Serene Winter Beauty in Guilford, CT
Growing up in a seaside suburban town in Connecticut, I have a soft spot for New England nautical charm. I never stayed at an AirBnB before but when the opportunity arose I was excited. It seemed perfect: a modern guest house in charming Guilford, CT. Set in a private and picture-esque location, it was perfect to recharge my batteries and find inspiration. I found inspiration in not only the quiet and sparkle of the snow but also the colorful decor of the guesthouse.
I met with the lovely, funny and extremely talented photographer Elizabeth Grant. We set to do a 60's style housewife photo shoot - complete with vintage props, bored stares, and some curve-hugging dresses that channel Joan from Mad Men. Greg the owner met us and showed us some of the amenities and gave me the key. He was incredibly warm. I kept in correspondence with his wife Christine until my arrival. She always met me with kindness and knowledge. They are the consummate hosts.
Elizabeth and I quickly got to work to capture the natural light of the afternoon before it went away. Since the photo shoot had a "bored, glamorous 60's housewife" feel, we took advantage of the colorful decor. I've seen Elizabeth's work with other bloggers like Caitlin from Confessions of a Northern Belle and Kelsey Lynn Barlow. I wanted a photographer who could shoot a theme and also keep fashion, props and mood in mind. She was absolutely perfect for it. Photography is her career - and she does mainly weddings and engagements, but she has a great eye for detail and design. We moved the cd's away from the shots (since cd's weren't around in the 60's) and re-arranged the furniture. The guest house is modern in design but the bright colorful decor worked so well with a retro shoot. Lots of pops of orange, canary yellow and amethyst purple chairs. We even moved a gorgeous orange divider to use as a prop.
I had three dresses and each one had it's own theme and concept behind it. Once Elizabeth and I were done, we moved everything back. She was great to work with and hope to work with her again!
After she left, I drove to the Guilford Green. I stopped at Cilantro where they have the most delicious 7 layer bar. A lot of shops were closing, but I was able to get into the fashion boutique called Tracy 2. When I walked in a pink ruffle dress by Julie Brown just shined all pink and pretty and I had to have it. The owner was so helpful and sweet. As I headed back to the guesthouse, I fell in love with red sunset over the icy waters of Guilford. I felt relaxed, happy, inspired.
For dinner, I wore an amethyst colored maxi dress with a necklace designed by Marissa T Designs. We headed to Ballou's in Guilford. I love their cheese fondue. (Note: ask for the pretzels. It's not on the menu and depending on your waiter/waitress they may or may not mention it - but they do have it and it's delicious). The fondue was filling so I opted for the Italian style wrap for dinner. Once we got back to the guesthouse, we listened to music and had a couple drinks before retiring for the night.
It was so relaxing! This morning I had coffee and catching up on my blog. I have the lovely, winter landscape of Guilford to keep me inspired.
