The Making of Me...

Someone asked me the other day what I blog about and crazily enough, I had a bit of a difficult time answering. 

My first and immediate response was, "Home Decor"....

I must have answered with a somewhat unsure look on my face or tone in my voice, as they asked me the question again... After what seemed like an eternity, I responded for a second time, but much more confidently, "I blog about lifestyle topics...I blog about life"....... As the words came out of my mouth, I thought to myself, "Did that ever feel good rolling off my tongue".

As much as I love Home Decor, I feel like there is much, much more to my blog than that...and to me as a person....

|n my humble opinion, blogging should be your story...as much or as little as you'd like to share...but when push comes to shove, your blog should be a reflection of you, what inspires you and what you love.

Wait....let me say that another way.... your LIFE should be about what inspires you and what you love...a reflection of what makes you YOU.

You're probably thinking, what is this girl talking about? Of course my life is a reflection of me.. I'm living it!! 

But I ask you to take a step back....take a panoramic view of the life you are living. Can you say to yourself with 100% honesty, I'm living a life that reflects 'me' as the person I want to be.... 

Insert Epiphany In The Making Here!! 

Let me back up a bit first..... It all began one day a few months ago when I had written out my initials... AMBM.......................and it came to me...

A Mind Body hoMe Life & Style... Your mind, your body and your home need to be in synergy to find and retrieve the "Me" you strive to be every day.

Some days are definitely a smoother ride then others, but the thoughts running through your mind, how you care for your body and what you do to make your house a home reveal the 'Me' you are becoming every second of every day.

MIND + BODY + HOME = ME

Rustic Retrievals = Retrieving your experience and knowledge on a daily basis to continue to mold  the unfinished parts of you. Essentially, taking the 'old me' (who I was yesterday) and continuing to learn, grow and build the 'new me' (who I am today and who I will be tomorrow). 

I'm just getting started as my mind is going a mile a minutes with so many ideas! Stay tuned for so much more Mind + Body + Home = Me and Rustic Retrievals Life & Style...

For now....I will leave you with this question...

What inspires you on a daily basis about your life??

RR

There's Still Plenty of Summer Left!

The days may be getting shorter, but there is still plenty of summer left! I know most would say we really haven't had much of a summer with the cooler weather we've had....I would have to argue that!

This has been THE perfect summer to get outside and enjoy your outdoor living space! The cooler nights call for a cozy blanket and campfire, the chilliness seems to have kept the bugs away and honestly, wouldn't you rather be outside when it's 19 degrees versus 33 degrees PLUS a humidex that makes it feel closer to 40 degrees? I sure would!

I had posted some photos of my backyard transformation on Instagram and one of my favourite websites, Ruralist, asked if I'd like to do a few pieces on outdoor decor/living/entertaining. Of course I said YES!

I ended up writing 2 pieces:

• My Patio - Design your own Rustic Retreat

• My Back Deck - Style your own Outdoor Entertaining Areas

It was so much fun to pull items I already had  (I honestly purchased very few new items for the shoots) together into two inviting, comfortable and Rustic Chic spaces. A HUGE thank you to my amazing neighbour and friend Michele for her help! She is a styling GENIUS!!

I'll let you read the articles for tips on how to design your own outdoor space and as an FYI, I also included A LOT of my favourite local home decor sources that can be found all over Southern Ontario! THANK YOU so much Ruralist for featuring my outdoor spaces! 

The long weekend will soon be upon us, so why not have friends and family over to enjoy your outdoor space?

I'll leave you with a few photos of the patio and deck and if you should have any outdoor decor questions, feel free to email me at rusticretrievals@gmail.com .... ENJOY!

RR

Post R&R....

I am going through withdrawl.......

Withdrawl of the feeling of sand between my toes, of morning walks along the shore, of campfires, of lounging & reading in the sunshine and most of all...this view!

It was THE perfect gals week at the cottage (cooler weather and gale force winds included) and I have again confirmed that I could be a beach bum 365 days a year for the rest of my life! Now...where did I put that lottery ticket?!

