Quiet November

It is November. Take time to enjoy the quiet.  The depth and detail of this room in the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg looks like a painting in this light.

I chose this photograph to represent the quiet of being at home.  I am working at my desk in a quiet house, putting the finishing touches on my book.    

Williamsburg: Foxglove

I have never seen so many foxglove blooming in one place!  It must be the unofficial flower of Colonial Williamsburg.  Back in Michigan, I am used to seeing large mixed perennial gardens with 5 spikes of foxglove max, so I thought this display was just breathtaking.  I've decided that since I wasn't able to visit Williamburg at Christmastime (to see the candles, fruit displays and wreaths), then coming in the Spring must be the next best thing!  

Williamsburg: Lunch at The Trellis

A really neat "old world collides with new world" experience when my friends and I were visiting Colonial Williamsburg.  I posted the "Off to Williamsburg for the very first time" as my Facebook status (from my iPhone) and had a lot of responses from my friends that I could read, on the spot, from my phone. 

One comment was from Dan's step sister, Melissa, who lives and was writing from Belgium!  She told us to try and eat lunch at The Trellis.  Thirty minutes later we were seated at The Trellis!  Our lunch was delicious (Shown is roasted tomato soup, a turkey salad sandwich and a simple salad) and we all appreciated spending a long lunch in a lovely air conditioned setting.   

We talked and enjoyed ourselves so much that we weren't quite ready to leave, so we caved and the four of us shared their signature dessert, Death By Chocolate.  Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum.  Thank you, Melissa!

Williamsburg Brickwork

I'm not sure if this will translate to your computer screen, but to me, this brickwork looks like needlepoint!   I took these photos on my trip to Williamsburg and when I looked up "colonial brick style" online to learn more, I found this article on the Colonial Williamsburg website.  I learned that this popular style is called Flemish Bond, which has bricks set in a pattern alternating long and short in the same row.

  
From a distance it is just gorgeous and reminds me of a needlepoint sampler I did when I was twelve.  In the sampler, I stitched 5 bars horizontally in one color and 5 bars vertically in another color and it resulted in a beautifully textured patchwork.  I loved that project!  This whole experience has brought back so many great feelings about stitch samplers, it makes me wonder why I'm not doing any needlepoint?   

Williamsburg: A Colonial Garden

On our drive over from Richmond, I started talking about how I was really looking forward to seeing some Colonial gardens.  This large community garden, called "Colonial Garden" on Duke of Gloucester Street in the middle of Colonial Williamsburg, did not disappoint.  There is even a small market that sell garden items.  I was happy to see a row of glass cloche (above) protecting tender seedlings.  Cloche are so very popular as decorative elements in design magazines right now - it was nice to see them being used as intended!

This is a beautiful natural twig trellis for sweet peas.  I want to build one!  

All of the plants were so tall and healthy.  As a Michigan gardener, I was completely jealous at how far ahead these plants are.  And look, bee skeps!  Remember how I use bee skeps  in my garden?

Williamsburg: Window Back in Time

Use your imagination and pretend that you are Thomas Jefferson looking out of this very window, contemplating the challenges of governing Virginia in 1780.  Jefferson lived right here in the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg.

Okay, it is not the "very" window - it had to be rebuilt after a fire, but it is the same window in the exactly the same place, based on the architectural plans they found.  That's good enough for me!  I love the bright green gardens set against the ornately carved window molding.  Look at how the light from outside adds a soft glow.  Just gorgeous! 

City Series, Williamsburg: Governor's Palace

Behold the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg.  I have always wanted to visit historic Williamsburg and this year I finally had my chance.  We were invited to visit our friends, Kerry and Paul, in Richmond, Virginia.  Knowing me so well, Kerry built a day trip to Williamsburg into our weekend together.  Yea!

I've been drawn to the design/style/mood of Williamsburg for years and can't remember a time I didn't pour over the Williamsburg Marketplace catalog admiring all of the formal decorating pieces, brass trivets and fresh fruit decorations (You can download fruit cone instructions here).

My house is brick and a few years ago I even bought an over-the-door ornament that is a large half circle of wood that comes studded with nails.  When the mood strikes, I have a Colonial-inspired Christmas and cover the base with a fresh pineapple surrounded by apples and lemons hanging over my front door.  It looks beautiful, but I must admit that sometimes my guests get drops of juice in their hair as they cross the thresh hold.  How did they prevent that in Colonial times?   Even so, I love it and I decorate the arch over the front door that way every few years.

 

We decided to wait in line to see the Governor's Palace and had a wonderful experience taking a 30 minute group tour.  A costumed docent narrated the life and times of the house and really brought "an afternoon at the palace" to life.  You can read all about the palace in a wonderful spotlight here.  Afterward we wandered the garden, admiring the sculpted hedges and marvelous "living" pergola constructed over a path from a double row of trees.  I wish I could identify the tree from the leaf! Can you?

The front entry hall is loaded with weapons as show of military strength.  

A dreamy white bed in the Governor's Palace.