Saturday Meanderings
How can it truly be the last Saturday of April? Happy Saturday and weekend to you. This week seem to move along rather quickly for me and I am ready to slow things down once again. Thanks for joining me today as we chat about all good things this week.
Tackling Another House Project
I truly love my kitchen. It is the hub of our home where everyone gathers, cooks, socializes and is the most used room in the house. As a result, of course, it tends to get a bit messy. Daily cleaning is typical for dishes and counters; weekly the floors and rugs get washed. But when was the last time I cleaned out each and every cupboard? I mean really clean~sorting, tossing what isn’t used, wiping down the shelves, replacing the shelf paper, etc.
This project started this week. So far, I have thoroughly cleaned 16 spaces (cupboards, drawers, shelves) and still have 37 to go. My goal is to complete this project before house guests arrive on May 6th. Naturally it has been all consuming. But there is a slight giddiness when I open a space and see the transformation.
Here is a kitchen drawer before:
And here it is after. All the expired aspirin and vitamins are gone. Similar items are together and organized. It is such a feeling of freedom, right?
A cupboard that holds mostly tea and beverage related items gets a good overhaul. The shelves are scrubbed clean and old labels removed.
Here is the before:
And here is after cleaning and organizing.
Making Focaccia for the First Time
My son, Benjamin, makes focaccia bread all the time. Surprisingly, I have never made it. So this week I decide to try my hand at it, using my sourdough starter, not commercial dry yeast. I add olives, fresh rosemary and a good sprinkling of sea salt. Up to this point, it looks good.
Well, it was a total flop. I think I over proofed it and rushed the process. Other than eating the olives off the top, it was added to the kitchen trash. I will definitely try it again and maybe follow the directions this time?
Have you Ever Made a Hand Knit Blanket?
I finally finish a chunky chenille yarn blanket in a blush pink. It’s a graduation gift for my daughter’s friend, who happens to love the white chunky yarn blanket I made for Elisabeth. Personally, I am an abysmal knitter, but this hand knit blanket is relatively easy and something I can do.
The yarn is from Joann’s Fabric (I order it online) and it comes in 16 colors. It took 6 skeins and the finished size is approximately 3 feet by 5 feet. A fun and doable project~coming from someone that doesn’t have a knitting skill set. There are many tutorials online too.
Flower Botanical Art Work
This week on the blog is an easy DIY Botanical Artwork that you can make with supplies around your house. If you missed it you can see it here. Being curious, I try this same technique but with flowers.
With only enough time to make two of them, what do you think?
Do You Wear Sunscreen?
I try to wear sunscreen on my face and neck all year round. But as the weather gets warmer, especially here in the Valley of the Sun, protecting your skin from the sun is important. Here are two products that I LOVE and use every day.
Colorscience Brush-On Sunscreen Mineral Powder is a substitute for my face powder every day. I also keep one in the car for those long drives where the left side of my face is exposed to the sun. It’s $69.00 and comes in 4 colors. Though a bit pricey, I can honestly say it seems to last forever. You can find it on Amazon here.
I LOVE this product. Again, Colorscience Total Eye 3-in-1 Anti-Aging Renewal Therapy. It immediately brightens and corrects dark circles, while smoothing fine lines and wrinkles. I wear contact lenses and this product does not bother me at all. It has the added benefit of protecting your delicate skin around the eyes with a broad spectrum SPF35. It is a bit pricey at $79.00 but I am still using the tube I bought in June 2022. Comes in 4 colors and you can find it here.
Do you wear sunscreen on your face and neck every day?
New Show We are Watching
We just started watching this yesterday but I am intrigued by the concept of arranged marriages. Though this show is into Season 3, I am just learning about it and starting Season 1. In Indian Matchmaking, Mumbai’s premier matchmaker Sima Taparia, draws from decades of experiences, insights and traditional methods to help single people find their perfect matches. You can find it on Netflix.
Dreaming About an English Cottage?
Nestled in a quiet enclave on the outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire is this charming four-bedroom thatched cottage…..and it is FOR SALE! Check out the gorgeous pictures and dreamy landscape here. I just found this website and it has a plethora of homes, cottages, apartments for sale~lots of eye candy!
Proud Moments
My youngest child, Elisabeth, is getting ready to graduate college shortly. She attends the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University and her undergraduate requirement is to write and present a thesis. This week she presented her defense on Monday to her professors and I had the honor of watching her as it was held virtually. Not only did she pass, but the comments by her professors made all her efforts worthwhile.
Elisabeth is a Criminal Justice major and is currently interning at the County Medical Examiners Office~makes me cringe a bit but she seems to be learning a great deal about dead bodies.
Well, that’s a wrap for the last Saturday Meanderings in April. Have a spectacular weekend! Do you have any fun plans?
