“From the start it has been the theatre’s business to entertain people … it needs no other passport than fun.” –Bertolt Brecht, A Short Organum for the Theatre
If you read our blog entry about Staunton, Virginia’s Blackfriar Playhouse, then you already know that we have a wonderful theatre nearby the Iris Inn. But this Shakespearean marvel is not the only drama to be found in and around Waynesboro. There are numerous community theatres around the area that illustrate local talent and provide good quality entertainment for viewers in the Shenandoah Valley. So book a room at the Iris Inn, and then take in a show at one (or all) of these excellent local theatres:
Waynesboro Players, Waynesboro, VA- Climb aboard the M.S. Stillwater in a comedic tale of modern day piracy. See the antics of Walker D. Plank and his minion Halitosis Halvard as they attempt to overtake a cruise ship in the name of the Pirate Appreciation Movement. This show, written by local Matthew Warner, runs from February 23-26, 2012. (Your humble blogger also happens to be a cast member of this production, so this may or may not be a shameless promotion…)
Live Arts, Charlottesville, VA- Enter the surreal world of the Belgian painter Rene Magritte and step into the bizarre magic of his mind that inspired his paintings. This show, written by Barry Kornhauser and directed by Will Rucker, runs through February 18, 2012.
ShenanArts, Staunton, VA- Witness the life and times of Woodrow Wilson in ShenanArts’ production of “Woody,” written by Richard Adams and adapted by Diane Stewart. The show runs from February 24-26, 2012, and there is a dinner option on the Saturday evening of the show.
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” –C.S. Lewis
When you’re looking for a restaurant at which to eat and relax, there are many factors that you consider—the type of food, the atmosphere, the cost, the company, and the convenience. No matter the factors, though, the most memorable restaurants are the most unique ones, and here in Waynesboro, Virginia, we have just such an establishment.
Stone Soup Books is a café and a bookstore, and during the warmer months, it boasts a lush garden as well. Its location is perfect, as it’s nestled in downtown Waynesboro and centered in the verdant beauty of the Shenandoah Valley.
The bookstore at Stone Soup features a fantastic collection of rare, out of print, and collectable books, and if you can’t locate a book that you would like, they promise to help you track it down. You can also share your enjoyment of reading with other book lovers at various book gatherings and events, often accompanied by tea or wine. (Coming up on January 26, 2012 is Stone Soup’s “Book Tea” for only $8 a person. Make your reservations now!)
The café section of Stone Soup is known for a delicious selection of soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, and teas. Ingredients are locally grown, organic, fresh, and healthy: “Breaking bread with your neighbors and visitors offers fellowship and a connection to your community.” (Stone Soup Books)
If you have any questions about Stone Soup Café, call 540-943-0084 or email info@stonesoupbooks.net. Book your room at the Iris Inn, then trek down to the café for a spot of tea and some quality reading.
“What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen each other in all labour, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent unspoken memories?” — George Eliot
There is no place quite like a B&B to spark romance and rekindle the love and affection. What makes the Iris Inn such a romantic place for a Valentine’s Day getaway? Read on, and you shall see:
The location. We are nestled in the forest, encircled and shaded by mountains. It is a woodland setting befitting any fairytale romance.
Our in-room massages. A good massage can increase your flexibility, ease your depression, increase your concentration, and strengthen your muscles. Not to mention, a couple’s massage is a wonderful way to relax with a loved one. (Also, our Do Nothing Weekends are the perfect time to take advantage of an in-room massage!)
Our Hawk’s Nest hot tub. What’s more romantic that watching the sun set while immersing yourself in the soothing bubbles of a hot tub?
Our chocolate covered strawberries. Make your arrival extra special by requesting fresh, luscious strawberries, hand-dipped in rich chocolate.
Our Specialty Cake for Two. Like the strawberries, you can request a cake to share with your sweetheart to make a fun getaway exceptional.
The nearby romantic restaurants. Dine by candlelight at a fine restaurant in Charlottesville. Sip a cappuccino at a café in Staunton. Whatever you choose, you are sure to find a place with an atmosphere appropriate for two people in love.
