Saturday, November 2, 2013

Boots and Blazers

Fall truly is my favorite time of year...the colors, the cooler weather, the cozy blankets....and it means it's time to break out the boots and blazers again! These 2 fashion pieces are definitely 'go-to' staples of mine... They can be dressed up or dressed down and I really can't think of two more versatile items to include in your wardrobe...except for maybe a LBD (little black dress).

This is as about as close to 'me' as a look could get...the boots, the blazer...the scarf, the bag, jeans....My Uniform! 




Fall





leather boots brown riding boots knee high studs


layers... upon layers


I can never decide which blazer to wear in the morning. 😕


.


Fox clutch




Perfect for office necklaces, white tee, blazer and jeans


Women's Ludlow blazer in wool gabardine
LOVE this blazer from J Crew...the cut, the length, classic black....would work in so many outfits!



*Drool* These Ailee Flat Studded Knee Boots by Michael Kors are yummy! I seem to gravitate to this camel/caramel color when it comes to boots...

I'm off to organize my closet and get my boots & blazers front row center!

RR

Saturday, October 26, 2013

It's officially official….

Fall is here…...with vengeance!



Spooky Sunrises….


Turn into beautiful blue skies and sunshine...


Then sunset…The colours are spectacular!


How about some tailgating? It is football season after all! We have a full Thanksgiving dinner at the TigerCat/Argo game in Guelph Thanksgiving weekend!


Had to put the Fall photo cards up in my office….



Do you find you gravitate to 'spicier', more 'woodsy' scents this time of year? I sure do….and these candle from Chapters Indigo are AMAZING! I just ordered a bunch! (They're 25% off until October 28th too!)


I headed to my parent's this weekend and was greeted with quite a snowy drive and this as I pulled in the lane way….. The Sumacs are gorgeous this time of year and just pop against the white snow!

Have a great weekend! Hope you stay warm and cosy…I'm off to make a Chai Latte…. Cheers!


RR

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Bloggers Who Brunch..

Brunch has been a bit of a theme for me as of late....I LOVE spending lazy Sunday mornings with friends over tres yummy food, great coffee and even better conversation. So...needless to say, when I got an email from Heather, a fellow Guelphite who I met at BlogPodium, suggesting that some of us local Bloggers get together for Brunch, I was 100% in!

We met at 39 Carden Street, a newer bistro in downtown Guelph, across from City Hall. I had been there for dinner about a month ago with a friend and loved it, so I was realllly looking forward to having the chance to go back, but even more so, to meet the lovely ladies I had been emailing back and forth with!

As you enter 39 Carden, it literally draws you in! Their decor and atmosphere are the epitome of my ultimate decor aesthetic! It is the perfect amount of rustic... the leaded glass cupboard windows, the iron details in the table legs, the industrial bar stools, the chalkboard menu, the black harvest chairs...combined with just the right amount of polish and glam...the beautiful chandeliers, the vintage-look light fixtures,the tufted benches, mercury glass mirrors and white bistro chairs.













Once we all arrived, introductions had been made and we and had had a chance to `take it all in`...it was time to get down to the nitty gritty...what to order for brunch! I ended up going with the tried, tested and true....bacon and eggs (over easy)! The food...and the bottomless cup of coffee in those cobalt blue mugs, was absolutely scrumptious!


We`d settled in, food was ordered and conversation just naturally turned to learning more about eachother, chatting about some blogger `hot topics` such as Blogger vs Wordpress, Stats & Numbers but most importantly, and what I found the most interesting, was as the discussion evolved...so many similarities emerged! This is a group of women who are driven, entrepreneurial, creative, passionate, with strong opinions and we all enjoy putting our thoughts, brands and ourselves into our work and our blogs!

Here is the group of lovely #guelphblogbrunch ladies - lovely both inside and out! 

From left to right**:

The diversity of topics, writing styles and design of our blogs say a lot about each of us as individuals but I think you will also find that as a collective...our shared love of writing and our passions shine through!

I think we could have sat there all afternoon and kept talking, but then reality set in and it was time to pack up and get going. We all wandered around the bistro, snapping photos and admiring the decor. A HUGE Thank you to the staff at 39 Carden Street for being so welcoming, the amazing service, the delicious food and for allowing us to come in and make ourselves at home!

Ironically enough, the contractor responsible for crafting, designing and pulling together 39 Carden was also there having brunch. We had a chance to meet Matt Robertson of Iron Edge Design and he even shared with us some of his sourcing secrets!

Here`s Matt, the creative genius behind the reno of the bistro - I think there is quite a Chris Daughtry resemblence..**


Thank you again to Heather for organizing this..such a wonderful idea! Thank you to 39 Carden Street for having us! And thank you to all the ladies for attending and for the chance to get to know more about each of you...I am really looking forward to next month!

Cheers to brunch, cheers to blogging and cheers to a group of inspiring women!**


RR




Saturday, October 19, 2013

Integrity, Purpose and Imaginative Vision


I'm having a "Jerry McGuire Mission Statement" moment....my mind is going a mile a minute and my fingers can't keep up with all the amazing thoughts, visions and ideas flowing in my mind at this very moment!
Cecil quote
Thank you to a dear friend for recommending this book... The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle Laporte.  I haven`t been able to put it down since it was delivered! Unbeknownst to me, I already had another book of hers, Style Statement, which I have kept on my bedside table for those days I needed an injection of inspiration.




Mr. Beaton`s quote and the message in these books by Ms. Laporte truly do hit home.... 

The winds of change are blowing....Stay tuned...There`s MUCH more to come..




RR 


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Morphing Mixed Medium


Maria Pezzano is a name synonymous for art, painting, textiles and entrepreneurship... It is also synonymous for friendship.

I was lucky enough to meet Maria and her family as they were my neighbours when I lived in my loft conversion in one of the oldest and cutest neighbourhoods in Guelph. Her smile and passion for what she does is infectious, her giving and generous nature are a rarity these days, and her talent....well, as the pictures below will attest...her talent is insurmountable!

Maria explains her artistic 'process' the best, so I will leave it to her to describe how she comes to produce these magnificent pieces....

"The Process"
Maria Pezzano creates paintings using mixed medium.
From these paintings, she creates patterns and designs.
These are then printed with eco-friendly pigmented inks on organic cotton sateen.
These are then sewn into decorative cushions and duvet covers, locally.
Maria's designs are also printed on wallpaper to compliment the soft surfaces.
Other fabrics include: silk crepe de chine, upholstery twill, cotton linen blend, cotton silk and more.

Maria's ability to bring her visions to life through mixed media and to then transform these pieces of art into soft pieces of art through cushions and duvets are both inspiring and brilliant! Talk about the best of both (all) worlds!












The duvet covers are absolutely stunning...


One of her new pieces....


 Her use of colour and texture.....wow.....














 Cushions and cushion covers.


 Her father was a tailor.....







The next time you are in Guelph, be sure to drop by Maria's boutique at 77 Suffolk St. As you step through the front door, you will be greeted with a warm 'hug' of colour, texture and vision.



Maria and her new Studio partner, Karen Whylie/Coyote Photo, will be holding Fall and Holiday Open Studios October 18 & 20 and November 23 & 24. BE SURE TO DROP BY!! Also be sure to follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook!



I will leave you with some more of Maria's own words...she truly does say it best..



RR

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Thank you....

Thankful.....Grateful.....Blessed.....Gratitude....

All words to describe my feelings right at this moment...but also every day.....


Thankful for drives down country lanes...



Grateful for family dinners around the table...



Blessed to be able to grow and enjoy such beautiful bounty as this...


Happy to show gratitude for each and every day....


Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

RR












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