Holidays in a New Home - Part One

Last Christmas was my parent's first Christmas in their new home so needless to say, I wanted it to be perfect both outside and inside!!

We have always been a family who had the perspective that less is more when it comes to decor.

Keep it simple....Keep it natural ......

My Mom had bought these fantastic planters at a store called The Garage Home Decor in Belmore, ON (I too have a set) and as you can see, they were/are the perfect base for the holiday urns I put together for them.

I took a set of "snippers" (my technical term for branch clippers) and off to the bush I went to cut the greenery. I used a mix of cedar, spruce, pine and red willow. I even used some teasels I found on the edge of the old horse pasture. I added a little bit of shimmer with some silver accents, but other than that, the greenery was the star of the show!

The front door was flanked by the planters overflowing with natural greenery and a simple swag of greens hung from the door. We found a gorgeous antique toboggan at a local shop as well as a wooden angel (there's a story to our family and angels that I have told before but will tell again soon) to add to the decor. I had found the "Keep Calm and Carry On" mat at Urban Barn and seeing as our family has also always incorporated the word 'calm' in to our day-to-day lives (see this post as to why), it was the perfect last piece of the puzzle.

The other end of the front porch was also kept simple and natural... 2 planters full of greens, white lanterns and the seating area that stays outside 365 days a year (a great spot to enjoy a morning coffee, even after a fresh snow fall).

WELCOME!!!!

I so wish I had remembered to take a photo after it snowed...but needless to stay, it all came together so well and looked absolutely amazing with a fresh blanket of snow.....

We went back and forth about whether to put lights in the planters....but after much discussion, we decided that we liked the more rustic and again, natural, look of the planters with the outdoor sconces shining down on them. I DEFINITELY think it was the right decision!

Once I had their outdoor decor completed...it was time to put together the planters/urn inserts for my home. I had already decided on the colours I wanted to use...the bronzy coppers, shiny chocolate brown, and some shimmery, creamy ivory. I still wanted an overall rustic look, but with a little bit of glam.....

I think I succeeded with the RUSTIC GLAM effect! What do you think?

The momentum from all the creative juices that were flowing also morphed in me completing a wreath for a friend/client of mine. She always leaves it up to me with regards to style and colour scheme and I decided to keep with the Rustic Glam vibe while completing her wreath. I used a grapevine wreath as a base, added fresh greens and them some silver sparkle..Anddd....

VOILA!

Again...simple, nature and rustic...with just enough sparkle and twinkle to also say "holiday"!

As you can likely tell...I realllly enjoy decorating outdoors for the Holidays/Christmas!! (yes, that is the understatement of understatements) I would LOVE to help you with your outdoor decor...whether it's a simple swag for your door or multiple planters/urns or even an online decor consult (I just need pictures of the area you are wanting to decorate), I have sooo many ideas running through my mind that I can't wait to bring to life. Send me an email to rusticretrievals@gmail.com with what you're looking for and we can go from there.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

**All photos are the property of Rustic Retrievals**

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Sunny...

I was flipping through the thesaurus, looking for synonyms for the word "Happy"...

Words like 'contented', 'joyous', 'blissful', 'sparkling', 'jubilant', 'delighted' and 'elated' jumped off the page.

The word 'sunny' was also on the list and I felt that it really is the perfect word to use in place of 'happy'....

Sunny = Happy

As I think of things that bring me happiness, sunshine filled days are very close to the top of the list.....

When one feels happy, you exude your own sunshine.

What brings sunshine or happiness to your life??

For me....it's the little things....that fleeting moment...that natural element...anything that brings "that" smile or grin to my face and adds that sunshine to my day...

A sunrise through the trees...

Moments of inspiration....

Nature's beauty...

Sunsets at the lake....

..and more sunsets..

Quiet moments with this guy...

Candlelight and nights spent under the stars wrapped up in blankets..

Evenings spent with friends over a good bottle of wine...

Living in a part of the world where we can enjoy all 4 seasons....

Memories of dancing at Camp...

Sand between my toes....

Mountain air and views....

Quiet time at the lake...

Remember to....

Wishing you sunshine and happiness always...

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Party Time!!

Cheers!

We made it through Christmas... the laughter, the happy tears, the hecticness and with possibly with a few more inches around the mid-section...but, we made it!

New Years is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate the past year and welcome in the New Year then with a dinner party?!

You don't even need to do a full dinner party...an evening of appetizers and cocktails is just as fun and is a bit more casual.

Personally, I would be more inclined to have people over for appetizers and cocktails (mainly due to the size of my house/dining area) and in preparation of this, I always turn to my Williams Sonoma Cookbooks. Not only do I flip through my cookbooks for inspiration, but, the Williams Sonoma website also has a plethora of recipes from a variety of their cookbooks that you can access and enjoy! This is one of my favourites:

Mushroom and Mascarpone Tartlets

If mascarpone is unavailable, you can approximate its flavor and consistency by whisking 1/3 cup softened cream cheese with 1/3 cup sour cream until smooth.

Ingredients:

1 disk savory tart dough (see related recipe at left)

Flour for rolling out dough

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 large leeks, including pale green parts, halved, rinsed and thinly sliced

3/4 lb. cremini, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, squeezed dry and finely chopped (optional)

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2/3 cup mascarpone cheese (see note above)

Directions:

Bake the tart bases

Preheat an oven to 375°F.

Divide the dough disk in half, keeping one half in the refrigerator until needed. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half into a rough round 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible. Transfer to 1 or 2 baking sheets. Gather the scraps, roll out 1/8 inch thick and cut out additional rounds. You should have about 32 rounds. Pierce the rounds in several places with a fork. Bake until the tart bases are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Cook the mushrooms

Meanwhile, in a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms and reconstituted porcini, season generously with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and become dry and softened, about 5 minutes.

Assemble the tarts

Spread 1 heaping tsp. of the mascarpone onto each tart base. Mound 2 tsp. of the mushroom mixture on the cheese. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately. Makes about 32 tartlets.

When it comes to cocktails, most of my friends "BYOB" as they have a very wide variety of tastes, however, I like to make sure I always have the 'staples' on hand (vodka, gin, rye, rum and red &white wine), mix, non-alcoholic options such as Efferve and lots & lots of bubbly!

Pull out your best stemware, flatware, serving dishes and then start to decorate!

From the kitchen (we all know parties congregate in the kitchen) to the dining room.....I know how much I enjoy putting together the centrepieces, the flatware, the linens...the possibilities are endless!

House and Home magazine put together a gallery of Holiday Tables

You can take the holiday decor you already have out and make small changes to transform it into New Years decor. Replace the snowmen with snowflakes, the holiday stockings for sparkley stiletto ornaments or mini snowshoes (depending on whether you're going for glitz/glam or a more rustic feel) and leave out the antlers, the greenery, the deer, the sparkley branches etc etc....