Update, Where Have I been?

(Image via)

Summers here, we made it ya'll! Ive been ranting endlessly about my excitement to fulfill my bucket list for this beautiful season. Summer isn't as endless as it used to be when we were children, when we were hopelessly counting down the minutes till that school bell rang the last day of school. It was a season when we all grew up and returned to school in the fall, a little taller and filled out our outfits a bit more then when we left. Oh how things have changed.. Now summer is just a time when the weather is perfect and nature is seamlessly pleasing to the eye.  

   It hasn't been that easy for me, lately you might have noticed the lack of posts and updates on my twitter and instagram. I have had a health scare that has left me simply depressed and finding my schedule being re-arranged for the next 8 weeks to stay in the city (away from the cottage) to be close to my doctors. 

  What do you all plan on doing this summer? any suggestions on what to do in the city this summer? Im sure we all don't have cottages to visit, but I would love to know any exciting things to do while getting as healthy as possible. 

Love Stephy. 

At Home - Grandma's Home.

Mornings have always been my favourite but mornings at my bubies (grandma in Czech) are a whole new ball game!

"I havent opened my eyes yet  I know its morning, I can feel the heat emanating from day break. I hear soft chirp's of a few morning doves, the honks of horns in the distance, the odd person chatting to a friend loudly.. all sounds typical to any city I suppose.  I finally open my eyes and am immediately blinded by a flood of light, my eyes focus to the long white curtains that look as if we are in a beach-y paradise instead. The curtains are covering huge floor to ceiling windows that over look everything from this 9 story apartment. Just before the windows drop off into abyss there are a few selective plants growing in pots, all in the cactus family.
  As I look around I see furniture fitting a 18 Century home, but looks fitting in this Cream room. It is colour blocking at its finest, with white geometric shapes on each wall a different pattern." 

 The apartment is a one bedroom, with two bathrooms (his & hers) which every home should have. The kitchen is a wonderful creme colour and custom tiles on the back of the counters.

View from the top, overlooking Toronto's West end.

* a vintage painting, sofa's custom made. 

Dear Readers, let me know what you think about this "At Home" series, if you want to see more of these posts. 

Best regards, 

-Stephanie Vainer 

   

The Cottage

A soft warm wind, humid air and the sound of waves rolling into shore. That was the setting to my weekend getaway, which was to my family's cottage in Georgian Bay.
  There's something so peaceful about early mornings in paradise, by paradise I mean no city sounds like car horns, people humming to work or 8 wheeled trucks on the move. My mornings started at 6am by making my daily coffee, grabbing my notebook, camera, and heading straight to the water front deck. By the time I got outside my Bubie (grandmother) was already awake and gardening, as she transplanted soil from one small green cedar tree to the next, I was already on my second cup of coffee and dishing out as many Beneath the Glitter chapters as possible.
 Sometimes you just need a few days away from your trusted laptop and work, that way when your ready to go back you will have a fresh start and as a writer I tend to get "writers block" regularly if I don't get a change of scenery or inspiration outside the office.

                       "Stephanie! Come help"

is a regular sentence from my dad.

                        "I need your help bringing the trailer over"

I immediately pictured taking the jeep across the 20 minute car ferry and making an easy trip home. That was until I herd the little 15 foot aluminum, I quickly realized this was going to be no easy feat.
What started as a simple action turned into a full fledge mini adventure. If someone has filmed or at least took a picture of us on this mini mission, how funny it would have looked. 
  The ride over has my ears filling with the humming of the little 15 horse powered motor had the light weight aluminum launching off every wave and bouncing back down in one swift movement. I could tell this was going to be a mission and a half, we reached the west port and docked by pulling the boat up on shore; got the trailer and together we both lifted each end on the small boat and away we went. To cut things short..

                        "We made it!"

I shouted out loud and a smile broke across my face, I felt more adequate to be able to conquer problems in life. Im a true believer of taking something away from situations and being able to lean something.

  Oh the joys of being at the cottage, its part of the experience to do things you'd never dream of living being sheltered in the city. I had a fantastic, entertaining yet serene weekend. I am honestly iching to go back as soon as I can get away from work! Today I am packing again, but this time Im heading in the opposite direction.. to the city!  I will be posting instagramed pictures of what to bring to the city and what to bring to the cottage... hmm Im feeling another post idea coming soon!

~Im so happy a forecast predicted rain but how wrong were they?

a ~moment in time.

~Picture from our family's dock, looking towards the lighthouse. 

~ Mornings spent gardening and reading your favourite books, is what its all about.

How to manage your extensions!

When you first get your new hair it is silky and tangle free. If your like any one else with extensions and want curly hair one day and straight the next, your extensions will start to look and feel more like a 4 year olds favourite bath time Barbie. I had to find a way to prevent my new extensions from looking ratty and dull, so I found out you have to treat them like an 'extension' of your hair and use treatments in  place of washing them constantly. So you use a treatment that you would to your own hair by following my steps and your hair will start to look and feel so much better. 

1/ Start with your dirty extensions

2/ Brush out your tangles with a soft bristled brush

3/ Apply a deep conditioning spray like Infusium 24

4/ Apply conditioning cremes and serums, I use Loreal conditioning creme and Klorane No-rinse care with Papyrus milk. 

5/ Add dry shampoo to make your extensions smell like they are just washed, you don't want to wash your hair extensions too much it makes them feel rough and dry. The less you wash your hair the longer your extensions will stay conditioned and nice. 

6/ Never forget to add a heat protectant! 

7/ Blow drying your extensions prevents frizz and fall out. 

8/ Start using a heat styling tool but be sure to add another spray of heat protectant. 

9/ Curl or straighten and finally add serum to the ends of your hair!

Hope this helps you keep your extensions manageable for the next few months!

A Rainy Weekend Away

 Rain to most people means staying in doors and having a bad weekend. But this weekend I'm looking forward to the rain, its almost a feeling of having a fresh start and washing away all those bad choices the week before. For me bad choices were eating out several times this week, twice at McDonalds and I know what your thinking..McDonalds? It was giving into those female craving all us girls get once a month. 

  Im looking forward to another weekend at the cottage, my parents are there and waiting for me to take the ferry boat across to the Island. Its quite a trip to get there but man is it worth it! Chad has been down there for the past few days working on cottagers decks or roofs, and I'm actually excited to see him. We usually spend the weeks apart (he works up north and I'm at home in the city), its weird because I grew up in the country but lately and since I got older I really enjoy the effortless of the city, as in its easy to go out and get the things you need its all at your fingertips. The country however is an undemanding, laid back and placid. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, either relaxing with family or having drinks with the girls. Either way Im looking forward to a rain filled weekend away from all computers and technology, This will be my last post for the weekend; See you all Monday!