Unexpected Finds

[The Grower's Daughter]

I promised my son that today we would spend the whole day, just him and mummy, doing fun things.

We drove out to water and walked along the beach together, skipping stones and searching for bits of driftwood. From there we went out for lunch, just the two of us and I got to enjoy his constant chatter while we sipped our chocolate milks. Before heading home, we made our way to the Port and rode the old Merry-Go-Round. It was a perfectly lovely afternoon.

I did however, manage to sneak in one special thing for me. Some of the best local Antique shops are in that area, and I could help but quickly browse one of the larger malls while he was still asleep. I was through it fairly quickly, as he was weighing down my arm, fast asleep. I came home with three great finds that I was super excited about.

One - A Beatrix Potter book that I'm missing from my series in beautiful condition.

Two - A set of three ironstone plates with a pretty edge to hang in my dining room.

Three (and my favourite!) - A lovely little Westclox clock in cream with pretty brownish black hands and numbers. It works perfectly and was only $18! It will be perfect for my bed side table once I get around to finishing our master bedroom.

I hope you are all having a lovely week, and are looking forward to a much needed long weekend!

All Things Bright and Beautiful

[All Photos - Country Living]

I know that Monday mornings can tend to be looked down upon, as they, for most people, signal the end of a relaxing weekend, and the beginning of a busy work week.

For me however, this particular Monday has brought with it a sense of expectancy and a desire for order.

I was browsing through these few images this morning and I couldn't help but find the motivation I needed to pick up my cleaning bucket, and spend the day puttering around our house, "fluffing our nest" as so many other bloggers so cleverly put it. Each room is bright and beautiful and clean - just what I'm craving this morning.

I hope you find a sense of joy in a bright new week, brimming with possibilities and excitement.

Happy Monday girls. Isn't it a great day today?

It's A Small World

[Country Sampler]

[All other photos - The Grower's Daughter]

Hello ladies. Happy Friday. I'm going to fairly warn you that this post is going to be a bit lengthy, as I have a bit of a long story to share with you. So, go make yourselves a cup of coffee and settle in... It's a good one.

How many of you out there recognize the photo above? Does it look familiar to you? If not, remember this post? How about now?

So, a little while ago, I shared with you photos of a house I had stumbled upon and stalked photographed. I loved it so much, I had to show it to you. I mean, no one would ever know right? Wrong.

Out of nowhere, a couple of weeks ago, I got an e-mail from the owner. Yes, the owner. She had come across the post and wanted to thank me for the comments. Well, you could imagine my surprise. I mean, I never thought anyone would know the house! It's not like it's in the most obvious location, and the majority of my readers are no where near here, so who in the world, would ever recognize this one little house? She did.

Actually a few people did! I got 2 other e-mails later from readers who knew her because of her booth at a local Antiques Mall. So she was a dealer after all! I knew it!

But, the story gets even more interesting. Remember the post I did on the booth Feathers from the Christie Antique Show (see here)? I mentioned in the post that there where two booths that where my favourite. I did a post on one of them already (Feathers) and the second was still to come.

Well, who should be the super talented owner of the second booth, but none other than the same lady who owns this house!

Here are a few shots from Kim's lovely booth Tattered and Torn. She's a vendor at the show, but she also has a regular place at the Southworks Antiques Mall. If you are anywhere near Cambridge, please check her out. I promise, it's worth the trip! I mean if Sarah Richardson shops her booth, you know it has to be good.

Her booth was filled with the most gorgeous pieces. It's so rare to find a booth that is so full of every thing I love. She had gorgeous old grainsack, and the largest collection of ironstone of all the booths. She had charming rustic pieces, and the most beautifully upholstered chairs. I was so excited. I really did want to talk to her so bad, but the booth was so crowded with viewers and customers that I didn't want to waste her time. So, you can imagine how happy I was so have had the chance to still be introduced to her after all.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what she does with her next house!

Oh, and the story doesn't end there! It gets better...

