Saturday Meanderings

Happy February 1^st! In researching holidays this month, today is Change Your Password Day, Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day and Spunky Old Broads Day. Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week. I so appreciate you joining me today so get your favorite beverage and let’s get started.

Ongoing Projects

I love when there is lots of activity around the house, especially when projects are being started and completed. Supplementing all the planting beds on the property continues and seeing that dark, rich soil providing nutrition to all our plants is rewarding. I can almost hear them gobbling it up. 

One of my January chores is to prepare the rose garden for spring blooms. It’s a bit daunting to whack back the stems and canes and remove the foliage, but it’s all for a good cause. I’ve lost 5 rose bushes from the summer heat and will be replacing those this next week. Getting the wells rebuilt for water retention, checking the plants for growth issues and fertilizing the next few months, should reward us with gorgeous blossoms. 

Our lawn is not looking its finest so we consult with an expert to find out why. Again, the answer is fertilizer and a proper watering schedule so hopefully it will perk up again.  I believe our property looks its best around Easter and the extra TLC we are giving it should help.

My garden remains covered in frost cloth and Christmas lights due to the chilly, near freezing mornings. Our last frost date is February 15^th (I believe) and I look forward to removing it all and watching it flourish with warmer temperatures.

New Door Color

The color on the front door has ranged from a bright red to a robin’s egg blue to now what we think will be a deep, rich Burgundy.  What’s nice about paint is that if you don’t like it, you can affordably change it.

As I mentioned last week, our painter, John is cleaning up the entire front entrance. The last few paint jobs were done by me and I am far from a professional. What a difference to have an expert paint the front door and sidelights. Hope to reveal the final color to you next week. Be prepared as the color and scope will be so different! Change is good, right?

Preventative Measures

In anticipating a perfectly painted front door, I do not want to hang my February grapevine wreath against the surface. To prevent scratches, I find some black velvet and glue-gun it to the back. Hoping this will provide a slight barrier between the branches and the door.

Has anyone done this to their wreaths so they don’t scratch your door?

Purchasing a Bed

It’s been challenging trying to find a bed for my son’s room. He’s always had a double bed but now that he’s engaged, I need to provide something larger for he and his future wife. Most beds/frames are online purchases only so you need to rely on the reviews to get the right piece. 

The goal is to not spend a fortune and get something that will be sturdy and complement the room. I finally find what I want (an upholstered one that doesn’t sit directly on the floor)  and order fabric samples. The samples finally arrive 10 days later and I order the bed from The Inside.com. You know when you overthink something? I am relieved to make a decision and get it done….only to find out that delivery time is 4-5 months, and my deadline for completing this project is mid-March.

Darn and a few other expletives as I had my heart set on this one. I finally abandon that bed style and just ordered a different one yesterday from Wayfair. It is not even similar to the bed above (not upholstered),  but at least it has legs and is off the floor. Should arrive in the next few weeks. Keeping my fingers crossed. 

Remember when you could go to a store and actually see and touch a bed before buying it?

Baking is My Therapy

It seems when I get a wee bit out of sorts, I bake. When it’s chilly out, I bake. I love being in my kitchen and the ritual of putting on an apron is very therapeutic. This week, Lemon Rose Shortbread cookies are the main attraction. The recipe is from Half Baked Harvest and they are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea in the afternoon. Check out her post as her cookie pictures are very pretty.

You can use any cookie cutter, but since Valentine’s Day is approaching, I choose a heart shape one. The recipe states you can tint the lemon icing with blood orange juice, but since I didn’t have that on hand, I use this organic herbal supplement, Rose, by Anima Mundi Apothecary. I may have been a little heavy handed as I was hoping for a pale pink, but I’m happy with this color too.

You may want to check out the Anima Mundi Apothecary website as they have so many interesting products to promote good health. I actually forgot I had this and am now adding it to my coffee and warm drinks to promote balance and good heart health.

Traveling for a Few Day

I am traveling for the next few days and an early morning departure provides this gift of a bright orange sunrise. Getting on an airplane so soon after the horrific plane/helicopter crash in Washington, DC is a bit disconcerting. What a tragic loss of life and reminder to appreciate each and every precious day.

Straw Hat Bike Helmet

I know I should wear a bike helmet while riding my bike, especially around Phoenix where we have so many out of town/state drivers. Though practical and safe, bike helmets aren’t necessarily attractive. Bike Pretty has some cute bike helmet options, like this Straw Hat Bike Helmet.

How cute is this? Or the one in Shibori Blue? Plus it provides some shade protection too! Check out this website for other styles too.

With all the yard work being done, we frequently need to leave our gates open. Finn, of course wants to be a part of everything but we cannot risk him leaving the property on such a busy street. Here is my husband’s solution.

If you missed my Wednesday post on Valentine’s Day inspiration you can see it here.

Well, that’s a wrap! For all the old spunky broads out there, do something fun to celebrate! Have a fun, fabulous and relaxing seeking. Be safe out there.