Scrapbookers Alert! (Michigan)

Author: Kim Ives
Date of Trip: November 2007

Do you enjoy scrapbooking, but don’t have enough time to complete all those projects due to the numerous interruptions caused by your daily life? My thirteen year old daughter and I have found the perfect B&B for you. We just attended a scrapbooking weekend at the Gotta-Scrap Inn (www.gotta-scrapinn.com) in the small town of Manchester, Michigan.

This Inn is dedicated to scrapbookers and is only open for that purpose on weekends. It is run by 2 friends who love scrapbooking and also seem to love teaching their craft to others. Manchester, Michigan is located southwest of Ann Arbor and the Inn is located right by a small, picturesque river. There is a pool in the back, and the Inn is located in a residential area.

The Inn is 3 stories with 8 bedrooms. The rooms are all decorated to a theme and named accordingly: Sage Room, Ribbon Room, Wisteria Room, No-Boys-Allowed, Red Room, Slumber Party Room, etc. The Slumber Party room has its own work area, bath and relaxing area. Other rooms have private baths and sleep 2 or more and you are in the large downstairs work area. We stayed in the Red Room with its red walls and hand-painted mural. We had 2 double beds in this large room over-looking the backyard. The large red and black bathroom with the HUGE shower was a nice addition. On the first night a small package of handmade chocolate was left on our pillows.

No TVs are found at the Inn, but since I didn’t expect my daughter to spend the entire time working, we brought a small portable with video played and watched a movie while lounging on the beds.

For the single weekend price, all meals are included from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. We enjoyed excellent meals such as quiche, muffins, bacon, eggs, and fruit for breakfast/brunch. We had croissant chicken salad sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch while roast beef, chicken and noodles, breads and salads were offered for dinner. Meals are served buffet-style and the dining room and sunroom overlooking the river are set up with numerous tables. Nice dinnerware and silverware are on the tables, and we couldn’t wait to see how the tables would be decorated or what type of napkin rings would be used. The tables were seasonally decorated differently for each meal. Snacks and drinks are provided non-stop to keep your energy going while working on your projects.

For working on your photo albums, you are given a 6 foot table with a good light for working on your projects and the huge, airy room is open 24 hours. Continuous access to the scrapbooking supply shop in the basement keeps everyone on track for their projects. In addition, shaped punches and special cutters are available for use in the work area. On Friday and Saturday there are various classes offered that are included in the price of your weekend. While we were there my daughter made a decorated clipboard and made a project out of chipboard. Many women worked late into the night and wore slippers all weekend! There is also a computer for downloading templates and a photo-printing service available for those of us who are not prepared for a full weekend of scrapbooking. In addition, there is a spa service available for a fee with manicures, pedicures, massages, facials etc being offered. My daughter took advantage of the manicure and had a ball being pampered.

Manchester is a quaint little town with a historic downtown area. There are antique shops, candy shops, art/pottery shops, etc. within walking distance of the Inn. We took a breather on Saturday from all the work and walked the 3 blocks to downtown. The trees were in perfect fall color, and the sun shining after a rainstorm the previous night. What a wonderful way to spend a fall weekend! This is a beautiful, clean Inn with a purpose.

The owner and workers were all very friendly and made you feel at home from the moment you drive up to the Inn. No cleaning or bed making required of the guests or you will be put on timeout! What a treat to have someone else do the cooking for you, and the meals were all outstanding. All the attendees were women and there were various groups of friends, sisters, and mother-daughters. Most of the guests were from Michigan, and it was refreshing to make new friends, talk about your passion and relax for a weekend. We also got a lot of work done on our scrapbook photo books and learned new skills. We got input from fellow attendees and exchanged ideas that will help us all on our future projects. My daughter felt very special and welcomed since she was the youngest. It was great to spend some quality time with her, and I know we will fondly remember our weekend together for a very long time. I am sure we will return soon to the GottaScrap Inn, and I hope you will consider this B&B if you have a love of scrapbooking.