Tis the season to have fun decorating! I began to pull out my Christmas decorations November 13th just after Remembrance Day. It all started with the tree. I love a tree that is all lit up and covered in beautiful ornaments and a ton of tinsel. I do have a faux tree which I use every year. I spend about 30 minutes fluffing it before decorating so it looks full and even. I have a selection of vintage, personalized, glass and even keychain ornaments on the tree. All the things I’ve collected over the years.
As the last couple of weeks have progressed so has the decorating. My wreaths are up in the doors. I bought a beautiful large wreath for the front door at Karen Browns Antiques in Deseronto for $40 in the summer. It fits the oval window perfectly. The secondary front door is the wreath I made for my first house. It still has a lot of life in it. I put out the little Christmas trees next to the front door and draped lights around the window and door frames on the porch.
On one of the warmer days I put the first set of outdoor lights up. This included the balcony and door and window frames on the second story. And a week later my lovely neighbour Alex put up the second story lights (which will stay up forever). Some inexpensive wreaths from the Dollarama purchased in 2020 and thick velvet red ribbon add a festive touch to the posts of the porch.
Every few days I find something new to decorate inside the house. A couple cute throw pillows, Santa garland, streamers of past cards that I’ve kept, bows, lights and mistletoe all warm each space.
And finally the dining room table – I LOVE a fancy dinner table. I use only what I have to minimize spending however, I did find the cutest dog napkin rings and splurged on them at $30 (x8). I love them! Gold chargers, table runner, napkins and cutlery add some sparkle. New placemats, ivy garland, mini poinsettias, and Christmas crackers complete the look. Who’s ready to eat? I am!
From my tiny family to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Since it has been some time since I’ve posted I thought I would share some happy news with you all. On November 15th my tiny family welcomed a new tiny baby into our family. I say baby but he is 12 years young. His long time mommy had terminal cancer and asked Buttonnoses Rescue to take him and his brother in just prior to her passing. I had just sent an update on Junior to the owner of the rescue and she sent me his picture and said he was looking for his next forever home. And so, I drove two hours to Toronto to meet this little guy.
This little 4lb man is sweet, independent, cuddly and so loving. He has become a big part of our family in a short amount of time.
He and Chaya like to play and he has a good time running around the house with zoomies. Junior (my eldest at 18 yrs) has now welcomed him into his space and they have begun to cuddle together and share my lap.
He greets everyone with a big toothy smile as though you are long time friends. Everyone please welcome Marco to our family.
Over 5 days and approximately 24 hours the room was painted, the wall paper was up, the curtains were installed and the furniture and accessories were placed. What a transformation! From dark and uninviting to light and airy. The space looks twice the size.
The office before:
And with just the paint, wall paper and curtains:
What a difference.
Here is a cost break down of where we spent the money:
Desk (Ikea) – $149
Shelving unit (Ikea) – $79
Curtains and rod (Giant Tiger) – $50
Wall paper (Lowes – Peel & Stick) – $70
Pair of chairs (Jysk) – $119.98
Office chair (Staples) – $89
Floor lamp – $80
Pair lamps (Homesense) – $20
Clock (Homesense) – $19.99
Snack cart (Canadian Tire) – $38.99
White board (Staples) – $74.99
Coat rack (Jysk) – $59.99
Shoe tray (Jysk) – $12.99
Mirror (Jysk) – $23.99
Accessories – $25
Shelving baskets (Ikea) – FREE
Paint (Benjamin Moore) – $40
Paint Supplies – FREE
Art – $20
Grand total – $973.92 x 13% HST = $1100.52
And here it is – a fresh new beginning:
This space feels very calming. The wallpaper helps to make the room feeling taller than it is since the ceiling is only 95″ high. We used natural wood elements throughout the space including baskets, the white board frame, chair legs, and the faux wood (sit/stand) desk piece. And we included some hits of black to ground the space with the curtain rod, picture frame and phone. There are several artificial plants and one real one. And since we weren’t sure if we really like the snack cart we moved the goodies on to the shelf behind the desk and if there are clients the cart can become a station to lay things out on. It can also be used as a space for extra hand sanitizer and masks until this crazy pandemic ends.
