Ms. Vermilion County

Santa Rents Room at Local B&B
Christmas 2009, The Yorkshire Bed & Breakfast had the honor of being selected to be one of the homes featured in Danville’s Annual Tour of Homes for Diabetes. Most homes featured had a coordinated look as if a designer had put them together: Very beautiful homes. We had always celebrated Christmas in a big way as I grew up in Baltimore. When I went to sleep on Christmas Eve there was no sign that it was different than any other night. When I awoke it was a Christmas wonderland!

We decided that we would decorate  using only our own things and do it like we always do: family style. Each room, each tree, each area had its own theme and its own family memories. My grandfather’s North Pole Scene was placed in the sunroom along with the antique Santa from my sister’s first Christmas more than fifty years ago. Our main family tree was 9 feet tall with 1800 lights and more than 1200 ornaments. We had our old world tree in the dining room and our Merry Maryland Christmas tree in the kitchen featuring Maryland steamed crabs. Each bedroom and each bathroom had a tree.

While most people place their dogs away in a safe place during the tour, we choose not to do so. Winchester was in my son’s room that we decorated with his toys as we had always  done. Chloe was in the Pixie Room decorated in a “Silver and Snow” theme and Pixie was placed in a child’s antique toy carriage. Unfortunately, she upstaged Ms. Vermilion County who was visiting in the living room.

We received a call from Santa saying he needed a Midwest location for the elves to work on toys. We were happy to accommodate the two life-size elves and their baby reindeer in the hallway closet.

It was a wonderful experience, and although most years we do not decorate so elaborately, it is always a Christmas wonderland at The Yorkshire B&B.
                                                                                                                    Jessica Sampson Innkeeper