A Blustery Day in Oakville

With a free afternoon yesterday it seemed like the perfect time to catch up with a girlfriend.  We went to Oakville, a quaint historic town on the shore of Lake Ontario, and drove around looking at the beautiful old houses and then went for a walk along the waterfront.


One of the houses had the most magnificent display of scillia.  While we were there taking pictures, several other cars also stopped to admire the flowers.

We walked around the historic Erchless Estate (c. 1858), which was the home of Colonel Chisholm who founded Oakville.  The house is now a musuem which I really need to visit when it is open as I've never been inside.  I love the position of prominence the house has on a hill overlooking the harbour and lake.  Can you imagine what a view you would get from the widow's walk up on top.

The gardens were just starting to spring to life and mostly had scillia, a few daffodils, and two brave tulips.

  

The air was cold and the wind was whipping the water up into a frenzy of splashing, crashing wave action.

The seagulls were enjoying the challenge of staying on the pier,

and I was enjoying the challenge of capturing pictures of waves mid-crash.

The colours were captivating with the gray skies and water, the red lighthouse, and yellow mooring posts on the pier.  

The colours have been altered in the picture above using Picnik, an on-line photo-editing programme, but I'm kind of liking the vintage look.  What about you - do you prefer the natural colours or the aged look?

Ukrainian Church Architecture

When we went to the Easter sale at St. Elias the Prophet Church on the weekend and bought the bread and Pysanky (which you can read about here), we also went upstairs to tour the inside of the church.  Although the church building looks very traditional and as if it has been there for ages - well maybe not there, but in the Ukraine - it was in fact only built in 1995.  

The church is in the style of the Byzantine wooden architecture traditional to the western Ukraine.  I love the wooden shingles covering the domes and all the wood siding - looking a little water-logged in this photo because it was raining.

The front door and carved pillars look so rustic.

Inside the sanctuary there are only pews around the edges with a wide open space in the middle as they stand for their services.

Above the sanctuary is one of the domes all colourfully painted with pictures of saints and scenes from the Bible.

I wasn't expecting to see a Pharaoh's headdress in a Ukrainian church, but it makes sense since Joseph from the Old Testament rose to second-in-command in Egypt.  Don't you love the scrolly grape vines that link the pictures together.

The pretty design in the photo below, was one of my favourite parts of the decoration in the church.  I love the gray-blue with the orange and the touches of gold.

There are no electric lights in the church.  The priest told us that it is because you can't pray with harsh electric lights on, so they only have soft gas lights and candles during services.  I think he may have something there.  I love it when the lights are turned out at a Christmas Eve service and we sing by candlelight and this church must be gorgeous by candlelight with all the gold leaf decorating the walls.

Around the edges of the sanctuary are these candle chandeliers that I thought looked quite striking in their simplicity with all the ornate paintings and decorations.  The priest assured me that they would soon be replaced as they just came from IKEA.  I love it! IKEA decorations can even be found in an ornate Ukrainian Catholic church.  Who would have thought.

It must be Ukrainian heritage month at Sense and Simplicity or something - how else do you explain it!

A Walk in Waterloo

I've ended up with a lot of posts about our road-trip to Waterloo on the weekend, but we visited so many interesting places and I wanted to share them with you. 


The last thing we did on Saturday - after we had a bite to eat -

was go for a walk through a beautiful neighbourhood in Waterloo that my son Malcolm has been wanting to show me for the past four years.  It always seemed there was something else we needed to do when we visited him in Waterloo so we had not got around to going on the walk.   Malcolm is just finishing his last course of his undergraduate degree and will be graduating this month and moving when he gets married in May, so this really was our last chance.  Malcolm took us on a guided tour showing us his favourite sights. 


The subdivision was built in the 1960s and has mature trees and landscaping.  There was a lovely mix of house styles, including several modern homes.  This one was one of my favourites with all the big windows, the stacked stone walls, and 

the curved bank of windows opening on to a curved deck at the back. 

Here's another modern one that looks incredible with the stone wall, and vertical windows balanced by the dark horizontal wood siding.

Behind this house was a cute little shed in the backyard that would be so much fun to decorate. 

I loved the decks and fencing that some of the houses had.  This next one had a lovely arbour built over the deck with arched pieces incorporated into the ends.  I also loved their simple trellis-like shutters.

The house in the photo below looked like they had an architect completely re-work the front of the house.  I loved the little deck down the side of the house covered with an arbour.

It was a surprisingly hilly area, given that the university is just across the street and has a very flat terrain - I think the glacier left a big load here.  As a result of the steep landscape some of the properties had terraced rock walls,

and others had hills covered with trees and ground-cover, like myrtle, instead of grass as they are too steep to mow,

and others had beautiful rock gardens.

The area also had a meandering brook with some lovely little bridges,

and the first snowdrops I've seen this year (growing right beside a large patch of snow),

and the friendly neighbourhood cat who welcomed us.

