One of the most exciting things about February 14th is making and exchanging paper valentines. A Valentine Mobile makes a creative and unique substitution for a card, and also serves as a re-usable decoration for February 14th. 

In the wonderful book Tasha Tudor's Old-Fashioned Gifts, Tasha Tudor and Linda Allen include instructions for making Valentine Mobiles and today we are going to show you how to make our own, somewhat simplified, version!

On a cool autumn day you might find the Tudor family gathered outside around a large cauldron, the sweet honeyed smell of beeswax in the air. Winslow Tudor leads the candle dipping, having learned the art from his grandmother, Tasha Tudor. Winslow's daughters, Ellie, 7, and Katie, 3 are quite as involved in the process as the adults.  It warms the heart to see the Tudor family gathered together, carrying on the tradition of making candles that will bring light to the family during afternoon tea, on holidays and during the dark nights of winter.   

Tasha Tudor embraced the stillness of winter. While some people spend this cold and dark season dreaming of springtime warmth, Tasha relished the invitation to slow down and enjoy long candle-lit evenings in front of the hearth with family, walks through freshly fallen snow, and the subtle beauty of New England blanketed in white. To honor Tasha's love of winter, we at Tasha Tudor and Family are having a White Sale!

"The customs and traditions that evolved in the Tudor family were sometimes rather unique, but the theme was universal: To be loved, by one another or by life itself, one must love first."  

-Tasha Tudor, All for Love

Valentine's Day in the Tudor family was a highly anticipated event each year. As soon as Christmas was over Tasha and her children got to work making hand crafted decorations (such as the Valentine Mobile we'll teach you to make next week!), paper valentines, baked treats and gifts for each other, their friends, and even their dolls!

“It may come as a surprise that I am a romantic. This trait sometimes puts me at odds with my practical side, but I have, over the years, attempted to meld the two. Being a romantic, or at least admitting it, is a practical way to enjoy life--it frees one to make the most of everything.”-Tasha Tudor, All for Love

After the excitement and activity of Christmas, the stillness and quiet of midwinter brings a welcome peace. When the weather outside is harsh the magical warmth of home, family, and friends is such a comfort.  And for the Tudor Family, the chill of January and February has always been wonderfully offset by the eager anticipation and preparation that leads up to Valentine’s Day. 

“I haven’t any modesty when it comes to my garden. I'll boast like mad.” -Tasha Tudor

Let the countdown begin! Tickets for our 2017 Garden Tours are set to go on sale on January 11, 2017 at 7pm eastern time. Each year a lucky few get the opportunity of a lifetime to visit Tasha Tudor’s enchanted home and garden in the mountains of Southern Vermont. Tour guests often say that walking around Tasha’s idyllic home and gardens is like walking into one of her illustrations--a real dream come true!

From all of us at Tasha Tudor and Family, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

The Sparrow Post is one of the most beloved and enduring traditions in the Tudor family. Every year, especially near Christmas and Valentines Day, Tasha Tudor, her children, and (later) her grandchildren would spend hours crafting miniature letters or valentines, envelopes, and post-boxes. Once constructed, the family would hang their little post-boxes on their bedroom doors and every morning they would wake eagerly to check to see if any mail had arrived in the night. Sometimes they would use the Sparrow Post to write to each other and sometimes the letters were addressed to or from their famous dolls such as Thaddeus Crane and Melissa Shakespeare who were considered part of the family.