Saturday Meanderings

Happy Saturday! Is this monster storm heading your way? We’ll be just fine here with rain in the forecast, but many parts of the country are bracing for record-setting arctic temperatures—brrrr! After growing up in Connecticut and enduring more than my share of serious winter storms, I can honestly say I’m grateful to live in a more moderate climate. Let’s get started with our weekly Saturday post. Grab your favorite beverage, get cozy, and let’s chat about all the good things from this week. 💙

Extensive Yard Work

It’s been a true manual-labor kind of week around here, filled with weeding, trimming, and plenty of yard work. This is also the time of year to cut back your roses—just be sure to check the freeze dates for your growing zone first. Even though we’re in Zone 9b and freezing temperatures can linger until February 1, I checked the 10-day forecast and there’s no frost in sight. That was the green light I needed to get out the pruners.

My roses really took a hit last summer, so this year I’m approaching them with extra care—and some expert guidance. Barry Allan (husband of Katherine, who many of you know from her thoughtful comments here), is both a Master Gardener and a knowledgeable rosarian. With his advice in mind, I did a hard pruning and removed all the remaining leaves.

In order to protect the new cuts, I took an old bottle of thickened nail polish to paint each end—a little trick to protect the canes. Now I’ll wait a week or two before fertilizing each bush. With some added love and attention, I’m hopeful we’ll see significant blooms in a few months.

A word to the wise if you’re working with roses: invest in the right gloves. I was convinced mine were thorn-proof… they were not. I’ve been stabbed more times than I care to admit and am fairly certain a thorn tip is lodged in my index finger knuckle, which I haven’t been able to remove so far. Very painful—and a hard-earned gardening lesson.

The Frederic Magazine

I know so many publications have moved to an online format, but don’t you just love a good, old-fashioned magazine? One you can slowly flip through, set down, pick up again, and revisit over time? Online publications are here to stay, I know—but they just don’t give me the same satisfaction as a real, hard-copy magazine. Anyone else feel the same way?

This week I received a complimentary issue of Frederic. I’ll be honest—I hadn’t heard of it before, but it’s Volume 19, so clearly it’s been around for a while. I was immediately impressed. What really struck me was the variety of styles and décor featured in the homes. Quite honestly, I’ve grown tired of seeing the same look repeated over and over again. We all live in different houses, with our own quirks, histories, and collections, yet so many magazines showcase homes that feel… well, boring.

It’s also a substantial magazine—nearly 13 inches tall and 10 inches wide—with lovely, thick paper that feels anything but flimsy. At almost 150 pages, even the advertisements are well done and visually appealing. The homes range from an 1850s Brooklyn carriage house to a 500-year-old French château to a century-old Connecticut home (my favorite), and more. It was such a pleasure to see homes that actually feel personal and lived-in—proof that good design doesn’t have to look the same everywhere.

Frederic felt refreshingly different. A subscription isn’t inexpensive, but if you’re a true magazine lover and enjoy beautiful photography and interesting homes, this one might be worth considering. A one-year subscription (four issues) is $87, and two years (eight issues) is $154, not including postage. You can subscribe online here if it speaks to you.

Valentine’s Day

As we near the end of January, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. I’ve put up a few simple decorations this year—much less than I typically do. We won’t be hosting our Valentine dinner party since our son and his fiancée will be in town for an engagement party for dear friends.

Still, I can’t help but love the sweetness of this holiday—the pinks, reds, blush tones, and of course, white.

If you’re looking for an easy and cute DIY, be sure to check out this post from CoCo at The Crowned Goat. It would be such a fun project to do with children or grandchildren and is a great way to turn a simple pair of pajamas into something festive. 

And if DIY isn’t your thing, you can always buy Valentine jammies for yourself. This set has great reviews on Amazon, and if you love matching pajamas, there are baby and child versions too. Best of all, they’re only $28.50—which makes them even sweeter. 💕

A Winter Reset

I know it’s already a month after Christmas, but I’m still feeling a bit out of my routine. Some years the transition feels seamless; other years it takes a little longer to find my footing again.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Wendy from WM Design House, and we quickly felt like fast friends. I recently read her post, A Simple Winter Reset After the Holidays, and found it so nourishing—just what I needed.

If you haven’t quite settled into your new-year rhythm yet, you may find a sense of calm and encouragement in Wendy’s words. I know I certainly did.

What Are You Reading?

It seems like every book I pick up lately is set in Paris, which feels especially timely since I was just there. I read every night, and over the past few months I’ve truly loved the following books.

One of my favorite authors is Rhys Bowen. She’s a highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling author, known for her atmospheric historical mysteries and sweeping wartime stories. Years ago, we hosted an English tea here with Rhys as our featured speaker, and she was nothing short of entertaining and delightful.

I recently finished three of her novels—Where the Sky Begins, The Rose Arbor, and The Paris Assignment. All three are tied to WWII and are beautifully written. Rich with history, they continually remind me of the hardships people endured during the war in Europe and the extraordinary ways they survived. Each book has excellent characters and a compelling storyline, and I highly recommend all three.

And if you missed my earlier post about Rhys’s book Above the Bay of Angels—and my surprise appearance as a character in the novel—you can read that post here.

Our Anniversary

We celebrated the beginning of our 32nd year of marriage this week! My husband surprised me with a very sweet card and beautiful flowers. Since we’re back on our healthy eating program, we skipped restaurant reservations this year—but we enjoyed a delicious meal at home instead.

I’m trying to find a good “right now” picture of us, and it’s proving impossible! Every photo is blurry, someone has their eyes closed, or something else is just off. Ha! Maybe that’s a sign we need a fresh selfie soon. 😊

Keeping Warm

Lastly, I want to share this fabulous electric lap blanket that my dear friend Sandy gave me last year. She may have found it at Costco originally, but they’re sold out now. I did find it on Amazon, though, and it’s reversible (taupe on one side, white on the other) for $64.90. It measures 50″ x 60″, which makes it perfect for curling up on the sofa—especially since our old home can feel a bit chilly inside.

The moment I turn it on (it has four heat settings), the cat immediately jumps up and snuggles right in. Every single time. I also just discovered that it’s washable, which makes me love it even more. It’s ideal for staying warm during the winter months and would make a really thoughtful gift, too.

Well, that’s a wrap for this week. Stay safe out there, and if you’re in the path of the storms this weekend, please take extra care. 💙