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August 15, 2016

It took 32 to years to happen, but at long last…


I am finally going to visit Edmonton, Alberta for the first time ever!!!

Must remember to breath...so incredibly happy + excited...

Okay, as you guys know, I'm over-the-moon wild about our whole stunning country of Canada and love few things more in this life than getting to explore it.

As such, it has long irked me that I'd not yet had a chance to visit Alberta's capital city of Edmonton, despite that fact that I've resided in BC (Alberta and BC share are neighbouring provinces, sharing the Rocky Mountains along their breathtaking border) for much of my life and even lived in Calgary, Alberta for over two years in my late teens.

Always, Edmonton - so close, and yet so far off in the middle of the province - had eluded me. Soon though, much to my unending delight, I will no longer be able to say as much and I genuinely giddy beyond measure about that the fact.

As many of you may recall, earlier this year, back in April, Tony and I were able to get away for a super fun "homemade long weekend" to the Kootenay region of British Columbia.

On the heels of that adventure, we'd been thinking about taking two small road trips at different points in the summer, however, ultimately we decided that for various reasons, it would most likely be smarter to combine the days involved with two getaways into one and have a proper length summer holiday.

We gave a lot of thought to where in Western Canada or the closest US states we might want to go and kept coming back, in the course of our discussions on such, to Edmonton. As, again, I'd long wanted - but had never been - to that city and Tony had only been there once very briefly for work a couple of years ago.




{Located approximately 10.5 hours, by car, from our home in Penticton, Edmonton is a bustling city of some 1.33 million people located in the heart of Alberta. 

It is famous for many things, spanning oil to hockey (legendary Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky was on the Edmonton Oilers during some of the best years of his career), West Edmonton Mall to its stunning river valley park system, and so much more. It's going to be amazing to finally get to experience much of that in person come the start of September. Vintage decal image source.}


The destination having been greed upon, we next looked at our schedules and quickly realized that, for various reasons (including the fact that today, as mentioned in my previous post, I'm having a routine medical procedure done at the hospital), we wouldn't be able to take a chunk of consecutive days off until late in the summer.

Thus, we decided that early September, to tie into the Labour Day long weekend, would be an awesome time and booked our hotel right away.

We'll be leaving bright and early on the morning of August 31st and returning on the evening of September 10th, which gives us about 1.5 weeks of holiday time (my sweet mom will be very kindly house and pet sitting for us while we’re away).

We're both elated about this upcoming trip and hope it will be one of the best and most enjoyable we have ever taken together.

Interestingly, unlike the other places we've gone on holiday over the course of my blog's life, as this is my first time visiting Edmonton, everything there will be new to me and I don't have any past memories of it to weave into today's post.

Part of me really loves that fact, and I know that I'll soon be making oodles of such to share with you here in future posts.

I'll have my cell phone and laptop both with me while we're gone and am sure I'll be online periodically throughout our trip. Not as much as when we're at home though of course, so during that time the blog will be filled with a blend of my own posts (that I'll pen and schedule in advance) as well as some really exciting guest posts from fellow vintage bloggers.

Then, if all goes to plan, I'll pick up as usual from September 12th onward (and have scores of fun filled fall related posts in the works to share with all of you).

If you should happen to live in/around Edmonton and/or have spent time there before and have any vintage/antique related shops, museums (we’re definitely going to try to make it to nearby Drumheller and the world famous Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum), sites or other cool places you think we'd enjoy seeing - or if you might like to try and meet up with us - please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments below or privately by email, if you prefer.

Naturally, as usual when we travel, you can bank on a slew of Instagram photos, and multiple blog posts pertaining to our journey to follow once we're back home.

There's just over two weeks to go until we embark for Edmonton and I honestly think I'm going to have a hard time sleeping between then and now, because I'm as hopped up on excitement as a hummingbird at a candy factory!

It will have taken more than three decades to happen, but at long last, we’re headed to Edmonton and I cannot wait to finally see this dynamic city and all the history, natural beauty and vintage fun that it holds in store for us with my own two eyes!

88 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you sweetly, dear Kate. We're both over the moon excited about this trip. It is massively needed after a long, often stressful past few months.

