Food: Cowbell Brewing Co. in Blyth, Ontario

September 16, 2020 | Leave a Reply

A few weeks ago, on our way to the lake, we stopped at Cowbell Brewing Co. in Blyth, Ontario for a meal. Blyth, for those of you (like me) who have never heard of it is about 80km west of Waterloo and 85km north of London. It’s only about 25km inland from Lake Huron. Honestly, I wasn’t entirely convinced a purposeful trip to a brewery was for me. I don’t drink beer, you see. I was told, however, that I would love Cowbell on account of the architecture of the main building…and the food. In fact, this turned out to be true. I was impressed!

Cowbell’s main building is enormous. It sort of reminded me of the main building at the St. Jacob’s farmers market. Think wood, massive ceilings, and impressive stonework.

On this trip, we ate outside because we didn’t have a reservation and there was a bit of a wait for inside seating. Outdoor dining is currently my preferred option anyway, so it worked out well. I opted for the classic burger and a sangria. Both were delicious. The (branded) burger was oh so good!

Beyond a trip to the country for an excellent meal, a visit to Cowbell is worthwhile if you have any interest in learning about branding (and brand compliance). Everything (everything) is branded at Cowbell. The Cowbell store is stocked with products that are made in partnership with local merchants and creators. I was fascinated by Cowbell’s branding approach.

On our visit, we chatted with the friendly staff who told us about Cowbell’s start just a few years ago (in 2016) and its future plans of a fruit and vegetable garden and barn. I am already looking forward to my next visit when I also aim to go on a Cowbell tour (yes, even though I don’t drink beer).

Marketplace: Elora Antique Show

April 21, 2015 | 2 Commentaries

It’s not very often that I hop in my car and drive somewhere other than Toronto. This past Saturday, however, I took a 25 minute drive over to Elora. I have only been to Elora once last summer, so I was happy to make a return visit. The drive through the countryside from Waterloo is easy and enjoyable, especially when the springtime sun is shining. The reason for my trip this weekend was the Elora Antique Show. I wasn’t on the hunt for anything (besides a gorgeous French bed, which are impossible to find!), but I was interested to see what the dealers had in store.

There must have been about 50 or 60 dealers carrying things like: sparkly jewels, vintage dolls, woolen blankets, wood dressers, Pyrex, silver serving pieces, blue and white, cloisonné, quilts, books, and paper goods. There were a couple of mid-century dealers that caught my attention, and there was a gorgeous booth full of glassware. If I had an endless supply of money and space, I would have scooped up a few cake stands, pieces of milk glass, and silver bowls. There were a lot of pretty pieces!

Here are a few photos from the show:

I also spotted some gorgeous cloisonné (I’m seeing more of it recently), classic teacups, and this pretty green dinnerware collection (someone help me out – what is this style called?).

The next Antique Shows Canada event will be in Orillia on Sunday, July 26th. Are you planning on going?

Real Estate: Multi-Million Dollar Canadian Homes

March 9, 2015 | 4 Commentaries

The latest issue of Toronto Life published another article about Toronto’s crazy real estate game. This time, the article was focused on a section of Forest Hill where home owners/developers/architects are basically one-upping neighbours/competitors and building monstrosities that may or may not fit in with the Forest Hill aesthetic (I guess it depends on who’s judging). The article honestly made me laugh out loud. Toronto real estate is ridiculous, and it blows my mind that a $3.25 million house comes with only 1 garage (for example). It also seems unbelievable that $1.5 million houses are torn down for new builds. Or, even when they’re not torn down, they require unbelievable amounts of money to bring them up-to-date.

The article – and my ongoing fascination with real estate – pushed me to browse the Toronto real estate listings. Here are some of the pricey properties that caught my attention.

500 Wellington St. PH1001, Toronto, $7.9 million

88 Davenport Rd. #2401, Toronto, $8.988 million

100 Glen Rd., Toronto, $9.5 million

50 Yorkville Ave., Toronto SP 1, $11.9 million

50 Yorkville Ave., Toronto #2402, $12.995 million

118 Yorkville Ave., Toronto, PH901, $18.9 million

I also expanded my search to all of Canada to see what $10+ million dollar properties looked like elsewhere. Here’s a sample:

650 Lowry Ln., North Vancouver, $10,988,800

2156 SW Marine Dr., Vancouver, $11.9 million

13283 56th Ave., Surrey, $12.888 million

1116 Highland Place, West Vancouver, $19.7 million

Magog, Quebec, $25 million (click the link – it’s basically a castle)

And, now, for something a little closer to home…this gem in Kitchener, Ontario is full of white, and it seems like a major deal at only $2.5 million!

12 Westgate Walk, Kitchener, $2.5 million

What was that about “if I had a million dollars”? Seems like it can’t buy a whole heck of a lot in Toronto (besides Kraft Dinner, naturally).

At Home: Styling my Dresser with Posterjack

February 16, 2015 | Leave a Reply

How is everyone enjoying Family Day (here in Ontario) and Presidents’ Day (in the USA)? I am completely enjoying having an extra day to do, well, not a whole lot! I still have an annoying cough that is really just slowing me down. It’s very annoying.

A few weeks ago, my Posterjack order arrived, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the French photo and the white lacquer framing. It’s a beautiful piece. I placed it in several spots around my home before settling on my bedroom. I leaned it over my dresser, lived with it like that for a few days, and realized it was an ideal place to put it. I played around with some minimal styling, too. Have a look…

Style 1: set of three hourglass sand timers (the colours match perfectly)

Style 2: vintage and new crystal

Style 3: classic white

Thanks to Tim F. & Posterjack for sending me this beautifully framed Parisian photo.

Travel: Review of the Four Points by Sheraton – Kingston, Ontario

January 28, 2015 | 1 Commentary

A couple of weekends ago, I drove myself over to one of my most favourite places in Ontario – Kingston. I love this little town. The downtown is quaint, it’s easy to navigate, and the lakefront location is pretty darn perfect. I hadn’t been to Kingston for over a year, so I was very eager to plan a little getaway.

I booked myself into the Four Points by Sheraton Kingston because it’s centrally located – just a block away (barely even a full block) from the market square and city hall. It’s a block up from the lake and tourism office in another direction, and it’s a couple of blocks away from the park in yet another direction. The location is ideal for a city visit!

White-Cabana-Four Points Sheraton-Kingston-1

The rooms are very well-appointed; plenty of towels, a bathrobe, a fridge, and a microwave certainly come in handy, even for just an overnight stay. My king-size bed was ridiculously comfortable (I am now looking into the possibility of ordering a Sheraton mattress! Thanks for the advice, Rox-Anne!) and I very much loved the view of the lake (even though it was icy and snowy).

king size bed – I want one!

super white bathrooms make me happy

sitting area (or place to dump my clothes) with a view of the lake

I brewed some tea.

I watched some TV.

I wore the robe.

I did not make the bed. 🙂

some handy guides

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about my stay was the cappuccino I had from the hotel restaurant (King Street Sizzle). It just did not suit my tastebuds. Then again, I am sort of particular about coffee.

If anyone is heading to Kingston, I would definitely recommend booking a room in the Four Points by Sheraton. If you would like my advice about some things to do in the city, come back tomorrow as I’ll be sharing my weekend recap.

Although I did in fact book a room at the Four Points by Sheraton Kingston, the hotel surprised me with a complimentary stay. Thanks to Erin and her team for making my experience at the Four Points extra special!

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