Another week gone in the summer! Why is it going by so fast?! Can someone please make it slow down???
Hope your weekend is the perfect mix of fun and active, and relaxed and calming. I’m not sure what this weekend has in store for me, but after a crazy week, I’m really looking forward to some down-time. Enjoy yours!
PS. Don’t you love the wide-planked wooden floors and breezy white look of this room? Reminds me of being back in Amsterdam for sure…
I’m sure all of you have seen the classic blue and white pottery, called Delft Blue Pottery, from the Netherlands. It is quintessentially Dutch, and is still made in the Dutch city of Delft. Just a few hours south of Amsterdam, Delft is a great place for a day-trip, and is easily accessible by train. It has world-class universities, and the most charming canals. I instantly fell in love with the slanting church, pottery tiles, and tiny streets. When my parents visited me in the Netherlands, we went to Delft and climbed the winding stairs to the top of the largest church tower. The views were remarkable, and I loved seeing the country from a different vantage point. If you’re ever in the Netherlands, Delft is definitely a city worth putting on your itinerary!
Last weekend I went kayaking for the first time. It was fun, and although my shoulders were burning slightly, I just loved being out on the water. Even though I get sea-sick, this just reaffirmed that one day I should probably own a boat. There is something about the colour, smell, and sound of the water that is so soothing, don’t you agree?
When I move to Toronto in a few weeks, I will definitely be heading down to the Harbourfront Centre for long walks and trips to the marina.
On the weekend I got the keys to my new apartment in downtown Toronto. After a long time of searching, I finally found something that was a) not in a sketchy neighbourhood, b) clean, and c) affordable. Although some places were bigger than the apartment I decided to rent, they either didn’t have 24/7 security or were super-grungy with completely out-of-date kitchens, bathrooms, and appliances. The studio apartment I finally decided upon is absolutely beautiful. It’s only 500-square-feet, which makes it a tight squeeze. However, it has white Carerra marble countertops, a stainless steel backsplash, a marble bathroom with glass shower, and huge windows looking out to the city. So it feels bright and spacious, even though it’s not. Plus the way the lay-out is, it makes for numerous different furniture placements, which is a bonus.
On the weekend we spent a day cleaning, moving in boxes, and painting. I chose “white on white”, which is a warm white that instantly made the space feel less clinical. I have yet to move in all of my furniture, and will be doing that at the end of the month.
Initially I had wanted to do the entire space in black, white, brown, and cream. Very neutral. My couch is chocolate brown, and my linens will be white. But I also have a lot of black accent pieces, so that was where my “neutral” theme came from. All I needed was a small round table and two chairs for my breakfast nook! But then, one day on my drive home from work, I found two gorgeous antique wooden farm chairs sitting at the side of the road, painted in the most beautiful Tiffany blue. For free. Yes, I stopped my car, loaded them into my trunk, and had a nice chat with an elderly man who informed me they were dated back to the late 1800s. Amazing! Do you ever watch the show “American Pickers”? I definitely felt like a picker that day. So I brought them home and scrubbed them clean. The paint is chipping, and you can see layers upon layers of coloured paint peeking through. I love how the chairs come with their own personal history, and decided immediately not to pain them (I initially thought they would be gorgeous sprayed white). So now I have “Tiffany blue” as an accent colour in my space, which I think will work well.
When deciding which accent colour to throw in there, along with my neutrals and Tiffany blue, I thought honeysuckle pink might be nice. Just a pop here and there. Maybe a flower vase or a framed piece of pink fabric. What do you think? I will definitely keep the pink to a minimum, but I think it will be a nice contrast to the blue.
Here are some inspiration boards I’ve been using for my studio:
How amazing is this transparent kayak? I went kayaking for the first time last weekend and loved it. This weekend I’m attending my friend’s bridal shower (can you believe this is my first time attending a bridal shower for a friend?! I feel so old), getting the keys to my new studio apartment in Toronto, painting and cleaning the apartment, and hopefully eating lots of yummy gelato from our delicious neighbourhood gelateria. What are you up to this weekend? Hope it’s a good one.
On the weekend I went to “Canal Days” held in Port Colborne, Ontario. Every year, the tall ships sail into the port, and tons of food vendors line the street. As we ate dinner at the Sugarloaf Marina on the outdoor terrace, we watched as the sky produced the most amazing show of colours. Shortly after the last sky picture was taken, that big line of rain washed over us, drenching everyone in a span of 5 minutes. Then, the rain cloud left as quickly as it came, and we were left with the most gorgeous balmy summer evening. The funnel cakes and elephant ears at the festival were seriously tempting me, and although I can’t eat gluten, I was considering it. They even had fried butter at one of the vendors, which was crazy disgusting. Has anyone ever tried that? I’m not sure I could. I don’t think there’s anything I enjoy more in the summers than walking through a street festival. Such great energy and always interesting people-watching haha. Any great festivals in your area?
Wow, I can’t believe it’s been so long since my last blog entry. Where did July go? I’m pretty sure I’ve never spent thaat much time away from my blog before, but somehow, I just couldn’t get a post together. A lot of changes have happened in my life this summer, some good, some not-so-good, and it’s definitely been a transitional period in my life. I’ve experienced heartbreak, incredible joy, immense gratitude, and liberating freedom all squished together against a back-drop of evening bike rides and trips to the market. Strange how sometimes different aspects of your life seem to fall apart at the same time, and then, when you least expect it, it all comes together again. I’ve learned that I am incredibly resilient, and have a definite knack for looking ahead and not dwelling on the past. I guess that’s a good thing, but sometimes it can make me feel a bit robotic. I mean, shouldn’t I be upset about certain things? I guess I’m just hard-wired to move ahead and look to the positives, which is a blessing. All I can say is that I’ve never been so grateful for my amazing family and friends as I have been this summer. I’m going to miss them terribly when I move to Toronto in a month!
Eek! Speaking of which, I just got the most *adorable* bachelorette apartment in downtown Toronto, and I cannot wait to decorate. I will probably be posting some interior design/décor stuff on the blog, just as a way to compile everything. I’ve already started pinning some things on my pinterest account, if you’d like to follow along. I’m pretty nervous, anxious, and excited to move into my first real place, on my own, in the big city. Be prepared for lots of Toronto posts, as I plan to go everywhere with my Nikon (for the first little while at least!).
Hope all of your summers have been going well, and if not, I hope you manage to find something positive in there.
xo
