Welcome to Saturday Meanderings! So much of my week was devoted to a neighborhood issue~lots of research, creating a powerpoint presentation and sitting in a hearing for 5 hours. Naturally I’d rather be decorating for the holidays, but sometimes other responsibilities take precedent. We have a rather large event at the house today, so I’m buzzing around trying to get it all together. Nonetheless it’s the weekend and such a special and magical time of year.

Giving to Others

Especially around the holidays, I count my blessings for the fullness of my life. I realize that others may be struggling both financially, physically and emotionally. At our church, we have a woman who runs the prison ministry and this time of year creates an Angel tree. The names on the tree are the children, whose mothers are incarcerated, and unable to spend the holidays with their families.

Each year we “adopt” a few of the children, and fulfill their Christmas list. It is the season of giving and we do a small part to help out those in need. I hope everyone is able to provide some hope and joy to those less fortunate. Please share what kindnesses you do for others during the holiday.

Latest Salt Dough Ornaments

The other wooden cookie mold I ordered, finally arrives. This one is deeper than my pinecone cookie mold and I make the standard salt dough mixture (flour, salt, water).

As you know, last week I shared my pinecone salt dough cookies DIY. The baking of the pinecone ornaments took about an hour since the pinecones are much thinner. However, this thicker hen design takes quite a bit longer to cook (2-3 hours at 200 degrees), and I am not sure they are thoroughly baked.

This sweet design also makes much heavier ornaments. They are more propped on the tree than hung, however, I still think they look good. A good reminder is to see how deep the mold is and my next try will see if I can make them thinner?

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Concert

For 25 years, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra has taken music to a new level. The band only tours on an annual November-December extravaganza (104 shows) that the band prides in being “as over the top as we can make it. We have, two stages~with pyro, lights and lasers~on both sides of the area, as well as in the crowd and the best sound we can find. There are no second class seats at a Trans-Siberian Orchestra show. ” Their goal is to have people walk out of the concert speechless and still not believing what they have seen was possible.

Last Sunday we saw The 2023 Winter Tour, The Ghost of Christmas Eve. This concert is such a great way to start the holiday season! Their progressive rock band push the boundaries of traditional Christmas music. Who else has their female vocalist performing inside of a 24 foot snow globe?

Seats sell out quickly and this year they perform in Phoenix for only two shows. A great gift for someone who loves music, unbelievable pyro-technics, lighting and props. See more information about the Trans-Siberian Orchestra here.

Holiday Decorating

I am still not completely finished with our holiday decorating, but we are making progress. The very large wreath is up on the well tower.

My mother would alway put candles in the window at our home in Connecticut. Back then, they were electric and needed to be plugged in. I recall Scotch taping the plastic bases to the window sill. Now the candles are battery-operated and so much easier to use.

I bought ours years ago and love the fact that are on an automatic timer. Here is a similar product and I am surprised on how inexpensive they are today. A pack of 10 LED Flameless Candles is $39.99 here.

Each year my husband puts out artificial trees by the front door to create a forest feel. This year we add red poinsettias on the way up the steps for a bit of holiday color. Battery-operated candle pillars, in the lanterns, light the way. Costco has a good supply of poinsettias at a decent price.

This Weekend’s Event

Here are some nibble boards I will be preparing today for our event tonight. This is a super easy vegetable Christmas Tree display.

I will be making my Christmas Wreath charcuterie board (if you missed my post this week you can see it here).

Would love to have enough time to make something like this. Check out this Christmas Tree Spinach Dip Breadsticks from It’s Always Autumn. It doesn’t look too difficult and visually impactful. See it here.

Of course, who wouldn’t love this Hot Chocolate Dessert board? We won’t be serving hot chocolate at our event, but I am definitely pinning this!

Mary’s Must Haves

This week I am focusing on hostess gifts because it IS that time of year. Instead of bringing a bottle of wine, why not the following:

This Rechargeable Electric Candle Lighter is eco-friendly, windproof, flameless, USB rechargeable and has a hidden safety lock making it family friendly. Now 23% off on Amazon and is available in multiple colors.

Pair your electric lighter with a set of 6 of these pretty natural beeswax tapered candles. Everyone can use candles during the holidays! The price is right too at $15.19. I ordered both the lighter and candles and they arrive tomorrow.