Just a reminder that any words that are italicized bring you to the source. If it is a product on Amazon, please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you purchase something through my website, I receive a small (very small!) stipend, which doesn’t affect the price you pay at all. My goal is to make sourcing the items easy for you. Thank you for your continued support.
Whoa! That is quite a project to tackle all of those kitchen cupboards and drawers! I just told Scott I have to take on my clothes closets and drawers when I get back home this week! I can’t wait to see you in Phoenix and continue to make plans for our fall Christmas masterclass! Congratulations to you and Scott and Elisabeth! I know how much parents are a part of raising such a talented child!
Congrats to Elisabeth – that’s a lot of work! One of my best friends was in forensic medicine and she said she loved it because her patients didn’t talk back! And congrats on your cupboard cleaning. I”m inspired! I agree with everyone else that your flower art is beautiful. Thanks for all the great ideas and useful products – I might give the sunsccreen and eye cream a try. The mirror is getting less and less forgiving these days! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend enjoying your roses!
Your daughter is so impressive! This country needs brilliant, hard-working, dedicated people to work in these difficult careers – not an easy path but one that is so vital to our country. You must be so proud!!
I always love your blogposts.
Congratulations to you and your daughter. No doubt, she has a brilliant career ahead of her. Hugs to you.
You never cease to amaze me! I am so impressed by your sewing skills!! Is there anything you can’t do? I bet even the focaccia was delicious!
Mrs. Mary, congratulations to your daughter! That is an intriguing major. Your pressed flowers are beautiful. I have found many pressed flowers in books that I purchased from estate sales or at thrift stores. I often wonder about the person who put them there. Ahhh, spring cleaning is tedious but rewarding.
First, calling the movers in this week — Church Walk Cottage has my name all over it! Congrats to your daughter — she must be one tough cookie to intern in the Coroner’s Office!! Surprisingly, last week I started on a cleaning/mucking out spree tpo! My house/studio grew totally out of control after the AC guy basically destroyed my jewelry studio, causing me to just throw everything in boxes in an effort to limit the damage. The stacks and mess finally got to me…well…more like caused me to crack and start a major overhaul. It will take weeks to reach an endpoint — if an endpoint is even possible — but am taking my time as I am working on jewelry daily. I do knit and have made more afghans than I can count in my life! But love them and they are super gifts. Love yours. When you say “hand knit” do you mean this is a pattern that you actually use your hands as needles? I have seen pix of people doing it and thought I would give it a try some day. Seeing your finished piece makes me want to do it even more. I have looked at yarns and big huge needles so curious to know a bit more about your technique. Well, back to projects at hand. Your blogposts provide a bit of a respite in my life. I enjoy seeing the nooks and crannies of your home, gardens and life. Oh shoot…I forgot I wanted to comment on your focaccia. – I saw a recipe the other day that intrigued me so thinking about trying it out…someday. I love a tasty focaccia — even more than pizza when done right. I have never made one; but will be sure to keep you posted if and when I do. We can share war stories, as they say!
Mary, You are to be commended for all the kitchen cleaning! I so need to tackle all the drawers in my
home…some have been years–yes, years since I have got around to that. Your daughter is beautiful
and is to be lauded for that major. That is a tough one for sure. Also, love your pressed flowers. I have some extra frames and hope to fill them after things bloom more in this area.
Blessings,
Virginia, it has been years and years since I’ve gone through the cupboards too. The kitchen was brand new in 2001 and quite honestly, I’ve clean a few occasionally, but not sure I’ve ever done all of them. After I’m finished cleaning, then I will touch up paint the chips and dings and completely paint the baseboard. Will get on my knees and hand scrub all those corners too. Long overdue but I’m feeling rather good about the progress I’ve made! The pressed flower project is rather easy and I am very pleased with the results!
Cleaning and organizing is surprisingly rewarding, always asking ourselves why we can’t keep it neat?
Congrats on Elisabeth’s huge accomplishments! How proud you must be, lovely and talented, lucky parents!
Love the botanical ideas! Astounded how you find the time to do all you do!
Keep em coming!
Cheers!
Bev, yes, why can’t we keep it neat?!? For me I get busy and think I will get to it later…I believe the last time my kitchen was spotless is when I wrote a post about it in 2020! Ha!
Mary
Your daughter is beautiful just like her mom. I love your art work. I’ve been want to press some flowers to frame. I love the delicate flowers. Have the best weekend.
Rachel, you are so sweet! I am surprised how easy and rewarding the pressed flower project is…you will make something spectacular as you are truly so very talented. Have a beautiful weekend.
Your roses are gorgeous!
Your floral artwork is so pretty. They would make perfect gifts. I think you should make more.
Valerie, I am over the moon about the roses this year. Surprising what a lot of winter rain and cooler temps will do. I do love the flower artwork and have some more flowers pressed and lots of frames left!