A vintage country Christmas......and you're invited!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. This will be my last official "big" post about Christmas, folks. The pressure is officially on, the kind of pressure where I look at the clock and know I need to make every single minute count. You are going to continue see a number of amazing guests posts from uber talented blogging friends and a few fill ins from me but  I could not wrap up my Christmas season posts without doing one on something I have always dreamt of doing....... having a big old fashioned elegant country Christmas get away. I was so  excited to create this post!
Yea, you know that kind where you go and cut your own Christmas tree of course while wearing the cutest chic outfit, and your kids are all dressed out of a J Crew catalog as you drive around in the perfectly aged vintage vehicle, and naturally its snowing all the while, just that perfect white crisp snow, not too heavy, sticky or wet, doesn't wet your hair just glistens and coats it ever so that it looks like it sparkles, nightly toasty fires, cups of hot chocolate and marathons of board games, no cell phones or laptops well maybe a designated tech hour or two at a mutually agreed upon time slot so I can check out my favorite blogs, yea I have always dreamt of an escape to the country for a Christmas like that. 
Where we are going to do this Christmas makes for an interesting debate since we don't exactly own a country house but a friend does so ummmmm...if by chance you are reading this, hopefully you are getting the hint! Just kidding (well, kind of, I mean I won't exactly turn you down if you really absolutely insisted on allowing me to fulfill what's only been a  lifelong dream of having a country Christmas)!
OK, so as long as we are dreaming......allow me to show you what this perfect country Christmas might look like. This post is all about how that Christmas would play out,  what the house would look like, the decor, us getting our tree, the activities we will partake in, your guest room,the foods we will indulge in, no holds barred here so all you lettuce eaters, skim milk only people please don't judge,lol the whole atmosphere,etc.......so this way you get the whole "flavor" of what I am after. Ever dreamt of something similar? Want to be my guest? Country Christmas bloggers retreat? You are on!

It doesn't run but its the first thing to welcome us as we arrive "home" to the country, Highwood Studio

The more north we drive, the harder it snows....a winter wonderland it is!

The minute I spot the old beautiful barns resting peacefully in the fresh snow I know we are near!

Down a long road, which resembles an enchanted forest covered in white, ModernHepburn

Yep I have arrived! There is the horse drawn carriage, kids heading to the neighborhood ice rink and the all American wholesomeness I have been craving! BNBfinder

Driving up to the quaint but understated country home might look like this, CT.cottages and gardens

I know I have arrived in the country when I see my delivery of fresh milk in the bottle waiting for me......YES!!!!!!

Rustic but welcoming beyond words, Hometrenddesign

When I see the first deer....I know I am home! Flickr

My first official purchase in the country...Vermont maple syrup! VT country store website

So I can make these delectable little treats,  maple syrup scones...yum! Pinterest

One of my favorite spots is right in front of the big fireplace in the great room, DIY Network

A casual but charming breakfast room has lots of big windows to bring the outdoors in!

I have looked so forward to being cocooned in my beautiful rustic elegant oasis of a bedroom, particularly charming when its snowing furiously outside! IMG Fave

The first guest bedroom will be all white and ooze casual elegance....Country Living

My kitchen might resemble something like this, charming, country-ish but elegant! Brunch at Saks

And in that very kitchen we will make delectable home made goodies like old fashioned gooey chewy fudge!

And since I have nothing but the luxury of time, I will make my coffee the good and old fashioned way...with a French coffee press...yummy! Can I pour you a cup?

The living room is large, open, warm and rustic, Country Living

We will have tons of time for this.....yummy hot chocolate, Napa Style

And baking tons and tons of these........

Punctuated with many breaks of serious wine and cheese sessions!  Wit and Delight

Never once not getting out of these!!!!!! Uggs

I will have an assortment of toasty cashmere robes waiting....becuase 90% of the time, this is what we will be wearing! Its all about comfort my friends:) Pinterest

At night, I enjoy sitting by a crackling fire with a glass of wine, soft music and catching up with a great book or playing a board game...

We will enjoy a big great old fashioned country breakfast on Christmas morning!

