Amelia Island Williams House, Fernandina Beach, FL » Christmas http://williamshouse.com Just another Inndx Blogs and Websites for Inns site Sat, 12 May 2012 13:57:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Christmas Comes Early on Amelia Island with Bed and Breakfast Cookie Tour http://williamshouse.com/blog/2011/11/21/christmas-comes-early-on-amelia-island-with-bed-and-breakfast-cookie-tour/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=christmas-comes-early-on-amelia-island-with-bed-and-breakfast-cookie-tour http://williamshouse.com/blog/2011/11/21/christmas-comes-early-on-amelia-island-with-bed-and-breakfast-cookie-tour/#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:07:17 +0000 byronmccutchen http://williamshouse.com/?p=2588

Deborah by Williams House decorations

 
Saturday was a big day on Amelia Island as all eight B&B’s decorated for Christmas, baked their favorite cookies and opened their doors to over 500 visitors for the Amelia Island Bed and Breakfast Cookie Tour.  The tour is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving each year, and this time visitors enjoyed a warm and mostly sunny day.  Trolleys, taxi’s and horsedrawn carriages carried visitors between Inns and fresh cookies and refreshments were ready at each stop.  At Williams House we began decorating Nov. 1 and finished a day or two before the tour.   We had six rooms plus the common area open for touring and everything was decorated to the max.  Our cookie was a peanut butter, oatmeal variety with both regular and dark chocolate M&M’s.  Thanks to our slight over-cooking, I am still enjoying a few.  Carriage horses Boomer and Jazz moved between Hoyt, Williams House and Fairbanks and the trolley moved visitors from Hoyt to Elizabeth Pointe.  Taxi’s took them the final leg to Amelia Ocean Front.  We had an excellent turn-out that was 70% higher than last year.  Apparently lot’s of folks wanted to get into the Christmas spirit or they are really serious cookie fans!  A portion of the revenue will be given to Barnabus Center, our charity for 2011, and the added crowd versus last year will help us give them a larger donation. We want to thank Barabus for their volunteers who helped each B&B with stageing their rooms and guiding visitors.   Our thanks from the Williams House and all the other B&B’s for public support of this tour and our charity and we look forward to even bigger results next year!  We hope you enjoy some pictures from the event and the Williams House.

Jaime,Deborah,Byron&Jami on WH porch before tour began

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Williams House front porch

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Williams House dining room

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Williams House stairwell

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Williams House grand hall

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Williams House parlor

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Williams House hall tree

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Top porch tree

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dining room table

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Flamingo Christmas tree

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Candy pole sign

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Williams House decorations

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Decorations with a candy theme

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Deborah tells visitors our history

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Visitors prepare to tour Williams House

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Visitors size up Boomer

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Jazz also treats guests to ride

 
 
]]> http://williamshouse.com/blog/2011/11/21/christmas-comes-early-on-amelia-island-with-bed-and-breakfast-cookie-tour/feed/ 0 Christmas at the Williams House http://williamshouse.com/blog/2011/01/14/christmas-at-the-williams-house-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=christmas-at-the-williams-house-2 http://williamshouse.com/blog/2011/01/14/christmas-at-the-williams-house-2/#comments Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:03:41 +0000 byronmccutchen http://williamshouse.com/?p=1749 Christmas at the Williams House is always a fun and exciting time as we get to enjoy three night stays with our guests and share carriage rides, extended wine hour and a Christmas day buffet.  This year we also added a light dinner to tide guests over into Christmas night.  The weather cooperated well with resonable temperatures and no rain for Christmas eve carriage rides and wine hour.  The same on Christmas day although a little on the cool side. 

Christmas eve wine hour included meatballs, various cookies, cheeses,cheese biscuits, wine and soft drinks.  Christmas buffet included ham, unforgettable chicken caserole, brocoli salad, sweet potato casserole, rolls, hashbrown casserole, squash casserole, lemon cake, pecan pie, cherry pie and wines, soft drinks and tea.  It was delicious and guests seemed to enjoy.  Later in the evening Deborah served turkey chilli for those who didn’t quite get enough in the buffet.  It was a fun and relaxing time for guests and a chance for them to meet some new people as well as Deborah and Byron.