We did manage to keep it under $1000 before taxes which is pretty impressive for a complete overhaul. We researched every item and looked for sales and we made sure to try out all of the items that serve a purpose (desk height and function, chair comfort, storage) before we made any purchases and we saved receipts (well Natasha tried) and we returned items for store credits and refunds that were not used. If you are unsure of whether or not an item will work in the space ask the store what the return policy is. Most stores offer full refunds up to X number of days. Which means you can put it in the space, decide and return it if you dislike it. And most stores offer credits if it is over the number of days required to get a full cash refund. I swear by this – I tried over 15 pieces of art before I finally settled on one for my apartment. Good ol’ refund policies!
I hope you like the space – I know Lady Natasha is OVER THE MOON happy which is all that really matters. It was a fun project and my first creative space outside of my house and apartment.
In spring 2022 there may be a full renovation of a rental unit in early spring (top to bottom) which will be super fun to do and blog about. Once we do a walkthrough of the space and create a budget we will have a better idea on the timeline for this large project.
I hope you are all staying safe and doing what you love. Thank you for following along!
In 2019 I met my friend and real estate agent Natasha Huizinga. I popped by an open house she was hosting to check out a brand new build in Brighton, Ontario. It had some lovely finishes that I wanted to see. At that time I was on the fence about selling my Alma Street house. Several hours later I decided she would be my new agent and well, our friendship blossomed.
Just a short while ago Natasha made a big change in her career and moved her office to a new location. By doing this she now has an incredibly nice size space with a window all to herself. The space however… not that nice looking. Like many established older buildings the colour schemes are a little less appealing to todays standards. While we were chatting about her big move she mentioned that she would be allowed to paint and freshen up the space. I asked what colour she was going to do and she said “well, we actually get a colour palette from the building and we can choose one of them”. She mentioned that the space was dark an uninviting and wished she could make it light, bright and airy.
Seeing an opportunity I offered to give her a hand in creating a space that is all of those things. Since I also have all the time in the world right now (not working), this would be the highlight of my year. Interior design is something I’m truly passionate about. She agreed and so the design process began.
Here are the before pictures of her new office:
The space is 8 feet by 14.5 feet. It has one 26″ wide floor to ceiling length window, main entrance door and an emergency exit door. It also has a newly installed brown, tan, grey and black speckled carpet. And currently the walls are brown.
Natasha knew she wanted a new chair, a white desk, lighter paint colour and window covering. Since I had some decor in my garage from my Alma St house I asked if she would like to see the items and decide if they may work, she said “of course”. So I brought her a floral painting with grey, taupes and greens in it, two lamps with champagne glass and a roll of leftover wall paper from my powder room Reno. All of these items have one thing in common – they are all neutral.
Here are the items:
I think she was most excited about the wall paper. I showed her how nice it looked installed in the powder room and asked if she thinks she’d be allowed to hang it. And since we knew that the paint would need to be a neutral we went through the Benjamin Moore fan deck and landed on Balboa Mist as the first option to paint the office. Natasha sent the paint colour and picture of the wall paper to the higher powers and they were both approved. We were so excited! Our second option was Accessible Beige – another beautiful neutral wall colour.
We had our paint colour and wall paper approved and now it was time to create the space. Shelving, guest chairs, a place for shoes and coats, and most importantly a snack/drink station.
Here is our mood board:
We discussed having a budget. We are both very frugal gals so we added up the items and costs that we felt each items would be roughly and came in around $1300. This includes all furnishings, accessories, paint and supplies. As we began to source the items we liked the best we found some great sales and realized that we would in fact come in around $1000. You gotta LOVE saving money!!!
This coming week we will be hitting the stores, picking up orders and finishing up the renovation. I hope you all stay tuned for what’s to come – it’s going to be amazing!
I usually leave the main bedroom renovation until the very end however, while shopping at Homesense I came across the most perfect duvet cover and shams. Once I saw the Cath Kidston bedding the ideas just started flowing freely and the next thing I knew the bedroom design was done. All I need now is a contractor to get the room started.
Cath Kidston – Duvet Cover and Shams
Contractors are SO busy know it is hard to get quotes. For budgeting reasons I usually only do room by room so I can plan out how best to spend the money I save without going bankrupt. Fingers crossed I can find someone and get the room done by the end of the year. Hopefully I can find a reliable contractor who can work with me and also understand there are some projects I will be doing myself to save on cost.
