Deceptively Destructive Beauty

Holidays continued.....

I made it to my parent's after the worst of the ice storm. The sun actually came out and every surface shone and shimmered like I have never seen before.

I then headed into town and this was the view just down the road.....I could have taken picture after picture. It was so incredibly beautiful!

After a day of running errands, it was home to put the finishing touches on the decor...We continued with the red and white theme again this year. The piece of art is from The Garage in Belmore as is quite a few of the other decor pieces. The plaid throw is from Acheson's in Harriston (they also have a location in Orangeville and it is one of my favorite Home Decor stores) and the snowflake runner is from Finishing Touches in Wingham.

Then...it was time to sit, relax and enjoy the tree.....

The next few photos show our Christmas Eve morning walk...it was absolutely gorgeous!

And this was sunset.....I could have sat out on the deck (if it hadn't been so chilly) and just soaked it all in!

Some other shots of nature's beauty....So beautiful, yet so very destructive!

The weather then began to warm a bit and the snow started falling....Charlie loved it and could have sat outdoors all day long!

We also had a visit from a Doe and her twin fawns.....they're getting so big!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday surrounded by those that mean the most to you!

I would also like to say a huge, "THANK YOU" to all the men and women who worked over the holidays, away from their family's, to get the power back on. This icy beauty caused destruction like we haven't seen in quite some time....My 9-5 job is with a Utility and I have never been more proud of the  people I work with then over this past week and a half. Thank you for all you do....

RR

Holidays...

December 1st rolled around and I realized that I still had over half of my vacation days to take...so....Holidays started December 19th this year! I usually try to have most of my Christmas shopping done by the beginning of December, but, that wasn't the case this year, so I was SO GLAD to have some extra days to get caught up. 

Holidays meant local shopping in downtown Guelph, out for lunches & brunches, bevies (found a new fav!), cozy nights in and time with friends...all my favourite things to do this time of year! (...any time of year really)

The holidays started like this...on the couch, with a glass of wine, candles and doing absolutely nothing but relaxing!

Then...

After an evening of relaxation, time to start wrapping! I also had a wee helper to keep my mug of coffee filled and my supplies ready at hand....

Let me introduce you to....Bling Crosby!! The best Holiday Helper (aka Stuffed Dude) ever!!

Then...it was time for some shopping!!

At trip downtown Guelph wouldn't be complete without a stop at Blush!

I'll take one of each, please!

Then, it was off to another one of my favourite shops....

Coriander!  I absolutely LOVED these home decor pieces!

This ornament...too cute!!

After all that shopping, time for some lunch!

Off we went to Atmosphere for an amazing salad and BLT pizza!

Then to Sapphire for dessert (their homemade icecream and a brownie) and an 'adult' cappucino! Emily, thank you sooooo much for introducing me to this! Adult = Amarula! Yum Yum Yum!

It was so good, I had to go back for lunch again the next day....with magazines in tow! By the way...their sandwiches are fabtastic! (my fav is the summer sausage!)

Then back home to continue wrapping and Holiday preparations!

With plenty of coffee, espresso, Amarula on hand, I had all the necessities for a wrapping marathon! I also had Rick Grimes (of the Walking Dead) to keep me and Bling Crosby, company too! Another thanks to Emily for introducing me to that series!

Ready to press....

A HUGE "Thank You" to my wonderful gals pals for your generous gifts of all the holiday essentials, whether I'm snuggled up with a good book or getting ready to host some friends!

Emily made this mug…how wickedly awesome is that?!? 

Then....Mother Nature decided to throw us a curve ball....a very, very icy one!

 These photos are of my lilac bush in front of my home...

This absolutely insane weather was frightening yet beautiful....picturesque yet destructive! When the weather system blew through, it brought us all out of our homes in a true sense of community....de-icing, salting, sanding...driveways, sidewalks, vehicles...all the while, laughing, telling stories and making the best of a difficult situation.

Then...after packing up my vehicle....it was time to head to my other home...Mom and Dad's in the country.

To be continued...

RR

Mixed Metallic

I went back and forth about how I was going to decorate my home this Christmas Season...

Black and Copper or Turquoise and Silver or Green and Gold.....I couldn't make up my mind. Then I realized there seemed to be a common trend....in every combination I was considering, I was planning on using a metallic. Soooo.......after much contemplation.....I went with MIXED METALLIC! 