      Big hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. Have fun! Can't wait to see your pictures! :)

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Laurie. I can hardly wait to share about our travels here (and on Instagram). It's great that we'll both have been able to get away to someplace fantastic for a bit this year.

      Oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Jessica, I am so happy for you!!! I hope your enjoy your time and that you get to take plenty of photos so that you can relive those memories anytime! :)

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    1. Thank you sweetly, dear Linda. I really hope so as well. I usually take far more photos when we travel then when we're at home (if we exclude product shoots for my Etsy shop, that is :)) and really hope that this fun trip to Edmonton is no exception.

      Many hugs & happy mid-August wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. I wish you the most incredible trip! Savour the last moments of summer as fall is about to begin.

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    1. Thank you ever so much, my sweet friend. I really enjoy travelling around this time of the year. It tends present one with both nice weather (still) and the ability to dip one foot in your summer wardrobe and the other in your autumn attire, making for some extra enjoyable travel outfits. :)

      Big hugs & happy Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. I am so happy for you, dear Jessica! Really very happy, you and Tony deserve that, for sure! I am so eager to know more about Edmonton, when you come back in September! I am sure you are excited waiting for Aug 31st! It seems to be excellent, a 1.33 million population city, must have amazing things there! 1.5 week seem a good amount of time to see many things and as I said, I am waiting for the Edmonton series here! Hope you have a nice week! Hugs and regards!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Denise. I'm thinking so as well! With such a big (by Canadian standards at least) population, Edmonton currently ranks as the 5th largest city in the country and strikes me as being a very vivacious, exciting place to visit.

      Many hugs & joyful Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  6. Yay!! Can't wait to see what your adventures bring you!

    xoxo
    -Janey

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    1. Thank you sweetly, my dear friend. I'm champing at the bit to hit the open road and explore this part of the country (which will be the furthest north I've ever been in Alberta before).

      Oodles of hugs & many thanks for all of your terrific blog comments this week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. Enjoy your holiday! It sounds like a really fun trip.

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    1. Thank you sweetly, Carrie-Ann. I have a feeling it's going to be a wonderfully fun getaway. Goodness knows its very, very needed after a year with a lot of, how shall we say, less than ideal moments, and I'm so eager to head out on the open road again in just a matter of days.

      Many hugs & cheerful weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Replies
    1. Thank you very much, sweet Melanie. I can hardly wait to see this new-to-me part of our vast and beautiful country for the first time. What, I wonder, vintage related fun will it hold in store for me/us? :)

      Big hugs coming your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. Woohoo! I've been in Edmonton for the past 15 years and I've come to love it more than I ever thought I would. I would definitely recommend a day exploring Whyte Ave and area (the Farmer's Market is on Saturdays, it's great!), Fort Edmonton Park, most people do want to visit WEM at least once (it's still a novelty, but I might recommend not on the long weekend if you're at all overwhelmed by people), there's approximately a million parks and of course the river valley, the Muttart gardens, the Legislature grounds are lovely (and the Ledge might be open for tours? I've only been once but it's really neat!). I'm not sure what events are running on that weekend, but something probably is. I hope you have a really great trip here!

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    1. Hi Crystal, thank you very much for your fantastic comment. It's such a pleasure to chat with a fellow vintage lover who resides in Edmonton. I really appreciate your great suggestions. I definitely want to see Fort Edmonton. I have a real soft spot in my heart for living history parks and ghost towns (especially since my first "real" job ever was as a waitress in the famous British Columbian living ghost town of Barkerville). Seeing and exploring some of the parks and walkways is hugely appealing to me, too, and we definitely want to try and visit the Legislature building, too (especially since a friend of mine works there).

      Thanks again, lovely lady. Please don't hesitate to drop me a line if you might want to try and meetup while I'm there.

      Many hugs from this side of the Rockies,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. That's so exciting, Jessica! Yay! Enjoy every second!

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    1. Thank you so much, my sweet friend. I'm near giddy with excitement and am truly looking forward to exploring this beautiful part of Canada (camera in tow the whole time! :)).

