Last weekend Lousje and her partner Glenn made the snowy trek to Port Colborne to see a production put on by the Port Colborne Operatic Society.
The Port Colborne Operatic Society is a very active and talented theatre group formed in the 1940's. They have been performing Something Rotten all month long at Lakeshore Catholic High School. Something Rotten, a musical comedy praised for its large song and dance numbers and its cast of kooky characters, debuted on Broadway in 2015, earning ten Tony nominations over its run.
Lousje & Glenn were taken aback by the sheer talent of the performers and their expertly made costumes and sets. The elaborate outfits reminded Lousje of her time designing costumes for a historic play, and had her itching to flex that muscle again. She truly loved researching and scouting fabrics and accessories for each costume.
There are still tickets available for upcoming performances of Simply Rotten. Click HERE to learn more!
Style Notes: Lousje's wearing her favourite magenta Grizas cotton jacket layered with an L&B long tank and a Love's Pure Light scarf.
]]>Last weekend Tessa and her partner Ryan headed south toward warmer weather and a "town" built with only one thing in mind - having a good time. The Villages, a retirement community in central Florida features 2,700 social clubs, nightly dance parties, golf courses, recreation centres, a performing arts centre and even several plaques dedicated to fictitious historical events.
Though Tessa & Ryan aren't quite the age demographic The Villages usually hosts, they traveled to the bustling community to visit Ryan's parents. During their stay the pair played tennis, pickleball, and never missed one of the famous nightly dance parties that take place 364 days a year. Tessa was shocked to see the tennis courts empty everyday, but the pickleball courts packed with players.
The duo were lucky enough to be there for Super Bowl Sunday and celebrated the good ol' American way - with pizza, wings and the infamous American commercials. Of all the exciting and joyful activities in the community, nothing compared to whipping around town in a souped-up golf cart - to which there was no limit to the variety or extravagance of the carts rolling through the streets.
Style Notes: Tessa donned her go-to black Grizas dress from last Summer, her favourite Ayala Bar necklace and her staple black denim jacket from Liverpool.
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As things start to take shape at Lousje and Glenn's new house (drywall is up!!!) they have now set their sights on furnishings.
One of the highlights of the new house is the spacious dining room, and finding a table to compliment the space has been tedious - until this week! The pair headed to a Niagara hidden treasure, The Wood Shed in Smithville, to tour their enormous collection of some of the most beautiful woods around.
Much like their historic St. Catharine's home, their table is rich with Niagara history as well. They landed on a 72” by 39” slab of Douglas Fir that was once lumbar from Lock 8, the most southern lock of the Welland Canal in Port Colborne. The canal was built between 1913-1932 and the wood that will become Lousje's dining room table was taken from large beams that were once part of the lock and doors. The wood was imported from British Columbia in 1900 and based on the tree rings, the tree started growing in the 1500's.
Constructing the new table is now in the hands of the experts at The Wood Shed. They will fill the voids and defects in the wood with epoxy and finish it in a clear dull sheen. For the base they chose a wormy maple which will be stained in a dark walnut.
Stay tuned for more pictures when the table arrives in six to eight weeks!
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This week we're back to business and the first stop is to Toronto to our manufacturers and fabric supplier. We're never a fan of all work and no play so Tessa made a day out of it with her daughter Ruby.
Their first stop, as always, is Starbucks - a tradition Tessa and Lousje started on all of their work outings to Toronto. Then it was off to the fabric suppliers downtown to pick out fabrics for this year's designs. No surprise to anyone, Tessa immediately gravitated toward the animal print while Ruby was learning the ropes.
Next stop was the manufacturers where Ruby was put to work, carrying in rolls of fabric for the Spring line. To cap off their chilly day of running around Toronto, the pair stopped in North York to warm up with a bowl of ramen at Kanjiki Ramen.
Style notes: Tessa is wearing her Junge Eila Coat over the Ozai N Ku Blocks Dress topped with her go-to "Reckless Love that Chases After You" Scarf from Love's Pure Light.
]]>On the first of the month Lousje and her partner Glenn bundled up and headed to historic Niagara-on-the-Lake to participate in the town's annual Candlelight stroll. This festive event has been a town tradition for almost 30 years, drawing crowds of nearly seven thousand attendees.
