The Gold Loon Cottage

06/07/2021

Exterior Progress Update: Looking perky on a Monday after a pressure wash and some spiffy new glass. Swipe for before.

06/03/2021

Respect the wood.

05/31/2021

Things are rolling along at TGL (see what we did there 😉).

03/26/2021

To celebrate the end of the week, The Gold Loon is taking things to the bedroom. 🔥🌶 😳 where she’s in good company among this antique leather jewelry box circa the 1930’s, a brass mirror from my grandmother’s collection and this crocheted floral piece from one of my go-to vintage accounts . Did I mention I have a thing for vintage and antiques?? What’s your most treasured vintage piece?

03/23/2021

03/18/2021

Her equivalent to a ‘look back at it’ post 🍑 Signs of spring are everywhere so I wanted to document the last bit of winter while also saying BYE ✌️ and please bring on the warmer months!

03/16/2021

Theory: every cottage needs a map. Yay or nay?

03/15/2021

It's a jam packed cottage renovation update for a Monday morning and I'd just like to thank those of you who indulge me with 7 minutes of your day on this “show" and believe me, I use that term loosely. The transparency and absurdity of this one make me laugh but I trust it will contrast just how freaking profesh the finished space is going to look. So grab your coffee and strap in as I spend 12 hours in a U-Haul and we cut a giant hole in the side of the cottage. Stay tuned for EP 5 to see the rest of the window and door installs. It’s what we in the biz call a “cliffhanger” 😉

03/13/2021

Happy Saturday friends! As I'm putting the finishing touches on EP 4 this weekend and in a general kind of shock at the cottage looking not one bit like it did when I first got the keys, I thought it would be fun (🙃) to post a formal, “Before Walk-Through” so we will all get the full breadth of just how undone things have become at this point. So much will change in the coming months, but I promise the most charming and lovely bits will definitely stay (and be elevated!) so consider this a little marker of time for where it all started and how far there is still left to go until she's all tidy and presentable again. What catches your eye as a keep/toss from the tour??

03/08/2021

It’s a two post kind of day over here because I also wanted to send out a Happy International Women’s Day! I’ve been so fortunate to have such inspirational women come into my life in the past couple years and I’ve also had the pleasure of seeing women I’ve grown up with start businesses, become mothers and just be all around bad asses in their own special ways. Working on The Gold Loon has made me dig so deep and find all kinds of strength and tenacity in the challenging times- and what a blast it is that I get to do it all with my daughter by my side every step of the way, helping and delegating in a way that only she can. 😆 So shine bright today and every day sisters!
Here’s to strong women.
May we know them.
May we be them.
May we raise them.

03/03/2021

Confession: I’m not a huge fan of winter. I know, I’m a terrible Canadian. Damp socks, frozen fingers, and shovelling snow top my list of least favourites. But something about being up at The Gold Loon with its pristine white snow, cozy wood stove and a winter that’s included more sledding than I’ve done since I was a kid, it’s almost converted me. Almost. 🥶

02/27/2021

It’s a good day to have a good day! I wanted to get this latest one up before I head to Uhaul and pick up a giant moving truck this morning! Big things! Literally! 🙊 I edited this one in a vertical format instead of the “rotate your phone” way. Although I prefer traditional 16x9 video over vertical social crops any day- call me old fashioned. Let me know what style you prefer in the comments and that’s what I’ll go with for future eps- would love to hear your input. Oh and if you want to watch it in it’s true 16x9 glory, of course I edited it TWICE just for FUUUN. Search my name on YouTube and you should be able to find it or DM me for the link. Have a good weekend all. ☀️

02/25/2021

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

- Robert Frost
————————————————-

I’m at the ‘Dear lord, what have I gotten myself into’ stage of the transformation process which has timed perfectly with shut down-related delivery delays and an action-packed 6 weeks of virtual school. 😬 Reminding myself that this is supposed to be “fun” has certainly helped me manage in stressful situations! 🙃 But onwards and upwards and the show must go on and all of that, so keep an eye out for EP 3 tomorrow!

02/22/2021

Do you guys remember my vintage spoon collection from EP2 that I dropped off to ? Look at this incredible piece they put together! Swipe for the before pic I sent them... See! Anything can be art if you put a nice frame on it! 👀👌 Also for those eager beavers that have been messaging me, I’ve gathered my sanity after the kids returned to in-person learning last week and am putting the finishing touches on EP3!

02/19/2021

Things I didn’t know I would love (and miss!) about winter at a cottage include the early morning sounds of snowmobiles screaming across the lake and seeing their tracks carved into the snow all pretty like from the sky.

