Park Life

Hey Ali,

Happy Sunday! We have been laying pretty low this week getting to know the new little man in our lives. There is a Major heat wave in Geneva right now and it feels like the whole city is melting! We are really fortunate to have a beautiful park across the street from our apartment building, where we have been seeking refuge in the form of shade and ice cream! Everything is going great with Griff, he is growing like a weed and stealing our hearts at every opportunity. We couldn't be happier! Here are a few Photos from one lazy afternoon in in the park! Photo cred - Ry Adair

Sounds like you had an amazing time visiting the crew out in Nelson. I am so Jealous! 

It is such a cool place and as for the people, well, you just can't beat em. I absolutely love those guys,  hearts of gold. I am so glad you are having a blast on your trip. Family, friends, summer time... awesome.

Talk to you soon my friend, 

XOXO

sue

Livin' The Dream...

Hey Sue,

Well you have a new little man in your life: Griffin Herbert Terence Adair, truly amazing!!! (Love the name BTW.)
A massive congratulations and well done to you and Ry for some quality baby making. We should all welcome such a happy little soul into the world, just look at that SMILE!!! Can't wait for more baby updates...

While you've been doing the hard but rewarding job of bringing a new life into the world, I've continued to lounge around in Beautiful British Columbia. Over the weekend Charlie and I had the really great fortune to hang out with a super lovely bunch of people; the Reid/Penner/Bedo/Kohut Clan.  

Somewhere out there in the Kootenay wilderness, northeast of my current location and just outside of Nelson there hides the tiny community of Blewett (basically a fire hall and a row of post boxes). Drive a little deeper through the trees and down a gravel road and you'll find a special kind of paradise. It's not for everyone but if you ask this lot it's pretty much like livin' the dream.
I would tend to agree. 

This serene backwoods bit of land holds several properties. One is the shared residence, and music studio, of Jenn Reid, Cam Penner, their 2.5 yr old daughter Odessa and Barney the dog. The other residence belongs to Sarah Bedo, Darryl Kohut, their dog Guinness, Fuzzy and Billy the cats. 

Friends first, then neighbours, their dream started while living in the big smoke and not too many years later they have built a home and formed a little community in a truly magnificent place.

 

 

Charlie and I had a great time!!!
Odessa very kindly shared her toys with Charlie, like this tent that Cam (aka Papa) and Odessa made. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was absolutely loving the crocheted food, plants and animals that Jenn's mom crafted for Odessa. Beats anything I've ever seen on Etsy!!!

 

After the kids went to bed (Charlie slept straight through the night!!!) we sat up till the wee hours havin' the craic, under the stars. I was drinking Nelson Brewing Company's Organic Ginger Beer (YUM). Suprisingly I managed to wake up early to a beautiful dawn and virtually no fuzzy head. Sarah made pancakes for breakfast and we ate them in the sun beside her beautiful garden. I could most definately see myself livin' this dream, I wonder if they're looking for a few new neighbours???

 

 

On the way back to my sisters house Charlie and I hit the Taghum Beach as it was recommended by the guys. Couldn't have asked for a better ending to a great weekend. Well there was that smile on wee Avery's face after my return from our night apart... Thanks to my Mom (aka Grandma Bernice) for being such a great babysitter...

Watch out next week for a little thrifting update...

Alison xoxo

  

Welcome to the world baby

Hello baby.  Welcome to Earth.  It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter.  It's round and wet and crowded.  At the outside, baby, you've got a hundred years here.  There's only one rule that I know of, baby - "damn it, you've got to be kind." (from Kurt Vonnegut)

Hey Ali,

Ry and I have had one exciting week!  Griffin Herbert Terence Adair was born on Wednesday afternoon, weighing in at 9.2 lbs and measuring 54 cm tall.  He is a big boy.  We have spent the week getting to know him, so far we know that he's a kind little guy who loves to eat, to receive head massages, and to give cuddles.  His dislikes include being nude and being hungry.  His nicknames so far are Griff, Griffy, Griffindor, Griffel, and Sir Windy Winston Churchill.  We love him so much and feel so lucky to have a new member of our family.  Above is a picture of him at 3 days old (photo cred goes to @instalyla).

The photos that you have been taking of the British Columbia skies are beautiful.  I'm glad that you're having such an amazing time with your family, sounds like a blast.  I love Jenn's air plants, she's always so creative!  I look forward to hearing about and seeing your thrift shop finds, I can't even begin to imagine all the cool stuff you're going to find.  

Love you lots and talk to you soon,

xoxo

Sue

Something in the air...

Hey Sue,

 

Loving the day trippin' photos of you and your Mom. Gruyeres look AMAZING!!! Those skies, and that cheese fondue, dreamy...
 

Everywhere I look I can't help but see the sky. I know that sounds like a ridiculous thing to say because it seems like such an obvious fact but it's these beautiful summer skies. I can't get enough of them and keep snapping photos of skies whenever I get the chance. Currently out here in BC the skies are hot and blue and laden with big cotton wool clouds churning away into thunderstorms. Its electric.

