Elderly Parents Hotels & Lodging New York Restaurants Shopping The Northeast Travel Troy Vermont Writing & Books: Above All Vermont fall Fall foliage tour going to lunch leaf peeping Manchester Woodcraft Mother Myrick's Northshire Bookstore nostalgia Shopping The Equinox touring Vermont
by maribeth
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Manchester Memories: Nostalgic About Fall Foliage Trips with Mom
I grew up with five brothers and no sisters. My parents had four boys in a row, then me and many years later another boy. With this configuration, I was destined to be either a tomboy or a girly-girl. My mom was a little of both. But since she finally had her long-awaited daughter, she wanted to make sure I became as much of a little lady as possible. And what’s one of the most feminine pastimes? Most would agree that shopping and going out for lunch rank high in that category. Yes indeed, a tremendous amount of female bonding takes place over browsing the boutiques and chatting about life over a delicious lunch of quiche and salad.
We lived in Troy, New York, just fifty minutes from Bennington, Vermont, close to the New York/Vermont border. Manchester is less than a half hour from there, so in all it would be about an hour and fifteen-minute trip. As soon as we left our house and headed east we plunged into delightful countryside, passing small family farms and traversing quaint villages as rural upstate New York morphed into bucolic Vermont. Rolling through once verdant landscapes kissed by fall’s golden sun and chilly nights, we delighted in viewing an artist’s palette of every variation of red, yellow, burnt umber, sepia and chartreuse. The brush, fields, flowers and trees all revealed their autumn splendor.
As if this festival of colors was not enough, most every house and business was done up with often fabulous displays of pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn (now known as Ornamental corn), cornstalks and sometimes a smattering of ghosts. Here the scarecrows were authentically clad and many had also served a purpose in the fields where crops had been freshly harvested. Today, these colloquial scenes have been souped up with giant plastic blowups in the form of spiders, ghouls and other representations of today’s exuberance over Halloween.
Yet the sincerity of these Vermonters remains true; fall is a time of sensory celebration. As many in the world know, autumn in Vermont stirs all of the senses.
Sure, the traffic through these country roads and towns has increased over the years. But when you’re on a fall foliage tour, leaf peepers don’t care much. That was the case for Mom and me when we had encountered a few jam ups some years back. Those slowdowns provided us with the opportunity to take a closer look because driving to Manchester meant enjoying the sites and scenery along the way. One could take a week going to Manchester from the capital district area of New York, a route followed by many New Yorkers, including those coming up from the city.
Peppered with antique shops, farm stands, all kinds of specialty shops and places to enjoy a bite, this near-famous Route 7 could easily be considered one of the top shopping and touring thoroughfares of New England.
When Mom and I were making Manchester our final destination, we’d typically only allow ourselves to stop at a handful of spots because we wanted to save a chunk of time for this oh-so happening Vermont town. Our goal would often be to arrive at The Equinox, an inn that has existed since 1769. Spotting the tall and stately columns in the front of the inn signaled that we were stepping back in time. Lunch within this bastion of tradition was always very special. Today, known as The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa, this historic property continues to evolve and is now a destination hotel and a Manchester landmark more so than ever.
After lunch we’d mog around the center of Manchester, popping in and out of shops to our heart’s content. By 1977, Mother Myrick’s also rose to the top of our list of must-sees in Manchester. This confectionery began as a small fudge shop and now ranks as a first-class purveyor of all kinds of yummy sweets, including baked goods. People from all over the country order from their online boutique. Mom’s favorite was their buttercrunch, a handmade toffee made with Cabot Creamery butter. So many memories are wrapped up in foods. I’ll have to procure some for myself soon. Is candy a food?
Northshire Bookstore also opened during this era in an historic building that operated as an inn for over a century. One of the best-known small independent booksellers in the country, Northshire Bookstore has grown throughout the decades both in size (10,000 feet) and stature. Browsing here offers a delightful experience. In addition to being a general bookstore, they also showcase a curated selection of magazines, cards, stationery and all kinds of Vermont-made goods from comestibles to crafts. They, too, have a strong online presence and their author’s events are first-rate.
We would usually leave the town center at a reasonable hour to save lots of time at the now defunct Jelly Mill, a huge old barn filled from the floor boards to the beams with an immense selection of gift items. Seeing this beloved establishment close its doors after so many years was sad but thankfully its disappearance allowed smaller boutiques to shine. Manchester Woodcraft and Above All Vermont are a couple of the shops that make this lovely Vermont town worth the trip.