You arrive at the cottage, walk around the side and come face to face with this....I can honestly say that I felt every ounce of stress and worry leave my body at the sight of this.

You wander down the path towards the lake and are greeted by this.....

A private sandy area with floating decks and through this gateway that separates the cottage area from the public beach, you see this.....

And this.......

Oh...and from one of the floating decks.....this was our view....

As you can see from the photos, we really had quite a mix of weather. Saturday and Sunday were everything you could want in a beach day and more. Monday got a wee bit chilly and Tuesday & Wednesday were windy, chilly and reminded me of Fall. But, it's the cottage...you make do with whatever Mother Nature throws at you, whether that means bathing suits and sunscreen or sweatpants, sweaters and blankets (note the goosebumps on my legs...that was an evening that really did call for long pants). The waves were mesmerizing and one afternoon, we decided to jump in and throw ourselves into them! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time...nor had I had such a good workout either as the undertow was incredibly strong. It was a battle staying on our feet at times in the shallower sections.

Seeing as we were about 5 minutes south of town, we decided to head in on Tuesday to do some shopping. Yes...it's shocking...a gals week and shopping is involved ;) I'd be much more shocked (and concerned) if there hadn't been any!

Welcome to Sauble! I hadn't been there in well over a decade and I felt old highschool memories come flooding back. 

We 'walked the strip', popping in and out of stores. We went to one called The Patch (there's one in Guelph too!) and as you walk in, there's a huge wall of friendship bracelets...so of course, in all the charm and cheesiness that comes with gals in their 30's away for a week of fun and frivolity, we got ourselves friendship bracelets! 

All that shopping (and walking into the wind) sure made us hungry, so we headed to Mars Cosmic Fries for this.....

THE MOST AMAZING POUTINE I've had in a veryyyyyy long time!! And...the lady that sold us these oh so yummy morsels assured us that calories did not count on Tuesdays (*wink wink*)! Whoot whoot!!

I don't know if I should admit this or not....but we went back Wednesday too....and ordered a smaller portion...a barely smaller order of fresh cut fries, covered in ooey gooey cheese and scrumptious gravy.. I am practically drooling as I write this just thinking about them!

Yes, we did treat ourselves, but we actually made most of our meals at the cottage. We all took turns making dinner and the night we decided  to make chicken kebabs on the BBQ, was very...how do I put this....entertaining!

We opened the BBQ and noticed there was 'stuff' on the grill that needed to burn off. So, we lit it and carried on with dinner prep as per usual while it warms up...

A few minutes later, we look at the BBQ and see this....

Flames shooting out the back!! YIKES!!! After a moment of panic, we shut off the propane and let it burn itself out. Was that grill ever clean after that! We proceeded to make the kebabs without incident and had a very scrumptious (and healthy) dinner.

After our dinners every night, weather permitting, we'd head down to the beach to watch the sunset and have a campfire...two of my favourite things to do while at the cottage.

We sure had some amazing sunsets while we were there!

The campfires were key, as the evenings were quite chilly and of course, what would going to the cottage be without s'mores?

Our final morning arrived..... I couldn't get over how quickly the 5 days had gone by... I had my morning walk on the beach and took these shots...

We packed up, tidied up and did one final walk to the lake and then back through the charming, rustic cottage we had called home for the past few days. It felt like stepping back in time when you were inside the cottage....Almost every detail was original, from the solid wood doors, to the trim, to the floor, the fireplace and the windows. It reminded me a lot of our cottage/'camp' we had growing up. I had to snap a photo of the view out of one of the front bedrooms, through the wood french doors..it captures that 'feeling' I'm talking about... We also found an old photo of the cottage's exterior in all of its original glory!

It was such a great time....full of laughs, chats, sunshine, sand, fun, great food/drink and of course, rest & relaxation! Thanks so much gals for making our week away together one to remember! Now...Let's get planning next year!

RR

Time for some R&R!

I'm on vacation!!!

I'm heading to the lake for a week of sand, sun and R&R with some gal pals.

