Hi Friends!!   I have had a busy week with lots of travel and wanted to give you a snippet my recent trip to upper New York.  For someone who is a TENSE flyer it’s amazing to me that this “turbulent” trip for work turned into crossing an item off my bucket list!

The romantic comedies which I grew up with are few and far between in this generation’s action futuristic movie options. In lieu of not having the constant flow of titles like Pretty Woman, The Notebook and Maid in Manhattan, I have turned to the Hallmark Chanel to get my fix.  Beautiful little towns, innocent romance and always uplifting, I look forward to them releasing a new movie where the miracle of the human spirit and happy endings are available all year long.  Corny-right?  I have often dreamed about going to one of these enchanting towns especially over Christmas time as they look so beautiful blanketed in snow!  

 While traveling to Skaneateles, New York to look at a project, I got to witness  this type of charming town first hand. To get to this place is not simple. I flew to Dulles and then took a flight to Syracuse, New York.  From there, the town of 2400 is about a 40-minute jaunt.  Located around Finger Lakes it is a tourist attraction in the summer time but a sleepy little town in the winter. 

When I arrived, the homeowner and their designer John Kidd were shopping for stone, giving me a few hours to explore!  I stayed at Mirabeau Spa and Hotel at the top of the hill.  Well with no Uber or cab service, I decided to walk down to the town.  It was cold but no snow on the ground.  It was fun looking at the charming homes from the 1800’s.This one above is actually on the market.  !!  The grounds are amazing!!  Any takers?

The delightful downtown is part of a historic district and is noted for its mix of mid-19^th and early 20^th century retail buildings.   Having a wedding to go to the following week, I was thrilled to carve out time to shop for the event. 

At dinner, all the talk was about a massive snow storm coming in! Well low and behold— overnight the town had been transformed into a dreamlike winter wonderland.  Here is a view out my window!! If you are ever in this part of the woods the food in the restaurant at Mirabeau is great, the breakfast especially gets an A+. Waiting till the snow plows could pave the way a bit we didn’t leave for the job site until about 9:30.

 On the way to the property I saw so many beautiful homes like the one above. Big or small  these homes were freshly painted and had perfectly manicured yards.   Blanketed with snow, the trees became ice sculptures with branches resembling glistening crystals, an effect I had never seen.

There were so many beautiful barns!  Ones in whites, in yellows and this beautiful red one- a picture perfect Christmas card!

Driving very slowly we arrived on the client’s side of the lake. This side developed much later, so many of the houses were constructed in the last 20 years.  The above is still under construction.  Bet the snow slows down their move in timeline!

I was excited to pull up to the home, partially because it marked our survival down the long winding driveway, but mostly to see the project and brainstorm on the renovation.

The back of the property was beautiful and sits right on the lake.

Here is what it looks like in the summer.  So pretty!!

I’ll get to see this first hand when we install our finishes. Look at those blooming trees!!

We left the following morning  and sweet designer John had to maneuver through the snow and drive us to the airport in his rental car.  Thank goodness for the nice townspeople. Without their help de-iceing the car, we would not been able to leave.  Rarely being faced with snow, neither he or I were prepared.  The fear of turbulent flights and drives in the snow, was well worth seeing this majical winter wonderland! A picture perfect Hallmark backdrop!

To make the trip even more perfect, I was able to finish The Secrets to Southern Charm on the plane.  Kristy Harvey, one of my favorite bloggers is also a talented author. She not only writes the awarded blog Design Chic with her cute Mom Beth—she also is an acclaimed southern fiction author.   She published her first book at about the same time as I did mine, and now she is releasing her 4^th !  I happily read the first one as a favor and now I eagerly await each new story.  Capturing the essence of family, relationships and the meaning and challenges of unconditional love, her books make me laugh, think, relate and tear up.

“This is the second novel in the Peachtree Bluff series, featuring a trio of sisters and their mother who discover a truth that will change not only the way they see themselves, but also how they fit together as a family. After finding out her military husband is missing in action, middle sister Sloane’s world crumbles as her worst nightmare comes true. She can barely climb out of bed, much less summon the strength to be the parent her children deserve. Her mother, Ansley, provides a much-needed respite as she puts her personal life on hold to help Sloane and her grandchildren wade through their new grief-stricken lives. But between caring for her own aging mother, her daughters, and her grandchildren, Ansley’s private worry is that secrets from her past will come to light. But when Sloane’s sisters, Caroline and Emerson, remind Sloane that no matter what, she promised her husband she would carry on for their young sons, Sloane finds the support and courage she needs to chase her biggest dreams—and face her deepest fears. Taking a cue from her middle daughter, Ansley takes her own leap of faith and realizes that, after all this time, she might finally be able to have it all.”

I have loved  each of her books.  Truly!!!!!  You should read them all!! If you haven’t read Dear Carolina-her first, its a must read and one of the best gifts I could think of for Mother’s Day for any Mother!  If you are ordering  The Secret to Southern Charm (release date April 3rd, but you can pre-order) remember that it is the second of a series so order Slightly South of Simple as well!  Thanks for coming with me on my bucket list trip!  I hope you all have wonderful week!