It doesn't run but its the first thing to welcome us as we arrive "home" to the country, Highwood Studio
The more north we drive, the harder it snows....a winter wonderland it is!
The minute I spot the old beautiful barns resting peacefully in the fresh snow I know we are near!
Down a long road, which resembles an enchanted forest covered in white, ModernHepburn
Yep I have arrived! There is the horse drawn carriage, kids heading to the neighborhood ice rink and the all American wholesomeness I have been craving! BNBfinder
Driving up to the quaint but understated country home might look like this, CT.cottages and gardens
I know I have arrived in the country when I see my delivery of fresh milk in the bottle waiting for me......YES!!!!!!
Rustic but welcoming beyond words, Hometrenddesign
When I see the first deer....I know I am home! Flickr
My first official purchase in the country...Vermont maple syrup! VT country store website
So I can make these delectable little treats, maple syrup scones...yum! Pinterest
One of my favorite spots is right in front of the big fireplace in the great room, DIY Network
A casual but charming breakfast room has lots of big windows to bring the outdoors in!
I have looked so forward to being cocooned in my beautiful rustic elegant oasis of a bedroom, particularly charming when its snowing furiously outside! IMG Fave
The first guest bedroom will be all white and ooze casual elegance....Country Living
My kitchen might resemble something like this, charming, country-ish but elegant! Brunch at Saks
And in that very kitchen we will make delectable home made goodies like old fashioned gooey chewy fudge!
And since I have nothing but the luxury of time, I will make my coffee the good and old fashioned way...with a French coffee press...yummy! Can I pour you a cup?
The living room is large, open, warm and rustic, Country Living
We will have tons of time for this.....yummy hot chocolate, Napa Style
And baking tons and tons of these........
Punctuated with many breaks of serious wine and cheese sessions! Wit and Delight
Never once not getting out of these!!!!!! Uggs
I will have an assortment of toasty cashmere robes waiting....becuase 90% of the time, this is what we will be wearing! Its all about comfort my friends:) Pinterest
At night, I enjoy sitting by a crackling fire with a glass of wine, soft music and catching up with a great book or playing a board game...
We will enjoy a big great old fashioned country breakfast on Christmas morning!
You know a big stack of flapjacks is getting served up with fresh maple syrup, milk in a glass bottle and apple bacon! Honey and Jam
Our Christmas tree will not be filled with a surplus of shiny perfect ornaments but instead will have an assortment of framed vintage prints and photos, Martha Stewart
My big boys will feel like little guys again when they sleep in this oh so cozy room of bunk beds built of massive tree limbs, Littlenooks
This is one of my favorite spots in the entire home, my little reading nook, The feathered Nest
Even the barn at dusk is illuminated with the seasons magic, Pinterest
For Christmas dinner, I will place a large assortment of white lillies in a beautiful cast iron antique urn, Country Living
On snowy mornings, we will sit on the covered porch, with fresh java in hand and take in the splendor of natures gifts. Frenchbydesign
I am fortunate to have two guest rooms...you my dear friend get this one! Complete with fireplace!! Country Living
There will be plenty of down time for some serious baking......Paper Mulberry
For the overflow of guests, I will put them up in the charming neighboring Woodstock Inn...lucky you!
We dont' have a lot to do (just the way I like it) but one of my favorite things is the old fashioned book store with its dim lighting, its a wonderful stop...
Love the crickety floors, and waxed paneling, who needs techy gadgets when you have THIS! MIragebookmark
And of course skating over at the local pond, will be a must do every afternoon!
And we will find time to visit a few of the local antique shops of course!
We will venture downtown to visit the local shops and maybe grab an intimate dinner, Colorado blogging
Its not fancy but with its aged brick walls, its charming, cozy and inviting and the foods fabulous!
As we drive home after dinner, the air is crisp and in anticipation for the evenings expected snowfall, the homes and bridges are aglow in white twinkling lights! Wallpaperstock
And naturally when you visit we will go for an old fashioned sleigh ride.........right out of Currier and Ives!
It will be such fun....I can hardly wait. I am already planning on what I will wear, what I will bake, and what board games to pack! We will be cooking, sleigh riding, baking, reading, ice skating, game playing, drinking hot chocolate and indulging in super decadent sweets, marshmallow roasting, to our hearts content. No pressure, just an old fashioned country Christmas.....ahhhhh, I think my blood pressure just went down a few notches! Wishing you the merriest of holidays and may the spirit and magic be alive in each of us!
