This year instead of trying to decorate all at once, I decided to attempt decorating in layers instead of trying to do it all at once. The tip worked well for me here at the Fan District’s premier bed and breakfast. Thanksgiving weekend was warm, so I started with outside decorations, get them up wearing short-sleeves is the way to go!

This year may be the last year for this particular garland around our front door – lights are functioning a little quirky so I added some extra to make sure they would be bright all season. A natural wreath with a bright bow greets guests at the front gate and the garland and wreath at the front door reinforce my preference for slightly nontraditional colors: instead of red – use purple and fuschia, instead of green – use lime, and accent it all with bright gold and lights.  Don’t be afraid to experiment.  Of course, we have candles in the windows – but the ones in our guest rooms’ windows turn off at 9 PM so they don’t disturb our guests.

Come right on in! We're ready for the holidays!

This weekend, December 10 and 11, just happened to be the weekend of the Fan District Association of Richmond’s 49th Annual Holiday House Tour.  Most of the houses were within a short few blocks walk of the William Miller House and we are delighted that guests came from far and wide to enjoy this wonderful holiday tradition that is the sole fundraising event for neighborhood improvement projects. Guests from Easton MD visited tour homes for the third time. The record goes to a mother-daughter team who have been visiting the Fan for eight years now to check out the architecture, the individual interior design, and each homeowner’s interpretation of holiday decorations.

This year Kristen traveled all the way from London, England to spend her annual mother-daughter weekend in the Fan to shop at Carytown’s eclectic shops, to dine at the neighborhood’s bistros, to tour the homes, and to gather over snacks after the tour and compare notes on all the houses we’ve seen. This tour is over for 2011, but house tours are all the rage in Richmond.  We have tours in the Spring for historic Garden Week, as well as in the Fall and around the holidays.

Grapes, feathers, snowflakes, ribbons and bows make a festive wreath for the porch

After the outside layer of decorating was completed, I moved inside the inn to incorporate the wonder and merriment of this festive season. There are three trees (two of them are half-trees due to space considerations), three mantles, and wreaths outside on the blue antique garden gate, on the kitchen door, and on the garage.

Here’s a sampling of what’s inside The William Miller House Bed and Breakfast, the Fan District’s oldest bed and breakfast…..

Enjoy and we hope you’ll take advantage of those treasured items from friends and family to decorate your home for the holidays!

Here's what you'll find if you slip out the kitchen door

a jolly happy Santa just hanging around . . .

Santa flying high from the family room ceiling

homemade by Judie .... several years ago

another homemade made by Mom .....

A homemade ornament compliments of Mom

Kitchen Half-Tree with Homemade and food-related ornaments

Family Room Mantle in Blue and Gold - my personal favorite

Garden Room Tree (or half-tree - it's missing its back so it fits better)

Wreath by Janice Hall Nuckolls hung in the dining room on the mirror

The dining room mantle

The parlor mantel decked out with tree and table toppers

The parlor tree features snowflake ornaments crocheted by my Mom in 1999

This garland winds its way up to guest rooms

Every year on the third Sunday of June, we spend the day paying tribute to our fathers.

Fathers deserve a special day for showing us the way

Celebrated in many countries worldwide, the day is meant to honor and recognize the important contributions and even sacrifices that fathers make on a daily basis. The date may be different in some countries, but the sentiment is the same.

However, this holiday was not always on the calendar. The history of Father’s Day is actually quite interesting and touching. Throughout history, there have been different stories about people paying tribute to their fathers, but the official concept of a special day actually started in the United States in the 1900s. In 1909, a young woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd was listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at her church in Spokane, Washington.

Since she had been raised by her father after her mother had passed away, she was struck by the fact that, although mothers had a special day, the same could not be said for fathers. Her father had selflessly raised her and her five other siblings on his own after her mother had died at an early age. She had an unending amount of respect, love, and admiration for her father, who had also served in the Civil War.

Sonora felt that fathers were just as deserving of a special day of recognition as mothers were. She approached her minister about having a special service dedicated to fathers. The following year, the first Father’s Day service took place in her church on June 19th.

In 1924, the third Sunday in June was proclaimed by President Calvin Coolidge as Father’s Day nationwide. The date has been celebrated ever since, and was permanently signed into public law by President Nixon in 1972. Just as was the case with Sonora, we now all celebrate this day in recognition of the love and gratitude that we have for our fathers.

