Autumn is my very favourite time of year. Warm days, cool nights, sweaters, pumpkins, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin patches…. do you sense a theme? And then the coast is my very favourite place to be so combining them together results in me being I’m in a…
The cost of owning a vacation home is not insignificant. Property taxes, utilities, insurance and maintenance all add up to a hefty price tag. More and more owners are thinking of renting out their recreational properties for the time they sit empty to help cover…
It seems that every retailer and magazine is on the “coastal look” bandwagon. From Serena and Lily, to Pottery Barn, to Crate and Barrel, they are all featuring a coastal vibe. Of course, it is that time of year but it truly is a year…
Have you ever picked a paint colour to find that it didn’t turn out to be anything like you expected, once it was on your walls? There is quite a nuanced art to picking colour and many factors come into play… Your personality Is your…
There’s an expression in my house: you better not sit still too long in one spot or you’ll get painted. We only plan to be in the “Beach Chalet” for one to two years so we didn’t want to invest money in new furniture but…
I first saw the idea for this craft project in a store and (being cheap) thought that I could easily make it. Living on a beach on Vancouver Island, I have access to an abundance of oyster shells. The seagulls are constantly dropping them to…
How to decorate post Christmas I love to decorate for every season. It started off when my children were young as they got so much enjoyment from it. But now I do it for myself with the sophistication level stepping up more than a notch.…
For years and years, I’ve been hosting wreath making workshops for friends. It’s been a fun way to kick off the holiday season without too much work on my part. By hosting a brunch, people can get to other holiday parties during this extremely busy…
The driveway to our beach house is hard to spot in the pitch black darkness of the night. And sometimes even in daylight! I have ugly markers with red reflectors that I bought at the local hardware store. The markers do the job but I…
We are so lucky and fortunate to have two homes. One is a vacation lakefront cottage I have previously posted about and one is a dark and dreary log “chalet” on the ocean. We hope one day to remove the log home, repurpose it somewhere…
Pronounced “hoo-guh”, there is no direct English translation for the Danish word hygge but cozy comes close. The concept is about finding contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life. The word may have its origins in the 1560’s word “hugge” which is…
Step One: Inspiration So while out on a bike ride near my cottage, I came across this barn with the most amazing colours in its roof. Quite the random patchwork but they seem to work together so well. I love how the blues evoke the…
I absolutely love this time of year. Words are not possible to describe that perfect autumn scent of falling leaves mixed with wisps of smoke. If only I could bottle that. Early October at the lake is always awesome. Cool nights make for early morning…
