I hate to say this...but....

...I'm SOOOO ready for Fall!

 

The muggy, humid and damp weather today reinforced that I'm ready for Summer to wind down and can't wait for the cool, chilly weather of Fall to ramp up.

 

I'm ready for the Fall colours....the sweaters....the riding boots....and I'm hopingthe squirrels make quick work of the walnuts from the trees in my backyard.

 

We did some 'antiquing' this weekend and made some great finds.....

 

 

For only $8...how can you pass this up? The colours, the tones, the shades.....it will make a great back drop for an autumn vignette...

 

 

 

These 2 pieces really caught my eye....I didn't walk out with them but I think I have to go back! Any excuse I have to explore the cute shops in the town of Neustadt, I'll take!

 

 

My boot collection is sitting there...waiting for the cooler weather..almost begging for me to wear them! I'm going to have such a hard time not buying a new pair to kick off the season...

 

 

I walked in to my parent's home this weekend to find a bouquet of sunflowers on their kitchen table...LOVE them!

 

 

 

I also walked in to see that their furniture has been delivered!!!! Well done Mom and Mike on your selections (yes, that's right, my Mom and brother picked out the furniture and I wasn't even there to help!)

 

And....

 

 

 

.....My Dad and brother had put the final coats of stain on this gorgeous wormy Maple dining set made by our Mennonite neighbour, David. There are 2 leaves and 8 chairs total and he did EXQUISITE work!

 

If you are interested in a set, just send me an email to rusticretrievals@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

I was at my parent's this weekend as it has been one year since their house fire. We sure have come a long way....a new home has been built, they are all moved in and we are already making new memories!

Right after the fire, we found this angel in the ashes....she was once considered part of our Christmas decor, but she now holds a place out on display year round...watching over us...our true guardian angel!

 

This past week also marked one year since the tornadoes tore through Goderich....The first time I visited after the storms rolled through....I cried....Canada's prettiest town had some open wounds, but I know they will heal without many scars left behind.

 

 

Earlier this Spring I went for a walk along the lake in Goderich and this is a picture from that day.

 

I hope you all had a great weekend....I sure did! It was full of mixed emotions, but most importantly, it reinforced that as long as we continue to push forward and persevere, anything is possible!

 

RR

Rustic Transitions....

The transition to Fall has to be my favorite time of year. The light, the colours, the chill in the air...time to pull out the wool sweaters, cozy blankets, leather boots and the most fun of all....time to change the decor in your/my home!

When it comes to home decor this time of year, the best place to pull your inspiration from is right out your front door....

The rugged bark of a tree in mossy browns and smokey greys, the mustard yellow of golden rod, the burnt oranges and deep burgundy of mums, the muted greens of the trees & corn stalks, the greeny blues of the lake and the sandy beiges of the last walks on the beach.

Take a look around your home....Small changes such as adding knit throw cushions, a wool throw/blanket, add more candles in earthy tones, fill a vase with branches rather than flowers, a simple wooden bowl filled with stones from the beach....All of these will take your home from Summer to Autumn and add warmth, coziness and character.

Just walk out your front door, down the lane and around your neighbourhood or take a weekend roadtrip through the countryside...take lots of pictures and come home with more inspiration then you'll know what to do with!

RR

Back to reality...

The summer long weekend....a chance to get away to the lake, enjoy time with friends in the sun...and escape the 'real world'.

One of my best gal pals was heading to the cottage with her kids (2 of the best kids you will ever meet!) and I was lucky enough to join them for a few days....

The shores of Lake Huron bring back many childhood memories and many more were made this weekend...

Needless to say, this weekend reinforced my goal to move towards cottage ownership...There is something about the water, waves, sand, rocks and sun that takes every ounce of stress and melts it away...

No other sunset can compare to a Lake Huron sunset...