It may seem quintessentially Canadian, but I've never seen it in a subdivision before - someone was tapping the maple trees to make maple syrup.

Do you see those blue buckets - they are for collecting the maple sap and it will be boiled down to make maple syrup.

It's a lovely neighbourhood - I can see why my son liked to go for walks there and I'm glad I got to see it before he moved.  Just in the nick of time.  Thanks for the tour Malcolm!

Linked to Good Life Wednesday at A Beach Cottage

Distinctly Charmed by Distinctly Tea

When we went to Waterloo on the weekend (which you can read about here and here), one of our other objectives was to visit my son's favourite tea store, Distinctly Tea.  There are only two locations of Distinctly Tea shops - in Stratford and in Waterloo - although I noticed a sign saying franchises were available so maybe more will be opening soon.  


What we love about this little shop is the variety of teas available,

the sweet displays (I loved the idea of filling clear tubes with shredded paper to add some colour - genius idea),

the tea accessories like tea pots, mugs, strainers, and more,

and the personal attention.  My son told me that several years ago he left a binder at the store and the cashier thought it was his so saved it for him - for six months - until he came back to the store.  Isn't that amazing!


One of the highlights for me was seeing tea from the Glenburn estate in Darjeeling, India that I will be visiting this summer (you can read about it here).  I love that it not only says Glenburn, but also monsoon, as that is the season when we will be there.

Look - an entire shelf filled with Glenburn Estate tea.

I bought some to try, naturally, along with some Canadian tea blends and Ontario honey to take to France for our friends that we will be staying with.  The Glenburn tea I bought for our French friends should have frequent flier points, having flown from India to Toronto and then to France.

Please note I am not benefiting from writing about Distinctly Tea in any way.  It is just a sweet little shop that you may want to visit if you are ever in Waterloo or Stratford, Ontario and happens to carry tea from the estate I will be going to in India - which is pretty darn exciting!

Christmas Through the Ages

Recently a friend and I went to the 'Twas the Night Before Christmas Celebration at the Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton, Ontario.  It is held on three Saturday evenings before Christmas and was so much fun.  You really feel transported back in time when you are walking around  historic buildings at night with the fires burning and the lanterns lighting the way.

At the 'Twas the Night Before Christmas Celebration they use Christmas decorations for each of the buildings appropriate to the time period they are from.  I found it really interesting to see how Christmas celebrations had changed through the years.  The earliest buildings were from the beginning of the 1800s and the most recent were from the early 1900s.  I have organized my photos in a somewhat chronological order so you can see the progression from the very simple natural decorations of the earliest homes to the vintage electric lights and glass balls of the more recent buildings.

I took lots of photos, but as the  lighting was low in many of the buildings they were not as crisp as I would like when I didn't use flash and seemed a bit harsh when I did use flash.  Although they aren't perfect, I still think you will get a taste of the different styles.

We began our walk through the village with the oldest buildings from the Georgian period, then visited some Victorian buildings, and finally some Edwardian buildings.

1)  A Regency/Georgian Christmas (1800-1850):
I learned some interesting facts about Christmas in early Upper Canada:

• Only the German immigrants had Christmas trees in this time period.  The immigrants from England, Scotland, and Ireland used 'greens' to decorate the windowsills, tables, and mantels in their homes.
• They often lived in small log cabins so only a few decorations were used.
• The early settlers did not have the traditional British greenery of holly and mistletoe available to them so they used things that were found in Ontario, such evergreen boughs and pine cones. 
• Most decorations were made either from things they could gather from the woodland, such as pine cones and bittersweet berries, or were food items such as apples and nuts.
• Children were not the focus of Christmas at this time period and instead celebrations centred around adult community activities, such as wassailing or carolling from house-to-house.
• Twelfth night celebration were popular along with the story of Saint Nicholas.  
• Stockings were hung by the fire or at the end of the beds and small treats were given at Christmas

There was a house and an inn from the Georgian period - both of which I loved for the simplicity of their decorations.

Bamberger House from 1810 (was the oldest home in Hamilton, Ontario when it was moved to Westfield Historic Village):

The tables, mantel, and windowsills were all decorated with evergreen boughs and red berries.

I loved the beautiful blues and greens in this room along with the welcoming candle on the windowsill.

D'Aubigny Inn from 1820:
 

The table was set with Christmas pudding and cookies and decorated with apples and a pineapple

The pineapple would have been a special treat since it was imported.

All the windows were adorned with swags of greenery and lanterns.

I realize this tin lantern is not a Christmas decorations, but it was just so pretty I had to include it.

