Christmas Destinations

Phyllis Lifestyle 23 Comments

For many of us, our Christmas traditions are abbreviated this year. One of my usual trips is to Williamsburg, Virginia, to walk down Duke of Gloucester Street and admire the decorations, eat at a wonderful tavern, and do some shopping. This year I will be staying home, but I wanted to share with you one of my absolutely favorite places to go: Seasons of Williamsburg.

Seasons of Williamsburg has already decked the halls for the holidays. We have featured this exquisite shop in many of our magazines through the years, and going there has been a part of my celebration. If you are in the area, or close enough for a day trip, put on your masks and go there. I can’t describe the overwhelming beauty that lies within these walls. Not only is it an unbelievable boutique, but the floral arrangements and wreaths made of live materials will delight you.

Each year the offerings are completely different than the previous year. The trees are stunning and have unique ornaments and trims. I love the silver tree. It has blue-and-white ornaments, and someone I know (me), went nuts over it.

Kendall Kirby has become a cherished friend over the years, and when he sent me a sneak preview, I couldn’t believe it. Thank you for making our world beautiful every year. Christmas is magical at Seasons.

Comments 23

  1. Colonial Williamsburg at Christmas is a dream! I too make a pilgrimage there every year to enjoy the beautiful decorations. The gorgeous wreaths on the doors of Williamsburg are a highlight, as is a trip to the store Seasons. Indulge in a wonderful trip to this town if you want to get into the spirit of the season!

  2. Silver, white and blue are my favorites on a beautiful flocked tree, so I was immediately drawn to the “icy” section of this delightful shop. Thank you for providing beauty to my world, Phyllis. Victoria has been my favorite magazine for many years and I hope to enjoy it for years to come.

  3. Beautiful pictures! I love visiting shops like that especially at Christmas time? We always visited Gatlinburg, Tenn. at this time of year because it was also our wedding anniversary, Dec 3rd. Have only been back twice since he passed away eight years ago, December 19th. We also had the privilege of going to Williamsburg, Va. on one of our trips to visit a nephew who was attending Liberty Universary and the possibility of one of our sons attending there. We did go to Williamsburg and enjoyed our time there also. Thank you again for sharing.
    Merry Christmas to you and yours,
    Barbara

  4. Phyllis,
    Thank you for sharing the lovely photos of Seasons of Williamsburg. Sadly, I won’t be able to visit, and I was wishing I could see what was featured this year. A visit to the shop is a visual treat and simply magical at Christmas.

    If a Christmas visit is not on your calendar, please know that the shop is beautiful throughout the year. It is a must stop on any visit to Williamsburg. I am very partial to the Spring Open House where, just when we are all so tired of winter and chilly weather, the shop is transformed into a blooming explosion of spring florals, pastels and often a touch of whimsy. No matter what the season, this shop always has something new and beautiful.

    No discussion of Seasons of Williamsburg is complete without mention of the people. Kendall is a true gentleman with incredible taste in decor, gifts, florals and presentation. The staff is helpful and friendly whether you are spending $20 or hundreds of dollars. And, unlike so many lovely shops, they are equally cordial if you are only able to “window shop”. I had the pleasure of working with them for the flowers for my son’s Rehearsal Dinner and the results were just perfect. Phyllis, the color scheme was blue and white!

    Holiday wishes to all, MM

  5. Lovely!!

    Williamsburg is a treasure. Altho we’ve not been there in many years, I have such delightful memories of strolling the streets and visiting the shops.

    A number of my greatest material treasures are items selected while we were visiting or chosen from the Colonial Williamsburg catalogue — especially my lovely mahogany tea chest.

    Thankful for our blessings…

  6. I visit Williamsburg every chance I get! I always make Seasons of Williamsburg my first shopping stop. It is a beautiful shop. I enjoy being there every season of the year. The merchandise is exceptional. And the staff is always so friendly and helpful. Many happy hours have been spent at Seasons of Williamsburg. It’s just a wonderful treat!

  7. Beautifully decorated. Hope you get to visit Williamsburgh next year. Thank You for sharing the lovely photos.
    Joan ,Marion and Marilyn

  8. These beautiful photos lifted my spirits greatly on a day that I really needed it. I cannot express my gratitude enough. Such beauty cannot help but lift us up.

