New Look for One of My Favorite Rooms

One of the loveseat cushions in a guest room was getting frayed in one corner, and having inquired about professional reupholstering costs previously, I decided to give it a go myself! (Not putting down the work or the worth of professionals, but we have a lot of furniture and not unlimited funds! LOL)

Luckily it was just the cushion needing help, so I was confident that I could do a reasonable job.

So here are the results.

I should mention that I'm a big fan of MacKenzie Childs and their wildly decorated furniture! Obviously, this is not quite as wild, but I'm starting gently!

I think it turned out rather nicely. I made a simple zippered box cushion cover without welting. I also made matching arm covers, but I'm thinking that I now need to make new covers for the pillows in a coordinating moss green fabric for some more contrast and to complete the "patchwork" look.

I also replaced the shower curtain in the bathroom with a lovely one featuring accents of lavender and butterflies. Even the curtain hooks have butterflies.

If you are wondering which room this is it is Room 4 in the Main Inn. Room 4 is one of our smaller room, but it is one of my favorites! It is a nice cozy room off by itself. The loveseat is flanked by windows, so you get lots of sunlight and a lovely view (it's on the second floor).

I'll use this room when I feel like a moment of solitude and relaxation. I'll take a nice cup of coffee or hot chocolate, along with my knitting or a book to read and enjoy that comfy loveseat and the view of the trees through the windows. I could happily retreat there all day!

Signs of Spring

This week the temps are finally above 60 degrees. The remaining snow is melting at a nice leisurely pace (avoiding the problem of flooding) and the bulbs are starting to pop all over the property.

Here are a group of daffodils next to the South Cottage.

Another task this Spring will be to trim and clean up all of the broken branches and downed tree from a particularly heavy snow fall this winter. This is a shot of three trees that came down onto our back lawns this winter.

Our workshop season (the Hudson River Valley Art Workshops - painting workshops and art quilting workshops) has begun and everyone is having a wonderful time.

Dinner on the first night was a yummy Brazilian Tilapia Stew.

Snowy Days

It seem that winter has finally decided to visit us here at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn.

I just love it when all of the trees are coated with snow --- however --- I think this may be a bit too much!

Luckily these are flexible river birches and the next day when the snow had fallen off, these trees had sprung right back up.

The snow kept the snow plows busy. We had to have our driveway and parking lot plowed twice in one day.

Yesterday the snow fall let up a bit in the afternoon so we got to take our dogs out to play. Hudson loves water in any shape or form and he had a blast bounding around in the snow.

Bree had a fun time too, but as we made our way back out towards the cottages . . .

Bree made a beeline for the cottage porch. From this vantage point she could what Hudson running around and pick just the opportune time to jump on him.

After bit of running around like crazed hounds, Hudson and Bree enjoyed some cooling mouthfuls of fluffy snow.

Iceberg Hits Bridge

Ok, so it is not quite an iceberg, but during a recent day of unseasonably warm weather coupled with some hard rains, the foot-thick slab of ice on the town pond broke in to pieces and headed pell-mell down the stream towards our inn!

The normally quiet little stream that cuts through our property was a roaring torrent and high enough to be lapping at the bottom of the two bridges that go over from our parking lot to the carriage house.

I happened to be glancing out the back door of the main inn just at the moment that the two huge chunks of ice hit the bridge. I remember thinking to myself, "I don't remember that snowbank being on the other side of the stream like that." It wasn't a snowbank, but a large chunk of snow-topped ice! I ran to get my camera, but by the time I got out there the largest chunk of ice had been carried away under the bridge and down the stream (taking with it the large tree branch that had been stuck under the bridge since last year). The remaining chunk of ice that had been tossed up on the bank was impressive enough! It looked like a giant piece of ice pie with a snow frosting. It was at least a foot thick and 4 feet wide. You can see it here in this picture, on the right side of the bridge.

Here you can see how high the water was in and out of the stream.

Another exciting shot.

Luckily all the excitement was short-lived. By the evening when the rains had stopped, the water had dropped by a foot or more and everything was back to normal -- except that chunk of ice is still sitting as a reminder by the bridge.

A Beautiful Winter Landscape

We had our first real snow just a couple of days ago and more is expected tonight and tomorrow. I just love it when the snow piles up on the tree and shrub branches.

Here is a little photo tour around the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn.

This in the front of our inn. We like to call that shrub "the wild hair" bush. Every Spring I give it a crew cut and by winter it has all those lovely curving branches.

Some may think my garden looks sloppy in the fall because I don't trim back the cone flowers (Echinacea), but I just love the look of the seed pods with their little snow hats!

Winter is a lovely time to visit our inn and our area. The snow lends a peaceful and quiet grace to the landscape. We also offer some mid-week winter specials on our rates.

Glorious Fall Colors Abound

The trees on our property have finally decided to put on their Fall show.

This is the view stepping out the front door of the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn.

Looking to the left on the front porch.

Looking down the driveway of the inn.

Looking at the driveway entrance from the sidewalk.

Looking down the front of our property from the street. Notice the "Chocolate Shop is Open" sign! Life By Chocolates has created some fabulous Fall chocolates with the flavors of pumpkin pie and homemade marshmallows.

Looking down the sidewalk in front of the inn. The sign is the logo for our Hudson River Valley Art Workshops. We still have some wonderful art quilting workshop this year, plus the retreat week- Nov. 1 - 7 - when anyone is welcome to sign up for 1 night to 6 nights and make use of the spacious studio to work on whatever they wish (painting, quilting, knitting, scrapbooking, writing, collaging, etc.) and get great meals, too!

The Red Squirrrels Are Going Nuts

As winter approaches it is always fun to watch the squirrels in their annual frenzy of gathering nuts. There is one little red squirrel that always sits in the same spot every day in one of our trees and works on chewing the shells off walnuts.

I wish I had a better zoom lens for a close up, but you can still see his cute little face!