Cheers to a New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We only have a few more days left to 2009. It is hard to believe that the year is almost gone. Is it just me or does tt seem that the year has just flown by. Have you started to make your New Year's Resolutions, yet? One of mine is to do a better job of keeping up with this blog. Oh and to lose all of the weight that I put on by eating christmas cookies : (

It is that time of year where we all begin to make our New Year's Eve plans. Of course, it will be jumping in Jefferson on New Years Eve.

The New Years Train will be rolling on December 31st. The Historic Jefferson Railway will be providing noisemakers and beverages for all of the New Years party goers. There will be fireworks off of the top of the train and just like in Times Square, they will be dropping the ball. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.railoflights.com/. The Christmas train tickets went fast and I am sure that the New Year's train tickets will as well.

Have you ever thought of ringing in the New Year on a steamboat on Caddo Lake? The Graceful Ghost will be THE place for the swamp party on New Years Eve! The steaboat will depart at 5pm, 8pm and 11pm and will be serving heavy Hors d'œuvres and drink set ups. I am taking the 5pm tour so that I can watch the Uncertain firework display. Space is very limited for these boat rides so please call 1-877-89-Ghost (1-877-894-4678)to reserve your spot.

If you just want a place to hang out and party, then Auntie Skinners is the place for you. Auntie Skinners will be celebrating New Years Eve in a typical Auntie Skinners style. The band Ambush will be rocking all night and everyone will be able to enjoy a Champagne Toast at midnight. Cover charge is $15 and will include party favors and a champagne toast.

So if you are looking for something unique and fun for New Year's Eve. Consider staying a couple of nights at your favorite bed and breakfast and party like it's 2010 in Jefferson.

Book Signing at The Carriage House Sunday December 6th

"I LOVE YOU, MOM – Please don’t break my heart" is the story of the physical, mental, and emotional abuse of a young child and unfortunately it is a true story. At the hands of his mother, John Borgstedt endured neglect, isolation, physical beatings, mental degradation, malevolent admissions into several mental institutions, and eventual attempted murder all within the custodial supervision of his unscrupulous mother.

This literary work is indeed Borgstedt’s factual account of his small, bruised body clinging to life, his struggle as a teenager fighting and winning against insurmountable odds, and his entrance into young manhood as a warrior for the young and innocent, protecting them from experiencing a similar childhood of hell on earth. John's book is an uplifiting tale of how faith has led this young man back and has made him the protector of all children today.
Borgstedt is rapidly becoming a noted motivational speaker for young and old alike.

From school children and faculty to correctional institutions with hardened criminals to devout Christian church groups, John's message of hope, love, and determination touches the hearts and minds of his audience. Indeed, fans and followers of John Borgstedt patiently awaits the day that his vision for establishing a boys ranch becomes a reality. This warrior for 'right' is not a quitter.

John will be at The Carriage House Bed and Breakfast in Jefferson, Texas on December 6th to sign copies of his book, "I LOVE YOU MOM - Please don't break my heart".

The Perfect Gift

It is Black Friday today and do you know what you are going to get everyone on your list? There is always that one person that is impossible to buy for. That one person that seems to have everything. You rack your brain and are simply stumped! What do they want? What can you get them?

How about a Carriage House Bed and Breakfast Gift Certificate? Everyone appreciates the gift of relaxation.

You can buy gift certificates for one night, two nights or as many nights as you would like. Simply call us and we can help you decide the type of gift certificate that you need. We can take your order over the phone and mail you the gift certificate or email it to you if you would like to print it out yourself.

A Carriage House Bed and Breakfast Gift Certificate is perfect for a special teacher, your pastor or best friend. So give them the gift they really want, give them the gift of relaxation and pampering.

The Transformation Continues!

OMG! What a week we have had here at The Carriage House. We have been remodeling and updating this old house. I don't think that our repeat guests will recognize their favorite rooms.

There really was too much action last week for me to go into a lot of detail. So I will just give you some bullet points.

• I ordered a new Queen size bed for the Jay Gould Room. The room had a double bed and I don't believe that most grown adults like to sleep in such a small bed. The new bed will be delivered tomorrow (11/24). I already have a beautiful quilt that my mother made for the bed so I am ready for the new furniture.


• The mattresses that used to be in the Jay Gould Room has been moved to the Jewel Room. The Jewel Room used to have a Double Bed and a Twin Bed. Now that the Jewel Room has two Double beds, it can sleep four people instead of three. Of course the bedding that was on the twin bed did not fit on the double bed, so I had to purchase all new bedding for that room.