      Big hugs & happy Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. Hope you and Tony have a wonderful trip, it sounds so exciting. I'm the same, whenever I'm somewhere new, I always want to check out the vintage stores or markets. Xxx

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    1. Thank you very much, honey. Definitely! :) Even if I don't find anything or the prices are beyond my budget, just getting to spend time in the presence of vintage items in a public setting is always a blast - and you just never know what you might encounter that could inspire a future blog post, outfit shoot, craft idea, etc, so there's definitely a lot to be gained from such locations.

      Many hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. Congratulations, this sounds like so much fun! I hope you enjoy your trip, and I know you'll come back with plenty of photos and stories to tell.

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    1. Thank you very much, my lovely friend. I really hope so! I need some happy new memories to take my mind off some of the less pleasant elements of the past few months. This trip couldn't come at a better time and I'm all kinds of excited to experience it.

      Many hugs & heartfelt thanks for all of your terrific blog comments this week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. Oh, I am so happy for you! You need some sort of "over the moon" outfit to wear on your first day. :)

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    1. You're absolutely right, my dear, I definitely do. While I'm putting together my "travel capsule wardrobe" a bit later this month, I'll whip up an extra snazzy first day ensemble and hopefully we'll be able to nab some snaps of it.

      Many hugs & thanks for the lovely suggestion,
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. That is so exciting! At my old job we would send our products up to Edmonton and I always thought it seemed like such an intriguing place to visit. I used to dream about hitching a ride on the freight train along with all our creates. Haha! I can't wait to hear all about your trip :D

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    1. That's such a cool story! I love that your old company in the States had such strong ties to a city in Canada. Small world or what? :) I bet it would be amazing to Alberta by train (aka, Via Rail). I've never travelled across the country by train, but have an aunt and an uncle who have and they both massively enjoyed the experience. It's quite pricey to do and isn't an overly common means of getting from point A to point B in this country, but the journey is more like the destination for many who see Canada by train and I suspect that's how I'd view it if/when I was able to do so. If you're ever in Canada, perhaps you'll be able to take a train and see some of this vasts country by rail. I bet that would be an amazing experience.

      Many hugs & thanks for your great comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. Have fun! And scout out all the cool places to see, so that when I finally make it up that way, you can give me pointers about what to see and do! ;-)

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    1. I'm on it! :) I'll definitely keep tracking and would be thrilled to share my discoveries with you anytime, sweet Grace.

      Big hugs & happy Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. Oh, how fun! You should definitely go to the Old Strathcona Antique Mall while you are in Edmonton, it's always a blast.

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    1. Thank you very much for the lovely recommendation, Sarah dear. The Old Strathcona Antiques Mall is topping my list of "must see" spots while we're there. I wouldn't be surprised if I/we even visited it on multiple occasions. It's rather hard to drag me away from large volumes of yesteryear items, after all. :D

      Many hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. How exciting! I hope you have a lot of fun and I can't wait to hear how your trip goes!
    xo
    Kristina
    www.eccentricowl.com

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    1. Thank you sweetly, honey. I'm soooo jazzed up about it. You know when you feel, right to your core, that you need a trip? That's exactly how I'm feeling at the moment, so this fun journey to Edmonton couldn't come at a better time.

      Many hugs & cheerful Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. Enjoy your trip! It sounds like it should be a lot of fun :)

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Kate. I'm so jazzed about it! A big city, oodles to do there, multiple vintage/repro related shops, fellow vintage folks to meetup with, amazing natural scenery and so much more - I wouldn't doubt if this turns into one of my favourite trips ever. :)

      Many hugs & happy Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. I can feel your excitement as I read your post, dear Jessica! I'm thrilled for you and can't wait to hear all about your trip! xxx

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    1. Thank you so much, dear Vicky. It's true, my excitement levels are near palpable right now. :)

      Many hugs coming your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. I am excited for you Jessica and will keep my fingers crossed on balmy Indian summer weather! Incidentally, I too will be taking a short vacation in September, coinciding partly with yours. Not long now! Big hugs, Ann xxx

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    1. How exciting that we'll both be travelling at the same time. I really hope that your own trip goes marvelously, dear Ann, and look forward to seeing/hearing more about it on your blog.

      Happy travels!

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  21. Sounds wonderful! Enjoy yourself and can't wait to see pics! Buone vacanze bella <3

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    1. Grazie mille, dear Caramella. I'm awesomely excited about this trip and can hardly wait to finally, at long last, see this dynamic and beautiful part of Canada.

