldacci’s novels, you’ll know that David weaves complicated mysteries around the law, politics and all the vices know to modern man. Absolute Power, Last Man Standing, Total Control. You can tell from simply reading his titles that they’re going to be real page turners.

David’s works have been in countless magazines, newspapers, journals and publications worldwide. Baldacci’s books have been translated into more than 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries. All of his books have been national and international bestsellers and there are over 100 million copies of Mr. Baldacci’s books in print worldwide.

What you may not know is that in 2002, the Hachette Book Group published The Christmas Train by David Baldacci. The Christmas Train makes a great gift for the Baldacci fans on your list and helps show your support for this fabulously successful, amazingly talented Virginia author. Besides, it’s a nice book to read while you sit in front of the fire and drink your Christmas punch.

This from the publisher’s summary: Equal parts hilarious, poignant, suspenseful and thrilling, The Christmas Train is filled with memorable characters who have packed their bags with as much wisdom as mischief . . . and shows how we do get second chances to fulfill our deepest hopes and dreams, especially during this season of miracles.

Hang the Cavaliers and the Hokies

Every year the Danbury Mint of Norwalk, Connecticut creates a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted Christmas tree ornament in fine porcelain for both Virginia Tech fans and University of Virginia supporters to enjoy.

This year, the 2010 Annual Virginia Tech Hokies Ornament is called The Hokies Christmas Tree and the 2010 Annual Virginia Cavaliers Ornament is called The Cavaliers Christmas Sleigh.

Each ornament is hallmarked with the official year of issuance and the production of each exclusive annual ornament is strictly limited to the year 2010. After this date, the Danbury Mint will produce no more of either version. These ornaments are reasonably priced and available directly from the manufacturer’s website.

Ready. Set. Charge . . . them on your Visa card.

Richmond Christmas Lights by Trolley

Announcing the 2010 Christmas-in-Virginia.com Downtown Trolley Light Tour of Richmond or do you think it should be the 2010 Christmas-in-Virginia.com Downtown Richmond Light Tour by Trolley? Tell us what you think in an email to ChristmasTrolley@Christmas-in-Virginia.com

Whatever we end up calling it, it will run from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm on Thursday night, December 16th from the “Miller & Rhodes” Hilton in downtown Richmond, VA and Winn Transportation will be providing the trolley. More details and a better event title will be announced very soon!

Coming up next week . . .

Tips on how to select a great Virginia wine for the holidays.

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Christmas-in-Virginia.com Spokesperson

In this week’s Virginia Christmas newsletter, we are proud to announce the identity of the celebrity spokesperson for Christmas-in-Virginia.com. Businessman and character actor, Glenn Crone is the indisputable expert on both the spirit and legend of Santa Claus. In fact, he’s written three books on the subject and has another major project in the works.

What brought Mr. Crone to Virginia? Back in the 1950s, Glenn lay for months in an Indonesian hospital recovering from a serious automobile accident To ease the intense boredom, Glenn’s “lady friend” brought him a rotogravure magazine with a story of “two thespians” in a Richmond theater company called the Barksdale. The prospect of the new venture is what drew Glenn Crone back stateside and ultimately to build a life in Virginia.

Shortly after Glenn’s arrival in Richmond and subsequent association with the Barksdale, he was asked to “fill in” for a certain NFL linebacker playing Santa who couldn’t face a line of rowdy kids. Glenn reluctantly agreed to help out only until a suitable “Santa” could be found because he dearly loved children, but cringed at the idea of lying to them.

In a quest to solve this ethical dilemma, Glenn researched everything he could find about St. Nicholas, Father Christmas and Santa Claus. What he learned was that since 300 AD, there have been many “Santas.” In his mind, there are two important qualifications for being a “Santa”: first, you must give to people out of love and second, you do it anonymously, so that there is never a debt created that must be repaid.

Eighty-two years old now and living in Ashland with his wife, Sybel, Glenn Crone is active in the real estate business. Glenn still finds himself “filling in” for Santa at countless private events in Central Virginia thoughout the Christmas season.

Glenn Crone is just the man to represent Christmas-in-Virginia.com and we are honored that he accepted the role of our official spokesperson.