• The Diamond Bessie Room has a new floor, new furniture and new rugs. We also added a fireplace to the room to make it even more romantic.


• The Ladybird Cottage has been going through a complete makeover. It now has a new floor, new paint, new curtains, new rugs, new bedding, new furniture, new ceiling fan and a new flat screen TV. We also added a fireplace to this room to amp up the charm factor of this truly pretty room. My mother has been making a new quilt for this room and I will pick it up next week. Chris Garrett, our painter, said the room looked very "spring" like.


• Kathy Lambert of My Fathers Garden is trowel deep in restoring the gardens. We had all of the old overgrown gardens pulled out about a month ago. The trees were in bad need of a trimming and we had that done as well. Now Kathy is in the process of planting new butterfly and hummingbird gardens. She has the whole project broken into about seven phases and she completed phase one today. She installed some ground cover and new plants between the two carriage houses. Words cannot describe what a difference that made already. The whole project should be complete some time in the spring. Stay tuned for an announcement of an open house to show off our new gardens some time in May.

What a difference a week can make. I can't wait until all of you can get out here and see the place! We will be updating the room pictures on the website in the next week.

The Transformation Begins

I have been threatening this since the day we moved in. I have talked about it and planned for it. I have mentioned it to others to gain their approval. I have described it in detail and gotten bids on it. The time for talk has passed. It began this week.

I am writing about the remodeling of the Ladybird Cottage (f/k/a the Garden Cottage). The paint was yellowing and was badly stained in areas. The carpet was worn and dingy. The quilt was threadbare and had holes in the pillow cases. Several of our guest complained about a musty odor in that room. The Ladybird Cottage was dark and uninviting.

I had enough of this gloomy and dank room and so the transformation begins!

We are having all of the walls painted a bright white and the trim painted a cheerful green. The dingy dark carpet is coming out tomorrow 11/18 and a Swedish Maple laminate is being installed. On December 1, I will be going back to McKinney to pick up a brand new handmade quilt for the bed. I have only seen the quilt in pieces but I have had it described to me as "happy". I have purchased a new bed skirt and other new linens for the room. By time I am finished, the room will no longer be dark and dreary but bright and cheerful.

I was able to get such a great price on the laminate that I am also having the Diamond Bessie room (f/k/a the Scarlett Room) done as well. The carpet in that room is stained and filthy. It also needs to be stretched and re-cut. After the holidays, I will be purchasing new curtains and linens for that room and getting rid of the matchy-matchy bed in a bag look that it has right now.

Stay tuned for my next post where I will talk about the garden restoration project.

Do You Really Want to Go to a Mall?

No seriously...do you really want to spend the day after Thanksgiving in a shopping mall? You don't have to you know. You have options!

Christmas is a magical time of year in Jefferson. It is full of sparkle, cheer and memories of Christmas past. It is a place where there is an enchanted Christmas tree forest and a train that takes you around the world. It is a place full of Christmas lights, and a Victorian Santa.

The Christmas Season gets kicked off in grand style the weekend after Thanksgiving. There will be a city-wide lighting ceremony on November 27th that is free to the public and the Enchanted Forest in Lions Park will be glittering with festively decorated Christmas trees. Come be amazed by all of the beautiful and sparkling Christmas lights and displays.

I know. You need to get your Christmas shopping done. Everybody loves all of the unique and quaint shops in Jefferson and of course we all love a bargain. The day after Thanksgiving will be the Merchant's Open House. All of the shopkeepers in the historic distric will be rolling out the red carpet and the Christmas sales. Jefferson is the place to find that exceptional and distinctive gift for that hard to buy person.

At the end of a long day shopping and merryment, it is time to kick up your heels and have some fun. Auntie Skinners will be hosting the Hustler's Ball on November 28th. It will be a loud and entertaining time!

So I ask you again, Do you really want to go to a mall? You will have to fight for parking and a seat in the food court. The stores will crowded and hot. Let's face it. Nobody will be in a good mood. Your better choice is to come to Jefferson for some fabulous bargains and be swept away to an old fashioned Christmas.

Come Sit by the Fire for a Spell

Before I get into this blog's topic, I need to let you know that the November newsletter will be coming out in the next few days. If you are not already on our email list, then go to http://www.carriagehousejefferson.com/ and find the subsciption box at the bottom of the home page. The November newsletter will be featuring Christmas in Jefferson which is truly an amazing time of year.

Now on to this blog's topic...the new fire pit.

