Order Your Blue Shutters Gift Card Soon So Santa Will Have Them There by Christmas Day

If you want to be a hit for the holidays, how about slipping a Blue Shutters gift card under the tree or into someone's stocking? Call us soon(at 978-283-1189), and we can send you out a gift card and brochure. And if you haven't booked your own visit to the Blue Shutters for 2014, treat yourself...and save a few dollars. You'll be sure to get 2013 rates if you book before January 1.

More Scenes from the Blue Shutters Holiday Tree-Trimming

There were so many shots from our Tree-Trimming Night, we needed an additional post....

A Look Back at Our Tree-Trimming and Holiday Open House

A big thank you to everyone who turned out for our annual Tree-Trimming Night at the Blue Shutters on Saturday December 7. Here are some snapshots of these friends and fans of the Blue Shutters who helped "deck the halls" for the holidays. The first showcase for our Christmas tree and decorations was our Holiday Open House in support of Por Cristo on Sunday December 8. Thanks to those who joined us that afternoon to support this organization. If you're interested in learning more about Por Cristo, please check out their website. And if you'd like to see the Blue Shutters tree and our holiday decorations, please come by - there'll be plenty of Christmas spirit here and around Cape Ann all month long.

Details on Our Holiday Weekend Tree Trimming and Open House

. Please join us next weekend as we kick off the holidays with our annual tree trimming on Saturday December 7, followed by a charity open house on Sunday December 8. The tree trimming will begin at 5pm on Saturday, and over the next few hours we’ll decorate the tree and enjoy some Christmas goodies and “holiday cheer” by the fireplace (as you can see from this photo, the tree is already in place and ready to be trimmed). Bring a donation of a non-perishable item for our local food pantry and we’ll give you a 10% discount of that night's stay. If you come for a night or two, you'll not only see the Blue Shutters decorated for the holidays -- you can do some shopping and check out the “Christmas on Cape Ann” holiday events that weekend. The open house -- which begins at 11am on Sunday and continues on until 3pm that afternoon – will spotlight the work of Por Cristo, a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization that has been helping the poor in Ecuador for the past 30 years. There’ll be some food and wine with a Latin American flair, but best of all -- Por Cristo will have for sale a collection of artisan-crafted sterling silver jewelry and items made from sustainable resources of the Amazonian rainforest and elsewhere in Ecuador. These items make great holiday gifts – and all of the proceeds from these sales go to support the work of Por Cristo. You’re invited to come to either of these special holiday events – or both!

Curling Up By Our Fireplace...With Another Good Book

One of the great wintertime experiences at the Blue Shutters is curling up in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine or a nice book. We'll always have some wine sitting around -- and we have a library that includes some of our favorite books about Gloucester and Cape Ann. Now there's a new addition -- New England Notebook, "a collection of colorful facts, stories and anecdotes" about the special places across our region, Gloucester and Cape Ann. Look for it in bookstores -- and check out our signed copy next time you're here. Maybe even pull up a chair next to the fire.

Join us for the Blue Shutters Holiday Kick-Off -- December 7 & 8!

You're invited to join us on December 7 for our annual Tree-Trimming Party -- in addition to decorating the Blue Shutters Christmas tree, we'll be gathering around the fireplace for some Christmas goodies and “holiday cheer.” Spend the night and you'll be here for another tradition that takes place the next day, December 8 -- our annual open house in support of Por Cristo, a locally-based non-profit organization that helps the poor in Ecuador. Those who join us for the open house can do some holiday shopping – Por Cristo will have for sale artisan-crafted jewelry and items made from sustainable resources of the Amazonian rainforest and elsewhere in Ecuador. All proceeds go to support Por Cristo’s work. There'll be wine and food with a Latin American theme -- and again, plenty of holiday fun. While you're here, there'll be time to head to Gloucester and neighboring communities for "Christmas on Cape Ann" events. Check out this link for more details. We hope we see you that weekend -- whether come for one day or two, whether you spend a night or two or just drop in for a few hours. Call or email us for more details. If all this is not enough to convince you, here are some shots of the fun times from past years.

Crowds on the Beach....in November?

There were a lot of folks on the beach and parked along the street in front of our house on one particular Saturday in November. Why? A beautiful moonrise. It's another reason why you should think about visiting us in the off-season.

Blue Shutters....On the Road Again

We love sharing photos of Blue Shutters "on the road" -- and here are some great ones. There's AnnMarie and Ed in Florida, Patty and AnnMarie with friends on Cape Cod -- and one of Patty snapping picture of wedding couple Joyce & John just down the road by the footbridge

Scenes from our November Food & Wine Tasting

Our Food & Wine Tastings are always a lot of fun -- and that was certainly the case in early November when we gathered for our first of the 2013/14 off-season. There are more events like this planned for early 2014. Watch our Facebook page for details.

Celebrations at the Blue Shutters -- Fall 2013

The Blue Shutters has become a favorite spot for celebrations -- weddings, birthday milestones, engagements, anniversaries. Check out our Facebook page for details behind these shots from the fall of 2013

New Views of from the Blue Shutters -- October 2013

We'll never get tired of sharing photos of the views from the Blue Shutters -- and we hope you're still enjoying them. Here are a few from the past few weeks

Looking Back at Summer -- September

We're just a few days into September, but we've already seen some beautiful sights