As time went on and the influx of travelers to Vermont’s Green Mountains grew, so did the shopping scene in Manchester. By the eighties, outlet shopping had become big here and soon Mom and I were spending less time at lunch and more time scouring the discount stores. Favorites outlets have long been Pendleton (for gorgeous woolens), Marimekko (for colorful prints), Le Creuset (for super sturdy cookware from France) and Armani (for fabulous Italian fashions).
We’d sometimes stop into the Orvis store to pick up Christmas gifts for the brothers that liked to fish. (The Orvis family, who once occupied a wing of The Equinox, founded this esteemed company in Manchester in 1856. Known as a world leader in fly fishing, their goods embody the spirit of the Vermont way of life. So it’s only fitting that you’ll find two Orvis stores here, the main one and an outlet.)
Mom and I would pull into our garage past dark with a car stuffed with a prized selection of goods and gifts. Typically we’d only bring the Vermont cheeses, sausages, maple syrup, cider, apples, cider donuts and other goodies into the house. The rest would be stashed away for our own pleasure or for future gift giving to others. Either way, all that we purchased had so much more meaning because of the manner in which we did our shopping and the charming places where our treasures were found.
A Tour of the Heart:
A Seductive Cycling Trip Through France
These trips with Mom were repeated year after year in the fall as well as during other seasons. They left an imprint on me so indelible that I developed an aversion to big cookie-cutter stores. No, I needed to shop in places full of character and charm, even if I only picked up a thing or two.
From Vermont Country Stores to Paris Big Names
With these seeds planted, I eventually founded a shopping service in Paris, France called Chic Promenade. During this time in my life, I organized visits behind-the-scenes to the big names, so that people could learn the story of revered French houses such as Dior, Nina Ricci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and many others. Chic Promenade also helped visitors discover the lesser-known boutiques of Paris, establishments full of history and tradition that provided a unique experience as soon as you passed through their door.
Before I even conducted my first tour, I began to write about these boutiques as well as the special places of interest, neighborhoods, restaurants, hotels, spas, tea salons and wine bars you’d want to incorporate into all kinds of shopping and touring excursions. In all, I have authored four books on shopping and touring in Paris and the French provinces.
It was a proud day when Mom and I went to Northshire Bookstore for my author’s presentation of one of these books. My passion for shopping and touring in Vermont had come full circle.
Thank you Manchester. Thank you Vermont. Thank you Mom. Merci to all for providing me with such inspiration. I’m sure you’ll find your own form of je ne sais quoi in Vermont when you go as well.
Colorado Discovery Map Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping Spas Telluride Travel Fun: Colorado community radio fundraising Guest DJ Day KOTO Mountain Lodge Telluride Travel Fun
by maribeth
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Tuning into KOTO Now and Always
This is a big weekend in Telluride. It’s Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, more casually referred to as Blues & Brews. The air is crisp, there’s a dusting on the peaks, the aspens are changing and the town is poised to say goodbye to summer with its last big music festival of the season. For those like me who are currently not in T-ride, you can tune into this great big musical extravaganza at KOTO.org. Of course you can–because KOTO is the heart and soul of our beautiful mountain town known worldwide for its first-rate music festivals. In addition to broadcasting performances by talented artists such as Ceelo Green, Tab Benoit, John Hiatt and Samantha Fish, interviews with artists by our radio station besties will also be aired during set breaks. So thrown down your tarp, fire up the grill, serve yourself a cold one and party Telluride style. That’s exactly what I’ll be doing from my special beach destination here on the Outer Banks.
If you tune in this weekend or if you’ve listened to KOTO before, you know that our Telluride radio station is all about community. One of the best community-oriented events on KOTO is Guest DJ Day. I was honored to be a part of it this year and wow, I never thought it would be so much fun. But it was! It was one big love fest. And who doesn’t like love? I had an hour on Friday, August 19 to schmooze up the airwaves to raise money for our community radio station’s summer fundraising campaign. And it was all about sharing the love.
The timing of my Guest DJ Day was especially poignant since I had not been on the air in a long time. What a way to make a comeback! Plus, it was the eve of my birthday weekend, so it was a great way to kickoff my celebrations.