One of the constant conversations that we have here at The Carriage House is "How do we improve the experience for our guests". We are always searching for ways to make our breakfast more elegant or seeking improvements to make to our rooms. The hunt is always on to make The Carriage House Experience one that our guests will look back on fondly. We want you to come back to Jefferson and stay with us again and again.

One of the ideas that we landed on was to add a fire pit to our courtyard area. We already had wonderfully overstuffed patio furniture to sit on and the fire pit would only enhance the feel of the courtyard. Everybody loves a fire on a cool autumn night or mild winter night. A fire is romantic. A fire is inspiring. A fire is fun.

We lit our first fire this past Sunday night and our newlyweds sat out by the fire and enjoyed a quiet evening under the beautiful East Texas night sky.

So on weekends were the weather allows us, we will be making s'mores out by the fire pit. So come on down and bring your favorite bottle of wine and your favorite person to cuddle with and... come sit by the fire for a spell.

Honeymoon at The Carriage House

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Rogers!

Randall and Katheryn had been sweethearts in high school, however after school they both went their separate ways and started lives of their own. Both of them married, started and raised families. Unfortunately as will happen in life, they both were widowed. Recently they found each other again and rekindled the old flame. They were married this past Sunday, October 25th.

It was truly a blessing for us to have these two wonderful people spend their honeymoon with us!

Boo Benefit Weekend

It started on Thursday. In the distance, you could hear the low rumble of the Harley's rolling into town. Plat. Plat. Plat. On the highways, you could see the caravans of RVs progressing their way into Jefferson. There was a sense of excitement in the cold damp October air. It was clear that this was going to be a different kind of weekend. It was clear that it was the Boo Benefit.

There have been no official numbers released yet on attendance or on the amount of money raised, but the Marion County Chamber of Commerce has said that the event had a larger attendance then 2008. Potentially there were upwards of 40,000 people and their bikes in town for the benefit.

This was a sturdy crowd. They didn't let the miserable weather keep them from the rally. The first rider went out at 10am on Saturday for one of two courses. It was an all day ride and people didn't start coming back in until late afternoon. Many of the riders said that the cold cut through their chaps and the rain pelted them like nails. However, they were here to support Boo and they were determined to ride for the cause.

The Carriage House was full. Our guests started showing up early Friday afternoon. Some rode in but most everybody trailered their bikes. On Saturday, Tom made his "Almost World Famous Chili" to help keep everyone warm. Dixie and Samantha made a host of new Best Friends and Dixie even tried to go home with the crew out of Jacksonville (I think they would have taken her too).

Everyone had a blast. It was a fun and fantastic weekend. We are already booked for next year but if you would like to go on the wait list, please call us at (903) 665-9511.

Ride Safe!

So get a witch's shawl on. A broomstick you can crawl on.

It is creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky.

Jefferson is the most haunted small town in Texas. In fact, the place is just full of ghosts and spirits. Don't believe me...watch this video. All of the ghosts and ghouls that reside here in Jefferson make it the perfect place to spend the scariest time of year.

The Historic Jefferson Railway will once again this year be spooktacularly creepy. The 8th annual Terror on the Bayou will run every weekend until Halloween. Not only will the haunted Runaway Fright Train make you scream in terror but the Creepy Screamin' Corn Maze will take you through a haunted cemetary and end in the Tunnel of Doom. This is the stuff of nightmares!

If that doesn't make your blood run cold, then maybe a ghost hunt will scare you to madness. By the glow of a lantern light, you can be guided through the most haunted sites in Jefferson. Tours are every Friday and Saturday night with three tour times Halloween night (8pm, 10pm, 12pm). If you are unfortunate enough, maybe you will even see one of the ghosts.

Of course, no Halloween would be complete without a costume party and contest. So come in your scariest, creepiest costume and party at Auntie Skinners Halloween night. Prizes will be awarded to the most original or scariest costumes. A terrifying time will be had by all!

Didn't get enough bloodcurdling fun Halloween night? On November 7th, Jefferson will host the History Haunts and Legends convention. This annual all day paranormal convention will be held at the Transportation and Visitors Center and will have speakers on topics such as Bigfoot, clairvoyants, and of course ghosts. Spooky!

So if you are looking for a frighteningly good time, make the short drive here to Jefferson. Just don't be afraid of anything that goes bump in the night!

Boo Benefit

Next weekend is the 12th annual Boo Benefit. It is going to be a loud and rowdy time here in Jefferson. I have been told by several people that there could be upwards of 50,000 people descending on this small town next weekend. Here at The Carriage House, we are busy preparing for a very busy weekend!