Isn’t this natural wood spoon and fork set gorgeous? How unique to use something this pretty to serve your guests? The larger ones can toss a salad and the smaller ones can serve nuts from a bowl. Now 52% off (!) from Amazon at $28.50. Delivery is quick too!

If you know someone who uses fresh herbs, this is the perfect hostess gift for a gardener or cook. I use fresh herbs from my garden frequently and find it a bit tedious to chop them and then have to clean the cutting board.

These herb scissors with 5 blades and a safety cover is the perfect solution for easily chopping or cutting fresh herbs. Picture a pretty small basket with a collection of fresh herbs tied with a festive ribbon and these scissors!

This may seem like a strange hostess gift, but in winter we have shorter daytime hours. This gift, Eufy plug-in Dusk to Dawn night lights, will be loved by your hostess (of course after they use them). As we get older, it’s helpful if we are not tripping over something in the middle of the night. You have seen me praise these before, but I love the low profile look of these lights. Their glare-free light is not bright or offensive.

I am seriously ordering yet another set (we already have one at home and one at the cabin) as I want to put them in the pool house and guest cottage. A set of 6 is $23.99. Amazon has a rating of 4.7 out of 10,071 reviews. Eufy night lights

That’s a wrap. Have a wonderful weekend! Do you have any fun plans?

Last Thursday and Friday, we hosted the very first Fall Styling Workshop here at our historic property, Bella Terra. Naturally, for weeks and months beforehand, we dreamed and planned. But anything you imagine in your head and then execute in real life, comes with a bit of trepidation. I am very happy to say, with the very skilled and talented Chloe Crabtree from Celebrate and Decorate and Chas Greener from Chas’ Crazy Creations, our two day event is a resounding success.

Goals of the Workshop

My personal goal for this event is to try and gather like-minded people together for a day of learning, creativity and friendship. In a world that has too much hate and division, the idea of a day of beauty and kindness is what many are seeking.

Personally I have learned so much from Chloe and Chas, who are very effective and popular bloggers, and I want to share their talents with others here at our home. Unfortunately, Andrea from Design Morsels, the other leg to our friend table, could not attend. We are hoping she will be presenting at the next one.

Look at these cute linen aprons I find on Etsy! My sweet sister, Susie, embroidered them with my logo, Life at Bella Terra~a perfect outfit to greet our guests.

The Morning

Our guests arrive at 10:00 a.m. and after affixing their name tag, we head to the kitchen for a light continental breakfast of various quick breads from pumpkin to cinnamon swirl, fresh fruit, hard boiled eggs (from our hen house) and a beverage of their choice. Introductions are made and new friendships formed.

A quick tour of the property follows a I share our renovation stories and 113 year old history of our home.

The Magic Begins

The outdoor back terrace is the perfect place to gather. Chloe, the master at creating lush, stunning seasonal decor has already put together this drop dead gorgeous autumn themed mantel on our stone fireplace.

With specific details and instruction, Chloe demonstrates how to easily transform a fall mantel into one for Christmas and winter.

We limit the attendance to 10 at each workshop, so everyone one has the opportunity to ask questions, visually inspect the materials used and engage on an intimate and personal level.

In addition to the “how to” of this workshop, sharing resources and products is an important aspect as well.

After completing this mantel transformation, Chloe demonstrates how to set a fabulous table, while wowing your guests with breathtaking flowers to elegant dinnerware.

The Afternoon

Next we all sit together for a healthy and delicious lunch in the palm orchard.

Since Phoenix’s weather is a bit warmer than expected, we move the rest of the day’s activities to inside the air conditioned house. Next stop, the formal living room.

Chloe demonstrates the importance of layering different garlands to achieve a lush and substantial look on this particularly long and deep mantel. Again, we share the resources on where to get these garlands, which are a cut above the ones we all purchased years ago.

Here is a snippet of the living room mantel as I want to share it in detail when we get closer to the Christmas holiday.

We discuss ribbon sourcing, ribbon tying, bow making and techniques to affix everything.

Next we head to the kitchen for chilled glasses of champagne and a Christmas wreath charcuterie board presentation. While noshing on the charcuterie board and sipping their bubbly, our guests wrap up their time with us. New friendships are forged, ideas shared and the mood is light and happy.