While I won't be blogging, keep an eye on my Instagram and Twitter feeds for some photos and updates of what we're getting up to.

I'm looking forward to reading (I have enough books and magazines with me to keep me busy for a month vs a week), catching some rays (wearing sunscreen of course), walks along the beach and truly relaxing with nothing to worry about except, "what's for lunch?" 

Have a wonderful week!!

RR

Before Breakfast....

I don't know about you, but I'm getting to be quite good friends with 4:00am.

I travel quite a bit with my "9-5" and that travel includes hitting the road well before sunrise and early morning meetings (the photo above is from a trip into Toronto one morning, for an early meeting...I/we always leave extra early to miss traffic!) . Luckily, I've always been a morning person (I'm also an evening/night person...let's just say sleep and I don't really get along all that well). When I was younger, I would be on the ice for figure skating practice well before 7am and having grown up in the country, you had to be at the end of the lane way nice and early to catch the bus to school...and we were one of the first pick ups of the day.

I'm also quite a breakfast fan (thankfully) because as we all know, it really and truly is the most important meal of the  day...for many reasons (we'll get into that in a later post). If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see my Saturday morning breakfast ritual that includes a leisurely start to the day of heading to the Guelph Farmers Market, picking up my favourite Fairly Frosted Vegan Bakery Cupcake(s) and then heading back home to sit on the deck/patio to have my cupcake and latte breakfast (with the odd mimosa, donut and fresh fruit mixed in) and enjoy this somewhat lazy start to the weekend.

IF ONLY this could be every morning!!

In reality, my typical breakfast includes items such as homemade protein-rich smoothies or Greek yogurt with fruit/berries....and OF COURSE a latte (made with skim milk and Truvia...an all natural sweetener). 

Now...as important as breakfast is, I read an article in the Globe and Mail a few months ago that talked to the "Twelve Things Successful People Do Before Breakfast".

Yes, that's right, BEFORE breakfast! Around my house, that usually includes walking Charlie and mayyybeee heading to the gym for a workout ( I tend to do my early morning workouts on an empty stomach). 

This article lists things/activities/tasks such as:

• Waking up early
• Exercising
• Working on top a priority business project
• Working on a personal passion project
• Spend quality time with family
• Connect with their spouses
• Network over coffee
• Meditate to clear their minds
• Write down things they're grateful for
• Plan and strategize while they're fresh
• Check their email
• Read the news

When I look at this list, I would say that throughout the week, I would actually do most of these, depending on the day. How about you?

I wake up early, exercise by walking the pooch, make lists for the day ahead and most days, before I even get out of bed, I take a few moments to just lay there, clear my head and ease into the day. Once I'm out of bed, I'm checking my phone(s) for emails and to get caught up on the news that occurred while I was sleeping......

I also keep a journal beside my bed to jot down new project ideas, things I'm grateful for  and items I want to remember from that day. This is something I generally do before I go to sleep, but I'm going to start adding it to my morning routine too! I'll admit that Monday - Friday, the business projects take priority but the weekends are generally mine to work on my passion projects....and I definitely do find that the first few hours of the morning (ie. 6:30-9:00am) are my most productive.

So...overall,  I would say that I do 8-9 of these things on a regular basis.

I'd also add one more item to that list......

• Watch the sunrise......

There's something about witnessing the sun coming up over the horizon that puts a different and extremely positive perspective on things....it's a sign of the new day beginning....and is one of the most beautiful times of day to get outside and enjoy the outdoors!

I hope this post inspires you to add a few more items to your morning routine....items that may only take a few minutes to complete, but that will only add to the goodness....the greatness...of your day!

RR

Office Space...

This is my 'To DO' list in my newly re-vamped office! I wanted a space that would beckon me in, implore me to create and inspire me to keep dreaming....all while offering me a functional work space. (P.S. The chalkboard is one of my DIY projects....let me know if you'd like one too!)

I wanted to anchor the revamp around a new desk....a desk built for me by my amazingly multi-talented brother. We chose the wood, the leg styles, the stain and here is the final product.....

