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…

Since I didn’t have the time to write a Saturday Meanderings last week, this one will cover all the good things (and some not so good) from the last two weeks. Happy Weekend to you!

It’s Galette Season!

I love making galettes and it’s a great way to showcase all the wonderful fruit that is in season. If you haven’t made one of these, or don’t bake, trust me…..this is E.A.S.Y. and anyone can do it.

What is a Galette?

Galettes are freeform and baked right on a baking sheet. Pies are baked in a sloped pie pan, often with a top crust. With a galette you use the same pie crust dough, but the edges of the galette are folded over the center filling, leaving a wide opening from which the filling can be seen.

This week I made both an apple and cherry one. You can use really any fruit~peaches, apricots or berries. Links to galette recipes are in a 2021 Saturday Meanderings here.

An Expensive Week

We have a well on our property which provides water for the garden and orchard. Unfortunately, the well pump and associated equipment broke and rendered the well inoperable.

Negotiating big equipment to the back of the property is challenging. Also, it is not an ideal time for the well to quit as it is heating up in Phoenix. The cost to fix this is ridiculously expensive, but a necessity, as using city water would be astronomically more.

Last year you may recall we replaced the front deck on our cabin. Even though the work was done by a licensed contractor, the new deck is a big disappointment. Twenty-six (yes!) items wrong with it from not being structural to not being level…it’s a mess.

The only solution is to tear it off and rebuild it (with someone who actually knows what they are doing). My advice~make sure your check references on anyone who does construction work. Just because someone has a license, does not mean they know what they are doing.

It’s been a pricey week.

Wonderful Gift

Earlier this year, my sweet neighbor across the street passed away. In cleaning out her home, her daughter and I became acquainted. Look at the pretty rocking chair that she gave me! I cannot wait to refinish it and feel so honored to get this as it comes with a lot of history. Lucky me.

Annual Yarnell Memorial Run

This is the third year my daughter, Julianna and I participate in this special memorial run. Here is some history about this wonderful event:

On June 28th, 2013, a lightning storm sparked what would become the deadliest wildfire in Arizona history. The Yarnell Hill Fire claimed 127 structures and the lives of 19 brave men as the country watched in helpless shock. These men belonged to the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew, based in Prescott, AZ, where many of them also resided.

On June 7, 2014, the first Yarnell Memorial Run was held in Memory of the Hotshot Crew to raise funds to support the work of local firefighters. The success and support was amazingly vibrant, prompting the Memorial Run to become an annual event. Participants have the privilege of running through the area of town known as Glen Ilah, which is where much of the burn robbed residents of their homes. In 2014, the burned area was still quite noticeable, but as time’s magic healing process has taken effect, flowers have bloomed, grass has returned with vigor and homes have been rebuilt. The Yarnell Memorial Run has grown, giving runners and walkers four different options including a 5k, 10k, 19k and family/child friendly Fun Run & Walk.

Enchanted Forest table

This week we participated in a charitable event, where each table host chooses a theme and decorates their table accordingly. I will be writing an entire post about it because there are so many details, but here’s a peek at my Enchanted Forest table. It was a surprising success!

For the same charitable event, there is also a dessert auction. I made this delicious Apricot Almond Tart (with fresh apricots!) and am very happy it sold immediately! The recipe is in a 2020 post and you can see it here.

Huge Fruit Harvest

This is the week for apricots and picking the last of the peaches. Typically I make pies, jam and salsa, but really didn’t have the time this year. Instead, I sliced and pitted the fruit and froze as much as possible. Now bagged and dated, I am hoping to use them throughout the summer.

A big garden surprise is finding plums on our newly planted tree. The tree didn’t look very healthy and we had already lost its partner earlier in the year. Quite frankly, I expected this tree to die too, so I didn’t pay any attention to it. Low and behold it is full of delicious plums. Since I didn’t thin them, the fruit is on the small size but big in taste.