Thank you to our beloved Ben Kerr, the driving force behind KOTO, for engineering my show. Thank you to the whole KOTO staff for all your efforts all the time and for making me feel so welcome. I am so grateful to my guy, Steve Togni, for his support and his generous donation of the grand prize of a two-night stay at Mountain Lodge, the beautiful property he manages in Telluride Mountain Village. As usual, he was an interesting and articulate guest. He’s a radio natural, which is why I’ve been trying to convince him to have some fun spinning tunes at KOTO.
Merci mille fois to Johnny Gerona, owner of The Village Table. After Johnny closes his restaurant that we all love so much, he might infuse the KOTO airwaves with a different kind of global dish. It was lovely to have Noah Sheedy, Director of the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School, come by to show support and talk skiing with us. All those smiling faces! Peter Hans, the guy who makes most adventures happen at Discovery Map, called in from a beach in Rhode Island. He brought us some extra sunshine and also chatted about the world of travel.
Thank you also to everyone else that called in, texted and donated to KOTO and Travel Fun, my talk show on travel. You helped me raise a good amount of money for a good cause. Best of all, you’ve inspired me to get back on the air soon. I have the start of the winter season, perhaps just before Thanksgiving, in mind; so stay tuned.
I’d like to once again showcase all of those businesses that generously donated premiums that were used to incentivize donations to Travel Fun. Please patronize them and thank them for supporting KOTO.
Mountain Lodge Telluride and The View restaurant
Counter Culture Kitchen and Catering
It is so wonderful to be a part of the greater Telluride community. It’s so rewarding to be a part of KOTO. Long live community radio! And remember that you can be an active part of KOTO and one of Telluride’s best-loved music festivals by tuning into KOTO this weekend.
Beauty Colorado Discovery Map Elderly Parents Fashion & Style Hotels & Lodging Mountain Living Music & Dance Norwood Outdoor Adventures Restaurants Shopping Skiing & Snowboarding Spas Telluride Telluride Festivals Travel Fun Writing & Books: Arena Hair Studio Aveda Telluride Spa Cindybread Artisan Bakery Colorado Counter Culture Kitchen and Catering Discovery Map fundraising Guest DJ Day kittens KOTO La Çocina de Luz Maribeth Clemente Mesa Rose Kitchen + Grocery Mountain Lodge Nails with Mandie Norwood Sawpit Mercantile SOL Paddle Boards summer 2022 Telluride Telluride Coffee Roasters Telluride Ski Resort The Peaks Resort & Spa The View The Village Table Travel Fun
by maribeth
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KOTO, Kittens and Kookiness
My Friends and Me at KOTO’s Purple House on Pine
Leave it to KOTO, our beloved community radio station here in Telluride, Colorado, to bring me back into the fold. I’ve been wanting to get back on the air with Travel Fun, my talk show on travel, and start blogging again for quite some time. But life has kept me occupied with other doings and it has been hard finding the time for these two favorite ways of being in touch with you.
My last post, which highlighted a photo of my mother and me fresh from the hairdresser, was in March 2021. Sadly, my sweet mama passed away that following July and exactly three months prior to that–in April–my dear brother, David, succumbed to his three-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Needless-to-say both left a gaping hole in my heart as well as much to do, including clearing out a large family home stuffed to the heavens with belongings and an abundance of memorabilia. The fact that all of that occurred back east–a great distance from Colorado–in the height of a pandemic and after much caretaking made it all the more complicated. But I’m back in Colorado now full-time slowly picking up the pieces of my life after having been intimately involved in theirs for many years.
KOTO is the heart and soul of Telluride. Most of the community, its visitors and folks tuning in from afar turn to our little radio station, an NPR affiliate, for all kinds of musical entertainment, talk, news, the avalanche report and other important announcements such as a lost dog report or road closures and traffic slowdowns due to a mudslide or elk crossings. Plus, they regularly broadcast most of Telluride’s big music festivals, including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival and Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Its audience is truly worldwide. So when the bright and shining Cara (Pallone), Executive Director of KOTO, asked me to be a guest DJ for KOTO’s 2022 Summer Fundraising drive, a live one-hour segment Friday, August 19 from noon to 1pm, I was deeply honored and also somewhat daunted; I knew that this marked a time when I was to put it in gear.
