Colonial Garden Book

Only a true girlfriend can spot your china pattern in a photograph. When I was in Colonial Williamsburg with my dear friend, Kerry, we were shopping in the Williamsburg Marketplace store when I heard, "Anne!  Where's Anne?!" ring out across the store.

Kerry was browsing the gift book section when she saw my dishes (Lavinia by Royal Worcester) on the cover of "From A Colonial Garden."  She knew I would flip (I did) and rushed a copy over to show me.  You see, my china pattern was never available in stores here.  I had grown up loving the pattern on a demitasse cup in my mom's china cabinet.  When I went to choose a pattern of my own, nothing lived up to those gorgeous black raspberries.  Since they were Royal Worcester and available in England, we had to move mountains to find a source for them here in the United States (I think we got them in Canada).  So I NEVER see my pattern out and about and as a result, they are NEVER in magazine photographs etc.  It was such fun to see this gorgeous book.  Do I sound like a fine china geek?

I had to have it and the good news is that it really is a great book!  It has beautiful photographs, interesting recipes and instructions for making some traditional Colonial decorations, like fruit and flower cones, Christmas ornaments and topiary.  It actually lives up to the Williamsburg in my mind, more than the town itself.  That is the importance of good photography and content.  I remind myself of that every day as I work on my next book.

So thank you, Kerry, for finding this treasure for me.  Good eye!