How a Chef Carves a Holiday Turkey

Dennis Marron, head chef at The Grille at Morrison House in Alexandria, Virginia, has very precise ideas about how you should carve your Thanksgiving turkey. Read what Chef Marron has to say:

1. Give yourself room to break things down and set them aside. A side table or large counter space next to where you’re carving is essential to make sure each cut is made quickly and cleanly. You’ll need a sharp knife which should be honed every time you use it to keep the line of the blade intact. Tongs for grabbing the slices of meat as they’re carved are most helpful, but optional.

2. Let the bird breathe. If you’ve trussed it for more even cooking, you’ll want to be sure to remove any evidence of the twine used to keep everything compact.

3. Making the first cut. Take your sharpened knife and run it through skin into the crevice between the leg and the torso of the well-cooked bird. You’re not looking to remove anything at this point, but simply to release the tension on the legs and to allow them to stabilize the turkey while you’re carving.

4. Look closely at the turkey’s natural structure and follow it. Take your carving knife and find the breastbone. Run your knife along the breastbone and then down along the ribs. Slice down along either side of the central cartilage so that you can remove each half of the turkey breast completely for further carving. Remove the wing from the breast first by cutting it at the first joint between them.

5. Locate the hip joints on either side of the turkey. Continue your original cuts with a swift motion, separating the dark meat of the thighs and legs from the white meat portions of the carcass.

6. After the breasts, wings, thighs and legs are separated from the torso, you can make the individual slices for your guests. Cross-cut the breast meat after arranging it on your cutting board so that its longer side runs right to left. Then use up and down slices to make sure you’re cutting through the various muscle fibers instead of parallel to them. The slices of meat that you serve will be more tender if they are sliced with grain than if sliced against it.

7. Use the knife to slice the meat of the thigh away from the bone or bestow each turkey leg to the ones at the table who have earned the right to devour them.

Polish up your act by practicing on a large chicken before Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner. That rehearsal will give you much needed skill and more confidence when the big day rolls around.

Ken Roeper of West Avenue

Ken Roeper, proprietor of Crystal Details leaves his idyllic home on West Avenue in the historic Fan District each day to meticulously restore and repair the glimmering chandeliers and sconces of Richmond. “West Avenue, which had been formally opened by the city between Harrison and Lombardy in 1890, held only five houses at the end to the century. In 1900, several developers began work on the eastern end of the 1100 block, and by 1906 fifty-two houses, mostly of the Queen Anne style, were counted on West Avenue,” wrote Drew St.J. Carneal in his book entitled, Richmond’s Fan District.

West Avenue may be only three blocks long, but its proud “citizens” created an improvement associated complete with an official coat of arms and subsequently elected their very own mayor. The Honorable Col. Charles W. Dobson, West End mayor in 1979 explains their crest, “In the first quarter of the shield, the red roses stand for the garden work done year round and the garden tours. The second quarter holds an open right hand representing the friendly, hospitable, and interesting people who live here. It is also the hand that reaches out to pick up and comfort the child who has fallen from his bicycle. The cross of St. James is in the third quarter together with two escallops or cockleshells. Pilgrims of whom St. James was patron wore these fan-like shells as a badge. Our collective ears are habitually tuned in at noon and at six in the evening for the chimes of St. James. The towers in the fourth quarter of the shield symbolize the enchanting homes in which we live and the long length of residence here for some of us. The motto on the scroll is in Latin, Non Sibi Sed Suis, “Not for herself but for Her Own”. The date 1873 in the center base of the scroll is the earliest known date of the street, now known as West Avenue. Documentation is found in the map of Richmond City, 1873, by J.F.Z. Caracristic. Of the three storks on the crest, the center one is a boy stork and both girl storks are expectant, face-to-face. Five 5-pointed stars blazon the center chief and center base of the border. They symbolize the highest service rank in the United States and thus are most befitting our beloved community.”

Poetry has been written by past residents including Mrs. M.S. Valentine, IV in 1951 who wrote, “A little street only three blocks long, And the heart of the street is full of song.” In 1927, Frank McCarthy, Jr. wrote these lines, “O, little street of fellowship, of tender care and love,

Of faith, of hope, of charity, a bit of what’s above. No friendships are so lasting, nor any quite so true, As these which you enkindle, Spirit of West Avenue.”

