It was absolutely gorgeous today! The sun was shining and it was over 20 degrees. I spent most of the day working but got out for a run in the am and gazed out at the lake from my desk. The air was warm and it felt like summer.
At 4 pm we got alerts about a tornado warning as the sky turned from bright blue to dark and grey. We got hit with some pretty insane hail that ranged from tiny bits to about the size of a quarter.
Sean and Em went out to get a some stuff in town and the cottage power went out for a few minutes. They were in Bracebridge when the whole city turned black from a power outage. Crazy!
This week has been really busy. Come Friday, I’ll be taking my business head off and retreating to the cottage from some much-needed creative time.
I feel like each day lately has so many ups and downs from work, personal, and everything going on in the world around us. Trying to maintain an equilibrium can be a real challenge. I think we need to ride the rollercoaster and feel this wave out. Stay home, wear a mask. Take breaks.
I’ve wanted to write for the last few days and I didn’t feel like it. It wasn’t until I just started writing whatever came into my head that I was reminded how much I love to write things down. It might seem silly but sometimes you just gotta sit down and let it out. Having a diary (online or off) is so good for thinking through your own issues and reminding yourself who you are. It’s a great way to get to know YOU again.
On Day 7 back in March, I wrote a post called Give Yourself A Break and I’m surprised I haven’t started a series with the same name because we all need it right now. The theme for this post is the same.
I haven’t been feeling great today. I’m low energy and tonight I plan to watch Gossip Girl and go to bed early. It’s ok to give yourself a break, actually, I quite recommend it. I didn’t post on IG Stories for two days (even longer for the feed!) and it’s a small thing but it gives me a small pleasure. Sometimes I just don’t feel like posting. Everything seems a bit harder these days and we gotta know when to take a break.
You never know what might happen so it’s important to try and see the bright side. We all have something to be grateful for, remember those things, write them down if you need to. I really love the caption on my good friend Brigitte’s post today. A good reminder, it’s ok to feel the feels.
I tried to embed the post here but Instagram changed their API and I don’t think I can embed anymore! See the full caption on her post here and give her a follow.
These days it can be hard to find inspiration. I’ve always had a knack for finding it in the little things by showing gratitude for them, a sunny day, beautiful leaves, a fav song on the radio, or a nice long solo drive. I’ve never owned a car so when I get to borrow one from a major manufacturer it’s an exciting time.
Of course I stopped in High Park for a mini photoshoot!
This past week I picked up car from MINI Canada (Countryman SE ALL4) with all-wheel drive in one of their new colours. I’ve loved MINI my whole life, a few years ago I took a solo trip to LA and cruised around in a convertible MINI Cooper for the week. It was heaven, I didn’t even mind the traffic!
Since we’re in the middle of a bathroom renovation, it was really helpful to have my own car to pop out and get supplies from the paint store or Home Depot. I also took this as an opportunity to support local and actually pick up orders from local restaurants, instead of getting delivery. The entire time I had this car I took every opportunity to drive it. Friend needs a ride? I’ll drive you! We need something from the store? I’ll go get it!
MINI Countryman: Favourite Features
Besides being fun to drive in the city or on the highway, the MINI Countryman has an ALL 4 All-Wheel Drive System and was great on gas.
lots of room inside the vehicle or in the trunk. Great little family car!
Easy Opener for the back means you can swipe your foot under the bumper, and voila, the door opens!
The rear camera makes parking or backing up a sinch.
Apple CarPlay, is great for Audible, music, directions, or using Siri while driving. Safety first!
I love the newly designed Union Jack tail lights and the adaptive headlights that help you to see around corners.
To learn more about the MINI Countryman or other models, visit mini.ca. Big thank you goes out to for MINI Canada for letting me borrow this sweet little ride. Next time I’m planning to test out the new MINI Cooper Electric!
I looked at myself in the mirror before I left and thought, ‘wow I’ve clearly been watching Gossip Girl!‘. Halfway through S2 and I love this show. I put on my new fav Stuart Wiseman boots, a sweater with some fur, and hopped in my ride.
Mini Toronto sent a driver to pick me up and I’m borrowing a car for a few days. I absolutely love the freedom that comes with a car! After spending so long up north, I’m stoked to boot around the city for the next week.
I’m driving the new MINI Countryman ALL4 and look forward to testing out some of the features including all-wheel drive, Apple Carplay, parallel parking assist, fuel-efficiency.
