EAB Designs

Colonial Williamsburg

After visiting the College of William and Mary, we walked a short distance to revisit a favorite place of mine, historic Colonial Williamsburg.  Laid out as a model capitol in 1699, Williamsburg took the place of Jamestown as the seat of colonial government.  The historic area today is a step back in time to an 18th century community.

 

 

Homes, shops, taverns and exhibition buildings line the historic streets and are surrounded by hundreds of gardens.  A visit, later in spring time, would find the gardens filled with beautiful flowers.  My most favorite time to visit is in December, when the doors display beautiful holiday wreaths made from fresh evergreens and fruit, and candles are lit in each window.

 

Guides and hostesses, in period costume, greet you at the exhibition buildings which feature blacksmiths, bakers, carpenters and merchants.

Of course, I am most happy outdoors peeking into the side and back gardens. Put me amongst boxwood gardens, pea gravel or brick-lined paths and I want for nothing more!

It's always been a dream of mine to live in a white house with black shutters and in colonial Williamsburg there are plenty I could move right into.

 

At one end of the main street there are modern shops and restaurants.  We love to visit Wythe Candy Shop which has delicious chocolates made on the premises.  I never leave without treating myself to a large pecan milk chocolate turtle. Definitely worth every calorie!

Our next, and last, stop on our three day college tour trip was the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and I'll share pictures from there tomorrow.  Can you name some notable alumni from UVA?....... Katie Couric, Robert and Ted Kennedy, Edgar Allen Poe, Woodrow Wilson and Tina Fey!

College Tours - The College of William and Mary

We enjoyed the last few days visiting potential colleges with our daughter. First stop was The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA.  The college was founded in 1693 and is the 2nd oldest college in the nation.

 

It is a beautiful campus filled with brick lined pathways and charming historic buildings.  It was raining when we arrived, but it let up just in time for our tour.

 

 

The most recently constructed buildings blend beautifully with the historic ones.

 

The Wren Building - the oldest college building in the United States.  Each graduating senior walks through the Wren Building to signify their departure from William and Mary.

Our daughter loved the college and will definitely apply there next fall. Once our tour was completed, we headed across the street to revisit historic colonial Williamsburg.  I'll share pictures of our visit there tomorrow.  And for our trivia buffs..... what is the oldest college in the nation?...... Harvard.

Wedding Inspiration

With June just around the corner, I am happily busy in the studio creating custom jewelry pieces, for brides and their bridesmaids.  It's such a pleasure being able to share in their joy and contribute something for their special day. Here are a few pieces I'm sending off today.

 

A trio of bridesmaids' necklaces.

The smallest of details.

Pearl and crystal earrings and a hair comb made from one of the most beautiful vintage brooches I have ever come across.

Wouldn't it be fun to get married all over again?

Topiary Flower Arrangements

I'm hosting a brunch, and with the arrival of spring, I thought it would be nice to use some of our daffodils from the yard to create a few centerpieces for the table.  I arranged these as small bouquets, so each invited couple can bring one home with them.

I placed the bouquets in three matching iron urns, to create a topiary effect, and arranged them down the center of the table. 

 

Helpful Hints for Arranging Bouquets and Topiaries

Gather the cut flowers in one hand, just under the blossoms, forming a small bunch.  Secure the bunch with a rubber band placed as close to the flowers as possible.  Gently twist the stems and secure them with another rubber band in the middle.  With a sharp knife, cut the bottom of the stems, to the height you wish, so all ends are the same length.  I embellished my bouquets with a burlap and ribbon sash and attached a vintage rhinestone.  To form the topiaries, nestle a small glass in the bottom of the urns and surround it with scrunched paper to secure it. Place the bouquets inside and add dried moss to keep the bouquets standing straight in the urns.

 

At the conclusion of our brunch, I just have to slip the bouquets out, dry the ends off, and they are ready for our guests to bring home!