      Many hugs & happy mid-August wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  22. Good morning Jessica,

    I skipped over to read about your Kootenay region vacation – my what a lovely place that looks to be.

    I am so happy for you and Tony to have this upcoming trip to look forward to; I can feel your excitement and am quite excited myself just thinking about what a great trip this should be. I love starting a road trip bright and early in the morning! It will be a beautiful time of year for a trip, and my – a whole one and a half weeks of vacation! I look forward to your post when you return, but I do hope that you will spend only a wee bit of time on the computer while on vacation. I know from experience how taking the computer along on vacation can suck up so much time too quickly. We all want you to have the best vacation ever, and we can patiently wait for your return, although we will miss you :)

    I clicked your West Edmonton Mall link and then their HOTELS tab. Wow! What over-the-top rooms in the Fantasyland Hotel. What a mall – so many things to do and to see! I love that great big ship under the glass dome.

    I also searched “Edmonton river valley parks” and saw some beautiful online photos. Canada is truly a spectacular place.

    Two weeks is a LONG time to wait for such an adventure! You could almost have ME not sleeping at night just thinking of it :)

    Well my dear friend, I hope you and Tony have the most wonderful time you could ever imagine.

    Love and hugs,
    ♥Hope

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    1. Thank you ever so much, dear Hope. West Ed Mall is utterly huge! I don't think a person could see it all in just one day, so I'd imagine we'll just hone in on some of the main areas that interest us the most. It's one of those things that is so iconically Canadian, that I can hardly believe I've never been to before. Definitely looking forward to it! :)

      That shouldn't be a problem. I always bring my computer and phone when we travel (primarily in case anything arises with my Etsy shop that I need to deal with right away in the moment), but rarely spend much time on them, as we're just too busy during the day and then I'm too knackered from said activity at night. Traveling is a lovely and welcome respite from the modern "always online" world for sure and something that we should all treat ourselves to from time-to-time.

      Less than two weeks to go now. I'm uber excited and feel like I need this trip as though it were water in a parched desert.

      Many hugs & sincerely heartfelt thanks for your wonderful comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. This sounds so exciting! Enjoy your trip!

    Many hugs,
    Sandra <3

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    1. Thank you sweetly, darling gal. I'm so pumped about the trip - and the blog posts that will follow. Sharing our travels here is truly one of my favourite elements of blogging.

      Big hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  24. Hooray, have a great trip!

    Do get your sleep, you don't want to be too tired to enjoy it :-D

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    1. Wise advice indeed, sweet Mim. Thank you! We're so thrilled about this trip and are both counting down the days until we hit the open road again.

      Many hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  25. So wonderfully exciting! I hope you have an amazing trip. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it! :D

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    1. Thank you very much, honey. One of my favourite elements of blogging is sharing about our travels - I get nearly excited to post about them as I do for the trip itself. :) So excited to share all about our cool adventures in Edmonton here.

      Big hugs & happy Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  26. O my, I'm so very pleased for you. I know what it is to long to visit a place, you must be so excited. Your country looks beautiful and vast and with an air of mystery in places and I would love to see even a glimmer of it. I have severe wanderlust all the time and would happily pack up and live on the road were it not for two children. I hope you and Tony have a spectacular and magical time there and a well deserved break. How very special to be exploring your beloved country with your soul mate. You deserve it my dear, you really do xx

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    1. What an eloquent assessment of Canada, Emily. I was touched to know that you view it as such and concur with you on all points.

      Thank you deeply for your beautiful travel wishes and for thinking so highly of Canada. With all my heart, I hope that you're able to see at least a wee bit of this vast land one day.

      Many hugs from the most westerly side of it,
      ♥ Jessica

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  27. So happy for you and your exciting trip! Plus a proper break - that's a really good length of time for a total change of pace :D xx

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    1. It certainly is, my sweet friend, I agree - and am massively looking forward to getting a bit of a breather from the daily grind. It hasn't been the easiest or least stressful of years, and I really (really!) need to unwind, explore and just take my mind off things for a while.

