We’re traveling to Washington, DC today to check into the luxurious Jefferson. The hotel has high ratings, and absolutely stunning suites. The decor is traditional in style, but it doesn’t look stuffy or intimidating as I find sometimes can happen in these types of spaces.
I had a go at recreating the space. Here’s what I came up with:
vintage upholstered bed, slipper chair, side table, Bergere chair, lamp, cashmere throw, orchids, pillow
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As you may recall, I’ve been on the lookout for a new bike. Waterloo (the city and region) is quite bike friendly, and it’s so easy to get from Uptown Waterloo to Downtown Kitchener on one of the paths. Biking around these parts is convenient, doable, and safe. My pinkie is a good bike, but it’s a mountain bike and heavy. It’s also not as cute as some of the retro bikes currently on the market.
I looked at quite a number of hip bike companies online as I was doing research (e.g., Public, Linus, Tokyobike) as well as some of the traditional go-to stores (e.g., Canadian Tire). I didn’t pull the trigger on a bike purchase until I learned about a vintage Peugeot on the ol’ Kijiji. Oh, Kijiji.
I was even slow to decide about the Peugeot as I knew it needed some work, and although I’m really good at envisioning before and afters in home renovations, I really couldn’t wrap my head around a bike makeover.
In the end, I couldn’t pass up on a bike that was made in France in the 1970s that was white, gold, black, and, did I already say French? Oui, oui! So I bought the darn thing. And it was dirty. And I wasn’t even certain it could be “renovated.”
Here are the before photos:
I started the cleaning process on my own just to see what I was dealing with. (Side note: do not mix cleaning materials such as stove cleaner and CLR as you might end up with slight chemical burns. Oops. #DIYfail #thankgoodnessIwaswearinggloves) 
Anyhoo – fast forward a few weeks, and I’ve learned quite a bit about bikes. What I’ve learned (correct me if I’m wrong), is that just about everything on a bike can be replaced. If the frame is good, then you’re off to a perfect start. Some people buy vintage bikes just for the frame, in fact.. Does that make sense? With encouragement from others, and a bunch of online searching, I was convinced that my white Peugeot had major potential.
As I knew I needed some replacement parts (um, did you see the rusty chain?), I threw (gently but not gracefully) my made-in-France vintage Peugeot into the back of my Rav4, and I took it on over to the Berlin Bicycle CafĂ© (it’s a cafe and repair shop, by the way) for some TLC.
I had Joan’s vintage Peugeot in my mind as my ideal end-result bike, and I even started a Peugeot Pinterest board to store my bike makeover ideas. Graham and his team at the Berlin Bicycle CafĂ© took good care of my bike and found parts that suited the style, made the bike functional, and were well-made (hello German tires, I’m looking at you!).
When I picked up my bike last week, I was pleased with how it all came together. Have a look:
My Peugeot now has made-in-Germany Schwalbe tires, new tire rims, silver brake levers, white cable cords (so so nice!), a Brooks England B67 saddle, cork grips, and a fantastic totally-reminds-me-of-Euro-bikes kickstand. Oh, and a gold bell. Can’t forget the bell!
The Berlin Bicycle CafĂ© team also shined up the fenders and handlebars, so the bike (for a 1970s bike) looks just about brand new. I’m very happy with how it turned out.
I picked up a pair of Converse while I was in Florida last month as my black ones got too worn out and needed to be replaced. I opted for an off-white dainty Chuck Taylor,and they’re working out well so far. They’re great to slip-on for a bike ride, or a walk around town. The slimmer version also means they’re lighter than the original Chuck Taylor’s, and I think that they’ll be a nice change from my last pair of laceless slip-ons.
All this to say that my new kicks have inspired today’s two-of-a-kind post.
Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low-top, $50 USD
And here’s a bonus room that includes the white backdrop and red piping details:
Recently, after a delicious BBQ and a couple of drinks with Tim and Chris, my friends and I agreed to sign up for a triathlon relay. As you do, right? As none of us felt prepared to complete a full triathlon on our own, but each of us had skills in one of the required areas (swim, bike, run), we figured a relay was the way to go (we’re calling ourselves #TeamCHI). And by doing the relay, we are able to join our one friend (Chris) who is doing the full triathlon; it’s going to be a day of adventure for all of us! This will be my first triathlon relay experience, and I’m excited!
On my relay team, I’m in charge of the swim portion – 750m in a lake. A lake! 750m! I was slightly nervous a couple of weeks ago when I first jumped in the pool for my first length swim in several many years and felt out of breath after 300m. Since that first swim though, I’ve built my endurance and I’m now good for 1000m (900m crawl + 100m breast). Now that I’m feeling more confident about my endurance, I’m reading up on how to mentally prepare. I’m not actually nervous, but more icked-out by swimming in a lake. The water is going to be dark, and I’ll be swimming alongside fish. Um. Yeah. Just slightly icked-out.
Chris – the full-tri guy – is mentoring and encouraging me as he’s completed several triathlons in the past. He’s let me know that a wet suit is a must because not only will it help with the ick-factor, but it’ll also help with buoyancy in the water which will help my swim speed. Awesome.
So, naturally, I turned to my favourite athletic swim company – TYR – to check out their triathlon gear. I’ve collaborated with TYR in the past, and I’m thrilled that they’ve agreed to sponsor Chris and I in this triathlon. I’ve been wearing TYR since my lifeguarding days way back when (and probably even before those days when I was swimming and taking lessons as a kid). To prep, I’ve been swimming at my local pool* wearing my TYR athletic bikini and my trusty TYR swim cap, so all I need to add now is the wetsuit.
I’m new to the wetsuit market, so I did some research before ordering through TYR. There are sleeveless and sleeved wetsuits:
women’s hurricane wetsuit cat 1, $174.99
women’s hurricane wetsuit cat 1, $124.99 (on sale) Isn’t the back fantastic? I love that sleek silver panel.
men’s hurricane wetsuit cat 5, $499.99
women’s hurricane wetsuit cat 2, $349.99
women’s hurricane freak of nature wetsuit, $1199.99 (instant abs on this one!)
men’s hurricane wetsuit cat 3 (detail), $549.99
I was convinced to go with a sleeved suit after speaking with some other people and reading various triathlon guides. Each of the TYR wetsuits are specially designed to be super sleek and flexible. The wetsuits are also designed with triathletes in mind (e.g., the Category 3 wetsuit, for example, has quick release ankle cuffs to ease removal), and various panel designs in the suits assist the swimmer’s buoyancy. Very neat.
Once our suits arrive, Chris and I are going to take them for a test swim in the pool. Wish us luck as we squeeze ourselves into these sleek suits. I think I’m going to feel like I’m a superhero once mine is on!
Does anyone have any experience swimming in a wetsuit? If so, please share! I’d love to learn from you!
*Another reason I love living in Waterloo – I have a 50m length pool within walking distance. This makes swim training really convenient!
Thanks to TYR for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
Do you get a new agenda at the start of the new year or the start of the school year? Since I’ve been a forever-student/forever-teacher, I’m in the habit of buying one in August, so that I’m ready to go in September.
When I was in Florida, I picked up this gold agenda from Target.
Sugar Paper agenda, $10.78CAD
It was inexpensive, small (3×6″), easy to throw into my purse, and has both the weekly and monthly schedule pages. So far, I’m happy with it.
Here are four other agendas that caught my eye:
weekly simplified planner, Emily Ley, $52CAD (on sale)
mini Day Designer agenda, $67CAD
Sugar Paper monthly/weekly planner, $20CAD
daily design love planner – blush, $50
Have a great weekend, everyone!
