Montreal Jazz Festival

On top of being beautiful and one of the most romantic city's to explore, Montreal generously embraces 'the arts'. On our recent weekend visit to the Montreal Jazz festival we explored the Old Port which is laden with art galleries. And the city itself, especially in Old Montreal, seems poetically beautiful and artistic all on its own.

I discovered online a boutique hotel right in the center of the old port area that was most definitely our style. The Auberge du vieux-port offered everything that Richard and I love; most especially the ambiance that only old world can charm you with.

Our room at Auberge du vieux-port :: Montreal

The hotel can not help but be romantic with the rooms that boast of finishes lovingly preserved. The picture above is from the web site and was what had caught my eye when I was searching for a different hotel to stay in.

Lucky us, the room in the web picture was available.

rooms feature original stone walls, beamed ceilings and long casement windows

The hotel staff are so friendly, warm and accommodating. It was a very welcoming stay.
Richard surprised me with a bouquet of white hydrangea's in the room for our arrival. My blog features an image of a bouquet of the same flowers that he had put in our room during our very first visit to Montreal.

We originally booked the weekend away to take in the Diana Krall concert, and were pleasantly surprised at the size of the jazz festival. There were a bevy of stages set up over several city blocks and the talent ranged from High School Music ensembles (Massey Vanier 5, who were great) to the big ticket names like Ms. Krall.

                          
We wandered the cobbled streets of Old Montreal enjoying the art, the street performers, and great restaurants. The live talent in local restaurants and piano bars  seemed like they too could share the bigger stages at festival.

But by far, it was the ambiance of this pretty place in our Canada, that thrilled us. Here are some of the sites of Montreal..........

                 

 

Notre Dame de Montreal

You could not take images inside Notre Dame (understandably), and a photograph could never do the Basilica justice. It is so ornate and lovely. 

courtyard outside of Notre Dame Basilica

Christ Church Cathedral

 

Cobblestone streets are all over and it reminds me of Paris when I'm walking across the stones. I love wearing heels and wouldn't let little cobbles stop me from stepping out in style.  And there was Richard, always holding my hand as we  journeyed around town with me in stiletto's taking baby steps over the stones.

Just like everything in life ..... sometimes you need a helping hand, someone to lean on. When the road is rocky and unsettled it's a wonderful feeling to know that with love beside you, it actually is a walk in the park.

Road Trip

We are heading out to the Montreal Jazz Festival this weekend (with tickets to hear Diana Krall in hand)............

Old Montreal is a beautiful place, so there will be many pictures to follow next week.

Have a Glamourous weekend.

Have a GLAMOUROUS Weekend

Do you know who this bathing beauty is?

 

Looking  Glamourous in her stylish bathingsuit..........

it is 

the ever lovely

Audrey Hepburn.

Enjoy your weekend.

All Dressed UP

I'm not shy to admit that I am a girlie girl. I love pretty things, bling and romantic style...... crystal chandeliers make me smile.

Even as a young girl I had a dressing table. I shared a room with my Sister for many years and then when we each got our own room I tested my decor flair out for the first time. The room was pale yellow with flower wallpaper, white sheer drapes, and a ruffled bedspread (yesh, just using the word 'bedspread' shows my age).

I love girlie glam spaces

I love having my girlie space to store my jewellery and put on my makeup. And when my Daughter was a little girl I bought her a kidney shaped dressing table and sewed the table cover, upholstered the chair and made balloon drapes all to match. It was the trend at the time to have it all match, now I would use five different patterns that speak to one another.

I had also bought a half moon dressing table and made a cover for it for my room. The kidney shaped table later was transformed for my bedroom and I made a new cover in white sheer ruffles. Both tables are currently tucked away in storage waiting like us for our new home. The styles are classic and will always work so they are worth storing away.


On the wish list of things that are a must for the 'house-to-be' that Richard and I are currently searching for; is a dressing room. Not a big'ol walk-in closet, a room to properly store clothes, shoes, handbags and jewellery. A soft and bright place with great mirrors to get dressed in. Here is a bit of inspiration that has helped the wish list along.

The white cabinets and furniture is highlighted even further by the custom cupboards and elegant detailed trim and mirrors. The refinished wood floors bring out the beauty of the room. It is so glamourous.

I love the Barbara Barry dressing table, it is timeless styling.

Traditional Home

Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria has combined elements of open and closed cabinets in her dressing room. Clothes tucked away behind doors are protected from fiber and dust, but open clothes racks help remind us of all the pretty things we have to wear.

Any small room can be transformed into a dressing room with built-in cabinets or stand alone wardrobe units. I love the mirrors on the ones shown above (Paul Schulman Design).

Lonny

Then again..... you may be fortunate enough to have built-ins with the charm of these unique old doors. Finish it all of in style with an ornate full length mirror that has a few degrees of character.

via oliveaux

A well organized and pretty dressing room will make you feel Glamourous every day.

A Walk Around Town

We live in a charming town 30 minutes outside of Toronto; the community of Oakville boasts of newly built neighbourhoods and yet still maintains the charm of the old town. Old Oakville, with a main avenue that rolls its carpet up by 9 PM, is along the waters edge at Lake Ontario. Richard and I live in the old section where the streets are lined with historical buildings and protected properties. We LOVE it.

The architecture is a combination of homes restored to their original glory and new homes styled to fit the face of the community. We love taking walks throughout the streets and discover something new every time we wander, despite the fact that we have probably been along the streets a dozen times before.

Recently I have been out with my camera capturing the prettiness that is so abundant in our town. There is a lot to share and so a new feature for the blog emerges today. On a regular basis I will take you on a walk around town.

I can't think of a better place to begin than with a picture of our church. The church, rectory, residence and parking encompasses an entire square block and is surrounded by beautiful trees.