Did you know that the silvery white film on plums (and grapes, blueberries) is a naturally occurring substance known as the “bloom”? It acts as a barrier against insects and bacteria and helps to seal in the fruit’s moisture. The bloom is also a sign of freshness, since it fades with time and handling. And all this time I thought it might be an insecticide!

A Weird Egg Anomaly

Fart eggs (also called fairy eggs, diminutive eggs, cock eggs, wind eggs, witch eggs, dwarf eggs) are teeny tiny eggs laid by normal-sized hens. They usually are just egg white, just egg yolk, or possibly a teeny tiny miniature egg. It’s like an oops, mistake that happens in the chicken’s reproductive system and this tiny egg comes out instead of a normal sized ones.

Even though they are perfectly safe to eat, I just collect them in a bowl. Eventually the contents dry out and I have these perfectly made tiny eggs. Isn’t Mother Nature full of surprises?

Do You Wear Skorts?

I don’t have great legs so I tend to shy away from skirts above my knee. However, during a recent trip to Costco I did pick up 3 skorts. Not only are they super comfortable, but really affordable too (I think around $15.00) I was pleasantly surprised and am wearing them with a simple t-shirt. Plus at my age, no one is looking at my legs!

You can find them online (different style than what is offered in the store) here.

Well, that’s a wrap to Saturday Meanderings. Wishing you a glorious weekend and If you are celebrating Father’s Day, please cherish the father (or father figure) in your life. The next few weeks will involve some traveling for me so I hope to continue to blog, but if not, I will catch up with you as soon as I can.

Be well and stay safe out there!

It is rare that I think about our the care and keeping of our floors and flooring. But when I focus on it, our floors are exposed daily to dirt, grime, spills, and wear and tear. Think of all the places our shoes and/or feet have been, yet, at least for me, I do not keep the maintenance of our floors top of mind. Naturally they get washed, or vacuumed on a regular basis, but to truly deep clean, I am guilty of being lax.

Between our home in Phoenix and our cabin in Pinetop, we have many different types of flooring and surfaces. Recently, my husband, while alone at our cabin, did some well-needed maintenance and cleaning of our floors there. Well this activity got me thinking about how we care for our floors and how often we should tend to them.

Wood flooring

In Phoenix, we have real Canadian birch hardwood floors that are 113 years old in most of the house. Weekly the floors are washed with Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. This water-based cleaning formula dries fast, is residue-free, and is safe for people, pets, and the planet. It meets the U.S. EPA product standards and is Safer Choice Certified.

We purchase the largest container and pour it into a spray bottle. Once applied to the floor, we use a mop that holds microfiber cleaning pads to clean the floor. These pads are machine washable and can also be used for the cleaning of laminate or stone floors too.

Recently, I spent time on my knees on the kitchen floor cleaning all the corners by hand as those tend to get overlooked. With a bit of elbow grease, a microfiber rag and Bona did the trick! I’d like to say I do this all the time, but quarterly would be my goal. How often do you deep clean your wood floors?

Engineered Wood

At the cabin, we have engineered wood floors and we use the Bona cleaning product there as well. However, due to snow, rain and grime, the engineered wood adjacent to the front door looks tired and is losing its finish.

When that happens, I love using this product~ Rejuvenate Wood Floor Restorer. This is the third time I have used this and the results are miraculous. Rejuvenate restoration and polishing formula fills in scratches, restores a glossy shine and protects hardwood flooring. It bonds to existing finish to resist stains and spills with no waxy build up.

The first time I used this was during the restoration of the Willetta house back in 2017. If you recall, this house was empty for 20 years and the hardwood floors upstairs were in terrible condition. Toward the end of the restoration project, I did not want to spend the money to have these floors professionally refinished so I tried this product and so happy I did!

In 2021, I also used this in my son’s apartment in Arlington, Virginia where the hardwood floors were scuffed and scratched. The floors looked new after one application of Rejuvenate.

