Tag: keenanconstruction

A New Adventure at Crabtree Cottage!

“And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” – Meister Eckhart

We have just ended our nineteenth year as a B&B here at Crabtree Cottage and we are closing our doors and starting something new!

“I don’t know where I’m going but I’m on my way..” – Carl Sagan

For the past year we have started to look beyond the lives as innkeepers. Our daughter moved to California, we suddenly had more freedom, and we started to think that maybe something new might fit our new lifestyle. The thought of having a new adventure became exciting. Yet, truth be told, it isn’t quite so easy to give up something you have loved so much. I planned on closing my B&B after the fall foliage season and here it is. I have one more reservation on the books and we will officially be closed.

“Don’t be afraid to change. You may lose something good but you may gain something better.” -unknown

The past nineteen years as innkeepers have been a great venture for us in so many ways. When we began our little Crabtree Cottage we had just moved in and renovated this “fixer upper” the previous year. Our daughter was five years old and just about to enter kindergarten. We had this big house with 6 bedrooms, and an in-law apartment for the three of us. Humm, what should we do with it? My boss at the time said we should turn the house into a B&B, and at our little housewarming party a neighbor who owned a B&B said the house would make a great B&B. My current career was no longer fulfilling and most importantly we needed tuition for my daughter’s private school – signs and ideas for an adventure. Well, we took a leap into the unknown, and thought, what do we have to loose?

“Somehow everything will fall into place.”

So far this had been the best career decision of my life. I was able to create a lifestyle I loved. This endeavor has been an extension of all things Jeff and I love to do. All things home and garden make our hearts sing. Nesting is my middle name! Being able to be home with my daughter as a working mom was the greatest gift of all. I was able to participate in every bit of her life. Our family life was all about home, now in retrospect that is more than I ever dreamed of. “

Creating this little B&B truly was a joy. Setting the stage for my guests to find respite and beauty in our little abode filled us with great delight. The most unexpected part of this B&B has been the absolute love of our guests. I worried about what it would feel like to have “strangers” in my house. Little did I know that the personal relationships we have formed with our guests would be the hardest part of letting go. We have formed friendships and shared our lives with so many people. Some of our guests have been here since the beginning. We have had guests from every walk of life and from every continent enter our front door. The fulfillment and enjoyment of learning about this aspect of hospitality has changed us, and we are beyond grateful for everyone who taken a chance of staying at this B&B. To our dearest repeat guests, who have remained loyal to our B&B year after year, and made us feel like friends, we just can’t thank you enough.

So what is next you ask? – And so the adventure begins.

I just don’t know! We have turned our in-law apartment into a sweet haven for my parents. They have been living here for a month. We always knew we wanted to do this, but we had no idea how great it would be. The new improved apartment just sings comfort and style. We had a blast creating this little “suite paradiso” too. They are so happy to have this new adventure too. They love living downtown and having that easy, pared down lifestyle of simplifying your life. Also, they feel a great relief from all of the chores of owning a home.

With our daughter Julia in California we need the freedom to just hop on a plane and see that beautiful soul in person whenever the mood hits us. In the summer – ahhh dreams of summer! We can wake up in mornings and take a swim, hike our favorite trails, and sit on our deck with our paper and tea. Rather than squeezing in all of our favorite activities, and all that the Berkshires have to offer, we can anticipate this freedom and luxury of time as something completely new to us!

We have loved this B&B and our gratitude to you is endless. Thank you for being a part of this chapter in our lives.

Crabtree Cottage trivia:

Crabtree Cottage was named because of the three crab trees we planted in our front yard. I asked my neighbor Sandy if she had any ideas for a name, and that was her very first thought. She has always been a part of my brainstorming and idea process. She is my “what do you think about this person.” It never fails; she has some input into a new idea, or into my confidence to follow through.

