Mimi Takes Five - #407

ONE // Tea on the Lawn

My colleague had organized for the team to go for afternoon tea at the Billings Estate this week. I had no idea that tea was offered in this location but it sounded like a great plan. Afternoon tea is our thing, most of the team outings are for afternoon tea and we try out as many different offerings as possible. This particular one is set in the garden of the Billings Estate, a historical site in Ottawa. We got lucky by managing to book a spot and by having glorious weather on the day. We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon and I would say the quality was there. It was a very decent selection of teas, sandwiches, scones and desserts and they even had clotted cream, which is not a given in some of the higher-end afternoon teas I've had. I recommend this spot for a quaint afternoon.

TWO // Pumpkin Patch

My husband is very inspired this year and is beautifying our backyard a little each day. We've got projects both big and small to keep us busy for the foreseeable. He asked me what vegetable I'd like to grow this year and I blurted out "pumpkins"! Well, he took that and ran with it. We had some leftover planks from a project many years ago and he decided to use them to make a planter box on along the fence. This side of the yard gets sun almost all day, so is an ideal spot for pumpkins. He then took things a step further and researched what grows well with pumpkins. He landed on sunflowers and green beans. Apparently, the sturdy sunflower stocks provide great structure for the vines to climb on. Corn would have served the same purpose, but I think sunflowers will be beautiful. I know you can't see any growth yet (except for the marigolds on the surface) but we've sprouted and planted the seeds. I'm envisioning this planter being at its peak come fall! I can't wait to see if we get any pumpkins! 

THREE // Gingham Love

My love for gingham is no secret. In fact, it's very obvious. I treat gingham like my summer/warm-weather plaid. I save the more intricate checked patterns for fall and winter as they are usually done in heavier fabrics. That being said, gingham takes centre stage when the temperatures rise. Naturally, when I spotted this cognac gingham print in the Hill House summer line-up, I knew I was toast. I keep track of what I wear and my stats tell me that my Emerald gingham is my most worn Nap Dress. The data is telling me that another gingham print would likely get as much wear, so it was a good financial decision. I take cost-per-wear very seriously, ha ha! Not only is this print one of my weaknesses, but the seersucker fabric texture makes it low maintenance and easy to wear. But the cognac/rust colour is what really sold me. My fall-loving heart cannot wait to style this dress for autumn. My head is bursting with warm colour palette outfit ideas for this dress. 

FOUR // Marilyn Documentary

I might be a few years late to the party on this one. We had a very dreary, rainy Sunday last week so I settled on the couch and went through my list on Netflix looking for something to watch. I settled on this Marilyn Monroe documentary and it was a fascinating watch! I've learned bits about Marilyn throughout the years and am aware that a lot of the information might not be accurate. She was a very complex person with a difficult childhood, swept up into stardom and the Hollywood machine. Like many others in Hollywood, she had a perceived glamorous life, but the behind the scenes were less than glossy. This documentary explores taped interviews in the context of the reopening of the files on her death. I think what really happened is somewhere in between the PR narrative that was told at the time and a something the political cover-up.

FIVE // World Tap Dance Day

This past Monday was the last tap class before the summer break. It happened to fall on World Tap Dance Day, so the organizers made an event out of it and gathered the tap dance community to mark the occasion. We started things off with a little explainer of how the day came to be and to commemorate Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, a big name in tap history. He's famous for his stair dance (posted above) and his work runs the gamut of entertainment mediums. We then moved on to our group presentations. Each level danced a little something they were working on. Our prof kept things interesting by suggesting we have a little improv break in our number two seconds before the music started. That was fun (and challenging!) Then the entire group participated in a jam circle with live musicians and finished off with a group rendition of the shim sham shimmy (IYKYK). It was the perfect way to wrap up yet another year of tap dancing and reminded me what a great community I'm part of.