Once the walls and closet are drywalled I will be painting it Incredible White (like the rest house) by Sherwin Williams. This colour seems to change as you add items with colour in to the space. It is also very warm and inviting.
Incredible White – Sherwin Williams 7028
The bedding was my inspiration for the room, I love the birds and nature of the print, it is just so charming. When I saw it I knew exactly how I wanted the room to look. I’ve got a beautiful vintage chippy white oversized dresser in my Toronto apartment that would be a perfect addition to the space. I will reuse the current bedside table and I’ve ordered two new linen and blue bedside lamps for an additional pop of colour.
I will finally add the antique brass and acrylic ceiling fan to the room which has been sitting in my garage for over a year now.
Many years ago I purchased gorgeous embroideries of birds that I’ve had hanging in my apartment. As soon as I saw the bedding I knew they would finally work in my house.
I will be keeping the long white sheers and woven blinds for privacy and rustic charm. The rods are antique brass and will have to be raised right to the ceiling once the painting is complete. And the final decision to make will be – to move my reclaimed wood vanity and stool in front of the window with the antique brass mirror OR to keep the current sitting area. If I were to keep the sitting area a new chair would be on order since this one feels a bit too heavy and dark. Something to consider – I’ve never sat in the chair so it would be a waste of money.
And finally the last decorative item will be my antique brass bird cage and stand (unfortunately I do not have a picture).
The closet is in rough shape. There are layers of old wallpaper, water stains on the ceiling from old leaks and the rod is too low. This space will need to be gutted and drywalled. A new light fixture and layout is desperately needed. I will be removing the door which now swings inwards with a barn door (or two) which means I can add built-in shelving and a new higher rod (or two).
Here is the closet
My closet door inspirational pic
Well, for now I will continue contacting the contractors in hopes of landing someone reliable and trustworthy who will work with me on making the space exactly what I want. My goal is to have the main bedroom complete by the end of the year – hopefully this is a realistic timeline. The only remaining space to complete after this room is the kitchen (which I’ve finally narrowed down the layout and part of the design) super excited.
Just before leaving Prince Edward Island I decided to visit the old farm house in Nine Mile creek and Hanabury Beach. The farm house is still there… more or less. It is over a century old and is mostly falling to the ground. But the land is still farmed to this very day with potatoes and soy. Hanabury Beach is beautiful, when the tide is out you can walk for miles in warm water along the beaches. You can collect driftwood, sea glass and shells for hours. My family has been going there since we were kids as it is only a few minutes from the farm. This time the tide was in.
I stayed on the Island for a few more days after this and had an oil change since I’d already racked up over 5000km since the last in only 5 short weeks and had another 1800km to go.
I decided to take the Acadian Peninsula home and follow the Starfish route. If you are unfamiliar with these symbols each one takes you on a different tour . Star fish symbol = coastline, Mountain symbol = mountain tour, Lighthouse symbol = lighthouse tour etc. You pick the one you want to follow and just go.
I really enjoyed Shediac. It is a cute little town. Plenty to do. Cute shops, beautiful sights to see and the giant lobster. This town has a real vibe about it.
We (the pups and I) continued the coast line heading North for several hours and would soon arrive in Campbellton, New Brunswick. What a sight to see. With the leaves changing colours this was the perfect time to do this trip. As I was driving the coast I said to myself “with a view like this why didn’t they put a look out point to take pictures from?” and a few seconds later there it was, the look out point. I pulled right over (place to myself), jumped out of the car and took it all in. Photos do not do this view justice. I highly recommend a fall trip should you choose to go.
Once we finished in Campbellton I found a bridge that crossed over to Quebec. My grand mother on my fathers side was born in New Carlisle and since it was only a two hour drive East and I was so close I decided to take a drive over. This trip was again all coastal. Every little town was on the water. More cute shops, tons of motels and gites (French for Inns) and many restaurants along the way. I drove right through to New Carlisle. It was a cute little town, didn’t see much more than the usual century old churches and houses. Some ancestral and some new. We popped in to a little park for the dogs to get out and stretch for a bit.
After that we headed West to Bonaventure QC. This was a cute town. The buildings were awesome. Lots of colour. I popped in to a little boutique full of local handmade crafts (with crafters working on site) and bought some souvenirs. They had some really cute things. A quick walk around and we were on our way. We still had another 5+ hours left to go before settling in for the night.
After a LONG day of driving 13 hours we finally found the Quality Inn Riviere-du-Loup and stopped for the night. We had our little Tim Horton sandwich (since the restaurants were all closed at 8pm), a hot shower and passed right out.
The final journey home took us 8.5 hours. I think after all this driving and being in the car we were all very happy to be home.
I hope you enjoyed following along. Next year 2022 we will be doing another trip to the East Coast. And I am hoping to visit many new places I haven’t been to once again.
We arrived home from the East Coast on Saturday August 27th. My mom had to go back to work on the Monday so not returning home wasn’t an option. I mean… I could have sent her home on a plane but that seemed a bit rude. Also, I felt I had enough time lugging Peanut around and it was time to park her.
Between August 28th and September 18th I kept myself mildly busy… fixed the downspout on the eave which took the water away from the basement and had the tap leaking in the basement replaced. Had an Antique “sale” on Saturday the 11th… made $25 (WOO! … not). Hit a few shops in Belleville and Peterborough and visited a couple Antique stores.
I spent an entire week prepping for my moms 65th Birthday Party which was on Saturday September 18th which was super fun. Decorated like crazy in a black, gold, silver and white theme. We had a ton of Chinese food, two cakes and presents. Only gained a couple pounds that night. Was definitely worth it!
On Sunday morning I woke up and realized I wasn’t ready… I wasn’t ready to be done with my East Coast vacation. I still had so much more I wanted to do. So I did something totally crazy, I cleaned the house, did laundry, dropped a ton of groceries off at my dads, visited my mom and said “I’m heading to PEI, New Brunswick and Quebec to finish the trip we started”. I asked if she thought I was crazy and she said “yes, but crazy could be a lot of fun”. That evening I went home and packed. The next morning off I went.
So here I am. Sitting in bed in Prince Edward Island having arrived Tuesday September 21st. I drove from Havelock to Fredericton New Brunswick in 11 hours. That was a pretty long stretch of driving. I was pooped when I arrived at the Radisson Kingswood and could not wait to lay in bed and veg. A quick stop for some dinner and I was toast. And once again Chaya and J made excellent travel companions. They are quite the hit when they are in the stroller LOL.
Radisson Kingswood – Fredericton NB
We checked out around 9:15am. Since I’d never been to St. John that was going to be the first part of the journey. We drove 1.15 hours from Fredericton getting us there as the stores were starting to open up. We drove a bunch of the streets to take in some sights. Landed on King Street where there is a gallery called Handworks (12 King Street). They have beautiful handmade paintings, pottery, crafts and jewelry made by local artisans. I would recommend you stop in if you are in St. John. We stopped in at the park for the dogs to run around before heading out to grab some breakfast. And as we drove off I decided to jump off the beaten path and take a random road which did not disappoint. We ended up finding a small beach with amazing views. And man was the air SO fresh.
After my mini tour of St. John I headed back to Prince Edward Island. I was through the check point in under 10 minutes and had my umpteenth covid test (Negative). By mid afternoon I was all settled in and relaxing. I did nothing Tuesday and Wednesday since I needed to recover from the long drive.
Thursday I decided to go for a drive to Murray River where there is a cute little property for sale that I really wanted to check out. The drive was about 1 hour and 15 minutes and although it was beautiful, the location was just to far from anything a tourist might want to do. So I decided to head into Charlottetown to grab a couple items and get myself some lunch before returning home.
Friday my uncle and I decided to take a drive to Stanley Bridge to check out another property that peaked my interest. This one is a 6 unit motel that is right on the water. I have ALWAYS wanted to have my own BNB/INN or motel and the price of this little guy is amazing. Unfortunately I just can’t swing the financials now, but I know what I want for the future. While in Stanley we stopped in at a cute little barn with antiques (insanely over priced btw) so we left empty handed. Drove into Charlottetown to book an oil change since I’m now on my second LONG trip east and the car is the most important part of making this happen.
Stanley Bridge PEI
Saturday (today) I decided to stay close to home since it was close to the pups lunch time and I still had to cook their food. My Uncle David had mentioned that there are heritage homes in the Victoria region of the island and so I took a short 15 minute drive to Victoria PEI. Wow, what a charming heritage site. Every house is a century plus home. Some are shops, some restaurants, several galleries, a book store and community centre. It is definitely a place I would visit again and so should you. I walked all 3 of the streets and down by the water. It was the perfect mini journey.
On the way home I stopped to take a picture of the Canoe Cove School which was established in 1820 (just a couple hundred years old NBD…)
Canoe Cove School East. 1820, Canoe Cove PEI
That sums up this part of the Journey. My next adventure will take me through the Acadian Peninsula which is super exciting! And after that to Quebec (Bonaventure, New Carlisle, Gaspe and the Gaspe Peninsula). This is what I am most excited for as I have never been to any of these areas. I will be visiting my grandparents places of birth in Quebec which is very thrilling. I cannot wait!
After a quick two day visit with my cousins in New Brunswick we were off to Nova Scotia. The trip would take approximately 3.5 hours. About 30 minutes into the drive we hit a bump that was so deep that the trailer nearly rolled (THANKFULLY IT DID NOT) however, when we got to the park there was a surprise.
Nova Scotia is beautiful. There is so much nature all around you. You can drive for miles in the trees. My GPS took me on the coastal route which was lovely. Small towns and communities on the waters edge. So idilic. About 2 hours in to the drive I was in Hurricane Henrys rain. It was coming down decently but it did not make me nervous. I could still see clearly.
I checked in to Oakhill Pines Campground in Oakhill, Nova Scotia at about 2:30pm. They gave me a map to my site and off I went. I chose to check in on a Monday knowing there would be less people at the park since I’m new to backing in. I followed the little streets to site #77 and pulled up in front of it. I got out, assessed the space – trees on the left, slight downward slope on a cliff (NO PRESSURE HAHA) oh and rain. I got back in the car, lined the trailer up, had a mini panic attack, straightened myself out and backed in to the spot on the first try perfectly. Under 5 minutes. Miracles do happen.
I proceed to put the chocks under the tires, jacks down and hook up the hydro. Remember that surprise I mentioned well here is it… I opened the door to the trailer and stepped inside to find water all over the place. What the heck? I sealed the crap out of Peanut before leaving. So I looked around to see where it came from. Low and behold as I looked up at the roof vent I could see light coming in. As it turns out when I hit that massive hole the trailer shifted so much that it shattered the old dried out rim to the ceiling vent causing the vent to pop open while driving. And of course I can’t see the roof of the trailer while I’m driving so the hurricane rain got in. I quickly wiped it up while the dogs were asleep in the car before we got settled.
About an hour after getting everything in and dry my mom and aunt checked into their little cabin just a few trailers over. My mom thought the reviews were not great at the hotel she booked so she opted to cancel the hotel and check into a tiny cabin with a toilet, sink and beds… and of course the hurricane rain. You could say they were roughing it a bit haha!
That evening we drove to Bridgewater to pick up some dinner at 27 South – excellent food! We stopped at the Giant Tiger and local dollar store before heading back to the trailer park to eat. Although Peanut is only 9 feet long the 3 of us fit at the table and ate. Snug but comfy.
It continued to rain long into the night. At around 12:09am I woke up from the wind, trees and rain coming down loud and hard. As I lay there I could hear a tree snap and come down very close by. I looked outside but couldn’t see anything. Peanut was ok. A minute later my neighbours in their little pop up trailer came out clearly distraught. The next morning I asked the husband if they were ok. He mentioned that the tree came down and sliced the canvas on the one end of the pop up trailer. What a terrible experience to have. They had to duct tape their canvas back together in the pouring rain. Thankfully no one was hurt.
Tuesday morning the sun had come out. It had been forecasted to be rain the whole day so this was very welcome. The worst part of my campsite was that is was all dirt and mud, no grass anywhere and with the slope it meant that all the water drains through my spot. I had to clean Peanut several times a day. I also had to wear my crappy flip flops around because I was covered in mud and dirt anytime I stepped outside. It really did not make for a fun experience. But thankfully this day was sunny!
We decided to head to Annapolis Royal to walk the town. On our way in we saw a sign for a German Bakery so of course we had to give it a shot.
Right across the street was Fort Anne. There was a century old cemetery, a fort, canons, a monument and paths around the water. We walked a small path which led us back to the sidewalk into to town. What a beautiful place. The houses are all century old, full of vibrant colours and the landscaping was just charming. Not to mention the view of the water. No stress while you stand their taking in the sights and fresh air.
We popped into a couple cute shops. At one I bought a cute handmade owl to hang at my house as a souvenir. And my Aunt Brenda got us a cute Nova Scotia magnet as a souvenir as well.
Local Handmade Nova Scotia Owl
From Annapolis Royal we headed to Annapolis Valley. We did this part of our trip driving. It was as beautiful as all the other towns we’d gone through. This route took us back towards the campground. We stopped for dinner on the way back. We decided to eat in the cabin this time as it was a little roomier. We had hoped that with all the heat this day that it would also be a bit cooler than the trailer – it wasn’t. Since Chaya and J have had to come everywhere with us (in the dog stroller) everyday they were pretty tired and they both fell asleep together in the dog bed on the porch (holding paws).
As we sit on the porch I had this feeling that I should start walking back to the trailer. As I did the rain began to pour and suddenly I was sprinting (along with the other people in the park) back to the trailer. I had opened the vent and windows to let the heat escape when we got back just before eating. I got there just in time to close up before it was so heavy I couldn’t leave the trailer for 10 minutes. This rain also helped to cool everything off and luckily this was it for rain for the remainder of the trip.
We called it a night around 830pm. We had a long warm day and our bellies were full. It was time to make the bed and put on a movie before falling asleep. I opted to bring my laptop and purchase a portable CD drive for the trip. It only cost about $25 which is pretty cheap. I also packed about 30 DVDs to choose from to bring on the trip for rainy days in case we were trapped indoors. I used it a few nights in a row at the park. I had a pretty sweet set up. I wouldn’t make it through a single movie the entire trip without passing out.
Wednesday was going to be the hottest day of the entire trip so we decided to head out super early. Our first stop was Peggy’s Cove. It was about an hour and a quarter from the campground. We decided to do it first since it was the furthest away. We wanted to beat the heat and avoid the crowds.
Peggy’s Cove is just breathtaking. Myself and my Aunt had never been before. I would highly recommend anyone going to Nova Scotia take the time to visit this landmark. It is worth it. You can climb the rocks up to the light house. The view from every direction is spectacular and to hear the waves crashing into the rocks was so relaxing. Chaya and J came up onto the rocks as well. They were both super relaxed as they sat in the stroller taking in the sights and smells.
Chaya wouldn’t be queen without her crown LOL
As it warmed up and the people started to show up by the car load we decided it was time to head to the one place I had been planning to visit since I first learned of it, Lunenburg. We stopped in at a cute little Antique store along the way. I purchased a cute vintage Necktie holder – another fun souvenir.
Lunenburg is a UNESCO Heritage site. All of the homes (almost all) are designated heritage and must be preserved in their original state. The weather now was almost 40 degrees with the humidex and getting hotter.
Every house in Lunenburg is full of colour – like a rainbow. Beautiful wood work, gingerbread cutouts, wrap around porches, breathtaking views of the water. The streets reminded me a bit of Newfoundland – extreme hills that are somewhat intimidating lined with adorable boutique shops and restaurants. We got the Bluenose as we strolled by the water edge. There is nothing more that we wanted but to see every single house and not miss a thing because they were each so unique. We walked for about 45 minutes before we were just to hot to continue on. We hopped in the car and proceeded to drive every single street to see every single house we could before heading to Mahone Bay.
A handful of Lunenburg houses
Since our day in Lunenburg was just too hot to be outside I’ve decided that I will have to take another trip to Lunenburg another year in the cooler weather – I’m thinking a fall trip where I can be outside and walk each street to fully experience this town.
Final stop on the trip was Mahone Bay. Another town full of heritage homes on water. The one thing that is unique about Mahone Bay is that there are 3 churches in a row and when you cross the Bay and look at the town they are beautifully displayed across the water.
We drove the streets and decided to go to a little restaurant called Rebeccas for dinner pick up before heading back to the park and calling it a night. When we pulled into the parking lot across from Rebeccas my mom began to shout “unlock the doors” she suddenly leapt out of the car. What a small world, that Francis and my mom would be at the same place at the exact same time. While they visited my aunt and I went into the little store next to the restaurant while we waited for the food to be ready. A few minutes later we were on our way back to the campground to eat and relax.
