[ art in parks ]

ONE OF the highlights of our trip back was being able to visit a couple of outdoor art shows. Some of you might remember this back in 2010...

Yup, that was my booth at the Muskoka Arts & Crafts Summer Show {read about it here}. So much fun and I really hope I can do it again someday! 

So you can imagine how excited I was to learn that we would be in Muskoka on the weekend of this year's show...

It was fun to see some familiar faces and some new artists this time too. I find these events so inspiring and they make me want to get busy creating!

So what did I buy? Well, it was difficult not to go crazy but I decided to limit myself to a new painting {I've been trying to build up a bit of an art collection of original works and these art shows are an excellent place to do so. This cheerful original is by Marlene Bulas...

But as luck would have it, this wasn't the only outdoor art show we visited! We happened to be in Oakville, Ontario for their annual Art in the Park show as well. Much smaller in scale but so many beautiful works of art...

And you guessed it ~ I bought a painting! This one is by Robin Mitchell...

I'm so thrilled with my 2 new acquisitions {doesn't that sound fancy?} 

Have you been to any fun summer events this year?

lisa

[ junquestock + celebrity sighting ]

ONE OF MY favourite shops in Muskoka is Simply Cottage and imagine my surprise when I discovered that they had purchased the old Muskoka Foundry building and had taken over the space...

I've always loved their mix of casual cottage furniture and accessories mixed with some quirky found antiques and this space is a feast for the eyes...

The fun thing about the weekend I discovered their new digs, is that they were having Junquestock in the back part of their enormous building...

a live band, a BBQ and all the antique junky goodness you could imagine...

And who happened to be there? Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott!

{oddly, this is the second time we've run into Tori ~ the last time was at the Bellagio in Vegas back in 2004}

Anyway, I could have filled a truck with all the treasures I came across, but unfortunately had to limit any purchases to my luggage allowance. What did I buy?

a cute honey tin...

and a couple of little bottles to add to my collection...

I know, nothing overly exciting! But it was cool to run into a couple of celebs and I can't wait to see what goodies I find there the next time I'm in Muskoka!

lisa

[ muskoka eats ]

WELL, it wouldn't be a trip back to Canada without indulging in some of the treats we can't get in Dubai {I think we ate our way through Muskoka!}.

Heading up to Muskoka means a definite stop at Webers near Orillia...

For 50 years, this family-owned highway spot has been serving up charcoal barbecued homemade burgers. And it doesn't matter how long the line, it's always the first stop along the way to the cottage. They've got their assembly line service down to an art...

Of course seeking out butter tarts is a no-brainer. Not only did we drive to our favourite little lady in Rosseau for hers, we also made our annual stop to Marty's...

We were lucky to be there when the Muskoka Ribfest was going on so we had to check it out...

Battling it out for awards for best ribs, best sauce, best pulled-pork, it was a BBQ lover's dream... 

I settled for a pulled pork on a bun and a sample of ribs ~ if I had been smart, I would have brought back a bottle of their sauce!

A cute spot for breakfast where the 3 big lakes meet in Port Carling ~ Just Crepes...

Who doesn't love crepes? Especially one filled with fresh berries and whipped cream?

And an afternoon break for local Kawartha Dairy ice cream at Muskoka Cones...

I'll have the Caramel Snapper please {caramel filled chocolate turtles in toffee flavoured ice cream twirled with thick English toffee}...

Needless to say, we certainly didn't hold back! Now to work off all those extra pounds we gained and get back to my normal eating routine! Oh well, that's what vacations are all about!

What kinds of treats have you been enjoying this summer?

lisa

[ I'm back! ]

THAT was a rather long break, wasn't it? I hadn't really planned to be away from here for so long, but I have to admit that it was a wonderful, relaxing break!

We had a great time seeing everyone back in our hometown and then spending a couple of weeks soaking up the fresh air at the cottage we rented in Muskoka. As soon as we walked in, this is what we saw...

Now if that doesn't just start the vacation off right, I don't know what does! What a lovely view from such a cute cottage. Perched halfway down a granite hill, it was the perfect spot to unwind...

I love the mix of casual cottage and mismatched furniture...

We rented a boat so we could explore the lake and see the sights from the water...

And enjoyed pretty sunsets out on the deck every night...

Don't you feel relaxed just looking at these? Believe me, it was very difficult to leave!

But we all have to return to real life sometime and so as I sort through our loads of laundry back in Dubai, I'm going through my pics so I can share some of what we saw. Stay tuned!

lisa

[ ahhh...muskoka ]

WELL my peeps, it's that time of year again ~ time for our annual jaunt to Canada to escape Dubai's heat, visit our folks and chill out...

Last year we rented a cottage in Maine, this year we decided to return to our ole stompin' grounds and rent one on Lake Muskoka. I can't wait to sit out on the dock, sip a cool drink, take a dip and breathe some fresh air. And of course making smores around the fire is a must!

I may actually completely unplug so if you don't see me around for a bit, I'm soaking it all in! See you soon!

lisa