Some of my favorite childhood memories are of the Easter dresses my mother would make for my sister and me. It was the spring ritual that we loved. But along with our beautiful dresses came the ritual we didn’t love: getting a permanent in our hair….ugh. That is the worst curse for a child, getting your annual Easter permanent so …
One Flower Can Change a Room
Flowers have a powerful effect on people. I marvel that simply putting one blossom in a vase on my desk changes my outlook. I try to keep a flower or flowers on our breakfast table all the time. I became inspired to do this as Neal and I traveled around our beautiful country. We are always drawn to the gardens …
Tea in a Rose Garden
My first tea party changed my life. On the menu was a pot of Prince of Wales Tea, Walkers Shortbread Cookies with lemon curd, and wonderful conversation with my best friend. In my mind, it was equivalent to being in the Royal Family! We knew absolutely nothing about the proper way to have tea, but we were off to a …
A Passion for Blue and White
I have a passion for blue and white, a color combination that brings excitement to any room. I especially love blue and white china. My grandmother Norton had a beautiful oval Blue Willow vegetable dish that was present at every meal; she always served her prized peas and beans in it. I was the lucky one in the family to …
Meet Author Alexandra Stoddard
I have been an Alexandra Stoddard fan since my friend, Barbara Cockerham, and I found a copy of her book Living a Beautiful Life in Rizzoli bookstore in Williamsburg, Virginia. We have a custom, when we travel together, of sitting at the end of the day with a cup of tea and reading aloud from a magazine or book. We …