Simple Summer Beauty...

Snap shots of summer around my home and my second home.....Such beautiful simplicity.......

Whether it be flowers, summer's bounty of veggies, a quiet night in the backyard or a stunning sunset...I hope you take the opportunity to get outside, truly immerse yourself and enjoy the world around you!

RR

Mason Jar Madness!!

Or...in my case, Crown Jar Craziness!

They are literally EVERYWHERE these days!!

These are something I grew up with...we used them in the workshop to store nails, screws and odds & ends but they were also used in a more traditional way in the kitchen to store preserved produce and maple syrup our neighbour made.
Seeing as they have always been a staple in my home and I have found a way to take a traditional item and add a bit of a modern but still rustic twist to it...keep reading for how you could win one of your own!

Lonny Magazine's Facebook page recently featured these Ball Mason Jars (see below) in an article by Ginny Branch about alternative wedding ideas.

These are a collection of my family's McDonald Sealers (namesake collectibles are always fun). I just love their colour and shapes.

I was flipping through Style at Home the other day and saw the photo on the left below...cast porcelain Mason jar styled vases. 

I looked up from the couch and across the room and looked at something very similar sitting in my living room...a painted Crown Mason Jar that I had done as a DIY, holding peonies from my family's garden. 

I had made this jar and arrangement for a friend for her birthday earlier in the year....A little raffia and grey glossy paint just made this arrangement!




Painting jars is nothing new to me....I've been doing it for a few years now and my Dad used to also do this many, many years ago.

They are available for order in my Rustic Retrievals Etsy shop or if you're wanting to place a larger order for something like a wedding, shower or other event, you can email me at rusticretrievals@gmail.com

The jars are available in a variety of colours....essentially we are only limited by the variety of options provided by the companies that produce spray paint.

I'm currently putting together an order of fuchsia, apple green, white and black jars to ship to the US. Can't wait to see them all completed!

And now....it's CONTEST TIME!!!

Rustic Retrievals has had a great week and I would like to celebrate with a give away...

It's simple...just leave a comment below or on my/Rustic Retrievals Instagram/Facebook page under the picture correlating to this blog post, telling me what colour jar you would like and why you chose that colour.

I will draw the winner the end of next week and the winner will get their personalized Crown Mason Jar sent to them to use around their home to hold flowers, kitchen utensils, pens, pencils....the list is endless!

Best of luck and keep the comments coming...you can also comment more than once to increase your chances of winning!

RR

Patio Season Has Begun!!

Last summer got away from me and before I knew it, the snow was flying...I wasn't going to let that happen this year!

I got out my design magazines and this backyard patio/lounge in Style at Home Magazine has the feel and aesthetic that I am hoping to achieve...

My inspiration......

The clean lines, the simplicity, the greenery...

Hostas, cedars, herbs.....black, grey, cream and green...

I plan on also doing a similar fence with horizontal fence boards...

I love this gate/entrance way...I hope to also do something similar to this as well...

And with that......

My backyard makeover had begun! 

A HUGE THANK YOU to my brother, Mike McDonald, of Toronto who has his own home reno/construction business (website is in the works) for putting together this gorgeous patio that I use on almost a daily basis (weather permitting).

Mike dug it out ...wheelbarrow load after wheelbarrow load....and I was able to use the sod in other areas and the top soil in the flower beds surrounding the yard.

We put down gardeners 'paper' to help prevent weeds/grass growing up through...It was a very, very productive first day!

Then came the gravel....I ordered mine from Dirt Cheap in Kitchener. Mike wheelbarrowed every load from the driveway, levelled and then tampered it. Then, the limestone sand went on before the stones were placed.

And......VOILA!!

The stone is pressed concrete from Rona in Guelph and they get their stones from Triple H Landscape in London. I had really wanted to try and source as much as I could from smaller, local companies...and  was absolutely able to with great success!

Cheers! The first glass of wine on my new patio!



The monster fern is from a local nursery in Guelph.



The patio set (I'm still putting all the pieces together) is from The Bay. The coffee table is a rustic crate I found in my parent's neighbour's barn! I did the planters myself, with coleus from Meadowville Garden Centre in Guelph and planters from Home Depot.

This is what it's all about....a friend and I enjoying a summer evening (Canada Day to be exact) on the new patio....

Thanks SO MUCH again Mike...I LOVE IT!!

RR

40 Years...

St. Patrick's Day has always been more than celebrating the Irish with our family. My parents tied the knot 40 years ago, on St. Patrick's Day, in the snow storm of the century!

To help celebrate this amazingly special day, I wanted to get them the perfect bouquet. I turned to Sweet Violets in Guelph and as you can see...the final product was just that...perfect!

We'd selected the flowers and then it was time for them to work their magic...I love how they let the greenery, petals and stems accumulate on the floor around them as they put together their gorgeous arrangements.

Just....love....this.....

With it being their 40th....my brother and I really wanted to try and get them something of meaning...of significance....