Dinner was delish! I had Smoked bacon Mac and cheese. And a bite of my moms homemade fish cakes. We called it a night around 9pm when it had finally cooled down enough to go inside. I waIked over to Peanut and noticed how cute the area was all lit up.
I prepped the bed and put on a movie and fell asleep. Thursday would be day one of a 3 day journey home.
Thursday, I was up around 530am. I got showered and ready and started to pack up and hitch up Peanut. We began the journey with a quick stop by the main road that leads to the Confederation Bridge so my aunt could head home. We said our goodbyes and off we went in two different directions. My mom and I headed back to my cousins in New Brunswick for the night before heading to Quebec. We had an exceptionally yummy dinner at my Aunt Gisele and Uncle Donalds house (whom had also not seen for 14 years).
At 7am we were packed up, cleaned up and on the road for our 9.5 hour drive to Drummondville where we would spend the night at the Comfort Inn and eat St. Hubert – yummy! It became clear very early on that Chaya and J were more than happy to stay anywhere comfortably. They really like to vacation 🙂
Saturday was our last day on the road. We had 6.5 hour drive left before getting home. We left at 6:15am and arrived at 12:45pm. Plenty of time to unpack, tarp Peanut, and settle the dogs in. They were both VERY happy to be home.
This was certainly a vacation to remember. A lot of firsts; First time pulling a trailer, first time traveling alone, first time in Nova Scotia and first time traveling with dogs. I learned that I am and will always be a glamper – rainy campgrounds, running to the bathrooms and showers and being in mud is NOT my thing. Also – IT COST WAY TO MUCH TO PULL A TRAILER — 3 times more in gas than just driving. What would usually cost around $450 in gas (round trip) cost almost $1300…
Peanut was a bucket list item. I can happily say that I got to experience owning, renovating, traveling with and staying in a tiny vintage trailer. And I am happy I did. What comes next for Peanut — I’m not 100% sure. Maybe a cute bunky? Maybe I sell her? She didn’t make it out unscathed from this trip. The vent has to be replaced and the back aluminum wall has separated from the trim which means she needs more work… and money. For now she is on her parking pad hanging out tarped. And I am OKAY with that too.
It’s about the memories you make and I made a bunch on this vacation. Thank you for following along. Until next time!
I had 7 full days on the Island which meant plenty of time to relax and do some day trips. The Island is small… to put it into context you can go from one point (extreme East) to the other (northwest) in under 4 hours. But instead of doing it all at once we picked going to the extreme east to Souris, PEI since none of us had been before. We were not disappointed. The beach was gorgeous and had a small boardwalk to walk along. There were some little shops to visit and there was a bakery (didn’t make my top 5). As it turns out we decided to try a bakery in each new location we went to. Luckily I lost 4 pounds on the trip because that was way more dessert than any one person should ever eat. We went to Montague, St. Peters Bay and passed through Morell heading home.
Souris
St. Peters Bay
Our next little adventure took me back to North Rustico – which I think is the cutest little town. So I did not mind. We hit the bakery since we knew we wouldn’t be disappointed and did a little walk around the water. We visited The Dunes which is a specialty store it has some unique items, some mass produced and some handmade. The gardens on the grounds are also quite stunning. A good place to check out when you’re on the island.
And finally we went to the extreme Northwest of the Island to Tignish. On the way we stopped for a quick look at a local antique shop. The start of the drive was pretty boring – no water views just trees for miles. Finally we found the coastal route and jumped on it. We did a tiny tour of this little fishing town before hitting the bakery and heading home.
On Saturday the 21st I took off from the Island with Peanut and the pups and headed to Dieppe, New Brunswick where I would stay with my cousin Denis, his gorgeous wife Lindsay and their adorable son Connell. I had a great visit with my Cousin Chantal and her son Damian and ate some super yummy food from Mansu BBQ and Sunday I spent the day with my cousins and had a tasty home cooked Chicken dinner. I was a little spoiled.
Thank you for following along. Part 3 of the East Coast trip takes us to Nova Scotia. It was absolutely beautiful. Peggy’s Cove is breathtaking – a must visit if you’re heading East.
My Country Farmhouse 