INN It to Win It

A few months ago, Belmont and I heard a radio promo about the grand re-opening of the Cheshire Inn, a place where he had stayed with his grandparents every summer growing up. The promo was about writing your memories for a collection, with the possibility of winning a free night's stay at the hotel when it re-opened! Belmont went online when we got home and entered his story-- and he was in the Top 10!

So he won a free night... for August 5th (re-opening weekend). Awesome. The night before we could have gone. However, it was thankfully transferable and we got reservations for this Friday night for his birthday weekend. What fun! It is a hotel in Clayton in the style of an old(e) English inn and each room is dedicated to a famous English writer or poet. I am including all of our pictures (sorry... they are just from my camera phone) and they can tell the rest of the story:

Here is the Cheshire Inn, Tudor-style and all. Isn't it fun?!


We stayed in 404, a King-style room, dedicated to Dickens.


On our side table was a copy of "A Tale of Two Cities."


Here is a very difficult-to-read write-up about the author.


The bed with English-style windows! Loved those.


The drapes and a tapestry bed cloth


A collage of writing paraphernalia above our desk
(which is where we ate our in-room appetizer dinner)


Although not a real bookshelf,
one of the most convincing pictures I've seen!


Check out the uneven brick in our continental breakfast nook!


I wanted to point out that our breakfast choices were
considerably healthier than our choices in Mexico.
We're turning into real, live adults! :)


A parlor where we had our breakfast tea


My cute man drinking his tea like a real Brit


The fireplace by which we sat...
with absolutely no fire to speak of


A picture that includes my mint tea,
the table dog, and the British lamp


This is the pool. Swanky, eh??

We had a lovely time! We stopped in Clayton to order my wedding band on the way home and also saw a local farmers' market (which we visited). We came home and did lots of household chores and schoolwork for the rest of the afternoon (including power-washing the outside of the house and the garage). I made fudge pie and zucchini bread with my produce findings... and also made some squash and bell pepper purees to test out my Deceptively Delicious cookbook. I am going to pump healthy veggies into my husband's body unawares... shhh!!

Tonight Belmont met up with his guy friends at Algonquin for a poker night while I went to a craft night with the wives. Suzanne hosted and I worked on a Christmas present for Stephanie Dragoo. It's coming along well! I was inspired by the other girls' crafts, however, and cannot wait to finish the school year (and school in general). I have so many new hobbies that I can't wait to get into!

Tomorrow is a birthday brunch for the (almost) 28-year-old Belmont, and late-service church with the (literal and spiritual) brothers and (spiritual) sisters. I think Calen is coming to brunch, too! Tomorrow night is the first SNF and they are making s'mores. I might drop by, but I also might check out Starbucks for a reading night. We shall see. Looking forward to a day of rest.

Well, my hubby is on his way home from poker. Time to sign off!

Happy Sabbath!