Lovely + For Sale...

This August I had the pleasure of touring a gorgeous house on Manitoulin Island that also just so happens to be for sale. 

I met the owner Silvio last summer while touring through an antique shop he'd set up in an old farmhouse I had once lived in. I went out of curiosity and stayed simply because he had an absolute perfect collection. Every piece was gorgeous. What I did not know until this summer was that all of those lovely things had come out of his very own house. He was not really an antique seller, he just had a lot of stuff. If I hadn't been certain that Paul would stroke out as a result, I would have bought it all.

When I heard he was selling his home I promptly asked if I could take a tour and shoot some pictures of it, he kindly agreed.

Light and airy with 11ft ceilings the place is dreamy. The interior work was designed and constructed by him, and it has been a labour of love. 

"When I originally purchased the property it was an unused carpentry shop where they had fabricated decorative wood trim and casing. There was even a drying kiln still set up in what is now the attached garage/workroom). The property retains its residential/commercial status and has three phase power. Both of these features open a world of possibilities such as an art gallery / studio / cafe etc".

"The tile flooring in the kitchen, entrance and bathroom is all natural linoleum. It is made from linseed oil and resins and has the colour all the way through, so any future chips or burns could be sanded out".

It is the most beautiful rich colours. Silvio's attention to detail is great. You will notice a small framed square hole near the floor, this of course leads to the entryway closet and it is for his kitty to have her own private powder room...

The ceilings are 11ft high, Silvio created these "windows" between the rooms to encourage air flow.

A small sink was installed near the dining room, perfect for entertaining...

The dining room with a beautiful sunroom attached...

(that would also make a lovely summer dining area).

Looking into the living room...

How cute is that light?!

The living room with a gorgeous fireplace. The material behind the fireplace and beneath is 12 gauge steel sheet metal (greatly surpasses non combustion requirements and helps to reflect radiant heat). It will also oxidize in a beautiful way.

King sized bed right next to the fireplace.

Loft overlooking the living area which also serves as another sleeping area. There is storage behind one of the doors, and another small bedroom behind the other.

Looking from the living area into the kitchen...

View overlooking surrounding farmland. 

The house sits on just under an acre of land.

It is indeed a sweet home. 

If you are interested in learning more please contact me and I will put you in touch with Silvio directly.

Best of luck to him on his next adventure...xo

Knock Knock...

"Delivery Mama"...

"Oh Georgia you look lovely, are you a fairy princess bringing me cupcakes"?!

Glaring a hole in me..."No! I am the pizza delivery man".

"Oh, sorry. It is so obvious now that I look more closely"...xo

Right Fighter...

"This is not going to work (huff/puff/cuss), it will hold...like...five books". 

This was the statement grunted out by my husband as he hauled a way too heavy shelving unit up the stairs to the kids room. I am used to such skepticism from the love of my life. He  does not subscribe to my firm belief that if something is not working you just shove, push, and move it over and over again until you make the magic (that you pictured in your head) happen. Poor him.

I generally try and avoid involving him in any of my decorating/painting/sparkle shenanigans, it's just easier that way. I hate explaining myself and/or why this is the MOST brilliant idea I have ever come up with. Instead I wait until he leaves the country and proceed, business as usual. With no trip in sight however, and this monster of a piece sitting in my living room, I had no choice.

We have been married 8 years, batting my eyelashes gets me nowhere. Straight forward is the best approach. I need this done, I would love your help, but if you say no I will just find a way to do it myself. He was not onboard, but helped/herniated regardless.

So glad he did...the kids now have an amazing library to store all their lovely books. It fits waaaaay more than five, but I am not one of those "I told you so" type girls.

Once I owned a vintage shop, it did not last but this gorgeous old shelf did.

Presto change-o...

TOTALLY worth the near heart attack...

(I heart you Paul).

xo

Semi-permanent Vacation...

Attempting to segue back into society after three weeks away is always a challenge. Getting out of our daily routine of bathing suits, beaches and ice cream afternoons is even harder. A few shots of our holiday and Grandma and Papa's on Manitoulin Island...

Back to the grind...

xo

Dessert First...

There is a saying or a thought that one should "eat dessert first". 
I would (if my behind allowed) eat dessert only, for each course. The only thing better than cake, is surprise cake. On our anniversary this year neither Paul nor I could remember how long we had been married, and argued over the year it actually took place. Both of us were sober, so I can only conclude that our time together has been so blissful it has just blended into one long happy day, or the kids have robbed us both of our longterm memory. Either way we were super surprised and touched when my friend Michelle (of the makes me cookie dough because I am baking challenged fame) showed up at soccer practice toting a cake she had made covered in my favourite flowers (done in our wedding colours no less)...How amazing is that? 

8 years worth of amazing...

Thank you Mich!

xo

Really, it's not you...it's me...

If you were looking to find my head over the past two months dollars to doughnuts you would have been looking at the wrong end, I have been an all-consumed and busy lady.


A few posts back I announced my return to the illustration world and called on the employment spirits to feel free to drop some work my way. Well they answered immediately (upside), and wrapped me in projects that left little time to remember pants let alone this blog (downside). I found whenever I would manage a bit of time to sit and write everything was a jumbley mess, so I cut myself some slack and took a break.


There is light on the horizon in the form of free time finally, so I will grab it and use it while I can. My kids just finished their first full year of JK in June and are now home all day everyday looking at me with a "now what" expression...gotta up my game craft wise. 


A promising start...

Accessories for a pirate birthday party...Yarrr

(yup, I just said yarrr).

I turned one half of the front porch into an art studio of their very own. I have had to threaten to shut it down twice due to general misuse of sparkles and a slap fight.

But when they're good they're very good...

Dragon puppet!

Princess puppet!

The other half of the porch I turned into a space for Paul and I to hang out, read books, enjoy the rain and generally avoid mosquitos. 

I fell asleep laying here reading the other day, which was lovely but can get weird living right on Main Street. Drooling in the mid-day sun is the perfect way to get a reputation as a boozer in a small town.

Happy Summer! (hic)

xo

Raise a Glass...

For the mama's!  It is a bloody hard job. A worst pay / best rewards type of situation. Children can be maddening, and although mine make me want to have vodka pancakes many (many) days of the week I would not trade it...ever. 

A few of my favourites - Happy Mother's Day xo

My Mama...

My Mama-in-law...

My Grandma...

My Nana...

I grew these. Believe me, no one is more surprised than me...

xo