Each guest leaves with a special gift and a reminder of our day together.

Our Guests

We want to thank all our guests who took a leap to attend our very first Fall Styling workshops. Our Friday guests: We so enjoyed all your engagement and feedback. What a lively group!

And here’s to our Saturday guests! Celebrating our friend and neighbor, Tevia’s birthday is an extra treat that afternoon.

We hope to have another Fall Styling Workshop next year, with some smaller workshops in between.

In Summary

I couldn’t have turned this idea into reality without the important people in my life. Chloe and Chas are amazing women with so much creativity and energy to give. I feel honored to have them be a crucial and important part of this workshop.

So much goes on behind the scenes. My husband, Scott did everything possible to make our property sparkle after a brutal summer. From mowing the lawn, to setting up tables and even ironing napkins for lunch, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all his support. My sweet daughter, Elisabeth, provided the extra helping hands on Saturday. Chloe, Chas and I are so relieved to have your young legs minimize our running around!

Here is some feedback from those who attended:

“The three of you were so honest and accessible. Everyone caught that “Yes, I can” spirit from you.” Barbara

“My favorites~Your food selections (welcome breakfast and lunch) were beautifully presented and delicious (especially your pasta salad). Plus the setting of having lunch amongst your palm trees is something out of a magazine.” Felicia

“What an absolutely delightful day with three special and very talented ladies! Loved your fun hostess gift! “Louise

“I have not stopped thinking about the delightful time spent at your home for the Fall Styling Workshop. It was a fun event and game me an opportunity to meet some lovely women , but even more to see your beautiful home in person (which after reading your blog for three years I love!).” Nancy

“The different segments (2 mantels, the tablescape, the spontaneous wreath and the charcuterie board) were all interesting, beautifully executed and performed in the right amount of time. Seeing them in person was surprisingly different than watching them on YouTube. On YouTube, I’m frequently left feeling that it’s all well and good for the person demonstrating, but I’m not that good/visually creative. Being ten feet away while Chloe did those mantels or you did that board gave me every confidence that I can do this! ” Barbara

With gratitude,

We are half way through September (already!) and I just returned from 5 day girls trip to Newport Beach, California. There is something so therapeutic in staring at the ocean and the Pacific did not disappoint. With storms off of Mexico, the waves and rip tide made it dangerous to swim. High tide is higher than normal so much of the beach is under water. None the less, the skies are moody and dramatic and lovely just the same. Welcome to another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

Death in the Yard

We are fortunate to spend most of the summer away from the brutal high temperatures in Phoenix. However, now that we are home, I am so devastated over the loss of some of our fruit trees. Most of the apple tree is dead as is a large part of one of the apricot trees.

I am not sure if there is any hope for this tree. Do we cut it back and pray it recovers? Or is it time to pull it and plant a new tree? Our yard looks so stressed from this summer and there is lots of work to do to get it looking beautiful again. Naturally I am motivated by hosting the Fall Styling Workshop here in October. There are a few spaces left and we’d love to see you there.

It is also time to start planning my fall garden! What are you doing in your garden this month?

Slowly adding Fall Touches

You may recall last year I had ordered 2 fall wreaths from an ad I saw on Pinterest. Shame of me for not doing my due diligence (not checking for reviews, making sure the company is legitimate) but I did receive 2 very poor quality wreaths significantly smaller than portrayed.

Naturally I could not use them (very poorly made), but I did take them apart and added some of the nicer elements to my existing front door fall wreath. Now every time I walk into my front door, I am reminded that sometimes you need to make lemonade out of lemons. The wreath was beautiful before, but now it’s more lush. Makes me happy that I didn’t completely lose money on those ghastly cheap wreaths. If you missed that post, you can see it here.

From the Internet

Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate is the master of holiday decorating. She will be demonstrating two holiday mantels at the Fall Styling Workshop at Bella Terra in October. To get a sense of Chloe’s creativity, see her autumn mantel using magnolia leaves and all white pumpkins.

What You can do with 800 square feet

This absolutely adorable guest house, according to county restrictions, can not be more than 800 square feet. Good things can come in small packages. From the decorative lamp in the cocktail bar to the blue and green colors on the front porch, I just love this space and could move in immediately.

