It’s a new year and finally, a new post

Happy September! Doesn’t September feel more like the beginning of a new year, than January? It always has to me. After a ridiculous long blogging break, I’m trying to get back at it. Lots has been going on here.

The cottage kitchen was finished in late March/April and I LOVE it. I am trying to get it published so I’m very limited on what photos I can show here, but here’s a few teasers.

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All photo credits above: Melissa Kew Photography

We also took a short but fabulous trip to Nashville and Memphis in May. My appreciation for country music and cowboy boots has increased exponentially after this trip.

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The view from our hotel room.

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The site of a civil war clash.

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We both picked up cowboy boots and a friend got the same ones.

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We both thought this highway sign was hilarious but accurate.

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In Memphis, we had to do the Graceland tour.

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And of course, Sun Studio, the birthplace of Rock ‘n Roll.

We also had another very short trip to Quebec City this summer, where I used to live many, many years ago as a child. It is my favourite Canadian city, so old world and charming.

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Work wise, I finished up a condo decorating project in Mont Tremblant, a complete master bath remodel, started a new client’s living room/dining room/kitchen remodel, commenced another bathroom renovation, helped another client with the finishing touches to her mid-century modern apartment, gave a bunch of consults for painting and decor clients and I’m so excited to be starting a client’s very challenging and huge cottage renovation this Fall.

I’ll be sharing some pics of these decorating projects and renovations in the next while.

On the family front we have been very busy. Our youngest daughter graduated from her Masters program and started her first permanent job with the Government. Our other daughter got engaged and bought her first house, all in the same weekend in March. One of our sons moved back home from out west and will be going back to school this year.

And last, but certainly not least, our eldest son is getting married at our cottage, in like….less than 3 weeks. Whoa, that scares me to write that.  We are well into the throes of final decorating projects and this past long weekend, we were a beehive of activity. The beach got de-weeded (is that a word?), long grass got trimmed and manicured, trees were cut back, things got painted, take away gifts were embellished and readied, terrarium centrepieces were done, chalkboards were written on and general planning and details were ironed out.

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Lisa

Floors…beautiful floors

Now back to France and Italy. 🙂

When I’m travelling, I am always looking up at the beautiful ceilings and down at the floors.  And I was certainly captivated by some of the beautiful and painstakingly crafted floors that we saw in France and Italy.

Here is just a few:

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This one above is actually terra cotta tile, it’s a local type only found in the Lake Como area.

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I don’t know about you, but my floors are BOOORRRRIIIINNNNGGG!

Lisa

 

Architecture, streets and alleys of France

So for this post, I am focusing on the streets, architecture and alleys of France.  Some of these photos are actually taken in Monaco, but I am going to put them in France for today 🙂  Warning there are a ton of photos in this post!

 

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Did you spot all the Roman buildings in this post?  The Romans were very busy when they were in France many centuries ago.  And I thought I’d include this little video of us driving through Provence. Click on the link below to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udg1MfP6dg0&feature=youtu.be

Lisa

Charleston architecture and some beautiful gardens

Well, Hello, anybody still there! I’m sorry for the extended absence, but spring, well…. that and a bad back has wiped me out recently, so I apologize for my lack of posts.  But I’m back, pun intended 🙂 at it with a long delayed Charleston post.  If you remember, hubby and I visited Charleston last month and I still have a ton of photos to share with you.

One thing that makes Charleston very interesting, is that any building older than 75 years is not allowed to be torn down and therefore they have many historical homes and businesses in the downtown core.  Also, high-rises are not permitted, which means their core retains its charm and small town feel.

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Even partial walls aren’t torn down as shown where it has been incorporated into a newer building.

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And here where it is used in the garden area of a restaurant/bar that we happened upon. I wonder how old those bricks are?

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Some beautiful homes around town.

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The home above shows what is referred to as a Single Home in Charleston.  What looks like the main door from the street actually only leads to a long covered porch (called a piazza).  The piazza looks out onto the side yard and the house is actually very long but only one room deep.  This was a pre-electricity version of air conditioning, so that any breezes flowed through the rooms from the windows to the piazza.

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Rainbow Row for obvious reasons 🙂

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April is the best month to visit Charleston, as told to us by the many guides we had the pleasure of listening to, as from May to September the weather becomes exceedingly hot and humid and doesn’t let up until October.  The flowers were in bloom which was a sight for my sore eyes, after looking at loads of white stuff for the last 5 months. DSC_0036 IMG_0625 IMG_8577 IMG_8601 IMG_8602 IMG_8609

Do you see the black round metal piece above the window here? It’s actually a bolt that holds a giant screw that goes through the entire home to eliminate and/or prevent any earthquake damage.  These bolts are in many, many buildings in Charleston as they are on a fault line.

And did you notice that black is a very popular exterior trim colour?

Lisa

 

 

Charming Southern Iron Work

A few weeks ago, my hubby and I were in Charleston, South Carolina.  I had not been to Southern Carolina before and I had always imagined it as a gentile, historical, civilized place and I was not disappointed….Mint Julips anyone? The weather was perfect, sunny, warm and with a gentle breeze.

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I’ll be doing a few posts on Charleston as it would make one very looooonnnnng post if I included everything in one.  As usual, I took many architectural photos of homes and the iron work that is all over Charleston, so for this post I’ll be focusing on the beautiful ironwork that is all over the city.

 Lots of it was done by the blacksmith and iron work artist, Philip Simmons.  Unfortunately, many of the original iron work was melted during the War between the States (as the Civil War is referred to in Charleston).

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There’s a definite European feel to Charleston, with their quaint little alleyways and cobblestone streets.  I also had a strong sense of deja vu, since sometimes I felt like I was back in New Orleans.

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This was an exterior bar at the back of a restaurant that was so charming in it’s use of salvaged materials, that I just had to take a picture. Note the various pieces of iron work that are placed on the face of the bar.  Each is so intricate and beautiful on their own.

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This grill below was in the middle of a large hedge that bordered a property.  It looks very old to me.

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This very fancy and scrolly (is that a word?) ironwork was on a very old theatre (sorry forgot the name) in the city centre.

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The gated entrance to a private residence from their car port.  And below, a gated side garden on one of the large homes that we toured past.

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Families’ mottos were often included in the iron work gates and grills, to show what their business was. For example,the tobacconist would have a pipe in his gate.  Unfortunately, my photo of this particular gate did not turn out…I hate that.

Next up, some architecture around town.

Lisa