      Scores of hugs & fab Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  28. Can imagine what it must mean to be taking this long wished-for trip! Hope you both have a delightful time. X

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    1. Thank you sweetly, dear Samantha. It's definitely exciting - and rather like an extra (big) birthday present for both Tony and I, who have recently celebrated our respective b-days. I'm looking forward to seeing Edmonton immensely and can't wait to blog about it here afterwards either.

      Wishing you a stellar weekend!

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  29. Congrats on taking a dream trip!! I hope your surgery went well! XO
    Lauren-Blair
    www.gracerock-kellyroll.com

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    1. Thank you sweetly, lovely Lauren. I'm happy to report that things went smoothly on Monday. I'll know more about the outcome of the procedure and what course(s) of action may need to be taken next when I go for my followup doctor's visit next week (and trust me, not knowing the results yet is making for one seriously long few days).

      Oh well, there's our trip to look forward to and that's certainly a wonderful thing - and welcome distraction!

      Many heartfelt thanks,

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  30. Dear Jessica, I hope you and Tony have a great time!!! I wish you both lovely weather, yummy food and hope you see some great sites...find some vintage treasures and make lots of new friends :) :) :)

    Safe travels,
    Dee

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    1. Thank you ever so much, sweet Dee. I (we) really appreciate your touching travel wishes and hope that they ring true big time.

      Have a marvelous weekend,

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  31. Dear Jessica, Glenn and I hope you have a lovely time on your holiday! I am so looking forward to reading about your adventures!

    Best Wishes, Elizabeth xx

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    1. Thank you two so very much (and a warm hello to Glenn from both Tony and I). We really appreciate your lovely travel wishes and can hardly wait to share about our adventures in Edmonton with everyone here.

      Big hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  32. Oh, how much fun to be going to a place you have wanted to see for so long. I am currently on a trip myself, and one thing that my brother and I did was take a detour on our travel route so we could dip down into the state of Colorado so we could say that we had been there.

    Sarah
    Www.sewcharacteristicallyyou.com

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    1. That's awesome, honey! How fantastic that your trip was able to include a detour, too. I hope that you guys are having a terrific time on your travels.

      Big hugs & happy Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  33. Sounds like it will be a fantastic trip!

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    1. Thank you, sweet lady, I (we) really hope. It's definitely one that we both feel like me need after a year that hasn't always been sunshine and roses, if you get my drift. Hopefully this will recharge our batteries and help take our minds of the daily grind for a bit.

      Have a terrific weekend!
      ♥ Jessica

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  34. Last summer, I took what I called my Great Canadian Roadtrip (entered via NB & exited via AB with 1 surprise visit to BC 'cause Banff was super crowded.) So Elk Island Nat'l Park a little east of Edmonton is a great park with some rare bison. Enjoy, eh.
    Theresa E. Tucker

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    1. That sounds like a truly amazing journey, Theresa. Thank you for sharing a bit about your travels across Canada with me/us here. To date, I've not made it further east than Montreal, but truly want to as the years roll on. Seeing each province and territory is something that tops my bucket list.

      We'll definitely look into Elk Island National Park. Thank you for the lovely recommendation.

      Big hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  35. Last summer, I took what I call my Great Canadian Roadtrip (entered via NB & exited via AB & had a surprise trip to BC due to Banff being super crowded.) So Elk Island Nat'l Park is a bit east of Edmonton & is a great park with some rare bison. Enjoy your trip, eh.
    Theresa

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  36. Oh Jessica, I am so excited for you! This is going to be such a wonderful trip for you, my dear :) Canada is ever so special to me as my dad is Canadian and I lived there for several years.

    Wishing you a joyous week. Hugs to you!

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    1. How immensely lovely that you have strong ties to Canada. It warms my own heart to know that this vast country holds such a special place in yours. Thank you for sharing that with me, lovely lady.

      Tons of hugs & joyful weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  37. This is so exciting and I hope you have a wonderful time! I can't wait to hear all about it when you return. Have heaps of fun!

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    1. Thank you sweetly, my dear friend. We're both giddy with excitement and feel like the end of the month can't get here soon enough (though, admittedly, it will be a bit hard to say goodbye to the last full month of summer - or what is supposed to be summer, given the wet weather here in recent months - again).