And maybe you thought I was just horsing around in my little town of Norwood, Colorado?
Me Down on the Farm in Norwood
Admittedly I love the peace and tranquility of this old ranching town less than an hour from Telluride and I have been hooked to the Netflix series “Heartland.” But you can take the girl out of Paris but never Paris out of the girl. As much as I’ve embraced a more down-to-earth lifestyle in Colorado, there’s still a big part of me that’s every bit of a Parisian sophisticate.
With KOTO’s Summer Fundraising theme of Across the Universe, I thought I’d dust off my cowboy boots (gardening clogs, actually) and tell you my story.
I’ve been a travel writer since the late eighties. I lived in France eleven years and have traveled back to Paris and the French provinces considerably since I moved back to the States in 1994. France has always been my specialty but since I moved to Colorado over twenty years ago, I have also become passionate about and well versed in the American West. I authored five books on France, three shopping and touring guides to Paris, one shopping and touring guide on the French provinces and one travel memoir entitled A Tour of the Heart: A Seductive Cycling Trip Through France. I segued into travel writing after I had created a shopping service in Paris, called Chic Promenade. During those years, I lead people on the discovery of off-the-beaten-path boutiques and also arranged behind-the-scenes visits of the big names such as Hermès, Dior and Nina Ricci.
My Travel Memoir: Tour of the Heart
I’ve traveled extensively throughout the world to places as far-flung as Guilin, China, and big parts of Morocco and Nova Scotia. I’ve written about many of these places at my blog, www.BonjourColorado.com. I’ve fallen way behind on posting there because I have been involved in lots of family doings since 2016. But I’m back at it now!
In past years, I’ve freelanced for Forbes, The New York Times Syndicate and a number of other outlets. I currently write online content for Discovery Map, a company that publishes those colorful, hand drawn maps that you find in about 150 destinations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. For them, I’ve written about great places to visit such as the Outer Banks, of North Carolina, Cape May in New Jersey and Bozeman, Big Sky and Livingston, Montana, to name a few. And yes, I even wrote about Telluride because there’s a Discovery Map here as well. I have to admit it’s the longest and most inspired writeup of all that I’ve done. I also recently wrote a blog for them entitled “Summer Travel Woes: How to Make the Best of Your Airline Experience,” which anyone planning to hop on a plane anytime soon should read.
Steve and Me at Telluride Jazz Festival
I am happy that a few special guests will be chiming in during my big Guest DJ appearance on Friday. Steve Togni, General Manager of Mountain Lodge Telluride and also my partner of almost fourteen years, will be there to talk about the hospitality industry in Telluride and also to tout a very special Mountain Lodge premium that he has graciously donated.
John Gerona, Owner of The Village Table in Telluride Mountain Village and another of my favorite persons, said he’ll stop by. That will give us the opportunity to thank him for providing a super convivial and delicious dining experience to the community for the past ten years.
On Duty as a Telluride Ski Instructor
Noah Sheedy, Director of the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School, will be popping in as well. I’ve been a ski instructor in Telluride for almost nineteen years, a profession that has helped to balance out my writing career–and me–in many ways. If KOTO is the heart and soul of Telluride, then Telluride Ski Resort encompasses a good part of the rest in our majestic mountain town.
Peter Hans, the driving force behind Discovery Map, will be calling in either from their headquarters in Waitsfield, Vermont or from his sailboat in Newport, Rhode Island. We’re similar in that we summered together up in the Adirondacks, both lived for a long time in Europe and then settled in quaint mountain towns in America where we continue to live out our passion for sharing travel and ski experiences with others.
Victoria at Her Paris Boutique
If the lines aren’t too busy, I hope to have a special phone call from Paris from my friend, Victoria Wolff. I met her during my Paris days and her boutique, Wolff et Descourtis, is still my all-time favorite address in the City of Light. Her family has been in the textile business since 1875 and at her Galerie Vivienne showcase (and online) you can buy the most magical shawls you’ve ever seen. La beauté française est extraordinaire!
Mountain Lodge Telluride
And yes, I have rounded up quite a few premiums–or gift certificates–from some of my favorite places within the region. The grand prize is a Mountain Lodge premium for a two-night stay in a one-bedroom residence, valued at approximately $1500, at this beautiful slopeside property.