Christmas eve wine hour

Christmas eve treats

Jazz the carriage horse greets guests

Guests enjoy Christmas eve ride

Guests enjoy wine hour

More carriage riders

wine hour fun

Christmas day buffet

Guests enjoy buffet

Desserts await guests

Guests enjoy buffet

]]> http://williamshouse.com/blog/2011/01/14/christmas-at-the-williams-house-2/feed/ 0 Amelia Island Christmas at the Williams House http://williamshouse.com/blog/2010/12/02/amelia-island-christmas-at-the-williams-house/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=amelia-island-christmas-at-the-williams-house http://williamshouse.com/blog/2010/12/02/amelia-island-christmas-at-the-williams-house/#comments Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:10:57 +0000 deborahmccutchen http://www.williamshouse.com/blog/?p=1253

Williams House entry hall beckons

I spent some time taking pictures of this years Christmas decorations at the Williams House as they do change from year to year.  Deborah is a stickler for detail and it shows in the common area decorations as well as all the individual rooms.  Byron concentrates on the outside and again we keep adjusting since doing it the same every year seems a little boring.  We are looking forward to our three day Christmas special with horse-drawn carriage rides and heavy hors d’oeuvres on christmas eve and chef Deborah’s buffet dinner on Christmas day.  I’ve attached a few recent pictures to provide a flavor of how the Williams House will appear to arriving guests.  We enjoy the warmth and atmosphere this 1856 home provides and try to imagine what it was like to celebrate Christmas here in the 1800′s. I’m not sure those early owners would have decorated to this extent, but certainly the charm and feel of this home and historic town are an enjoyable experience for today.  We still have two rooms left for Christmas…so come on down and join us!

williams House parlor

williams house parlor tree

 

williams house dining room

 

dining room snow village

 

flamingo tree in princess amelia room

 

williams house top porch tree

 

blue tree - egmont indigo room

 

williams house Christmas front view

 

hearthstone cottage Christmas view

]]> http://williamshouse.com/blog/2010/12/02/amelia-island-christmas-at-the-williams-house/feed/ 0 Cookie Tour of Historic B&B's Next Weekend http://williamshouse.com/blog/2010/11/13/cookie-tour-of-historic-bbs-next-weekend/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cookie-tour-of-historic-bbs-next-weekend http://williamshouse.com/blog/2010/11/13/cookie-tour-of-historic-bbs-next-weekend/#comments Sat, 13 Nov 2010 21:00:26 +0000 deborahmccutchen http://www.williamshouse.com/blog/?p=1219

Deborah puts finishing touches on front door Christmas decorations

 

Yes…we know its only the 13th of November but here we are already decorated and decked out for Christmas.  We have to start early (usually Nov. 1) to be ready for the annual historic B&B cookie tour taking place next Saturday (Nov. 19) from 1-5 pm.  All of the B&B’s will be decorated by then for ticket holders to tour and receive free samples of our chosen cookie along with the actual recipe.  It’s a great way to get early ideas for Christmas decorating, get into the Holiday spirit and enjoy Christmas before Thanksgiving.  We open both  the common areas and guest rooms where again Christmas has already arrived with at least one tree in every guest room.   Deborah changes her decorating every year since it just doesn’t feel right to do it the same way twice.  Hope you can come and join the fun and tour these wonderful old victorian homes decorated in the Holdiay spirit!  Call us at 904-277-2328 for tickets.

Dining room mantel ready for Christmas

 

Williams House entry hall

 

Parlor tree and mantel decorated

 

Decorated Williams House

]]> http://williamshouse.com/blog/2010/11/13/cookie-tour-of-historic-bbs-next-weekend/feed/ 0 New Year's Fun with Guests and Family http://williamshouse.com/blog/2010/01/04/new-years-fun-with-guests-and-family/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-years-fun-with-guests-and-family http://williamshouse.com/blog/2010/01/04/new-years-fun-with-guests-and-family/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:19:17 +0000 http://www.williamshouse.com/blog/?p=726

New Year's eve table is set

New Year’s eve is always an enjoyable time and our wine hour is always a little fancier to prepare the mood for celebration.  This year Byron’s son Tim and his wife Kasey joined us for a few days on their way to Colorado for mission training.  They thought they had already arrived in Colorado when they felt our local colder than normal temps, but had fun anyway.  We were able to enjoy a couple of the latest movies during this time, including Avatar, which we all thought was one of the best movies we’ve seen in a long while. I loved the 3d effects and kept reaching out to pick up the floating flowers from the movie.   It was a good time, but sad to say, Deborah and I didn’t make it to the ball drop for New Year’s eve.  Breakfast comes too early and the B&B!

Guests enjoy new Year's eve wine hour

 

Tim and Kasey enjoy breakfast in the parlor

 

Cinnamon snuggles up seeking heat from Deborah

 

Tim and Kasey by the parlor tree

 

A final group pose before '09 Christmas decorations come down

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