01/26/2021

I’m missing the golden glow of so much as this lockdown is extending further into 2021 and the looong winter carries on. But in the meantime, I’m doing as much remote planning as restrictions will allow so that we can welcome guests for this upcoming summer season! 🤞 I’m so excited to share this space with you all. Wait till you see what’s in store... ✨ 🤩 ✨

01/18/2021

In an effort to counter the blahs of - otherwise known as the most depressing day of the year (yes, it’s an actual day and it’s TODAY!) I’m sharing some bright and happy granny inspired flat-lays with items I’ve hoarded for the cottage this winter. I love a piece that has a story so needlepoint and knitted things make my heart flutter. Do you have a favourite vintage or handmade piece that brings back memories? Do tell!

01/11/2021

We’re back for another exciting instalment of Cottage Chronicles. We’re venturing out onto the frozen lake, blowing up explosives, doing aerial detective work and getting a tear out done for bedroom 2. Things have gotten harder with virtual school being extended but we are still moving forward. Lots more to come!

01/04/2021

I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to you guys for the all the kind words and shares for our first episode of Cottage Chronicles. Both the renovations at the cottage and the show itself have been a labour of love and I’m already putting the finishing touches on the second episode! Spoiler alert 🚨: we’re having internet installed on Friday so I can stop hot-spotting my phone to upload episodes and give my poor data plan a break 🥵 Have a great week all- and my condolences go out to all the parents slogging their way through virtual school today. 🪦

01/01/2021

Saying goodbye to 2020 ✌️ and hello to whatever 2021 has in store. 👍 Thought I’d cap off this whirlwind year with EP1 of “The Gold Loon Cottage Chronicles”: a variety show about the trials and tribulations of making a vacation rental dream come true. I try to keep the production value up as much as possible but just remember that most of my camera people are under 4 feet tall. Now off to blow up some explosives for from our dock for NYE🧨💥✨See you next year folks! (Turn yer phone to view full screen btw!)

01/01/2021

Episode 1

12/31/2020

Did I mention... we’ve got games? I picked up this very on-brand white and gold Bingo set to add to the assortment of vintage games we have currently giving me major childhood nostalgia. Also you’re probably noticing a loon trend thing happening here... more to come in a future post on the legend of how “The Gold Loon” came to be named.

12/30/2020

I'm putting the finishing touches on some longer form video content that I'll be releasing on this space in the next day or two. It's certainly been odd spending time editing my own face on the other side of the camera because I've been a video editor for the past decade who was mostly happy to be tucked away in the edit suite and avoided being on camera at all costs. But as with most great things I've encountered in life, the magic happens just outside of one's comfort zone, so here we are venturing into all kinds of the unknown. So I guess what I'm trying to say is thanks for following along and sorry for my awkward face. 😬

12/26/2020

Hi! 👋 I’m , the gal behind this here account- also the resident fixer upper, dump runner, drone flier, content creator, curb side picker upper and antique hunter. When I’m not being a video editor by day, I’m a mom to my 2 kids, tending to my other AirBnB back home in Toronto or perusing art and design while dreaming up future spaces. My mantra is “live your art” and truly, what could be more immersive than curating an entire living space with a focus on outstanding guest experience? I have obsessed over every last detail of The Gold Loon for months but I felt the magic of this place the moment I first stepped foot out of the car. I can’t wait to bring it all together and share it with you. ..
P.S. A life goal of mine is to transition to an all romper wardrobe and it’s true that I have rompers for every season and occasion. Come at me. 🤓

12/21/2020

Today we learned our hallway is THIS MANY dominoes long 🤯 PLUS these original pine floors are even more warm and beautiful when cuddling them only a few short inches from your face. Check stories for the satisfaction we all know you came here for!

12/21/2020

We may not have running water (atm) but by god, we’ve got coffee.

12/15/2020

✨ Watching memories unfold in real time is pretty magical. ✨ These two tiny workers are excited to roll up their sleeves and put their skills to work when we’re here. Hey, assembling patio furniture is just like a lego set only bigger amirite!? For now they’ve been keeping busy test driving the treasure trove of vintage and original board games left behind by the previous owners which we will be prominently displaying for future guests.

12/15/2020

Granny Chic: An aesthetic AND a way of life.

Inspo 📷: GUCCI

12/15/2020

Our first night at the cottage was spent cozied up to this wood stove with the records spinning, dreaming up how to make it our own while preserving as much of this vibe as possible. On our list are upgrades to make this a fully functioning four season cottage in future, but for now we stay here partially off-grid which means no running water and eating out of a cooler or as we like to call it “upgraded camping”🙈This keeps it SUPER interesting with two small kids tagging along for the adventure.