Monday, April 15, 2019

Two days in Aurora, NY...

My friend Patti and I went to Day 2 of the Mackenzie-Childs Warehouse Sale, a yearly spring event in Union Springs, NY. 
 We stayed at Wallcourt Hall, one of the "Inns of Aurora":


Wallcourt Hall was built in the heart of Aurora in 1909 for Miss Goldsmith’s School for Girls, a well-respected preparatory school.  


It later served as a dormitory for Wells College, and, for a brief time, as a studio for MacKenzie-Childs, maker of distinctive and whimsical tableware and home décor. 


The decor throughout the Inn is a tribal theme in orange-reds, black and white. 


The weather was "spring perfect" and the sunset, across the street, over Cayuga Lake, was just perfect! 


 The community room was so welcoming with custom furniture, Italian fabrics, and exceptional modern art.....


...and the breakfast room had the cutest lampshades dangling from the ceiling: 


 Our bathroom was hand painted in "spots"... 


...and the modern tribal artwork in our room was so unique and colorful!  


When we returned to the Inn, after having dinner at the Aurora Inn, we found chocolates and this sweet little card:  


We enjoyed our stay and look forward to returning to Aurora for the MacKenzie- Childs Barn Sale this summer!



 Behind the Hall is the renovation of Zabriski House, which will be the 5th Inn, all within walking distance of each other! This Inn will open in the fall, 2019. 





So, how was dinner at the Aurora Inn?

Well, first, our hostess for the dinner party was Diana... 


...who planned an Alice in Wonderland theme and she was our "queen".

"Alice" was her friend Audrey, and Susie drove in from Maryland:  


Marylin and Celeste were a mother/daughter team, family friends of Ted's:


Ted was all decked out in a festive checked outfit: 


Joan and I chatted about the treasures we found at the Warehouse Sale earlier in the day!


We enjoyed glasses of champagne with our hostess before dinner...


...and then our group of 10 had our photos taken on the deck overlooking the beautiful sunset on Cayuga Lake: 





The dinner table had the cutest centerpiece made by Audrey...


...filled with lollipops and MacKenzie-Childs teacup ornaments: 


Diana ordered us a variety of appetizers: 


And I started my meal with a delicious Pear, Walnut and Frise´ salad...


And I had a delicious Pasta Bolognese for my main meal:  


Desserts, wine, and Chocolate Martinis were enjoy by all! 


Our hostess surprised us all with generous gifts galore!  Presents that will always remind me of a fun evening of developing new friendships!


I made little favors for the table... I started with little a few wooden heart ornaments that I painted...


...and I found little black bags... 



...and ordered stickers to adhere to the bags.... 


...and added my logo stickers to the ornaments...



...I bagged them up and the favors were ready for my "NEW" friends!  


...Aurora and the MacKenzie-Childs store is full of magical fun, a great area to meet new friends and a place to escape from everyday stress and challenges! 


The next day we visited the store and ran into Tom, our favorite salesman: 

And I drooled a bit over the hand painted ceramics...


... I ran into Debbie and her husband from our Traveling Tote group of bloggers:


Another highlight was the Warehouse Sale itself - this is truly what brought us all together for the few days...


...It was not busy at all... 


...and this is where I first ran into my FB friend, Joan: 


 I was lucky to find some special pieces and this tray was one of my favorite finds, as well as the cushions for my flower basket chairs: 


It was a great 2 days and again, I believe this to be very true:


Patti @ Pandoras Box
Patti @ Pandoras Box

I live in central NY and I am a retired family and consumer science teacher. I enjoy all types of crafting, decorating and cooking

7 comments:

  1. That looks like it was a great trip!

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  2. Patti, your getaway looks to be filled with friendship and fun! Oh, and just a little touch of MKC. Ha! Ha! Thanks for the fantastic review with all the photos. I feel like I was there on this "friendship" gathering. How fortunate we all are that this wonderful brand spawns such amazing friendships. Love your new finds!

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  3. Your little gifts were so well done!

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  4. Oh goodness Patti, what fun! I can't believe all the details that went into that Alice in Wonderland dinner! Your ornaments and packaging are MKC perfect! What a wonderful quote, and yes MacKenzie-Childs creates friendships!!
    Jenna

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  5. I wish I could've gone, you lucky duck! I want to go to the Barn Sale this year because it has been seven years sonce I've been! :O I love your ornaments. You are so thoughtful! Fun party!!!

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  6. Fun times, I can't wait until the barn sale!

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