[ from none to LOTS! ]

A DAY OF snow squalls, whiteouts and about a foot of snow! Looks like winter has arrived! Have a great weekend!

lisa

[ pumpkin pie and giving thanks ]

IT'S HARD TO believe it's already Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend! I wish I could be there to enjoy the changing leaves from our dock and feel them crunching under my feet while I walk down the driveway. It's such a pretty time of year at our place.

But I'm here in Ireland and I have managed to find a turkey breast to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner so it's not all bad! I'm still on the hunt for pumpkin with no luck so far so we may not be enjoying my pumpkin pie and pumpkin loaf this year!

But I'll share my pie recipe with you so at least someone will be enjoying it!

Lisa's no-fail pumpkin pie
This recipe is very easy and turns out every time. It has just the right amount of spice (not too much like some of the store-bought pies tend to have).

what you need:

pastry for single crust pie (make your own or buy a frozen deep-dish one to keep things simple)

2 eggs
14 oz can pure pumpkin (or 1/2 of a big 28 oz can)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 2/3 cup evaporated milk (12 oz can)

how to:

Preheat oven to 425F. Roll out pastry into pie plate.
Beat eggs until frothy with mixer, then beat in remaining ingredients on low (add milk slowly as last ingredient.)
Pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F. Bake about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until knife inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool.
Serve with dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

Mmmm.... I can almost taste it! I'll be back on Monday with my Pumpkin Loaf recipe - great if you used 1/2 a big can of pumpkin for your pie and need to use up the rest (it will make 2 loaves).

Have a fantastic weekend and Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians! Don't forget to give thanks for all the good things in your life xo

lisa

[ yes deer ]

I LOOKED OUT my front door and saw these two adorable deer paying me a visit. And so I went outside and talked to them for a while - told them how pretty they were and asked what they're up to today. They just stood there looking at me with their big eyes probably thinking I'm a little crazy. Don't you just love their gentle gracefulness?

lisa

[ outdoor lighting makeover ]

ON OUR ONGOING LIST of projects to tackle around our place was to give our outdoor lighting a makeover. While there wasn't really anything wrong with what was there, it was very traditional and we just wanted something in a simpler style that would evoke more of a beach house cottage feel.

We found exactly what we wanted at Lowes - a simple galvanized metal fixture reminiscent of many we have seen on our beach vacations to PEI and Cape Cod. And with a modest price tag to boot!

I love the way they look and how they have made our place look a lot more casual and cottagey. And it feels good to know that our old fixtures went to Habitat for Humanity and will hopefully find a new home.

lisa

[ chandelier makeover ]

I HAVE A HABIT of picking up various things when scoping out Habitat or Goodwill with great intentions of giving them a facelift and putting them somewhere in my home (never sure where!). So when our little shed started to overflow with these items and the lawnmower was becoming a struggle to get in/out, I knew I'd better do something!

First up, the chandelier I picked up at Habit for $15.

I debated what to do with it - should I paint it a bright colour like so many I've been seeing lately? Should I paint the crystals too and give it little shades? or should I keep it simple and give it more of a shabby chic look?

[idea pics: Better Homes and Gardens]

Although I like the brightly coloured ones, I decided that I might tire of it more quickly so I decided to go with something closer to idea 3 which would work in any room since I wasn't quite sure where I would be hanging it yet.

First, remove the crystals and give them a wash (hopefully I could remember where they all go!) and wipe down the entire chandelier.

Then tape off all areas I don't want painted and give it a spray.

Once it was dry, and I got the crystals back on (I had to refer to a Before pic to put all the crystals back in place), it was time to decide which room would get this fixture. I decided that the screened-in porch I just white-washed would be a great spot - it would give it a little bit of glam, plus the current fixture was pretty blah.

I'm really happy with how it turned out and for $15 and a bit of spray paint, it was an awesome deal!

lisa

[ 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

[ muskoka majestic ]

I'LL ALWAYS have a soft spot for Muskoka and this cottage is just another example of why.

I love the statement light fixture, white beams, grey accent wall and log storage...

white slipcovers, sisal rugs, white walls and planked ceiling...

industrial stools, a big island, farmer's sink and simple pendant lights...

the vintage door leading to the charming pantry...

aqua metal chairs with a rustic table, 3 pendants and an incredible view...

So many things to love about this place ~ so cool and crisp yet cozy at the same time. Heaven!

lisa

[style at home]

[ 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