Author: Janet

I like to share travel deals, destinations, and travel tips!

Whiting Mills presents Holiday Open Studios & Guest Artists

Get into the holiday mood this season by visiting Whiting Mills located on 100 Whiting Street, Winsted, CT (just off of Route 44, a right turn before Northwestern Community College) on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday December 7 from 11 a.m. to 5 pm.

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Here, visitors can enjoy browsing the work of dozens of artists in their studios or the “guest artists” in the Laurel Room. This historic mill building in the heart of Winsted has been turned into 47 studios for dozens of Master artists, photographers, wood workers and cabinetmakers, craftspeople, unique shops for quilting and a hobby store specializing in miniature railroad.

It is fun to talk to the artists directly and learn about things that inspire their work. Whiting Mills provides a unique opportunity for people to be able to view the studio of an artist while getting to see how they create their artwork. You can even commission one-of-a-kind pieces in a wide variety of media including furniture, drapes, weaving, jewelry, pottery, photography, paintings and original art.

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Another highlight of this annual event is that several of the resident artists and craftspeople will be giving one-hour demonstrations in their studios or other locations in the building.

For more information about Whiting Mills visit http://whitingmills.com. For more holiday events visit www.litchfieldhills.com

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Westport’s Holiday House Tour and Twilight Soiree

The Westport Historical Society’s Holiday House Tour’s theme for this year is “Rooms with a View”. The tour will be held on Saturday, December 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it will be followed from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. by the Twilight Soiree hosted by Lillian August’s flagship Norwalk store.

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This year’s five-house lineup in Westport and Weston will showcase homes owned or designed by well-known local interior designers and architects. The homes are diverse and include a Nantucket-style cottage at Compo Beach with a roof-top deck overlooking the water, as well as a hilltop Francophile’s chateau offering sweeping vistas.

Three of the houses are owned by interior designers, so this will be a good opportunity to see how the professionals decorate for the Christmas and Hanukkah seasons. A pianist will play at one of the homes, and several will be serving hot cider, hot chocolate, and holiday sweets.

Houses to be featured are:

Interior designer Olga Adler’s Saugatuck Shores residence: Rebuilt in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, this property went from a “tired rambler with multiple-personality disorder,” as Adler put it, to “a clean-lined, modern beach house with touches of global chic and a twist of Bohemia.”

Artist Kerri Rosenthal’s colorful mod colonial: Constructed in the late 1990s by award-winning builder Scott Buddenhagen, this home serves as a gallery for Rosenthal’s art. She works with D2 Interieurs as a color consultant, and their work has been featured in New England Home and At Home magazines this year.
1920s house designed by Frazier Forman Peters: One of Westport’s best-known and most original builders, Peters used native field stone and other textured materials to complement the landscape around his houses. This one is notable for the green Welsh quarry tiles on the fireplace and window sills, as well as for the pecky cypress ceilings in several of the rooms.

Designer Donna Gordon’s chateau in bucolic Weston ridge-top setting: A collaboration by award-winning architect, Judith Larson, with interior design by Gordon. Details, furnishings, and antiques reflect the owners many travels to France.

A Compo Beach house designed by Peter Cadoux Architects, built by Tiefenthaler Construction, and decor by Lillian August: This cherished family retreat built in 2011 on property that has been in the same family for three generations, was featured on the cover of East Coast Design Magazine in Spring 2012.

Tour-goers can visit the houses in any order they wish. Maps will be provided with tickets, and docents will be on hand to discuss furnishings and design elements.

The Twilight Soiree will feature savory hors d’oeuvres prepared by Garelick & Herbs, wine, holiday music, and an opportunity to take part in a silent auction. Up for grabs will be an America’s Cup Cruise, getaways to a Cape Cod vacation home and a mountain ski house, antique French pottery, and a painting by Weston artist Kerri Rosenthal, whose home and studio are part of the tour. Guests will also enjoy 10% off on purchases of Lillian August furnishings, with an additional 10% benefiting the Westport Historical Society.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.westporthistory.org, call (203) 222-1424, or stop in at Westport Historical Society, 25 Avery Place, across from Town Hall.

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Washington’s Festival of Trees & Lights

Washington’s Gunn Memorial Library and Museum invites you to start a new tradition this holiday season! Fun for all ages, Gunn Memorial’s annual Festival of Trees & Lights cocktail party will take place in the historic Wykeham Room on Friday, December 5, from 5 to 7pm.

This event features creatively-decorated holiday trees, wreaths and stockings, as well as one-of-a-kind ornaments by local artists, which will be sold by silent auction to benefit the Gunn Memorial Library & Museum. Peruse the festive hall while sampling wine and hors d’oeuvres provided by local restaurants.

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The Library’s tree will be decked with Treasure Pouches, each containing a slip of paper bestowing a mystery gift. Attendees may purchase a pouch and claim an item or service that has been donated by a local business including gift baskets, theater tickets, edibles, gift certificates and more.
The suggested donation for the Friday evening cocktail party is $15 per person or $25 per couple. The tree display will be open for viewing at no charge on Saturday, December 6, from 10am-2pm.