Of course there was home decor involved this weekend...along with a few cold beverages...This issue of Dwell is fantastic!....The home from the province of Friesland in the Netherlands is the perfect combination of the rustic modern aesthetic...When the time comes for me to design a cottage, I could take a lot of inspiration from this home!

Hope all of my friends had a great long weekend!

RR

Christmas in July....and August!

Pre-order your 2012 Holiday Decor Services....wreaths, urns, table settings, garland and home decor consultation...and receive 25% off your entire order...plus, I'm offering free delivery within 100km of the Guelph/KW area!

Prices generally range from $30-$85 per item (could also be more or less, depending on the size, type of material etc) and my in-home decor consultation services are based on an hourly rate.

Email me by August 6/12 with any questions, for more details and to secure your pre-order discount!

rusticretrievals@gmail.com

Ho Ho Ho!!

Here is some holiday inspiration from some great websites/bloggers to get you in the spirit!

**Also, if you place a pre-order and then refer a friend, receive an additional 5% more off your order for each friend who mentions your name!

RR

*These are not my photos..For photo credits, please 'click' on the photo to link to the website. If there isn't a link, I was not able to find the credit*

Gal Pals

I got together with a group of girl friends from university yesterday who I hadn't seen in ages! As we sat there and discussed meeting eachother, getting to know eachother and the past 10 years since we graduated (yes...10 years).....I couldn't help but think how lucky I am to have such amazing women in my life!

Most of them have married, had kids (there were 12 children under the age of 6 there and I'm so happy & proud to be their "auntie") and a lot sure has changed in the past 14 years! As we sat in the back yard, my friend turned to me and said, "it feels like we're at someone's parents' house".....it was a bit surreal.. but also a testament to how though life continues forward, it sometimes feels like it stands still. We are home owners, some are parents, we have careers...we're officially "grown-ups"....a far cry from university life of going to class, house parties and pubs from 10 years earlier!

They are an amazing groups of gals....and I am honestly and truly blessed to have them...and all of my other fantatsically amazing gals pals in my life! Whether we have been friends since birth or have newly developed a friends ship over the past few months/years...THANK YOU for being part of my life....you all help me be who I am, just knowing that you are always there for me!

Thank you again to my gal pals.....you are all extremely phenomenal women...

RR

I Finally....

....Got These Two Great Pieces Framed!!!

I saw the poster on Made By Girl's website/blog and just had to have it! Those 4 words pretty much surmize how I try to live my life every single day. I really enjoy Jen Ramos' website, blog and products...I think I'll have to place another order very, very soon!

The card in the rustic wood frame is by a good friend, Stephanie Buchy - A Paper Buffet .  When I saw the card...I just had to have it for not only it's motivational qualities, but also it's organic beauty. Steph has a wonderful shop on Etsy and has also started a new shop, Knitley Road....she is so incredibly creative and driven..and her product illustrates this!

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Oh, and the cute and funky quilt that these are sitting on is from the Southampton Market, along Lake Huron.

RR

Around the house....my house...

I'm sitting on the deck this morning, having a latte and planning my day of couch hunting (Urban Barn, Cornerstone etc) and a little part of me actually feels like I'm at the cottage.

There's something about the light at this time of day and how it streams through my front window, the breeze as I sit here on the deck....it even smells a wee bit like being at the lake this morning.

As much as I continue to move towards my goal of one day having my cottage by the lake....I am lucky to have my own little cottage in the city..and even more, a cottage that is reminiscent of me and who I am.

Below are photos of vignettes around my home, some art, a few rooms....just a wee peak into how I've made my house into my home!

The buffet...one of my favorite pieces in my home..I collect crystal candlesticks and I love mixing them with my green glass but also some apothecary jars filled with rustic pieces of drift wood.

These are scattered around the house on my coffee table, side tables...again a mix of pieces I love...green glass, stone, wood, photos...

I also collect black and white photos/pictures of tree scapes and water scenes. Family means everything to me as well so I have put all of these together (again with some green glass) on a glass top console table.