Mountain Lodge: A Great Place to Party
And here’s the fabulous news:
ANYONE DONATING A MINIMUM OF $25. TO KOTO WITH THE TRAVEL FUN DESIGNATION WILL BE ENTERED INTO DRAWINGS to win my premiums. That means that if you make your donation at KOTO.org or call the station at 970-728-4334, you have a chance of winning either the grand prize of two nights at Mountain Lodge or one of the other great premiums I’ve also rounded up. The drawings will take place at the end of my Guest DJ segment, which is Friday, August 19 from noon to 1pm MST. Remember that you can tune in online at KOTO.org if you’re not local. Note that your chances of winning are quite strong, since I likely will not have a gazillion donors. You can enter as many times as you want as long as you make a $25. donation each time. Tell your friends and family! I will start out with the Mountain Lodge drawing at about 12:50pm MST and make my way down the gift certificates listed below with their corresponding values:
Aveda Telluride Spa, one of my favorite spas in T-ride has generously offered one custom facial valued at $170. and one custom massage valued at $150. Merci mes amies!
Mesa Rose Kitchen + Grocery
Mesa Rose Kitchen + Grocery in Norwood, the best address in Norwood for fresh foods and a real community vibe: two gift certificates, each worth $50.
Coffee from Telluride Coffee Roasters
Telluride Coffee Roasters, the premiere coffee purveyor in Telluride that also has an online boutique: $70.
Arena Hair Studio
Arena Hair Studio: Sandra Arena, my gal in town (Norwood,) who knows how to make me beuuuuuutiful: $60. gift certificate for any service.
Beaucoup de Breakfast at The View
The View restaurant at Mountain Lodge Telluride, excellent food and drink with spectacular views: $50.
Loving La Coçina
La Coçina de Luz, super fresh Mexican food restaurant: $50.
Cindybread: Pains aux Chocolat Just Like in Paree
Cindybread Artisan Bakery, an all-time délicieux bakery in Lawson Hill: $50.
Sawpit Mercantile
Sawpit Mercantile, a fabulous pitstop for barbecue, gas, liquor and other much-needed goods: $50.
Nails with Mandie
Nails with Mandie in Naturita: one of my new West End discoveries for having my nails done: $40. gift certificate for a pedicure.
The Friendly Folk at Counter Culture; photo credit: Michael Mowery Media
Counter Culture Kitchen and Catering, for great takeout sandwiches also in Lawson Hill: $25.
Thank you to all that have generously donated gift certificates that will be used for my KOTO fundraising campaign!!!
Remember that if you donate $100. you will also be entered into two separate KOTO drawings: one to win a brand-new SOL GalaXy paddle board and the other to land yourself a two-night stay at The Peaks Resort & Spa package.
Our Happy Place with Our SOL Paddle Boards
Steve Paddling at Sunset in Norwood
And if you donate $50., you will receive a KOTO sun shirt (in addition to being entered into my drawings). Super cool. The supply is limited, however, so act fast.
Note that all proceeds are tax deductible and all go to KOTO.
Once again, in order to be added to all of my drawings, donations must be paid in full by the end of my show by let’s say 12:50pm on Friday. So break out the plastic!
With added luck, I might even have some additional premiums come Friday.
The Superlative Setting at The Peaks Resort & Spa
In terms of music, I, of course, I will be playing some French and maybe some Chinese and Moroccan tunes as well. I’ll also have bluegrass, which I’ve come to love since I’ve been in Colorado. And since I’m originally from New York (upstate) and love Frank Sinatra, I’ll definitely be playing “New York, New York.” I’d also like to work in some Dooby Brothers and/or Eagles because they remind me of summers spent at Lake George, New York.
Had I not taken a hiatus from Travel Fun, my talk show on travel, I’d be up to almost nineteen years of doing radio at KOTO. Yet between the pandemic (when I only did a handful of shows remotely) and spending lots of time back east for family matters, I’ve had to take a break from doing my show. I look forward to being back on the air on a regular basis very soon. For Travel Fun, I’ve enjoyed interviewing all kinds of people about travel, beauty, fashion, food and wine and a variety of other subjects including one program entitled Sex, Travel and Fun. Travel, of course, can be very exciting. Guests on my show have included lots of locals, many second-home owners and a good amount of “outsiders” I contacted because I thought KOTO listeners would enjoy hearing what they had to say. One such example is Graham Watson, renowned photographer of the Tour de France bike race.
