Exploring Southern Ontario With Blogger Friends

I was lucky enough to have Patti from Not Dead Yet Style and Ally from Shy Biker come and visit me last weekend.

It was the second time they visited but this time round rather than staying in Toronto Patti stayed with me and Ally stayed five minutes from my house. It meant far less time stuck in Toronto gridlock.

The first day we headed west of Mississauga to Cambridge and Langdon Hall and the Fashion History Museum.

They had an exhibit on Dior and another one on Canadian fashion throughout the last 150 years for Canada’s recent 150th birthday celebration.

It is a great little museum in a picturesque village. I highly recommend visiting it if you are in southern Ontario.

Then we went to Langdon Hall a summer home (mansion) for Eugene Langdon Wilks in 1898.

We wandered around the gardens for a bit, the weather was perfect, then headed inside for a very quick game of pool and classic high tea.

If you have a keen eye you would recognize this piece of 1940’s vintage from my personal collection.

I had to wear vintage to a vintage fashion museum.

The next day we headed downtown to catch 6 Quick Dick Tricks at the Fringe Festival.

It was a hoot! Both Ally and I were called on stage and participated.

This is where the “Dick” guessed the name of Ally’s dog as a child.

Rover in case you were wondering.

Sadly no one got any photos of my trick.

I was invited on stage for a rather naughty one.

Darn!

Ah well…I’ll leave you guessing. Suffice to say that everyone found it very funny.

We found some very cool street art and stopped to take photos. You can see Ally with this same mural here.

Afterwards we headed out to the Distillery District and ate at a fab Mexican restaurant that I discovered with Shelley and Judith when they were visiting.

Of course we managed to get out and get a little bit of thrifting in, thank you Talize!

We all managed to find a little somethin’ somethin’ to take home.  I really wasn’t shopping for myself as I was keen on finding something for Ally and yet I still managed to come home with some treasures.

I really enjoyed the chance to entertain Ally and Patti at my home. I’m like one of those Italian grandmother’s though, always insisting,

“Eat! Eat! Eat!”

I think I over prepared for the visit because I now have a fridge full of leftovers to eat on my own.

BTW…Ally you forgot your six packages of chips!

I never bring chips or nachos into the house because I know they are my kryptonite (that is Ally’s favourite snack) and we didn’t even open them while they were here even though I kept insisting she open them.

There may only be three packages left now.

Will I have enough willpower to hold off on the rest till my husband comes home in a couple of weeks?

Don’t hold your breath.

The highlight of the trip may have been an impromptu photo session where items were chosen from my Vintage by Suzanne Etsy store inventory and then I played photographer.

It required me doing makeup for Ally and cajoling her into wearing what I picked.

Here are some of my favourites…

If you are curious about Ally I wrote a whole blog post about her transgender life journey here.

Ally went home with this 1970s green dress. It was a real battle to get her to try that one on but look at how wonderful she looks!

Proof that you cannot tell by just looking at something if it is going to work for you or not. Especially if you have preconceived ideas about what type of dresses you will or won’t wear.

I knew this might work for her but even then I had no idea just how well. It fit her like a dream and the colour matches her eyes.

Patti is wearing a dress from my shop, a necklace I made her and my booties!

Ha! I LOVE it! 

Doesn’t she look fierce?

Some of you keeners might recognize this online estate sale chair from here. I knew it would be brilliant in photos!

We had so much fun this weekend!

I just wish that some of my blogger friends lived close enough to go for coffee regularly (or hot water which is what I drink).

In the meantime I’ll be grateful for the moments I do get to share with them.

My life is so much richer for knowing them.

Have you ever had friends over for a photoshoot? Or is it just us weirdo bloggers?