Saturday Meanderings

ByMary Crozier January 16, 2021February 8, 2021

I hope this blog post finds you having a delicious cup of coffee (or tea) and a relaxing morning. Thanks for joining me for Saturday Meanderings as we chat about all things good this week!

I cannot tell you how much I enjoy hearing about your home projects or trying a recipe I’ve shared. My sweet neighbor, Tevia, got inspiration from the stenciled bathroom tile floor in our pool house. She tackled her guest house bathroom floor. Isn’t this amazing?

And now, she just completed her laundry room floor, using a different stencil but with only one color. It looks completely different! Wow!

Great Customer Service

I love my coffee every morning and two years ago, my family bought a Nespresso Breville Creatista coffee machine for my birthday. Multiple times a day this coffee machine is creating lattes, cappuccinos, you name it. Recently, though, the water tank in the back was leaking intermittently.

So we call Nespresso’s customer service and they conduct a leak test over the phone (took 20 minutes) and quickly sent a replacement tank. However, when it arrived, it was the wrong size. So I call again. Apparently they have discontinued this model and no longer have a replacement tank. So what did they do? They sent me a brand, new machine at no cost! This particular model retails at $599.99! How nice that Nespresso stands by their products.

Pretty Things and Images

Look at this spectacular photo of a chrysanthemum. I’m not sure I’ve ever truly appreciated the beauty of this flower. Wouldn’t this make a spectacular painting?

If you shop at Target, check out these cute rain boots from Smith and Hawkin. Click here for the link.

Cindy Hattersley from Cindy Hattersley Designs recently posted this picture. These are the last of her roses and the way they are captured on her new iPhone 12 is amazing. See her blog post h e re.

Cindy Hattersley's roses — Photo by Cindy Hattersley

My Painting Aspirations

Last year, I didn’t paint as much as I would have liked. So this year, the plan is to schedule time to each week to paint. I would like to attempt painting animals. Here is some inspiration.

On My Bucket List

Visiting the People’s House during Christmas is on my bucket list. I have been by the White House but never inside. My sweet friend, Effie went this year and shared these pictures. I meant to post them during the holidays, but they are lovely no matter what time of year it is.

Look at the rose garland and this bouquet with Abraham Lincoln overseeing it all

The theme is America the Beautiful. So often we forget that living in this country is such a privilege and in spite of its problems and political differences, it is certainly the best nation in the world.

The Gingerbread House in the State Dining Room

This delectable wonder replicates the West Wing, Executive Residence, East Wing and for the first time, the Rose Garden and the First Ladies’ Garden. Constructed from 275 pounds of gingerbread dough, 110 pounds of pastille dough, 30 pounds of gum paste, 25 pounds of chocolate and 25 pounds of Royal icing, every detail is an exact replica.

She also sent me the accompanying book, illustrated by Carole Biggio, which for a budding artist like me, is a dream to have.

As politicians come and go, the White House staff mostly remains. If you haven’t read this book by Kate Andersen Brower, you will find all the stories interesting. The Residence can be found here.

To close, I have a short, funny video of Cooper. Life with our dogs is a constant adventure!

Have a spectacular weekend!

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It’s All in the Details

ByMary Crozier March 10, 2017October 12, 2020

The Willetta project is moving along and I’ve got my fingers crossed that it will be completed by March 25. Right now, we are putting all the pieces of the puzzle back-the kitchen cabinets, countertops, appliances, tiling, final window and door trim, and final paint. The last 5% of any renovation/restoration is the most important….

artificial flowers | Christmas | Fireplace and mantel | historical homes | holiday decorating

Holiday Mantels Over the Years

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Before central air conditioning and heat, homes are kept warm by fireplaces in many of the rooms. In our historic home, we have 5 fireplaces inside and two outside. Each fireplace has a mantel that is begging to be decorated for the Christmas holidays. Here is a compilation of some of our decorated mantels over…

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You know how much I love gardening, and I am far from complaining. But everything is reaching its prime at the same time. The peaches, apricots, tomatoes, figs, artichokes, fennel, sorrel and soon to be apples are being harvested now. Tomatoes But unlike store bought produce, my homegrown fruits and vegetables don’t last days on…

Updating a Utility Hallway~from Cluttered to Clean

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The area between our laundry/utility room and kitchen, is also an access path to the 3-car garage. As you can imagine, it is a dumping ground for just about everything. When no one knows where to put something, it typically gets placed here. Because we are spending much more time at our cabin, I am…

Project Dilemma

ByMary Crozier May 5, 2020May 5, 2020

The exterior lights to the guest cottage were looking tired and faded. What started as an easy DIY project now has me stumped about another. It seems like every time I start one project, it inevitably leads to ones I haven’t considered. As you can see below, the exterior light fixtures to the guest house…