A Few Things to Share

It's Friday and I'm eating a donut and blogging - does it get any better than that. Do you have big plans for the weekend? I'm going down to see the artillery demonstration at Fort George - yep my third fort visit this summer - and, of course, Kate is part of the demonstration.  And according to the girl it is going to be epic!  
While I'm away watching muskets being fired and Kate marching around, here are three things I have to share with you:
First I am thrilled and honoured to have been included in the Bloggers' Budget Kitchen Tips post on the Canadian House and Home website. You can find the page here - chock full of great kitchen tips.

Anyone else notice how much the top kitchen photo looks like a snazzier version of our kitchen. Here they are side-by-side. White uppers and gray lower cabinets?  Check.  White beadboard backsplash?  Check.  Funny, eh?

I also wanted to draw your attention to a fun article on the Style at Home website about the ABCs of summer decorating (click here to see the page)  I have a personal soft spot for A, K, Q, and T - you will have to pop over and have a look to find out what they are.

And finally, Jennifer and her husband from the blog Rambling Renovator are writing a book about Blogger Style and are looking for homes to feature.  If you think your home might be worthy of being featured in the book, you should get in touch with Jen before September 15th.  You can find more info here.  

The Regency Kitchen at Fort York

When we visited Fort York recently one of the buildings I toured was the Officers' Barracks and Mess Establishment. I always love touring historic homes and this was no exception - the Officers' Barracks were a great example of Regency colonial living quarters. I especially found the dining room and kitchen and the different dishes they used interesting.

Fort York Officers' Mess Kitchen with CN Tower behind it

The officers' dining room was decorated in colours popular in the Regency period (and look a bit wild by today's standards) - mustard, teal, and burgandy.  The wall colour seemed a little dark for my taste, but I loved the teal chairs with the white tablecloth.

The patterned flooring was actually a painted floor cloth - seems like a great DIY project, don't you think?

The table was set with beautiful china in a navy and orange pattern with crystal drinking glasses and brass candlesticks.  I usually like to see a table set with a mix of different patterns of china, but this was such a demanding pattern that it really worked best as the focus of the table.

In another room across the hall a round table was set with this pretty blue and white china.  I wished I could have seen it closer up.

In the kitchen I also saw blue and white china - in fact there was a whole luscious plate rack full.

There were cooking demonstrations happening in the kitchen - so not only was this a visual feast, but it was also a yummy one as well.  We got to sample plum pie and ginger biscuits 

and currant bread.  You will notice that there was yet another pretty blue and white plate used for the currant bread.

Along with the finer blue and white dishes were many more rustic earthenware dishes that were used in baking.

The glazed brown pie plate (in the photo above) was a good example of the earthenware as was the empty pie plate in the photo below (and no I didn't personally finish the entire pie, although I wanted to).  Anyone know what the design on the plate below is called? I've seen it before on other early pottery dishes.

There were shelves full of glazed jugs in the pantry.

Along with the china and pottery, the kitchen was also stocked with copper and iron pots and pans.  I love the copper pot on the bottom shelf and the kettle on the top shelf and the cast iron pots.

Along one wall were some shelves holding spice containers. Having just organized my spice cupboard I was particularly interested to see how they stored their spices back in the day. The top shelf held small tin containers with lids and the lower shelf held crockery tied with waxed paper lids.

I loved this corner of the shelves with the old cookbook from 1831 (although it may have been a later edition or a reproduction).

Fort York has an excellent gift shop and I wanted to get something for both Kate and myself to remember her summer working at the fort.  Given all the blue and white china used in the fort, I was drawn to this plate in the gift shop.

And promptly put it to good use a few days later. Don't you think it was just made for holding blueberry muffins?

I also got this little glass decanter that is about eight inches tall.  It will be great for salad dressings.

And finally I got this little blue and white box with a classic Regency design on it for Kate.

In case you missed the real reason we were visiting Fort York you can see our daughter Kate in action as a guard in this post.  

Linked to Love the Place you Live at Design Mom

Interview at Bright Copper Kettles

I am pleased as punch to have been asked by Rayna, from Bright Copper Kettles, to be interviewed for her blog.  By the way, isn't that the sweetest name for a blog - the song, My Favourite Things, from The Sound of Music just floods me with happy memories.  And isn't that the sweetest thing that she asked me to be the first person she interviews for her new series, Simply Lovely Interviews.  
I bet you are dying to know how I came to be a blogger, some of my best travel tips, and other interesting tidbits about me. Come on over and have a read - you can find the interview here. Were you a strange youngster too (I bet you are curious to know what I mean - check out question #1)?  I'd love to know.
Thanks Rayna - it was a lot of fun thinking about the answers to your questions.

Bright Copper Kettles

WISH Wednesday #44

Now that we are all up to speed on what a bunkie is (check here if you missed it), I thought I would share one of my all-time favourites - Sarah Richardson's bunkie at her Georgian Bay cottage. It seemed appropriate because I've been away at our Georgian Bay cottage for the past three days.  We don't have a Sarah Richardson style cottage or even bunkie, but I do know firsthand how gorgeous the Georgian Bay islands are.
I think this is the cutest little guest cottage and would love to wake up to such pretty furnishings. I love the soft blues and the coral she used with the white furniture in this room. And the birch lamps are the perfect woodsy touch for the side tables.

HGTV

I really seem incapable of sticking to one WISH Wednesday photo these days, but I just had to show you the other side of the room.  I love the gray and white striped curtains and the wicker chair in the corner.

Here's the bunkie from the outside - gorgeous, no?  

Sarah Richardson's bunkie - HGTV

I'll have some photos coming soon of our part of Georgian Bay.

Late Summer Woodsy Sideboard and Mantel

I haven't been motivated to change up the sideboard or mantel ... until today that is!  In fact, yesterday I was just telling my husband that I was going to leave what was there until September so I could transition directly into Fall decor - even though the sideboard and mantel had not been changed since the early spring.  Well, then I woke up feeling all motivated to change things up.  

I got the faux bois vases last week at Loblaws so had to include them.  The dried wheat is my nod to it being August and that Fall is right around the corner.

I know there are birds everywhere these days, but I needed something to break up all the symmetry of two large and two small vases and two turquoise sap buckets.

I even have a matching vintage tablecloth out.  Please excuse the wrinkles, but I just didn't feel like ironing it.

  

Let's spend a little time considering how lovely faux bois vases are.  I love the squiggly lines and the fake knots.  Love.  Them.

At the same time I thought I would change up the mantel.  I stuck with the woodsy look that I had happening on the sideboard.

I put out some of my best birchbark,

and some driftwood sticks along with my aged metal sap bucket and lanterns.

Do you change up your mantel and sideboard with the seasons?  I like to, but I don't always get around to it.

Linked to WOW Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style,
Sizzle into Summer at DIY by Design