Items not sold at the cocktail party on Friday evening will be available for purchase on Saturday. For further information call (860) 868-7586 or email gunndevelopment@biblio.org.

Tickets are available in advance at the circulation desk, or guests may pay at the door the night of the event. The Gunn Memorial Library is located at 5 Wykeham Road at the juncture of Route 47 opposite the Green in Washington, CT. For more information and for library hours visit www.gunnlibrary.org.

For information on holiday events in Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

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Holiday Stroll & Dec. Fun at Litchfield History Museum

The Litchfield History Museum is offering a special Holiday Stroll on Sunday, November 30 from 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. This festive event will include a holiday stroll of this historic town as well as materials to make your own holiday ornaments!

In addition to the festivities, this will be the last day to view this year’s excellent exhibition, “Join the Brave Throng: Poster Art of WWI and the other exhibits at the Litchfield History Museum and the Tapping Reeve House & Law School.

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Although the museums will be closed after November 30, the Litchfield History Museum has several interesting programs planned for the month of December that includes a lecture on December 7 of the hidden history of Litchfield County at 1 p.m. This lecture traces the past of the area that is hidden in plain sight. Among the all-but-forgotten stories is the 1886 fire that roared down West Street in Litchfield causing hotel guests to flee their rooms at the Mansion House. In Bantam, the Art Deco chairs offered by the Warren McArthur Corporation caught the attention of the War Department who asked the company to make seats for bombers in World War II. With these and other hidden tales author Peter C. Vermilyea explores the little-known history of Litchfield Hills.

On December 10 at 7 p.m. there will be an archives workshop that will review the best ways to store cherished heirlooms. Basic storage techniques ranging from museum-quality archival practices to simple and affordable solutions, tips on displaying your fabric treasures, and just some good old-fashioned do’s and don’ts will be reviewed to help you store your treasures for generations. Free for members, $10 for non-members.

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On December 17, the Leather Apron Book Club will hold a meeting from 3:30- 5 p.m. The group will be reading Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen. This is the story of 13-year-old Samuel who must help to save his family, taken prisoner by the British during the Revolutionary War. Following a discussion of the book, we’ll play a game or make a craft related to the story. Register by December 12 and get a copy of the book! This is best for kids 8 and up. The cost is $10 for members and $15 for non-members.

For more information visit http://litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org.

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Bethel Salutes the holidays

Downtown Bethel is saluting the holidays with a series of special events sure to please holiday gift buyers and browsers. To kick off the season, Bethel has decorated and lit their gorgeous holiday tree. On Saturday, November 29, Bethel is inviting kids to meet Santa from a 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bethel Municipal Center. Pose for photos with Santa then browse the items displayed by local artisans and vendors at the Santa Village Marketplace.

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Also on November 29, the Bethel Chamber is sponsoring a Run Santa Run 5K where participants can opt to run as Santa, an elf, a holiday tree or even a present! The 5K Run / Walk starts at 11:00 a.m.Kids Fun Run starts at 10:15 a.m.

Along with the 5K, Santa’s Village Marketplace will be setup inside the Bethel Municipal Center. A great way to start your holiday shopping. After the 5K, Santa will be inside for you to visit with and have your picture taken.

Beginning on December 4, each Thursday in December will be the Bethel Wine and Shop event that begins at 4 p.m. and lasts until the closing time of shop participants. This is the first annual wine and shop event and participants can purchase a passport for $25 for shopping and dining purposes. More than a dozen merchants will serve you wine when you show your passport. And, when shopping is over, use your passport at several restaurants in town for special dining offers.

For details call the Bethel Chamber at 203-743-6500. For additional information visit http://bethelchamber.com or call 203-743-6500.

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In Our Own Backyard at Sharon Historical and Darrin Winston Bookseller

Located in the scenic corner of the Litchfield Hills in Northwest Connecticut, the Sharon Historical Society is hosting a new show in it’s gallery, In Our Own Backyard… Five Women Express Life Where We Live, through December 20.

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Gallery visitors will experience the beauty of our area’s rolling hills, long vistas, fields and marshes, deep skies and stretches of water in artwork created by local artists. Dorothy Fox, Nancy Goldberger, Patricia Hogan, Linda Wenkert and Lilly Woodworth share their love of the Litchfield Hills and surrounding area with paintings in oil, watercolor, acrylic and pastel.

The gallery is open Wed. – Fri. from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information on the Sharon Historical Society http://www.sharonhist.org.

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After visiting the Sharon Historical Society, don’t forget to stop in to visit Darren Winston Bookseller in Sharon located on 81 Main Street, steps away from the Historical Society. Here you will find a fabulous array of antiquarian books from vintage pulp fiction to finely bound classics there is something for everyone. The shop is also an art gallery with changing shows and art exhibitions. For more information visit http://www.darrenwinstonbookseller.com/

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For the holidays, the shop will be displaying a wonderful selection of things that are perfect for holiday gifts. In addition to this, you will be able to see the art show, If 6 was 9 featuring The Topsy-Turvy World of Tom Wood. Darrin Winston Books is open Thursday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

For information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

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