I love this and how true it is.....
Keep calm and jingle on!
I'm smiling, those snowy outdoor pictures look like our place here in the country. But where are the roaring wood stove and fireplace pictures? These images are beautiful and if I didn't already live in the country I would want to go too! Beautiful post for a dream of a winter wonder land!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous post!!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Tina! Wherever Christmas finds you, I hope it is as magical as you picture in your posts! You are way ahead of me, because I do not think I am going to get THAT last CHristmas post published!
ReplyDeleteThe bunk beds are magical. What kid wouldn't love to sleep there?
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the special snow that doesn't mess up your hair. I would assume it also doesn't need to be shoveled or turn into ice on a well traveled front porch. That's the best kind of snow!
Sign me up for this country getaway Christmas. Every last detail has me intrigued and anticiapting a wonderful time! I like that you dream big and beautiful. Lovely post.
ReplyDeleteLOVE THIS POST! It has me dreaming of a country Christmas too, not the hassles we are going to encounter on Thurs. when we leave, all 7 of us for a flight to Chicago, I can see the lines, airport madness and aggravation now! A country calm chaos free Christmas sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Sign me up! Love what you portrayed here right down to the UGGS and whats going to be on the menu! A dream come true, thank you!
ReplyDeleteYes, the pressure is on...but your post was so worth the time! Beautiful way to escape the madness for a few moments!
ReplyDeleteMy rustic Christmas escape fantasy too, right down to every detail, food and all! What a fantastic post!!! I enjoyed every single word!!!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family.... this was a really beautiful post. Thank you.
ReplyDeletex KL
Such a beautiful post, Tina! I truly appreciate all of the work you put into it. There is something very cozy and Christmas-like about rustic, huh? I think it would feel more like Christmas in Vermont! xo
ReplyDeleteDear Tina, Lovely post. So many heartwarming and beautiful images.
ReplyDeleteWe have everything here in the country except we don't have milk delivery. We do have chickens for fresh eggs, a guest cottage, lots of snow, a large barn, abandoned farm machinery (instead of the vintage automobile), a forest where you can cut your own trees, several roaring firesides, sleigh rides with horses and without, a large pond to skate upon and much more.You are invited. Merry Christmas, Gina
Seriously? This is the most beautiful post on Christmas EVER! Makes me want to jump into the computer and experience it just like you described it, right down to the slippers and robes and all the treats we will indulge in to the quaint town and bookstore and antique shop. YES!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful winter post! I too dream of spending Christmas in a gorgeous country setting such as this!
ReplyDeleteTina, I wish you and your family a fabulous, relaxing Christmas and I am looking forward to your posts in the new year.
Oh that sounds and looks like a fabulous dream, Tina!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with all the preparations this week! xoxo
For a minute I forgot all about my loooong to-do list and the frenzy of getting everything crossed off ~ thank you for the wonderful escape to the country! Wishing you and your family a joyful Christmas!
ReplyDeleteOh this brings back the memories of our home in the woods next to the lake in New Hampshire!! So gorgeous to see these photos, it would be as close to perfect as you could get for a vintage christmas!!
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed the Vintage Christmas. It was a perfect holiday treat. Ah, to have snow everywhere on Christmas morning. Heavenly. It really did remind me of my Christmas's spent at my grandparents' home in the country of East Texas. Very Happy memories.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't miss living in the snowy Midwest, I love seeing the images of the trees covered with snow. And, I adore bug old barns!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Tina!
What a gorgeous post Tina! It is on my bucket list to have a White Christmas one day soon, since over here it is all about sand, sea and sun! I wish you all the best with your move and may you have a magical Christmas filled with treasured memories and blessings...Thank you for your enchantment on your blog and see you in Paris on New Years day for lunch!
ReplyDeletehugs
Veronica
Merry Christmas Tina! This post really gave me the Christmas spirit. Good luck with all you have to do...good luck to all of us with our many Holiday to do lists!
ReplyDeleteTina-
ReplyDeleteThis is a G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S post! I always get lost in this dreams.
I know that you are so busy and that a break for you is s MUST just to stay floating. Relax if you can and enjoy Christmas.