For a man whose life work is to protect and restore the crystal treasures of a bygone era, in what better place could Ken Roeper reside than the tiny kingdom of West Avenue in Richmond, Virginia? Especially since Mr. & Mrs. Roeper’s small, but elegant back garden places either first, second or third every single year in the West Avenue Garden Tour.

The Richmond Christmas Parade is Back!

So who saved the Richmond Christmas Parade? Well actually, you did. Hooray!

In the tradition of Patrick Henry telling King George to take his hands off our liberty, hundreds of you out-spoken Virginians demanded that the board of Richmond Parade, Inc. leave the traditional Christmas Parade just that, the Christmas Parade!

Hours after “the other” announcement was made, hundreds of calls started flooding the Richmond City office, Dominion Power and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Over one hundred complaints were posted on the Richmond Parade Facebook page and a group of concerned citizens quickly formed a “Keep Christmas in Richmond” group. The national news picked up the story and Twitter went nuts!

By October 5th, the Richmond Parade organization released the following statement:

“There has been a great deal of confusion and misinformation about the decision to rename our annual event a “holiday” parade instead of a Christmas parade. This was a decision made unanimously by our board earlier this year based on discussions over the last several years. It was our desire to show that everyone is welcome to celebrate in the spirit of good will. This decision was made prior to approaching Dominion about becoming the main sponsor of the event. It was not done at the insistence of Dominion, as has been misreported in some instances.

In light of the outpouring of support for retaining “Christmas” in the name, our board has voted to change the name to the “Dominion Christmas Parade.” Dominion has been informed of this decision.

It is our hope that the publicity this issue has generated will result in additional sponsors and volunteers stepping forward to continue this proud Richmond tradition.”

Congratulations. It was due entirely to the overwhelming outcry from a multitude of Virginians, and some really bad publicity nationwide, that the board unanimously voted to return the name of Christmas to the annual event. Whew! That was a close one.

Windows Catering Goes Green

Windows Catering Company has been certified as a “green” caterer by the GRA.

The Green Restaurant Association recently graded Windows Catering Company of Alexandria on their “green” initiatives in the categories of water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings and building materials, sustainable food, energy, disposables, and chemical and pollution reduction.

Windows vows to continue to take new environmental steps towards becoming even “greener” so that they can make a positive impact on the environment one day at a time.

Virginia Copper Socks provide Relief for Trapped Miners

Thirty-three miners have been trapped underground in Chile for eight weeks now. Among all the other problems those men have had to face, the risk of infection from poor hygiene in such a hot, damp environment is a major concern.

After 17 days with no help from the outside world, the rescue crews finally manage to get dry shampoo and soap-embedded hand towels to the men. They also sent down socks that were specially developed with tiny copper fibers woven in designed to attack bacteria that spawns fungal infections.

“The products themselves are self-sterilizing,” said Jeffrey Gabbay, founder of Cupron Inc., of Virginia. “Negative odors are caused by toxins emitted by bacteria and if you self-sterilize, there’s no odor or risk of infection,” Gabbay added.

According to Cupron, copper has anti-microbial properties that were used by the ancient Egyptians to transport drinking water safely. Shipbuilders have used copper for thousands of years to keep algae from encrusting on the hulls of ships and French vintners used a copper sulfate compound to fight fungus on grapevines. Cupron found a way to bond a copper oxide compound and other metallic compounds to a range of textile fibers without involving hazardous manufacturing methods.

Cupron’s manufacturing technology permanently binds its proprietary copper compound to textile fibers, non-woven fabrics, paper, latex and other polymeric products. The Richmond-based company makes an entire line of copper-based clothing and bedding products that would make great Christmas gifts this year.

Who do you know who might want a pillow case proven in a clinical study to prevent the formation of lines and wrinkles on your face while you sleep? Sweet.

History of Virginia Metalcrafters

In the Fall of 1890, William J. Loth formed the Waynesboro Stove Company. After a year spent constructing a new foundry, he and his craftsmen celebrated the casting of their first stove.

Twenty-five years later, Loth’s nephew, Richard J. Clemmer joined the firm and devised an ingenious method of advertising for the company, Clemmer had the foundry produce miniature cast iron frying pans with the company’s name on the back. Then a local hotel, intrigued with these unique miniatures, asked if a quantity of the little frying pans could be made featuring the hotel’s name. These events led to the company’s gift and souvenir line.

