It just keeps coming and coming…

As I type we are getting pummeled with another snow storm.  It has been snowing non stop since 7 am yesterday morning and it is STILL COMING! So what is a girl to do?  Take a snow day and enjoy, I guess.  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I hope after this snow, spring decides to arrive.

 

 

The Berkshires

This weekend the hubs and I took a much needed retreat to the lovely Berkshire Mountains.  At only a two hour drive away, I cannot believe we have not escaped to there sooner.  The hills and mountains were peaceful and quiet, and still very much engulfed in the depths of winter with a gray scale to rival any Platinum print.  I loved it.  Unfortunately, after an amazing but crazy  day on Friday, I left my SLR in the studio so my iPhone had to suffice in helping me capture some shots to add to my inspiration file/Instagram.

So quiet.

We stayed at the Cranwell, an old mansion turned resort.

Part Downton Abby

Part Caddy Shack

We enjoyed a long breakfast, complete with Sunday paper and loads of coffee refills.

On our drive back home on Sunday we popped into the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA.  The Ren Lion Inn is Americana at it’s best with Victorian bric a brac, lace doilies, and all the finest “Grandma’s house” decor lining every surface.  I don’t think a thing has changed here since 1880.  Now I am am much more of a minimalist but this place was practically a museum.  P.S. I kind of really want this kitty painting.

Seriously, there is this whole “Lincoln” thing right now.  The Red Lion is on top of the trend. 

Has me constantly thinking this… “Lincoln. He’s so hot right now. Lincoln.”

Old timey bar with yummy Bloody Mary’s

And a gift shop to rule them all. Tchotchke items galore.

Snow drops

We had a weekend of rain/snow mix, which has me hopeful winter is slowly melting into Spring.  You know you are becoming a real New Englander when 40˚ weather gets you giddy and feels almost balmy…almost…

Here are also some photos from the big blizzard a few weeks ago.  My poor smashed laptop delayed my posting of these.  Thankfully my computer is all fixed and the massive amounts of snow in these photos is now relegated to plowed piles.

 

Embrace the cold

The days are getting longer and the nights shorter. The promise of Spring is hopeful on the calender with March just a week away, but if my 3 1/2 short years in New England have taught me anything, it is that “its not over yet.” So in order to embrace the cold and last weeks of winter I searched around for some winter inspiration.

Photo by Spkaark

Still sourcing photo

Photo by Lee Rentz

Photos by Berså

Winter light

When the cold temperatures hit I sometimes find myself wishing for the sun and warmth so much, I forget to realize how beautiful winter can be.  Striped of their leaves, trees become almost like sculptures and snow covered ground reflects the light in hues of cool blues and purples.  This past weekend we headed up to Maine for a little winter wonderland weekend.  The days are even shorter up there as the coastline creeps eastward, but the low sun and quite forest are spectacular.  Bébé (almost 1 year old now and not so “bébé) loved my sister’s big sweet dog and being pulled around in her sled on the crunchy snow.  I need to remember to enjoy winter for what it is and not wish it away for spring.

Winter Solstice – Scandinavian Style

On this day of the Winter Solstice and shortest day of the year, I am reminded of the strange cold beauty that can be winter.  Although we have yet to see real amounts of snow here in Boston (of which I am TOTALLY okay with) the long shadows that start early in the afternoon, bare trees, and lichen colored grass have a bare beauty of their own.

My friend Jessica Sutton totally exudes that white blonde, winter chic, Scandinavian style.  Here she is from a quick photo shoot we did yesterday.

_

P.S. Also thinking of my friend Gabrielle who is back in her home country of Sweden for the first time in 3 years this Christmas.  Merry Christmas girl!

Spring…don’t even think about it

It is not spring here in New England…not even close, as I am told by my more seasoned Bostonian husband.  So instead of torturing myself by looking at spring clothes and pictures of grass and flowers I have decided to immerse my self in inspirational images of winter.  There is still some much beauty to be had with the winter light and bright white snow, and if I am to be a New Englander I better embrace it.

These images by the immensely talented and uber-cook La Tartine Gourmande are keeping me sane in these frigid temps.

_

That and the fact that we have a winter wonderland trip planed for next weekend to beautiful Woodstock, VT.  We are staying at the darling Blue Horse Inn run by fellow southern girls turned New Englanders, Anna and Keri.  I can’t wait to tackle to slopes of Killington, explore the streets of Woodstock and nestle in by the fire with a glass of wine.

Images from Blue Horse Inn blog