Saturday Meanderings
Happy day after Valentine’s Day. Did you do anything special? Other than wear a “Love” t-shirt, socks with red hearts, and doing a property walkabout with my husband, it is a regular day for us. I hope you read my post this week about the love story of our home. Certainly a fun trip down memory lane for me! Well, it is mid-February and let’s get started with Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things.
What Are You Reading?
Lately, the books I have read have been okay, not great. I read every night before bed and just started The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen and it looks promising. Though Ms. Gerritsen is new to me, she has written 32 novels over 36 years.
Since I do not read for large chunks of time, it’s not a fan of stories that have so many characters and jump back and forth between timelines. I know some people write down the characters’ name and keep notes, but at the end of the day, I just want to be intrigued for 30 minutes. Can anyone relate? Please let me know what you are reading. To see a list of books I do recommend, go to this link.
Recipes this Week
My sweet neighbor, Steve, gave me a large bag of Meyer lemons and I’m debating what to do with all of them this year. Last year’s All Things Lemon class did produce some delicious recipes using Meyer lemons. These delicious and attractive Lemon shortbread tartlets (see post here)are made this week using Meyer lemons.
Unfortunately, I put the tartlet tins in the dishwasher (usually hand wash them) and they rusted! What a pain to try and remove the rust from the ruffles. Not sure why that happened, but not happy about it.
Some Rain, Finally!
It has been so dry here and the rain drops are few and far between. However we did get stormy skies and a bit of rain a few days ago. Just hoping for more this weekend?
The Projects Continue…
It is amazing how much dust collects behind furniture that doesn’t get moved. I finally get behind the pieces in our bedroom and yuck….so gross. Lots of work on my hands and knees this week. I have a make up table in the corner of our bedroom that really never gets used, but looks pretty.
Granted, it’s not easy to move but when I finally did, it was not pleasant. Removed the skirt to wash, polished the silver tops on the jars, and scrubbed the walls and floor underneath. Doesn’t sound like much but I feel better.
I am starting on the office which was extensively organized back in 2020 (see post here). Boy, does 5 years make a difference! Some of the office is still very neat and tidy, however, it does become a dumping ground and I just don’t know why. I’m embarrassed to show this, but we certainly do not have perfection here at Bella Terra.
In addition, I am going through tax records and only keeping the last 7 years (from 2018 and on). Just shredded 2011…ugh. So far I have filled up 7 large garbage bags. I should probably take everything to a shredding company. What a colossal pain in the you know what but slowly making progress.
Some Very Pretty Tables
I love a pretty table and lately they are jumping out on me. Check out this gorgeous one from Casa de Perrin, introducing their new Ginori x Cabana Martina line. Aren’t the colors gorgeous? Casa de Perrin is an event rental company in Los Angeles. Wouldn’t I love to have a rental company like this in Phoenix!
This table with lemons and daisies is so refreshing and cheerful.
I am not sure I would have put a pale pink tablecloth with coral/orange dinnerware, however, the flowers and fruit tie everything together.
A Farewell to Open-Floor Plan Living
Do you love an open floor plan? Living in a 1910 home, we do not have an open floor plan. Quite honestly, I love to be in my kitchen without sharing the room with the rest of the house.
The Glam Pad features this article written by Natalie Aldridge. She states: “walls offer practical benefits, like displaying art or holding furniture. Plus, there’s the visual clutter that comes with taking in half the house in a single glance. Sure, open layouts foster conversation and togetherness, but I always found myself yearning for the quiet dignity of closed spaces.”
It’s an interesting article especially if your torn between an open floor plan and separate rooms. Back in 2020, I wrote a post about this and here we are, 5 years later, having the same conversation. What camp are you in?
And the Winner is..
Thank you so much for your fun comments on my last Saturday Meanderings post. I am happy to announce that the winner of the travel cubes is Helen! I will be reaching out to you for your mailing address so I can pack this up and ship it out this week!
Best Blush for Mature Skin
Cindy Hattersley shares a post on the best blush for mature skin. Blush is a game-changer for all skin types. It brings life and warmth (that youthful glow) back to our complexions. Since none of want a clown look, you may want to see Cindy’s article here.
Mary’s Must Haves
It’s time again for me to share some of my favorite things. After cleaning my closet last week, I refresh moth pheromone traps with new ones. There are 6 traps in the packet and they are currently 10% off on Amazon at $29.99. So much better than moth balls and helps keep down those pesky holes in your clothing.
These coiled rope storage baskets are so versatile. I have them everywhere~on my bathroom shelves holding bottles of vitamins, in the closet with scarves, gloves and smaller items. They are not floppy and stay erect. Not only do they look nice, but they come in a variety of sizes and a few colors. From Target and you can find them here.
This kitchen tool I use multiple times a week. It is perfect for squeezing all the juice out of a lemon, lime or small orange. It is now 8 years old and still going strong. Mine is the yellow one, but it appears it comes in different colors. It’s easy-peasy, lemon squeeze-y.
Here’s the latest picture of our sweet Finn. He loves chewing on the palm fronds when they fall down on a windy day. He’s just helping with the yard work!
