Dog Park....

Charlie and I hit the dog park this morning....only to find, to his delight, a rain made pond that he could wade through, chase tennis balls in and literally, just splash around in.

Charlie is my 5 year old Chocloate Lab...and the Retrievals portion of the name of this blog/hopefully soon to be small business, comes from the fact that he is a Retriever and joins me on many of my trips through the countryside, looking for those rustic pieces.

We spend a great deal of time outdoors and have gotten to know many of the rivers, lakes, streams etc of southern Ontario because if he wasn't a furry four legged creature, I would swear he was a fish! He just cannot get enough of the water and this morning was no different.

When we aren't outside enjoying the sun/rain or whatever the weather may be, he can generally be found, maxin' and chillaxin' on some soft surface in the loft. Couch, bed...possibly even his own dog bed! Haha....

This has to be one of his favorite positions to lie in....and as you can see, he has little to no shame!

Well I am off to make brunch....ok, maybe lunch, and then am off later this afternoon to a friend's place for dinner and a visit with old work chums!

Productive day!!

Wow! What a productive day! Having lived in Guelph for almost a year, I'm still finding little hidden treasures in this city...one of them being one of my new favorite stores, Creative Edge (http://www.creativeedgegifts.com/). The store is full of rustic treasures...like barnboard frames/mirrors, pegboard shelves and the pegs are made of golf club heads, one of a kind chairs etc etc. I also found an independently owned pet boutique called Tattle Tails (http://www.tattletailspetboutique.com/). I purchased a GREAT new, multi-function leash for Charlie (my 5 year old Chocolate Lab) and I will definitely have to head back there for more goodies! I also found a new hair salon, called Acqua (http://www.acuqasalon.com/) and am sooo happy to have found a great stylist named Nikki! No better way for a quick 'pick me up' then a good hair cut!

But prior to finding all of these wonderful places/things, I hit our local ReStore (Habitat for Humanity http://habitat.ca/restoresc648.php ) to see if I could find some tile for my bathroom backsplash. Did I ever luck out!! I actually found 2 sets of tiles that I LOVED and got more than enough of each to do the space in the bathroom...and all for less than $30!!

This is the first bunch I got....slate 4x4 squares that are both sleek but rugged all at the same time.
This is the second set...they remind me of the oceans with the waves and colours.

As you can see, they are VERY different styles but I really, really like them both.
Everything in my bathroom is white (vanity, shower tile, floor tile) and the new vanity top (which I just ordered today) will be white with a slight hit of grey running through. I definitely have a beach/cottage theme going in the bathroom with shells, sand and accent colours of aqua, light blue, brown, sandy beige, silver etc. I even have a rough wood post running down the wall of the bathroom....an original feature of the building (a loft conversion) that I live in.
I hadn't been to the ReStore for a while and everytime I go, I always leave with something...and today, I am extremely happy with my finds! :)

Sunday Treasures..

I have made my way indoors for a bit, taking a break from the heat! It has been a very productive yet relaxing Sunday, taking it all in in Huron County.
My Dad and I started/completed a few projects, the main 2 being building a structure to allow a BitterSweet Vine a place to meander and a coffee/side table for me, recycling an old iron frame and deck/barn board. I can't wait to see the finished products of both....the structure covered in vines and the table being put to use in my loft!




Iwas also able to plant those herbs and can't wait to get them home and get cooking! I haven't has a great deal of luck growing herbs indoors, so fingers crossed these survive.



It's back to the city soon, after a wonderful weekend at home...relaxing, catching some rays and working on some rustic revival projects!

Relaxing, Sunny Saturday!

It is great to be able to get home and visit my parents and to also be able to take full advantage of this great weather! As I walked up the back deck to enter the house, I noticed a plethora of herbs and plants, just waiting to be planted into either containers or into the ground. Needless to say, I commandeered some clay pots from my Dad's greenhouse and will begin planting quite soon as I am in need of some more herbs at my home (I live in a loft conversion so gardening is not an option unfortunately). Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano...the list goes on and on. I am also starting to plan meals around my newly obtained 'goodies' as I'm sure you all know how fresh herbs really can make the biggest difference in many recipes!
I am debating heading to some of the local antique stores to see if I can stumble across any finds to add to my retrievals! Last weekend will be hard to beat though as a small town near me was having one of their summer festivals and one of my favorite stores had quite the sidewalk sale on...AND, I also found out that they have a warehouse!! Needless to say...I am well stocked up from all the finds during my time in rural Ontario last weekend!