Vacation idea #9 ~ The Hotel Wolf

WISH i was on HOLIDAY

Every Monday from January to September

- Vacation Idea #9 -

The Hotel Wolf

Saratoga, Wy

Located in Wyoming there is a tiny, out of the way, amazing, town named Saratoga. It sits atop an active mineral hotspring and has a public hotsprings pool, affectionately termed "hobo hot springs" by locals. It is a concrete pool that is free, open to the public 24/7 and maintained by the town. Downtown Saratoga reminds one of a spaghetti western with false fronts on the buildings. The whole town feels like a step back in time. You half expect to see a tumble weed roll across main street and horses instead of cars.   The Historic Hotel Wolf is its crowning jewel. Listed on the registry of historic places, The Hotel Wolf does not disappoint those looking for an authentic historical feel.


These photos are from a couple of years ago when we had the honor of staying at this hotel. This photo was taken from the inside of my car as we were parked in front of the hotel.

Stairs greet you as you enter the building, downstairs is a restaurant, the rooms are upstairs. This was our room. The furniture was amazing and all of it huge.

This was the neighbors room, when they checked out they left the door open so we snuck in for a view.
This was their bedroom (after they left, before it was made up.)
This is part of the restaurant downstairs. I think it is officially where my children decided they were cowboys.

View of the very back of the hotel.


We bought the hat and rubber band gun in a shop within walking distance of the hotel.

There is no place quite like Saratoga, it is a gem not easily forgotten, and a must see if you are traveling anywhere near!
HERE is a link to Link to the  hotels website. And HERE is a link to where you can find more information on Saratoga and request a comprehensive visitors guide. (These are non-sponsored links.)

St. Patrick's Day ParTaay!

Join me here on Holiday-Haven for a

St. Patrick's Day Party.

It will be an ongoing party from

March 1st 'till the 17th.

Any post related to St. Patrick's Day is welcome; crafts, stories, tablescapes, history, trivia, decorating, whatever as long as the subject has something to do with St. Patrick's Day and older posts are welcome too. Please link back to Holiday-Haven in your post so others can find the party too!

St. Patrick's Day Printable Banner

To print: Click on each photo above the 'click here to share' bar then select file and print from the top of your page. Or once you have clicked on the photo to expand it right click save to your computer and print from there.

Egg Shell Starters for Seedlings

A quick, free and easy way to start your seedlings is to fill eggshells with your favorite garden soil and then place them back into their carton. Over a couple of morning breakfasts I poked holes in the tops of these eggs using a butter knife. I then used my fingers to pull off bits of the shell until there was a wide enough hole to fill them with soil and plant a seed. (Rinse with warm water before filling with soil.) Once the seeds sprout and you are ready to plant just crunch up the eggshell a bit and plant it shell and all. Happy Spring!

Vacation Idea #8 ~ The Brown Sign Game

WISH i was on HOLIDAY

Every Monday from January to September

- Vacation Idea #8 -

Brown Sign Game

Need an adventure for a boring weekend, when the children are home on break, something to do while watching the grandchildren, or just a little get away for the day?
In the United States brown signs along the road sides mark recreational, historical, or cultural attractions. We flock to them on vacations, but miss the adventure that is just down the road. So I have invented a little tradition I call the 'Brown Sign Game'. (OK, so the name needs a little work)
"Get up, get ready for the day, eat breakfast, hurry up because when you are done we are going on an adventure!" This is usually how I announce the game. Once in the car I name a few towns near me that I am willing to travel too. Which towns I name depend on how far I want to travel on that particular day. Someone picks one of the towns and we start heading in the direction of that town. The next step is to look out the windows for brown signs. When we find one that looks interesting and we have never been to before we follow the signs to the destination. Sometimes we end up at a museum, sometimes a historical marker, a park, a dock, a garden, we even ended up at a graveyard once.

This game does take a little preparation. I make sure the kids go to bed just a little early the night before in case our adventure turns into and all day one, I pack a lunch and often a dinner, I always take water, and a little spending money in case we end up somewhere that charges admission, or if we stumble on an interesting restaurant, or gift shop. I also make sure my cell phone is charged and with me. And just to make sure I do not get lost I take a street navigator with me, however, usually the signs are clear enough to direct us properly. Starting out with a full tank of gas also helps if we find ourselves somewhere remote. And if you have an iphone or the like you could also combine this trip with geocaching (which you can find out more about HERE.)

Winter to Spring Decorating!

I love decorating for spring! I love the hope it carries as we come slowly out of winter into the sunny air of spring.


On a table in the corner of our living room I set out this little bird house that my children painted at school and an apothecary jar with a little nest and birds.



Little flowers on ribbon.

A jar filled with potpourri.

A wall plaque that hints of spring.

