by Meridith Ingram
“This is a story that must be told,” implored Cosmo Kramer to his friends on “Seinfeld,” the hit television show that embodied the zeitgeist of the 1990s. Kramer, known for his wild hair, goofy entrances and myriad quirks, was referring to one of his most memorable and brilliant schemes: a coffee table book [...]

By Erin Parkhurst
For cooks who have decided to cast off old, worn-out pots and pans in favor of gleaming new cookware, a veritable feast of high-quality products awaits.
Debi Shawcross, owner of Signature Menus (www.signaturemenus.com), chef, instructor, and author of Signature Salads and The Supper Club Cookbook (coming in 2009), says clients ask her all the [...]

By April M Barney
“The Santas used to be packed up after Christmas, but we are so fond of them that we now leave them out all year long. They remind me of Christmas and all the reasons for the happiness of the season.” —Misty Walker
“I like to think that our home reflects us and the [...]

By Kim Fox
Holiday Season, 2008. It goes something like this: Thanksgiving sneaks up on you like it always does. You extend the invitations, plan your menu, and make a list. Take a breath, make another list. Clean your house. Do you have enough place settings? Is this the year your 21-year-old nephew who just graduated [...]

By Jennifer L. Prince
There are so many occasions to celebrate throughout the year…anniversaries, holidays, weddings and babies. As these special times approach, we anticipate the postal worker delivering greetings from family and friends. After awhile, however, that excitement can wane as cards accumulate on counters and in baskets. When the festivities are over, what are [...]

By Alison Cox
As a child growing up in upstate New York, it wasn’t the snow that signaled the arrival of the holidays (there was snow all the time). Nor was it the annual television viewing of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” that we watched snuggled up under a green blanket while [...]

Need a special gift? Look no further than your own backyard. The Lynchburg area has some of the finest
shopping around.
for the special women in your life
Marco Bicego Confetti Rings are exceptional enough to make a statement yet personal enough to wear every day. Youthful, effortless sophistication and contemporary seduction are manifested through precise, old world [...]

By Sarah Burton
“In order to determine the best placement for decorative accents, consider all the architectural elements your home has to offer.” -Kerry Giles
“If you’re like me and you don’t have any training, put together things you like. Normally, inspiration just happens for me during this process, and I can add my own touches and [...]

By Jennifer L. Prince
Expectant parents await their baby’s arrival with great anticipation and planning. They stock the dressers with tiny clothes, assemble cribs, and read the latest advice from baby books. So much time, energy and affection goes into preparing for a new little one to live in a home, but what are parents to [...]

Lucy Cook, founder and co-owner of Magnolia Foods, learns the art of cookie baking—which comes in particularly handy around the holidays— from Amherst local Mary Hansen.
Look Who’s Cooking in Central Virginia:
Mary Hansen
Cookie Baker Extraordinaire
By Lucy Cook
Mary Hansen is a woman on the run! As the regional council director for the “Girls on the Run” program, [...]