The top is reclaimed Mennonite Barn Board, the legs are iron gas pipe fixtures and we went with a medium to dark stain to really show the wood grain.... I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! It is exactly what I envisioned and then some.... I love how you can see the planing marks..the raw-edginess it exudes...and those knots holes....to DIE for! It is truly a rustic, yet still chic, one-of-a-kind piece that I will cherish forever! THANK YOU Mike!

I was out and about a few days later and wandered into HomeSense......Am I ever glad I did because I found THE perfect chair to compliment the desk! I think I even squealed a bit when I saw it! Yes, there are times I MAYYYY get a wee bit too excited about home decor pieces/furniture....but hey, you can't help passion!

The black leather seat, the curved/clean lines, the metal base, the retro-esque wood grain...... **MWAH**!!!

Sooooo.... I had the 2 main work space pieces in place. The two on their own are inspiring enough ....but I thought, why not keep taking it up a few notches......

Time for a Gallery Wall!!

I started planning it out on my desk and it slowly began to take shape...I used pieces from local artists, from Etsy sellers, local boutiques, online boutiques/shops, friends....bits and pieces from various moments in my life over the past few years.

For me....the ultimate goal of a gallery wall is to be able to look up at every single piece and smile while remembering the story behind it. I really happy to sat that I can do that for every, single piece I now have on that wall.......

Whether it's words of wisdom, a gift from a friend, a photo that evokes memories of past moments...I can sit in my new chair at my new desk, look up and continually be inspired.  It's a room that I don't want to leave.....I enjoy every moment at that desk, planning, working and creating!

Most pieces are up with Washi tape for now....I love the way it looks and it allows me to re-configure, without the commitment of nail holes (I'm a nail hole commitment-phobe!). At some point, I will likely frame the larger items and 'officially' hang them. 

Thank you to all that contributed to this space..... It's efforts like this that truly do make my house my home!

RR

Office Sourcing: Pixel Paper Hearts;  The Everygirl; Rifle Paper Co; Chapters Indigo; West Elm Toronto; Jeannette Lorito; Melting Artist Designs; Top Knot Goods; Top Knot Weddings - Etsy

Traditions....

I'm a huge fan of traditions.....

When we were kids, every year at Christmas time we'd load up a sleigh with all the neighbours and go for a night time sleigh ride, pulled by two Clydesdales, with us all bundled up in snow suits and under blankets, looking at the stars and hoping we'd see Santa fly over. Every Fall, I make a point of going back to my alma mater, the University of Western Ontario/Western University, for the Homecoming football game and festivities...I still can't believe it's been 12 years since graduation.

One of my favourite traditions though, is the annual trip to the beach with my gal pal Kristy for our birthdays. She's one day older than me and we've been celebrating together since we met in grade 9. I'll never forget our 16th birthday....we arrived home to my house to a Pacer...yes, a car that was older than both she and I at the time, and we proceeded to do everything in our power to get that car stuck in the muck, somewhere on the 50 acres...and get it stuck we did!! 

As we've gotten older, we no longer try to get cars stuck (though we still have between then and now...gotta love Country Gals) and we definitely don't get to see each other nearly enough....so when we do, we make the most out of every minute!

This year, for a bit of a milestone birthday for us both, we headed up to Port Elgin (another town that holds lots of memories for us as that was one of our 'go to' lake towns growing up) and Southampton to spend the day with our toes in the sand and the sun on our face. We had breakfast down on the water at a little resto that's been in the Port Elgin Harbour as long as I've been going there (ie. well over 30 years), we wandered out the break wall, down the beach and just relished the time re-living and remembering almost 20 years of friendship!

Port Elgin Harbour...

Port Elgin Break Wall

Get Kristy and I together, even after months of not seeing each other, and it's like we just saw each other yesterday. We are quite a pair of Gemini 'twins', always encouraging one another to dive right into life and get our feet wet!

She has such cute, tiny feet!!

