All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
With feet that make no sound upon the floors …
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
This is without a doubt my favorite inn. It’s located in Sudbury, MA, and is the oldest operating inn in the United States. Originally known as Howe’s Tavern, this quaint inn was made famous when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow employed it as the setting for his book of poetry, “Tales of a Wayside Inn” in 1863. This charming inn has everything you could possibly want: a full restaurant, an old tavern, historically appointed guest rooms (especially rooms 9 & 10), picturesque function and dining rooms, an outdoor canopy tent, museum exhibits, beautiful gardens, a gristmill, and walking trails. And the best part? For those who have a fascination with the spirit world, it’s considered to be haunted by the beautiful Jerusha Howe (wayside inn ghost real or imagined). She was known as “the belle of Sudbury” and she was famous for her musical and artistic skills. It’s reported that she owned the first piano in town and regularly played for visitors. Today, some guests claim they have heard ghostly tunes played in the middle of the night…
This is the entrance and staircase when you first step into the inn and to the right is the old tavern pictured below.
The tavern actually dates back to 1707 and is part of the original home of David and Hepzibah Howe.
One of the famous drinks in the tavern is the coow woow, considered to be America’s first cocktail which consists of ginger brandy and rum. It’s one very strong drink! www.foodiepilgrim.com
Here is our room and it was very comfortable with this king-sized bed.
These are some of the many dining areas.
My husband and I had a chance to stay overnight in room 9 four years ago. We had to reserve it months in advance due to its popularity. I did not experience anything but my husband, a no-nonsense firefighter, was awakened in the middle of the night by a sweet delicate fragrance. He woke me up and asked me if I could smell the perfumed fragrance, and I could not smell it. The fact that it was strong enough to wake him up speaks to the fact that it was not his imagination. He swears that he was not making it up and I believe him. I later found an article online that stated Jerusha makes herself known to men through her citrus perfume.
There is an odd and unique custom that has developed over the years at the inn which is referred to as the Secret Drawer Society. Little notes, usually reporting on any ghost encounters (or no encounter) are stuffed into little cracks, crevices, and drawers all throughout the room. Some of the notes go back decades. Often guests will spend hours searching the room and reading the secret testimonies of those who have come before. Here is a picture of some of the notes stuffed in this ceiling beam.
Here is an old chest full of notes left by guests over the years.
The inn has 10 beautiful guests rooms and this hallway reminds me of the Stanley Hotel. What do you think?
This delicious breakfast is complimentary at the inn with an overnight stay. The omelet was to die for…
I highly recommend the Longfellow’s Wayside Inn. This post was a brief reprieve from fashion. I hope you stay healthy and safe.
I have been on a striped dress kick and this is a continuation of my previous post 
I have always been told that vertical stripes can make our body look slimmer and horizontal ones can widen our body. There is controversy about the size of the stripes in that narrow stripes pull in our waist more versus wider stripes. And that narrow black stripes on a white background are thought to be most flattering. I have broken every one of those rules in my colorful striped dress and have offset it with a solid color denim jacket. What do you think? Is it okay to break the rules once in a while?
The dress that I am wearing is by Calvin Klein and is super soft and stretchy. My shoes are by Patrizia and they have a cushioned insole–they are so comfy. My bracelet is something that I made with my coworkers last year and I love the colors. Here is it up close:
I have more striped dresses to show you in my next post. And Mabel says hi. We have a surprise for her coming soon in the form of an outside fenced-in play yard!
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I did some extensive traveling last weekend from my back door to this nearby bench in my yard.
Did you know that solid colors can be more slimming? That piqued my interest especially after letting a few pounds sneak up on me over the winter. Having one solid color on your top and bottom creates a vertical line, which is great for adding height to your body and slimming your figure. Also, there is something about the color red that soaks up the light in a flattering way.
I love this military-inspired trench coat with silver hardware (by Michael Kors). This is the perfect lightweight coat for in-between seasons.
The material of this faux-wrap dress contains 95% polyester and 5% spandex (Women’s Laundry by Design). This makes my third faux-wrap style dress that I now own, and this one was thrifted for $19.99 (originally $138).
The March full moon is known as the worm moon because it coincides with the time of year when earthworms begin to emerge from the thawing ground. 
This is a brief post.
I love the “Fog” poem by Carl Sandburg who describes the fog so simply and powerfully through a metaphorical cat. Aubrey is sitting looking not over the harbor but at me and with hairy eyeballs I might add. She is mysterious, unpredictable, and even a little scary just like that fog slowly and quietly creeping in. (Thank you, Dan, for sharing this poem with me.)
A glimpse of Crotched Mountain peeking through the trees.
This is what I typically wear on weekends. You have seen this navy checkered shirt before and distressed jeans. But these burgundy Lucky Brand booties are new and were thrifted for $20.00.
Mabel turns one on Monday, March 2. We are throwing her a surprise party—shhh. She thinks she’s still a puppy…an 85 pound one.
My post is straying from its usual fashion theme in an effort to stop and contemplate on the meaning of life. The above quote (by my creative brother) about the “web of life” got me thinking about the meaning of that expression. Therefore, I set out to visit my favorite secret spot this past weekend, to search for answers on that subject.The sun was shining brightly and it looked to be a superb day to capture some stunning views from this mountain top location. I believe that nature speaks to us revealing life’s wonder and mystery. 
Humans are fragile yet enduring; delicate yet strong.
We exist for a purpose greater than ourselves.
We are living, breathing, desiring and feeling organisms.
Embrace the simplicity that exists within nature.
To reveal life’s deeper meaning.
And truth through its beauty.
The web of life.
My beige skirt and black cardigan blend nicely with the winter landscape.
My wool pencil skirt is by J. Crew and cardigan is by Cherokee.
Mabel’s colors match the winter scenery: black, brown and white. With that thought, Mabel just told me she wants to check out the snow and eat some slushies, an authentic wintertime treat. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Designing Mimi 