Vacation Memories ~Summer 2011

I'm joining the Vacation Memories link party at WhisperWood Cottage by sharing some of our summer trips.





We had a very busy summer spending time with family and taking lots of trips around Ontario. Our boys were very busy entertaining their little second cousins and hanging with their cousins...



...digging deep deep holes in the sand on a cold and windy trip to Wasaga Beach...



...so cold and windy that we had all of Beach 2 and Allenwood Beach to ourselves...



...we spent a great couple of days of endless blue skies at a 4-H Beef Invitational show ...



...where all the care, washing, blowdrying and general fluffing of the Charolais show cattle had two young men placing really well...



...our boys have 4 annoying sister-like girl cousins who play rep field lacrosse and we took in some games...



...and two days at a 4-H Junior Dairy Show...



...lots of trips to spend time with cousins and family in our favourite Grey County...



...a day trip to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum...



...hanging out in my sister's family pool (fortunately only a 5 minute walk or two minute drive)...





...a wedding shower, lots of birthdays and bbq's,  rabbit club meetings, dairy club meetings, beef club meetings, tractor pulls, Elmira livestock exchange and quilt shops. We also took some time to just hang out at home and relax. No wonder I barely dented my list of diy projects!

I hope you had an enjoyable summer and be sure to stop by WhisperWood Cottage to see Vacation Memories from near and far.

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Vacation Memories ~Summer 2011

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Halloween Bunting and Stepping Into Etsy

It still feels like summer, Fall is not long away and I'm already planning for Halloween.



I have been working hard on my business dreams and today I opened my Etsy shop, Blue Clear Sky Design. Exciting, scary, exciting. So far I have listed a whopping one item. I sewed this 13 1/2 foot (including ends for tying) Halloween bunting with little flags made of fun cotton Hallowe'en themed prints. It is reversible so it looks great from both sides.



Adding more items to my Etsy shop is a goal I am working on, but it is great to have the shop up and running. There is still a lot to learn but I'm feeling more confident each day. 


I go back to work later this week (our kids start back to school next week) so I really wanted to get this part of my business dream started before I did. Finishing up some diy projects is also planned this week. Wishing you a wonderful week!
Edited to add: I still have my etsy shop but it is empty right now. It proved harder than I thought to work full time outside the home and make items for sale. Hopefully I can figure this all out at a later date.


I'm linking with SNS #107 pennants/banners/buntings special at Funky Junk Interiors

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A Trip to Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

This week the guys and I visited the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario.





That's our 12 year old beside me (growing like a weed!) The highlight of our trip, the Avro Lancaster Bomber. So very cool up close.








Our oldest is very interested in history, particularly WWII, and he could tell us lots about this night bomber. I had 5 uncles and an aunt serve in WWII so it was pretty awesome seeing all the planes and displays.
  






The volunteers are really knowledgeable and the guys got to climb into an Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck.





The CF-100 was a jet interceptor/fighter.





So many cool graphics on the restored planes.

















Hot Gen is a B-25 and the graphics were popular on souvenirs in the gift shop!





Great views from the upper observation areas, and an outside balcony area with views of more planes.





We really enjoyed our visit and if you are in southern Ontario it is well worth a visit.


Keeping all those in the path of Hurricane Irene in my thoughts this weekend. Stay safe!

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A Trip to Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

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One Rise Bread and Cinnamon Rolls

I made my first successful loaf of bread today, and cinnamon buns too.



Successful because although I tried another recipe in the past, it didn't work at all well for me. I was encouraged to try breadmaking again after I read Kim's post of the recipe on Life in a Little Red Farmhouse (via Julie at Circle Cliff Views/The Harwards.) Thanks Kim and Julie! This recipe allows for all-purpose or whole wheat flours in your favourite combination. I chose to do half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour.






I think part of the success, besides the recipe and great directions, was my new KitchenAid Professional stand mixer that did all the mixing. So easy and it worked!





The photo above shows the dough ready to rise in the pans. At this point I had my fingers crossed because it just seemed too easy so far. I didn't have to worry, because it rose well and baked beautifully. Soft but cooked all the way through. Yum!





I couldn't believe that I was out of icing sugar (I make my own birthday cakes so I usually have lots) so I improvised and put on way too much Betty Crocker cream cheese icing. They are delicious and we still have the large pan left. Do you think I should try freezing them?

I'm joining...
Farmhouse Friday at LaurieAnna's Vintage Home

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One Rise Bread and Cinnamon Rolls

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It Feels Like Fall

It felt like Fall here this morning. Overcast, rainy and cooler temps inspired me to light some great smelling candles and enjoy some quiet time with a cup of tea.



The votives are from The Country Mile, a great cafe, home accents and gift shop in Milton, Ontario. I chose the gorgeous scent of maple cinnamon buns. Yum! The trio of stemmed stained glass candleholders were a hostess/sales gift from Party Lite years ago.



This little bench is just a temporary solution for a coffee table. I found it at a garage sale last year for $3 and painted it white.



It is supposed to get quite hot this afternoon, with heavy rain and thunderstorms, and most of south western Ontario is under a widespread tornado watch. Hopefully everything will clear up without incident because we are planning a trip to the beach with my sister's family tomorrow.



I'm still working on the gallery wall and need to find another end table but I'm liking how our living room is coming together. It was so overcast this morning that I had to turn lamps on for my photos. What are your favourite candle fragances? Do you prefer floral scents to baking scents? I'm definitely in the vanilla and baked goods category. {Safety first of course, I do not leave my candles unattended.}

I'm joining...
WOW us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
 

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Silver and White, and Weird Weather

I woke up early Saturday to head out to some yard sales. We had a houseful of family visiting for my niece's bridal shower, but I knew they've been here enough to be self sufficient.



I was on a mission to find a George Foreman grill, as requested by my nephew who is heading off to college soon. The GF grill was found at the 5th garage sale I stopped at for $5. I also found this pretty white serving bowl, made in Portugal, for $2 (still in the wedding gift box it came in.) It's not vintage but it is dishwasher and microwave safe. 



This serving set has a stainless steel blade but the silver is a bit tarnished. Picked up for $3 for the set. A fun hour for $10 and I still got back to the house in time to tidy up and get dressed for the shower.



What crazy weather lately, too! My thoughts and prayers go out to the community of Goderich, near London, Ontario, that suffered so much damage with the tornado this week. Today we felt the Virginia earthquake tremor here in southern Ontario. And finally, to all of you in the potential path of Hurricane Irene, my hope is that you all stay safe.

I'm sharing my thrifty finds with...

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm













Twice Owned Tuesday at House of Grace

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Farms, Barns and Western Things

I'm joining the Farms, Barns and Western Things party at Funky Junk Interiors this weekend.



We live in a suburb in a medium sized town but farms, barns and western things are very popular at our home. I enjoy having items in our home that remind us of our love of agriculture. I hope you enjoy the photo tour.
Barn Stars





Framed Barn and Farm Photos




Lariats





Cowboy Christmas Trees
2008 - 2009 - 2010





Western, Rodeo and Horse Prints





 Quilts and Stitching



Old Ladders

Dairy Bottles and Farm Signs















I ordered something really cool from etsy this week, it's cow related, and I can hardly wait to get it. I'll share photos when the items arrive. I hope you get a chance to stop by Funky Junk Interior's SNS #95 and check out all the other great links.

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