9 Saturdays...

I don't know if you count or not, but I do and it is 9 Saturdays until Christmas.

via my pinterest

I love Christmas, I love the lead up to it, the change of the seasons, the cozy feelings that come with that and the planning and build up to the big day. I love the anticipation of young children and the reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' . I love the decor, the yearly argument with my husband about how soon we can put a real tree up, the planning to get the outside lights up before the weather turns too cold and we freeze while doing it. I love it all. And while for many it is too soon to even start thinking about it, this year I have added reasons for having Christmas on the brain.

You see this Christmas will mark the end and the beginning for us. Our little gallery here in Muskoka will be closing at the end of the year, and so this year Christmas marks the last time I will see many of my loyal patrons and it marks the end of this remarkable journey, and the beginning of a new stage in our lives.

It has been an excruciatingly difficult time deciding to close this business we have dedicated ourselves to over the last four years, and that has been a fixture in our community for 15 years, and while we are trying to sell it, we have also had to plan for the possibility it won't and we needed to put a date on things to move on. So it is that we decided to call it a day at the end of the year and go out on a Christmas high.

via my pinterest

We have been blessed and though being a small business owner is harder than most would understand, with much less monetary reward than many think, we have loved it, but realize now that this is not the time in our lives to be doing this. With two young children we need time to be able to spend with them. Weekends, Holidays, vacations...we need those things. As we move forward I am excited to be returning the world of Interior Design and will be working with some wonderful people who have been extremely supportive during this time. I'm not gonna lie, I am also looking forward to a regular pay cheque and two days a week off. That will be heaven to me!

At the heart of it, we are returning to simplicity where we can refocus on ourselves and our family and put that first above all else. My husband and my three girls that is what it is all about.

So as I count down the last 9 Saturdays until Christmas I face many things that need doing, but I know that at the end of this mountain of work lays a wonderful new road ahead and I am grateful and excited and sad and nostalgic all at once. but above all else, I am at peace and I am happy.

Jo

*note* If you or anyone you know is interested in purchasing a wonderful art gallery and gift shop in the heart of Muskoka please contact me at art@silverbridgegallery.com

To Be Thankful...

Today, for many, is the beginning of an extra long weekend as we here in Canada celebrate Thanksgiving, so today I thought I would share why I am thankful.

Today I am thankful for my husband and children. Jake is my best friend and I truly do not know what I would do without him. He makes each day brighter in some way or another, can always bring a smile to my face even amid tears and he loves me like no other. My Girls bring me innumerable moments of joy, whether it is my oldest settling into life as a grown woman, and doing so with strength, courage and a great deal of poise, or my middle daughter running her first cross country race to my youngest who decided to sail to India this morning in a wicker laundry basket.

Today I am thankful for my mother, father and brother. My mother who cares for my wee girls when I cannot and who does so with such joy and happiness that the moment she enters the room they run screaming  N A N N Y !!!! and jump into her arms...even though they see her every day. My dad who at this very moment is tiling my tub surround because I have to be at work, but more than that he is a man who would do anything for his children and we know it. My parents are full of the most important kind of love, the love that abounds and lets their children know that no matter what and above all else they are loved. I am thankful for my brother who is going through a major life change and has sacrificed a lot to do so (perhaps more than he should). We are excited to have him in our home as he starts this new chapter in his life and we are excited to have 'Uncley J' around for lots of fun and games with the girls.

Today I am thankful for the friends I have...though not many they are the best kind of friends who are there when you need them, no matter if it has been three days, three weeks or three months since you last saw them.

Today I am thankful for the changes we are about to undergo as we begin the process of closing our business and moving on to the next stage in our lives. I am thankful for the opportunity that being a small business owner has given me, for the things I have learned and the people I have met along the way. And although we will be open for the balance of the year, I am thankful for the many words of kindness and understanding that we are receiving after having shared this very difficult decision.

Today I am thankful for the job I have waiting in the wings and the people who have so generously understood my current situation and are still willing to wait to take me on board. I look forward to the new challenges this job will bring, to returning to a world I love, and to be working once again with some amazing people whom I have had the pleasure of working alongside before.

I have so much to be thankful for, I am brimming with gratitude and hope you have half as much to be thankful for and moreover that you are able to recognize all that you do have, it is a wonderful state to be in, and I hope you can join me...what are you thankful for?

Cheers,
Jo

Still unplugged...for the most part

I am enjoying my time away, but thought I'd pop in to say hi, and catch up on a few of my fav blogs....and poke my head into pinterest as well.

Hope you are enjoying your week...wishing you a happy weekend and encouraging you to unplug and activate.

source


Oh and my laundry room and bathroom reveal will hopefully be along next week...I am so happy to share the afters...it has taken long enough.

Cheers, and Happy Family Day (Monday) to my fellow Ontarians!


Looking back...looking forward

My husband and I were reflecting on the year 2011 the other night as often happens at this time of year. We realized 2011 had been a relativley quiet year for us...certainly in comparison to years past.
We met in 2005.
Bought our first house in 2006.
Had our first baby in 2007.

Bought our second house and got married in 2008.

Had our second baby in 2009

And bought a business in 2010...
So as you can see 2011 was a quiet year where not much happened other than staying the course and sending our little Izzy off to school.

We look forward to another quiet year in 2012 where we stay the course some more, hopefully make some gains and generally remain happy and healthy.

Sorry for being MIA of late, the year end is a busy time, but the inventory is done, and the year end books are almost completed, so hopefully there will be more from me in coming days...particularly a laundry room update!

See you soon!

Quite simply...Merry Christmas

I woke early this morning and whilst lying in bed trying to fall back asleep and having no luck I thought about you... this blog, and anyone who stops by to check it out. That led to thinking about this post...which led to more not being able to sleep which led to me sneaking out of bed and turning on the laptop and now here I sit...

We are but a couple of days and a handful of hours away from the big day. For me I have been in Christmas mode for what seems like months, and so it is that about this time I feel totally void of any excitement...no worries though, it will return, just not until the last minute.

Here in my little corner of Muskoka, it has been raining...yes raining...ugh. Rain means mild temperatures, which at any other time of the year I would welcome, but I love me a white Christmas, which does not seem to be in the cards this year for us...oh well fingers crossed for some un-forecasted cooler temps to give us just a dusting in time for the big guy!

So I thought I chat a little about Christmas traditions and what my family does that is special to us at this time of year. As I said before my family growing up was not a stickler for tradition, Christmas unfolded in it's own way each year; the tree, the location, the host. The mainstays were always waking super early to see what Santa had placed under our tree and the opening of presents before the sun rose...or at least before breakfast, and the meal with extended family later in the day. Whomever hosted would lay all their gifts out on their beds to show to the rest of the family...It was always exciting when it was our turn.

And then I met my husband and the tradition of Christmas for us changed. He had traditions that he felt very strongly about continuing with our new family. The biggest change my Christmas traditions have undergone is the timing of the opening of the presents...We still wake early to see what Santa placed under the tree, but the rest of the presents are not opened until after dinner...yup after dinner. Now in fairness dinner happens early afternoon (3ish) but the anticipation builds...and therein is the point I suppose. It really is the best of both worlds...the immediate wow of the Santa gifts,and the ability to play with those things all day, but still more to look forward to after the big meal. I'm not gonna lie, it has taken some getting used to and my family still thinks it is crazy but I like the flow of the day, and the little extension of Christmas Day excitement.

What are your Christmas traditions? Have they changed since childhood? How have marriage and children affected how your Christmas plays out?

Wishing each of you the Merriest of Christmases, and the best in the year to come.

From my family to yours Happy Holidays!