A 32oz bottle covers up to 525 sq. ft. and dries within 45 minutes. The results are astounding and I have not been disappointed yet. Plus it is Proudly Made in America. Note: if you do purchase the floor restorer it does come in gloss and a satin finish.

Luxury Vinyl Plank

The quality of luxury plank vinyl flooring today is not your grandma’s vinyl. There are hundreds of styles and colors and I am completely sold on this product. We used a luxury vinyl in our pool house remodel last year, mainly due to water exposure from the pool and our pets’ wear and tear. It provides a real look of wood but at a fraction of the cost and is easy to install. To see more about this remodel, click here.

The best way to clean your vinyl plank flooring is a solution of a cup of vinegar to a gallon of hot water. Use a mop and a microfiber cloth and you are good to go. Both Bona and Rejuvenate have multi-purpose floor cleaners that state you can use on vinyl flooring too, but I have not used either on our floors.

Stone Floors

In our mud/craft room in our Phoenix home, we have slate floors. This heavily trafficked room serves so many purposes and as a result, has daily dirt and grime from shoes and pets.

After the initial installation, we did seal the stone floors with a specialized stone floor sealant. Like most other stone, slate tile flooring requires sealing to aid in water repellency and prevent staining and scratching, and sealer should be applied on a yearly basis.

We are long overdue in applying a sealant (like years), but I will add that to our fall project list. There are several sealants on the market to choose from, depending on what type of stone floor you have.

Tile Floors

We have tile in our bathrooms in Phoenix and in the kitchen, laundry and bathrooms in our cabin. Last year I wrote a post about cleaning the tile floors using a steam cleaner. I am amazed at how clean this machine gets the tile and grout.

This Karcher SC 3 is perfect for deep cleaning, utilizing steam that heats up in 40 seconds and with a steam output of over 200°F. Designed to eliminate grease and stains from a wide range of surfaces, it also kills up to 99.9% of common household bacteria and viruses without the use of harsh chemicals. Plus it is lightweight and portable to maneuver.

Since I am not a fan of our kitchen floors at the cabin, at least having them grease free, bacteria free and sparkle makes it easier to live with them.

The only tile floor I do treat a bit differently is the hand-painted tile floor in our pool house bathroom. This is cleaned with mild soap and water. Even though it has 3 coats of polyurethane over the hand-painted stencils, I don’t want to risk damaging the countless hours of work I put into this floor. It is 3 years old and still looks fabulous.

Concrete Flooring

There are only 2 places we have a concrete floor~one is in the wine cellar (which is a stained concrete finish) and the other is on the back terrace. When we did a complete renovation of the back terrace during the pandemic, one of the projects is cleaning and sealing the floor. This hard work paid off so well as we are still enjoying the effects 3 years later. See the renovation here.

Wall to Wall Carpet

The only place we have wall to wall carpeting is at our cabin. Mostly in the bedrooms and hallways, the off white berber rug can get stained and dirty. If the stains are small and contained, we use our Little Green Bissell. You have heard me rave about this fabulous little machine. Not only does it clean rug stains but also upholstery as well. It has a 4.5 star rating on Amazon with over 60,000 reviews.

When my husband recently took on the bigger job of cleaning all the rugs at the cabin, he rents a professional rug cleaner from Home Depot. It’s $27 for 4 hours or $39 per day and this machine did an amazing job. It is a wide track machine so it cleans larger spaces in a shorter amount of time. You need to buy the cleaning liquid and Home Depot has lots of choices.

The berber rugs look brand new and the biggest surprise is when Scott uses this on the creepy outdoor rug on the screened in porch. I’m sure that rug has NEVER been cleaned and now I know what color it really is!

There is a quick dry time to so you can use your rugs the same day.

If you would prefer to have a professional clean your wall to wall carpeting we have had good luck with Zero-Rez. They recently cleaned all the carpeting in the guest cottage.

How often do you clean your wall to wall carpeting?