It costs only $5, which includes your very own candle to carry, and starts at 6:30PM with an opening ceremony before setting off on foot through the streets. Prior to the evening's events, attendees could have caught showcases from the likes of the Shaw Festival Performers and the Niagara Star Singers & Women's Choir.
That beautiful evening the streets were dotted with bands and choirs singing Christmas tunes as well as performers in festive period clothing. The gorgeous houses were decorated for the holidays and attendees could pop into church's that had their doors open to see performances.
This year the proceeds from the event went to two extraordinary young people in our community facing difficult health challenges. Both recipients have been hard at work raising funds for causes close to their hearts and giving support to others who suffer from similar illnesses.
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This past weekend Tessa dined at a popular Niagara eatery, owned by none other than famed chef Matty Matheson. Rizzo's House of Parm, located in Crystal Beach has been a hot spot and a sought after reservation since opening exactly one year ago and Tessa, her partner Ryan and her friend Jen were there to celebrate. Even Matty popped by earlier in the day with his entire family to ring in the anniversary.
You may know Matty Matheson from his bestselling cookbooks, popular Toronto restaurants, or quirky YouTube series - but these days he's most notable for his work on the TV show The Bear. Tessa, Ryan and Jen are all big fans of The Bear and Matty's appearance in each episode is the cherry on top of a truly exceptional show.
Tessa & co. dined on their favourite bruschetta, meatballs, chicken parm, shrimp scampi, and afagatos for dessert. Their meal was complimented by one of their favourite wines from Big Head.
Style notes: Tessa is wearing her favourite Love's Pure Light Scarf, "Reckless Love that Chases After You"
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Last week we lied when we said we'd be bringing you updates from Lousje's trip in three parts, turns out she had so much fun and had so many adventures - that we're going to need a fourth week to show you lovely ladies everything.
After Glenn arrived to join Lousje in the Netherlands the pair took a ferry to a sleepy medieval town south of Amsterdam where their romantic accommodations were awaiting them. Now, this Airbnb was a little unique - the pair actually rented a sailboat for four nights. The notion of romance quickly jumped ship once they realized how cramped their living quarters were set to be for the next few days. After crouching under low ceilings and shimmying past each other for two days, the pair caved and rented a hotel.
After the getting onto dry land, Lousje & Glenn's next destination was Utrecht.
Known for its medieval center, tree lined streets and patios lining the canals, They braved the water once more and took a boat tour and then a self guided walking tour stopping along the way to enjoy patios and cafes.
Lousje felt nostalgic when she came upon an “Automatiek “, a wall with little boxed windows with all kinds of fried foods behind them (Bitterballen, croquettes, and sausages etc.) Patrons must put their money in a slot by the box of the snack you like and the little door opens. Lousje spent many afternoons in her high school years visiting these little shops, almost like their version of a Mcdonald's. She indulged in apple pie with whipped cream (a must) and enjoyed a dinner near the water while a flock of swans swam by making lots of noise.
Most of all she enjoyed reconnecting with her sisters and was thrilled to see them happy and healthy.
Lousje can be spotted wearing a vintage Grizas skirt, a vintage Grizas silk/linen jacket, her beloved Karen Gunna slouch belt, her Liverpool jean jacket, a vintage Cut Loose cropped jacket, and of course, a Love's Pure Light Scarf.
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For Tessa, not much compares to a perfectly made scone especially when paired with afternoon tea. Which is why she was so excited when her friend Fiona not only offered to host her for tea, but to teach how to make scones.
Last weekend Tessa was treated to a masterclass in scone making by the owner of Fiona's Fancies, a local British tea catering service. Tessa met Fiona through their love of playing tennis, often together, and of delicious baked goods.
Tessa, along with her friend Jenn, aproned up and got to baking, making lemon cranberry and raspberry chocolate scones. They sat down for tea enjoying tiny sandwiches, quiche, their scones and berry tartlets topped off with their choice of mint green tea or earl grey of course.
If you're interested in inquiring with Fiona's Fancies about their delicious services you can find them on Facebook at facebook.com/fionasfancies.ca
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