  9. Thank you so much for the pictures. I live on the West coast but love the East coast during this time of year. I was fortunate enough to visit Colonial Williamsburg a few years ago during the holiday season and absolutely loved it. I had a trip planned this year but with CoVid everything was cancelled. I’m looking forward to next year.

  10. I was looking forward to the Victoria celebration event with my daughter. It was a birthday gift to her and how much we love the Hoffman gatherings and always the spirit in which they are presented. The Christmas shop looks delightful and hope we can put it on the calendar for next year. We have made special friends that we only get to see at those times and will miss seeing them as well as you,Phyllis.

  11. I agree with Mary, I too would like to jump into the pages. Absolutely, stunning!
    We have a shop here in Toronto and although it is called Lemon and Lavender, at this time of year, it is transformed into a magical Christmas wonderland. Christmas will be very different this year from a practical perspective, but the spirt will be alive and well. Thank you Phyllis for sharing these photos and for yet another beautiful issue of the Christmas issue of Victoria magazine.

  12. Wow, wow, wow! Thank you for sharing . I had no idea that the Williamsburg experience was this lovely. Wish I was there. Thank you again.

  13. Phyllis , I wish I could jump right into these pictures and shop!!!! This is a year with much heartache and sadness but one of hope for better times ahead , Merry Christmas to you and your family and Cheers for a better New Year.

  14. Williamsburg is such an amazing place. Even though I am from Canada, have been there twice. The first time my mother in law and I stayed at a guest house. The second time my family and I were there and it was a great experience after a year of learning American history. I think I was in that shop. Love the decorations on the homes and shops!

  15. I grew up in Tidewater, Virginia and as a family we went to Williamsburg every year. As a child it was magical! I moved to Alexandria after college to teach and met my husband and raised my family. My husband attended William and Mary so it was always our favorite place to travel with our children. They learned to love going to Williamsburg, learning its history and enjoying all it has to offer. After retirement we moved to Smith Mountain Lake in the Virginia mountains. We now have seven wonderful grandchildren that we started taking to Williamsburg when the first was two years old and we have continued that tradition every year since. She is now nineteen, but we will continue the tradition as long as we can! Christmas is one of our favorite times to go there. I always am inspired by the beautiful natural decorations and when I return home attempt to recreate my own. I discovered “Seasons” from reading your Victoria magazine and now that is a must every year! I hope you will do more features of Williamsburg in Victoria in the future! Maybe you should come and visit beautiful Smith Mountain Lake in the summer and do an article! Thanks for the lovely pictures and for your fabulous Victoria magazine!

  16. I couldn’t agree more, Phyllis! It is one of my very favorite places to go and I will miss my visit there this December. I could spend hours there and spend LOTS of money and would love everything I get! Thanks for sharing.

  17. I have never been fortunate enough to visit Williamsburg, it has always been on my bucket list. Thank you so much for sharing this. In a year when Christmas may not be the norm, it is wonderful to see the beauty of Christmas on display. I would love if you could share more pictures. Thank you and a Blessed and Safe Christmas to you and your loved ones.

  18. Oh, lovely! We are going to Alexandria for our family Christmas this year. I think we’ll put Williamsburg into our itinerary!

  19. Thank you for sharing Phyllis,

    I’m among the many this year who plan to decorate more than ever. Seeing Kendall’s photos is a much desired comfort. I haven’t been to Williamsburg for decades and now it’s at the top of my road-trip list! I hope you’re well and decking the halls!

    Jane Makuch xoxo

  20. I know why you “went nuts over” the silver tree with blue and white ornaments. I was one of the very lucky participants at last year’s Victoria’s Christmas at Biltmore event, which I LOVED, and I remember the beautiful blue and white ornaments that decorated the trees in the “Victoria Room” at the Grove Park Inn. I have also been to Colonial Williamsburg during Christmas time for the Grand Illumination (and many other times also) and I, too, love Seasons of Williamsburg.
    Thank you for sharing these beautiful pictures!

Leave a Reply to Linda Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *