Day 586: When Life Gives You Monday

After work, I biked over to a last-minute vintage sale on Queen West. April was going to meet me there but she had to work so I went solo. I wasn’t really looking for anything particular but I left with a beautiful silk blazer (with shoulder pads!) and a glass bowl I plan to use for plant propagation. Took home something for April in my bike basket. ? It was absolutely beautiful outside and it felt great to be on my bike in the sun. I cruised down the West Toronto Rail Path, down Dundas West, and back. Loving these warm October days and hope they stick around past Halloween. When life gives you Monday, dip it in glitter and sparkle all day. Ella Woodward Looking forward to an early night and my run in the morning. Sending you sunshine through the internet!

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Day 585: Thanksgiving Weekend 2021

Slept in a bit then went for a nice walk w/ Sean. The leaves are so beautiful. I left without my phone but ran back to get it. I should have changed out of my platform Crocs (not great for long-distance) so I only went to the end of the road and back. I took a little detour when Sean went off on his run and went into the woods to surround myself with trees. I just looked up and took in their beauty, breathed in the fresh air. F-yeah, forest bathing. ? We had a pretty chill afternoon. Sean had a broth cooking with the turkey leftovers and we watched a couple episodes of ‘Bad Sport‘ on Netflix. I spent a bit of time in the sun reading my new book, The Perfect Neighbour by Susana Beard. I absolutely love the new outdoor couch. Around 5 pm when it was nice and warm, we took the dock out. It’s always a little bittersweet and seems like a daunting task before we do it. Managed to finish the job in about an hour with no major injuries. Always a worry, trust me! The water was cool but refreshing. Looking forward to colder temps and making a nice ice hole for winter cold plunges. It’s insane to think we’re both are looking forward to the lake freezing, who are we!? Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend to celebrate the harvest. We’re returning to the city and after 5 days in the woods, I feel refreshed. Also, the blog is back on track and we’re up to date! Here’s a great (short!) week!

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Day 584: Sunday Sunshine

Woke up, had brekky, and spent most of the day watching shows. Was inside most of the day when there was a break in the clouds, ran out in my suit to soak up the Sunday sunshine. Feeling pretty relaxed and recharged. Looking forward to getting home to check on my plants and any new leaves that might have sprouted over the last week. Sending sunshine your way! Love from the woods xo

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Day 583: Giving Thanks

Spent most of the day getting the cottage ready for our guests to arrive. Sean and I worked together to prepare all the food. I made the most beautiful pavlova and can’t believe I didn’t take a photo! I hardly used my phone all day. Thankful for friends, family, time to relax, and being up here for the long weekend. We’re staying until Monday so we can be back in the city for work on Tuesday. Hope you and your family are having a lovely weekend!

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Day 582: Squid Game

Have you watched Sqid Game yet? We’re about to finish it tonight and I can’t wait. If you’re sensitive about death or murder, you’ll want to skip this one. I watch quite a few murders shows and found it too gory at times, had to cover my eyes. Pretty sure Squid Game will be the most popular Halloween costume this year. I looked for a few online and most are $$$$ or sold out. Looking forward to seeing how this show ends! Season 2 is confirmed, watch the new trailer below.

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Day 581: Woodland Creature

It was so nice to wake up here today. I love being at the cottage w/ Sean, this beautiful view never gets old. It’s hard to have a favourite season up here because they each have their own beauty. Right now the leaves are bright with colour, days warm, and the night cool enough to put on a fire. Soaking up every moment of cottage life like a woodland creature. I’m working today but taking a trip to town mid-day to go to Curries Music w/ Sean. This weekend we’re having two guests for a harvest dinner. I’m planning to do food prep tomorrow night so Saturday can be stress-free. Wish me luck haha.

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Day 575: Ditch the Carpet

Woke up and decided today was the day to ditch the carpet. Had to take almost everything out of the room, move shelves to rip it up. Big job but I’m glad it’s almost done. Still have a section of carpet under the bed but I’ll do that another time. I’m looking forward to reorganizing the space and maximizing the look of the concrete floor with some vintage rugs. The whole place is going to feel cleaner once we’re done. Thankfully it was REALLY NICE OUT so I could safely use the patio as storage. Over the winter I plan to do a full ‘Marie Kondo’ like I did a couple of years ago and clean out everything in the house that doesn’t bring us joy. How the hell do we accumulate so many things?! There’s stuff everywhere!

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Day 574: Spooky Season @ Legends of Horror

I went to the media preview of Legends of Horror at Casa Loma tonight with some friends. SO FUN. I love spooky season. Was so stoked I wore my witch hat the whole night. The experience takes just over an hour and it is AWESOME. There’s so much space at Casa Loma and Legends of Horror takes it all. You’ll find yourself winding down spooky stairs and wicked woods, then running through the castle basement and more, all the while being scared by creepy characters. here are some details from legends of Horror about covid/entrance etc. Tickets are ~$40pp but if you haven’t had a lot of excitement lately, I say totally worth it. MI was at the media preview so I didna have to buy a ticket but I am considering going back with friends and buying tickets. Legends of Horror at Casa Loma PARKING: Paid parking is available at George Brown College (south of Casa Loma off Macpherson Avenue). This parking is closest to the entrance at Walmer Rd. and Davenport Rd. There is limited paid parking onsite at Casa Loma, subject to availability. A SAFE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL GUESTS FACE MASKS/COVERINGS All persons (staff and guests) entering or remaining on the premises shall wear a mask or face covering which covers the nose, mouth and chin as required under City of Toronto by-law no.541-2020. PHYSICAL DISTANCING Guests will be required to follow social/physical distancing guidelines carefully, maintaining 2 metres (6 feet) of space from others. Family members and others (a “family unit”) who live in the same household can be closer together. GUEST SCREENING/CONTACT TRACING All guests are required to complete guest screening and contact tracing upon arrival. Contact information will be kept for 30 days for potential COVID-19 Contact Tracing. PROOF OF VACCINATION Proof of vaccination…

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Day 569: Plant Mama – Propagation!

I’ve mentioned my love for propagating plants a few times and I am so proud of my latest creation! I have successfully propagated two different types of Monstera. I took a few cuttings from my biggest plant, Monstera Deliciosa, the most common variety of monstera. I grew the cuttings in water for about 2 months and planted them in rich soil today. They’re flourishing! The leaves seen here with the holes are Monstera Adansonii, a plant I picked up a few weeks ago from The Urban Gardener. This beautiful plant was healthy and primed for cuttings from the day I got her. I grew the cuttings in water + root hormone and they grew had 1″ roots in about 2 weeks. I can’t wait to share these plant babies with friends and build my little jungle at home!

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DAY 568: Party in the Neighbourhood

It’s been ages since I went out and tonight I went to a party in the neighbourhood. It was fun! A bunch of us got together at April’s then took an Uber over to Geary Ave. Ran into a bunch of people I hadn’t seen in ages. I’m still a little weird about going out but it’s really nice to see people and laugh together. Most of the night was outdoors which was good, hoping these warm temps hang on a few more weeks.

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