We then headed over to Southampton, driving the lake road between the two towns. It truly was THE perfect summer day to be at the lake.....

Southampton Beach...

Cheers to great friends, Cheers to traditions and Cheers to the memories that those friends and traditions bring into our lives!

RR

Half Way Point....

I arrived at the office this morning shortly after 7am, flipped the calendar to July and sat back and thought, "Wow....where has 2014 gone!?". I can't believe that it was six months ago that I sat in front of this chalkboard and pulled together a variety of words that I wanted to represent my 2014. As I look back through the last 6 months I would have to say that life has brought me some wonderful memories; reminded me that less is in fact more and that we need to always, always keep believing....

JANUARY..................

Ancora Imparo... still I am learning.

I am learning that there are few things in life that cannot be figured out over a good cup of tea...or coffee...with chocolates and a friend! I have always cherished those afternoons with great friends, with a hot beverage in hand, solving alllll the/our world's problems!

I am learning....and am continually reminding myself to .... KEEP NOT SETTLING!

FEBRUARY.........................

Tout Sera Incoyables...everything is amazing!

Standing on top of a ski hill with the sun shining and the air freshingly crisp......the great outdoors is amazing!

This four legged furry guy...... AMAZZZZZZING!!!!

MARCH..............................

Orenda......the invocation of the power of human will to change the world around us. It is set up to be the opposing force to fate or destiny. If powerful forces beyond your control are trying to force you one way, orenda is a kind of voiced summoning of personal strength to change fate.

After A LOT of thought, contemplation and even tears....I decided to change my fate...change my course and summon my orenda.... I began a new job/career the end of March that has allowed me to build on my past 12 years of work and begin to learn an entirely new skill set. Scary and exciting all at the same time!

"If you knew that your art would support your life, how would you live?" - Danielle Laporte, Fire Starter Sessions....  Who knew fate would bring Flow Magazine to my Instagram feed and I would be published in their March Dutch issue..... Wow....

Seize the day....Seize the night...... Fate works in unexplainable, heart wrenching ways at times... There are times that all the personal strength in the world cannot change fate...Make sure you get out and live, no matter what life puts in front of you....My old friend...May you be at peace....

APRIL...................

Sophrosyne.....moderation, discretion, prudence.

Less is More......Quality not Quantity.

Save vs Splurge ....

• "In the past, having limited funds felt humbling and was something we kept under wraps. Now, we're proud of how little we spend - and how much bang we can get for our buck". - Erin McLaughlin, Editor of Style at Home Magazine

$22 worth of Guelph Farmer's Market bounty....one of the rare times that quality and quantity coincide!

MAY....................................

Kick Ass....Strong.....Less Fear!!

The Messier The BETTER!!

Go out and try that New Kick Ass restaurant in town...or a neighbouring town!

JUNE..............

Bucolic: of or relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life. 

Living the Bucolic Life Style in my Backyard.....as featured by Ruralist! I feel so very lucky to have been included on this website, devoted to the Rural Ontario Life and Style!

Lake Life..... Living the rural lifestyle at the lake....Celebrating a milestone birthday this year with one of my besties! More to come soon on our traditional trip to the beach to celebrate our b-days!

I still can`t believe that we are at the half way point of 2014! So far, it has been quite a ride....Cheers to the past six months and I look forward to the next 6 that lie ahead!

RR

The Abbey

A friend and I were on our way, lattes in hand, to spend our Sunday morning at the Aberfoyle Antique  Market when we noticed a new shoppe had opened just north of it. Of course, we had to stop in and have a look at this chic new boutique!

The Abbey Interiors & Boutique is a breath of fresh air in the Guelph area and is just the type of home decor boutique we have been wanting/craving/needing!!

You enter through the glossy black doors to a bright, open, beautiful entry way, flanked on both sides by wooden staircases. The cathedral ceiling and chandelier also found in the entry take your breath away!

