Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Little Things...

 
I've been looking through my photos from the past few weeks and realized, the moments I have photographed...the moments that make me smile....are those little moments...everyday life...
They are those moments that make me happy and that make up what I am lucky enough to call my life.
 
 
Watching the world go by....
 
 
Mother Nature can be fierce...
 
 
A furry friend enjoying breakfast....
 
 
A collection of namesake jars.....
 
 
Sunrise.....
 
 
A Saturday morning at the market....
 
 
Homemade mac and cheese.....
 
 
Flowers....
 
 
...flowers...
 
 
..and more flowers....
 
 
Letting the sun shine in......
 
 
 
 
Live my life and be happy....The most important thing!
 
Hope you're having a great week!
 
RR

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Re-fresh...

I'm sitting in my living/dining room area after finishing a yummy breakfast of  frittata made with Farmer's Market fresh veggies, eggs and hashbrowns and a tres yummy latte, and am thinking I would like to re-fresh some rooms in my home.
I am a big fan of change, especially around the house and especially when it comes to keeping things fresh. So of course, where do I turn to for some inspiration but Pinterest ....


I have a lot of these pieces in my home already....rustic wooden boxes, barn board, mercury glass etc.....it's time to move them around and re-imagine the uses of theses pieces.

niceroom:    1richtungsblog
I'm looking for a new entertainment stand/console...this table would be perfect! I would like it to run the entire length of the wall that houses my tv and I may have to add some framed mirrors on either side of my tv as well!

Saddle stand entry decor
I am always on the look out for equestrian-style accessories.....I would really, really like to find an old saddle and bridle to add to my home....

x
I don't see anything in this picture that I don't like...the cow hyde area rug, the rustic sideboard/dresser, the exposed beams, those windows and fireplace........LOVE! I think it may be time to head to the Old Mill and get myself a new area rug....

love...love...love...
I will always love an exposed brick wall....I had them in my loft and loved the warmth they brought. I  like this idea of painting them out in a grey/white wash...I just don't know if I would have the guts to do so...

I really like my current dining set, but again, time to refresh....I would love a rustic barn board table and these green chairs are a perfect pop of colour!

Rustic elegance...
This mix of rustic and clean lines is the look I would like to work towards in my home....
tile...love it
Rustic Simplicity for the kitchen...a piece of barn board and an iron bracket....

loving this pallet desk!
A perfect DIY...a pallet top desk...I can make it whatever size, whatever height and whatever colour I would like to suit my not overly large office...




The next few photos are some of my 'dream' home ideas...someday I will be able to incorporate these into a home I own.....

fireplace crackling #modernthanksgiving




.




loft and glass




Wine room




Lovely loft





library via verdigris vie & houzz, by robert hawkins architects


I hope you are all having a relaxing, lazy Sunday....Why not hop on the internet or look through some old magazines for some inspiration to re-fresh some rooms in your home!

RR











Friday, January 4, 2013

Re-focus...

 
I love my career and give it my all. Sometimes however, I put too much of myself into it and forget to focus on other things...
 
I love this quote to help me re-focus:
 
Pinned Image
 
 
For those of us that are lucky enough to do what we love for a living....I think we can tend to lose ourselves in our career and begin to lose that passion if we aren't good to ourselves.
 
 
Pinned Image
 
 
Join me this year in re-focusing our efforts to ensure balance between our career, our passions and the rest of our lives! Continue to keep reminding ourselves, we work to live, we do not live to work!
 
 
Pinned Image
 
 
What are some of your strategies to ensure you are successful in keeping balance in your life? One of my strategies is to resolve to leave the laptop at work more often...keep work at the office. Balance is a huge key to success...it keeps you fresh and encourages you to keep growing & learning.
 
 
Pinned Image
 
I wish you only success this year in your career of choice and that you too have the chance to live and work within your passions every single day!
 
RR

Monday, December 31, 2012

Re-Claim, Re-Envision and Re-Purpose

 
The countdown is on to 2013 and what better time to look back on 2012 and reflect on days past, but to also refocus to 2013 and days yet to have begun.
 
To say that this past year was a roller coaster ride would be an understatement.....I'd say it was more like every single ride at any big amusement park all in one! The ups and downs have been unbelievable, both in good and bad ways.
 