Area Rugs

Depending on what type of area rug you have, the cleaning options will vary. We are fortunate to have gorgeous Oriental area rugs ranging from wool to silk which require professional cleaning. When the children were home and a houseful of pets, I would try and get those cleaned every 3-5 years, depending on need.

For any other special rug, which is a manageable size, we take them to Organic Living at 8342 N. 7th Street in Phoenix. They do a fabulous job using all organic cleaning products. When I was restoring the Willetta project (see that here), there was a beautiful, albeit filthy, Karastan runner that came with the house. It stayed in place during the entire restoration so you can only imagine how much dirt, debris, and paint it had buried in the fibers.

Of course, after the fact, I realized what a fine rug it was, I took it to Organic Living and this 15 foot runner looks brand new!

Washable Rugs

Today, there are many choices in buying washable rugs. In the entry of our pool house, I have a beautiful blue and white rug from Ruggable, which I just throw in the washing machine.

Since these types of rugs work well in high traffic areas, I have another one up at the cabin in the kitchen. These are not rugs that your feet sink into but very functional and attractive and washable.

Indoor/Outdoor Rugs

These 100% polypropylene rugs are located on our back terrace. Surprisingly they are in great condition despite being outside in our summer heat for several years.

To wash a polypropylene rug, take it outside on a nice day and wet it down with the garden hose. Then take a few drops of mild dish soap and use a scrub brush to clean the accent rug. Next, thoroughly rinse the rug with the hose. These are very low maintenance and there are several sizes, styles and colors to choose from.

Well, I think that covers all the flooring and floor covers that we have here at Bella Terra and at our mountain cabin. It’s amazing how nice it is to know the world under our feet is very clean!

Quite honestly, I hope to be more diligent in having a deep cleaning schedule in the future. We are also trying to remove our shoes before entering our homes, which I believe is a worthwhile tradition. Please share your care and upkeep of your floors and floor coverings.

Happy first Saturday of June! Typically by now we are experiencing the summer heat, but I must say our weather has been just gorgeous! Mornings in the low 60s and highs in the low 90s. The next few days may get to triple digits but the forecast is lower temperatures for most of next week! A lovely, long delightful Spring~I will take it! School is out, the snowbirds have left and there’s little to no traffic. Quite honestly, I do love this time of year. What a week! Let’s get started chatting about all good things.

Last weekend was Memorial Day and it was a relaxing one for us at the cabin. Mid-week I drove back to Phoenix which generally is a 3.5 hour drive. Unfortunately, however, a semi-truck fire occurred about 1 hour from my home destination on State Route 87. It appears the contents of the truck caught on fire and traffic slowed as we came upon billowing black smoke.

Even though the driver pulled over to the side of the road, it was a very windy day. Soon the fire spread to the adjacent brush and quickly became a 10 acre active fire….all while I am sitting parked in bumper to bumper traffic with no place to turn around or back up or proceed forward.

Of course, this all occurred out in the middle of nowhere, without close local resources to fight the fire. Eventually ADOT closed SR 87 in both directions. For 3.5 hours we watched as fire fighters tried to contain this wildfire, while also trying to extinguish the huge truck fire.

The good news is that no one was hurt and in spite of the high winds, fire fighters were able to contain the fires. Plus during the 3.5 hours of not being able to go anywhere, everyone got out of their cars and were very friendly. So grateful to those who are trained to rush toward danger to protect the rest of us, as fires can be so unpredictable.

Thank you for your Suggestions

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all your comments and ideas last week on how to tie in the decor on the back porch of the cabin. You are all so talented and each comment I read, I was so impressed with your feedback.

As a result, I found these Bria Gray Stripe Throw Pillows at Big Lots (we only have a few stores up in the mountains) for $9.97 and they are the perfect size for the red chairs. The neutrals of gray and white are a big improvement in tying in the colors of seating area to the dining space.

It’s a first step, and I will be implementing some of your great ideas. Thank you! You are the best!