By 1938, the company began selling a line of gifts and decorative accessories under the name Virginia Metalcrafters. Fifty years after the introduction of gifts and decorative accessories, Virginia Metalcrafters created a line of over 750 products. While the days of making cast iron stoves are long past, Virginia Metalcrafters has maintained an unerring commitment to quality by continuing to utilize the age-old craft of sandcasting, a method of hand pouring molten brass, cast iron, and other metals and their brass “formula” was specially developed to duplicate Colonial period brass as closely as possible. The result is a richer, more golden color than the “red” brasses commonly seen today. Most handcast brass and cast iron products begin with a meticulously handcut and shaped wooden pattern. This pattern is then pressed into finely-textured sand to create the hollow mold for a casting.

Ingots of solid brass are melted at a temperature of 1,800 to 2,100 degrees for pouring into individual sand molds. After the molten metal cools and solidifies, the mold must be broken apart, revealing a rough casting which hardly resembles the highly polished, finished product. Brass castings must go through many steps before they can be brought to Virginia Metalcrafters beautiful finish. Parting lines, formed where the two halves of the mold were joined together, have to be ground away. The rounded surfaces of some brass castings are further shaped on a lathe, an operation where an electric motor and machine-held cutting tool replace the water wheel or foot treadle of an earlier age. Brass castings are then polished and buffed. Hand polishing is performed using sanding belts of increasingly finer grits. Next comes buffing with cotton wheels, followed by the final step, a skill-intensive technique called “coloring.” Jeweler’s rouge is used to give a depth and richness to the finish that cannot be accomplished by other means.

The Brass Gallery in Waynesboro, Virginia holds the license to sell the entire Virginia Metalcrafters line.

Now She’s Working in Oil

Sharon Morris Kincheloe first caught our eye with her exquisite botanical drawings and etchings. Limited edition prints are made from her original colored-pencil drawings and her etchings are hand-painted with watercolor.

After living a decade in Tidewater where she worked as a graphic artist, Sharon and husband, Allen returned home to the Blue Ridge mountains. The area’s beautiful wildflowers became the subjects of those botanical renderings for which she became well known.

Over the past few years, Sharon has come to work primarily in oils preferring to paint outdoors, using natural light. While those of us ardent fans of her early botanical work whine and pout, we must admit that these familiar landscapes done in oil are absolutely beautiful.

Loire Valley Dinner in Winchester, VA

Chef Frederic Goukaia of La Nicoise Cafe is preparing a very special evening on October 24th at his restaurant on South Braddock Street in Winchester . Sunday night’s fixed-priced meal will include Amuse Bouche, Expression de Gneise, a salad, Trois Freres, Scallops and Shrimp St. Jacques in a vol-au-vent with a Veloute sauce, Beef Wellington, Rovet, Chinon Rouge, mixed berry crepes and a sparkling Vouvray wine with a lemon sorbet and Champagne somewhere in the middle to cleanse the palate.

Dinner is at 6:30 pm and the price is $69.99 per person.

Please call for reservations 540-722-4557

Oh, mon chéri!

Coming up next week . . .

On Thursday night, the 16th of December, Christmas-in-Virginia.com is hosting a live event in Downtown Richmond. More details as they unfold, but for now please Save the Date if you plan to be in the area.

Welcome

to the very first edition of the Virginia Christmas News, an insider’s look into Christmas-in-Virginia.com. For those of you who are new to the Christmas-in-Virginia.com web site, here are a few helpful navigational tips.

You may have noticed clever section titles on the front page of our internet magazine like Fancy Frocks which translates to mean Holiday Fashion. Follow those links to internal directory pages that list contributors, experts and artisans that will tempt you with must see, must have goodies for the Season.

Festive Food features world-class, Virginia catering masters and lot’s of delicious delights that one simply must have over the Holidays. Our Hearth & Home section is filled with experts and artisans who can help “dress up” your home for the Holidays.

Christmas decorations are to be found in the Baubles section while make-up, skin care, spas and salons are in the Glitz & Glamour section.

Another fun way to explore Christmas-in-Virginia.com is to use the search facility available on each directory page next to the gray button marked “Search our Site.” Let’s say that you are thinking of getting your house ready for out of town visitors and you want to organize things a bit before company arrives. Type the word “closet” into the search bar and just see what you get. Cool, huh. Must something be done with your coiffure before New Year’s Eve? Then type the word “hair” into the search bar.

