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Happy Friday! We’ve had a busy couple of weeks around here, but that didn’t stop me from repotting my houseplants one day in the beautiful evening sunlight and I’m pretty proud of myself. 🙂 Grab something cool and refreshing to drink and let’s get caught up!
I have plans for a new little section of the garden. We had a little out-of-control raspberry bramble in the back corner of our veggie/herb garden that really needed to go. I’ve really been loving the overflowing perennials I added to our largest raised bed, and I thought I might like to do something similar but a little bigger in the corner where the raspberries were. Our original intention for this whole garden back in the day, of course, was to do a big veggies/herb garden, but I’ve found a smaller section of veggies is okay for us and I’ve been slowly converting the rest of the garden to perennials. I find I enjoy growing perennial flowers and grasses much more these days. So Chris dug out the raspberries for me, and now I have a fresh patch of dirt ready for tall cottage-style flowers and grasses and hopefully, a few charming wood obelisks to anchor the whole thing, eventually. Crossing my fingers for good gardening weather in August when we’ll have a few quieter weeks!
We got the keys to Kennedy’s new apartment and it was quite the adventure. The day started off in a normal enough way. We had planned to leave fairly early and make the three-hour drive to Toronto where the keys would be waiting for us at the front desk of the building. We had checked the weather and saw that there was quite a bit of rain in the area, but we hoped that it would be mostly clear by the time we got to Toronto. And then the rain just kept coming. By the time we arrived, major streets were flooded and cars were underwater in parts of the city. Luckily, we were able to make it to the apartment building downtown and there wasn’t any deep water there. We did notice that the traffic lights weren’t working, though. When we got to the building, we discovered that power was out for the entire city, so we couldn’t access parking, all businesses were closed, etc. Having lived in Toronto through the big blackout 20 years ago that lasted for days, we had a few flashbacks and wondered how in the world we were going to get into her apartment, move all her stuff in, and buy whatever else she would need with no power. Luckily, our panic didn’t last long because the power was back within a couple of hours, and after that hiccup, we were in and able to start getting things ready for her. It seemed a bit dicey for a little while, though! Now we have the fun part to take care of, and we get to pick out a few new things and cozy the space up so it feels like home for her. Exciting times!
Pictured above is how the apartment looked at the end of the first day. As you can see, we have a lot to do. The camping furniture probably won’t cut it for much longer. 🙂
Speaking of which, camping 2024 is in the books! We all love our yearly summer camping trip tradition even though we come home absolutely exhausted every single time. I think it’s partially that we have so much fun on the beach, hiking, going for bike rides, and having campfires, and also partially the satisfaction of just surviving the whole thing. It really feels like such an accomplishment to realize that we just become more and more comfortable with living on a patch of dirt every year, and after our camping trip, it always feels like we’ve really earned the right to all the rest of our fun summer plans. If you think you’d like to try tent camping, but think it might be a little over your head, this blog post might offer some helpful thoughts: How to Love Camping Even if You’re Pretty Sure it’s Just Not Your Thing
Our washing machine is on its last legs. It was our dryer a few months ago. We got that repaired, but now that the other one of the pair is acting up too, we’re thinking it might just be time to call it quits and get a new set. We’re currently just running the washer into the ground and it’s a pretty funny little adventure. When the washing cycle gets to the final spin, it spins so hard that it basically shakes the whole house and we have to run to shut it off as quickly as possible. And then there’s always a little dribble of a leak on the floor in front if we do more than a single load of laundry in a day. We’ve been contemplating a laundry room renovation for years and years, and we even have a new, bigger window that we bought for the exterior wall that’s waiting in the garage to finally be put to use. Maybe this will be just the motivation we need to just make the time for the project. Since our laundry room is just off the kitchen, I have dreams of a little space that functions like a laundry room, but looks like a traditional butler’s pantry and can serve as extra counter space when needed. It’s going to happen one day!
This has been the greatest summer so far. It has felt extra long, since it really felt like summer started for us back at the end of April when Kennedy first came home from school. She’s been back and forth between Toronto and home and has managed to have so much quality time with her friends from home and her family even though she’s technically still living in the city. I know Jack has loved having her come to soccer games and just having her around to watch movies and play front yard badminton with. There’s nothing better than having everyone together and just knowing that it’s something that is a priority for all of us, even as our kids’ lives fill up with so many new and exciting things. Here in Canada, we’re really only halfway through the summer vacation, so I’m excited for more summer days to come.
NEWS AND FINDS
-Current reader favorites for these peak-of-summer days:
–How to Fix Leggy Petunias and Make Them Look Fuller
–When to do When Your Hydrangea Leaves Turn Yellow
–Three Ingredient Chocolate Zucchini Cake
–English Countryside Bedroom Refresh
-Currently reading: I’m just finishing up Persuasion and I absolutely understand why so many people say it’s their favorite Jane Austen title. It’s just comfort food in book form and the type of book you just don’t want to stop reading when it’s done. I’m not at all in a rush when I’m reading a book and I usually like to take my time and just enjoy a book, even if it takes me a month or two, but I’ve gone through this one quite quickly. Up next, I have The Mayor of Casterbridge waiting for me on my shelf. Thomas Hardy was known for his strong female characters, for challenging the existing Victorian class system at the time, and for stories set in romanticized pastoral settings. I loved Far From the Madding Crowd, which I read this spring, so I’m looking forward to learning more about his work.
-Are you following me on Instagram? This is where you can find me on a daily basis in between blog posts and where I share everyday life things like thrifting finds, garden updates, and regular family life around here.
-I’ve really not been buying many new things lately, so I don’t have many links to share at all. Kennedy and I have been touring around to all the local thrift stores and antique markets looking for the perfect desk for her new apartment and I’ve just ended up finding so many great little things there. If you can believe it, I found this perfect little wicker side table/plant stand for $5 at a local thrift store! In my opinion, you can never have too many tiny tables. 🙂 I also can across a lovely little green set of vintage Charles Dickens novels. I’d been looking for a matching set of books in green, blue, or brown and I just couldn’t believe it when I came across these. Here are my various little thrift store finds from that day sitting on my mudroom console table, including the books.
-Pin with me on Pinterest! Zelle on Pinterest tried my homemade ant killer and here’s what they had to say about it: “Tried this concoction and it worked. My little one would leave snacks in his play area and this summer the ants were having a field day. After cleaning up any visible crumbs, I set the cotton ball traps along their trail and they quickly died off.”
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.