I think we succeeded...

When we lost the house to the fire, we lost all of our photos, including Mom and Dad's wedding album.

We had contacted our local photo studio, who is still operating 40 years later and who had done the photography for the wedding....and......THEY STILL HAVE THE NEGATIVES!!

I don't think I could have thanked Mr. and Mrs. Snyder enough! What are the chances of that after 40 years??

We're going to print them all out in 4x6 initially to have another look at them (and make more decisions re: sizing from there), but for now, I asked that they print one for the anniversary so they could have one on 'their' day after 40 years.....

Here it is.........

How cute are they?!?

I had found this green glass mouse and had to get it too....it's a mix of  significance of my brother and I...and Mom and Dad know why :)

While we were all home reminiscing, we couldn't help but remember the same weekend last year......we had taken a road trip to the beach to enjoy the amazing summer like temperatures...

This is the morning of March 17, 2013....

and........

This is March 17, 2012......

These pictures just show what a difference one year can make....we've been through quite a roller coaster over the past 12 months...but St. Patrick's Day....Mom and Dad's anniversary...was perfect!

Love you LOTS Ma and Pa!! xoxo

RR

The Little Things...

 

I've been looking through my photos from the past few weeks and realized, the moments I have photographed...the moments that make me smile....are those little moments...everyday life...

They are those moments that make me happy and that make up what I am lucky enough to call my life.

 

 

Watching the world go by....

 

 

Mother Nature can be fierce...

 

 

A furry friend enjoying breakfast....

 

 

A collection of namesake jars.....

 

 

Sunrise.....

 

 

A Saturday morning at the market....

 

 

Homemade mac and cheese.....

 

 

Flowers....

 

 

...flowers...

 

 

..and more flowers....

 

 

Letting the sun shine in......

 

 

 

 

Live my life and be happy....The most important thing!

 

Hope you're having a great week!

 

RR

Happy Canada Day Long Weekend - Almost Home!

Happy Long Weekend! It has been quite the week, so it is a breath of fresh air (literally) to get out of the city to visit my parents and see how their house is progressing.

I hadn't been to visit in a few weeks and I am BLOWN AWAY by how far it has come along...it is practically finished!!

I will save most pictures until it is completely finished, but here's a sneak peek...

We had a wonderful tour guide to show us around the house and show us his favorite spaces (so far, it looks like the bathroom and basement are his top picks...may have something to do with the nice, cool concrete/tile floors).....

After all his hard work, it was time for our tour guide to have a swim in the pond....After successfully soaking me as he came out and decided to shake off right beside me, we headed back to the house....here's the view towards the house from the pond.

It was great to be back at the 'homestead'....that piece of property is where I grew up and what I have known as, 'home' for my entire life. For many, many reasons I am sooo happy they decided to re-build here.....

I love this time of year and all the wild flowers...Daisies, Queen Anne's Lace, Black Eyed Susans etc...these are all found on the walk to/from the pond.

These are some more pictures of the landscape around the house......

After the full tour, we headed back to the farm house my parents are renting while the house is being built. It was such a gorgeous evening and this is the view out the front door....I can't think of a better way to spend the long weekend but with the fam, in the country...

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

RR

Thanks Mom.....

My Mom really is my best friend.....

Thanks so much Mom....for always having my hand, helping me stand tall and move forward...

Some pictures from the past few months that remind me of her....

Mother's Day Bouquet...I wish I could give her one everyday!

Picking paint colours for Mom and Dad's new home....we had them spread out everywhere!

Mom and I went for a drive...and had to stop and 'chat' with these guys..

Some of our finds after a day of antiquing and 'auctioning'...

A day at the beach with Mom this Spring.....such a great day! Thank you for the memories Mom!! Love you always...xoxo RR

Time flies by...

It has been an absolutely crazy month...I don't even know where to begin!

I have been travelling the province with work ...I really enjoy that aspect of my job but there are times I almost forget what my house looks like.

The Spring flowers and colours keep inspiring me...and always bring a smile to my face! My tulips are ALMOST blooming...sooo close!

Even though the weather had been perking up, I came down with quite a bug over a week ago and am still fighting it off...I actually caved and went to the doctor (which I hate to do)....but I'm finally feeling much better.

I have been on a bit of a shopping kick lately too :S My wallet hates me but I have made some GREAT finds...both in items and services.

Here are some pics from my past few weeks:


My dining room table with some fresh, spring tulips...



I really, really want this buffet from Wood Haven Furniture in Guelph...


Some recent purchases from Blush in Guelph....a gal can never have too many shoes or purses!


Some Easter flowers....cute yet rustic in their little apothocary type bottles/basket.


Forsythia bushes in Spring....such a great pop of yellow!



Three .....an amazing new salon and spa in Guelph....I spent an afternoon pampering myself with the wonderful gals who work there!


My oh so handsome Charlie.... he turned 7 in March...I can't believe it!

I hope you all are having a wonderful Spring....

RR