fluxgirl: Colonial Williamsburg

Last weekend, as a birthday treat for me, Daniel and I took a day trip to Williamsburg. It was a gorgeous sunny December day, perfect for tri-corner hats, mulled cider, and a bit of history. I love Colonial Williamsburg and have never visited during the holiday season so it was quite a treat to see all the winter decorating. I am not usually a big fan of christmas decorations, I like christmas lights, but ornaments or tinsil or garland and wreaths I could take or leave but after going up to Williamsburg I think I have a new found appreciation for such things. Colonial Williamsburg decorates all of its buildings with handmade wreaths and garland that stay true to materials that were historically used during the colonial period. It was amazing that they could make such interesting things out of such simple everyday items. Garland made of gumballs(the kind that fall from trees, not the ones you chew), wreaths made of peach pits and oranges, ornaments made from apples-and all were just as pretty, and so much more interesting than the store bought plastic ones. One home had horse stirrups hanging from the shutters with a different colored apple in each one. I love the simplicity of it all!
The picture below shows a simple wreath made of corn cobs.

The tavern below was one of my favorites but I didnt get a very good photo of it. The door is decorated with wheat ears fanned out in a nice pattern and the sign hanging in the upper right corner shows the use of apples as decorations, from a distance they look like christmas balls. So primitive and eco-friendly! Maybe next year I will break out the apples, dig up the old stirrups I have in the garage and do a little decorating myself. I know there are a ton of gumballs to wrap our house ten times over with garland. I wonder if Daniel could eat enough peaches between now and next christmas to make one of those peach pit wreaths?