“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” –Coco Chanel
Are you a born fashionista? A man in need of a Valentine’s Day gift for his lady? A mother/daughter duo wishing for a girls’ day out? If any of these questions even remotely apply to you, then mark your calendars for February 11, 2012. If you’re going to be around Waynesboro, VA on that date (perhaps you will be cozying up at the Iris Inn around this time), then make time in your schedule for the Waynesboro Fashion Network’s Spring Fashion Debut.
From 9:00am-2:00pm on February 11, join representatives from companies like Lia Sophia, Mary Kay, Initial Outfitters, Advocare, and BeautiControl. These vendors and many more will be displaying their spring lines for you to preview and enjoy. If you’re not familiar with these companies, they feature skincare products, health products, makeup, jewelry, and accessories. This event will be held at the Gateway in downtown Waynesboro, and it promises to be an enjoyable time for all who take part in it. (And for those of you who are worried about it seeming like too “girly” of an event for you to attend, many of the participating companions possess an overall emphasis on personal health and well-being with clothing and accessories being of secondary importance.)
If you would like a quick sample of what the day will be like, enjoying some quick footage taken at the 2011 Holiday Fashion Showcase:
“Christmas is a season for kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.” — Washington Irving
Just in case you have forgotten, Christmas is only two days away. Have you finished your shopping yet? Wrapped all of your presents? No??? If you are one of the many, many procrastinators out there, or if you simply have no idea what gift to give someone in your life, fear not, because, we are your Last Minute Life-Saver. (Kind of catchy, isn’t it?)
We offer the wonderfully timed option of purchasing gift certificates from the Iris Inn. They make excellent holiday gifts, birthday gifts, apology gifts, or “just because” gifts, and honestly, who wouldn’t love a bed and breakfast getaway?
Now, if you do intend to purchase a gift certificate as a Christmas gift, you should probably scribble out an IOU for the receiver since we’ll be mailing the certificate to you, and it certainly won’t make it in time for Christmas. Just make sure to let the future receiver know that something spectacular is on the way.
From the Iris Inn Bed and Breakfast, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year!
One of the most well-loved holiday traditions is baking. Whether you’re cooking for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or New Years, family recipes are always a must during the holiday season. Here at the Iris Inn, we certainly love our food (as you well know if you have been a guest here!), and we are happy to have contributed a few recipes to the new Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia’s cookbook.
One of our recipes features our highly requested “Amazing Cinnamon Rolls,” which we make with a handy little “shortcut,” a package of frozen biscuits. And so, we present this recipe to you in hopes that it delights your taste buds enough that you simply have to have the entire cookbook. (If you would like more in depth information about the cookbook, check out one of the BBAV’s latest blog entries)
Ingredients:
1 (26.4 oz.) package frozen biscuits
¼ cup butter, softened
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup posdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Arrange frozen biscuits, with sides touching, in 3 rows or 4 biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Let stand 30 to 45 minutes or until biscuits are thawed but still cool to the touch. (May defrost in refrigerator overnight.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Springle thawed biscuits lightly with flour. Press biscuit edges together, and pat to form a 10×12-inch rectangle of dough; spread evenly with softened butter. In a bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over butter. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over brown sugar mixture. Roll up, starting at one of the long ends; cut into 12 1-inch-thick slices. Place rolls onto lightly greased 10-inch round or 9-inch square pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until center rolls are golden brown and done; cool slightly.
Stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract; drizzle evenly over rolls.
Photo by Rebecca (http://www.flickr.com/photos/70757891@N00/3685013163)
After all of the hustling, bustling stress of the holiday season, you are going to need a break. And between work, friends, family, children, and other pressing responsibilities, you may find it difficult to plan and coordinate a time to get away for a bit. That’s where the Iris Inn comes to your rescue.
We are once again offering our popular Do Nothing Weekends Package for the upcoming 2012 year. The package includes a two-night stay, delectable food, delicious wine, rich coffee, and a whole lot of relaxation.
The Schedule:
Friday: Join us at the Inn anytime between 3pm and 9pm. We will have a light dinner—soup, salad, and fresh bread—ready for you from 6-9pm, and then at 9:00, you are welcome to partake in dessert and coffee.
