Weekend Reflections

This weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving and my lovely daughter’s birthday! Needless to say it is going to be an action packed weekend.

Yellow maples over street

This past week was also a busy one. I made a pumpkin topiary and then tried it with two different bases. If you want to learn how to make these, just click this link.

We went for a 20 km bike ride…yes you heard that right 20 km!!! That would be approximately 12.5 miles for my American friends. Perhaps this is nothing to some of you but I haven’t ridden my bike in months. The worst part was the seat – why don’t they make bicycle seats more comfy? We did see some absolutely beautiful scenery along the way though so it was well worth it! Below is a photo of a gorgeous pond we saw. It was filled with so much life!

Pond

Do you like dressing up? We sure do!!!

My son, Noah is modelling a Halloween mask on his computer and then printing it on his 3 D printer. He got his inspiration from a new Netflix show that is gaining popularity quickly called “Squid Game”. That boy has so much patience and is so creative and precise! Here is a pic of it being printed.

3D printer

Speaking of Halloween costumes, my daughter is dressing up as Peach from Mario Kart and her boyfriend Scott is going at Mario. She will make a fabulous Peach and they are going to look so cute together!!! Also, most of you know that Jenna is an architect and has a very exciting project…she is designing a luxury hotel for a large waterfront site. I cannot give any other details but needless to say this momma is a proud one!!!

I have a surprise for all of you. Last Halloween I had fun dressing up all Steam Punk. Here is how it turned out.

Steam Punk Crystal

This Halloween, I have set the bar very high for myself. Not sure if I will be able to pull it off but I will give it a try. FYI, Annie our greenhouse is being all decked out for a little spooky fun. Can’t wait to share it with you but here is a little teaser – see if you can guess who I am dressing up like.

Wig

New Job Announcement!!!

Big, big, big news!!! Bentley just accepted a position at an amazing winery that has huge plans for the Okanagan. He is so excited to take on this position. Have I ever told you that he built Ex Nihilo Winery? Well he did and it is gorgeous. At this new winery, some of his first projects will be turning a cabin into wine tasting rooms, building a complete new winery at another site and renovating a hotel. What does a hotel have to do with a winery you may be asking? Well, the owner bought a hotel to house all of his out of country workers in. The owner really does things on a big scale. Once we have a contract in hand, I will share the name of the winery.

What or who am I thankful for…

As it is Thanksgiving, I thought it would be appropriate to share some people and blogs that I am so thankful for.

First up is KariAnne from Thistlewood. Did you know KariAnne is mentoring me with my blog? She is such a delight – enthusiasm and love pours out of her naturally. She is so generous with her time and advice. Her house is also decorated beautifully. Here is a little sample of her entryway. Is this not pure perfection?

Then there is Courtney from French Country Cottage. Her blog and photos stop me right in my tracks. I cannot move until I soak up every detail in her photos. Her home and property are simply breathtaking.

I have shared Juliet from Make Mine a Spritzer before and I must again. Her style and grace is unmatchable. I immediately feel calm when I look at her photos, read her blog or watch her stories. I should also mention, she has the best sense of humour and often has me REALLY laughing out loud!!!

Next up are three lovely ladies who I am so grateful to call friends. We met through social media and have been riding the ups and downs of blogging life together. Without them, I do believe, I would not have made it this far.

Marieza from Home with Marieza – her sweet South African accent, dry humour and design ability always keep me in awe!

Melba from Cocoon Raw – her gentle way that she cares for her garden and sees the world is always an inspiration to me!

Marie from This Dear Casa – she is another calming influence in my life and I love the way she designs and how creative she is!

Special thanks to you!!!

I am also thankful and grateful for each and every one of you who open my emails, subscribe to my blog, follow me on Instagram or Pinterest, message me or support me in any way. Thank you – you have no idea how much I appreciate your kindness and love. You are the reason why I keep pushing forward. Thank you!

Annie all ready for fall

My wish for you this week is that you are surrounded with people who inspire you and support you no matter how many bumps you may hit in the road that we call life

XOXO
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8 Comments
  • Marie
    October 10, 2021

    Crystal, this is such a sweet post. What a heartfelt message for Thanksgiving. I’m really appreciative of our friendship ❤
    You and your family are so creative! Love hearing about your costumes and exciting new projects you all have going. Can’t wait to see Annie in her costume 😉

    • Crystal
      October 10, 2021

      Thanks so much Marie! I truly do feel I would not have carried on with blogging after all the server problems had it not been for our sweet group of friends! Thanks for keeping me grounded and carrying on. I cannot wait to share Annie’s haunting – her is a little hint…it is a garden type of haunting!

  • Marieza
    October 10, 2021

    Happy Thanksgiving, Crystal! This is an awesome roundup and so many exciting things happening for your family! I can’t wait to see your Halloween costume… Thank you so much for sharing my post as well and for the kind words! I am honored to be your friend!

    • Crystal
      October 10, 2021

      Thanks so much Marieza for always being there to answer my dumb questions and for supporting and encouraging me to carry on!

  • Wendy McMonigle
    October 11, 2021

    What a beautiful post Crystal. Congratulations to you and Bentley on the new job. So exciting.

    • Crystal
      October 27, 2021

      Thank you so very, very much Wendy! It has been an exciting time!

  • melba
    October 11, 2021

    Crystal, such a lovely post! I really loved hearing everything going on in your life. Wow! Such amazing updates! I was laughing so hard about the bike seat, that is me! I hate them! congratulations to your kids and husband, what an amazing year for all of you! Thank you for the feature my sweet friend!

    • Crystal
      October 27, 2021

      Thank you so very much Melba! Those darn bike seats – why on earth would they shape them so terribly? It was my pleasure to feature you!

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