Designed by Brandon Ingram and featured in Southern Living (I believe in 2020) you can see more photos here.

This Looks Delicious!

We are getting ready to pick our mountain pears the first week of October and I just found this recipe. If this tart tastes as good as Lisa’s photos, I cannot wait to make it. Celebrate Creativity’s Ginger Pear and Walnut Tart combines the perfect fall ingredients in this stunning dessert.

Even if you don’t bake, you may want to click on the link to see Lisa’s gorgeous video of Food in Motion as she walks you through the steps of this recipe. Beautiful music and editing~it’s very relaxing too!

Some Fall Inspiration

I dream about owning a cottage by the water, and that’s exactly what my friend, Kim from Shiplap and Shells has. Check out her fall home tour and an extra bonus at the end of her post, are links to other fall home tours.

Too Hot to Get into the Fall Spirit?

Living in the southwest, the temperatures, though changing, are still rather hot during the day time. If you need some help getting into the fall spirit, here are 8 ways to get in the mood for autumn.

Well, that’s a wrap! Wishing you a great weekend. It will be a busy one around here. I am tackling my 60 lbs. of Roma tomatoes making and canning sauce. My brother will be in town for a few days and my daughter is coming home for the weekend.

As always, I am so grateful that you tune in every Saturday and let me know what you are up to!

From the extreme temperatures and the raging fires in Hawaii, Mother Nature is having a heyday. Our prayers are with those in Maui who are dealing with the devastation. We feel like we are in our mountain cocoon, where life is quiet and we are blessed with afternoon rains. Even though the retail stores are filling with fall and Halloween merchandise, I am still enjoying summer. Thank you for joining me today for Saturday Meanderings. I love writing this post and it is my hope that you find something here every week that is of interest.

Do You Listen to Audible?

For long car rides, I like listening to a book on Audible. English mysteries are a favorite and I am currently listening to An English Garden Murder by Katie Gayle, the first book of four in the Julia Bird mysteries. Successful listening to a book, for me, is so dependent on the narrator. I don’t know if my hearing is declining but some narrators are difficult to understand. Lucy Scott is the narrator and she does a terrific job. The main character, Julia Bird can be a bit annoying, but I’m enjoying it nonetheless. Here’s an excerpt from Amazon:

Recently divorced and reluctantly retired, Julia Bird has fled London to enjoy idyllic rural life in the Cotswolds. Determined to have the perfect English garden, her first job is to tear down the old shed, where she unearths much more than she’d bargained for: a body, apparently buried for decades. 

The length is 6 hours and 53 minutes and I find myself listening to it not only while driving, but ironing and cleaning too!

Centerpiece Inspiration

While out and about this week, I stop at the Blume Haus Floral Design shop. They have a great 75% display where I have purchased wonderful candles. But look at this birch or aspen log floral display! We are in the process of removing some trees from the forest and I would love to create something like this. Not only can you fill it with artificial flowers but real ones too. More to come on this.

Wallpaper

Do you love wallpaper? Now there are so many application options~peel ‘n stick, removable paper that doesn’t damage the wall, prepasted, and non-pasted traditional. Recently I receive a few samples from Spoonflower as I am considering wallpapering two small bathroom areas here at the cabin.

This whimsical dusky green bunny pattern by Katherine Quinn is one I am considering for a bathroom where the walls are currently painted a deep cranberry (what was I thinking?). However, the walls are that awful orange peel texture (not a fan) and don’t know how long a peel ‘n stick wallpaper will hold. If you have used peel ‘n stick wallpaper, please let me know about your experience.

I am also considering Willow Bough for the master bath water closet. It’s a small room and feels a bit dark so I am leaning toward this paper. This week I will try applying them to the wall and see if they stick or fall off. BTW~When did wallpaper get so expensive?

What a Weather Week!

I think we experienced all four seasons this week. From warm, sunny summer days to torrential downpours, deafening thunder to cold temperatures, hail and fog. Being at an altitude of 7500 feet, the lightning and thunder storms are a bit terrifying. This particular storm raged for an hour and then, just like that it was over.

The aftermath has a surreal quality to it with the late afternoon sun, low hanging fog and a hail covered golf course.

