cottage tour

I recently shared a peek into this charming little cottage that belongs to my aunt.

At the end of the path that follows the curve of the lake, a few doors down from our cottage, sits a little red cottage, formerly belonging to a fishing lodge.

It's red logs and stacked stones make for an inviting entrance, made only more charming by it's interior just beyond the screen door.

Inside is a classic log cabin, simple and open, with pops of red and the perfect balance of Waverly prints and a few carefully collected antique pieces.

Cottage life is simple living at it's best. A slow morning with a coffee, a long afternoon on the dock and an evening spent fireside. And this space is perfectly suited for such days.

(This pair of tartan lunch pails were from a tag sale I had years ago.)

 She has such an eye for balanced patterns - a bit of toile, a bit of tartan, a few florals and classic stripes and checks.

She repurposed an old duvet cover into curtains.

(This antique monogrammed dish towel was a find on a trip we took together to Hudson, NY)

The cottage has two small bedrooms. One with a double bed with hints of pink, and another in blues with two twin beds. Each has a small closet and while open above to the rest of the cottage, still feels private and separate.

 

Some antique china in a mix of patterns adds character to the tops of the kitchen cabinet.

 

The living room has the best views of the lake.

And while the cottage may be small and cozy, it's high ceiling with it's exposed beams makes the space feel much larger. 

Just the right amount of decor - a few favourite pieces to add character but not clutter.

(I found this pillow made from antique quilt scraps, by a local artist, and couldn't resist getting it. It was like it was made just for her!)

A removable hammock is strung in the screened porch which looks down at the lake.

It's everything a cottage should be - a calm escape, inviting and personal.

And I'm so glad that I get to pop in for a cup of tea and chat.

nantucket - day two

         Our second day on Nantucket was devoted almost entirely to walking around 'Sconset.

Now at any other point, we would have rented bikes in town and enjoyed a bike ride out to this area - the island is perfectly suited for biking. But, given my current very pregnant condition, we rented a car for the day so I could walk around once there and enjoy the day comfortably. I'm so glad we did! We actually enjoyed so much more than we planned this day because we had the convenience of our own car.

Our morning started off with coffee and pastries in the courtyard of our hotel. Ryan would get up before me, stroll to get his coffee down the road and I'd find him later, reading here. Then I'd go get my coffee and we'd plan our day.

Breakfast at Black Eyed Susan's was our first stop. We both enjoyed a good, casual breakfast in a very bustling but cozy atmosphere.

 

Then we headed out to Siasconset - or 'Sconset as it's called. We parked and walked 'Sconset beach, looking for rocks and shells for the boys, enjoying the wind and warm sunny day.

If there's one thing we couldn't get over about this place, it's the sweet smell of wild roses growing all over and a fresh, saltiness of the ocean air. It's intoxicating.

Then we headed to Sankaty Head lighthouse before parking back in town and walking the 'Sconset Bluff Walk.

The walk is along this little footpath that wanders through the back yards of the homes overlooking the bluff. It's a beautiful walk with perfectly manicured yards of these meticulously kept homes on one side and this wild, heathland with breathtaking views of the coast on the other!

Nearing the end of the walk, I was starting to feel quite tired, so I ended up finding a shady spot to rest outside what became my favourite home we passed, while Ryan lovingly walked back into town to grab the car.

 

In town, we stopped again to walk around the older cottages - the ones that 'Sconset is famous for. These tiny, crooked, rose-covered cottages from the 18th century look like they're right out of a storybook! The roses were just starting to bloom and I can't imagine how much more gorgeous this area is once everything is in full bloom.

 

Can you just imagine this cottage in bloom?

 

I made Ryan stand beside one of them to show the boys the scale of just how tiny they are!

Before continuing on, we stopped at the 'Sconset Market and picked up some water and snacks before we made our way to another part of the island. The sign outside the market says "Fancy Groceries" and it made me laugh, until we walked in. It might as well have been a small corner store, but it was entirely stocked with every fine food and snack you could imagine! I couldn't get over it. I told Ryan I wished we had a little market like this... though it's probably best we didn't. It was the same with their playgrounds - these pretty little climbers that were white and shake and perfectly matching their surroundings.

Our next stop was Cisco Brewery for Ryan, where he enjoyed a flight of their island inspired beers in the garden while a live band played and food trucks sold raw oysters and frozen Rose - It's a thing there - frose. Too bad I was pregnant...

We then headed to Bartlett Farms where I picked up a peach and some cherries (I needed something healthy!) and then took a scenic drive back to our hotel.

As we had missed lunch, we decided to change and head out for an early dinner. We had planned to have burgers for lunch at Lola Burger, so we just made our way back there. Now, I know we were hungry, but these burgers and fries were something else. Seriously, one of the best burgers I've had. And these crispy little fries with garlic aioli? So delicious! We left stuffed.

We then drove out towards the Madaket Beach area, as we heard you can see the prettiest sunsets there. 

It didn't disappoint! It really was gorgeous. But it was also quite chilly and very windy, so we didn't stay long.

Ryan surprised me with stopping at Galley Beach for dessert - a restaurant I had wanted to try. We watched the sun sink from the comfort of a fire on the beach while we enjoyed drinks.

Then, once it was dark, we headed inside and had our dessert. It was a beautiful restaurant, but really, it's location couldn't be more perfect. We ended the evening on Old South Wharf, walking the docks by lamplight.

Because we were able to drive about, we were able to see so much more. It really was a near perfect day.