This photo shows the light in the dining room in the morning....and also illustrates that due to size constraints of my cottage (800sq ft), how I use my space in various and multifunctional ways,.... ie. my dining room table turns into a showcase for my Etsy products while I'm organizing them.

This was a birthday gift from my parents last year from a favorite store of mine in Port Elgin called August Skies. Every time I look at that picture, I am reminded of my goal to one day have that cottage with the muskoka chair and all the rustic, yet refined, character I could ask for.

This is the shelf beside my desk in my office...full of fun, whimsy and brightness....I think you need all of those things to ensure ongoing inspiration and motivation....I especially love the card by A Paper Buffet that for me, really sums up life in general...I'm still looking for just the perfect frame to put it in!

Then there's NYC....yes, I grew up on 50 acres and I am a country gal through and through...but if I had the chance, I would move to NYC in a heartbeat...and I can't wait to go back to visit. These are on my refrigerator (yes, I use my fridge as an inspiration board with quotes, photos and memories)...McQueen, Macys (photo by Stephanie Buchy - A Paper Buffet), Central Park (photo by yours truly)....just thinking about it brings a smile to my face...

So.....welcome to my home...at least a few bits and pieces of it. I hope this has maybe given you some inspiration to go around your house, rearrange some pieces, put together some new vignettes....we're always re-creating ourselves which in turn, means re-creating the place in which we dwell...our home!

RR

A Peak....

.....at my style staples that help make me..me! I tend to have a very comfortable and natural style...very similar to my decorating.

Ombre....I had this done recently at THREE in Guelph. I LOVE this look as it works with both straight or curly hair (as a gal with naturally curly hair - see above- that really matters to me) and it also gives you a summery, beachy feel....like you've spent the summer in the sun as the ends get blonder and blonder...

I really like the look of a small, discrete and tasteful tattoo...I have 2 already and want one more....just have to decide what I want to get done.

These Steve Madden boots are very, very close to a pair that I purchased at Browns on my last trip to Calgary. The colour goes with everything (Brown, Black, Grey etc), they are the perfect height (just below the knee) and the heel is just the perfect height for both comfort and style...

These 2 outfits are my 'go to' for weekends....boots, leggings/jeans, comfie cardi's, aviators and a scarf...you can go from running errands to meeting a friend for lunch and not feel over/under dressed in either situation.

These are definitely 2 of my staples....an over the shoulder bag to carry everything from my laptop, to items I pick up while shopping and to use for a day at the beach or as an overnight bag. Then of course...there are the Wellies...I absolutely LOVE mine...very practical, comfie and cute!

Vintage jewellery is also a staple of mine. Each piece is so unique and holds so much history.

 

Perhaps one of my favorite 'go-to' staples is a scarf...they can be worn in so many ways, they are an easy way to add colour and texture to an outfit and they also bring a sense of elegant comfort with their flow and fluidity.

If there is one thing you remember...let it be this...

** http://pinterest.com/rusticretrieval/ - We're on Pinterest and quite a few of these images are from my Boards **

RR

Work.....

Some see it as another 4 letter word.... W-O-R-K....

I'm lucky enough to have found a career that I thoroughly enjoy and that challenges me every day....but, that being said, I wouldn't be human if things didn't get to me at times, anger me, and have me re-assess my decisions to do what I do day in and day out. I think that's 100% natural...especially for someone who is passionate about what they do. You care so much about what you do, that when blips in the road come up (and they most surely will) ....you sometimes have to take a step back, take a deep breath, re-group and really remind yourself the reasons why you do what you do and why you enjoy them as much as you do.

I am very, very lucky due to the fact that I work with amazing people every single day! We all share the same passions and are striving for the same thing. I have been truly blessed with the co-workers I have had, throughout my career..I have learned so much from them. Not only about the work we do every single day, but about myself as well.

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