I was completely overwhelmed by the idea of making breakfast for strangers. At first we offered a continental breakfast (my mother would make the muffins!) and I would next take on a full 3-4-course breakfast. My goal was to offer something new to my repeat customers. After 19 years that was no small feat. I basically did it! Sometimes the tweaks to a dish were small, but still no real repeat breakfasts were served without a twist! I immersed myself in the art of breakfast. It became a passion. Baked goods were repeated and every guest had popovers! Jeff was 100% behind the scenes as the Popover King and chief bottle washer! He perfected the art of the popover. Here is his number one secret that I taught him, ha-ha, put a cookie sheet under the popover pan, not only to keep the oven clean, but to help pop the popovers from the steam it creates!

Off- seasons I would sometimes feel guilty for not working hard enough. Not contributing enough, and Jeff was always there to remind me that what I was doing had enormous value to our lives. He would encourage me to relax and remind me how hard I did work, without days off, even though it didn’t always feel like work. He would remind me always that the benefit to Julia’s life was because of our B&B. How amazing is that? Here he was contributing just as much in my business as I was and even more, and never a complaint. Never a day off in summer season except for our summer vacation! The most supportive man award for sure!

I took Max & Margot to a doggie psychic once. Max shared that they had jobs and took them very seriously. Sounds crazy right? Well, every morning that we had guests, Max would go out and wait for our guest to arrive for breakfast. Then Margot followed suit. On the mornings that we felt our guests might not be dog friendly, and they had to stay in the kitchen, they pouted! They have been an iintrical part of our hospitality. Our guests have thoroughly enjoyed their love and company.

We were number one on trip advisor for B&B’s in Lee for about 3 years. For a couple of years before that we shared the number 1 & 2 spot with another small B&B. Imagine little Crabtree Cottage getting the number one slot with the most excellent reviews. Our little 3 room B&B compared with the biggies! I know all of the other B&B’s in town are truly just as wonderful, if not more, and I say this because I know the other innkeepers as my friends, and their love and hard work is just as special to their guests… but WE had the very best guests who took the time to write what they loved about us. We had less rooms, less traffic and we were number 1! This helped our business grow enormously and had a great impact on our bottom line ~ thank you soooo much!

We will still be up to our old tricks. Changing things around. We are in the process of moving rooms around as we speak. We just can’t help ourselves. My blog may remain, and the Crabtree Cottage B&B may re-invent itself in some way in the future.

Thank you for coming by my blog today. We are filled with fondness and gratitude. Blessings to you all.

Janis

“Hospitality is love in action. Hospitality is the flesh and muscle on bones of love. “ –Alexander Stauch

Happy Spring!

Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way. – Dr. Seuss

Yay! Spring has arrived. Although it has been a bit cold, it still has beautiful signs of new life everywhere you look. The grass is green, the gardens are popping up, and we have things to do before the official gardening season begins!

In my last blog we wrote about our daughter moving to California. How did we adjust to our empty nest? We kept busy, did some home projects, and went on some vigorous hikes and long walks. We also ate out a lot!

Our guests always ask us where to eat, and what our favorite restaurants are. One of our favorites is Elizabeth’s in Pittsfield, about twenty minutes away. It’s a casual place with an incredible menu. We almost always get the same thing, Eggplant Provencal. We are usually full before the main dish because they serve a huge family style salad, and Berkshire Mountain Bakery Bread! After our dinner at Elizabeths, for about a week or longer, we eat our version of their salad and bread!

A salad for two! After all we have to make up for all of that eating out. And the bread! Berkshire Mountain Bakery is located in Housatonic, about 20 minutes away. It is our very favorite bread, and extremely healthy. Flour, water and salt. That is what real bread is, and it is our favorite. In the photo above, I tried to recreate the hummus the owner brought to our table. It was chunky and very light, with chopped tomatoes. He said it was a staple in his house growing up. Delicious.

Fun is good. Dr. Seuss

Another favorite restaurant we both love, is the Starving Artist Creperie. Just two blocks from our house. We order numerous things off their menu. One of my favorites, when we are on a salad kick, is their Vital Vegan Salad. So we come home and recreate that too. They aren’t open for dinner, and sometimes you just need that salad at dinner! We also love the owner and the staff.

Salad for two again! Wow. I bet you think we live on salad alone – no we do not!

Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas on grilled bread.