Boo Benefit started twelve years ago when a gentleman by the name of Boo (Charles "Boo" Chaler) was burned over 95% of his body in a welding accident. Boo was know for his love of riding and his friends and fellow riders created the Boo Benefit to help pay his hospital bills while he was still in the burn unit of the LSU Burn Unit in Shreveport, LA. Today this worthy event, helps support the Camp I'm Still Me (formally the Louisiana Burn Camp) and gives thse young burn survivors the opportunity to go to camp and have fun just like any other youngster.

So if you like to ride, come on down next weekend to support a great cause and have fun at the same time.

I have a Peaceful, Easy Feeling

One of the things that attracted us to Jefferson was all of the things to do in the area. There is always something going on here in town. I mean...always! This weekend was no different.

Tom had been bugging me all weekend to go to the Caddo Lake Ramsar Wetland Center Grand Opening that was going to held on Saturday. Of course when you have a house full of guests you don't get to go out and play on the weekends, so I got to be the bad guy and say no.

Friday night Belinda and Renee from the North East Texas Film Commission checked in. Look honey, new friends! We had a lot of fun talking with both ladies and learning more about the work that the film commission does. These two ladies work very closely with the Texas Film Commission and different production companies to promote our area. Frankly, I believe that we have so much to offer. If you are looking for southern antebellum mansions, we got 'em. If you need a scary atmosphere for a horror movie, we have it. If you need dark piney woods, fall color, or spring time flowers, we have it. It is these ladies job, to bring all of this to the attention of anyone who may be considering filming in this area.

Belinda and Renee were in town to observe the final days of shooting of Boggy Creek. They convinced us to go with them to the grand opening of the new Wetlands. This new wildlife refuge used to be the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant and was decommissioned in the late 1980s and became a Superfund site (think environmentally contaminated). Many people fought to clean up this area and keep it out of the hands of the developers. One of the people that lent his name to the project was Don Henley. He is originally from this area and is fighting to keep this land pure and pristine. Apparently there were plans to turn this site into another industrial park. Don't we already have enough empty industrial parks?

Tom and I got the chance to meet Don Henley. We stood there like groupies stumbling over our words. Mr Henley was very gracious in talking to anybody who came up to him and signing autographs.

At the same time that this was going on, the first annual Fire Brigade Car Show. People from all over the area brought their classic cars to show. I am not an antique car buff, but even I could appreciate the beauty of these vehicles. If you have a love for cars, then you will definitely want to make plans for next year's show.

If you are a garage sale fiend, then you definitely want to come to Jefferson next weekend. Next Saturday is the City Wide Rummage Sale. I know that I will have a ton of stuff that I will be selling. So come on down. There will be a lot of great finds!

First Weekend!

Every Bed and Breakfast innkeeper that we ever talked to said that there favorite part of the job was making new friends and meeting new people. I have to say that this was our favorite part of our first weekend. Every guest that came through our door was so wonderful! We enjoyed meeting you and having the opportunity to serve you.

The weekend was fast paced and just like for our guests, it was over too soon. We loved every minute and can't wait to meet our next set of guests. So to Fredricka, Charlotte, David, Irma, Ray, Susan, Monique, Tom, The Stovers, Garth and Audrey...thank you! We were honored to meet you and were flattered that you chose our bed and breakfast.

Preview Weekend

We did it!

We had our first guests last weekend. Tom and I needed to practice our inn keeping skills and so we invited our families and closest friends out for a fun-filled weekend in picturesque Jefferson.

Since many of our friends and family had never been to Jefferson before, we took them to all of the fabulous spots in town and in the area. They all enjoyed the fun quaint stores and antique shops in town. Saturday afternoon, we took them on the "Graceful Ghost" boat tour of Caddo Lake. If you have never been to Caddo, then you don't know just how beautiful that area really is. Caddo Lake is really more of a swamp then a lake and it is filled with beautiful birds, alligators, beavers and many other creatures. It was misting that day which gave the lake a very mystical, ethereal look to it. That night, everyone got to enjoy The Ghost Train. The wet and dreary weather only added to the scary ambiance.

What was the verdict...they loved Jefferson and had a fantastic time. Many of them are already making plans to come back and stay at The Carriage House again. We are looking forward to it!

This coming weekend, we have our first real test. We have our first "real" guest come stay with us. We can't wait to meet these folks and we are looking forward to being able to serve them.