Spring Has Sprung!

There's something special about the way the light floods into my home that signals Spring has finally arrived.

I was sitting on the couch one day in late April (under a cozy blanket as there was still a wee chill in the air), looking through magazines while sipping on a latte and as I looked around my living room, I noticed 'that light' was filling the room and a huge smile came across my face! SPRING!!

This is from our first sunset at the lake this Spring....we lost Dad two years ago and we started a tradition of going to the lake (one of his favourite places) on his anniversary. It was such a beautiful night and this handsome guy enjoyed the quiet and tranquil evening just as much as Mom and I did.

I'm a huge fan of visiting lake/cottage towns on the 'off season', before they get crazy busy. A good friend and I did a road trip to Muskoka a few weekends ago and we had to stop in Bracebridge to get a closer look at this insanely fast running/crashing water! I posted a video on my Instagram and the sound alone, let a lone the sight of it, was enough to take your breath away!

This is one of my favourite sections of the sideroad, just down the road from the Country House. This span of trees looks amazing in any season, but we happened to drive down literally just as the leaves had 'popped'. Soooo pretty! And....the farm on the right has a Clydesdale foal that I have to stop and say "Hi" to whenever I drive by. 

This is my first Spring with this handsome guy and it's been interesting to watch the transformation of his coat through the seasons. He went really dark, almost black, over the winter, but now that he's shedding his coat (and my goodness, I had forgotten how much fur a draft horse grows for the winter), he's turning back to his reddish/bay colour I knew from last summer. As he was standing there in the rays of the sunset the other evening, I couldn't help but capture this image as it really hilights the beautiful tones of his coat.

Spring is also a time of surprises. Whether it's tulips that randomly sprout up after being 'relocated' by the squirrels, or a plant that made it through the winter that you were afraid wouldn't, it's always fun to see what 'springs up' this time of year. I moved into my home in August and when the next Spring came around and I realized I had this beauty outside of my front door, I literally squealed with delight! From what I can tell, its an ornamental crab apple tree and its blossoms are absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!! Just as they're wrapping up, my beautiful and fragrant Korean Lilac on the other side of my front entryway comes into bloom...... Oh how I LOVE Spring!!!

RR

Inspired Spaces...Bring on Spring!!

I really do cherish my weekends at home as they're few and far between. Some gal pals were coming to visit last weekend, but due to some crazy weather, we had to cancel our plans (insert sad face here). With the change in plans, I thought I'd take advantage of my time at home to freshen up the space a bit and start bringing in some Spring.

February is such a 'funky' month....we're well into winter, have snow up to our knees, the fun and festivities of the holidays are long over and we see Spring starting to pop up in fashion and decor. All of the bright and airy Spring looks and pieces have us yearning for warm sunshine filled days,  green grass, patios and flowers. Seeing as I don't see green grass or drinks on a patio happening any time soon, the way I like to start bringing Spring into my home is through flowers. Tulips happen to be one of my favs and they're in abundance right now...and...they're oh so reasonably priced!  When you can find them for $10 a dozen, I can't think of a more chic, fun and cheap way to insert some Spring and colour into your home!

I also like to turn to magazines for inspiration, especially this time of year, because part of the February Funk also can bring with it a bit of a lack of inspiration. It's a transitional time when it comes to fashion and decor...we want to bring out all the light and airy Spring pieces, but they seem out of place with snow still on the ground. I find turning to magazines helps with finding that balance right now and I owe a huge THANK YOU to House and Home Magazine for the article, A Study In Contrasts, in their March 2015 issue. The kitchen designed by Barbara Purdy and Olivia Botrie on pages 84-87 is the epitome of my dream kitchen! Every...single...detail and element from the exposed beams, to the colour palette, to the cabinetry, that island (swoon), the windows, the pantry (those doors)....EVERYTHING is absolute perfection. 

When it came time to freshen up my sideboard, I pulled my colour scheme from the pantry in this article...the muted, earthy tones...the creams, beiges, mochas, straw, winter white, light wood tones. These colour and tones are a great transitional colour scheme for this time of year. They're still warm and cozy, but have a lighter and more airy feel to them too.

The final product is very simple and has a natural, earthy feel to it. The grapevine wreath I made from vines in my backyard adds a bit of whimsy, the antique postal scale a dear friend gave me adds a sentimental and historical touch, the feathered wreath from Hive of Bayfield adds softness, the golden metallic tea light holders from The Garage add some *bling* and the oil cans from The Aberfoyle Antique Market add something unexpected and industrial.  They all come together in a muted, rustic chic way to slowly start to welcome in Spring.