Down at the bottom of each directory page, you will find a separate text navigation menu with a link to the Christmas-in-Virginia.com “site map.” If you want to see something really cool, just click that!

By popular demand, we have just added two new categories, Throw a Party and Holiday Extravagance. Just wait until you see the imaginative things you’ll find there over the next few weeks that could make this Christmas in Virginia the very best one ever.

Well that’s enough to get you started, so let’s get on with the behind-the-scenes gossip… I mean, news.

Richmond’s Annual Christmas Parade is No More.

The Richmond Jaycees started the city’s Christmas Parade back in 1984 and the tradition grew and continued for the next 26 years, but parades have become very expensive these days that means corporate sponsors must be found.

Richmond-owned supermarket chain, Ukrops picked up the tab in 2008 and 2009 with co-sponsor Supervalue. With the retirement of the Ukrop family from the grocery and banking business earlier this year, a replacement parade sponsor was needed fast because the Christmas count-down clock was ticking. Dominion Power Resources, Inc, owners of the Virginia and North Carolina utilities giant agreed to step in and “power the parade,” as their marketing people phrased it. Dominion provided a grant of $100,000, payable over two years, to Richmond Parade Inc.

Ukrop’s officials always protected the traditionally named “Christmas Parade”, but the new sponsor has agreed to drop “Christmas” from the event and replace it with the more politically correct Holiday Parade. Robert Kelly, president of Richmond Parade Inc. was quoted as saying, “It’s time to move forward and make our event more inclusive.” The theme for this year’s parade is “Celebrating Holiday Traditions.”

The spokesman for the Virginia Muslim Coalition for Public Affairs said he was “not offended at all” by the parade’s Christmas-themed title in the past and that he had taken his children to previous parades. Rabbi Ben Romer of Congregation Or Ami commented, “I applaud the idea of being inclusive, but it’s not really crucial that the Jewish community has a parade, that we get involved. I don’t think anybody could figure out how to do a Hanukkah float.”

Thank goodness Santa Claus will still be the star attraction at the 2010 Dominion Holiday Parade on Saturday, December 4th. In fact, financial backers are currently being sought to fund a parade float that would pay tribute to Ricky Duling, alias Sgt. Santa, the retired police detective who passed away this summer. Sargent Santa and the Legendary Santa took turns over the years representing Old Saint Nick in the yearly event.

CBS Channel 6 will broadcast the live event on the 4th of December, then rebroadcast the parade on Christmas morning. Check the Events section of Christmas-in-Virginia.com for times and location.

Swede McBroom is Keeping Tradition Alive

Out in Floyd, Virginia forty miles southwest of Roanoke, Swede McBroom makes one-of-a-kind furniture pieces by hand. Swede not only feels very strongly about using traditional joinery methods and local hardwoods like cherry, walnut, maple, oak and hickory, he is also very particular about how that wood is harvested.

McBroom, proprietor of Natural Woodworking Co. and an ardent supporter of the Healing Harvest Forest Foundation in Copper Hill, insists on buying only those logs harvested by horse-loggers. “Because of the slow, careful work by animal-powered skidding and removing the worst trees first, the logger will get a fair share of the yield from the timber,” says McBroom.

Worst-first single tree selection is sometimes called “restorative forestry”. With this method of harvest, you look closely at each individual tree to determine which ones should be harvested before the others. Trees damaged by previous skid-ding, disease, fire, over-crowding or weather are removed first. Crowding caused by stump regeneration is also reduced and every tree that is cut is carefully felled to avoid damaging other remaining trees with high value potential.

According to Swede, “It is possible that a landowner could realize several thousand dollars income from 40 acres by employing a horse logger to improve a forest, and still have a woodland to enjoy that will yield greater income in the near future.”

Returning to His Roots

Richmonder, Bryan Mueller grew up around the construction industry where he learned what was really meant by a job well done and a day’s pay earned. As many of us have done before him, though, when it came time to build a career for himself, he turned to the cutting-edge IT industry. Promises of six figure jobs and small, nurturing groups of supportive comrades sitting around a table slicing the world into bit’s and bytes lured Bryan away from his roots.