St. Andrew Roman Catholic Church :: Circa1840

 

The lake front is a pretty place to walk and relax.

If you recognize your home or garden here, it was chosen because it adds an element of charm to our pretty town. 

This historical house faces the lake and provides a perfect spot on the veranda to enjoy the beauty of the water.

 

The garden at St. Jude's Church

The Lawn Bowling Club is at the edge of the park overlooking the marina.

Several of the homes feature a garage/coach house. I like the style of this one.

And below is the main house.

This is a big historical house, complete with a full wrap around veranda. I love the kids swing out front.... well used, as you can see by the dirt patch. 

This is our town : a community with spirit, character and respect for tradition.
It's a GLAMOUROUS place.

The walk around Oakville continues.........

Always On My Mind

When your partner says 'I'm going on business trip for a few days', do you think of all the things you'll do while they are away? Somehow in my mind I line up a months worth of things to do while Richard goes off to a conference.............. for four days. This is one of those weeks that I'm carrying around in my head my own honey-do list.

One of our airlines went into a strike situation last night, and of course it's the airline Richard is booked on for today. They recommend that travellers expect delays and take carry-on luggage instead of checked baggage. Last night began the task of packing for the trip, something I really like doing for him.
OK, I'm crazy. But it is all about my own self satisfaction and makes me feel more assured that he is being taken care of while away from home.

Despite taking two suitcases for a three week journey to Greece, I really am an efficient packer. And when space is at a premium, I can make it work. I explained to Richard last night that rolling the clothes makes more room and helps keep the wrinkles out, same with packing his shirts in the plastic from the dry cleaners. So all the while I'm making sure that the socks are stuffed into little spaces and the clothes are snuggled around each other; he says the same thing to me that he tells me every time I pack for him, "no one ever did this for me before".
And my heart explodes .............. and it's another reason why I want to do this little thing for him.


As he walked out the door this morning with the carry-on luggage wheeling behind him like an efficient flight attendant, Richard turned back and said, 'I'd never be able to get everything in this small luggage'.

Ha! Well, your going to have to for the return flight home my love. I envision him getting off the plane at the end of the week wearing layers of clothing because he couldn't get everything back into the small luggage.

As I sit and write this posting, his cologne lingers around me more than it does most mornings after we've shared our have a great day hug. The place is all mine for a few days. Visions of painting until the wee hours of the morning and refinishing a piece of furniture dance around in my head.
And for Richard, housekeeping won't care if the towels are not hung with perfection after he dries his hands. He will appreciate the room to himself for a few days.

Time away from one another is good for the soul and makes you appreciate the time together.


Gosh! I hope he likes the bedroom painted fuschia ................. just kidding.

At the market

We stopped by the Aberfoyle Antique market a few weeks ago on our way to visit family. It was the third weekend of the season and the weather had not been cooperating with the outdoor retail marketplace. Vendors were frustrated and the availability of items was more limited........ but we still managed to lighten the wallet.

We spotted these great dance hall wooden folding chairs, some of them were varnished and some thankfully had been left to breath. The vendor told us that they used the chairs for the movie 'Dirty Dancing'. mmmmm - maybe, or not. But just the thought of Patrick Swayze parked on one of them peaked my interest.

Richard decided that we could use ALL of the chairs. We currently do not have the room to use the chairs or store anything, we are in a stop-over home looking for 'the place'. But ......... he bought them...... all 16 for under $300.

SCORE !

We plan to use the chairs for our large family get gatherings .... a'la Christmas for 48 people. But the chairs will probably find their way out to a patio.... and I have a plan.



My dream plan patio includes reclaimed cobble base,  several wrought iron leg bases tables with rustic wood tops. I think having several square tables all similar will allow me to move the tables around and group them together when needed. The chairs we bought suit the plan well and can withstand being left out in lighter weather.

Melenos-Lindos Luxury Resort

I fell in love with the outdoor dining area at Melenos-Lindos luxury hotel in Greece (who wouldn't). And the simplicity of the elements could be replicated. It had great cobble stone foundation, a lush array of vines, flowering hedges and a full tree right in the middle of it all. Add an open lattice canopy to allow the vines to spread and to hang strings of lights across.

The idea of bench seating has always been appealing to me especially when it is combined with chairs. Multiple tables, chairs and benches would allow us to create one long communal table or vignettes throughout the space. Add an abundance of pillows in a variety of fabrics that speak to one another in pattern or colour.

Vintage linen table covers would anchor the ambiance on the tables. I love silver cutlery and vintage silver items, and have thought recently that it might be time to start a collection of a variety of patterns. Setting a table with mixed vintage plates, crystal and silverware creates a charming ambiance that is different every time you put the table together. The thought deserves another trip back to Aberfoyle market.

While in Lindos we dined under an outdoor canopy complete with several chandeliers made of these incredible glass globes. The resort had the chandeliers both inside the hotel dining room and outside under the canopy, it was so beautiful when lit up at night. A collection of globes or vintage chandeliers would create a romantic glow to any patio at night.

 

The piece de resistance is the gathering of friends and family, sitting on the chairs around the dinner tables. That is what makes the lights twinkle and the evening sparkle. Something magical happens when the people you love are all gathered together sharing.... laughing..... enjoying.


Outdoor dining doesn't get more Glamourous than this!



*images: 1, 2, 5 from my portfolio/ 3 - unknown/4 - refoundobjects/6 - elizabeth messina

Glamourous Summer Style

We're having a heat wave...... a tropical heat wave......

..... and we still stay cool.

 Hot and Glamourous

There is always opportunity to flaunt your glamourous self, especially at the beach.




*images via vintage vogue.