Peggy and April put the Gingerbread Men toppers on the library Christmas Tree.
Season’s Greetings! Liz here, Assistant Innkeeper at Grape Arbor Bed and Breakfast. This year I am decorating an entire bed and breakfast for the first time!
Peggy told me that Christmas decorating is a huge undertaking but I still have to say, “WHOA!”
We put on Christmas music and had fun with the whole thing even though it is a lot of work. The endeavor requires about four days and three able bodies, minimum. I also recommend as much caffeine as possible along with a sugar boost. The problem is that all the decorations are stored in the basement of one building, and have to be brought upstairs and across the parking lot to the other building! We logged at least thirty trips each up and down the stairs with boxes huge and small. Fitbits were happy! We proceeded under Peggy’s watchful instruction to decorate more or less one room at a time while trying not to disturb guests or the guest experience. The results are merry, bright, and stunning!
Grape Arbor library fireplace and tree.
Two of many dozen homemade Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies on the library Christmas Tree.
Our library features the big, main Christmas Tree trimmed with homemade Gingerbread Snowflakes and traditional trimmings. It smells wonderful! Oh, and the stocking are hung by the chimney with care. There is also an entire village of illuminated houses and buildings on top of the shelves along with a collection of vintage Santas.
Black Forest wooden Christmas scene under the Santa Believe wall hanging in the entry way.
White feather wreath, holiday candles and trimmed metal tree.
Our entry way is a decked hall with a wooden Black Forest Christmas pyramid imported from Germany. If you aren’t familiar with German pyramids, there are four candles, which, when lit cause the paddles above to spin. This one is all natural wood. Underneath the white feather wreath is a metal tree that has a collection of antique ornaments found in a shop on the Maryland shore.
Grape Arbor dining room ready for Christmas.
The dining room is Christmas Tree themed. Some of the many trees are metallic, some fabric, some light up. The prettiest, to me, are something I’ve never seen before – Feather Christmas Trees. They are gorgeous. Of course Peggy has the dining room metal topiary festooned for the season, and that is a Christmas Tree in itself. A topiary is a must have for folks who like to change decor with the seasons.
Parlor full of nutcrackers, and the nutcracker tree!
The Parlor is affectionately called the Nutcracker room because it houses Peggy’s impressive and extensive collection of nutcrackers, including a Christmas Tree decorated entirely with smaller, happy nutcracker ornaments. I haven’t counted them, but there are more than 40, including a vintage style gold foil tree…loaded with nutcracker ornaments!
Peggy’s forthcoming Gingerbread Santa’s Workshop will be housed near some of the feather trees in the dining room.
The final touch is coming soon. Peggy plans to make, from scratch of course, a gingerbread Santa’s Workshop.
Every where you turn in Grape Arbor Bed and Breakfast you find a Season’s Greeting and a few of your favorite things. As usual, the smell of baking bread and cookies waft through and through. There’s no place like Grape Arbor for the holidays and we hope to see you during this joyful season! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us!
