holidays 2011-2012

Happy New Year everyone and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  I was spoiled with 2 weeks away from work and spent it with family, friends, doing a little bit of travelling to small towns in southwestern Ontario, relaxing and eating.  Here are some of the highlights from my holiday.

Said goodbye to the two build projects I'm PM'ing...

in favour of open skies and open fields.

The holidays are so much more enjoyable with a little one around.

Relaxed with Lucy.

Did some antique shopping

Experimented with some festive nails

And enjoyed the first official snow fall. 

How were your holidays?

happy long weekend!

Off early to spend the last long weekend of summer doing some beaching, sunning, swimming and a whole lot of nothing else.  Hope you all have a wonderful long weekend.

happy victoria day weekend!

Here's a little history lesson for the start of this Victoria Day weekend.

"Victoria Day (in French: Fête de la Reine) is a federal Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the last Monday on or before May 24, in honour of both Queen Victoria's birthday and the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday. It is sometimes informally considered as marking the beginning of the summer season in Canada.  Queen Victoria was the first sovereign of Canada since the Confederation in 1867.

The birthday of the monarch was a day for celebration in Canada long before Confederation, with the first legislation regarding the event being in 1845 passed by the parliament of the Province of Canada to officially recognize May 24 as the Queen's birthday. It was noted that on that date in 1854, the 35th birthday of Queen Victoria, some 5,000 residents of Canada West gathered in front of Government House (near present day King and Simcoe Streets in Toronto) to "give cheers to their queen."  On May 24, 1866, the town of Omemee, also in Canada West, mounted a day-long fête to mark the occasion, including a gun salute at midnight, pre-dawn serenades, picnics, athletic competitions, a display of illuminations, and a torch-light procession.

Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, May 24 was by imperial decree made Empire Day throughout the British Empire, while, in Canada, it became officially known as Victoria Day,[1] a date to remember the late queen, who was deemed the "Mother of Confederation".  Her reign of 63 years and 7 months, which is longer than that of any other British monarch and the longest of any female monarch in history, is known as the Victorian era. "  From Wikipedia.

Have a safe and happy weekend everyone!

happy easter

Off to spend Easter with my family.  Hope you all have a great holiday weekend!

Image from RedOnline.

thursday listening | happy st. patty's day part 2

Jump Around - House of Pain.  For everyone else around the world celebrating St. Patty's Day.

thursday listening | happy st. patty's!

Go out - get some green beer - and guaranteed if you're in a Canadian Pub - you'll hear Home for a Rest from Spirit of the West.  I can not listen to this song without thinking of a pub and my younger years.  And of course, the reference to Charing Cross Road which is where my parents live and I grew up [albeit in Charing Cross Ontario, not London, England - but close enough!]

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!

valentine's day is right around the corner

Do you have your plans sorted out yet?

Image from Living Etc.

merry christmas

wishing everyone a happy holiday

Well this is it for me folks until after Christmas.  From Lucy and I - Have a Very Merry Christmas!

gingerbread & cocoa

Also spotted on Neu4bauer these cute little gingerbread houses, a perfectly sized compliment to a cup of cocoa or coffee.

an idyllic winter

I love snow as a lead up to Christmas.  I am one who dreams each year for a white Christmas and consider Christmas a failure without a layer of fluffy snow.   We've been lucky here in Toronto that we had light snow falling just about every day for a week, creating a beautiful landscape without the mess.  How perfect it's been walking Lucy in the snow, finishing up the Christmas shopping and staying in watching Christmas movies with the snow falling around us.  But I could not imagine a more idyllic winter than one spent in this village in Switzerland.  Oh my!  Spotted on Neu4bauer.

great diy christmas inspiration

From Dutch magazine Vtwonen.  Spotted on emmas designblogg.

Also spotted, DIY Christmas trees just like mine.  I actually really love the colour.

cute christmas vignette

Love this vignette from Orange Farmhouse that resides in their little girl's room.  That nativity scene has just been added to my list of Christmas decorations to find for next year.  Spotted on Bloesem.  [PS.  Did you see my Christmas tree on Bloesem on Tuesday? If not, check it out here]

favourite christmas movies | love actually

Love, love, love.  Great cast.  Great soundtrack. Hugh Grant as prime minister.  The dreamy architect Carl.  And the flashcards!  Broke my heart.  I simply love this movie.

hump day humour | bob & doug mckenzie

This one is going out to Maggie and Rob over at Okay, Now What?.  If you can't figure out why, check out their blog.  Bob and Doug McKenzie with the 12 Days of Christmas.

country christmas

Despite being a polar opposite to my mid-century modern aesthetic, my parents country home is probably my favourite place to be, especially at Christmas.  Here's a few shots of my mom's country Christmas.

One thing my mother and I have in common, we like to theme our trees.  Several years ago, my Christmas tree was only snowmen.  My mother has kept up the tradition with hers.

My sister Jen and I handpainted all the Old World Santas on the mantle [we were crafty kids].  My sister also painted the framed canvas in the centre.

Even the bathroom gets a few festive touches.