Making Sourdough Crackers

If you have sourdough starter then you know how important it is to “feed” it on a regular basis. In that process, you remove a portion of the sourdough and discard it. However, there are several recipes where you can use your sourdough discard. This week, I make the King Arthur recipe for sourdough crackers.

I flavor the dough with garlic and onion powder, Italian spices and dried parsley. You roll the dough to the thickness you like, and mine is thin for crispier crackers. Funny how the dough matches my granite countertop!

Brush the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with salt (I use black truffle sea salt) and cut into squares. My attempt to sprinkle sesame seeds is a good thought, but after baking they all fell off.

Bake for a total of 20 minutes and turn the cookie sheet around mid-way. Even though the ones on the edges aren’t perfect, they are delicious. See the King Arthur recipe here.

Perseid Meteor Shower this weekend

The Perseids — one of the biggest meteor showers we can see — occur every year in the late summer. Meteor showers happen when the Earth moves through fields of debris floating around in space.

This year’s shower is already active, but the main event will be this weekend, when the shower reaches its peak from Saturday night into Sunday morning. Starting around 11 p.m. local time Saturday, a few meteors will start to show up — maybe one every 15 minutes, NASA meteor scientist Bill Cooke estimates. They’ll keep picking up the pace until before dawn on Sunday, when “you’ll see meteors appear all over the place,” he said. With a small crescent moon, the meteors will be more prevalent.

We hope to get a good viewing here in the mountains, if the skies are clear.

Did You Know?

Did you know there’s a festival just for celebrating twins? The Twins Days Festival, appropriately held in Twinsburg, Ohio, brands itself as the largest annual gathering of twins and multiples in the world. This year’s event was last weekend and you can see 17 sets of twins who attended and see their matching outfits.

If you missed any of my posts this week, check out my new spice cabinet here and a few of my favorite watermelon recipes here.

Have a wonderful weekend! Do you have any special plans? Whatever you do be safe and cool out there!

After 26 days of straight inferno temperatures, the Valley of the Sun finally got some rain. We are out of town but according to friends, the storm came in like a tornado. Many homes lost power and there is lots of debris due to high winds. But a change in the weather is a welcomed break. We are up in the mountains where the weather is cooler in the mornings and the days are nice, albeit warmer than usual. No air-conditioning up here but I’ll take high 80s over 116 degrees any day. Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week. Let’s get started!

Deck is complete!

As you may recall last summer we embarked on replacing the front deck to the cabin. Long story short, the licensed contractor did the worst job and the entire deck had to be removed and replaced by another contractor. Finally, the deck is complete, and it looks fabulous. So happy this project is behind us and now we can concentrate on it being a positive and good thing.

Cabin Life

We are so blessed to have a place to escape the hot Phoenix summers. However, ever since we’ve owned the cabin, I confess we have not used it as much as possible. Now that the children are off on the their own, it’s easier to come up here for longer periods of time. One of the reasons I love it here is that it is SO quiet. You can actually hear silence. It’s amazing how noisy our world has become with sirens, airplanes, traffic, etc. There are far less cell and radio towers and you can actually feel the difference. Do you think the world is becoming louder? What do you do to “turn off” all the noise?

Deadheading Geraniums

My large potted geraniums are in dire need of deadheading. Since I haven’t been here since mid-June, they are filled with sad looking blooms. If you have geraniums, you must read this post by my friend, Rachel. In her Best Tips to Keep Geraniums Blooming from Spring to Fall, there is everything you need to know about growing and maintaining geraniums. It took me 3 days to deadhead all of mine this trip and each and every bloom and dried leaf I removed, I thought of Rachel! Now they look healthy and happy.

Let’s Support Barbara

My dear friend and neighbor, Barbara Hinske recently left a law practice to become a full-time novelist. Her novel Guiding Emily was conceived during a tour of The Foundation for Blind Children, an amazing facility located here in Phoenix. She now has 4 books in the Guiding Emily series and Hallmark is airing her first book, Guiding Emily on September 8th. If the Nielsen ratings are high enough, then Hallmark will more than likely make this into a series.