I’m most definitely an avid listener of KOTO. I love radio in general, so much so, in fact, that I don’t even own a TV.
In past years, I was very involved with volunteering at KOTO events, which was always fun and super interesting. I hope to get back to that soon as well. Some of my most memorable gigs included being in charge of the green rooms for KOTO Doo Dahs and other happenings. I did this for Jackson Browne, the Subdudes, Bob Dylan, Lyle Lovett, Michael Franti and some LIp Syncs. I was also in charge of KOTO merchandise for Bluegrass a number of years and yes, I had my stints working the KOTO beer booth at Bluegrass and doing endless hours of decorating for the fabulous KOTO Halloween parties. A lot of this I did with Jumpin’ Jan, which made it all the more meaningful.
KOTO is my family. I love being a part of the ski school family and my KOTO family. I started both in December 2003. That was when it was not very popular to be writing about France. (Remember Freedom Fries?) So I switched up my life and the rewards have been far better than I ever could have imagined. A very well known travel writer once told me that having a radio show is a great way to build your audience. Far more than that, however, it has made me feel very loved. I have truly enjoyed working with KOTO staff and DJs and it has been fun, too, when people recognize my voice and say things like “oh, you’re the travel lady.”
If you’ve made it to the end of this story, you deserve a glimpse at my kittens. They are the ultimate kure-all for all kinds of kookiness.
It’s a Star-Spangled Blue-Eyed Holiday Everyday with Our Kittens
Thank you to Amy Peters for her great coverage of this summer’s Guest DJ Day in the Telluride Daily Planet and the Norwood Post. Her piece, KOTO Radio Takes Over the Universe, will tell you even more about what’s happening at KOTO and what’s in store for all on Friday, August 19.
Being Green Discovery Map Food & Wine Shopping Travel
by maribeth
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Favorite Online Shopping Recommendations 2020
Keeping It Simple with The Earthling Co.
I’ve been seeing photos on Facebook of people with their Christmas trees up, presents wrapped and sent, cookies baked, cards written and all kinds of other folderol completed. Now they just seem to be sitting around waiting for the full-on merriment of the holiday season to begin.
Well, I’m not one of those persons. I still have pumpkins and gourds in my house and only a few festive preparations accomplished. But I typically do don my interior with lots of red and green and then I leave it up until the end of winter! (It’s an alpine thing.) When it comes to shopping, I somehow seem to pull that off, too. Thankfully there’s not a whole lot of gift giving going on between my family and friends and overall, I try to keep it simple. I have ordered some things online (one for you, one for me) and have another order sprint lined up for today and tomorrow. So if you have some shopping to button up, throw it into gear so that you can send your purchase via standard shipping. Otherwise, you’ll have to opt for priority mail (which is how I typically send my own packages in any event).
Since the pandemic, we’ve all been doing a lot of online shopping. Like so many, I’m taking advantage of the one-click shopping on Amazon more so than ever. But oh, the emails they send out! (No, I don’t feel like reviewing those Home Techpro Rug Grippers that I have not yet found the time to adhere to my throw rugs. I’m sure there’s a way of turning off all of those notifications but I haven’t found it yet.) And then there’s Duluth Trading Post, Pendleton, One Kings Lane and an endless stream of online store emails that clog my inbox whether I’ve made a purchase from them or not. It all has become a necessary evil though.
Tesalate Towels
I’d like to highlight, however, a few quaint online boutiques that I’ve ordered from these past months, unique emporiums that offer terrific gift ideas for you and those on your list. (They’re small-ish, which means they don’t send out as many mailings as the biggies.) For brightly-colored beach towels that are great for any kind of outdoor or indoor fun, go to Tesalate. With a sea of patterns, a sand-proof material, and the possibility of buying one sized for two, the beach towels from this Aussie company will brighten every day as well as every situation for you.
If you love the earth and want to try harder to protect it, order your soaps, shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers and the like from The Earthling Co. I was saddened to learn that due to COVID-19, there’s been a dip in recycling. Ugh, just think of all of those plastic bottles, caps and bags washing up on our shores or just collecting in our lakes, oceans and in the bellies of marine life and birds. I finally made the plunge to switch to bars for most of my toiletry and kitchen products and was delighted to discover that they work quite well. Plus, they keep my conscience clean. Give them a try!
