Madeline Mayhood

Madeline Mayhood is the editor-in-chief of Virginia Living magazine. She has written for many regional and national magazines, including Garden Design, Southern Living, Horticulture, Fine Gardening, and more.

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Towns

Holidays in Winchester

Winchester does it right for the holidays. Take a look at the exciting lineup below, then hop over to VisitWinchesterVA.com for more details and holiday events. A Christmas Carol Nov. 7–Dec. 6 • Winchester Little Theatre • 315 W. Boscawen St. Based on the novel by Charles Dickens, adapted by Lydia Stewart with music and lyrics […]

House + Garden

Inside American Horticultural Society’s Memorial Garden

This is the full list of plants that were installed in the Clara B. Plein Memorial Garden at the American Horticultural Society in Alexandria in 2023. More information can be found on AHSGardening.org. Trees Amalanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’ – Apple Serviceberry (cultivar) Asimina triloba – Common Pawpaw Cercis canadensis – Eastern Redbud Cornus alternifolia […]

House + Garden

Peggy Singlemann’s List of Undervalued Native Plants

Shrubs: Winterberry holly, Ilex decidua This native shrub is a favorite of mine because of the multi-seasonal interest it provides in our landscapes. I love the red berries in winter and so do the birds and pollinators. With different varieties growing to varying heights, there is a size for every garden and landscape. The plant […]

Culture

Four Pillars of a Successful Retirement

Retirement is meant to be a time of relaxation and enjoyment, but for many seniors, financial worries can overshadow this well-deserved phase of life. From managing savings and handling healthcare costs to preparing for unexpected expenses, effective financial planning is key to achieving peace of mind and security. As you begin to consider the future, […]

Health+Wellness

Test Your Breast Cancer IQ

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide, but it remains shrouded in myths and misconceptions that cause confusion and fear. These can distract from proven facts, preventing people from taking steps to reduce their risk or seek timely care. Accuracy is imperative to improving early detection and supporting those impacted […]

Culture

Elder Fraud is an Epidemic

You’re happy, healthy, and about to settle into retirement. Falling for a fraud scheme? No way. You’re way too sharp. You can spot them a mile away. Think again. Take William Webster—as in the William Webster. He and his wife, Linda, came perilously close to falling victim to an elder fraud scheme that began with […]

Culture

Outfitting Your Home in the Digital Age

If aging in your home is a priority, check out AARP’s HomeFit program that reviews ways to make your home über-intelligent. Many new home builds have options for “smart home” features, including virtual assistants like Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, or Apple’s Siri. These assistants handle many tasks with simple voice commands, such as turning TVs […]

Culture

Booming Questions: Smart Planning is a Baby Boomer’s Must

It’s never too late to plan for retirement might be a cliché, but the hard truth is that Baby Boomers—whether they like it or not—are on deck now and for the next decade. For many of us, retirement is inevitable, and while financial planning is paramount, other considerations need sorting out, too. Where do I […]

Culture

These Virginia Cities are Tops for Retirees

The golden years are about living your best life in ways you prioritize—be it weather, cost of living, or access to amenities like restaurants, golf courses, fitness facilities, and healthcare. With proximity to the mountains and coastline, Virginia is a nature lover’s mecca. And it’s one of the few states that counts Washington, D.C., as […]

Culture

AI Tools Are Here to Stay

Are you someone who thinks AI is just a fad? If the answer is yes, experts like Walid Saad, electrical and computer engineering professor and artificial intelligence expert at Virginia Tech, suggest you reconsider. Saad likens AI today to the Internet of the 1990s: “Its adoption will be inevitable, and we should be well-informed in […]

Food

Behind the Cheese Course at The Inn at Little Washington

I remember my first bite of brie cheese. I was about 8, on a trip abroad with my parents. The extent of my culinary world had been limited up till then—and cheese-wise, a good cheddar was my equivalent of exotic—but once I sunk my teeth into that creamy, luscious wedge, I was hooked. A bona […]

Health+Wellness

Top 5 Breast Cancer Myths Debunked

In our February 2025 issue, we challenged readers with a breast cancer myth-busting quiz, where all the answers were false. Here, we dive deeper into each myth to uncover the truth and empower awareness. Myth #1: All breast cancers are the same. Myth Buster: It’s actually quite complicated, involving many factors like different affected receptors, […]

Desserts

How to Craft a Colonial Apple Pie

Put a crust in the bottom of a dish, put on it a layer of ripe apples, pared and sliced thin—then a layer of powdered sugar; do this alternately till the dish is full; put in a few tea-spoonsful of rose water and some cloves—put on a crust and bake it. *This colonial recipe appear […]

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The Story Behind the Moonshine Explosion in Rocky Mount, Virginia

It was during the early days of the Great Depression, and Virginia’s statewide prohibition was still in effect, banning all sales of alcohol. Meanwhile, in Franklin County, the area was laying the foundation for its future title: the Moonshine Capital of the World. Nestled among the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains, the Turner Motor Co. […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

A Couple’s Small-Town Makeover

After a successful career in investigative services in Washington, D.C., Terri Wesselman and her husband, Julien Patterson, decided to settle down in Irvington. Initially drawn to the area by the Tides Inn, the couple had been weekending in the Northern Neck since the late ’90s. “There was something about the area that was quiet but […]

by Stephanie Ganz

The Ghosts of Virginia

The pendulum of the mind oscillates between sense and nonsense, not between right and wrong.—Carl Jung It may be the little diversion on a vacation that no one can resist. After we pad the waistline with fries and ice cream, we turn to the ghost tour in a haunted house. On the surface, of course, […]

by Avery Chenoweth

Madeline Mayhood

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Holidays in Winchester

Current Issue

Most Popular

The Story Behind the Moonshine Explosion in Rocky Mount, Virginia

A Couple’s Small-Town Makeover

The Ghosts of Virginia

Madeline Mayhood

All Posts

Holidays in Winchester

Current Issue

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Most Popular

The Story Behind the Moonshine Explosion in Rocky Mount, Virginia

A Couple’s Small-Town Makeover

The Ghosts of Virginia

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today