Places & Spaces: The Star Cafe & Grill

This post is for my local followers because today I'm writing about a hidden gem of a cafe in small town Saskatchewan. Maple Creek is a beautiful little town in the South West corner of our province and is the gateway to the wild and breathtaking Cypress Hills Inter Provincial Park. It is also home to The Star Cafe and Grill. If your not from Saskatchewan you may not realize what a rare find this cafe truly is. It's not just "pretty good for a small town" - as I've heard lots of local fair described. The atmosphere and the culinary delights would give any high end restaurant in Regina or Saskatoon (or any other metropolis for that matter) a run for their money.   

As a designer, the thing I appreciate the most about this little establishment is the way it's heritage has been lovingly and carefully restored to its former glory. There is not a thing I would have done differently. (I hope the owners read this and take it for the compliment it is, because I almost never enter a space without thinking about what I would do to improve it.) From the original floors and tongue and groove ceilings and walls, to the newly built wainscoting and bar that have been matched so handsomely to the style of the space (my compliments to whomever did the custom mill-work on this place). And that thick stone wall! It spans the entire back length of the cafe and is the focal point of the space. Our waitress told us that it was thought to have been the dividing wall between what was the original general store in the front and stables in the back. How cool is that?

A visit to Maple Creek or to Cypress Hill would be incomplete without a little detour to this unexpectedly culinary delight. Besides the decor, the menu is a list of well curated dishes that have been refined to perfection. Trust me! No one is paying me or has even asked me to write this article. It was simply one of those chance encounters that I am so glad I didn't miss out on and I don't want you to either!

Places & Spaces: My Bathroom

It has been a BUSY few months for Ryley and I. We are getting ready to sell our house and thus, have been working like crazy on all those little things that need doing before putting it on the market. I have to say that we would never have gotten the amount of things done without the help of friends and family! Thank you guys!

Some of the renovations are recent and some have been done for a while, but I thought I would take this opportunity to share my home with you one room at a time. I've been taking photos for the listing, but also for the memories. It is bittersweet putting this house on the market since we have done a lot to it over the years and have so so so many memories here. Part of me doesn't want to leave this place!

So (since it was just cleaned) I thought I'd start this process by sharing pictures of my bathroom with you that my husband and his dad painstakingly tiled, dry-walled, painted, etc, etc, etc. Thank you Ryley and Larry, I love my bathroom!