This is a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. Pop over to my facebook page for the recipe. Of course, we use Berkshire Mountain Bakery bread for this too. See why we eat so much salad!

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. – Dr. Seuss

We also did some home reno projects. And, after recently becoming addicted to HGTV, Fixer Upper, we felt like Chip and JoAnna Gaines while we were doing it! Here is a peak at some of our projects:

Jeff made this table out of repurposed wood with pipe legs. Very Fixer Upper! And perfect for my kitchen. He was not overly excited about the pipe legs, but then he got a kick out of putting them together.

Our next project was new wallpaper in the dining room hallway. I fell for this last year when we started this re-do the whole house project. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and even though the wall paper in that are was still cute – this had to be done. I’m in love with it. As you all know I am mad, crazy and wild about blue and white. This chinoiserie paper goes perfect with my entire house!

We did some other projects too, and I still have a list, but the highlight of spring so far…is not to be missed!

We went to San Diego to see our girl! She has been gone three full months. She has an adorable apartment, and a new job. She guided us around like she had lived there for much longer. We had the time of our lives! While we were there, we saw our beautiful niece Kate. She drove down from Los Angeles. She is living a very successful, and ambitious life. Her career is in the business world. We loved catching up. We had a hard time leaving these amazing young women.

It’s moments together that change us forever. Dr Seuss

Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened. Dr. Seuss

Thank you for coming by my blog today ~ I hope you come back soon.

p.s. While were visiting Julia, we went to La Jolla where she is now working in a Gallery. We visited the Legends Gallery, aka The Dr. Seuss Gallery. A highlight of our trip, hence the Dr. Seuss vibe of this post.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. Dr. Seuss.

#crabtreecottage #healthyfood #homedecorintheberkshires #thibautwallpaper janismonachinadesigns keenanconstruction

A signature recipe and creating a signature style!

My uncle ordered popovers
from the restaurant’s bill of fare.
And, when they were served,
he regarded them with a penetrating stare.
Then he spoke great words of wisdom
as he sat there on that chair:
“To eat these things,” said my uncle,
“You must exercise great care.
You may swallow down what’s solid,
but you must spit out the air!”
And as you partake of the world’s bill of fare,
that’s darned good advice to follow.
Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.
And be careful what you swallow.”

― Dr. Seuss

We love to serve our favorite popovers once during our guests stay here at Crabtree Cottage. If you are here for the weekend, you will be sure to have these. Even though we try to offer new twists on our favorite recipes for our repeat customers, we never worry about repeating popovers – over and over again! We have been serving them since we began our B&B. We thought it was a unique breakfast item compared to muffins, coffee cake or scones, although we do love to serve those too! These have become our signature breakfast treat. Some of our guests have never had a popover, some from England compare them to Yorkshire Pudding, others remember them from long ago. This is also our most requested recipe! They are simple to make and make a great impression.Pop over to our facebook page for the recipe.

We call Jeff the Popover King. He makes the popovers each morning and takes great pride in that task!

“Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others. ” Orson Welles

I also love a signature decorating and fashion style. Who doesn’t? When we think of our favorite designers or iconic fashionistas, there is something so inspiring about their unique signature look, or design style. It is like a personal autograph, unique and recognizable. Oh that is so …. Janis! Haha. I was going to say Jackie O, or Frank Lloyd Wright, but I just couldn’t resist!

With our home I have tried to re-create a seaside cottage style that I just adore. My passion for that approach to home décor fits this house perfectly. This house lacked a special character before it underwent our major transformation. By adding exuberant gardens, a picket fence, a seaside color scheme, and lots of love, it became Crabtree Cottage!

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On the inside, I am always trying to create a traditionally comfortable home with a twist! My signature has also been my color scheme. I love color! I express myself through color too. One of my favorite colors has always been navy blue. I have it throughout the entire house in some way or another. I think I would go into a deep depression if I became color blind to the blues!

Next to sharing my popover recipe, I also share the navy color (Benjamin Moore, Hale Navy) in my dining room, our front door and our barn.