My Ruggable Rug Brightens Up My Kitchen Almost as Much as My Kitties
Many of us have been focusing on beautifying our homes and gardens these past months. I’ve brightened up my home with some rugs from Ruggable. I love their cheery designs and best of all they are super easy to clean. That’s a big must for people like me that have lots of pet traffic. (See if you can find three cats in the above photo of my kitchen.)
Ruth’s Toffee
Ooo la la: A French Lady’s Dream from Henri’s Reserve
The Real Deal from Alpen Schatz
Last but certainly not least, I encourage you to click through to my Online Shopping page where I feature some of my favorite boutiques. This is online shopping par excellence, or in other words, for those that like the charm factor. If you type in the coupon code, Bonjour, you receive a 10% discount. From delicious homemade candies by Ruth’s Toffees to the best-ever handcrafted toys for cats and dogs by Purrfect Play to champagnes from top boutique vineyards curated by Henri’s Reserve and more, you won’t be disappointed by ordering from these unique purveyors. Many also offer e-Cards, which is also a great way to shop online. Keep in mind, too, that gifts don’t have to arrive by Christmas Day; the Christmas season all the way through the new year is most welcome for most, especially since shipping is so clogged up these days. Champagne for the New Year? Pourquoi pas?
Alpen Schatz remains one of my perennial favorites for all kinds of finely-crafted gifts, including home décor items, clothing, fashion accessories, pet collars and more from Europe. Alpen Schatz means alpine treasures and shopping in this treasure trove of a boutique will give you that festive touch all year long. Great news: There is now a UK-based site for all those that want to order across the pond. Be sure to type in the Bonjour coupon code.
Map of Florence by John Petach
For a travel-oriented piece of art, see my write up on John Petach, also at my Online Shopping page. Now that we’re not traveling as much, offering art fashioned from a map of a beloved destination seems more appropriate than ever. Scroll down on my Online Shopping page to learn more about John’s work and be sure to type in (or mention) Bonjour for the added 10% discount.
For more travel-inspired online boutiques, check out my Discovery Map story, Navigating Online Map Gifts.
And once you’ve completed your shopping, you might want to kick back with a hot chocolate or wine and read more travel-inspired stories from some of my Map Geek posts for Discovery Map. My last two are particularly holiday oriented.
Whatever you do, don’t stress. It’s not worth it. Famous last words–I’m just looking forward to putting up a few decorations and tossing my pumpkins out into the garden for any critters that can make use of them.
Happy shopping!
Purrfect Play Paradise
Discovery Map Shopping: alpenschatz alpinetreasures autographeditems champagne charmingonlineshopping chocolates collectibles discounts discoverymap freshsoapcompany giftsfortravelers henri'sreserve holidayshopping johnpetach mapart mapgifts notecards onlineshopping pettoys purrfectplay pushpintravelmaps roysteele ruth'stoffee soaps toffee
by maribeth
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Last-Minute Online Shopping for Holiday Season 2018
The Best Gifts for Your Fur Babies from Purrfect Play
Authentic Swiss Cowbells from Alpen Schatz
Fresh Soap Company Holiday Goods
Time to throw down the gauntlet on wrapping up your online shopping. This weekend is the deadline (OK, some say early next week) for placing orders for Christmas delivery. So let’s get ‘er done!
Arizona Discovery Map Hotels & Lodging Restaurants Shopping The Southwest: Arizona Carefree Cave Creek Discovery Map North Scottsdale top picks
by maribeth
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Top Reasons to Go to Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale, Arizona
Desert Owls
Last week in my story Feeling English at Teatime in Arizona, I highlighted the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, Arizona. This spurred me into thinking about this destination, one of my favorite places in the Southwest. If you’re going to Phoenix or Scottsdale, you must add on a few days and spend some time in Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale. Or, you could make it a destination in and of itself–there’s that much to do there. From the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert to terrific dining, lodging, shopping and spa-going, this area enchants me in so many ways and I’m sure you’ll feel the same.
