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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Unionville and House Projects

How do you like this week's heat wave? July turned out to be a hot and dry month so far here in Toronto. I am not complaining about the 12+ hours of glorious sunshine every day. 

This past weekend we took a buddy of mine who visited us from DC to Unionville. I don't remember how many times we've been there before, but I fell in love with it all over again every time. 

Unionville is such a charming and quaint town tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Town of Markham. 

The streets of the historic village are lined with colonial houses like this. Wouldn't it be dreamy to live in a house with perfectly symmetrical facade and black shutters? Sign me up for a fairytale life, please! 

Toogood Pond is another landmark of Unionville.

I am loving this shot with the winding railroad track leading up to the newly restored Stiver Mill. 

On the house project front, I finally pulled the trigger on the exterior potlights. This was yet another project I procrastinated on, out of the fear that it was going to be very messy. I thought the electricians were going to need to cut holes in walls throughout the house to fetch wires. My concern was unfounded. 

After talking to a few companies, I chose Certified Potlight. They have a team of master electricians. During the cost estimate appointment, they patiently walked me through steps of wiring & installation, where the lights and switches go, etc. Because these lights are installed in the soffit, the electricians could wire them from the attic, no mess or wall damage whatsoever. We also went with warm white LED bulbs - they are more expensive upfront but their life expectancy is so much longer and they consume a lot less electricity. Also, we wouldn't need to climb up there every time a bulb burned out. LED bulbs pay for themselves over time. 

My only disappointment was that they couldn't get the lights to the overhang of the gable roof (the pointy part of the roof). It wasn't their fault because the soffit there is not deep enough to house the potlight unit. The house nevertheless looks amazing after the installation, and I could already see how cozy it will look during our cold snowy winter when nights are long. 

Speaking of the outdoor projects, this little fella also had one of its own. This yellow warbler built a nest in our tree! Life is good when we get to wake up to the dawn chorus. 

Now let's take it inside. You know my love for pillows is profound. I lost count of them in my house, but I still couldn't resist picking up new ones. Let's call it an obsession. I've been lusting this Kelly Wearstler's Channels pillow for a long time and finally decided to go for it. Hollie from Stuck on Hue did such a great job of picking out a perfect pattern for me. The other Les Touches pillow in the pillow was also her handiwork. 


I am still not over Target leaving us. The other night when I was researching a taller vase to buy, I came across the Nate Berkus Geo Vases on Target, one cylinder-shaped in gold, the other square in white. Just what I need. I immediately emailed my bestie in the States, and days later they were here. It cost me an arm and a leg to have them shipped here, but what else could I do? A heart wants what it wants.

The Limelight Hydrangeas finally started to bloom. I couldn't wait for them to come out completely but started cutting and bringing them into the house. 

Don't they look gorgeous in this Nate Berkus gold geo vase


With that, I am going to sign off and start my mini vacation with a BFF from Vancouver. Stay cool and hydrated. Peace out.