During this updating frenzie, I also read the book, “the life-changing magic of tidying up,” by Marie Kondo. This is where the real art of paring down entered the scene. In her book she asks you to look at every single object in your home and ask this question…

I have this on my kitchen chalkboard as a daily reminder. This question made me re-think many of the objects in my house, and even activities in my life. My pile of tag-sale items grew, and the cellar became the dumping ground. Time for a tag-sale!

This picture was for my Tag-Sale/Craigslist advertisement. Isn’t that lovely? Notice the color scheme, it follows me everywhere I go! I am afraid my staging vision, with this lovely preview, went right out the window. It drizzled almost the entire three hours, on that frigid, early October morning. Oh well, I got rid of lots and lots of STUFF!!

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Now, back to my year long home decorating project. I have upped my decorating antics to stay unique and personal.

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This new mirror added just a bit of a modern twist and made the room feel updated!

I thought I could update my living room with the color green (Benjamin Moore, Herb Garden Green). My blue in this room is almost an equal partner, and yet it stands out. Sometimes, I feel like this green is a neutral, and the blue is the dominate color. I love blue and green together ~ perfect for a bright sunny room. I have shared this green numerous times with my guests. It is Herb Garden Green from Benjamin Moore. One couple from England had never seen a green room ~ imagine?? I wrote down the information for them so they could replicate the color.

This is my living room mantel before…classic and traditional.

This is my mantel after…classic and traditional with a new twist! My mother said it was royal and regal looking!

Can you guess what my new strategy is? BLACK! I never did the black thing before! Next, I painted the piano and a candlestick table black ~ I should have done this years ago!

Now there is a subtle statement of black in the living room ~

My mother, my neighbor Sandy, and many other designers, often say that every room needs a little black. My mother has been using black forever on miscellaneous furniture. She even has two black contemporary wing chairs. It is showing up a bit more in the trade magazines, and as always, in more modern décor. In my house it is my new twist!! I am getting inspiration from this tried and true trend, but interpreting it in my way to fit my style, and house. That way I hope it will be a classic touch, without being totally dictated to following a trend.

I am also still doing this updating in my kitchen. How to be in style, yet unique? We started the entire home update a little over a year ago in this space. As the decorators I follow always say, a room evolves and becomes more of itself, over time, not over night. I guess that quote is symbolic when you think about it ~ as we evolve, we also become more of ourselves over time too. Don’t you just love that?

I didn’t intend to go for an industrial look. Of course, this is my version of a modified industrial approach, maybe a bit farmhouse too. I think the wainscoting, white cabinets, and the copper sink are timeless. First, it was the new countertop, and then it just snow balled. Now, I have contracted my favorite carpenter, you know who, for a new table! He is going to use barn boards from the inside of our barn. Of course, Jeff is the master of creativity, so I have no idea what the actual finished table will look like! I wonder if it will be the finishing touch…. Stay tuned…

Thank you for coming by my blog today ~ I hope you come back soon.

#benjaminmooreblack #kitchendesign #signaturestyle janismonachinadesigns keenanconstruction mariekondo

Crabtree Snapshots

“Green was the silence, wet was the light,
the month of June trembled like a butterfly.”
― Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets

Max enjoying a cigar on a beautiul summer night!

Simplicity at its best!

Lemon Olive Oil Cake ~ pop over to my facebook for the recipe.

Today for breakfast I offered a special cheese omlet topper ~ fresh basil, farmers market tomatoes sauted in olive oil, avacado, olives, and a twist of Himalayan salt. A big hit!

The Crabtree Dishwashing Team ~ Jeff! I really love this man!

“Do small things with great love.” Mother Theresa

“Basil ~ Basil ~ Basil. You can never have too much Basil!” Janis Monachina, lol

Years ago we went to Garden in the Woods. I bought these blue pholx (that look purple) and they are just starting to bloom! They last about a month ~ I adore them! I will post again in full bloom!

A passion flower! It closes up on cold rainy days

A smoothie bowl ~ we haven’t served these to guests, but perhaps one day someone will request a bowl of health! This was created by Julia. She loves to eat and cook healthy. Always delicious and nutritious! That’s our Jules!