Teresa
xoxo
T,
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful post!
it was like watching a little Christmas movie.
thank you for that!!
really. the BEST images!!!
xx merry merry
I Love the quote the most. It being my Birthday made it even more special. I also saw a rainbow this morning..a perfect beginning for the new year ahead. Love all of the snow scenes. When I lived out in the country with plenty of beautiful, old red barns,I took the children to the local nursery/tree farm where they had santa and a petting farm with lamb and a nativity. I dressed the children in the cutest gap/jcrew attire right down to my little boy wearing a plaid elmer fudd hat! It was adorable & so much fun. Made the best Christmas card photos as well.Now I still live close to the country (deer in the fields) but this year we went to the winery/vineyard with rustic barn for a luncheon with santa. Although it is a rustic setting the decor is very european & elegant. We finaly have snow so next we will go on the sleigh ride that takes you on a ride in the vineyard. pretty picture perfect.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images. Would love to enjoy any or all of those.
ReplyDeleteOh this looks like it would be such a wonderful Christmas!! That house is stunning, and those maple scones look oh so delicious!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a very Merry Christmas! Good luck on the last minute preparations! :)
-j
TORY BURCH GIVEAWAY
This is making me so homesick for our place in Muskoka. Maybe not as rustic inside, maybe no red barn, but so much of the rest is spot on. A big difference from Dubai! :)
ReplyDeleteI want to go with you. This would be an absolute dream...every detail. And one in particular that I can't get my mind off of are those completely decadent pancakes...Merry Christmas!Xo, Mona
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - this is sheer perfection!!! Thank you for searching out and sharing all of these awesome pics! I hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThis Was like watching It's A Wonderful Life!
ReplyDeleteThis would be my perfect Christmas without a doubt.
How absolutely quaint Tina! And my kids would go crazy for those bunk beds and I'd go crazy for the beautiful, cozy guest room...my husband would just care about the cofee and fudge...it all sounds lovely!
ReplyDeleteTina,
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and happy adventures. This is the essence of our what dreams are made of. Wide eyes, adventures, and happy memories. Beautiful post and great snaps as we begin coming along the home stretch for Christmas. Wishing you a timeline full of checked off items all done before Christmas Eve.
Enjoy the journey and hold the thought that you are right on schedule and are right where you need to be and enjoy the moments of rushing and pausing. This is living and it's wonder filled and memorable. Turn up the Christmas music, dance, sing, smile because "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"
Cheers!
Bette
Dear you, this is wonderful Christmas inspiration! I love your post! That first bedroom would be the Christmas bedroom of my dreams. It's a little Ralph Lauren homish...:) Hope you have a beautiful week and that you get to do everything on your list!
ReplyDeleteMany hugs, Kristin
My new favorite Tina! You are the best at selecting just the right photos and then weaving them together with your wonderful stories. It's like a picture book for grown-ups! I finally convinced my family to get over to Tahoe for the break - rented a rustic home and all, and now there is absolutely no snow! Oh well, I'll be thinking about your post and will pretend!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas and I hope you get to relax a bit!
xo
S
Beautiful inspiration pics! Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year :o)
ReplyDelete~Des
I'm loving the cashmere, the slippers, the scones with butter and honey. The snow is so peaceful - I'm so close to finished work, and shopping and I'm looking forward to those board games, hot coco and a little R&R through the New Year!
ReplyDeleteMerry Merry to YOU!!What a lovely post, I just had the most wonderful trip!! I think we have all had this same dream!! I am sure someday you will be able to fulfill your dream!! May your wishes come true) I just sang that too YOU!!! xo Kathysue
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful images - I love the winter wonderlands!
ReplyDeleteAnd those inspiring kitchens are amazing!
Thanks for the inspiration and for the visual warmth as it gets cold outside!
That would be ideal! Those photos are perfect for dreaming!
ReplyDeletegorgeous images, I love that bunk room! The snow is beautiful! Don't forget to bring your wreath!! xo
ReplyDeleteTina you sure know how to weave a beautiful story. This would be a dream Christmas and is much like the way I think my dad grew up (he grew up in Maine in the country on a beautiful old farm until he was around 16) He speaks so fondly of such great memories and from the pictures I have found myself daydreaming about spending a holiday that way too.
ReplyDeleteYou just got everything right from the beautiful scenery to the snow to the ambiance of the house and all the fun but nostalgic activities and of course all that great food.
I would LOVE to be your guest! And I hope one year you really get to spend a Christmas like this though something tells me once you are in that gorgeous home, you will never want to leave. Happy holidays!
