Laura's Lovelies, Part 2: Life on the Lake

St. George's Anglican Church, above, is one of the many

  interesting landmarks around Laura's house. Both are just 

steps away from Lake Simcoe, Ontario's fourth largest lake.

The day began at Laura's. It was the first time my sister,
 Cindy, and I were visiting Laura at her charming, new
 home in Keswick, a community in the town of Georgina.

Family heirlooms, like the beautiful hutch above, was made by 

Laura's grandfather, and houses some of her trinkets from the shop.

There is a joie de vivre feeling that

 permeates throughout, and lest you forget,

jolly folks, fortified with a laissez-faire attitude, 

remind you to eat, drink and be merry!

After some tea and yummy sweets from a local cafe,
we took a picturesque tour around the lake.

Arriving at Sibbald Point, we were suddenly struck by the 
grand, Gothic style of St. George's Anglican Church, built in 
1876-7. The church was the first place of worship in the area.

The original wooden structure, built in 1839, was consecrated
 by Bishop Strachan, the first bishop of Toronto, in 1843.

The cemetery is a resting place for those who devoted their time and
 talent in the construction of the church, and for their descendants.

Winding roads, dotted by cute, colourful cottages 
boasting views of the lake, led us to the town of Sutton, 
 where we stopped for lunch at a local pub.

source

 On High Street, in the downtown core, we parked outside the little

 coffee shop, above, when Laura announced, 'Ladies, I'm going 

to let you in on a little secret that lies just behind these doors.'.

 Our hearts raced, as we speculated, 'Hmm...the world's greatest
 coffee? Canada's own cronuts?'. We were intrigued, to say the least.

source

Who would have ever guessed that those inconspicuous, 

glass doors led the way to a set of roughly chiseled, stony steps, 

source

descending to a final destination
 of lush countryside and lakefront seats!

source

 No cronut, no matter how decadent, can compare 

to this feast for the eyes! A secret oasis, just as Laura promised.

Left to right: Laura and me, Laura and Cindy

Once again, thanks for a wonderful and whimsical day, Laura!

Your lovelies will linger in my mind for a long time!

Thanks for visiting, everyone!
Have a very nice weekend

xo
Poppy

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Laura's Lovelies, Part 1: The Shop

This is part of our friend, Laura's, front porch, which belongs

 to her multi- vendor antique and consignment shop, which

my sister, Cindy and I, had the pleasure of visiting this spring.

Antiques on Hwy 48, in the township of Baldwin, Ontario, houses

 a collection of  amazing items that welcome you at the door.

'Come on in, take a look around, and find that

 special treasure you've been looking for. That's 

our relaxed, down-home philosophy.', says Laura.

  She proudly points out, 'We have two floors of

 antiques, collectibles, furniture, vintage jewellery,

 vinyl, advertising memorabilia, primitives,

 lace and linens, cameras, radios, coin and paper money,

 vintage housewares, sports memorabilia,

 paintings, Jadeite, Fiesta,

Source  (edited by me)

 gold and silver, gas and oil advertising, pottery, ephemera,

 oddities, one of a kinds, and a lot more really cool stuff!'. This pie

 steam vent is both adorable and practical; I'd never seen one before!

When the chicks in this charming painting clucked spoke to me,

 Laura asked if 'they' would fit in my suitcase. Needless to say, 

these three stowaways will soon grace my living room mantel, 

 reminding me of the fun and fabulous day we spent together,

on that cool and sunny, April morning.

If you're ever in Baldwin, make sure to visit Antiques on Hwy 48,

where the unique and wonderful await their fate!

Stay tuned for Part Two of Laura's Lovelies; a 

beautiful tour of Laura's neighbourhood, and more!

Thank you, Laura, for the pretty painting,
and a day that proved most entertaining!

Thanks for visiting,

xo

Poppy 

Of Storybooks and Babbling Brooks

Do you live in a particularly pretty neighbourhood, where

  window framed, 'still life' petals, scent the morning breeze?

Unionville, where my sister lives, is such a place, where picture 

perfect houses seem like they've popped out of playful fairy tales.

Other abodes, appear to have multiplied in size,

 from their mini, dollhouse dimensions,

 to square footage fit for human lives!

Friends and family know about

 my obsession with amazing architecture.

 I sometimes forget that not everyone shares this sense

   of wonder, admiration and respect for 'buildings'.

In fact, they often have fun with my enthusiasm for this art form by performing little sketches, spoofing my excitement over porticos, 

wrap around porches, and other 'Poppy Passions',

 like those of the interior design and decor kind!

Unrelenting, I continue with my observations:

'Brick, stucco, wood, and stone are materials that co ordinate well

together, creating interesting complements to each other.', I assert.

The house above can be found in the little village of Brooklin, Ontario.

 Isn't it the epitome of whimsy and architectural flair?

And, if this isn't enough to make you sigh, surely

 the sound of the brook, (hence the name of the place),

situated directly below it, does. How enchanting!

I leave you with another Brooklin beauty, 

characterized by a lovely blend of styles and materials.

And so, off I go,

 to dream about this hamlet's leafy lanes, 

its heritage homes, and historical bones,

where, a part of my own heart, still remains. 

I'm curious...which is your favourite?

Thanks for visiting!

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Happy Easter

xo

Poppy

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

We were warned.

It was coming,

even though

 the temps had warmed.

And thus, a legitimate reason 

to be further scorned.

Still, some scoffed at the forecast

 on the six o'clock news, the night before, 

declaring a spring debut of 2 to 4 inches,

 along with freezing rain.

Guess it was just a tad too much 

for the human brain

to tolerate yet another sprinkling 

of the cold, white stuff.

It was spring, after all -

we'd had more than enough!

As I recount this little tale of unwelcome snow,

The flurries floating outside the living room window,

will sooner or later, fall to the ground,

forming fluffy, puffy pillows

to muffle, mute and baffle

spring's sweet and chirpy sounds!

Forget the chocolate Easter bunnies.

Any candy canes in the cupboard?

Source

Thanks for visiting!

xo

Poppy

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Across the Sea for Afternoon Tea

Yesterday afternoon, in a little tea room, just north of Toronto, 

I had the pleasure of getting to know three lovely ladies whom I had

 visited on several occasions, but had never actually met. 

A curious set of circumstances, wouldn't you say?

Funnily enough, we'd been to each other's homes, 

toured one another's gardens, and even journeyed 

to faraway places together, yet our paths had never crossed.

Cyberspace Airways is good like that.

 Automatic pilot for the armchair traveller.

From left: Karen, (My Little Home & Garden), Judith, (Lavender Cottage), me, and Jennifer, (A Garden of Threads)

So, on a blustery, but bright, April day,

we bypassed the line up of cliché  cafes,

for Victorian treats and blended bouquets,

of jasmine, lavender and some fragrant Earl Grey.

We chatted and giggled and not surprisingly, talked shop.

And on the subject of Google, swapped stories, non-stop!

We even formed our own cozy quartet,

humming harmonies about hashtags,

and forgotten passwords being reset!

Bonding via Blogger in a tiny tea house on Main Street,

my cup is full of memories of a sweet 'Meet & Greet'!

 Until next time,

I'd like to thank Jennifer, Judith, and Karen,

for a fun and fabulous Afternoon Tea!

 It was a pleasure meeting you in person,

- for real, and not just virtually!

 'Red Boat with Blue Sails', Odilon Redon

Also, thanks to the Old Curiosity Tea Shop for 

a wonderful afternoon.

Have you met up with any of your blogging friends?

Thanks for visiting! 

xo

Poppy