Last Days of Summer - Cottage Escape

Labour Day weekend for many Canadians is synonymous with "one last trip to the cottage." I've managed to get out of the city a few times this year, and had two great adventures to cottage country.

Our family cottage is a fairly long trek out of the city, but the sandy shores are worth it. My father and I took a road trip there, just the two of us, and got some much-needed bonding time. There are a two things we can do when mom isn't around: eat junk food and blast vintage rock.



The open road was so inviting, and I have a certain fixation with farm country. I think I've always wished to have grown up in a small country town. The kind where the nights are warm and you spend them drinking tall boys on bales of hay.

One of our all-important detours was to Super Burger in Owen Sound. The restaurant itself is in an old Toronto streetcar which is what makes it so charming, but also a tad confusing considering it's in the wrong city. The menu is full of old favourites with great big full-loaded burgers and chunky fries.



One of our other detours, of course, was the Dutch Store. Having grown up in the Netherlands I've acquired a taste for my salty liquorice and peanut-sauced fries. This little gem is a bit of home and something I can always look forward to on the way to the Cottage.



And finally the Sauble sign welcomed us back! I always know I've arrived when I see this aged sign, and with the sun just setting it is so charming.



The second trip to cottage country was to a friends place in Muskoka. Heading out into the great outdoors with friends is such a great way to spend a summer weekend, although really we only managed to make a day trip of it.



The water was so warm and inviting and we spent most of the day swimming or boating across the great lake. We cooked together, which is something I quite enjoy doing with friends, and opened what came to be an uncountable amount of bottles. Soon someone broke out a deck of cards and I got overly competitive (which is really no surprise). And when the Summer storm rolled in we, inebriated as we were, thought it would be a good idea to go skinnydipping. Well they were right (and thankfully no stupid accidents followed).



We made the best out of the short time we had and I think the dog was the happiest out of all of us.

Things of Summer - Vineyard Tours

I am so lucky to live in a place like Toronto where just beyond its borders lies bountiful vineyards. The last time I visited Niagara-on-the-Lake it was the dead of winter. The February weekend Ajay and I went we found the town sleepy and deep in snow.

"Do you feel like grabbing lunch in Niagara?" He asked me the other day. I jumped at the chance to escape from the hectic city.


We went up, the four of us, as a bit of a last hurrah to Summer. The day could not have been more perfect, especially if you consider what an abysmal summer we've had in Toronto this year.

We went for lunch at Vineland Estates and found ourselves staying for much longer than planned. I, at the very least, was charmed by the old Mennonite architecture and breathtaking views. We took a tour of the cellars and saw rows and rows of humongous french oak wine barrels, examined bottles older than myself and sipped inspiring reserve wines.


After the most delicious 3-course meal and impeccable wine pairing we wandered. It was a chance to be youthfully curious once more, and take in our surroundings. A chance to bask in the warm sun of August.


Sam is far too photogenic. We took the opportunity to laugh and be girls and to compare her self-proclaimed "southern Italian skin" to my hopelessly pale complexion.


It's odd, in a way, how hard it is to slow life down. But how rewarding. It was almost surreal to be in a place so still -- I kept expecting to here a siren blare. I rarely take the time to disconnect; I find I'm always stuck behind one screen or another, whether it be for work or for leisure. As I walked among the vines I found myself feeling more at ease. I suppose nature has a soothing effect for my constantly anxious mind.


But most of all I was happy to reconnect with the man I love. I will be unabashedly candid here and say that my relationship has recently been difficult. We were fighting more than we should have for quite some time. And then one evening as I sat curled at my end of the bed I told him I was unhappy. The shocking thing was it never occurred to me that Ajay could be unhappy too. I don't know if it was selfishness that blinded me, or my own unhappiness, but when he told me that he was unhappy too my heart sank. I was overwhelmed with an acute feeling of failure. I was upset with him because I wanted more love. More tenderness. But I realize now that in order to bask in the love of another I should be giving equal amounts if not more... And I wasn't.

I am one who runs away. I have, in the past, viewed relationships as a tug-of-war, or a battle of who can care the least. But I didn't want that this time. I went into my relationship with Ajay ready to be honest and I had lost sight of that.

We spoke deeply that night and then took the weekend apart to reflect. When we came back to one another I saw him again as the man I love. We each took to heart what the other had to say and allowed it to shape our behavior with one another.

We live in a world where giving up is so easy, but taking the time to work it out has been infinitely rewarding.


Our path has been anything but straight, but I'm happy to be walking it with you.

Britton Diaries on Bloglovin'

Get excited! You can now follow the Britton Diaries on Bloglovin!

Here's a sneak peek from the upcoming post "Things of Summer"

xo L.K. Britton

No. 21 Pre-Fall 2014 Collection

No. 21 is the brainchild of Alessandro Dell'Acqua formerly the creative director for the fashion house La Perla (among others). His take on a modern wardrobe pairs the latest trends with classic looks creating a versatile collection. The Pre-Fall 2014 collection mixes textures and prints in effortlessly layered looks perfect for transitioning into the colder weather. It also looks like the matchy-matchy fashion of Summer 2014 is moving into Fall too.

Out and About Double Date to Yasu

My boyfriend and I may on occasion fall under the category of "foodie". We like to eat, we like to eat well, and we also appreciate the hidden gems.

Top: Tophshop, Skirt: Topshop, Shoes: Joe Fresh,
Necklace: Hudson's Bay, Purse: Chapters Indigo,
 Ring: Thrifted, Sunglasses: Bungalow

Ajay has been talking about Jiro Sushi and the documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". After the success of the film the apprentice-now-chef Daisuke Nakazawa travelled to New York to open Sushi Nakazawa where he serves a twenty-course omakase (Chef's choice) for a limited 10 guests per seating.

Yasu Omakase Sushi Bar is one of Toronto's first (if not the first, I would certainly venture the best) omakase sushi restaurant. Since their exceptional review in The Globe and Mail they have been overwhelmed with reservation requests and it is a wonder how we landed such prized seats.

Seating 10 people our party of four nearly took up half the restaurant. We were greeted with a warm reception by our host for the evening. She took her time in explaining the cultivated list of sakes Yasu has to offer and shared a little of Japanese custom and culture with us as we struggled to be less oafish and act the part of the elegant young professionals we claimed to be.

The chef was knowledgable and patient, answering each of our many questions. He took his time with his creations and from where I was sitting it was a work of art.

Each piece of our 20-course meal was handcrafted and full of intricate and overlapping flavors. I am, as of now, forever ruined in terms of sushi. I can never go back to the ten dollar maki combos and California rolls of my rushed lunch hours.

The mackeral pictured above was especially to die for.

Without a doubt our evening out to Yasu was one of the best experiences of the Summer. The fresh menu and paired dry sake was a perfect balance to the balmy evening. The showmanship, whether inadvertent or otherwise was captivating and by our last course we were already inquiry about second reservations. 

Of course, now they're booked up for the next few months.

Alice + Olivia Pre-Fall 2014

August is here already. It seems just yesterday the snow was clearing and now already I'm looking forward to Fall. Here's a look at Alice + Olivia's Pre-Fall Collection 2014.