So remember how I mentioned that I wanted to run up, knock on her door and beg for a tour of the inside? Well, unfortunately, since then, she's moved onto another big project and the house has been sold. But, while browsing through some old inspiration binders the other night, I came across an article called Diamond in the Rough. It was from the November 2010 issue of Country Sampler. Guess who's house was featured? Yep. Hers.

Talk about a small world. Seriously. I have been so excited to share this story! Only you ladies can fully appreciate just how crazy each part is.

So, if you want to see a few photos of the inside, which I know you will want to do, then head over here and view a few extras from the shoot!

Now, I know it was a bit of a lengthy post. But wasn't it worth it?

I hope you all have lovely weekends!

Next Project

[Serena and Lily]

Can you guess which room I'm about to tackle as my next project?

.....

I figured that since my baby boy is now 2, it's time for him to have a big boy room. I'm actually excited to get started on it, as I've been collecting bits of decor for quite some time now!

Have a lovely weekend! I just came in from the garden as it's the perfect day - sunny and warm, but with a nice breeze that makes it gorgeous in the shade.

Happy 2nd Birthday

[The Grower's Daughter]

Willen, seconds after he was born, all fresh and new and perfect.

Two years ago today, my husband and I got to meet our baby boy for the first time, and from that moment on, our lives have never been the same.

Happy 2nd Birthday Willen.

Meet Oliver

[All Photos - The Grower's Daughter]

It's a well known fact that anyone who frequents auctions will, eventually, come home with a find that they most definitely didn't need, or perhaps even want, but somehow, ended up purchasing. For some of us, it's an awful modern painting that was bought with the hope of beginning a collection of artwork, and will, for years to come, remain collecting dust in our attic. For others, perhaps we purchased a massive lot of something which seemed like a steal at the time, but is quickly looking like it may be given out next year at Halloween.

For me it was neither a painting, nor a lot of unnecessary items.

Meet Oliver.

 

This handsome Miniature Schnauzer is 5 months old and possibly the last thing I needed to come home with. But, somehow, I stumbled across him and was instantly attached.

I wasn't as smitten with his more dominant brother, who wanted to be the center of attention, nor was I as taken by his mischievous brother who cared only for digging and chewing his way out of their crate. There was, however, something about this runt of the litter who was curled up in a ball, sleeping in the corner, who quietly came over to be pet and sat contently, that stole my heart. After a few calls to my unsuspecting husband, he was ours.

I really don't know what I was thinking, but somehow, I missed most of the furniture, skipped the implements and really couldn't have been happier with my find. Luckily, I purchased a small lot of ironstone (rare for a sale of this sort), which was up on the block before I met him. It turned out the be a successful day after all!

To Market, To Market

[All Photos - The Grower's Daughter]

Last night, just as the heat seemed to be lifting, and the night began to cool off, my parents popped in to take us down to the market in town. Because it's a smaller market, it's held on Thursday nights in town square. I don't mind, because it means I can attend a larger one in the city on Saturday mornings.

I was excited that our flower stand had a small pail of peonies for sale for the first time this season, so I took a couple bunches home with me, along with a pint of the season's first strawberries. Fresh picked local strawberries, all sun-ripened and sweet are one of my favourite things!

Here are a few other lovely stands that I like to frequent.

Cheesy Guys - They carry an assortment of the best local cheeses, including local cheese curds that are so fresh they still squeak! They've quickly become one of my favorite treats.

Howell's Family Farm Fudge. Yum. So far I've just sampled their delicious fudge because I don't dare bring any home for fear of it not even making it to the door.

The Herb Lady. She always carries an assortment of local, organic herbs.

And, this ladies man - The Chocolate Expressions booth. His accent is as thick as his caramel and I think he truly believes that chocolate is the way to any woman's heart. Though who could blame him, I mean even I get a little giddy when he's handing me a pretzel dipped in caramel, coated in nuts and drizzled with chocolate. Seriously.

A lovely assortment of peonies in various shades of pink from the Flower Man. Gorgeous.

I'm off to clean my house, and get things ready for a trip to an Auction a few hours away tomorrow. It'll be a super early morning, but I'm expecting to come home with a truck full of treasures!

Happy Friday girls and have a lovely weekend!

