Muriel Baker longed for a garden outside her home near Glastonbury in Somerset, England, but at 94, she couldn’t manage the physical work required to maintain one. So the nonagenarian took a creative approach to the issue: She had an array of trees, roses, and butterflies painted onto her house.
Think about what puts a smile on your face as you anticipate the approaching holidays — chances are that a festive tradition makes the list. Maybe your family watches Adam Sandler play “The Chanukah Song” while making latkes on the seventh night, or you and your cousins host an epic annual gingerbread house building competition
Where some simply see ski slopes as a fun way to zoom down a mountain, others also see a catwalk. And the latter outlook only seems to be growing: Peruse ski outfits on social media, and you’ll find everything from puffy, supersized boots to hot pink one-pieces, along with comments of approval comparing the looks
The childhood home of iconic singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone has been fully restored — and one day, you may be able to visit it yourself. Located in Tryon, North Carolina, about two hours west of Charlotte, the house had fallen into disrepair and was facing potential demolition until it was purchased by
Update as of Dec. 3: The Winter Egg sold for a record-breaking $30.2 million Tuesday. A world record-setting egg is going under the hammer for a third time — though it’s not the kind you’d eat on toast. Carved in rock crystal and adorned with over 4,500 diamonds, The Winter Egg is heading to auction
An Exquisite Winter Fabergé Egg Is Expected to Fetch $27 Million at Auction Continue Reading »
A crackling fire, snowy view of the countryside, and charming Jude Law appearing at your doorstep are what holiday dreams are made of (OK, maybe minus that last one for some folks). But if watching Cameron Diaz sip wine and dance around the cozy English cottage in the house-swapping film The Holiday gives you a
Every fall I anticipate the winter holidays with almost childlike joy. I look forward to familiar traditions with friends and family, eggnog in my coffee, and the sense that everyone is feeling a little lighter and more connected. At the same time, I feel anxious and annoyed by the manufactured sense of urgency around gift giving: the endless searching and second-guessing shaped by advertisers, retailers and cultural expectations.
Most Americans probably don’t realize that we have a very limited understanding of the first Thanksgiving, which took place in 1621 in Massachusetts. Indeed, few of our present-day traditions resemble what happened 400 years ago, and there’s only one original account of the feast.
What the First Thanksgiving Dinner Actually Looked Like Continue Reading »
Pecans, America’s only native major nut, have a storied history in the United States. Today, American trees produce hundreds of million of pounds of pecans — 80% of the world’s pecan crop. Most of that crop stays here. Pecans are used to produce pecan milk, butter and oil, but many of the nuts end up in pecan pies.
It’s impossible to tell the story of American ballet without giving credit to trailblazer Maria Tallchief, who would’ve celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this year. The legendary dancer leapt and twirled her way to international stardom during the mid-20th century and is widely considered America’s first prima ballerina. “A ballerina takes steps given to her