Bronze, Copper, Silver and Gold have been sprinkled around my home, bringing shimmer and sparkle for the Holidays! I've also mixed in natural elements such as wood, fur and pine cones for a truly Rustic Glam effect.

See below how you could win a metallic piece for your home!

My home is now READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!

As a way to welcome in the Christmas and Holiday Season and to celebrate the wonderful year it has been for Rustic Retrievals, I want to help bring some metallic charm into your home!

TIME FOR A CONTEST!!!!

I'm always torn between Gold and Silver and when I saw these two pieces (Stag/Deer Decor) I was instantly drawn to them both.

The Gold Stag is more rustic traditional and I can see it in a front entry to hang keys, a purse or a scarf on.

The Silver Stag is a more Rustic Modern piece and I would hang it in a bedroom and use it to hang/display pretty baubles.

Now...here's your chance to win one of these Stags to add to your home decor!

Here's what you have to do (it's super easy):

1. "Share" this post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc with the hashtag #goldstag or #silverstag (whichever is your favourite and the one you'd like to win).

2. Comment below, noting that you've shared this post. In your post include which Stag you'd like to win and where you'd use it in your home.

There....that's all! Done and Done!

Best of luck to you all! Winners will be announced next Sunday December 8, 2013.

HAPPY HOLIDAY DECORATING!

RR

**All photos are property of Ardis McDonald/ Rustic Retrievals

Holidays in a New Home - Part Two

The outside of my Mom and Dad's new home was decorated with care....

Time to move onto the inside...

Our first Christmas after the fire was in the farmhouse my parent's were renting while they finalized plans to build this new house. I will admit...that Christmas was full of mixed emotions. We are a family of sentimentality....we had and lost over 50 years of ornaments and decorations from family and loved ones. Every year, decorating the tree turned into a walk down memory lane as we put ornaments on the tree that held such significant meaning...especially the ornaments from those loved ones we have lost. Those will never....ever.. be replaced. But..I still have the memories of  decorating those trees, those ornaments and the significance they had. And...this first Christmas in the new house was a chance to start new traditions and make new memories while remembering and reminiscing about old ones.

As long as I can remember, we always had multi-coloured lights on the tree and that tradition continued in the new home. There's something so cheerful about the reds, greens and blues glistening through the branches.

As upsetting as it was to lose our family's ornaments, we did our best to turn that into a positive by constantly being on  the search for new ones...ones that reminded us of Christmases past but also brought something new to our Holidays as well.

Remember C.A.L.M from previous posts..... We saw these ornaments and just had to get them (oh...and my Mom LOVES decorating with red at the Holidays too)...These were perfect for more than one reason!

We just loved these vintage-look ornaments for the tree (they were actually gift tags that we decided to put on the tree instead). Those shimmery snowflakes were also a must have as my Mom collects snowflakes. 

So after picking the perfect tree, hanging the lights, arranging the decorations (a few times)......VOILA!!

This is the front entry... We used a combination of red, white and grey with a piece of artwork that symbolizes our summers on Lake of the Woods. 

Pinecones, painted feathers, Holiday ornaments, Christmas crackers.....they all worked together sooo well!

Another close up of the tree...I see a bit of a theme...red...white...and snowflakes.

Then there's this guy...the official Gift Guard.....with his new squeaker (he got to open a gift a wee bit early).

We then realized that we'd mayyybbbeee purchased a few too many decorations. We also decided that we wanted to keep a bit of a theme on the big tree...soooo.....I brought my smaller tree from my house and a second tree was decorated! A new tradition in the new house...2 trees!

This one had a more rustic and cottagey theme....it was covered in antlers, deer, moose, bears, plaid, fisher-snowmen, tackleboxes, burlap....This truly was for my Dad...

This guy is my favorite....Something about him reminds me of my Dad...I think it's the boots...(my Dad also collects moose)..

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

This was in a card my parent's had received from one of their friends...it just seemed so very appropriate and suited the mood perfectly! 

"Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders that are unseen and unseeable in the world".

Looking back through these photos from last Christmas brought a huge smile to my face....and also a few tears. So many memories came flooding back...not just from last Christmas...but from all of them. One thing that I will always keep very close to my heart is my family....without family, for me, there would be no Holidays...no Christmas. They are what truly 'make it' for me.....

RR

**All photos are property of Rustic Retrievals/Ardis McDonald.