 


I am absolutely loving my trip so far. Hanging out with my family, spending most of the day outside, playing with the kids, good quality time in the sun, eating, drinking wine, chillaxing...LOVE LOVE LOVE and happiness all round.  You just can't beat that kind of joy!!! 

I've been staying at my little sister Jenn's new house in Trail, BC. It's a super cute little place. She has barely been settled in long enough to really put her mark on it but it still feels like a home.
 

One of the design features that I love and have had my eye on for a while are her air plants. Known as Tillandsia they are a little plant that needs no soil and thrives on neglect. Sounds great and means you can display them in some really cool ways - like these hanging terrariums. Jenn displays her air plants in some little vintage glass jars but the possibilities are endless. I'll definitely be looking into these beauties when I get back to Belfast.

 

One of the many reasons I love this part of the world are the thrift stores. The Salvation Army (better known as the 'Sally Ann') in Trail is an especially good treasure trove of amazingness. My mom, the kids and I managed a little visit there today and it will not be my last. I nabbed a few gems but I'll save that for another post.

 

Can't wait to hear your baby news my friend, exciting times ahead, I can feel it, there's something in the air...
 

Alison xoxo

 

Cheese Dreams

Hey Ali,

Happy Saturday! Your trip sounds like it has been an awesome adventure so far. I can't even believe all of the places you have visited already. I bet those hot springs were amazing. What a dream. Also - you are one tough lady travelling all that way with two small children, way to go momma. Speaking of mommas, mine is visiting from Canada right now and it is so cool to have her here !

We have been pretty busy getting ready for this little baby (38 weeks today !!) Crazy right?! We took a break from it all on Thursday and went day trippin' to Gruyeres, a really cute medieval town a short drive from Geneva. As you can imagine, it is famous for Gruyere cheese. Yum. We walked around a little and had a huge fondue for lunch! It was delicious. Here are some pics from the day, photo cred goes to Ry Adair.

Hope you have a sweet weekend.

xoxo

Sue

As the crow flies...

Hey Sue,

We've had a busy week, here's where we've been so far...

•Belfast City BHD

•London Heathrow LHR

•Calgary YYC

•James River / middle of nowhere, AB

•Highway 22 - Trans Canada Highway

•West through the Rockies to BC

•Field - Rogers Pass - Revelstoke

•Galena Bay 

•Ferry crossing the Upper Arrow Lakes

•Halcyon Hotsprings

•Nakusp - Slocan Valley

•Castlegar

It's been 4300 miles as the crow flies. 

My little travel companions and I have flown across 2 continents, 1 massive ocean and driven across 2 provinces and 1 mountain range. It's not all been easy, I was that person with the screaming kids on the crowded airplane, but what an incredible adventure so far. I'll be posting loads of snaps on my Instagram so be sure to check it out!!!

Thankfully no ones been carsick, yet, and now that we've stopped for a while I've got the whole month of June to spend with my peeps ❤️ enjoying this beautiful part of the world. Bring on the summer!!!

As for your black maxi dress Sue, it's a winner and your one hot pregnant lady wearing it. As for your swollen ankles, I think you should jump right on that Birkenstock bandwagon, I've been wearing mine non stop on this holiday so far. A dream for your feet and for a limited time only this current "normcore" anti fashion trend permits the wearing of socks with your Birks. Although the socks and sandals trend has been going strong in BC for a least 20 years now.

You just can't beat good footwear and I ❤️ my holiday selection - my Blundstone 068's, Nike Free Run's and my Birkenstock Arizonas. I'm ready for anything!!! Alison xoxoxo

Summer Daze ......

Hey Ali,

I am so excited about your trip home, It is going to be amazing !! Lakes, BBQ's, feet on the dashboard ...  Dreamy.

The weather in Geneva has been beautiful lately and I have been living in the black maxi pictured above (I might have even slept in it a couple of times !). Ry snapped a few photos of me in it a couple of  weeks ago, at the park across from our apartment. It is cool, comfortable and very forgiving. In these last months of my pregnancy I have developed a major aversion to wearing jeans! Oh, found it at H&M and it is still in stores, in case you were wondering...

The shoes I am wearing are from Urban Outfitters in Belfast, the ones I bought during our shopping spree! So much fun. I have been loving them because they have a super chunky heal and are so comfy!  Admittedly, I have not been able to wear them that much lately (my feet are pretty swollen). As a result, I am thinking about jumping back on the Birkenstock band wagon. They really do have a special spot in my heart, remember when that was all we used to wear? Good old Birks. I couldn't be happier that they are back in. I have my eyes on these Free People Birkenstocks, they are pretty amaze right ?!


Anyways,  can't wait to hear all about your trip home and see all the sweet second hand treasures you find, please hit up a couple of garage sales for me !! 

xoxox

sue.