Please mark your calendars and tune into the movie on September 8 (I’ll try and send a reminder). Why is this important? If you haven’t read Guiding Emily, I strongly suggest you do. These novels shed light on blindness and its debilitating impact on one’s life. You will fall in love with Garth, her seeing eye dog and get his perspective too. Here is the description from Hallmark:

Emily’s life changes after losing her eyesight, while a guide dog struggles with training. Through a series of missed encounters both overcome their obstacles and find each other. Stars Sarah Drew, Antonio Cupo, Eric McCormack.

Let’s support Barbara in getting her Guiding Emily books into a worthwhile television series!

Speaking of Books..

Andrea from Design Morsels, asks this question in her recent blog post, what are the 5 Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time.

After some thought, here are a few of mine.

The Once and Future King by T.H. White. Several years ago, I acquired this book from a stranger sitting next to me on a plane ride. He finished reading it and gave it to me. Not only did I love the book but his generous gesture is something I will always remember and appreciate, even 35 years later!

All the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon. This book series is now an award-winning 6 seasons series on STARZ.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. One summer we read this 3 book series to our children and I loved them as much as they did. I believe there are now 5 in the series. But if you have children or grandchildren between the ages of 8 and 11, these are fabulous summer books for them to read.

I’ll keep pondering this as there are many books I love but it’s reading them again for the first time that gives me pause. What would be your answer to this question?

Recipe I want to make

Salads seem to be a mainstay during the summer and here is one I will definitely make this weekend. As per the description on Ambitious Kitchen’s website, doesn’t this sound delicious?

Gorgeous peach brussels sprouts salad with sweet & salty nuts and a creamy tahini poppy seed dressing. This vegetarian brussels sprouts peach salad is filled with a wonderful mix of textures and flavors. Enjoy it for the perfect summer lunch or side dish on its own or with your favorite protein!

See the recipe here.

How to Freeze Fresh Herbs

With the summer bounty comes a wide array of fresh herbs. Of course, there are dried herbs but nothing can replace the flavor of fresh basil, rosemary, thyme and chives to name a few. Whether in a recipe, salad or cocktail, fresh herbs have the highest concentration of flavor.

Here is a great blog post from Ambitious Kitchen on How to Freeze Fresh Herbs using either olive oil or water. I am definitely doing this!

Feeling Blah?

With this oppressive weather here and around the country, it may contribute to feeling blah. I noticed earlier in the week I was feeling a bit listless and aimless. It’s called languishing. A state of languishing can leave you with a neutral or flat mindset, one where you have few strong emotions. Instead of feeling sadness, joy, anger, or enthusiasm, you simply remain in a state of “meh.”

We all get moments like this in our lives, but what can be done to help get rid of the blahs? According to Psych Central, here are 5 tips to overcoming the blahs.

1. Practice mindfulness. Tuning into what your body and mind are experiencing through mindfulness brings you back to the present moment and helps cultivate gratitude and connection. I love the Calm app which has several ways to practice mindfulness, in addition to improving sleep and focus, reducing stress or anxiety, and sharing self-improvement exercises. You can also try it for free.
2. Feel your Feelings. Try and pin point the source of feeling in a funk.
3. Get Outside. Easier said than done when it is SO hot and the awful daily ozone reports don’t help. Maybe watching a National Geographic show or listening to outdoor sounds, like crashing waves, might help. For me a trip to the mountains and a change of scenery elevates the mood. Try an early morning walk when the temperatures are more acceptable.
4. Reach out for support. This week I was telling my friend, Christine that I was feeling blah. Come to find out she was too! Christine is a great friend who would be the first one there to help get you out of the doldrums. So reach out. You are likely to find others are feeling the same way and together you can turn languishing into laughter.
5. Engage with your Community. Volunteer to help others either through time or treasure.

What do you do to turn your feelings of blah into more joyful moments? Please share any valuable tips.

Christmas in July

If you missed my blog post on Tuesday, I am happy to share Christmas in July inspiration with 16 other bloggers. Not ready for Christmas yet? Bookmark it for later. There is a lot of good holiday tips you don’t want to miss!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! As I write this, we have dark, moody skies with the wind blowing through the pine trees. Hoping for a nice rain storm as we need it here in Arizona. I’ll be doing a bit more bike riding and pulling out the paints this weekend! Always seeking moments of joy…