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

Pear Sparklers and Barn Nails...

The crops are being harvested, the leaves are changing and the weather continues to be absolutely perfect! Why not take advantage of the sunshine, blue skies, amazing colours and warmer temperatures as we head into Fall, by hosting lunch outdoors.

I think what I like most about this piece for Style at Home by Event Planner and Blogger, Eden Passante, is how she uses the crisp, cool whites of summer side-by-side with the more tonal colours of Fall...the perfect transition!

The use of the rough and textural acorns and pine cones beside the smooth glass, Baby's Breath and pressed linens show how to still bring in the lingering bit of Summer, while welcoming in the Fall elements.

I am a BIG fan of supporting local business (if you're a regular reader of my Blog, you already know this) and am even more of a fan of planning meals around what is currently in season.

The Williams Sonoma website is also one of my favorite sites for not only shopping, but recipes, entertaining tips and fantastic holiday tips like how to incorporate foods of the season into your party planning. 'Click' on the photo to review all of the amazing recipes...

Apples and pumpkins tend to be the 'big two' when it comes to Fall flavours and recipes. Personally, I really enjoy pears and thought I'd share some ideas in how to incorporate them into your Fall repertoire...

This beverage would be my "transitional" drink....reminiscent of summer, but with the flavours of Fall.

Pear Sparklers

Quick to prepare, this refreshing nonalcoholic drink is perfect for autumn gatherings.

Ingredients:

• Ice cubes as needed
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups bottled pear juice
• 4 to 5 cups sparkling water, chilled
• 1 Anjou pear for garnish

Directions:

Place ice cubes in tall glasses. Add about 3 Tbs. pear juice to each glass and then pour in about 1/2 cup sparkling water. Slice the pear into thin wedges, garnish the glasses and serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10.

And this beverage would be my 'welcome to Fall' drink....the colour, the richness, the spices...It's like a warm and cozy blanket but for your taste buds.

The Barn Nail

Graham Case, Bar Manager and Mixologist at Blackberry Farm, loves to infuse simple syrups with herbs and spices to make his cocktails unique. The Barn Nail is one delicious example. The recipe serves one but can easily be made in a larger batch.

Ingredients:

For the spiced honey syrup:

• 1 cup (250 ml) water
• 1 cup (375 ml) honey
• 1 cup (250 g) sugar
• 5 whole cloves
• 5 star anise pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 allspice berries 
• 
  1 1/2 fl. oz. (45 ml) whiskey
• 1/2 fl. oz. (15 ml) cherry liqueur
• 2 dashes plus 2 drops bitters
• Orange peel for garnish

Directions:

To make the spiced honey syrup, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the water, honey and sugar and heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cloves, star anise, cinnamon stick and allspice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Strain the syrup into a container. Let the syrup cool to room temperature before using. You will need 1/4 fl. oz. (7 ml) spiced honey syrup for this cocktail; refrigerate the rest for making more cocktails.

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine the whiskey, the 1/4 fl. oz. (7 ml) spiced honey syrup, the cherry liqueur and bitters. Stir until cold and pour into a tumbler. Garnish with an orange peel. Serves 1.

So it's official...you have no excuse but to get friends and family together, outdoors while the weather is still balmy and summer like, and have a wonderful afternoon or evening of eating, drinking, talking and laughing!

Cheers to Fall and all that it brings!

RR

Ladies Who Lunch...

Or Brunch....or Dinner......or Breakfast...

As my last post eluded to, I am a HUGE believer in both making new relationships but also building and nurturing current and longstanding ones!

I truly do think that everyone you cross paths with, you do so for a reason. Those people that you then choose to welcome into your life open a wealth of new possibilities through whatever type of relationship may suit...professional, personal, romantic etc...

I was lucky enough to meet a wonderful group of women this past weekend at BlogPodium and I wholeheartedly look forward to growing, nurturing and building those relationships/friendships.

Through social media (see my last post for our new FB page), our blogs, get-togethers (some of us already have a brunch planned here in Guelph in October and I definitely think a treehouse get together is in order) I am sure new friendships will develop and to say I am looking forward to it is such an understatement!

I have written previously about how important my gal pals are to me and over the past few years, they have grown dearer and dearer to my heart for so many reasons. 

I truly am blessed by the wonderful women that surround me and that I am lucky enough to call friends. Whether we were on the ice together at 3 years old learning to figure skate, sitting beside each other in grade 9 homeroom, university roommates/classmates, co-workers at the same company, neighbours...the list goes on....But.. every one of those gals I cherish, adore and I truly miss their smiles/laughs/hugs when I haven't seen then as much as I would like to.

I have found that as we get older, lives get busier, families get larger, careers get more hectic....we turn to lunching, brunching, drinks, dinner etc to get together, get caught up and sit back and breath!

Whether it's around my dining room table with a stack of magazines (thank you so much again BlogPodium), chocolate cake (that my friend's husband made that was truly FABTASTIC!), some fruit and a latte..(and yes, this was breakfast)....it sets a mood of ease, comfort and relaxation. The minutes tick by, turning in to hours and you don't even notice it.

mmmm....chocolate cake, magazines and a latte...the perfect Sunday breakfast with a gal pal!

I am also a HUGE fan of going out for breakfast and brunch. It is the time of day that it allows for great discussion, a relaxed environment, many cups of tea or coffee and time to just focus on the gals (note: always turn off the phones, UNLESS, there could be baby problems at home)...

this is the breakfast pizza at Ox in Guelph...talk about the PERFECT brunch food...oh, and their lattes....TO DIE FOR!!

Then...there's dinner and drinks.... Really, is there anything much better than a fantastic bottle of wine, amazing food and stunning conversation! I think my friends and I have solved many of the world's problems when all of these things fall into line!



note: bottle of wine, amazing bar top, gorgeous stone walls, and a menu that was so yummy fantastic we couldn't decide what to order. 
we spent HOURS there that night my friend and I ...the setting was just perfect for great conversation and lots of laughs.



ambiance is key too (kinda obvious, I know)....this was actually just last night and the lighting fixture and the fireplace just added the little extra "muah" to the room!

To me, my girlfriends are like great design.....timeless, warm, welcoming, steadfast and comforting. Keeping those relationships well nurtured and strong is no different then oiling and maintaining that antique piece of furniture you love so dearly. 

Life has thrown a lot of curve balls my way the past few years and without my friends, I don't know where I would be today! Gals...you all know who you are and I am so utterly thankful to have each and every one of you in my life!

The reason I wrote this post is because I got the sweetest and timeliest message from one of my dearest and oldest friends the other day....I literally opened it up and the tears just started flowing. She and I have spent many, many a day, night, 3am either cooking, lunching, snacking, drinking, chatting, laughing, crying....those simple times have been the best times...and her message to me reminded me of that! Thank you so much Kris...Love ya!

So....get your gals together....throw a dinner party for just the girls (or have an ice cream party where everyone comes in their comfies with a tub of ice cream, cookies, sprinkles and you make sundaes like no other), make reservations and get all dressed up and go for dinner and drinks, or all plan to meet at the local bistro for brunch and coffee (maybe a mimosa too). Keep growing those friendships....building those relationships....these women are in your life for a reason. You have welcomed them into your life...take the time to keep them there!

RR