Something old, something new...

As I said in my last post, we welcomed a new member to our family about 5 weeks ago. My oldest child, and only daughter, had a fairy tale wedding in the perfect setting. The happy couple met about 5 years ago while they were both enrolled at the same college. Since their families come from opposite ends of New York State, the bride and groom chose a beautiful, 200 year old inn in Central New York for their special day.

The Sherwood Inn...

... located in a picturesque town called Skaneateles, NY...

... which is on beautiful Skaneateles Lake.

The Sherwood is tastefully decorated - from the lobby...

... to the dining room...

... out to the porch overlooking the lake where they served breakfast each morning.

And from one end of the hall ...

... to the other.

The guests rooms were elegant and sophisticated, and like the rest of the inn, were decorated with period furnishings purchased through the years at antique and estate sales. Some rooms had fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. All of the rooms had comfortable quilt covered beds, sitting areas and sumptuous wallpaper and fabrics.

Here is the room Jeff, Michael and I stayed in.

Here is my Dad's room ...

... and here is Brian's.

Jenny and Ralph's room was just as beautiful and made a perfect backdrop for the pictures of the wedding party getting ready.

They exchanged vows in front of family and friends, under a canopy on the side lawn of the Inn.

All of the guests got a kick out of the irony of a sign advertising psychiatric services just outside of the tent.

The cake was beautiful and was crafted by a bakery located behind The Sherwood that they are affiliated with. We made sure we stopped in before heading home to stock up on delicious artisan breads and decadent pastries.

The flowers, which were fresh, were done by the very talented mother of the groom and they were the most beautiful wedding flowers I have ever seen. She also took the time to research the meaning of each of the flowers she used and included only those flowers that had significant meanings for the newlyweds.

Then Jenny attached a locket from my Mother and a brooch from her father's Mother to the ribbon of her bouquet to remember the grandmothers that couldn't be with us.

My contribution to the wedding was a candy buffet done in the wedding colors of ivory, blue, light blue and brown. I had fun picking up different shaped and sized apothecary jars and filling them with candy in Jenny's color scheme.

The bride's dress was stunning in ivory with a champagne lace overlay.

And she took the white lace off of the veil I wore 27 years ago when I married her father and dyed it to match the lace on her dress. The color was perfect. The final touches to her wedding ensemble were a 3 strand pearl choker that belonged to my grandmother and earrings that were a wedding gift from the groom.

My beautiful and handsome children.

Completing the weekend was delicious food and a hotel staff that are second to none. All in all, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding for my precious daughter. And if you ever find yourself in the Finger Lake region of New York, stop by The Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles and discover the magic yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Here I am...

Sorry I have neglected this blog for so long. It has been a busy summer. In addition to working full time, weekly chemo treatments for my son, keeping up with the house and keeping Michael's blog updated, we -

... spent a week in California visiting some friends (courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation) and ....

... welcomed a new son-in-law into our family.

So, I am hoping you will forgive me for my absence and as a small peace offering , I would like to share my latest project - inexpensive artwork.

2 picture frames from Walmart: $6

Royalty free clip art found on the internet ; $0

Creating the perfect artwork for your home: PRICELESS!

I have lots of exciting things to share with you (including my redecorated bedroom where you will see these pictures again), so I promise I will be back soon.

Smiles, JoAnne