There are many traditions surrounding the day that you might not be aware of. For instance, the tradition of wearing a rose on Father’s Day was started by young members of the YMCA in Spokane, Washington. On June 19, 1910, these young men attended church wearing roses, with a red rose signifying a living father and a white rose paying tribute to one who was deceased.

Just as is the case with Mother’s Day, we often celebrate the day by doing something special for our fathers. Although there is certainly nothing wrong with giving your Dad a beautiful bouquet of flowers, it is far more likely that we give him a more traditionally male-oriented gift. Neckties are an extremely common gift, as are tools and electronics. But Dads are always just as happy with a homemade card drawn by a five-year-old as they are with an expensive gift. A picnic lunch or barbeque in the back yard is also just as welcome as a dinner at a fancy expensive restaurant.

One of the reasons Father’s Day is so much fun is that there is no right or wrong way to celebrate it. Since no two fathers are exactly the same, no two families celebrate the day in exactly the same way. The day provides the perfect opportunity for children to spend some time with their father, doing something that he really enjoys. Fun activities for the day could include a visit to the park, a sporting event, a game of golf, fishing on the banks of the James River, or a family cookout in the back yard.

We hope you are planning a very special day with your father on Father’s Day 2011 – June 19

We spent the last two weeks in the outer banks of N. Carolina, so while here I thought I would share our dining experiences.  Because OBX is really about casual, we very seldom visit the 2 or 3 upscale restaurants, we have eaten in the past at Aqua S in Southern Shores in Duck, Prime Only in Nags Head and the Sanderling in Duck. However, after plunking down between $2000 and $4000 a week most folks are looking for casual dining with a slightly lower price, well much lower!

Our ist of places we have eaten is long, however, I will keep the list to our current visit.  We usually eat diner in because we always stay in a friens house at the 20-mile marker and usually have copious amounts of wine, need I say more?  This trip we have eaten at:

Blue Moon Beach Grill Located at mile post 13 in Surf Side Plaza on the beach road.

We have eaten diner at Blue Moon ever since they opened about 3-years ago, over the winter that expanded the restaurant.  This visit was for lunch, there were 4 of us, the girls shared a Spinach & Arugula Salad and split the beach burger and fries.  The guys each had the sour of the day, which was crab and blue cheese chowder and one of us had the shrimp “not a burger” and the shrimp  po’ boy. The shrimp “not a burger” a zesty sandwich comes with blackened shrimp, fried green tomato & sharp provolone.  Served on toasted ciabatta bread with arugula, basil aioli and a balsamic reduction and erved with fries. Excellent.

The Crab and blue cheese chowder  was thick with a slight tastes of blue cheese and loaded with crab and finished with a bit of sherry.  The chowder was not too thick, it could have been a bit warmers, this seems to be an issue here on the outer banks, possibly to protect the tender seafood ingredients. This was a very tasty soup and would be enjoyed by folks who may not be a fan of blue cheese. I would definitely order again if it appears back on the menu.

Food Dudes Kitchen located at mile post 9.5 on the beach road in Kill Devil Hills.

New to the area we were turned on to them by two locals who go often.  We when the for Sunday brunch after church.  We dined al fresco over looking the parking lot, the place is very small.  Everyone ordered off of the Sunday Brunch menu, the normal menu is also available.  Jo had the eggs benedict over country ham on sweet potato biscuits, Bruce the sausage frittata, with home fries, Pat the sausage, vegetable and egg scramble with oat grain toast and Mike the eggs benedict over pulled pork with chipotle Hollandaise  sauce on a toasted english muffin.  We also ordered a couple of orders of sweet potato biscuits with ham and apple butter.  Of course there was far too much food, but we had to try everything.

Everyone enjoyed their breakfast, my only complaint was  eggs were over cooked, probably becuse Jo ordered her’s well done, I should have made sure they did not do the same with mine.  The pulled pork was very tender but the chipotle Hollandaise sauce a bit thin and could have used a bit more kick.

We all agreed we would return in the future, for this group that is like a 4-star review.

Ortega’z Southwestern Grill and Wine Bar on Sir Walter Raleigh Street in Manteo across the bridge.

We were out for a late lunch and decided to visit Ortega’z.  We arrive about 45-minutes before they stopped serving, service was a bit slow due to a large part inside, we sat outside on the front patio, under the big fan, adjacent to the heater, I do not think they will need the heater for the remainder of the summer.