You have just made my entire week. What an amazing post.
ReplyDeleteThis was the perfect post to start off this special week! I keep telling the hubster that I want to spend Christmas in Vermont at a lodge or B&B and this post made me want that even more! Darn kids, always getting in the way of my dreams...(I kid - my children are my world. But with 4 of them under 5 years of age, a weekend in the country is pretty much ONLY a dream for another 18 years)
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays!
Tina, what a marvelous post, as always. Maybe a Virginia country Christmas next year? Best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteSo many yummy & inviting pictures enjoy the festivity's :)
ReplyDeleteYour photos are the next best thing to being there. The Lello Bookstore (circa 1906), is now on my list of places to see when I visit Portugal.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! May you always stay rich in heart and imagination.
Tina, came in after a long day of shopping and working and this was the perfect natural decompresser! Oh you did paint such a beautiful picture of a perfect country Christmas and you got all the details down to how I would want them from the abundance of snow to all the comfort foods and even down the cashmere robe and slippers! I would love nothing more than to sit on that porch while its snowing in my robe sipping hot chocolate watching the flakes fall. That would be magical.
ReplyDeleteOne can dream and your dreams make me very very happy!
Thank you for this wonderful much needed "get away"! I will be sure to come back to it for future relaxation.
Stay calm and good luck getting all you have to do, done.
Best, Vicky
This Christmas in the Country getaway was a wonderful dream. I enjoyed experiencing every minute of the visit, from the sleigh ride to reading in that darling antique furniture filled nook. Thanks for inviting me. I had a great time. See you in the new year.
ReplyDeleteXOXO Victoria
Dear Tina - what a wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteI was swept away by it all and felt the magic all the way to Sweden!
I wish you the most marvelous Christmas and hope that you have a magical time with friends and family.
I know next year will mark the 'big move' and that your house will stand proud in all its glory. You really have done such a remarkable job and it has been such a pleasure following along on the journey during course of this year.
All the best and big warm hugs from afar!
xx Charlotta
Space for Inspiration
That was so much fun! It filled the senses and stoked the imagination. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteKaren
SOO LOVELY!! I love your imagination (especially because it's like you're taking pictures out of my head). I'm hoping for some snow this Christmas. I love driving through Missouri when it's snowing and seeing all of the barns among the white landscape. Great post!!
ReplyDeleteWait for me, I coming with! What a great picture you paint. You have included a photo of Aspen mountain in there. Do you see the big square orange building on the left. That is the Independence Square Hotel which I managed for a couple of years. You brought back a great memory for me there.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful holiday. I will be there in my minds eye!
Di
x
I will be spending the Christmas holiday with my sister in her 100 year old log cabin in northern, Ontario and can't wait. We will be snuggling by the fire most of the time as this is the only way to heat the rooms. There will also be an old fashion sleigh ride on Christmas as she owns a race horse farm with many horses. The name of her farm is Willow Ridge Farms...check out her website: http://www.willowridgethoroughbreds.com/. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteYou captured my vision too! We would have to stay at least a month to enjoy everything!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
xo,
Gail
casualloveselegance
Amidstthe most hectic of days at my retail store I read and showed this blog of yours 4 times and forwarded it to my son in the city AND my mother. I am in bed now and couldn't wait to read it and share it with my husband. You are a girl after my own heart....you included ALL of my favorite things. Sooooo beautiful, thank you thank you for the magical escape. Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!
ReplyDeleteOh boy! You get the car warmed up and I'll throw some things in a suitcase and away we go! This sounds like heaven to me. Wishing you and yours a fabulous Christmas and a New Year filled with many blessings.
ReplyDeleteOn what day shall I arrive?!!! Such a wonderful, nostalgic post! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhy would anyone want spring to come after looking at these lovely pictures. I might not get back again before Christmas so I'll say "Merry Christmas" to you and all your wonderful men.:)xoxo
ReplyDeleteBrrrr - all that snow gives me the chills but you warm up the post nicely by the end of it. All those pictures you source must take you ages and ages. Beautiful post - enjoyed my fist visit. Have a lovely Christmas
ReplyDeleteThank you for this beautiful post. It must have taken two days to do it. Thanks for all this effort. Merry Christmas. Hope we visit each other next year..
ReplyDeleteTina this is the most beautiful post ever on Christmas. Has me dreaming and wanting to go up North and spend a holiday just like the one you so successfully put together.