      Many hugs & joyful weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  38. Oooh boy, it sounds like such a wonderful city to visit! I can't wait to see your photos and hear all about it! Hope you and Tony have an absolutely marvelous time!

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    1. Thank you sweetly, lovely lady. We're beyond jazzed about this trip and the potential for fun and adventure that it holds in store - not to mention the welcome breather from the daily grind and a chance to recharge our batteries after a sometimes rough last few months. Fingers crossed that it proves to be one of our best trips ever! :)

      Oodles of hugs & happy Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  39. Hope you have a wonderful trip! I'm from the east coast of Canada and though I am more familiar with those provinces than the west coast, I still have not seen many of the treasures they have to offer. Newfoundland is on my bucket list! I've been to BC but never to Alberta -- the entire region is beautiful with the Rockies as backdrop. I would love to explore it someday. Look forward to seeing your photos!

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Janet. Likewise, I want to see (way!) more of the east coast of the country. I've been as far (once, in the dead of winter during a huge blizzard with bone chillingly cold temps and winds) east as Montreal, but not yet beyond that point. Seeing Canada from coast to coast tops my bucket list, so I really hope we're able to head out your way more as the years roll on.

      Likewise I hope that you're able to see more of this side of our beautiful country, too (how cool that you've been to BC - whereabouts did you visit?).

      Big hugs & happy wishes for the new week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  40. This really is so exciting! I want to explore more of our provinces. I haven't seen nearly enough yet!

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    1. I hear you there, my dear. To date I've lived in three (BC, Alberta and Ontario) and briefly seen small parts of two others (Saskatchewan and Quebec). I truly want to visit each of the provinces and territories at least once and consider such to be right at the top of my bucket list. I hope that you're able to explore more of this vast, beautiful country, too. Any spots in particular that really call your name?

      Lots of hugs & cheerful Monday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  41. Love to hear that you're going there, specially if its something you have wanted to do for so long.
    I also admire that you enjoy and promote the beauty of your country because in my end of the world is something we sometimes forget to do. Hugs-

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    1. That is an incredibly sweet and touching comment, dear Lorena. Thank you so much! There are honestly few things in the whole wide world that I adore writing about more than I do my own country. Canada is a staggeringly beautiful, wonderfully big, history rich, and endlessly inspiring country. I could live here for a thousand lifetimes and know I still couldn't see (or write about) all that it has to offer. I'm really looking forward to sharing about our travels in the weeks and months following our return for Edmonton. Just a few more days now and until we head off. I can hardly wait! :)

      Thank you again very much. I hope that you're having a terrific tail end of August.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  42. It sounds like a super trip. Have a really fabulous time. I look forward to hearing all about it. Have fun!!

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Kate. We're a little over halfway through our trip (which will wrap up on September 12th) now and have been having a splendid, action packed time so far. Despite some unseasonably cold, damp weather initially, we've been getting in lots of shoots, so numerous posts about our holiday will be going down the pipeline here this fall. I can hardly wait! :)

      I hope that all is well on your end so far this month, my dear friend.

      Oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. I'm glad that you are having a super time and I look forward to all the posts about it!

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  43. I am always mixing eras more so than themes. I mix mainly the 50s and 60s, but feel that's something the average woman might have done back then anyway as they tended to hold onto thier clothing, it wasn't as throw away...thank goodness as I now am able to fill my hat and purse collection dreams.

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    1. Generally speaking, so to do. With such a large degree of pieces that can do double decade duty, utilizing fashions for both 40s and 50s (and sometimes even late 30s and/or early 60s) looks just makes sense to me. It really is fantastic that you're able to grow your hat and handbag collection all the more now, dear Ruby. I'm sincerely happy for you!

      Big hugs & many thanks for all of your terrific recent blog comments,
      ♥ Jessica

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  44. A little late, but I wish you the very best holiday ever. I am sure you need it. :)

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    1. And then some! ;D

      Thank you very, very much, my sweet, caring friend. We're a little over halfway through our trip (they always go by at warp speed, don't they?!) and are having a really lovely time in Edmonton so far. Still so much we hope to do and see - and plenty more that there simply won't be time for in one visit to this sprawling prairie province city, so we'll definitely have to try and get back again in the future.

      I hope that all is well on your end this September and that you're having a beautiful end of summer.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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