Picture Perfect Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
It was the first destination I wrote up for Discovery Map; check out Embrace the Desert and Desert Dining and Shopping to find out the top reasons why you should visit this part of America. I also chose to start with this destination because Discovery Map Carefree, Cave Creek and North Scottsdale is owned by Margie Hans, a childhood friend. She lives in Carefree, practically across the street from the breathtaking Boulders Resort & Spa (more on this fabulous place later). She became involved in the map business via her brother, Peter Hans, another old friend of mine, who is the owner of Discovery Map International. Yes, it’s a franchise business with well over 150 maps across the U.S. and beyond.
Arizona Restaurants Shopping The Southwest: Afternoon Tea Arizona Arizona Biltmore Carefree drinking hot drinks in the desert English Rose Tea Room English teatime Phoenix
by maribeth
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Feeling English at Teatime in Arizona
Mom and Me Having Tea at the Arizona Biltmore
Sigh. It was just over a week ago that our minds and hearts were flooded with images of the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, now the Duke and Duchesse of Sussex. I drank English Breakfast Tea and nibbled on scones as I watched the coverage and yes, I even donned a fascinator to accessorize my silk pajamas. Didn’t you? There were so many reasons to be enchanted by this marvelous show of pomp and elegance, love and inclusion. I think most of us wanted to feel part English, part Black and oh yes, part royal. At least for a day.
The Recent Royal Wedding
It all reminded me of two exquisite teatimes I shared with my mother in Arizona, one at the charming English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, the other at the resplendent Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. Mom and I dressed the part on two different occasions and even donned large picture hats that I had transported in an over-sized shopping bag as my carryon piece of luggage from Colorado. We savored every sip and tasty treat and indeed we felt oh-so British. It was most memorable and I know we have both thought about all the fun we had during these two special outings many times over.
Mountain Living Shopping: anniversaries birthdays graduations Mother's Day online shopping The Country Store on Main unique gift ideas Vermont country store Weddings
by maribeth
Comments Off on The Country Store on Main and Other Great Mother’s Day Shopping Recommendations
The Country Store on Main and Other Great Mother’s Day Shopping Recommendations
The Country Store on Main in Stowe, Vermont
An extraordinary kinship exists between mountain towns whether they be on the west coast, the east coast, somewhere in between or on the other side of the world. It’s the combination of charm, authenticity, history, culture, outdoorsy, down-to-earth vibes and much more that ties us together. Skiing, hiking, biking and lots of long moments by the fire contribute, too.
So it came as no surprise that I fell for Stowe, Vermont, an historic town tucked into the Green Mountains of Vermont, which I discovered last fall with my mother. I soon realized that Telluride and Stowe are very much connected, partly through the love of great skiing, the outdoors and sweet mountain vistas but also because Telluride’s former ski school director now runs Stowe Resort. (Small world! I guess I should add that Vail Resorts now owns Stowe, too.)
Yet perhaps what won me over the most was the shopping. I provide a nice overview of the various boutiques and emporiums that I discovered during my visit at Touring Country Stores in Stowe, Vermont with Mom and Vermont Country Shopping in Stowe, a Discovery Map piece I wrote. The Country Store on Main was one of the ones that stood out to me the most. And, of course, I was delighted to see that they have a beautiful website and online boutique.
Cristina Mink Surrounded by Her Ladies in Her Store
Burlap and Shine Tote
From elegant table arts, home décor items and linens to style-y totes, wraps and earrings for the ladies to gift ideas galore including watercolor scenes of Vermont to adorable little swaddling blankets for baby, there are so many lovely goods to choose from, all curated by shop owner Cristina Mink, a woman of exquisite taste.
Truffle Honey
Vermont Goat’s Milk Soap
Colorful Wool Dryer Balls
And best of all, her online boutique–much like her store in Stowe–showcases products in a wide range of prices from cute and catchy, inexpensively-priced notepads to artisanally-made lamps that would long be treasured in any mountain home or farmhouse.
Watercolor Cows
Transport yourself to Vermont and begin shopping at The Country Store on Main for Mother’s Day and all your other gift-giving occasions. If you’re like my mother and me, you’ll also have to pick up a couple of special items for yourself.
Type in the Promo code BONJOUR to receive 10% off your online purchases.
For more wonderful online shopping purveyors that offer a 10% discount to Bonjour Colorado readers, visit my Online Shopping Page. All provide many unique gift ideas for Mother’s Day and the many other gift-giving occasions of spring such as weddings, anniversaries, graduations and Father’s Day. Don’t forget to pick up a little something for yourself or your pet, too.
