Visit to Prince Edward Island- A Linens & Lace Tea

Yesterday Bill took me to the Island to attend a Linens & Lace Tea at The Aiken House. I was introduced to her blog via my girlfriend Beverley & feel in love with her styling immediately.
Here are some photos to share with you on this visit. And it's worth your time to meander around the gardens in person or just awe the photos we took yesterday.
There are quite a few, so take your time as you stroll through, also I didn't enlarge all of the photos, so if you want a better look just increase the size.

Enjoy! This lovely experience is located at 67 Mill Road, Warren Grove, PEI. The little road is just off of Warren Grove Road. The toll to get off the Island is $45.50, you can just drive on and the toll is only if you leave the island.

The linens, lace, & landscape...

 A lot of the wooden & metal structures were painted with a chalk paint that blended beautifully with the lines & landscape, in a lovely blue/green hue.

                                                         Oh I did enjoy my time there!

                          Every time I saw a hammock I though of our middle-son Mitchell!

                                                            Beautiful purple clematis!

                                       This was the sweet 'backyard' of the Gardeners Cottage.

 Bill & I were cheerfully greeted by Haley, the great-niece of Carolyn. Her infectious excitement was such a joy as we toured the grounds together.

 With the tea theme of Linens & Lace, I blended right in visiting the Gardeners Cottage! lol

 My hair scarf was made that morning. I was in my sewing studio looking for some lace & came upon a piece of IKEA curtain that I had shortened from one of the windows. All that was needed was a hemming on the other side & voila! A lace head scarf, Carolyn did comment on how she liked it & then I told her this story. lol
Just another reason why I don't throw scrap fabric out!

 I thought of my girlfriend Cynthia back in Ontario & how she would love this place!

 This large shed was the only building that was not open to the public, supplies need to be stored somewhere.

                                     The side of that building was staged so beautifully!

                                         Bill took a photo of  Haley & I in one of many gardens.

 This was another building by the pond , to view & staged oh so nautically! That's a boat in the top window!

            Haley was excited about this building & told us that the door came from a church.

                               The blue has such a calming effect to view it, I just love it!

 Haley also told us of her sleep overs in this wee cottage, in the loft upstairs. She was such a joy to have with us as we were among the first visitors for the afternoon.

 Bill too was having a great time taking everything in as we viewed what I had been seeing in Carolyn's blog at the Aiken House on Prince Edward Island. Bill & I had not been to PEI since 1995!

See the upstairs,  where Haley had her sleepover at her Great-Aunt Carolyn's?! So Sweet!

 The sailboats remind me of when I first met Bill back in 1985 & he was part of a sailing crew that would race sailboats across Erie Lake, one of our Great Lakes in Ontario. He was going to sail around the world with the boat owner...till he met 'this girl'...that was me! :-) We had met the sailboat owner again a couple of years ago & he told me about his goal of sailing around the world but Bill met a girl...that changed everything! Some things just have a way of working out.

 But I can't help think of Bill when I see sailboats & the would've could've but he chose me! :-)

                                                       Every view is breathtaking!

                                                                    Oh so cozy!

                         The staging is done so well, you just want to stay & catch your breathe!

                                                                   The Aiken's House

                   This is the screened porch, where the tea & wonderful cake was served!

 It was one vignette after another to view & take in, everything so beautifully staged for viewing!

                                                          Afternoon Nap Anyone?

                                                              My handsome sailor!

    He chose to be with me, rather than the challenge of sailing around the world! I find it quite ironic as I'm hydrophobic & he sails, scuba dives, & is like a fish in water...me I'm hydrophobic!
They do say opposites attract...how true! All I know is I'm one very lucky woman to have him in my life!!

 Me in front of the Aiken's house. It really is worth the trip to take in all these lovely vignettes! And the gardens are just gorgeous!

                                                 Teatime on the screened in porch.

                               The ceiling is painted a lovely shade soft of blue/green.
Down south in the USA, the porches are painted this shade to keep evil spirits away from the house. I just love the airy atmosphere it creates inside the porch!

 The date cake was delicious, I was eating away before I even thought of preserving this delight in a photo...oops!

                                                 Bill, my sweetheart, forever & a day. xo

 Carolyn was going to serve more cake, to the new guests that had arrived,  when I asked for a picture of a whole piece! Thank you Carolyn! Oh my goodness it sure was tasty!

 Carolyn Aiken & I in front of the cottage by the pond. A lovely gracious woman, thank you for taking the time with us Carolyn.

                                                      And for taking a photo of Bill & I!

We had such a wonderful time that day! I felt bad as it was about a 7 hour drive that day & the next morning Bill & Nicholas let for their trek back to Ontario. A 16 hour drive that Bill wanted to do in one day.


I miss them already but they'll be back in New Brunswick on the Labour Day weekend. :-)


Back at the Hardwicke Homestead-----

I asked them to bring up this piece of wood that washed up on our shore. It could be used as a sail's mass by the pond as it's a straight as an arrow!

 Boris moving to be with me & not the confusion of bringing the tree pole up from the shore.
 Is that my husband flexing his muscles at me?!  lol

                                   Bill drives the truck,  Nicholas carries the rest of the huge long pole.

                                Oh this will make a statement in the woods, look at the length of it!

                          Nicholas was questioning why I wanted used wood in the forest?
!

                                            This is as straight as an arrow, piece of wood!

 Into the woods they go, with Nick still questioning why...old used wood was going back into the woods?!

All I could reply was that it was as straight as an arrow & it would make a fantastic mask for a pretend boat mass, by the pond! Just an idea that may just work!

But like everything else, it will have to wait till they return & the woods will have to wait too. But with the clearing that Mitchell did last year & the trench drainage dug under the road to the trench on the otherside, recently done to stop the woods from flooding every spring. The grounds will be drier & the mosquitoes will have to find another source of dampness.
Everything is coming together when I view it as a whole, I just have the patience that everything should've been done yesterday. We've come a long way in the three years of being here...
With so much more to do!
I just love this piece of heaven that we have been brought to! It feels like home. :-)

This is going to be a busy week but I'll have camera in hand to share it with you!

I'm placing several items in the Napan Fair! And midweek,  all the 'Miramichi rug hookers' are going to Bonar Law Common, for some fun & hooking this week too!

It will be a fun - fast week in Northern New Brunswick this week!

Do take in the Napan Fair if your in the area, something for everyone! Fair's - yikes that's the closing fun of summer!!

FYI - I heard the staccato bug & my English Grandpa Art, would say "As soon as you hear the first Staccato sing...mark your calendar as first frost comes in 6 weeks. My date is September 14th! I'll let you know how accurate Grandpa was.
 I sure miss him. We use to sit on the glider outside, on the porch  & we would glide & talk about this - that- & the other. He was such a sweet man & always called me Bridget?!  Never knew why, it was his pet name for me.

When I hear the staccato  bug - I always think of Grandpa Haynes, such a sweet man & I'm happy he was in my life back then & to have these wonderful memories. My father's dad died in 1942 of TB &I never knew him. But my mom's English born father, his memories warm the cockles of my heart. He will always live on in warm happy memories, such as the singing of this bug!

Thanks for visiting.
Have a great week!