Happy Memorial Day-we'll be painting :)

Room 5- Pale Water

lawn care

It has been a busy weekend with lots of painting and we are getting some more paint on today. The final push before the floor guys move onto the second floor tomorrow. A BIG thanks to our pal Amy for coming up for the weekend to help! I don't think we will get it all done (as we spent 12+ hours painting trim in one room yesterday) but we will certainly have a huge portion of it completed. Once we do a tidy up this afternoon, I will get some pictures of each of the rooms. Here are a couple from the weekend work

Why come to Vermont?

The comment I hear most about the Snapdragon Inn is "I would love to stay there, but I just don't know if I'll ever get to Vermont."

Well here are some great reasons to make New England one of your vacation destinations when visiting the U.S. If you love to drive and tour the scenic byways, a trip to Vermont could be just the ticket to creating a memorable adventure for you and your family.

1. Vermont is unbelievably lush and beautiful three seasons of the year. The transition from winter to spring can be a bit muddy, but overall there is something beautiful to see all the time.

2. Vermont is a wonderful place to really feel like you are getting away from it all. Although I only lived in Vermont for one year, whenever I need to relax, I think about walking along the little dirt road to my mom and dad's house in Barnard. There is something incredibly peaceful about the surroundings.

3. Great antiques! Just about every town has some treasure trove for antique shoppers.

4. Outdoor activities--biking, skiing, fishing, boating, running, walking, hiking, there's a place for all of that in Vermont. There are great books found either through Northshire Books or Amazon.com that can guide you to some great spots. Mt. Ascutney is one of our family favorites.

5. Only 3 hours from Boston- Take in the sights of Boston and then finish off your vacation with a relaxing day or two in Vermont. Getting to the Snapdragon Inn from Logan Airport is relatively easy and it's a beautiful drive.

6. Snapdragon Inn is just 20 minutes from New Hampshire--home of NO SALES TAX!

7. Driving across the US is a great experience. Our family has seen multiple states and it's always a treat to see the different landscapes of this amazing country.

8. If you love nature, Vermont is one of the best places to see birds, animals and foliage of all kinds. It's also a great place to learn about environmental issues--for instance, Simon Pearce glass works (Quechee and Windsor) uses hydroelectric power. You can learn about it on a tour of their facilities.

9. Great colleges in the area- Dartmouth, Vermont Law School, Middlebury, Bennington and University of Vermont

10. All within an hour or two from Snapdragon Inn: Ben and Jerry's factory, Montpelier (State Capital), Woodstock Inn (and Billings Farm), Montshire Museum, Simon Pearce, St. Gaudens State Park, Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe (think Sound of Music--the real story), Dartmouth College (and the town of Hanover, NH)

So even though there may not be the fast paced night life, a roller coaster or a soft and sandy palm tree filled beach, there is plenty in Vermont- including the Snapdragon Inn, that make it a memorable destination for anyone.

Late night painting parties

This was taken last night around 11:30PM.

K80, McKay, Chelle, and I were working Room 3 til about midnight.
And now I am going back for more
A couple other update shots...

Cool brick feature in Bathroom 3

The floor guys started on the 3rd floor this morning.
Amazing huh?

Stay tuned for more pictures next week. Hopefully we will most of the painting complete.
Keep that positive energy coming!

Yesterday's progress

Room 2 closet and trim.
Boy it takes a looooong time to do trim


Room 2 bathroom- Glidden Summer Green but it looks a little
yellow in the picture.

The library had a lot of chases that needed sanding and priming.
Now the shelves are ready for some semi-glosse and the walls
are ready for a final coat.

We are continuing the painting push and I think it might just be possible to have most of the painting done before Tuesday sans touch ups everywhere!

Thanks to Becky Perron (one of our faithful followers and friends) who helped us yesterday on some trim painting and is coming back for more!

Then we headed to the pool!

Bathroom 1 is done!

There is nothing as gratifying as putting color on a white wall. I will take some more shots of the bathroom and bedroom in all it's completed glory! I have got to find some of the before (like when we bought it) pictures that are deep on my hard drive somewhere.We've got some sweet volunteer work today to help with trim painting. We are making some sweet progress.

What makes you feel gratified?

New Bannister

There are lots of bits and pieces we have had to change for safety specifications. When we heard we needed a 2nd railing, we were weary to change the beautiful wood staircase but man, check out the new bannister that matches perfectly with the current wood color. Again, it's the little things.

Update: We are painting like maniacs in order to have as much done before next Tuesday when we are having ALL the floors refinished. There is SO MUCH WHITE TRIM TO BE PAINTED but it is worth the extra work and time because it looks so crisp and finished. Hopefully I will have some pictures of Room 1 and Bathroom 1 tomorrow as we are finishing those up.

Preparing for summer

No grand post today, folks. I'm painting my own house here in Illinois. It's going to be 91 degrees outside, so we are getting an early start. I guess I'm just trying to have a little of the Snapdragon experience while I'm so far away.

