Saturday, July 27, 2013

Sunny...

I was flipping through the thesaurus, looking for synonyms for the word "Happy"...

Words like 'contented', 'joyous', 'blissful', 'sparkling', 'jubilant', 'delighted' and 'elated' jumped off the page.

The word 'sunny' was also on the list and I felt that it really is the perfect word to use in place of 'happy'....

Sunny = Happy

As I think of things that bring me happiness, sunshine filled days are very close to the top of the list.....

When one feels happy, you exude your own sunshine.

What brings sunshine or happiness to your life??

...


For me....it's the little things....that fleeting moment...that natural element...anything that brings "that" smile or grin to my face and adds that sunshine to my day...


A sunrise through the trees...



Moments of inspiration....



Nature's beauty...



Sunsets at the lake....



..and more sunsets..




Quiet moments with this guy...



Candlelight and nights spent under the stars wrapped up in blankets..



Evenings spent with friends over a good bottle of wine...



Living in a part of the world where we can enjoy all 4 seasons....



Memories of dancing at Camp...



Sand between my toes....



Mountain air and views....



Quiet time at the lake...


Remember to....



Wishing you sunshine and happiness always...

RR

Monday, July 22, 2013

Uncommon Decency


After today (and more days then normal recently), this just seems even more true.......

Wise and often witty.

It seems lately that common decency is becoming more and more uncommon...

My line of work is always full of challenges but some days bring more than others.

The way I was brought up...private property is private property. You do not enter onto it without permission and if you do happen to enter unknowingly and encounter someone who asks you to leave, you do so...expediently while apologizing.

The way some children today seem to have been brought up (and I preface that as some...not all), they feel that they can do whatever they please, whenever they please, have zero accountability...and when they are asked to do something they feel they do not want or need to do...LOOK OUT!
Personal_Accountability

Take today for example...

I'm sitting in my truck on the phone in the parking lot at my office (trying to wrap up my day) when three young boys on their silly little BMX-like bikes decide they want to do their silly little stunts on the railings of the front entry ramp of our building. 

I sit there, watching as they continue trying their 'moves' but more often then not, they're wiping out. I do Health & Safety based work for a living and this was not sitting well with me for mannnyyy reasons. I start the truck, roll down my window, ask the Manager I am on the phone with to please hold for a minute and ask these three children to please stop what they were doing and vacate the premises....

WELL....you would swear I asked them to cut off each others heads! I was met with a barrage of these little boys asking me who the hell did I think I was, how dare I even suggest that they not do what they were doing and that what they were doing was fun so I could just 'screw off'.....I asked one more time for them to leave and if they didn't, I would call the police as they were on private property. They continued on what they were doing, saying they didn't care if I called the police, I could go right ahead, they had every right to be there. A few other comments were thrown my way and one of them got much too close to the open passenger window of my vehicle to 'chirp' at me...and that was it....I pulled my other phone out (all the while the Manager is still on hold and I could hear him chuckling on the other end as how ridiculous this situation was) and called the police. I was just finishing giving the operator the information and these 3 'big boys' quickly turned into little cowards and took off, again, mouthing off as they pedaled away....all the while, one of the guys from the office had just come out to do the same thing I had already been trying to do. He just stood there...shaking his head.....and by that time, I was...well...to try and put it nicely...I was BEYOND ticked off!

I don't know what stunned me more....the fact that A) they felt that they could do what they were doing to begin with or B) that when they were asked to stop what they were doing, they responded the way they did.

Believe me, I'm farrrrrr from perfect...but one thing I will never, ever, EVER put up with is an entitlement attitude...or...attitude..period......NEVER! 

I know...I know...BIG PICTURE...this is a little blip on the radar....sometimes I think the saying below is true about certain things...

fact of life...I need to this more

But then I also take a step back and it hits me....I turn on the news every night and this same type of behaviour, attitude, approach is not a minor thing....these kids from today will grow into the so-called-adults tomorrow that feel society owes them everything, that rules/laws don't apply to them, that they shouldn't have to do anything they don't want to do..and worst of all...if they are asked to actually just do their basic share of being a part of society, they 'go-off'....making it their full time job to do as little as possible, coming up with excuses and just causing s*&t.......SO SCAREY!!

Ok...deep breath.....I'm good now.....venting session is over..

Needless to say..after my anger dissipated today, I became disappointed....I just shook my head, packed up the truck as I watched 2 police cruisers drive by in the direction the kids had taken off and I drove home....To my home I have worked hard to make for myself and no matter what, I will continue to give my all every single day as interactions such as this remind me to be thankful I was raised so well, that I have had manners instilled in me, that I believe in being a good and descent person...and most of all, that that type of behaviour is sooooo foreign to me, I know I could never, ever be 'that' person!

I'm actually smiling as I finish this post as I was able to find these 3 'take-aways' from today's events...

Karma has no deadline


idiots


:)


Let's all just be descent human beings and treat each other with respect...I don't think that is too much to ask!

RR



Saturday, July 20, 2013

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

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

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





Saturday, July 6, 2013

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......

backyard-makeover-new-patio.jpg
The clean lines, the simplicity, the greenery...

backyard-makeover-retreat.jpg
Hostas, cedars, herbs.....black, grey, cream and green...


backyard-makeover-revamping.jpg
I plan on also doing a similar fence with horizontal fence boards...


backyard-makeover-showpiece.jpg
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



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