Wedding Two - Dean and Laura

[All Photos - The Grower's Daughter]

The second wedding we attended this past weekend was held in the most gorgeous of settings - the woods.

I have to hand it to the bride for being able to pull off such a feat. Honestly, with the rain we've been getting, I would have been a nervous wreck. This wasn't just any outdoor wedding. We were up the side of the escarpment in the middle of the woods. It had stormed all morning and by the time we were getting ready for the evening ceremony, we were convinced they would have found us another venue. But, upon arriving we were ushered up the winding hill, into the coziest of spots.

The rain did hold off for the rest of the evening, and even the mosquito's seemed to stay at bay. The ceremony was followed by a reception at the camp mess house and shortly there after were enjoyed a night of dinner and dancing.

It really turned out to be the a perfectly intimate wedding and a lovely night out.

Congratulations Dean and Laura!

The bride, with her beautifully natural bouquet and elegant dress, was escorted by her father up the path.

They exchanged rings and vows on the simple wooden platform surrounded by moss covered boulders and a plain wooden cross.

We all sat on old wooden benches tucked into the side of the hill. The view surrounding us was breathtaking. Everything was slightly damp and earthy and the birds were singing happily. The forest was lush and green thanks to the rain that morning.

We were ushered out by a guitarist who lead us all back down towards the reception.

The bride and groom.

The entire ceremony was almost completely natural with the exception of some white covers for the benches and a couple pretty baskets of flowers.

As we got to the bottom of the hill, we crossed a small wooden bridge, over a small creek.

The car the bride arrived in.

And, the reception. I thought this old mess hall made a fabulous venue. I especially loved the old lights! They roasted a pig on a spit and we enjoyed an assortment of salads, meat and fresh breads for dinner, as well as cupcakes for dessert. Each guest brought a bottle of Peach Chardonnay, made by the bride, home as a favour. Guests were able to lodge in the camp cabins for the night, and were invited to join the bride and groom for breakfast the next morning.

Wedding One - Rebecca and Nathan

[All Photos - The Grower's Daughter, and Family]

As promised, here are a few photos from our first wedding, my sister's, this past Friday.

I was in the wedding party, and when I wasn't busy with pictures and other duties, I was styling the set up for the reception which took place in the same barn afterwards. It was so busy that I just didn't have time to take as many photos as I would have liked, but I was busy with more important things!

It was quite literally the perfect day. The weather was as good as it could possibly be and everything went as planned and looked gorgeous. Really, the photos don't nearly do it justice.

Congratulations Rebecca and Nathan!

She was the most stunning bride in her antique white dress that was simple and elegant. Her veil was trimmed in pretty lace and she wore a simple strand of pearls. Isn't she gorgeous?

She carried a simple bouquet of luscious cream and soft pink peonies tied with lace.

This was the reception in the barn. There was awful fluorescent lights (hence the horrible lighting in the photos), so we hung strands of garden party lights which made the ambiance so romantic.

The tables were simple with cream tablecloths, truffle brown napkins and a burlap table runner. The guests got homemade biscotti as a favour, which was made by my mom.

We stenciled the table runners with a monogram which really personalized them.

The front of the barn was decorated with old sap buckets full of white Hydrangeas and cream Garden Roses, as well as huge bundles of curly willow.

I used old windows as place settings and my chalkboards to write out the menus for the evening.

This was the entrance she walked through during the ceremony, and then all of us again later for the reception.

Old mason jars with zinc lids were filled with peonies and placed around the barn, on tables and in the windows which made the whole barn smell so lovely.

Our bouquets - cream Antique Garden Roses.

The head table was decorated with all of my old crates and ironstone, carriers and anything else I had stored in my garage!

I made chocolate and vanilla cupcakes for dessert, which matched the cream and brown colours.

As well, I did her wedding cake. It's a vanilla bean cake with vanilla buttercream and a chocolate truffle filling between one layer and a Robin's egg blue buttercream filling between the other layer.

And because I couldn't resist - my son. He was the ring bearer and he was just the most handsome little guy ever! I was so proud.

They were the happiest couple, and really are the perfect pair.