Saratoga Springs in upstate New York is a delightful Victorian town with a vibrant social scene. It has an eclectic art scene with a variety of shops, gourmet restaurants, and European-style patisseries. There are many bars where you can dance the night away.
Read moreHoliday Travel Guide: NYC - Parts 3 & 4
Each Holiday season we spend a day at the world-famous Rockefeller Center ice skating under the most famous tree in the world. I book an early morning brunch at The Sea Grill, which is straight out of an enchanted Hallmark Christmas show. We prefer the 8:30 am seating while the city is still somewhat quiet on a Sunday morning.
Read moreHoliday Travel Guide: NYC - Part 2
If you enjoyed the beloved "Downton Abbey" series you will love this beautifully curated exhibition. You will be immersed in post Edwardian-English culture where the characters come to life. The Kitchen is recreated exactly like in the series and the fashion and styling is wonderful to see in person.
Read moreHoliday Travel Guide: NYC - Part 1
My love for New York City is endless, as are the many wonderful and joyous things this enchanted city has to offer. Although I love any day I’m in New York City, Christmas time is the most magical time to be here. Whether it's your first time or you have lived there your entire life, the shop windows are a welcoming sight to all who pass by.
Read moreChapter 1: Tennis Anyone?
Magdalena's hands were trembling, she was down on the antique brick floor in her parent's garden room picking up pieces of terra cotta. She was careful not to get small broken sharp bits into her knees. Magdalena was jet-lagged and nervous that she dropped a gorgeous Terra cotta pot filled with her favorite Apple Blossom scented geraniums. The garden room was perfumed with a variety of cherry blossoms that her mother brought in from their orchard to force into huge flowering branches. They reached up to the ceiling surrounded by glass windows that allowed the sun to shine in on the plants for hours each day. There was also an abundance of scented orange blossoms, small fruit trees, boxwoods, roses, a collection of scented geraniums, and a variety of fern and flowers that her mother wintered over. The room was filled with antiques from the Paris flea market, her mother adored the Marché aux Puces St-Ouen de Clignancourt and she decorated this room with the treasures she found in Paris and all over the world. Magdalena could spend hours in this enchanted Garden Room listening to the bird sing, enjoying a cup of tea in the morning, a glass of champagne in the evening and she often did, that is when she was home.
Read moreBuried Witch Cake
I am not sure where this wonderfully creative cake originated from, so I cannot credit its original creator. I can, however, share my easy version of making a cake that your children and grownups will not only love but be impressed by. I have been making buried witch cakes for at least 15 years and my boys love it every time!
Read moreA Trip To Dumbo
Brooklyn's iconic waterfront has the most unsurpassed views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, Freedom Tower, and The Statue of Liberty. Old fashioned yet chic and trendy, Dumbo's (District Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) plentiful boutique shops, fine dining, and art scene bring together the most spectacular melting pot of culture.
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