Wedding Cake Photo Tour

Because love is still in the air after Valentines Day and because most Weddings are in the spring this week I have put together a wedding cake photo tour. Just some photos and some tips on Wedding cakes. These photos are just a few of the Wedding cakes I have made over the last couple of years. (Photos are a bit candid as they are from my pre-blogging days). 

I made this cake for my friends wedding. We have been friends for over twenty years so it was quite an honor to make her wedding cake.

This was her bridal shower cake.
This cake was navy blue and covered with wild roses made from sugar.
This is a grooms cake I made for a rehearsal dinner. It is just chocolate with fondant leaves and a peacock figurine on top. We used food coloring in the fountain water.
An English styled cake I made for a lady at my church.

Wedding cakes can cost anywhere from around $200 when bought from a grocery store to  $1000 and up from a wedding shop. 

One way to cut this cost is to find someone who makes cakes from home as a hobby. 

To find a hobby cake maker ask around, friends and family may have heard of cake makers. Or, call your local churches and see if they know of anyone in thier congregation that makes cakes. Even calling your local school might do the trick. Often cakemakers donate to school bakesales and the people in the school office may be able to pass your number along. 

Even for a hobby cake maker you should expect to pay a bit. Wedding cakes take hours and hours to make. The ingredients for the cake do not cost that much but the cake plates, pillars, and special ingredients needed to make the flowers etc DO cost a lot. How much a hobby cakemaker will charge depends entirely on the person you find. 

Once you find someone who will make a cake in your price range, ask to see photos of their other cakes, ask them what sort of training they have had, and be very careful if you do not know the person. When deciding on a cake work within their abilities. So often I have been shown photos of cakes made by complete experts, and even though I am good a cakes, there would be no way I would be able to duplicate their work. Cake making is an art, get a feel of your cake makers style and then add your own ideas. One way to do this is to ask them to show you cakes from books. I know that seems a little backwards, but if you find where your cake maker is comfortable you will end up with a better cake at the wedding. 

You may be able to cut cost by offering to return the pillars, plates, and other tools back to the cake maker after the wedding as these are the most expensive portion of cake making. Also when ordering your cake keep in mind only about half of the total number of people you invite generally will show up and want cake. Ordering a small wedding cake and then having an additional sheet cake is one of the easiest ways of keeping cost low while insuring that no one will go without. 

Before I made cakes I could not believe how important wedding cakes were and how much went into the process of making them. Now after having made them for several years I can tell you they are an art and they create a memory that you will not forget. They are more than 'just a cake' and you will be thankful in the years to come for taking the time to plan them out well.

Happy Cake Hunting,

 Jessa Irene 

When is it time to start the garden?

If you could see my back yard right now you, you would not doubt me when I say I am not much of a gardener. But as I am ever striving to improve in this area, I was doing a little research today for myself I found some great tips and thought at least I could point you to some sites that do know what they are talking about.

First thing first, when is the best time to start the garden?

The Farmersalmanac.com has an interactive map to show you the last frost date for your area. Last frost dates can be as early as January in some areas and as late as the end of May in others with March being the median across the United States.  These dates are compiled by looking at the last 100 years and averaging the last date that frost is on the ground. If you plant after the last frost date there is something like a 90% chance that frost will not kill your new seedlings. The last frost date ranges by state. Even from one town to the next within a state can vary by a month, sometimes more. 

Another way to tell:

Look at your soil. Some great tips on checking when to plant can be found at The Old Farmers Almanac which, according to my mother (who is an awesome gardener), is THE authority on gardening. One such tip is to pick up the soil form it into a ball and throw it on the ground, if it crumbles your soil is ready, if it breaks in two or stays in its shape your soil is not ready for planting. In an amazing article they explain more ways to tell when it is best to plant including what to look for in a footprint in the soil and by looking at the weeds. To see that article click Here.

How to make nice soil:

I believe most of my gardening problems are because of bad soil so this year I am looking into how to make my soil better. First MotherEarthNews.com has a great article on some interesting ways to improve your soil including planting cover crops and even why your should let some weeds grow. 

And other tips I found include raking up the soil and then adding any old leaves and other such yard waste, adding kitchen scraps (vegetable matter, not dairy or meat), and then test the pH before adding any store bought soils or fertilizers so that you add the correct ones to improve your soil.

*I have added this link to: Fishtail Cottage for Cottage Flora Thursday, visit to see amazing garden and decor ideas!

Vacation Idea #7 - Mt. Rushmore

WISH i was on HOLIDAY

Every Monday from January to September

- Vacation Idea #7 -

Mount Rushmore

Today for Presidents Day I am featuring Mount Rushmore as the Vacation idea of the week. Located in Keystone, South Dakota. Mt. Rushmore is of the most amazing places to visit.  The monument is open year round with, the exception of Christmas. Evening programs are held May- early September in an amphitheater with the mountain lit in the background. The idea for Mt. Rushmore came from Doane Robinson a historian who resided in South Dakota. In 1924 he met for the first time with Gutzon Borglum who is the sculptor of Mt. Rushmore. The name Rushmore came accidentally years earlier by a new york attorney named Charles E Rushmore. It was suggested that the unnamed mountain be named after him while he was checking on titles in the area. At that time the mountain and its future potential were unknown. The four presidents (from left to right) are: our first president George Washington, the third president Thomas Jefferson, the twenty-sixth president Theodore Roosevelt, and the sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln. Mt. Rushmore was carved to represent the first one hundred and fifty years of American history. These presidents were chosen to represent the preservation and expansion of America. 

