Birthday Treats

Do you buy yourselves birthday gifts? I do.  And sometimes it isn't even my birthday hee hee hee...I found a lovely bin full of fans in  a shop in Niagara Falls.  I've been meaning to get myself one for ages and ages and this paisley number was just the ticket... for...you know...those moments when I get a tad overheated!!

Speaking of getting overheated.....

Awwwww....aren't they just the sweetest??  How could I not buy this pair of salt and pepper shakers!?! And they're hugging....!!  They're so symbolic!! I mean...Michael and I fell in love with just one HUG!!  What did you think I meant??

The owner of the store was so funny...everything was 100%, as in, 100% ceramic!!

100% real stone earrings!! Like that's something rare! But yes, I still bought them...I mean....they're heart-shaped...and we were in Niagara Falls!! A friend called us while we were there and asked if we'd gone to a drive-in wedding chapel??  Ummmm, that would be a.....NO!! A 100% NO! Yes, my friends, we are living in sin...

Gifts from Michael to expand my mind!!  Books and movies, movies and books!! My favourite gifts!

100% real leather candle holder!! 

The "sun, moon and stars" hold special meaning for Michael and I so I thought, why not? 

Yes, there is one born every minute!!

Also at this store Michael espied with his little eye this interesting garment and made me try it on in the sweltering heat and OMG it was so CUTE!!   I could just imagine myself wearing it in MUCH COOLER WEATHER with black leggings and knee high boots!! So he bought it for me, just like that!!

When the store owner heard it was my birthday he gave me the above very expensive 100% stone frog incense holder for FREE!! He really shouldn't have.......but he did... telling me that the frog symbolized longevity and a few other things that I've since forgotten.

My beloved daughter bought me my very own pair of TOMS shoes for my birthday!! I've coveted her pair for quite some time and I love this denim pair. For each pair of TOMS sold they donate a pair of shoes to a needy child so it's really two gifts in one!!

 Oh, and Sunday I did a wee bit of shopping in Niagara-on-the-Lake at my most favorite store - 10,000 Villages!!  I bought a gorgeous ceramic bird bath for PEI and...

 FOUR of these gorgeous plates at 50% off!!  (now I wish I'd bought eight!)

And since I was taking photos I took one of the pot and petunias Kazi got me for Mother's Day.  She also took me out for dinner so I could get to know her boyfriend better and meet his parents. That's a huge step for her so I was duly grateful!

So yes, you could say I was spoiled!!

Niagara-on-the-Lake

What an incredible gift it was to be whisked away for a weekend to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Michael had never been there before so it was a treat for him too! I used to take Kazi there every summer from when she was four years old. As soon as she started to hear the Marineland commercials on TV we'd start to plan our annual pilgrimage. 
Who can forget this catchy (irritating after the 2nd or 3rd time hearing it!!) C'mon...sing along!







"Everyone loves a holiday,
watching the whales how they swim and play,
they jump in the air splash waves in your hair,
everyone loves Marineland,
Niagara Falls Ontario,
is always the fun place to go, 
see friends you miss a great big kiss,
everyone loves Marineland!"


After a fun-filled (exhausting) day at Marineland and seeing the sights we'd spend the night in a motel in Niagara Falls and then head to Niagara-on-the-Lake the next day. When she was little Kazi would swim in the huge fountain and because she was a highland dancer she loved visiting the Scottish and British stores but our most favorite store of all (sadly not there any longer) was the candy store that had every kind of candy made since the beginning of time!  So good!


Here are a few pictures of my adventure there with Michael:

It was cool and cloudy Friday - not much difference in colour between the sky and the water which is Lake Ontario.

Saturday the weather improved and eventually we were able to shed our sweaters and scarf. I'm going on record that the sun DID COME OUT!!
Just finished tasting some ice wine - VERY sweet! (Too sweet!)

No post of mine is complete without a picture of two of flowers and these poppies were just screaming out to be immortalized! I couldn't get
too good of a shot as they were on the other side of a fence but
the colour is just amazing.

This is the theatre where we saw "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" - some of you may remember the movie starring Elizabeth Tayler and Paul Newman which was based on the play by Tennessee Williams. We enjoyed it immensely!

This is our bed and breakfast and our hostess was Rosie, a fearless German woman who served us homemade waffles with homemade peach preserves and maple syrup and huge sausages - yum!
The second morning she served vegetable and ham omlettes, buns with preserves, marble cake, yogurt and fresh fruit - we certainly didn't starve!
Rosie is an avid gardener and her backyard was an oasis filled with flowers, a pond and waterfall, an arbour covered in wisteria (my #1 favourite flower) and cozy places to sit.

New friends met at the B and B - Beth and Marco
Great conversation!!

Hello to my American friends!  United States is on the other
side of the Niagara River!
A very hazy day!

We just happened to come across a group of little ones waiting to go
into a church for a First Communion?  (I'm guessing)
They were so precious I had to take a few photos!

And finally, just one of hundreds of vineyards surrounding Niagara-on-the-Lake.  This area is Canada's answer to Napa Valley!

That's it for today. I have much catching up to do on your blogs and...
I WILL CATCH UP!!
P.S. - notice how I'm not all sarcastic and flippant in today's post? A little mini-holiday can do one a world of good.  Any bets on how long my calm, cool and collected mood will last??

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Thank you thank you and thank you for all of your birthday wishes! It was wonderful to hear from so many of you!! I had a wonderful day full of surprises!  I was expecting a quiet evening with Michael and Kazi but at 6pm a bunch of our friends showed up for a surprise potluck supper and boy was I ever surprised!! What a great evening :) Thanks Michael and Kazi for your underhanded organizing - I didn't suspect a thing!

Just wanted to thank you all and let you know that I'll be away for a couple of days.  I am being whisked off to Niagara-on-the-Lake for a special weekend! We are seeing "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" at the Shaw Theatre, staying two nights at a B&B, going out for romantic dinners and I just might not have time to do any writing :)

I hope you all have joyful weekends and that wherever you are it doesn't rain!

Talk to you all soon!