Over the years, Mueller took every opportunity to help his neighbors with their woodworking projects as a means to release the stress of his high-pressure computer career. When Bryan was building a friend’s deck with his hands, the tension just seemed to drain away.

Then in March of 1999 when Bryan Mueller learned about the Closet Factory opportunity, he saw it as a chance to make a good living doing something he really enjoyed. Bryan told his wife, Teresa that this opportunity would allow them to spend more time together as a couple, share the same goals and work to build their dream life together. Teresa was convinced so they simply took a leap of faith and jumped in with both feet, or should we say, both hands.

The Muellers have never regretted their decision. Working in their own business has allowed them the flexibility to spend more time with their two young daughters while retaining complete control of their custom closet business. Even though the business has been blessed with a team of dedicated, long term employees, the Muellers still remain very much a part of the entire process, all the way from project design to manufacturing and, ultimately, the installation of the brand new custom closets.

The past eleven years have just flown by since Bryan Mueller returned to his woodworking roots. He found joy in his life and takes great pride in each job well done.

Fall into Spring

That’s the advice Cheryl Carroll gives to her garden design clients this time of year in Virginia. As hot and dry as this summer has been, Cheryl has spent much of her time attending to the “funerals” of countless old, established borders and bushes.

Cheryl’s unique “flower bed side manner” is to gently remove the fallen flora and take it quietly away. Then she begins to softly move her clients through the stages of grief over their lost, favorite hydrangea and on to thoughts of Spring and new life.

Ms. Carroll helps her clients project themselves into next year’s flowering season. She holds out her hand to show the bereaved a dry, crusty bulb and somehow helps them to see gorgeous, colorful tulips instead.

Her advice to you? Don’t let yourself be depressed over what the heat did to your prized petunias. This is a great time of year for planting. The air is cool and wet, but the ground is still warm. Take this opportunity to plant bulbs and bushes. Cheryl says, “Look past the dry, brown patches and project yourself into the future. Let’s look at what we can do now to create the look that you want to enjoy next spring.”

Destined to Light Up the Night

You know how Shakespeare wrote that “some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them” . . . well, many times the same can be said of people starting a small business. Alan Hissem went along his merry way for years selling landscape lighting systems for a large wholesale company in Hampton, Virginia without giving a single thought to leaving his job.

Alan set extremely high standards for himself. It wasn’t enough for him to know all there was to know about the products he sold, he had to learn exactly how they worked and how to install them. Research, study and a natural gift for the job was bound to get the attention of Alan’s boss sooner or later. Before long, management had Alan teaching quarterly seminars for all the company’s reps about how much you could really do with their products and how best to show them off to increase sales. Hissem was always coming up with new and different ways to use landscape lighting. When he started giving dinner parties for prospects to show them how lighting up the night in different ways set different moods, he got the attention of most of the landscape designers in Hampton Roads.

Then one morning, Alan Hissem woke up to find that the man starring back at him from the bathroom mirror was forty-nine years old! For those of you to young to know that horror… yet, let me just say that it isn’t growing older that bothers you. What bothers you is that haunting question in the back of your brain that keeps getting louder and louder: What have you done with your life in almost 50 years?!

Well, the question began to weigh on Alan. His friends and even his competition had asked him for some time why he was still working for someone else. It was not by design that Alan started his own business, but instead it was his success that pushed him into making the decision to strike out on his own. In fact, that expression “by design” really got stuck in his head. Hissem decided that this goal all along had been to light up the night. It was a friend who reminded him that the moon was already doing that. So there it was, Moonlight by Design.

As Alan steadily earned recognition in his career, the only sensible thing to do was start a business. On the other end of Will Shakespeare’s scale, the absolutely abysmal economy has forced many men and women into one freelance opportunity or another. With the recession hitting Virginians so hard, it seemed like every guy with a pick-up truck was thrust into some form of landscaping business or another. Alan Hissem knows only too well when one of these neophytes venture into the outdoor lighting arena because new customers start calling him to come clean up the mess they make.

Holiday Glamour Tip:

This week Dr. Lupita Roca, DDS of Arlington, Virginia shares a tip on how to maintain perfectly painted lips throughout extended holiday events, especially those where photos are being taken. Nothing makes you look more washed out in the Christmas and New Year’s Eve pictures than pale lips, but when those pictures are casually taken all night long, staying “picture perfect” becomes a super-human feat.