You know a big stack of flapjacks is getting served up with fresh maple syrup, milk in a glass bottle and apple bacon!  Honey and Jam

Our Christmas tree will not be filled with a surplus of shiny perfect ornaments but instead will have an assortment of framed vintage prints and photos, Martha Stewart

My big boys will feel like little guys again when they sleep in this oh so cozy room of bunk beds built of massive tree limbs, Littlenooks

This is one of my favorite spots in the entire home, my little reading nook, The feathered Nest

Even the barn at dusk is illuminated with the seasons magic, Pinterest

For Christmas dinner, I will place a large assortment of white lillies in a beautiful cast iron antique urn, Country Living

On snowy mornings, we will sit on the covered porch, with fresh java in hand and take in the splendor of natures gifts. Frenchbydesign

I am fortunate to have two guest rooms...you my dear friend get this one! Complete with fireplace!! Country Living

There will be plenty of down time for some serious baking......Paper Mulberry

For the overflow of guests, I will put them up in the charming neighboring Woodstock Inn...lucky you!

We dont' have a lot to do (just the way I like it) but one of my favorite things is the old fashioned book store with its dim lighting,  its a wonderful stop...

Love the crickety floors, and waxed paneling, who needs techy gadgets when you have THIS! MIragebookmark

And of course skating over at the local pond, will be a must do every afternoon!

And we will find time to visit a few of the local antique shops of course!

We will venture downtown to visit the local shops and maybe grab an intimate dinner, Colorado blogging

Its not fancy but with its aged brick walls, its charming, cozy and inviting and the foods fabulous!

As we drive home after dinner, the air is crisp and in anticipation for the evenings expected snowfall, the homes and bridges are aglow in white twinkling lights! Wallpaperstock

And naturally when you visit we will go for an old fashioned sleigh ride.........right out of Currier and Ives!

It will be such fun....I can hardly wait. I am already planning on what I will wear, what I will bake, and what board games to pack! We will be cooking, sleigh riding, baking, reading, ice skating, game playing, drinking hot chocolate and indulging in super decadent sweets, marshmallow roasting, to our hearts content. No pressure, just an old fashioned country Christmas.....ahhhhh, I think my blood pressure just went down a few notches! Wishing you the merriest of holidays and may the spirit and magic be alive in each of us!

I love this and how true it is.....

Keep calm and jingle on!

Rustic, rambling and refined country chic

Good morning....... Hope everyone had a wonderful and enjoyable Mothers day. I have to say mine was beyond horrible but had a very happy ending. Our beloved Teddy went missing for seven long excruciating hours, it was heart wrenching to say the least. On top of our own incredible sadness and distress, seeing my son so distraught, practically unable to speak and express himself because at 15, he was trying to remain strong and "be a man". My mothering skills were put to the ultimate test and I realized as I saw my son cry silently in the back seat during our many hours of searching, doing his best to hold it in as most 15 year old "young men"  feel they should, at that moment I was helpless to take away his pain, I couldn't make a promise Teddy was coming back. Seeing the tears stream down his face just broke my heart....his best friend was gone.  I was in so much pain watching him suffer like that on top of my own distress thinking about where he was or worse if someone had taken him

 It was a really rough day, we spent seven hours canvasing every street and driveway, walking around, frantically screaming his name and praying. With every passing hour, we grew less hopeful, more worried and I silently panicked as I thought about the sun setting and Teddy being out on his own in the darkness. Finally at around 6 pm feeling totally defeated, I got a call from someone who had gotten my info from the police dept. who had found him!! I don't need to tell you the happiness and feeling of elation and celebration that went on in our household at that minute. We were all so emotionally drained though I felt like I had done battle, and by 8 I was in bed closing my eyes. (We had had dinner plans with family but the plans had been canceled when all this happened, no one in our family had an appetite) It was a long heart wrenching day. I am still feeling shaken but so happy he is home. I hope your day was much much less eventful! I am just so glad this story has a happy ending.......Teddy is home safe and that is what is important, we are all back together :) Alls well that ends well.

When I think of rustic and rambling, farmhouse chic, country charmer,.....I think of lots of wood, beautifully aged timbers, wide planked floors, small cozy rooms, endless vistas of breathtaking land, lots of vintage looking fabrics, worn linens, aged looking cabinetry, geometric worn rugs,antique dishes,...you get the picture. Maybe its the crazy hurried, frenetic pace that I live my life (and I probably aged another 15 years just yesterday) but I find myself fascinated, captivated and increasingly drawn to the easy, calm, genteel world of country living. Something about the way time seems to stand still at least for a little bit. Maybe its all in my imagination, and even in the country.....maybe even there the pace has picked up but I am going to keep my little fantasy alive, thank you very much!

