We open TOMORROW!

As I sit here ready to write something about promoting our opening tomorrow, I find myself deeply emotional.  We have had exactly two days of play in the past 3 month but we have accomplished so much that I'm tearing up over the whole experience.  The people who came into our lives to help us with this project are now more than construction workers, they're our life-long friends.  The "hiccups" and "oops" and "oh shits" along the way have humbled us both.  We did something out of our box, something which felt very uncomfortable.  Mark and I are great talkers, great at offering hospitality but not so smooth with a hammer.  We are now.

So after almost 90 days of non-stop renovation, more money than we care to admit, about 3 bottles of Advil and even more Aleve, a couple injuries, hours of laughter, a few cuss words and some tears we are going to be ready.  It won't be perfect - it never will, but it will be welcoming and cozy and still historic - still 1835.

So from April 15 to July 10 we have touched every inch of this Inn:
Two weeks solid of wallpaper removal, the floral pink & green kind.
Six rooms & stair runners of carpet, tacks and padding - gone.
Every square inch of the 2900 square feet - painted.
One dining room converted to a beautiful lake view bedroom.
Five bathrooms gutted down to the lath & plaster, new showers, tile, toilets, hardware, lighting and most importantly magnifying vanity mirrors!
One powder room - added.
Reclaimed brick floor laid in the breakfast room, hand grouted and sealed (the finger on my hands are still numb - seriously)
New electrical, including all new panels in the basement - not pretty, not romantic, but SAFE.
Air conditioning/heat units installed in each of the five bedrooms with remote controls (future guests, please don't lose them!!!)
New small refrigerators in each King Bed room & Suite.
Robes hung in each closet next to the iron & ironing board so you don't have to call for one!
New mattresses, pillows, bedding & TV's in every room.
Redesigned fireplace with reclaimed barn wood - not yet complete, we're waiting on one piece of wood.
New reclaimed wood stair treads and railings - they're still steep but a little easier to navigate.
A GORGEOUS barn door for the living room made from the American Chestnut we found under carpet but couldn't save for that room (oh, you should have seen that crazy mess!)
Repainted kitchen, a few cabinets gone, new tile, new appliances (oh ya, the refrigerator just died - thank goodness I have a back-up in the garage... there were a few f-bombs over that!)
All floors throughout the house are refinished - the pine, chestnut, tulip wood, and white oak are gorgeous. The amazing Jeremiah stayed until midnight on the 4th of July to insure they were done in time.  Who does that?
New flooring in the rooms which didn't have the original flooring - bye, bye carpet!
Refreshed the garden with the help of Mark's high school bud and a new pergola graces the hill with gorgeous views of the lake.
A ton of small touches which you may not notice, but that's okay - we do and we know that it makes the Inn just a little better.

So with all that said we get to turn the page to a new chapter - the fun part! Welcoming people from all over the world to Skaneateles.  A place so beautiful that it takes our breath away daily. If you haven't made plans yet, pack a bag and come visit us.  

Okay, off to finish up the getting ready and then to the local bakery & farm to pick up some fresh goodies.... gotta run - I'm sure we'll be doing a lot of "running" this summer but that's okay because nothing makes us happier than a happy guest.

Here we go.... with all our love, sweat & tears,
Corey & Mark