A Favorite Springtime Dessert

I've never been known to turn down a slice of lemon meringue pie, and if a dessert has lemon in it, chances are I will love it!  This is a dessert I love to make for our family, and for friends as well.  My lemon chess pie...

 

Super easy and super delicious!  I'm happy to share the recipe if anyone would like it.

Decoupaged Easter Eggs

The papers I purchased from Flax Art & Design in San Francisco arrived on Saturday and I couldn't wait to use them in a project. I chose one of the papers, a beautiful manuscript, to create more decoupaged eggs.  I changed the design a bit from my previous eggs, adding alencon lace, vintage millinery and some vintage jewelry findings.  I love the combination of the different shades of ivory and cream mixed with the textures of the lace.  I'm keeping two for our girls' Easter baskets and I've listed these two in my shop.

 

 

My Trip to California in a Nutshell

My time in California flew by and the best part was getting to spend time with my family.  My sister and favorite brother-in-law picked me up from the San Francisco airport and we headed right to Fisherman's Wharf to visit Boudin Bakery, famous for their sour dough bread. I was surprised to discover that it was actually colder in California than in Virginia!  Good thing I brought my wool coat along with me.

 

The sour dough bread bowl with clam chowder, at Boudin's, was just as delicious as I remember.  I wish could have brought home some of these uniquely shaped bread loaves.

 

After lunch, we visited the Buena Vista Cafe, home of the original Irish Coffee in the United States.  They are still using the same recipe which was created back in the 50's.  I'm not even a coffee drinker, but boy was it delicious!  The perfect treat for a chilly day.  Bar tender, Larry Nolan, who has been serving these drinks for over twenty years, entertained us with amazing card tricks.  My brother-in-law snapped this picture of my sister and I.  I'm the tallest and only brunette in the family.  My sisters and brother are all blonds, so I'm the black sheep of the family.

 

Next stop was Britex Fabrics, with 4 floors of beautiful fabrics and trims. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed inside.  We couldn't spend much time there, but I did come home with this beautiful rose/apricot iridescent taffeta with appliqued flowers on it.  I'm having fun deciding what to make with it.

 

A trip to San Francisco would not be complete without a ride on the cable car so we hopped on and rode it to the end of the line.

   

Knowing, I love hand-made paper and use it in my picture frame designs, my sister made sure that my day in San Francisco included a stop at Flax Art & Design on Market Street.  I have ordered from them on-line before, but it was a treat to visit their store.  They are well known for their beautiful papers and have over 7,000 in stock.  There are aisles of flat file cabinets and I tried to peek into as many drawers as I could.  I did find some unique paper and arranged to have it shipped back home.

 

The morning after our visit to the city we all drove down to Southern California for my other sister's wedding.  Sorry, no photos yet, but I'm hoping I'll have some to share with you soon.  I'm so happy I was able to be there on her special day.

I did want to share a beautiful gift - a Sorrelli bracelet -  that my sister gave me before I left.  She purchased it from a favorite store of mine where she lives called "I Love Paris."  Isn't it wonderful when a sister knows you so well?  I just love the bracelet!

My Bags are Packed!

I'm flying out to California tomorrow for my sister Susie's wedding!  First stop is San Francisco.  My younger sister, Alicia, will be picking me up from the airport and we get to spend the entire day and evening in the city.  There are so many places we want to visit and of course, I can't miss out on my sour dough bread bowl with clam chowder!  After our day in the city, I get to see my handsome nephews, my favorite brother-in-law and my sweet mom.  The next morning we are all headed to Southern California for the wedding.  I'm so excited to meet my future brother-in-law and I know my sister will be a beautiful bride!  As much as we travel as a family, I really can't stand to fly alone, so think of me!  I'm taking the red-eye home on Tuesday but I'll be wide awake, reading some fabulous classic and praying I get home safe to my sweet ones.  Looking forward to catching up with you when I return! - xo Julie