As you walk up one of the stair cases, you are greeted by the space in the photo above and you can't help but stand there an take it all in! The hanging light fixtures/chandeliers draw your eye up, that harvest table with all the amazing decor pieces pulls you towards it, the nook in the back corner with the contrasting corner shelves (again filled with the perfect decor pieces) invites you towards the back of the boutique....Literally every square foot is inspiring! 

I purchased a few pieces and could have taken even more home with me!  I will DEFINITELY be back in soon and I have my eye on those cloches on the harvest table (along with many more items). This boutique appeals to all home decor styles and they carry pieces that will stand the test of time. 

This brushed silver and mirrored round tray is one of the items I brought home with me. I combined it with some vintage oil cans I also got at the Market that morning, along with some other items I already had at home, to make this vignette in my office.  This is such a versatile and timeless piece....I can already think of sooooo many uses for it!

This beautiful shoppe (which also has a women's boutique on the second floor!)  is located at 39 Brock Rd South, Guelph ON, N1H 6H9. Be sure to also have a look at The Abbey Interiors & Boutique's website, and all of their social media accounts: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. 

I'm really looking forward to going back and getting inspired!

RR

Petit Spaces

Small Spaces are DA BOMB!! 

And for soooo many reasons!

Sure ....things like lower utility costs, less square footage to clean, lower mortgages (generally) etc....the list goes on and on. This is where my Save vs Splurge post ties in (yes, I can definitely be thrifty at times).

As most of you know, I have my cottage in the city....my almost 800 square foot place I call home............

I LOVE every single inch of it, because in a space that size, you LIVE in every single square inch and utilize it to it's full advantage! I will admit, I also have a basement that houses my laundry, workshop area and storage and I utilize literally every millimeter of space down there too.

It's just Charlie and I...how much room do I/we really need?

I'm sure you have seen on Pinterest or Instagram the saying, "LESS HOUSE - MORE HOME" and I know you have 'heard' me use it before in other posts....

In this society of absolute excess, of over-the-top everything, of people living well beyond their means, why do we feel we need 6000, 7000, 10 000 square foot homes for families of 4?? To each their own I suppose, but what I will say is, when you lose that home to something like a fire (heaven forbid), it's not how big that house was...the number of stair cases, fireplaces, bathrooms etc.....it's about what that house contained to make it your home. The memories of Christmas stockings on a mantle and decorating the tree, birthday candles being blown out at the kitchen table, movie nights curled up on the couch, family pictures hanging on the wall, Gramma's antique wash stand in the bedroom.......

If a  10 000 square foot home doesn't contain and hold memories, it's nothing but a shell people sleep and exist in. How do you make memories, spend time with eachother etc when each family member has their own 'wing' and you communicate over intercom??

To me...this photo above is home...

A Saturday morning cupcake and a latte, reading mail from a friend, enjoying being surrounded by fresh flowers at my dining room table. I'm much more inclined to remember and enjoy rituals like this than remembering how many stairs were in the back stair case or how many cars were in the 8 door garage....It's not about 'how many' or how much', it's simply about 'how'....

How do you spend your time in your home, how (in 100 words or less) would you explain your home to a complete stranger using only emotions and feelings vs material expressions or examples..... and most importantly..... how do you make your house a home?

Magazines like Style at Home and House and Home are fantastic resources, full of practical and clever ideas about where to start with decorating a small space and how to truly utilize every bit of area you have. Remember....take your space...whether it's 500 square feet or 2000....and make it yours! Only bring in items you feel are a reflection of you...because the less space you have, the more important it is that you truly, truly love what you bring into it!

Apartment Therapy  sure does get it right too, especially if you feel you may want to add on a wee bit more space to your already small space. I'll admit, I'm looking into the possibility of 'adding up' into my attic space, like the Apartment Therapy article speaks to. The thought of a master retreat sounds heavenly...and it would also then allow for a true guest room for my out of town friends/family to visit with their kids. Am I happy with my space right now... 100%! Would a master retreat add to the value of my home, for more than purely re-sale value, yes......Do I absolutely need one...no. Again, it's just something I'm investigating....and I'll let you know what my final decision is! ;)

RR