On The Road Again

It's been hard finding enough time to get much done around the new condo this summer, let alone blog about it. Every summer means more hours at work, and countless hours on Ontario's country roads, traveling between Toronto and our beach stores in Wasaga Beach & Grand Bend.

For lack of any progress on the homefront, I thought I'd leave you with a few Instagram images from my travels. Have a great weekend!

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes,

but in having new eyes."

~Marcel Proust

What's in a View?

I grew up in my parents' home, a comfortable 3 bedroom bungalow in the Kawarthas with a view of Chemong Lake, and I remained there until moving out at the tender age of 21. My first apartment was a basement rental in Kingston, Ontario, where I lived for about 6 months before being transferred to Toronto. My sister and I shared the top floor of a triplex overlooking Davenport Road for several years until she bought her own place and I rented a tiny condo at King & Bathurst. The bachelor unit was tucked into a corner on the 9th floor, and was the first time I had lived more than 30 feet above terra firma. From there I purchased and relocated to my first home, a second floor condominium with a pleasant view of the courtyard.

When it came time to purchase my current home, I spent a considerable amount of time weighing a list of factors including the suite's orientation and potential view before making a final decision. I don't think I realized just how much I would enjoy the view from up here on the 20th floor. I have always asked in the past, "Is a good view really that important? Does anyone actually spend time just sitting around staring out the window?" 

Well as it turns out, a good view is really important and as a matter of fact I do spend a lot of time staring out the window. Case in point:

I love it up here :)

Photo by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto

Time to Relax?

Summer is unofficially underway here in Ontario, and that means I will be spending a lot of time on the road, traveling in circles - seriously, circles. Once a week I drive from the Toronto office to the store in Wasaga Beach, to the other store in Grand Bend, then back to the office. At least when there are a few minutes to relax, there's a beautiful view to appreciate:

View from the apartment deck at Grand Bend


View from the store at Wasaga Beach


After the rain at Wasaga Beach

Natural Inspiration

Considering a new colour scheme? Can't decide whether or not it works? Here's a hint: Chances are if a colour combination is found in nature, it will also look good in your home. Next time you need some design inspiration, just take a look outside for some fabulous ideas!!

Taking a cue from the tulips and lemons, the combination of yellow and green create a pleasant colour palette. I found this rug at Brooks & Co. in Bobcaygeon this past weekend. It will eventually be the jumping off point for the guest bedroom in my next home:


It would look great with this Matine Toile bedding from Pottery Barn:


For a modern touch, I would hang a painting like this one by artist Vanessa Drew:


Put your trust in Mother Nature and let nature be your inspiration - you can't go wrong.