For many years, I collected pieces of silver with monograms and messages on them. Cups, spoons, little silver boxes – the hand engraving and the messages were expressions of love and gratitude that spanned generations. I stopped collecting them years ago, because accumulating things is not so important to me anymore. I think the real value of money is in how you use it to help other people. In the meantime, I still have this nice collection of silver cups. […]
…and I’m not talking about where or with whom you live. I’m referring to arrangements of living plants that provide a touch of nature and some greenery at this bleak time of year. I’ve never been a houseplant person; to give me a houseplant is to send it to a sure and speedy end. This is something different and I think it’s a terrific idea, which came from a book called The Plant Recipe Book by Baylor Chapman, a brilliant […]
I have strong feelings about Christmas decorations. First, they should always bring joy. For me, that means things that are natural, simple in construction, and handmade, if possible. There’s nothing more soul-sucking than walking into a big department store during the Christmas season and being accosted by overblown plastic decorations covered in fake snow. Secondly, decorations should not be expensive or too time-consuming. If you don’t look forward to putting up your tree and decorating the house, then maybe you’re […]
Wreaths, in some form or fashion, are an indelible part of my Christmas memories. When I was a kid we would cut them out of cardboard, glue pieces of macaroni to them, and then paint them gold, to be displayed at the family Christmas Eve party. For years my mother made wreaths of hard candies with her women’s club. They came with a pair of scissors hanging on a red ribbon, and you could help yourself to a piece of […]
I’m pretty sure the Pilgrims were too busy trying to stay alive to think much about centerpieces. In fact, flowers on a dining table didn’t come into vogue until Victorian times. The empty tabletops had to be filled with something when elaborate platters of food began being offered to guests individually by servants (known as service a la russe), rather than placed on the table for guests to serve themselves. And while centerpieces add a festive air to a table, […]