  I love the way, the rooms are decorated, not overdone, nothing too shiny, every thing with a slightly worn and lovingly used feel, they have character, a personality and each feels authentic. Elegant, but casual and mostly very livable. There is not a "formula" to decorate these rooms..that's what I love, they are each so individual. The chances of me one day owning one of these fabulous rustic and rambling homes is unlikely....but its fun to dream as I always say. My dream would be to own one in Napa valley, have a few acres to toy with growing grapes as a hobby, have a few horses,  my vegetable,rose and herb garden, open a small farm to table restaurant on the property (of course that would become wildly successful and be hailed as the "best kept secret in America") then keep my house here on the east coast. Now THAT would be ideal! So here is my interpretation of rustic and rambling and its many variations....what do you think?

This rustic and rambling setting truly takes my breath away!! Sandy Koepke

I love that wall filled with all kinds of great worn and vintage looking books..just gives such character and personality to this room, doesn't it?

This is elegant refined country at its finest! Kathleen Rivers

A big rambling country kitchen with mixed woods and finishes is just perfection!  Susan Dossetter

Could it get any cozier than this? We would all clamour to take up residence in this little nook! Mimi Maddock McMakin

Mixing woods and painted finishes is a popular way to go for this look....

M Elle has made a career of off designing refined country rustic interiors

This is the quintessential refined country bath! Country Living

This country bedroom gets a French twist, beautiful, soft and serene, Southern Accents

Love this amazing room for its views as much as I love bed made of birch, that it out on the sleeping porch...I would live in a spot like this! Mimi Maddock McMakin

What a great space, a dining room AND a reading nook! M Elle

Rustic with a European flair, Arch Digest

Something about the crisp white on the linens and upholstery and the dark wide planked floors makes this an inviting room, Coastal Living

How about this French inspired rustic beauty? Kitchen of Keith Johnson and Glen Senk

This vintage-y looking bathroom by Sandy Koepke is gloriously rustic

I like the unexpected pop of blue linen, in this otherwise rustic dining room! Megan Rice Yager

Country bath redefined, M Elle

An elegantly appointed country bedroom, Arch Digest (love those beams)

This to me, is the perfect blend of a rustic elegance and simplicity, Barbara Westbrook

Boszhardt took this small country bedroom and with the touch of luxurious white cotton linens turned it into a vintage jewel!

This is country living at its finest!!  Henri Quinta

Fabulous mixture of vintage florals, weathered woods, stone and antiques, Amelia Handegan

Love how this new space feels old and timeless, Nancy Boszhardt

Love this kitchen, by Peter Dunham....fabulous...how great is that island?

This vintage inspired feeling bathroom is a prefect look for a country home, love the tub!

Rustic in a sun flooded room.....such a happy and great entertaining space! Jeffers Design group

Antiqued timbered beams and floors give this new kitchen a real sense of character, S Russell Groves

Yellow makes a small charming room like this country bedroom feel so inviting, Jeffers

Love the casual but elegant slipcoverd chairs, the whitewashed brick fireplace, Cottage Living

This rustic yet beautiful kitchen is a cooks dream, Nancy Boszhardt

Beautiful antique table and plaid cusioned chairs graces this pretty dining room in this cozy room, Penelope Bianchi

Love the old fashioned feeling of this fabulous bathroom, Nancy Boszhardt

Alot of white was added to this room to brighten up the space..it gives it a very Swedish feel.

Beautiful reclaimed beams, woods and stone were used to build this master retreat, Country Living

Love the mix of the old and new, dressy and rustic, Sharon Mimran

Salvaged beams and floors give this room a timeless and aged but graceful feel

Bringing the outdoors into this elegant country bath...love the wide planked floors! Southern Accents, photo by Antoine Bootz

A coat of blue paint gives a little color to this rustic dining space, photo by Keith Scott Morton

Love this sweet setting.....casually chic

How about this bathroom outfitted in pine beadboard walls? This is something! Mimi McMadin

Mixing of the woods is a popular look, it really warms up the space, Country Living

Doesn't the feeling here personify country living? Sandy Koepke Interiors

A distressed fireplace mantle and coffee table alongside the white upholstered furniture gives this a bright and airy cottage feel

This is such an inviting, happy and lived in space.....Michael Luppino

The glow of soft pine in this cozy dining room gets warm up with the worn geometric  rug, Laurey Glenn photo

Rustic and refined.....a winning combination! Southern Accents

Going more rustic does not mean having to forgo the luxuries! Gorgeous Le Cornue range

Rustic fit for royalty! M Elle

So....what do you think about this style? Though it doesn't fit into my own personal style nor the house I am building I definitely have an apprecaition for it and possibly even more, because of the lifestyle I envision it represents....what do you think? It does make a strong argument for country living. Something about having a charming little cozy place in the country to escape to sounds pretty wonderful! Hope you have an enchanted day.