Some days are harder than others. It’s important we check on each other, a simple, ‘you ok?’ might just be what your friend needs to hear. Reach out to me anytime. Yes, I’m your friend on the internet but also a real human typing these words.
Today was the first day back after the long weekend and I had planned to do more work over the weekend than I did. So, I’m starting a short week a day late and behind. I really tried to catch up as much as I could today but I also felt overwhelmed and tired. When I get like this, it’s hard to concentrate. I find myself staring at my screen, knowing what needs to be done but I just can’t seem to connect my brain to the fingers and make it happen.
I decided to start watching The Bachelorette at night as a way to distract me from everything going on in the world, then my iPad died. I went back to trusty Gossip Girl and made it into the second season.
Tomorrow we are going back to the city and I’m borrowing a car from Mini Canada in the afternoon. I’m looking forward to having my own vehicle for a week, taking scenic drives, and maybe going to visit mum. I could really use a hug from her today.
Sending love through the internet. We’ll get through this. It’s gonna be ok. We’re gonna be ok.
This gif of me is actually Taylor Swift from the Reface App! ?
If you only knew then what you know now, right? If I only knew that one of these nicely stacked woodpiles would topple over in <24 hours, we might have stacked it differently. C’est la vie!
I love stacking wood. It’s a great workout and you can do a lot in a short time if you hustle. I listened to Mariah Carey’s new book The Meaning of Mariah Carey on Audible, read by her! I love it. I’m 3.5 hours in with 7 to go. I like to listen to books for long drives, running, walks, or doing stuff around the house.
In other news, last week I started watching Gossip Girl from the very beginning, for the first time. I love it, was searching for something with a dramatic/stylish vibe to zone out to after watching Emily in Paris. I’m almost done S1 and have 5 more seasons to go, should take me right through to December.
For the last few years, Sean and I have spent Thanksgiving at the cottage. We’ve been getting the Swiss Chalet ‘festive special’ for about four years now. This year we couldn’t dine-in so we got takeout and went down to Muskoka Beach Road to watch the sunset. Thanksgiving 2020 ftw.
This year I’m thankful for Sean and my family, how close we’ve all gotten the last few months through the pandemic.
I’ve also really become close with a bunch of friends and somehow, even though we’ve not seen each other much in person, we talk more than ever.
I am also very thankful for the internet, for keeping us all connected. To the internet for hosting my blog diary that’s helped me build a career and document my memories.
I can’t imagine trying to remember everything I’ve done over the last week, 6 months, or 15 years without having it written down.
Around this time last year, I decided to make a change in my life and start working out. I’m grateful that I stuck with it, that I didn’t give up, that I changed my eating habits, and learned to love myself more.
I remember seeing this Nike ad years ago, the message stuck with me. Why put off until tomorrow something you could check off your list today?
If you want to make a change in your life, start now. Start today. By tomorrow, you’ll already be on day 2.
Woke up and ran 4km in the morning then stacked some wood from this HUGE pile we had delivered. My sister and her bf arrived just after lunch and it was so nice to hang out. It’s been ages since they came to visit up up here.
It was an absolutely beautiful day! We stopped by our cottage neighbours place so she could meet the friends I’ve been telling her about the last few months.
So grateful to have some friends on the lake after years of not really knowing anyone. We are planning to spend more time up here this winter. The cottage isn’t fully winterized but with the base board heaters and heaps of wood, we’ll be nice and warm.
After years of THINKING about using my sewing machine, I finally busted it out last month. It feels so good to get into a creative project! I’ve been fantasizing about sewing for years. My goal is to make a whole outfit by the end of the year. I’ve got heaps of old vintage patterns from mum and I’m dying to tackle at least one of them. Since I was a kid, I’ve dreamt of making clothes. I used to make them with mum while I was a little. I love fun outfits and creating my own style.
This is one of my big floofy scrunchies!
I started w/ scrunchies as I’m a little rusty! It’s been A WHILE. ? I posted this video on Instagram today and a bunch of people said they would love yo have one. I’m doing this as a hobby for now while I hone my skills, but who knows where it will take me. Last month, I wrote a post titled You Don’t Have To Monetize Every Hobby (Day 183), I think it’s important to create for the sake of creating without the pressure to make money doing it.
This weekend we’ll be up at the cottage, my sister is visiting, and I have a bit of work to catch up on. I’m planning to make a few more scrunchies from old clothes to give to friends. I’m excited!
Love to know what you are working on! Share anytime! This long weekend is the perfect time to start something! ??