Well, that’s a wrap. Hope you have some fun plans for the weekend! I am continuing to sort, organize and shred so it will be that kind of a weekend for us. Stay safe out there!
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I can’t believe how big Finn is getting! Sounds like you have the spring cleaning bug! I have found that when I have clutter around the house it leads to stress so I have been extra diligent about keeping everything clutter free this year!
Chloe, it is so refreshing to have clean spaces. Your home always looks immaculate to me! It feels good to get into the corners! Yes, Finn apparently will continue to grow until age 2….yikes.
Thank you again for selecting my entry for the travel pack!!! It’s going to make packing for my trip so much easier.
Helen, the package is on the way!
Such beautiful tables, Mary, and thanks for introducing me to Casa de Perrin. Even though I’m not in their area either, it’s so fun to look at the ideas! I sense a pastel spring flower arrangement coming up.
Thanks for another round of fun and inspiration!
Barbara, isn’t Casa de Perrin exquisite? I love all their photos and color combinations. So much inspiration there. Oooh, you gave me an idea. We are having an engagement party with a garden theme at the end of March…I may try and replicate one of their tables.Thank you for your comment and feedback!
Thanks Mary – I am new to your newsletter and really enjoyed this. Anything tablescapes is inspiring! I am currently reading The Wedding People by Alison Espach and am really enjoying it.
Donna, thank you for the book recommendation. I will check it out. And welcome to my blog. Thank you SO much for following.
Hi Mary,
I love the lemons and daisies. I love roses and Peonies, but daisies hold a special place in my heart because they were my mama’s favorite.
Your neighbor, Steve has a Meyer Lemon tree, how wonderful, and he shares too. Believe it or not I have never tasted a Meyer lemon, I understand they are a cross between a lemon and an orange. Do you like them?
I’m with you about reading with lots of characters in a book. I have to take out a pen and paper and start writing down who is who, and for me that takes the joy out of reading.
Oh no, tarlet tins rusting, interesting. Too bad, darn!
Yes, I hear you about dust collecting behind furniture . You really went to town on cleaning behind your makeup vanity. What a great feeling when you were done, I bet your body felt it, lots of work. CONGRATULATIONS! Big pats on the back.
You should see my office/craft room, it’s somewhat organized and then turns into an upside mess in one hour or less. Like you have TONS of files to clean out. When you let five years pile up it’s such a massive job. I have that to face too. Nothing to ever be embarrassed about, you should see mine. Misery likes company, I just found it.
I’m partial to an open floor plan. We do not have a super large kitchen, so when I’m baking and cooking I prefer to have the kitchen to myself, same with my husband.
I’m so behind on my march and mission to clean out each and every room and cupboards in the house. I’m impressed you got started and are keeping at it.
Katherine, how nice that daisies remind you of your mother…They are the sweetest flower~! We live in the best neighborhood where we share our citrus and garden goodies. The Meyer lemon has a thinner skin and they aren’t as tart as a regular lemon. Last year I posted a lemon tart where you can actually put all the filling ingredients, a whole lemon included, in a blender and just pour it into a crust. Very easy and very delicious. If you live locally I can share some of the ones I have. Getting organized takes a bit of effort but once I’m on a roll, it’s hard to stop me! Good luck with your projects.
ALL this and…more need t/b done before hip replacement…gaaa…
franki
Oh Franki – congrats on getting a hip replacement! I did it and it changed my life! I actually postponed all my cleaning until afterwards, though!
Franki, when is your hip replacement? Several people I know have had great success with this type of operation. Wishing you the best luck and a very speedy recovery!!!
Happy Saturday, Mary! I am drooling over those stunning tablescapes you shared here. What amazing inspiration! I just spent the last month cleaning and organizing spaces that I had procrastinated on for years. It feels so good now that it’s over! I just hope I can keep it clean and not have to go through that process again. I love everything you make with your lemons. I wish we grew them here. Yay for rain! I’m sure your garden is quite happy. Have a fabulous week ahead my friend.
Kim, I suppose behind all our beautiful photos there are messy and cluttered spaces. Good for you for getting yours organized! I know, I love Casa de Perrin table photos..so beautiful and creative. Good inspiration for us. Thanks for weighing in this week!
Thanks for the fun and helpful post. (I’m glad I’m not the only one who puts off cleaning behind furniture.) You make taking care of a lovely historic home look fun and easy, and I’m sure it’s a full time job. Ordering those Moth Boss baits right now!
Diana, I know you will like the moth boss baits. No smell and they are relatively small and hang anywhere. Let me know what you think! Since I feel like we’ve let things go for a while (I was more organized when the children were home), it’s a bit more work to get back on track. But I’m committed so it’s fun to see the organizational progress!
Mrs. Mary, thanks for all the suggestions today, I’m especially liking the moth bait. We have a fair amount of wool and I keep lavender in our closet but sometimes I feel we might need something extra. Finn is so cute and helpful:).
Crystal, the moth boss baits seems to be keeping the problem at bay. I also put my wool and cashmere items in a cashmere bag too, just in case. Have had too many tiny holes in items I love. Not sure where these darn moths come from….