Life, Lately (Summer 2014)

Hello there. I've been off the blogging grid for almost the entire summer, mainly due to a lack of a computer (stupid me accidentally spilled coffee on my laptop and though it spent a really long time at the repair shop, I'm lucky that it's working like new again and that I didn't lose any data), but also because I was busy with work, school, a couple of side projects, and of course, spending time enjoying the summer. As a way of easing myself back into blogging, I thought I'd share a few pictures of what I've been up to lately, in no particular order. If you follow me on Instagram, some of these will look familiar. And if don't follow me, why not?! Let's connect! You can follow me here. 

Reading the Sunday New York Times is a recent addition to my weekend activities. 

The boyfriend and I rode our bikes down to Toronto's waterfront several times this summer. 

Took the nicest day we've had all summer off work and spent the day with the boys at the Sandbanks in Prince Edward County. It's like being on a beach in the Caribbean - soft white sandy beach that stretches for miles and clear blue water as far as the eye can see. 

We hosted my mum, brother and a couple of family friends for a Canada Day BBQ on July 1st. Red and white flowers were a must! 

New haircut and colour! The bangs are back and the dark brown/black colour that I've been box-dying for years has been stripped out to bring me closer to my natural light brown colour (though there's still a red tone, which I love). My hair is blown out in these photos but I've been wearing it naturally wavy, it's too hot to deal with blow dryers and flat irons in the summer. 

I have lots more to share but I'll save some things for upcoming posts. I hope everyone has been enjoying their summer so far! 

Prince Edward County & Bike Decor Project

Last year for Labour Day, my friends and I rented a cottage in Prince Edward County.  What a beautiful place!  The beaches have soft white sand and sparkling blue water that's waist-deep hundreds of feet out.  It's like being in the tropics.  

With friends, walking on the beach in Prince Edward County

The landscape in the region is gorgeous, covered with sprawling properties and vineyards.  Some of Ontario's best wines are produced in PEC.  We stopped in for lunch at Norman Hardie's vineyard and met the vintner himself.  He has a restaurant on his property with an outdoor pizza oven and the pizza was probably one of the best I've ever tasted.  And the wine, of course, is excellent too.  We went for a tasting then purchased a couple of bottles each.  

Norman Hardie Vineyard

Driving through the countryside on our way from the cottage to the vineyard and back, we saw quaint little antiques shops, beautiful properties, and something that inspired my next project - I've been waiting all winter to do it.  Two of the properties we drove past had a bike painted a solid colour, just standing on it's own in the middle of the field.  They each had a basket with flowers in it.  It was such a lovely vignette.  I have a bike that I no longer ride but has been in storage ever since I replaced it with a newer one, and as soon as I saw those bikes in the fields in PEC, I decided what to do with my bike in storage.  So I'm going to spray paint it all yellow, add a wicker basket, and prop it up in my front yard.  And of course, I'll have to lock it up since I live in the city.  I couldn't get a good photo of the bikes in the field that inspired me, so you'll have to wait for the 'after' pictures.  But for now, here's the bike that I'm going to paint: 

My first bike (as an adult).  It was a little too small for me when I first started riding it but it lasted me a couple of summers before I bought a bike that fit me properly.