Three of us had the fish tacos, two on the hard blue corn tortillas and one of the soft flour tortillas, Bruce ordered a cheese steak wrap and the soup of the day which was a poblano crab bisque .  The bisque was flavorful but very mild with no poblano pepper flavor identifiable , and as usual no to hot, again the OBX way.

The fish tacos were made with sword fish and were very good served with pico de gallo, sour cream, and a remoulade, saffron rice with black beans.

Sugar Shack Dining on Roanoke Sound, just before the bridge to Manteo, and not in Virginia

The Friendly Staff

OK when on vacation we all have those craving whether it’s ice cream or whatever..

In this case it is fried seafood and I can think of no better place than the Sugar Shack, located adjacent to Sugar Creek which is a pretty good restaurant for seafood, but you have conflicts; waiters and waitresses, kitchen delays, etc.

At the Shack you check out the menu, sorry white board, or the cooler case and decide what you want an place your order.  The next you know it is delivered you your table, either inside or outside adjacent otnthe sound.  The staff is friendly and beer is on tap, of course that have soft drinks as well.  All baskets come with house made chip, there are also onion rings, hushpuppies, slaw and other southern favorites.  We had the flounder and the calamari, of course we always get asked if everything was OK because the portions are for the young appetite, and of course we leave a little on our plate!

It is not gourmet, just fresh seafood cooked to perfection served immediately, so net time in Nags Head give them a try and tell them Mike and Pat sent you!

Beach Road Grill – Mile Post 11 on the Beach Road

The Beach Road Grill on the Outer Banks features a casual menu featuring burgers, fresh Outer Banks seafood, wraps and a steam bar.

This is without a doubt the cleanest restaurant I have ever been in anywhere in this category of laid back casual restaurant.

They have a white board at the rear of the restaurant with the specials of the day.  Last night it was Ribeye, a shrimp with pasta dish, blackened Cobia, a couple of deserts, and the fish of the day was Mahi-Mahi and softshell crabs.

The Ribeye was $12.99 and done just the way you asked for it, we ordered medium-rare and that’s the way it came.  The girls had the BGR Burger, fish & chips and chicken tenders with a side of french fries. Fish tacos were discussed but never materialized.

We have been here before for lunch but this was our first time for diner.  I would recommend this as a great casual place to eat while in the outer banks.

Tortugas’ Lie Shellfish Bar and Grill -

Nestled among the dunes of the Outer Banks town of Nags Head, you’ll find a delicious slice of the Caribbean known as Tortugas’ Lie. Founded in 1989, Tortugas’ is home to some of the beach’s finest fare, from mouthwatering appetizers to dinners and desserts so delicious you can’t help but come back again and again.

The day we visited the two specials, which are always listed on their web site, were Yellowfin Tuna with provolone cheese and asian slaw on a roll and also a Shrimp Wrap loaded with shrimp, may be a halff-pound, and lettuce and tomato and severed with onion rings.  The Yellowfin Tuna sandwich was excellent, the tuna done to perfection; about medium-rare unlike many who cook it ti death.  The only complaint I heard about the Shrimp Wrap was there was a lot of shrimp, not really a negative.

I'm sure you can find something you like

Tortugas’ made Coastal Living Magazines list of 84 of Americas Best Seafood Dives this year (June 2011, page 95), a well deserved honor!  All Dive but a good place to eat!

Other places and our recommendations:

Pamlico Jack’s Pirate Hideaway – Great place to sit on the deck and have a drink and watch the sun go down  sun go down, may be have an appetizer then go some where for diner.

Awful Arthur’s Oyster Bar – Mile post 6 on the beach road.

As an added subject, if you are interested in the Outer Banks Beach Re-nourishment project you can get an update here

The project Plan

Courtesy of the William Miller House
Mike Rohde and Pat Daniels, Innkeepers
Richmond, Virginia

Lights, lights, and more lights! Light displays, both tacky and classy, abound in Richmond between Thanksgiving and the New Year.

Are these really Tacky Lights, or simply Christmas spirit?

Homeowners across the central Virginia’s  metropolitan area have decked their houses in holiday lights, blow-up decorations, store-bought decorations, home-made decorations – all vying to outdo each other with more, better, and over-the-top displays lighting up their homes with Christmas spirit beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving and ending with the New Year.