Entrance to the park is free, however, you will pay (at time of this posting) a $10 parking pass which is good for 1 year. Only certain forms of payment are accepted so checking www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm before you go is a good idea.

Some nearby things to get information on before you go:

Horse back riding tours 

Crazy Horse Monument

Custer State Park

Wind Cave National Park

Jewel Cave National Monument

Badlands National Park

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

Devils Tower

And things at the mountain to request information on:

The Rangers Walk

Sculptors Studio Talk

The Evening Program

Hall of Records

And Audio Tours - These are especially great with kids (helps to keep everyone together focused on the same thing at the same time).

What is your favorite Valentines memory?

Waking up to red rose petals being scattered by my ten year old son.

One Valentines morning my husband snuck out of bed early to set up Valentines breakfast for me. (Yes, he is adorably sweet). He woke up my sons as well to help cook breakfast, decorated the table, and help have everything ready for me when I woke up. He handed one of my sons the rose petals with the instructions to make a "trail" from the bedroom to the breakfast table. My ten year old was none-to-stealthy. And the "trail" was more like a pile here and a pile there, but to this day I smile at the memory of him in my bedroom throwing rose petals everywhere as I pretended to be asleep.

Valentines Decoration

Below are a couple of apothecary jars I have put together in my home to decorate for Valentines day.

This is a cake a topper from one of our anniversary cakes. Placed in an apothecary jar with some lace to create a nice display.

Some of the fun bits from a potpourri bag to fill these jars and a ribbon to match, grouped with some fun items on our piano top.

And on a stand in the hall I placed this jar with a glass rose (from the dollar store) and fabric rose petals. I also used this one in a tablescape that can be seen here.

After I created this one I realised that I was recreating the enchanted rose from 'Beauty and the Beast'. 

(Guess who watches too many Disney movies with her children!)

Little ways to say 'I Love You' (poll)

What little things do you do to say I love you? Little notes, gestures, winks, how do you make your loved one smile?

A number of years ago I conducted a poll on an open forum of a website asking people to list the little ways they say I love you to their spouse.

Here were some of the responses I received:

I set the coffee maker every night for my husband, who wakes early so coffee is waiting for him.

One man makes a point of telling his wife that she is beautiful anytime she seems sad.

I sometimes put a towel in the dryer when my kids or hubby get in the shower so it is all nice and fuzzy warm for them when they get out.

A body rub with oil if he's really stressed out or a foot rub.

When I hear her get in the shower in the morning, I pour a cup of coffee and set it on the bathroom counter for when she gets out of the shower.

He brings my coffee to me in bed and I make his lunch everyday.

I make sure to get him the newest books by his favorite authors the day they hit the shelves

Even if we are staying home I still do my hair, cologne, etc.

One couple likes to call each other silly names in public.

I sort his socks and toss all the ones with holes.

Once a week he'll clean up the kitchen and do the dishes.

I never turn the room lights on in the morning when I am getting ready for work so I don't wake her.

I wash her car.

Write love notes and leave them where he will find them.

Do chores he HATES, like clean the cat box.

Take a calculator to the market to get the most for our money.

I call and leaves short, silly messages on his voicemail to make him laugh. He loves them and saves them.

He remembers little things from when we dated in high school that I'd long forgotten.

I run my fingers through his hair, very gently, until he falls asleep.

The day before his day off I make a meal plan of foods I know he will like. And go to the store if anything is needed.

I so a sweep through the house 5 minutes before he gets home to clear any clutter and sometimes take a rag with water and essential oil and wipe down the tops of everything so the house smells wonderful.

He ALWAYS makes sure to kiss me goodbye.

He listens intently when I am rambling.

He keeps my silly little everyday notes such as: "I'm going for a walk, breakfast is in the fridge next to the milk, will be back soon. Love you.

I try to pay attention when he's talking to me about his hobbies so I can better understand them and show real interest in them.

A lot of couples said: prayer, one woman prayed every time she saw someone driving by with the same type of car her husband had.

Helping to find lost items around the house was another that made the top of the list.

So, what do you do? What does your loved one do for you?

Valentines Tablescape for Two

I set up a little valentines table for two in a forgotten corner in our den.

Black and white table cloth with black an white plates.

Simple white napkin and red bow.

Fun coffee cups.

And an apothecary jar with a glass rose and rose petals.

And for to compliment: Cherry chocolate cake!

(Click here directions)