Sunday Guides, Christmas

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This Sunday Guides Issue is filled with Christmas inspiration. We love this time of year & creating a festive home filled with delicious food, a cozy fire, gingerbread spices filling the home & of course our loved ones. In this issue we have our Buche de Noël recipe, It can also make a fabulous centerpiece on your dessert table!  No time to bake?! No worries- Coco Luxe Fine Pastries in Gladstone NJ can make you a BEAUTIFUL & DELICIOUS Buche de Noël along with many other delicious desserts!  Place your order asap!!! If you are local & looking for beautiful flowers for your home, Paris House will be delivering until December 23rd! We rounded up a few of our favorite holiday red lipsticks, outfits & tablescape inspiration! You can shop our looks here too! For those looking for a holiday getaway please see our quick video on Old Montreal Canada. Our fabulous travel agents featured below can help plan the perfect getaway! We have a wonderful tour & class in the NYC Flower District & join us in Paris this May! We hope to inspire you to add Christmas merriment to your home this season!

xoxo

Michele

Sunday Guides, Kennebunkport Maine

Article by Michele Rosenthal

We would like to thank our wonderful sponsors for this week’s Sunday Guides: Spaces, Hacklebarney Farm, Christen Holly Photography, Dannah For Men, and Skyland World Travel. Please see more information below. 

Maine is one of the most unique & recognizable places in the world. The pristine natural beauty is straight out of a novel that you can’t put down & never want to end. It’s so idyllic it seems unreal, but it is! Now we are sharing our favorite spots in Kennebunkport.

From the sound of waves crashing against the rocks along steep coastlines to sailboats passing by picturesque fishing villages– there are few places, if any quite like Maine. 

Kennebunkport is our favorite! It's incredibly quiet where we stay and we were met with many friendly waves saying hello from afar. We enjoyed quiet evenings drinking wine on the patio before we were off to dinner. We travel the world on both business and pleasure, and Maine is the one place we continue to return to each summer. It feels like home.

Mornings began with coffee and pastries from the local shops, patisseries, and diners; followed by long hikes up the coast. Adventure awaits by foot, bike, car, or scenic trolley rides. The homes, ocean views & rocky cliffs are quintessential Maine, New England. Just a few minutes up the coast, you’ll find Walker’s Point Bush Estate. 

Continue back down to the shopping area, and you’ll find Goose Rocks Beach. It’s small and peaceful: perfect to read a good book, rest, or simply watch the boats pass by. It’s a short walk from several hotels including The Colony Hotel, which features grand views of the ocean.

In our opinion, Maine lobster is the best in the world! We also love the lobster in Nova Scotia & various places in New England. Homemade candy, quaint shops, and beautiful beaches are plentiful! After dinner, head over to Mabels and don’t miss out on their homemade Maine blueberry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

For those who like a little nightlife, it’s the perfect blend of peacefulness and fun activities like shopping and fine dining. 

No visit to Kennebunkport would be complete without dining at Mabel’s Lobster Claw. It’s delicious & quite busy during the summer months. A reservation is recommended, however they always try their best to get you a table. They have an adjacent “shack” where we get our lobster orders to go when I do a catered dinner affair on our hotel patio. It’s superb! 

We love passing by charming cottages on our way into town. Continue over the little bridge into Kennebunk. There you will find the Clam Shack, another favorite of locals, new visitors, and longtime travelers to the area. 

Continue up the street a bit to Mornings In Paris. They open early and make delicious pastries & coffee. By 8am the line is out the door & for a good reason– it’s fabulous! Time it right and the warm straight-from-the-oven pastries will melt in your mouth! 

About a 3 minute drive from town is another favorite, an old fashioned diner, Mikes All Day Breakfast. They have another location in Arundel. We cannot recommend the lobster omelets enough! They are usually only available at the Kennebunk location. The spinach, cheddar cheese, fresh lobster, and herbs are outstanding! There are many things to choose from on their menu. They open at 8 AM but get there early because the line gets long fast!

If you love flowers, gardens, unique gifts and beautifully curated stores, Snug Harbor Farm is not to be missed. It’s a delightful way to spend an hour browsing the gift shop and grounds. 

When it comes to shopping some of my favorites are Spaces and Dannah For Men. I always go to Spaces to find something perfect for entertaining at our hotel, an outfit to wear out, home accessories, unique gifts, and more. It’s visually stunning and not to be missed! When it comes to men's clothing, unique gifts and accessories, Dannah For Men is perfection and one of the best men’s stores anywhere! Also we recommend visiting La La Luna, their new women’s store up the road at 45 Ocean Ave.

Below is our curated list of some of our favorites! There are many more that can be found online! 

Hotels:

Tides Beach club Maine, White Barn Inn, Yachtsman Hotel and Marina Club, Kennebunkport Inn, The Colony

Sightseeing & Things To Do:

Portland, Perkins Cove, Marginal Way, Walker’s Point, Bush, Compound, Ogunquit Playhouse, Sunset Sailing Tours, Lobster Tours, Catered picnics on the beach, The Wedding Cake House, Saint Ann’s Church, Dock Square, Cape Porpoise, Seashore Trolley Museum, Parson’s Way Shore Walk

Restaurants:

Mabel’s Lobster Claw, White Barn Inn, Mikes All Day Breakfast, The Clam Shack Earth at Hidden Pond, Hurricanes, Pedro’s Mexican Restaurant, Ocean 

Shopping:

Spaces, Bliss, Daytrip Society, Snug Harbor Farm, Dannah For Men, Copper Candle, Home Ingredients, La La Luna women’s clothing 

Coffee Shops & Breakfast:

Coffee Roaster of The Kennebunks, Mikes All Day Breakfast, Mornings In Paris, Talulahs, Coveside Market, Dock Square Coffee House

Candy Shop & Ice Cream:

Aunt Marie’s, The Candyman

Thank you for reading this week's Sunday Guides, Kennebunkport Maine! 

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors!

Hacklebarney Farm

Hacklebarney Farm located in Beautiful Chester, NJ. Enjoy our Bakery-filled with fresh homemade pies and treats, located in our charming Farm Store. Explore our grounds and cider mill. Don’t miss our delicious Cider Hot Dogs, apple and pumpkin Picking, corn maze and more. Relax under the pines. Make our home yours.

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Christen Holly Photography

The best part of being in New England in the fall is seeing the all beautiful fall colors. Capture these special moments with a photographer who embraces vibrant colors in photos that will last a lifetime! Contact Christen at christenhollyphoto@gmail.com View samples of work at www.facebook.com/christenhollyphotography and www.instagram.com/christenhollyphotography 

Spaces 

Located in Kennebunkport Maine, Spaces by Nicki Bongiorno is an interior design studio and lifestyle shop featuring a stylish collection of coastal home decor and personal accessories. 

Skyland World Travel

Located in Hackettstown, NJ. Be part of the Skyland World Travel Family. Where it is all about you! "1 phone call (908-852-7081) for all your travel needs".

Dannah For Men

Danna for Men is Kennebunkport Maine’s exclusive store for men featuring a uniquely curated selection of apparel, barware, books, accessories and so much more!