But on a literary note: my kids and I are putting together our summer reading lists. Have you made yours? Summer is a great time to turn off the TV, find some shade, and conquer that stack of books you've always wanted to read. I'm planning on reading North and South (British not Southern US) and Crash ( Jerry Spinelli- my 6th grader wants me to read it because as she says, "It's sooooooo good, Mom.")

What's on your list? If you need suggestions, there are great resources out there:
Your library
The American Association of Librarians website
Look up book award nominees: Newberry, Caldecott, Rebecca Caudill, Monarch etc..
Publisher's Weekly
Friends and family

Enjoy your summer reading. Maybe try some F. Scott Fitzgerald or some Ernest Hemingway in honor of our dear Max!

Have a great week!
Joy

The prepping queen

This gal, Chelle, is a prepping machine - the prepping queen. I am surprised her hair isn't permanently discolored from all of the ceiling sanding she has done. It always takes so much longer than you think but makes ALL the difference when you go to paint. We are nearly there.

Here's to a weekend of painting progress and new update pictures next week!
Happy weekend to you all.
Thanks for stopping by this week!

Brimfielding: Part 2

We scored with Mary at Kingsbury Antiques with these lamps, the brass globe vase, and
some fantastic little brass birds for bookshelf styling

We found one dealer that a table of lamps that needed a little TLC but were
excellent shapes and even found a set of brass lamps in great condition.
Not to mention this incredibly cool metal lamp that is going to look fantastic
fixed up for Room 6 (with the black chimney). I like the Inn baby poking around his dad in the back.

He just fell asleep while we scavenged.


While loading up, we had a lot of people checking out our goods and giving the thumbs up
on our finds. Apparently we would be good buyers. Good to note.

Taking a rest after a long beautiful day at Brimfield and getting
ready for the drive back to Windsor!

So glad we went back! Just can't get enough of Brimfield

It's true, we headed back down to Brimfield (Part 1 here) to see if we could find some more bits and pieces and we sure did. We left Windsor at 6AM and got there at 8AM and it was perfect. We got good parking and the crowds were few while vendors opened their tents.We scored on lamps, some amazing reupholstered chairs from 30s that were perfect colors for Room 3 that we had seen while we were there before as well as a few other remaining pieces. Sorry I didn't lots of picture so you will just have to come see for yourself.

The Inn baby came down with us to experience the day. His first Brimfield at 10 months. We are so glad we went down and have really widdled the list down not to mirrors, frames, and the little bits and bobs. The next one is in July 13-18 and I am sure we will make our way down.

May Giveaway winner and bronze animal statues

At Brimfield, I spied several very cool bronze animals like the crane and giraffes pictured. Of course, these aren't in our current design budget so we didn't buy them but I think having statues like these animals placed around the the grounds at the Snapdragon Inn would be wonderful and whimsical. Don't you? Or we could just go for gnomes ;)

And the winner of the May giveaway is...


Thanks so much for ALL the fantastic comments.
We love all of our followers whether you comment or not so keep on coming back as we push to
to open.Your excitement buoys us.
Thank you!

The Painting Push

Don't forget to enter the May giveaway by commenting today. Ends Midnight EST tonight!

Crib set up in Room 9 to allow for all day painting

Leilani drove up from Boston for a few days of painting

The rare picture of this person

The Inn baby

For the next two weeks there will be A LOT of trim, moulding, window, door, bathroom, and final coats painted at the Inn. It's exciting but lots and lots to do in order to make the deadline before the floors are being refinished--which is why deadlines are a good thing. In order to get as much time as possible in the Inn, I have a crib set up for my little guy and we are calling on some of our good friends to help in the action.

Don't forget to enter the May giveaway by commenting any any/all posts today and tomorrow!

I found a link to a book that would be wonderful to have in the library. It's called Reading the Mountains of Home by John Elder. I haven't read the whole book, only an excerpt, found here. The thing that caught my attention is that the author, John Elder, who is a writer and professor, demonstrates through a series of hikes in the Green Mountains how Robert Frost's poem "Directive" can be just as much a part of our natural experience as a Forest Service Guide. You can find out more about John Elder here and here.
The lush setting of Vermont is literally inspiring. In fact, you could say it has a renewing affect on many people who seek out the small trails and streams, or the granite peaks to find a spiritual solace. It is part of the tradition of Vermont to protect it's land from the chaos of the 21st Century, sometimes to the frustration of residents, but most of the time, all who are able to look out onto Lake Runnemeade in Windsor and not see a flashing electronic billboard or convenience store sign are grateful.
If you have an interest in Vermont literature, John Elder may be an author you would enjoy. Or better yet, find your favorite poem about the world around us and head outdoors to begin truly appreciating the connection and inspiration that comes from capturing the beauty around us in the written word.