But homeowners are not the only ones who go “over the top.”  Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens GardenFest of Lights provides a fantastic display, decorating each garden, water feature, and path with a myriad of lights.  The rose garden even has rose lights for the holiday season. And, The GradenFest of Lights will be on display until January 10th!

This fabulous peacock in lights inhabits the lawn below the conservatory at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

Some of Richmond’s homes have been featured on national television, of course, local television, books and publications, blogs, newspaper articles, even coffee table books.  This phenomenon dates back at least to 1986 and seems to grow exponentially every year.  Patricia Cornwall even mentions Richmond’s Tacky Lights in her book: “Black Notice” saying that Marino’s house was lighting up the sky like an amusement park!

Blow-up Santa and other figures complete this Tacky Lights scene

The sky is aglow with Tacky Lights

There are city blocks of folks who band together and decorate to be included on the Tacky Light Tour, homes along Monument Avenue and in the Fan are all aglow, cul-de-sacs and blocks in the burbs join together in pacts to decorate, and individual homeowners just go all out and begin decorating Labor Day to be ready for their grand illumination Thanksgiving weekend.

More Tacky Lights!

Can you count the lights in this Tacky Light display?

And, then, there’s Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens who decorate their gardens and conservatory as the Gardenfest of Lights.  This year’s theme is Fire & Ice, combining the Hans Frabel’s glass sculptures with their more traditional holiday elements and lights. The gardens also decorate the conservatory and the educational center.  You’ll even find trains in a setting of miniature structures crafted from natural elements.

One of the houses constructed of natural elements that is part of the model train setup in Lewis Ginter's conservatory

Don’t miss these very Richmond holiday traditions this year or next! It gets better every year!

Richmond’s Fan District is hosting its annual Holiday House Tour on December 11 and 12. During this 48th tour, eight homes near Meadow Park will be open both Saturday and Sunday from 1 PM to 5 PM.

Advance tickets are available on line and in several retail locations in Richmond.  Tickets will also be available the day of the tour at hospitality centers and Strawberry Street Vineyard.  More Info.

The Fan District Association of Richmond, Virginia has posted a preview of the tour: A Story Book Holiday House Tour on their website. The descriptions of the homes and the photos will entice you to get a ticket and take part in this very Richmond tradition – a chance to see how a sampling of Fan residents live and celebrate the holidays.

Another Richmond tradition, the Gardenfest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, lights up the evening creating magical splendor with over 700,000 lights in a Fire and Ice theme.  There’s even a firepit with s’mores! Don’t miss the gift shop – unique gifts for you, for your garden, and for that hard-to-find-the-perfect-gift-for person on your list! More Info.

And, as usual, Richmond’s premier bed and breakfast is putting on its holiday face too! A stay in one of our guest rooms during the holiday season gives you the opportunity to delight in the holiday trimmings and a wonderful, hearty gourmet breakfast!

Thanksgiving is a time devoted to bringing together friends, family, and food to share in the bounty that the fall harvest has brought forth.

Wishing you tempting treats for Thanksgiving

We thank each of you, our friends and guests, for sharing your precious time with us, and we hope the experience of your stay at our bed and breakfast inn has become one of your most treasured memories! Soon, this autumn pause will be over and we’ll all be rushing around with winter holiday preparations; so take the time to enjoy your family and this special time of year!

May your kitchens be filled with the warmth of your stoves, fabulous food, and the familiar chatter of friends and family!  Happy Thanksgiving from the William Miller House bed and breakfast in Richmond’s historic Fan District!

Our Richmond inn is “in the middle of it all” for two fun-filled Richmond events in April!

Wear your finest bonnet and enter into the Bonnet contest on April 4 at the Lee monument!

Venture Richmond brings Easter on Parade, that annual event bringing over 25,000 Richmonders and Virginians to Monument Avenue on Easter Sunday.  It’s not a traditional parade: attendees parade up and down scenic Monument Avenue between Allen and Davis Avenues.  Monument Avenue, named to the National Register of Historic Landmarks, will be closed to all but pedestrian traffic between Allen and Davis (or the Robert E Lee and Jefferson Davis monuments) on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010 between 1 PM and 5 PM. The celebration includes music, arts, crafts, children’s activities, food, a petting zoo – and most importantly pet and people watching.  Everyone will be dressed in their finest or most outlandish regalia!  Highlights include a Pet Bonnet Showcase/Contest at 3 PM and a People Bonnet Showcase/Contest at 4 PM.  Don’t miss it!