One night she made us this wonder! A beet and bean falafel with a cilantro/basil sauce. An invention any true Greek restaurant would love to have on their menu! We had her make it the next night too! A new summer favorite!

i have lots of garden areas on my tiny 1/2 acre lot…… my herb garden may not be the show stopper, but it is my very favorite! Subtle and very useful! Wild and Wonderful. We have noticed a decline in the bee population. We have about 10 bees at a time on a good day, compared to a guestimate of 100 at a time.

These ferns are as tall as I am. No ~ don’t you dare! 5’3 is a tall fern!

Thank you for coming by my blog today ~ come back soon.

#cottagegarden #cottageliving #crabtreecottagegarden #curbappeal #outdoorooms #windowboxes janismonachinadesigns keenanconstruction

Creative & Fun Spring Projects at Crabtree

Cozy

: small, comfortable, and warm

: friendly and pleasant

: suggesting or showing a closeness between two people, groups, businesses, etc. : very close

I remember when I first started my B&B, eighteen years ago, searching for a word to describe my B&B. The word cozy kept coming up. I learned in the advertising world that cozy was not a good B&B description. It was overused and too cutesy for some people. Well, there really isn’t a better word, in my humble opinion, to describe my B&B. Yes, this is a gray shingled home, with a picket fence and a cottage garden, some might say cottage-y and even cutesy, but I think the feeling that people feel here is cozy! Come along, I’ll show you how we have been cozying up around here.

THE MASTER’S CHAMBER REVEAL!

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. Arthur Ashe

It all started with Jeff replacing the tiled ceiling, adding new crown molding and painting the rooom. Then came the new carpet. A shopping trip to Pine Cone Hill, Pottery Barn, Lamps Plus, Country Curtains, Home Goods and our even our own home and…. Tada!

At first I had some white chairs in this space. When my father saw the new room he said it just wasn’t cozy. Imagine that! So in moved the chairs destined for somewhere else in the house! Viola ~ cozy, cozy, cozy. This newer, slightly modern look I was seeking, needed more color. He was spot on!

For the moment these are the only pictures I have of the new Master’s Chamber. It is very difficult to take pictures of rooms without a professional for lighting and wide angles. I have that next project on my list.

Next, came another project for Jeff, the deck. The deck had been such a dissapointment from the get go. The ceder that year had many issues with rotting. Our deck was very close to the ground, held too much moisture and I had chosen a solid stain. Every year it took major sanding, board replacing and painting. Well…. Jeff solved that problem!

Tada!!

The very best part of this low maintenance, gray stained cement patio with its composit railing system is…………

This garden gate!! The railing system didn’t come with an acceptable gate. Pure ugly. Well, that wasn’t going to work.

Creativity is intelligence having fun. Albert Einstein

I remembered going to the Norman Rockwell Museum a few years ago and seeing a hand crafted and artsy gate display on the lawn. It was a vague memory for both of us, but it was very inspiring and whimsical. I wanted Jeff to make one for me at the time, but no gates were needed. The idea was in storage, somewhere deep down it was waiting to be created. We of course needed a fun theme ~ a garden theme! This is what Jeff created!

Are you catching onto one of the themes of this blog yet? Pop over to my facebook page and see who won the Crabtree Employee of the Year!!!

After a long and very cold winter we couldn’t wait to get our pool going. Ugh. This year the lining was in very bad shape. Ought oh! We have realized we are already on borrowed time with this liner. Eighteen years old, and every year we wonder as the cover comes off… with this be that year? Not with Jeff around. Out came the hair drying and lots of muscle! Fixed! Notice his little assistant, Max offering his input.

Next came the new fence. Another story of wood that was eighteen years old!

As you can see lots of Spring projects are completed and we are looking quite fresh around here in our cozy cottage.

Here are some spring scenes from the garden.

These next garden photo’s are from my neighbors Sandy’s house. She has a very English style garden that always inspires me.

Respond to every call that excites your spirit. Rumi

Thank you for coming by my blog today.

#crabtreecottagegarden #homerenovation #outdoorliving janismonachinadesigns keenanconstruction

Spring Projects & Updates

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” – Leo Tolstoy, Ann Karenina

Max says, “please stop winter now!” I have promised him no matter what we are not going to put on his coat or his booties again, until next winter. I hope the weather will cooperate because there isn’t a more disappointed face than when Max has to sport his booties!

