Eden's Bouquet

Thank you Jen for the very nice mention on your blog http://www.edensbouquet.com/blog/ You are an amazing mom and talented designer. Your clothes from Eden's Bouquet http://www.edensbouquet.com/ are timeless concentrating on fine quality and exquisite detail and your photography is just beautiful! ~amy

Dartbrook Lodge - Keene Valley, NY

I've got to tell you about this! Check this place out!

Front facade of a cottage

Living area of a cottage

Living area of another cottage

If you are thinking about going skiing to Whiteface Mountain up in Wilmington, NY...then I highly recommend you stay at the Dartbrook Lodge http://www.dartbrooklodge.com/ . It is an easy 11 mile drive to the slopes and the accommodations are terrific!!! What better way to experience what the Adirondack's have to offer than by staying in a newly renovated rustic pine cottage built by local artisan's....bark siding, pine interiors, birch furniture, porches, kitchenette and a babbling brook. Each cottage is uniquely decorated in the Great Camp Style and you can experience these accommodations for a reasonable rate. We have stayed at pricer places in the Lake Placid High Peaks Region... in my opinion that weren't as nice. The lodge has it's own bakery and restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. If after a full day of skiing.... you find you want a bite to eat locally.... there are a few other eatery's in Keene that are good with rustic interiors. Lake Placid is a short 15 minutes away. Plenty of shopping, restaurants and attractions to keep one busy there but I have to say...the Dart Brook Lodge in Keene, NY is picture perfect. It is quite, rustic, and charming...nestled amongst the pine and birch trees. Between the Adirondack's natural beauty, the accomodations, the scent of pine burning in the fireplace, and the pure crisp mountain air... it is all too perfect. I'll chalk up this destination as magical! ~amy

Bedroom

Main Lodge

Decorating Outside With Winter Greens

Decorating with natural fresh evergreen. Simple.

Evergreen

This is another thing I look forwarding to doing every year. After we cut down our tree...I hunt down at the Christmas tree farm the big pile of scrap pine branches. I grab a BIG bunch of them and take them home. After I get all of my decorations up...I get my Christmas vases and fill them up with cold water and stuff them to their fullest with pine branches. I look forward to doing this every year. It is another one of my favorite things. Oh...by the way...Happy Birthday Debbie Incorvia (maiden name)! I have not seen her since childhood but I remember on this date we celebrated her birthday. I always was invited to her house for dinner to celebrate her birthday and her mother made the best spaghetti dinner. ~amy

Wendy Addison's Designs

I'm obsessed this year with Wendy Addison's glittered snowflakes. I love her designs. They are reminiscent of days gone by. I have been decking the halls everywhere with her glittered snowflakes. Aren't they pretty? Check out her site at http://www.wendyaddison.blogspot.com/ ~amy

Another Favorite Thing. Baby Silver Spoon.

I thought why not turn my daughter's silver baby spoon she received as a baby gift and turn it into a keepsake that can be displayed every year? ~amy

Christmas Tree Farm ~ A Family Traditon?

...at least I thought so. I have always tried to instill tradition in my children's lives. The night before we were planning to cut down our Christmas tree this past weekend, my daughter who is now a senior in high school asks why does she have to go? I simply tried to remind her that it is tradition. This is what we do every year. She says "no it is not." That she remembered about 8 years ago while she was in school one day... my husband and I went on our own to cut down the Christmas tree. Now... why is it she remembers that one time she did not go with us to cut down the tree and forgot the rest of the 16 years that she went with us? So much for tradition? ~amy