New babies have been born and we also lost wonderful people much too soon. The circle of life was very apparent this year....
 
 
New homes were built, new chapters of life began and the memories of homes once had will be with us forever!
 
 
 
 
Time spent with friends and family was cherished and thoroughly enjoyed! 2013 will hold much more of this...I guarantee it!
 
 
A weekend at the lake this summer....

Travel, work, more travel, more work....this year there will be much more travel (fun travel) and much less work...I promise to work to live, not live to work!
 
A trip to Thunder Bay this year....got to see first hand what our guys do day-in, day-out.
 
Lake Superior

 
 
Our world has also thrown some curveballs this year..some were hit out of the park in the most fun and exciting way, others, we completely struck out on! The Olympics were a perfect example of the world coming together, playing together and showcasing the best of the best! The human tragedies  and the absolutely crazy weather showed us the worst this world has to offer, but even through the worst, the best came out in people! ...I only hope that we can all take a step back, learn from what has occurred, try to treat eachother with more care and truly appreciate what we have!
 
 
My plan for 2013 goes back to my small business 'mantra'...
 
RE-CLAIM
RE-ENVISION
RE-PURPOSE
 
I will re-claim my life, refocus on me and taking care of myself, first and foremost. I will put on my "Oxygen Mask" and eat better, get back to the gym, take more time for activities I enjoy, get outside more......time to re-claim who I am!
 
Have more fun in 2013...and not only on weekends ;) !!

 
I will re-envision where I am heading in life. I am blessed to live a life that is holistically, a very happy and fulfilling way of being. That being said, there are areas I want to 're-jig', 'tweak' and revisit my vision. My small business, Rustic Retrievals, is one of them. I have a passion for home decor, styling and helping others create the home they have always wanted.....it's time to take it up a notch and really focus on this! I will also become a regulated health professional this year as a College of Kinesiologists has been established in the province of Ontario. This will open even more doors for my other passions....the human body, helping others and rehabilitation. Stay tuned!
 
 
 
 
I will re-purpose what I already have and keep reminding myself how very lucky I am to have what I have. This will be a year of 'less spending and more saving'. When I do spend, I will continue to focus on  supporting local shops and small businesses.
 I'm not only talking about material things....I will also continue to and constantly re-examine and re-visit relationships, my career, my goals and continually re-purpose, re-claim and re-envision all of these too!
 
 
2012 was quite a year....I look forward to what 2013 holds for me, my family and my friends!
THIS IS OUR YEAR!!!
 
 
 
 
Happy New Year from Charlie and I!!
 
 
RR
 
 
 
 


Saturday, December 29, 2012

Snow Bunny!

 
I love Winter!

The cold, crisp air...the fluffy snow... how beautiful the world looks under a blanket of snowflakes....It really is my favourite time of year!

Getting all bundled up, being the first person to break a trail in the new fallen snow, tobogganing, skating, skiing, snowshoeing...with so much to do outdoors, it makes coming back indoors to a warm fire and hot chocolate even that more special!

As I'm outside in the winter, I tend to also take quite a few photos.....You never have a the same day twice in the winter with storms coming and going and I really enjoy capturing as many of these moments as I can!


Our morning walk after the first real snowfall of Winter 2012....













 
The photos below are of winters gone by during visits to my parent's home.... Frosty mornings, 'powder puffs', walks through the forest....Such a wonderful time of year to be outdoors!


 







 






 
 




I have a very special place in my heart for the West....I love skiing and when you're skiing in a setting like this, you never want to leave the slopes! I also love skating...next time, I'm taking my skates along too!!
These are photos from my trip to Lake Louise and Banff a few years ago....

View from the chairlift at Lake Louise...


At the Fairmont Banff Springs
 

Lake Louise


Lake Louise



Fairmont Banff Springs....I am DEFINITELY packing my skates the next trip out!



Fairmont Banff Springs



View from the mountain down to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise....



View from the Fairmont Banff Springs



Another view from the Fairmont Banff Springs...


As you can see...there are so many wonderful and magical reasons to get outdoors this winter and enjoy nature in all it's beauty!!

RR

**All photos are property of Rustic Retrievals**

 
 
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