Brimfielding 2010

Yesterday was great. Thanks to K80's master furniture list, we were able to easily look down our list and stay focused. We found some amazing lamps, great dressers, side tables, a very cool little chaise and "the peacock chair". We immediately pictured it in the garden of the Inn and thoughts of guests having their picture in "the peacock chair" popped into our heads. It was absolutely unique and a lot of people were interested. According to the seller, Billy, he bought it from a 92 year old woman 's estate sale. She bought it 32 years ago on Madison avenue for $1200 as a custom piece.

We will be repainting the dresser but it is in great shape and the chaise we found.

We went back in the afternoon to pick up the chaise which we had purchased from Billy. As we were chatting, another group of people walked by interested in the peacock chair and before I knew it, the pressure was on. Was the Snapdragon Inn going to own the peacock chair (a real conversation piece) or what? We got him down more (he has a big family and felt our family beat) and broke the hearts of the other potential buyers (which we had just experienced when a perfect love seat was sold for $50) and bought it! We are now thinking it might be perfect for a spot in the Inn. It is just that cool.

Loading the truck and a shot with Billy.

We loaded her in the truck and as we drove through the narrow tented aisles of Brimfield, there were whispers, "look, the chair", "they got the peacock chair" or my personal favorite, "Holy S***, that chair is amazing" as she came over to take a picture when we drove away. We felt like true Brimfielders being lauded by other Brimfielders.

Taking a picture of the woman taking a picture of the chair.

The quote of the day, "If you can't find it at Brimfield, it doesn't exist!"
and I believe it!

2 of the bazillion things you can find at Brimfield.

Then we ended it all with a lime rickey and fresh lemonade!

We are thinking we will have Brimfield weekends at the Inn. So you can come stay at the Inn, get your picture in the peacock chair and we will organize the trip down there, etc and make a whole experience out of it. What do you think?

May Giveaway!

The weather has been a bit wacky here in Vermont but it's slowly starting to warm up which means more time outside for walks, hikes, and picnics- some of our favorite activities to do here in Windsor around Lake Runnemede.

Included in the month's giveaway are 2 1 liter Sigg Bottles, a very cool picnic blanket that rolls up that will all fit in the funky Keen tote bag made from woven rice paper!

All you have to do is leave a comment on ANY post from today until Tuesday May 18th at Midnight-EST. You can comment on each post thus improving your chances of winning this very cool parcel of goodies!

Good luck!

The Golden Wedding: Part 1

This past week I have enjoyed reading the beautiful book especially printed to commemorate the Golden Wedding of William Maxwell Evarts and Helen Minerva Wardner Evarts in 1893. The language of the book is amazing and I will certainly share more. One of their great grand daughters gifted the book to our family and thought it would be fitting to have it at the Inn. We are thrilled to have such a rich piece of family history. She also included a written account of the centenary of the wedding of William and Helen that took place on August 29, 1943. Both accounts give such insight and texture to the history of the building.

I was struck by both of these passages and the descriptions of Windsor weather and how it is still so similar today.

"Tuesday, August 29 1893, was an unusually disagreeable day, cold, rainy, and with a high wind. Those who went out to gather ferns and goldenrod, to be used in decorating the garden-house, found it very wet work. A number of people, with Louise at their head, were busy all day covering a screen with goldenrod, and making other preparations for the next day's decorations. At noon the weather began to improve, and by the middle of the afternoon the rain had stopped, and later a high wind, almost a tornado for a few moments, blew away the clouds and brought us fair weather."

We had an afternoon of rain just like this on Saturday. The description below is precisely how it is many mornings here in Windsor.

"The Sunday of August 29th, 1943, when thirty-six of us were in Windsor to celebrate the centenary of our grandparents' marriage, dawned in thick fog and seemingly overcast skies, and we who knew Windsor weather were then reassured: by nine o'clock the sun had driven off the mists, Mt. Ascutney stood out clear and serene, and all seemed the same as in the old days as we walked up the hill to the elven o'clock service in St. Paul's Church.

Sweet find of the week: perfect couch

We have been immersed in renovation for months but as things continue to come together the decorating and furnishing are on the rise (yipee!) and we will share some of our sweet finds along the way to open.

The sweet find of last week was this lovely couch that will be perfect in the library at Sclafani's Discount. It's a great size, classic shape and the perfect color to help connect the entry color into the library according to our grand design/color plan. You may not see the vision, but don't worry, we will make it work!

Sclafani's is a gem of a place down a somewhat deserted road in a nearby town but then you turn the corner to a HUGE building filled with ALL kinds of stuff. They go to auctions so it's the sort of place you need to check out frequently and where you can discover some sweet finds.

A snapshot of a career

Quick post today--

Here's a page I found that I thought summarizes the career of Max Perkins succinctly. Ever since I've become familiar with Perkins, I have had a deeper appreciation for the role of an editor. Why is it that their names don't appear more prominently on a title page? When you re-read you favorite book again, take time to think about the editor who helped take the author's brainchild of a first draft and turn it into the masterpiece that you enjoy (sometimes over and over again.)


Click HERE!

Enjoy your week!