Several years ago, Lupi Roca discovered a lip color product at a dental convention that was an amazing departure from conventional lipsticks, stains and colors. You put it on with a sponge applicator then let it dry. You can use only one color or customize your color palate by combining shades that are rich and solid, sheer and shimmery, vibrant, shiny or frosty.

After the color is completely dry, you cover your mouth with wonderfully moisturizing gloss. Pop the gloss in your evening bag and you are good for the entire evening. Your hair may droop, but your perfect pout won’t kiss-off, smear-off, rub-off or budge-off and you won’t “brand” the kids you kiss around the Thanksgiving table with red marks this year either. Relax and enjoy the party instead of worrying about how you look.

Lupi originally used the product so that her lipstick wouldn’t smear under her surgical mask. Now she is sharing it with you. It just makes sense for the Holidays, LipSense, that is!

Mother and Daughter Team in Lexington, VA

Maureen Worth has dabbled in ceramic jewelry and pottery since the 60s, but hadn’t really thought much about making a living from it until thirty years later when she decided to pursue a dream. Through the pottery studio at the college where she worked, this psychology professor and Academic Dean turned her passion for art into a successful business. She joined a local art cooperative in Lexington, displayed her pieces at art and craft shows along the east coast and attended a few wholesale trade shows. In 1996, she incorporated Sylvan Spirit, Inc. and was joined shortly thereafter by her daughter, when Rebecca returned from teaching English in a pottery village in Japan and earning a college degree in anthropology.

Together they create a line of hand-sculpted jewelry that is “natural, but elegant” for women who want to express their individuality. The undulating curves and textures of the flowers and leaves sculpted in porcelain, then woven with pearls and semi-precious stones are graceful, strong and durable. Sounds a lot like the two women who created them, doesn’t it.

You will be reading lots more about Rebecca Worth in our Virginia Christmas Newsletter because she has created a beautiful Pinwheel jewelry piece for a major charity that would make a wonderful Christmas gift and support the fight to stop child abuse in Virginia at the same time. Watch for more about that project in a couple of weeks. Until then, the gorgeous creations of Maureen and Rebecca are currently on display in the gift shop of the newly reopened Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond.

Holiday Travel Tip #1

If you truly are an “animal person,” then you’ve probably had to pass up exotic travel opportunities simply because there was no one “qualified” to pet sit with your little darling while you were away. No Way were you going to stick your furry friend and confidant in some flee-bitten old kennel, then jet off to Hawaii. You knew you’d be miserable during your entire trip if you’d just abandoned your baby like that.

Holiday Barn Pet Resort owner, Emerson Hughes has this to say on the subject, “Most kennels only meet the most basic needs of the dogs and I’m convinced the traveling public would rather have stayed at home than board their dog,” said Hughes. “People were not happy about leaving their dogs in kennels. What I decided we had to do was instill fun and happiness into the process, so that the owner thought the dog was going on a vacation just like he or she was going on a vacation.”

That’s exactly what Mr. Hughes did. Instead of cages, Holiday Barn’s guests enjoy luxurious suites, 24-hour room service, pampering spa services, hiking, swimming and other sports. Personal feline or canine chefs attend to finicky eaters and Hughes even plans special events for your pets like turkey barbecues for Thanksgiving and tailgate parties during college football season.

“We have harnesses for dogs that need to learn how to swim and we have lots of toys that they can play fetch with in the pool,” says marketing assistant Bekah Hughes.

When MSNBC contributor, Sandy Robins called the Holiday Barn Pet Resort in Richmond, Virginia, this is what she heard:

“Thank you for calling Holiday Barn, Glen Allen, one of the world’s finest resorts. To make a vacation reservation, press one … If your pet is vacationing with us and you’d like to hear how much fun he or she is having, press three …”

So here’s the tip: When you are unable to take your pets along for the ride, try booking them into a pet resort. It relieves your feelings of guilt and guarantees that the four-legged member of your family will have just as much fun as as the rest of you.

Coming up next week . . .

Be sure to watch your email inbox for a link to next week’s newsletter because Christmas-in-Virginia.com will be announcing the identity of its official, celebrity spokesperson.

You’ll never guess in a million years! On the other hand, if you do guess, please don’t tell anyone or you’ll spoil the surprise. shhhhhhhhh!