We have so many exciting spring projects ahead of us. We can’t wait until our summer guests arrive to see all of the makeovers we have done! Soon after the holidays we undertook our living room! It had been on the list for the last few winters, but it was such a daunting task that we always seemed to avoid it. The “look” was begining to feel very dated, and we finally had enough!

~ Living Room Before ~

After ~ Herb Garden Green ~ Viola!

Max loves this spot!

I almost repainted the living room the same color because of these labor intensive booksheves. We had a painter paint the living room, but we tackeled the shelves ourselves! We had a limited window of opportunity for the painter and had to juggle weekend guests without disrupting our entire house with all of these books and nicknacks! We took the opportunity to clean, sort and downsize our chachki collections! We are loving the simplicity and freshness so much. We have decided to wait before we hang any pictures.

I think upolstering this loveseat made my livingroom complete. It sometimes costs more to upholster furniture than buy new, but I would have never found a piece with this much character or personality in any funiture shop. It was worth the investment to us to re-do such a unique piece. Personality Plus ~ that’s what it says!

Now the stained glass piece stands out more which was an unexpected bonus because of the green. This piece belonged to Saint George’s Church right here on Franklin St. It was removed to make a handicap accessible ramp. One Sunday afternoon there was an auction in the park and Jeff was the highest bidder! What we were going to do with this gem was not the question – Jeff wanted it and that was that! When asked what he was going to do with it he responded, “I’m sure I’ll find something.” Within a minute of arriving home, he knew that this doorway would be the perfect place. Without a moments hesitation he was measuring, and to his surprise it fit perfectly. He only had to box it in. It is always a topic of conversation as to where it came from. We fell in love with the colors, especially the blue. It seams more artful than religious to us, and we also respect it’s historical character.

Now of course we had to include the hall with our living room plan. Here it is before ~ Gold

After! This time we used Forest Hills Green. A bit brighter incoporating the room, but keeping it seperate too. Will anyone notice? Probably not, but I happen to be obsessed/passionate about color, and it makes me happy!

Now onto The Master’s Chamber! This room has also been on that list. Dated and ready for a makeover ~ here we go! Before ~

~ During ~ Jeff has a full schedule with his own work, plus this on his time off. I think he may win employee of the year award again! I think a man with a tool belt on is one of the most impressive sights, don’t you?

Rugs are scheduled to be installed soon, so the clock is ticking! Jeff will also be re-tiling the bathroom floor. We will have a facebook reveal and blog when we finish. It is very exciting because this is the most extensive of all the makeovers. I am so excited to share this with my repeat guests. I do hesitate to share it on my blog because I hate to take away the surprise when they arrive to their room remodeled. Some of my repeats have already booked for summer so maybe they won’t see this post.

Setting goals is the first step in turning the inisible into the visible. – Tony Robbins

This work has to be done before the real spring arrives! There are garden projects waiting in the wings too! When we finish up inside, we have lots of outside plans too! Maybe by then the iceburgs will have melted and we can get down to business!

We have a deck to rip off, and a patio to create to replace it! Here it is all lovely looking in the summer. Beneth it lurks the not so lovely rotted wood. Another job for dear old Jeff! Here is the before in the summer.

A rotting fence to replace too! This photo doesn’t show the peeling rotted wood of today!

It was such a pleasure to sink one’s hands into the warm earth, to feel at one’s fingertips the possibilities of the new season.” – Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden

Of course, we have been eating well. During March I served these scones to our guests. Instead of Irish Soda Bread, Irish Soda Bread Scones. Pop over to my facebook page and get the recipe. Simple, delicous and very Irish!

I also have a couple of other surprises up my sleeve to share with my repeat guests, or perhaps intrique a future guest who might happen upon my blog.

Thank you for coming by my blog today.

#colorbenjaminmoore #custombookshelves #jeffkeenan #outdoorliving Crabtree Cottage Renovations home and garden janismonachinadesigns keenanconstruction