2)  A Victorian Christmas(1850-1900):

It was during this time period that many of the features of Christmas as we know it came into being.  Here are some of the highlights:

•  Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband who was German, introduced the Christmas tree to Great Britain, which in turn meant that it soon became popular in Canada as well.
• Decorations were still primarily from nature, such as pine boughs, pine cones, cranberries, popcorn, but more paper, lace, ribbon, and fabric decorations were also included.
• By the late Victorian period store-bought glass ornaments became available.
• Gifts were still usually homemade or simple, such as scarves, mitts, hankies, and wooden toys.
• Candy as well as cookies, and the traditional plum pudding and mincemeat pies were special treats for Christmas.
• Children became more of the focus of Christmas during the Victorian period.

The Victorian buildings had the type of homemade Christmas decorations that we now think of as very homey and traditional.

Tailor Shop:

The tree was decorated with felt gingerbread people, felt chains, straw and paper ornaments, and candles.

A beautiful cut paper tree ornament.

I loved the felt chains.

Spinners and Weavers Shop:

There were crocheted faux popcorn balls hung from all the rafters and windows.  They looked fantastic and made me wish I could crochet.

I love how the popcorn swag was hung over the windows.

The rag strips had been rolled into balls ready to be made into rugs, but I thought they looked very festive.

Carpenter's Shop:

This little wooden toy was built in about 1880 and was donated to the museum by a local family.

Cathcart School:

The school house was set up for children to make a Christmas craft.  The volunteer in the school said in actual fact paper was so expensive in the Victorian time period that children would not have been using it for crafts, but they wanted something for the children who were visiting to make so they bent the rules.  The schoolhouse was lovely with homemade decorations on the tree, lanterns on the desks, red paperdoll gingerbread swags across the tops of all the windows, and families busy making crafts.

The tree in the schoolhouse was decorated with yarn dolls, wooden clothes pin angels, and paper ornaments.

Even the chalkboard looked festive with some greenery along the top.

I loved the paperdoll chains across all the windows.

A lovely arrangement of evergreens, pine cones, and fruit on the outside windowsills.

The little sleigh that the children were making.

My friend warming her hands by the lantern in the schoolhouse.

McRoberts Dry Goods Store (being used as a dressmaker's shop):

The dressmaker's shop was from 1897, the late Victorian period, so there were a few modern touches, such as electric overhead lights and a Christmas catalogue.  Anyone of a certain age in Canada remembers the Eaton's Christmas catalogue.  I eagerly anticipated its arrival every year and remember pouring over all the pages of toys (and no I didn't read the one from 1897). 

Some of the children's gowns in the dress-makers shop.

Gorgeous buttons in a display case.

The dressmaker's tree had spools of thread, paper chains, cranberry bead garlands, and some homemade decorations.

A crocheted snowflake on the dressmaker's tree.

Some dresses on display in the upstairs workroom of the dressmaker's shop.

3) An Edwardian Christmas (1900-1925):

During this time period Christmas celebrations got more elaborate as electric Christmas tree lights and imported glass balls and decorations became more commonplace. 

Gillen House:

Although the Gillen house was built in 1862, the furniture and decorations shown in the Heritage Village were from the Edwardian period.   We were told that Mr. Gillen died soon after this house was built and so the Gillen House was lived in by Mrs Gillen and her four daughters.  They were all musical and supported themselves by giving music lessons. 

This was the first time period that showed Christmas crackers being used.

The flower centerpiece of roses, pine boughs, and silver dollar plants - an unusual, but really pretty combination.

A sweet little decoration hung in the kitchen.

A corner of the Gillen House living room decorated with a nativity scene.

The Christmas tree in the Gillen house living room with candles, paper fans, and glass balls.  We were serenaded by Christmas carols on the violin.

General store:

Although the store had electric overhead lights, the tree in the window had candles.  I don't remember them saying so, but it looks to me like the tree is decorated with Union Jack flags because it is supposed to be WW1.

The general store tree decorated with flags, paper ornaments, glass balls, candles, and metal icicles.

Candy for sale in the general store.  Of course we had to try some.

One of the wooden wind-up toys in the general store.

Movie Theatre:

There was a silent movie playing, fresh popcorn being made, and a Christmas tree in the window. 

The Christmas tree in the window had large electric lights with metal reflectors, glass balls, and a metal garland.

A close-up of the metal reflectors.

Around the Village:

If you were a child the highlight of the village tour would definitely be a visit to the train station because not only could you have the station master send your letter to Santa via telegraph, but Saint Nick himself was in the caboose.  How fun would that be?

The engine was decked out for Christmas with some greenery on the front.

This train station was used in the filming of the Anne of Green Gables movie and the TV series Road to Avonlea.

Children waiting in the train station to have their letters sent to the North Pole.

Looking through the window at the Station Master getting ready to send a Santa letter to the North Pole.

It was a perfect evening with cool crisp air, stars overhead, and the scent of fire in the air. We had a wonderful time looking through historic buildings that spanned over one hundred years and, of course, then had to have a bite to eat and a look through the gift shop.

I loved so many of the decorations and ideas, but I think the earliest time periods were particularly appealing.   What time period is your favourite?