Saturday- The day is your to do with what you will! Sleep in, play some board games, chill in front of the television, or get a massage. If you’re feeling a bit restless with all the relaxation, there are numerous hiking trails around the area as well as some great shopping destinations in Waynesboro as well as in Staunton and Charlottesville. Meals for the day include a 9am brunch and a full dinner at 6:30pm (salad, entree, dessert, and wine).
Sunday- Enjoy a wonderful breakfast at 9am before checking out around 11am. Hopefully by this time you will be will be well rested!
The Dates:
January 20-22, 2012
January 27-29, 2012
February 3-5, 2012
February 24-26, 2012 (with an Everything Chocolate theme)
March 2-4, 2012
March 9-11, 2012
Call us at 540-943-1991 or email us at innkeeper@irisinn.com to book your own Do Nothing Weekend!
If you read out previous Iris Inn blog post, you know that we suggested gouda cheese from Our Lady of the Angels Monastery as a Christmas gift for that hard-to-buy-for individual. We now have another recommendation for you that would not only make an excellent holiday gift, but would also provide quality time with friends and/or family.
Sunspots Studios is a gift gallery that also has a live glass blowing studio where you can observe the fascinating process of their craft. The artists at Sunspots produce and sell such items as vases, perfume bottles, garden art, decorative ornaments, and a huge variety of other pieces, all forged right in their studio in historic downtownStaunton, Virginia.
Along with the items for sale in their gallery, Sunspots is also offering another way to obtain the perfect gift for the holidays—blowing your own glass ornaments. (Seriously, who wouldn’t want their own handmade glass ornament? These things are amazing!) On Wednesdays through Sundays from now until December 31, 2011, you can “start a new family tradition” and create a one-of-a-kind prize that the receiver is sure to treasure. (Okay, so that was incredibly cheesy, but the sentiment really can be stated in no other fashion.)
People enjoy a well thought out gift, and to help mold the gift with your own hands is to add another depth of meaning entirely. It says that you place more than monetary worth on the recipient; you value them as worthy of your time and creativity.
Are you convinced yet? No? Then have a look at some of Sunspots Studios’ photos and see for yourself how beautiful these creations are. To contact Sunspots Studios, call 540-885-0678, email info@sunspots.com, or visit their Facebook page.
We all have that one individual in our lives for whom it is impossible to buy the perfect gift. Christmas shopping for this person involves wracking our brains for unique ideas, usually unsuccessfully, and in the end, they receive a generic gift that is well-received but still not complete perfection. However, if said individual is a fan of cheese (and isn’t a vegan, of course), then we believe we have found the perfect gift for them (which you can pick up during your stay at the Iris Inn!).
Our Lady of the Angels is a Trappist monastery located in Crozet, Virginia and comprised of eleven lovely Sisters. The Sisters boast a variety of backgrounds, having come from New York, Minnesota, Texas, Korea, India, and various other locations. These diligently faithful women make a living by making Gouda cheese, using a Dutch recipe and fresh cheese culture from Wisconsin. Everything from making the cheese to packaging and shipping the cheese is done by the Sisters of the monastery, illustrating their emphasis on self-sufficiency and manual labor. As they state on their website, “We try to be good stewards of our land, and our cheese-making endeavor helps to support our life of prayer and service.”
If you are interested in purchasing cheese or simply visiting the monastery, the Sisters will gladly welcome you. Gouda cheese would certainly make a deliciously unique holiday gift!
“The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” –Abraham Lincoln
Veterans Day will be here shortly, and you may be looking to join in the celebration which honors the lives of all men and women who have served in the various branches of the military. During your stay here at the Iris Inn, there are several different options of showing your patriotic thankfulness. You can, of course, adorn yourselves in red, white and blue attire while waving your own star-spangled banner. However, if you’re looking for a more subtle option of celebration, have no fear.
There will be a Veterans Day program at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in Staunton, Virginia. The program begins at 10:30 am (the 93rd anniversary of President Wilson’s original Armistice Day address), and it is free to the public.
Shenandoah National Park will be offering free admission to everyone Veterans Day. What better way to thank the men and women of the armed forces than by getting out and delighting in the land they help to protect?
Another Veterans Day commemoration will be found at Ash-Lawn Highland, the home of President James Monroe, who was a Revolutionary War veteran. The event begins at 11 am and is free to the public. Ash-Lawn Highland will be free the entire day to all military personnel, active, former, and retired.
