It is this time of the year again when people are busy decorating their homes and their gardens and trees for the festivities of winter.  This already starts long before December.  No matter whether you celebrate Christmas or not it is also the time of year when streets look lovely with beautiful decorated front doors and houses.  Sometimes one can see a Christmas tree at the window.

I am one of those people who loves decorating and make the home cozy with lots of lights, all winter long.

Just a little Christmas tree on a table looks very romantic, as seen in this little cottage in the woods

 

Misty loves the place next to the Christmas tree while watching the outside world at the window.

 

walking along the streets you see all these pretty lights

 

Little Bo has found himself a comfortable place just next to a little Christmas tree

 

Love the baubles on the trees which makes this house look very festive

 

Lights in the house and the snow outside gives the home a cozy look

 

A little tree on the table is enough to create a festive ambience

 

Looking outside it looks like a painting of a snow covered forest

 

I love looking at the decorations at store windows, like this one here in Old Montreal

 

My beloved Tina’s last winter 2017.  How much we all miss her 💖

We only have the beginning of November and winter is already here.  Summer only lasts a couple of months and then we have 6 months of winter again.  That is life in Canada.

There are people who love winter.  They like outdoor sports like skiing, skating and going for long walks in the snow.  Others cannot cope with the cold and if they are lucky enough they can spend their winter in the south, like Florida.

But winter can also be fun.  You can decorate your homes with lights and play with your kids and your dogs outside.  Here are some pics of the fun side of winter…

It looks lovely out there and the dog likes to run around chasing squirrels

 

There are also some people who still ride their bike on the snow

 

The streets in town are always cleaned and it is fun going shopping (St. Denis in Montreal)

 

A beautiful street with Christmas lights in the suburbs

 

A cute little pink treehouse inbetween the snow covered trees

 

A snow covered little angel in a garden

 

The snow looks magical

 

walking through high walls of snow

 

looking from the inside out

 

Some houses look so romantic like out of a story book

 

The last winter of my beloved Tina❤️

Summer is the season when we spend the most time outside and when we take care of our gardens, terraces or balconies. This is the time when I like to go for long walks and admire the gardens and balconies of others.  Whether you walk around in town or in the suburbs you will always see something you like.  Montreal is a green town with lots of parks, gardens and balconies.  Here are some examples.

 

a beautiful house with an amazing front garden in the suburb

 

 

This is little Bo looking out over my terrace as I am watering the plants

 

 

A beautiful front garden in town

 

 

a beautiful terrace surrounded by trees in my neighbor’s garden

 

 

lovely little Boho terrace

 

 

A romantic little gazebo in the middle of a Rosemere garden

 

 

Misty found herself a cool spot in the back of the garden under the trees

 

 

another secret garden in one of the suburbs

 

 

I love this little balcony decorated with geraniums

 

 

cute little porch of a house in Vieux Saint Therese

 

 

A house like a castle with a huge garden on the waterfront in Laval, a suburb of Montreal

 

 

this fountain gives the garden a majestic look

 

 

Misty and Bo love the outdoor life and wish you all a Happy Summer🌼🌸

I find new meaning in every joy and sorrow. In that silence, I will hear the voice of spirit, and freed from this world, I will see another world where the end is another beginning.

– Rumi –

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold, when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade

Charles Dickens

…yes, we still have winter here, but inside the house there grows a garden🌿🌸🌱

It is now almost one year since my beloved Tina went over the rainbow bridge and I still miss her very much.  Since then I have adopted another sweet dog, a 2 year old Labrador, called Misty, who has helped me a lot to overcome the loss of Tina.

Misty is the sweetest dog one could wish to have. She also has a little friend called Bo, who stays with us most of the week and those two get on so well like brother and sister.  Here I would like to share some pictures of those two…

 

like two angels sitting under the light

 

very curious…always looking at something or checking something out

 

so much sunlight in the room.  It is almost like a garden

 

Both love to sit on chairs and sofas and they always find the best places in the house

 

I love this cutie face

 

always sitting near each other

 

in the background heaps of snow outside while the garden is growing inside

 

the face of a fox

 

true LOVE❤️

 

If you want to see more pics of Misty and Bo follow us on Instagram @fleurdelys238

Ever since the book “Urban Jungle” has hit the shelves it seems that people have gone crazy about plants.  You see more and more homes packed with plants.  Sometimes more plants than furniture where you think you are in a real jungle.  Just have a look at Instagram and you will be amazed the homes you will see.

But plants have been around for a long time.  Even my grandmother already had plants in her home.  There is something very nice about plants at home . They make the home look cozy, and they are also healthy because some plants release oxygen.  You can create your own little jungle anywhere in the house.  Around or near a window or in a room with lots of light.  

Here are some samples of my own home

 

big windows give this room lots of light and makes it look like an indoor garden

 

A big Monstera near the window

 

A true jungle.. mixed with flowers and plants

 

In the corner of the bedroom another Monstera and an Ivy plant trailing down the mirror

 

Even the dog loves his place in the jungle

 

With windows above you have the sunlight all day long

 

I sometimes move the furniture around to give it another look and to place plants differently helps them grow

 

Again I moved the table into the corner to make more room for another big plant

 

Indoor and outdoor garden combined

LETS GO OUT AND BUY MORE PLANTS TO ENJOY THE JUNGLE💚

It is this time of the year again when we start decorating and bring out our holiday lights.  I call them “winter lights” because I leave mine on for the whole of winter.  The days are getting shorter and it gets dark early and all these lights brighten up the dark sky.  I love going for walks and admiring these decorations and here I took some pictures..

 

this beautifully decorated house in a suburb of Montreal has caught my eye

 

one of my favorite streets in Rosemere (Montreal)

 

 

everywhere you look you see little trees or decorated doors

 

Lights everywhere around the house make it look festive

 

Even my two friends here love to enjoy the season of lights

 

With plants and little Christmas trees rooms start to look cozy

 

here I placed several little trees and baubles on the tables

 

Little Misty sitting next to the Christmas tree and waiting for her presents💛

 

some more baubles on the table

 

more lights and plants in this cozy winter garden

HAPPY HOLIDAYS💛💛💛

Solitude has soft silky hands, but with strong fingers it grasps the heart and makes it ache with sorrow 💖

Khalil Gibran

 

It is this time of the year again.   Summer has come to an end. Flowers are fading and leaves are changing color.  There is something magic about autumn with its colors of red, orange and yellow.

 

a street in the suburbs of Montreal

 

a house in Outremont in  Montreal. Leaves are covering the entrance

 

the twilight of autumn

 

looking across the water…a certain feeling of loneliness

 

urban landscape

 

a house hidden behind colorful leaves

 

AUTUMN IS A SECOND SPRING WHEN EVERY LEAF IS A FLOWER

A. Camus

 

Let there be many windows to your soul, that all the glory of the world may beautify it……🌸🌸🌸

 

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

 

 

The most beautiful gift of nature is that it gives one pleasure to look around and try to comprehend what we see.

Albert Einstein