Happy New Year!

Wishing all of you and yours the absolute best in 2015.

May it be healthy, happy, and prosperous. 

As for everyone, it’s been a busy year. A good year. Preservation in Pink told its story through photographs (my undying infatuation with Instagram), with travels throughout Vermont and to Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Georgia, New York, Washington D.C., and Montreal, QC. Of course, many of those included coffee and flamingos. 2014 was a photogenic year, as opposed to essays and tutorials. Check out the latest Instagram post for the most liked Instagram posts of 2015.

What sort of content will 2015 bring for Preservation in Pink? Time will tell as adventures and lessons materialize, but you can be sure that it will be filled with images. That’s the affliction of a preservationist: addicted to documentation and fascinated by images. If you like photographs of buildings and landscapes and details, then you’ve come to the right place. And if you like historic preservation lessons, ramblings, and otherwise, you’re still in the right place. Rather than highlight the most popular posts and recycle posts, I’d encourage you to browse through the Series page for educational preservation posts, as well as Abandoned Vermont.

Anything you’d like to see in 2015? Let me know. The social media world constantly evolves and it is my hope that Preservation in Pink continues to reach its audience and connect, whether through words, images or something new. As will always be the case, I’m grateful for the friends, the colleagues, and the opportunities that I’ve found through Preservation in Pink and the social media world. Maybe it’s due to an abandoned building or a historic playground or someone looking for grad school information or someone who loves flamingos – thank you for stopping in and sharing a bit of your world with me and allowing me to share some of mine.

I’m looking forward to 2015, and I hope you are, too. Cheers!

Mid-century Lodging: Lake Placid

Lake Placid, NY, nestled in the Adirondacks, is one of those perfect winter towns. Whether you’d rather be skiing or strolling and shopping down Main Street or taking a sled dog ride on Mirror Lake, the snow covered evergreen trees and constant snow flurries will delight you, particularly at Christmastime. My sister Annie O’Shea prefers to be sliding down Mount Van Hoevenberg on her sled at 80 mph (she’s on the USA Skeleton Team). When skeleton season rolls around, we typically find time to visit Lake Placid.

Lodging in Lake Placid provides an eclectic mix of luxury resorts, standard hotel accommodations, trailside cabins, small inns, and a look back to roadside America. The Lake House (part of High Peaks Resort) is a 1961 roadside motel. Rumor has it that the place was pretty run down and outdated until this spring 2014 when the hotel closed for a renovation. My family and I chose to stay here and we were pleasantly surprised. Imagine mid-century style combined with the Adirondack aesthetic in crisp, modern lines. Got it? Take a look at some of these pictures.

Welcome to the Lake House. Nice font, right?

Every room has a view of Mirror Lake (which was snow covered and difficult to see as a “lake”).

The lobby of the Lake House. It was a great spot for sitting by the fireplace (not shown, on right). The only downside was having to leave early on Friday because there was a private party in the lobby. That seemed odd for a hotel.

Another view of the lobby. Modern with the ski/ADK aesthetic, yes?

Logs (though the fireplace is gas) and a nice beverage. What better way to spend a chilly, snowy December evening?

The chandelier – very creative!

Another lobby view. Though the Christmas tree left much to be desired (it was a bad fake tree), everything else made up for it (unless you’re my mother, who is still scarred from the cheesy tree).

Nice headboard in the room!

The Lake House was great, and I’d recommend a stay there. It’s a great example of modernizing an outdated hotel while keeping the feel of its historic roots. See more photos on the website. What do you think?

And, of course, a view of the bobsled/skeleton track. Go Annie!

Enjoying holiday travels? Here’s some midcentury cheer from the Lake House (est. 1961, renovated 2014) in Lake Placid, NY. #presinpink

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Merry Christmas flamingos and all! #presinpink

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May all of your days be… #presinpink

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A Christmas Sled. #presinpink

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And a red clapboard neighbor. #presinpink

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Red brick house for the holidays. #presinpink

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Buildings can be funny: tin paneled siding made to look like concrete block (probably over clapboard) with fake shutters. #presinpink

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“It’s a Wonderful Life” Radio Play

Merry Christmas! What holiday traditions have you been doing? Are you starting new traditions? One of my favorite new traditions is to see the “It’s a Wonderful Life” Live Radio Play. The Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier, VT has two shows every year, and this year the Champlain College Theater performed the play in Burlington. Written by Joe Landry, the play adapts the movie to a 1940s live radio play.

There are five cast members who read for multiple characters. As an audience member you see the characters read from their scripts at the microphone and then turn around to be another character. You see the sound effects being created off to the side and the stage manager holds signs for “applause” and “on air.” The characters also sing commercial jingles during the play break.

For those who did not grow up listening to radio plays, it’s fascinating. And for those who did, it’s a nostalgic trip. TIf you love the movie, you’ll love the play. (I cried at the same exact point in the play as in the movie.) This year I attended with some friends who had never seen the movie, but also loved the radio play. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser and worth your time.

Looking for a performance near you? Check the listings. Though I see Lost Nation Theater is not listed, yet it’s always performed. So ask around if you’re not sure. Have you seen it? Will you?