ReplyDeleteYour writing and expressive words certainly drew me right in, and I am going to send this to a few who I know will enjoy it as much as I did. Also loved the saying at the end, what a beautiful message.
Dreamy....
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful post ... warm and wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to put this together for us all ... hope you and your family have a merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness!!! can i please go on this country christmas adventure!!! LOVE all of these photos!
ReplyDeleteOh, Tina, how did I miss this yesterday? This is one of the very best holiday posts I've seen. I have relatives in the Adirondacks where it is still a little like this, as close as I've seen anyway. So picturesque and brings up such feelings of peace and happiness. I especially loved the skaters! What a wonderful post!
ReplyDeletexo Stacy
What a beautiful collection of photos. Really makes me want to snuggle under a blankie with some hot cocoa for some reason. Everything just looks so cozy. Would love to have a country Christmas in one of these places that almost look like they were frozen in time. Happy Christmas!
ReplyDeleteWell, this was fun and fabulous Tina! It almost.... "almost" has me missing snow as we have none :O. It is reported it will be a brown xmas here instead of white one.
ReplyDeleteI want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and to thank you for including all of us in the wonderful builing of your incredible new home!
Happy Holidays!
joan
p.s. thank you so much for leaving your "calling card"!
What a delightful little mini Christmas vacation you took us on.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Judy
Tina,
ReplyDeleteThis was so fun, I want to come with you! I went with much more simple decorating this year and it felt perfect!!!
xo,
~R
What an incredible post. You are a master storyteller and this is like a fantasy story for adults. I would love to spend a Christmas this way, I think we all would,love all the details and the way you created this wonderful picture.
ReplyDeletePut me on that porch in a cashmere robe and give me a cup of coffee while its snowing, and you won't hear me say another word! So lovely! Merry Christmas to you and yours.
This is just awesome! I can pin all of these lovely images and be so happy! i used to love the country look back in my early twenties and it's nice to see this homey photos during the holidays!
ReplyDeleteYou should have been a writer! Those pictures are so beautiful, I felt like it was MY Christmas!!!
ReplyDeleteAMAZING POST!!! I also second that you are a brilliant writer who has a unique way and its a gift, to capture and captivate, and then those pictures, had me dreaming of my very own country Christmas. Magical Tina!
ReplyDeleteWow this took my breath away. I would love to spend a Christmas like this...does it really exist? Show me the way! What is it with all our advances and technology, we still crave the simplicity of times from the past where time really did stand still and when people spoke in person instead of computers and phones? I would love to go back to a place and time like the one you have depicted.....happy happy holidays to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteAfter the hecticness of the holidays, I am just sitting down and enjoying posts that I have not had the pleasure of seeing yet. This was an amazing journey. Breathtaking!
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible post. I feel like I just got back from a wonderful dreamy fairytale of a Christmas vacation. I love how you are a master story teller and I definitely got lost in all of these incredible pictures and your way of telling this story.
ReplyDeleteHow fun would it be to celebrate this way for us city dwellers? I would love it!
This is a completely brilliant post. I am craving a Vermont Christmas too and its only May! Wow this could easily be a book Tina, I would buy it and read it everynight like a storybook for adults until my wish comes true. You really nailed it with this one, what a beautiful trip!
ReplyDeleteOMG I just found your site and I love it! Just browsing through this post made me feel warm and happy. I would love to take a trip like this. Great job!
ReplyDeleteVery Beautiful! Ive always dreamed of a place like this! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI was looking for some lovely Christmas photos- rural ones..and your site popped up...i've so enjoyed it! thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these amazing photo's I will forward this to my friends.
ReplyDeleteIf your home is not white, make sure you do not choose a color that clashes with the home.
ReplyDeletechristmas wreaths
Thanks for sharing! Im so ready to decorate our home now your post really put me in the mood for some holiday spirit . But for now, maybe I'll keep on collecting different Christmas decorations deas on my Pinterest board. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThis was honestly so beautiful it almost made me cry. In a happy way. What is it about "going back to simple times" that is so appealing to so many of us. I think the world is moving too fast and we just want it to slow down. This would be a dream Christmas for me, my husband grew up in Maine and actually had a similar upbringing, we go back every year with our kids now to let them share what it is like though the area has changed and the mcmansions are taking over. It is still small town and quite beautiful. Tina, you did a superb job on this post, so happy you shared it and I got to see it!
ReplyDelete