I hope you can take some time today (it's a holiday here in Ontario) and read through some magazines and get inspired. Go down to your basement, open up some dusty boxes of home decor items and see what you can bring into your home to welcome Spring. Oh....and don't forget to treat yourself to some flowers!

I arrived home yesterday to a beautiful bunch of tulips from a great friend! Talk about a wonderful Galentine's Day! I can now spend the day relaxing, enjoying my space and continuing to get inspired!

Cheers to inspiration, great design, friendship, Spring and fresh flowers!

RR

A Weekend in the Country...

I escaped to the country over the long weekend ... A weekend for family, being outside and welcoming Spring with outstretched arms!

As you can see in the photo above however, Winter was still lingering, but that did not deter Charlie from a swim in the pond. Every patch of snow he could find, he rolled in like there was no tomorrow. This time of year seems to be filled with thousands of new smells, at least from Charlie's perspective, and he stopped every few steps to take them allllll in!

I love to get outside this time of year (well anytime of year really) and take in all of the 'new'....the Spring flowers poking through the thawing soil, the birds that have returned form their winters in the south are chirping up a storm, the buds on the trees ready to pop open, where the sun is now rising and setting....It is an exciting time of year that reminds us of all of the potential that surrounds us!!

I also find it's a good time of year to reflect....as we start a new season, I also take the time to relax and look back on the events that have occurred the last few months....and also find myself perplexed as to how fast time seems to be flying by!

Our evening walk greeted us with this....

A sunny corner to curl up in, relax and reflect....

So fresh and bright...a true sign that Spring is right around the corner!

We aren't really a dessert family (I would rather have my cupcake/dessert for breakfast it would seem OR we have our 2am kitchen parties when we then feel the need to have our dessert), but how can you resist a Strawberry Shortcake!?

Another activity I realllllly enjoy this time of year is getting a jump start on the outdoor living season...ie. time to head to the local Garden Centre!!! My Mom and I (after getting my snow tires taken off), headed to one of my favourite landscaping supply stores just outside of Walkerton called Folmer Gardens.

I would have needed about 5 patios/decks and 5 acres for all of the furniture, urns, flowers and decor pieces I wanted to bring home with me, but in the end we decided on some hearty spring flowers to freshen up the planters/urns. I also got some flowers and new urns for my patio (more to come on those...let's just say, they're definitely going to add a "pop" to my back yard!  *wink wink*).

The photo above is the finished product of my parent's from porch....pansies, lanterns, willow branches (that I cut from their willow tree) and a handsome chocolate furry pooch (he just loves posing for pictures).

So....this was just Friday and Saturday of the long weekend.....stay tuned for the events of living a Bucolic Lifestyle on Sunday and Monday in an upcoming post!

BU·COL·IC

byo͞oˈkälik/

adjective

1. of or relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.

   "the stone house is lovely for its bucolic setting"

   synonyms:rustic, rural, pastoral, country, countryside; 

RR

Refreshed!

The snow is blowing yet all I can think about is Spring. I am a fan of Winter, but seeing Spring colours, clothing, and decor on websites like Pinterest and in magazines has me yearning for warmer temperatures!

With that in mind, I felt it was time to start transitioning my home to welcome in bits of Spring (while still keeping a Winter tone as well). I had put my holiday decorations away and the sideboard was literally a blank slate, so what better place to begin this transition?

I began with this piece of art as inspiration and began walking around the house, gathering pieces from other rooms and from my 'store' downstairs to pull this together. 

I wanted the final product to feel light and airy with an overall sense of rustic charm, just like the piece of art. I went with lighter tones (greys, blues, creams, greens), natural elements and metallics (to mirror the iron bed). 

Here are some of the individual pieces that helped bring the look together....

Silver Stag Napkin Rings, Whitewashed PineCones, Metallic Bowl, WhiteWashed Wicker Tray...

Wooden Tray, Beach Stones, Driftwood, Shells, Tree Silhouette Tealight Holders, Tree Themed Decor 

Glass Dome Cloche, Driftwood

Grey/Cream Graphic Print Napkins, Twine String

I then started to put together vignettes...

More Artwork, Silver Antler, Rustic Metal Bird Bottle Opener

Wicker Tray, Vase with Rustic Elements, Napkins, Glass Cloche, Metallic Bowl, Copper Bird

It's coming together.....

And here it is.... 

The final product of my interpretation of a Wisp of Spring in Winter....

It feels so much fresher and light...and the absolute best part...I didn't have to buy one new thing! All of these items I already had and was able to bring them together in a new, re-imagined and refreshed way!

This is my view as I write this post (with an adult hot chocolate beside me as well).

I hope this inspires you to begin to refresh and re-imagine your space and slowly begin that transition from snow to tulips...

RR