Starting them off young
We like to get the little snapdragons into things as young as possible. This is little L attending his first Snapdragon meeting at 6 and a half weeks old. He seems pretty relaxed with it all.
Lest you think we’re perfect
Here at Tending Snapdragons, we like to share all our progress and our great discoveries. But we thought it might be a good idea, if not for just the sake of posterity to mention that this has not been an easy road turning a home built in 1825 into a business that feels like a home away from home. It has been back breaking work nearly every day, all day for many months now. Nothing we’ve experienced is new to the joy of renovation. We’ve had budget issues, construction delays, planning changes, design debates, illness, childcare crunches, and all the other things that could possibly hold up construction and progress. And there have been times when every one on the team at one point or another has wondered if it was worth it. Yes, even the Snapdragon Team has felt discouraged.
The awesome thing is that for each discouragement there has been a little miracle. Someone on the team discovers they have a talent for skim coating. Another finds furniture for next to nothing. Family members and friends come from great distances to spend a couple of days volunteering. The State of Vermont came through with a helpful tax credit. A great guy from Montana shows up and turns out to be hard working and handy! Our parents put their retirement on hold to live in Vermont and provide labor at the inn and childcare for all the little Snapdragons. Two babies were born (always a blessing). And the petunias in the front haven’t completely died on us yet.
We can see the finish line. It’s at the top of a big hill. But we will get there. And we will still be a family that loves each other. After all, this is just one chapter in our lives. One long, hard, amazing, creative chapter. But there will be a day when it comes to an end and the struggles will subside and life will go back to “normal”, whatever that is.
That is until the day Nate says, “So, I was thinking…” and we’ll either do something like this all over again or run screaming. But no matter what the future holds, we will be grateful for the opportunity of working together as a family and a group of wonderful professionals and friends to take a dream and literally make it reality. There is nothing like it. Thank you to everyone who has followed us along the journey so far. We’re almost there! Think happy thoughts for an opening in November!
Black and White Windsors
Two weeks ago, Leilani, our official Snapdragon Photographer, came up from Boston for a visit and we chatted about the wall art for the Inn. We love her work and it will be featured in many of the rooms and common spaces.
She will be coming up again to take some more shots of Windsor for the series, “Black and White Windsors” which will hang in the 2nd and 3rd floor Hallways. These are a few from the series that she took back in December around Lake Runnemede (just behind the Inn).
Leilani checking out the spaces.Room 5 Progress
Color-Glidden Highest Mountain
All of the 2nd floor rooms have paint on the walls and we are working on some finishing before we can final coat them. They all look so so so so good with the sanded floors. I will try and get more shots of all the rooms today but here is one of Room 2 as well.
Before and After
3rd floor Hallway–was covered in very old wall paper–the real paper kind that was nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get off the walls. These were the walls we learned to skim coat on and then with a sanded floor–it is looking lovely.
Before:
