Muskoka Living Interiors

Being up at Lake Rosseau, and being a decorator I really couldn't pass up the opportunity to drop into a wonderful Home Decor Shop known as Muskoka Living Interiors.  What a grand store - it goes on and on forever with wonderful room displays set up.  I really could have spent half a day in their, however I had to be on my way home before the cottage traffic.  I will be back....

Here are some of the beautifully designed room vignettes which would look great in any Muskoka Home or any home anywhere - enjoy!

The Marriott Resort & Spa

Lucky me - I was treated to a weekend away with my girlfriend at The Marriott Resort & Spa on Lake Rousseau www.jrosseau.ca and enjoyed our time in Spa Rousseau.www.sparosseau.com . Wow... it is so relaxing and beautiful everyone should do this at least once. The location in one of the most desirable resort areas of Halliburton takes your breath away. This resort has taken customer service excellence to another level. Everyone is on the same page and you are treated as though you are really welcome and they want to do whatever it is to make your stay wonderful. There are so many activities you should check out the website at www.jwrosseau.ca.

A welcoming entrance

 This waterfall is at the main entrance and there is a fire pit where guests can have drinks while enjoying the fire and roast marshmallows

A view from the back of the resort

 The lake beyond

The Spa was the main draw for our weekend getaway and it is absolutely fabulous.  I have never been  pampered so much.  We spent Saturday lounging, reading and relaxing in the whirlpool to be followed by the best massage and then off to the notable Robin Barker Salon www.robinbarker.ca for a new hairdo.  Robin's salon is know in Toronto's Yorkville area and will soon be opening up in Oakville at Dundas & Third Line.
Dinner in the both The signature Teca Restaurant was another delight as was the grand breakfast buffet the next morning in The Cottages Restaurant.

Below are some photos of the public spaces within the resort - lots of room to relax.....

One of the nicely appointed guest rooms

Spin Cafe

The new Spin Desert Cafe  www.spindessert.com opened its doors recently and it was the place to be.  If you love a little savoury and a lot of sweet then this is a must. They serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and after theatre fare.  Spin Cafe is located at 2177 Yonge Street, Toronto - 416-322-SPIN (7746) and is extra special as it is owned by two of my favourite young men - Steven & Kristofer Rusk.  I remember these guys when they were just little boys and now (where did the time go??) - they are all grown up and running their own business.

CONGRATS GUYS!!

The place was abuzz and wonderfully crowded.  Make it a point to stop in next time you are in the big smoke as it is called.

Check out the website and be inspired to indulge!!  www.spindessert.com

An outing to Rosewood Estates Winery & Meadery

Rosewood Winery in the Niagara Region was the place to be June 4.  Hockey Icon, Johnny Bower was on hand to meet fans and sign the Johnny Bower Merlot wine release.  Wineries throughout the region had events and tastings along with appropriate food pairings going on throughout the weekend.

Of course as anybody who knows me, knows I LOVE wine so I had to be there!

Johnny Bower ready to meet his fans and sign some vino

 I also am a pushover for cake - this was a tasty version of the famous cup

Unique to Rosewood are the 3 apiaries located in what is known as 'the Bench' in Beamsville with additional land located in Jordan.  With the honey produced here and the wine making skills of the estate, Rosewood has created an innovative handcrafted honey wine or mead making them one of the most unique wineries in the Niagara Peninsula.

            

Luscious grapes for making delicious wine....



  Busy little Bees.....

Barrels full of wine just waiting to be bottled and drank.

Sheridan Graduates - Awards Night

Being that I am very involved in CDECA on several fronts, I was once again off to Sheridan College.  As one of the Ambassadors to Sheridan representing CDECA, I had the privilege to present the CDECA Scholarship Award to a very deserving student from the program -Ocito Balleta .  Following the presentation of awards we were treated to refreshments and had the opportunity to view the students work.  Wow!! It was fantastic and I was impressed with exceptional detail, skill and creativity of the students.  There is definitely a great number of talented students graduating from Sheridan. Well done!!

Here I am presenting Ocito with his award.

SOFA Spring Vendor Showcase

I,  and many other decorators attended the SOFA Vendor Showcase which focused on all of the wonderful fabrics, wall coverings, paint, blinds and much more offered by the many great vendors located at SOFA  www.visitsofa.com in the International Centre, Mississauga.

Just seeing all the great products gets the wheels turning as to how you can implement them into the next design project.  We had a nice catered lunch and then enjoyed the guest speaker - Karl Lohnes.  Karl is a Canadian Television & radio personality, newspaper columnist, magazine editor who covers home decor & lifestyle topics for CTV's Canada AM, Style at Home magazine, Metro News and Chum FM.

        To quote Karl 

 Everyone thoroughly enjoyed Karl and he was gracious enough to pose for photos after as well as talk with individuals about design. Of course I never miss a chance to be photographed with design celebs!

Walls of Hope doing more great work in the community....

Once again Walls of Hope,  www.wallsofhopecanada.org have done a remarkable job in helping in the community.  At the end of April the Halton Trauma Centre was taken over by volunteers led by Sera Mansueto, the founder of W of H.  It is Sera's belief that your environment makes such an impact on our lives.  The Halton Trauma Centre is a unique and specialized community-based agency providing clinical assessment and treatment services to children, adolescents and families affected by child abuse.

Established in 1983, and treating over 300 families per year, Halton Trauma Centre has come to be widely recognized as a leader in the field of childhood interpersonal abuse (physical, sexual, or emotional).

HTC was selected because of the positive impact they have with children, the contribution they provide to the community and because HTC’s needs met and exceeded our selection criteria requirements.  Here are some of the wonderful photos from the makeover.....