Saturday Meanderings

I am up a little early this morning and it’s 54 degrees outside. Dawn is beginning to stretch across the sky, but the sun hasn’t made its appearance over the horizon. There’s a hint of spring in the air and it’s perfectly quiet outside. Living near a busy street in the heart of a major city produces its own soundtrack, but right now I’m enjoying the stillness of the morning. I am writing this last Saturday Meanderings of February with a cup of tea steeping beside me. Even though I try to have most it written a day or two before, this week had other plans. Unexpected responsibilities gobbled up my time. But now the house is quiet and I’m happy you are joining me as we chat about all good things this week.

Signs of Spring

Each day begins with a walkabout in the yard, and with it comes fresh signs of Spring. A cluster of yellow daffodils~planted so many years ago~ are faithfully blooming once again in front of the guest cottage. Their soft petals and bursts of sunny yellow never fail to make me smile. It’s one of those small miracles I look forward to every year and a gentle reminder, that time moves on.

For the past several months, our blue egg-laying chickens have taken a hiatus. Cooler temperatures and long winter nights meant no beautiful blue eggs in the basket. But this week, they are laying again. I find it a bit miraculous to see this stunning colored egg appearing in the nesting boxes.

I’m often asked if the colored eggs are different in taste or have a different consistency. As we told our children when they were little~ eggs, just like people, maybe different colors on the outside, but we are all the same on the inside.

I know many places are still buried under snow, but are you beginning to see any hints of Spring where you live?

Mini Le Creusets

My sweet friend, Andrea, surprised me with eight (!) of the most adorable 8 oz. mini round cocottes with lids from Le Creuset. They are a beautiful shade of blue and make such a charming statement at each place setting, substantial yet perfectly petite.

This week, I made two of my air fryer berry crisps in them~ such a simple and delicious recipe. I am sharing it below, because it is wonderfully adaptable to any fruit you may have on hand. We had blackberries and raspberries in the freezer so I combined them for the perfect sweet-tart dessert.

I add walnuts to the oatmeal topping for an extra crunch (and because walnuts are my husband’s favorite). The recipe makes two servings but you can double or triple it if you need more. If you are feeling indulgent, add a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream, or a splash of Chambord on the warm dessert. I love the size of the cocottes. Not too much. Not too little, just the right single-serve splurge that feels special without being over the top.

There are so many possibilities for these little beauties~ from individual breads to baked eggs for breakfast. More to come as I continue experimenting!

Dress Pants with Spandex

Many pants today are made with a bit of spandex for comfort. However, I am finding my black and blue dress pants (with only 3% spandex) are showing signs of the spandex (I assume) breaking down. Even though I do not wear these pants very often, I guess over time, this happens? I am very careful to follow the washing instructions too. Has anyone else experienced this?

With a quick passover with my favorite fabric shaver and lint remover, the surface of the pants look better and are wearable to a last minute business meeting. However, it’s time to buy some new pants!

Beautiful Button Covers

I am a big fan of the little things that can elevate your outfit. Recently, I ordered two different sets of button covers from Button Amsterdam and they are so pretty.

Located in Amsterdam, the shipping time does take a little while, but it’s worth the wait. Aren’t these pretty?

Button Amsterdam has many styles and colors to choose from and they have gift sets too. You can check them out here. An affordable way to change up an outfit!

Huge Project in the Family Room

Decades ago, what is now our family room, was an open air porch. At some point, a previous owner enclosed it in with windows, transforming it into the room we now use daily~ and what Finn considers his primary quarters.

It is such an interesting space because of its generous size and the abundance of windows and French doors. If we didn’t have a cat who believes every living plant is a personal snack, it would make the most charming green house. If you would like to see more details about this room, click here for a post I wrote in 2018.

All the windows still have their original wavy glass panes, which makes this the hottest room in the summer and the coldest in the winter. I love the original concrete floors with their scored 12″ rectangles~they feel authentic and grounding~reminding us of the workmanship and history of our home.

But over time, whether from tree roots, settling, over simply 110 years of life, the floor has developed several significant cracks. For years, I covered most of it with large rugs, though they are long overdue for replacement. When we finally pulled them up, we found the smaller cracks had turned into a much bigger problem.

Large sections of the floor will need to be removed and repaired. So for now, it’s a bit of a construction zone. Removal and repairs will continue next week, and as you would imagine, it is quite the mess. Finn is a bit out of sorts since “his” room is in a state of disarray.

Making Preserved Lemons

Our lemon tree is so abundant this year, plus, the little Meyer lemon tree that I planted last year, is bearing fruit too!

It’s time to make Preserved Lemons, which I hope to accomplish this weekend. If you have access to all the gorgeous lemons this year, you can find my favorite lemon recipes here.

From the Internet

CoCo from The Crowned Goat always features the best homes to view and I found this one on her website. For as long as I can remember, I have coveted a room with loft ceilings, tall windows and an original brick wall.

If you feel the same, you will love this article about a couple who merged two studio apartments (500 sf and 600 sf.) in New York City into one living space. There are great ideas about creating multi-use areas in small spaces.

Rachel from the Ponds Farmhouse has been crocheting up a storm. I have always wanted to crochet pretty edges of my pillowcases, but I guess I would have to learn how to do so first…and now I have a teaching resource.

Rachel has a tutorial on making these very cute placemats and it may be just the thing I need to get motivated to learn. You can see her post here.

After watching this short reel from Sun Soaked Laundry on Instagram, I am thinking of ALL the ways I can use this. What a clever use of an unwanted plug, an outlet plug cover and a small thrifted frame! You can see it here.

I hope you have wonderful plans for weekend ahead. Shoe shopping is on my list ~because somehow I do not own a single pair of comfortable heels (ugh) that will work for my dress for my son’s wedding at the end of March. Wish me luck. The days of wearing heels for hours on end are clearly behind me. But since it’s a black tie affair and the dress is long, I am holding out hope that there is an attractive comfortable pair out there somewhere.

If you are still buried under snow, stay warm. If you are lucky enough to be enjoying our glorious weather here, soak it in~ and stay safe out there!