Historic Garden Week in Virginia's Guidebook and tour tickets are the key to visit private homes and gardens April 17 though April 25

Historic Garden Week in Virginia, presented by the Garden Club of Virginia, is scheduled for April 17 through 25, 2010.  The Garden Club of Virginia has been holding this event for 77 years and devoting the proceeds to preserving Virginia’s heritage properties and gardens.  Though featuring homes and gardens all over the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Windsor Farms neighborhood of Richmond area will be featured on Tuesday April 20, Church Hill, on Wednesday April 21, and West Avenue, just two blocks away from our bed and breakfast, will open homes and gardens to visitors on Thursday April 22.  In addition special evening activities are planned Thursday at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.

Make your plans now to take advantage of these very Virginia events! Pick your guest room at our historic Fan District bed and breakfast and make it a Spring Fling! to remember on Easter weekend or during Garden Week or – even both.  We’d love to share the best of central Virginia with you.

Literally….open the kitchen door at our Richmond inn and the lovely fragrance of the daphnes just outside capture your senses.

Daphnes, right out the kitchen door of our bed and breakfast, perfume the air.

Actually, just pull into our off-street parking and the fragrance says Spring has come to central Virginia.  Besides the lovely daphne odoro’s, Daffodils, camellias, the star magnolias, the Lenten roses, and the Cornelian cherry tree are all decked out in their Spring finery heralding warmer weather and sunny skies.

Just the other day, Richard Nunnally, master gardener, author, columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and host of the local PBS show,  ”Virginia Home Grown,” reminded us of his visit to our garden with Karen Kelly to discuss plantings in urban gardens and how to maximize the use of smaller outdoor spaces.  Scenes from the gardens, plantings, and their context were filmed and aired during an episode of “Virginia Home Grown” in July 2007.  Richard had given us a copy of the show, we had forgotten about it – but he told us that he still gets an inquiry every now and then from viewers who ask about our bed and breakfast in the historic Fan district.  Richard and Karen discuss the daphnes in the video, but at the time they were way past blooming – and, now they have been outside the kitchen door for 13 years!

Here’s the video:

Richmond Inn Gardens from Virginia Home Grown

Spring is a lovely time to visit Richmond and the central Virginia area – if the video fails to capture your interest, perhaps a peek at our guest rooms will!

Even though Richmond has been belted with three snow storms this winter season, everything is cozy here at our Richmond bed and breakfast. Guest parking is clear and open: after we cleared it by shoveling, the west sun melted the remaining residue from the pavers. Strolls along the historic Fan Districts street’s and avenues present picture postcards around every corner!  Back at the inn, the living room/parlor boasts a warm fire and a fine place to sit and relax with a steaming cup of hot chocolate or a glass of wine.  Each of our guest rooms boasts its own individually controlled thermostat so you may bring your sleeping quarters to whatever temperature you find comfortable.  Each comfy bed is dressed in high-thread count linens, a quilt, and, during turn-down, a comforter/duvet is added – along with the next day’s weather forecast and a sweet treat.  You’re sure to be warm and cozy; so join us for a winter in-town get-away. Our local restaurants are still open, many are offering specials to encourage diners to visit.  Our hearty gourmet breakfast is sure to stick to your ribs as you venture outside. This is your chance to wind down to a slower pace and remember how fun snow can be.

Make your reservation now… Select Your Room!

The third snowstorm of the 2009/10 winter season blanketed Richmond and our Historic Fan District B&B. It began Friday afternoon and switched over to rain and sleet throughout the evening and night hours.  Saturday morning brought more snow, heavy at times.  Early Saturday armed with shovels we cleared the walks and driveway of the snow and frozen slush on top, hoping to make an easier job of cleanup when the snow finished. It finally finished Saturday evening around 5 or 6 PM. Today, Sunday, the skies are a beautiful blue and the snow on the ground is a sight to behold!

Shoveling is completed, now we wait for the sun to complete the job and melt the snow on the brick sidewalk. It is bright and sunny, not the partly cloudy the weather folks predicted.

The daphne odoros are covered in snow, just as the blooms were starting to get full and turn pink. The star magnolias were ready to burst into bud, and we hope that this doesn’t set them back too much — or that they were so far along that the snow has damaged them.

The birds are relishing the newly-filled bird feeder and they are chirping their thanks as I stand at the window with a cup of hot steaming coffee!

Here are a few more scenes from around the garden….featuring nature in all her glory