Cabin Projects Completed

It is a busy week checking off all the projects from the To Do list for the cabin. My husband, is the real champ here, getting so much done. With our neighbor Gary, they are busy splitting wood for the fall woodpile.

He also rented a professional carpet cleaner from Home Depot. I do not believe we have ever cleaned all the carpeting at the cabin. Even the outdoor rug on the screened in porch got a good cleaning.

Typically we bring our outdoor cushions inside over the winter, but failed to do so with one piece of furniture. Even though the furniture is covered, the mice did quite a job on one of my cushions.

The furniture is from Pottery Barn and the cushions are made with Sunbrella fabric. However, it is several years old. I attempt to go to a fabric store which sells Sunbrella but there is nothing in stock that matches. They also make (not repair) cushions but the first available date to get my cushion into production would be late August and it would be expensive too.

Darn. I decide to walk the fabric store to see if I can find any fabric that might match, because I can do this, right? Fortunately, in the remnant section, I find 1 3/4 yard of this Sunbrella fabric.

It’s a slightly different color but I have enough fabric between the decorative Greek key strips to replace the damaged section. Plus this repair will be on the back side of the cushion, not the visible front edge.

Here is the repaired cushion. Not bad for someone who doesn’t sew alot!

I have never been a fan of the angled roof-line over the front door entrance to the cabin. Obviously, the cabin footprint has been added onto over the years, but this part of the structure has always bugged me a bit. This past week, my husband hung a large set of elk antlers and I’m hoping this will be the focal point vs. the roofline.

A Gift that keeps on Giving

Currently, my son, Benjamin and his girlfriend, Delaney are living in Chicago while Benjamin gets his masters degree at the University of Chicago. They live in a high rise apartment on the 36th floor and do not have any outdoor space. However, Benjamin loves to cook and Delaney is creative, so for Delaney’s birthday we send her an Aero Garden, a hydroponic indoor garden system.

The unit is small enough for their apartment, and is providing an abundance of fresh herbs for their cooking.

Their garden is loaded with Genovese basil, dill, thyme, mint, parsley and Thai basil. The control panel tells you when to add water, reminds you when to add plant food (included), automatically turns lights on and off for your indoor herb garden.

I know Father’s Day is around the corner, but this gift would be great for anyone that wants fresh herbs but may be limited on time and gardening space.

The added benefit is that I get photos with plant growth updates as well as pictures of the delicious food they make with these fresh herbs.

You can buy the Aero garden on Amazon here for $119.99. This also includes the plant food and the seed pods. I’m actually thinking about getting one too. Growing and eating your own food does something good for the soul.

Garden Update

We are picking spaghetti squash and love this easy recipe. Roast the squash by cutting in half, remove the seeds and sprinkle olive oil, salt and pepper on the cut side. Pierce with a fork all over the squash and roast in an oven at 400 degrees (cut side down) for 40 minutes. Scrape out the “spaghetti”. We then pour my homemade tomato sauce with ground beef or bison or turkey on top. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. An easy, nutritious and delicious meal.

This weekend I really need to focus on using up the balance of the peaches. It’s time to pick them all, let them ripen and find recipes so they don’t go to waste. If you missed my post yesterday, it is filled with peach recipes.

The apricots are just starting to turn yellow, but I am picking them a few days earlier so I can get to the before the birds. Looking forward to making my almond apricot tart.

From around the Internet

Have you ever used Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing? I’ve seen it in the stores but have never purchased it. Here is an interesting article from Kitchn about how this product can really whiten your towels. Someone washed my white towels at the cabin with the red ones so I’m wondering if I can remove the pink with this product. If you have used it, please let me know your thoughts.

Speaking of laundry, Carrie Vitt from Deliciously Organic sent an email about toxins in laundry detergent. Here is a paragraph from her email:

The fact is, most laundry detergents are very toxic to our bodies. 

Popular detergents contain over 25 toxic chemicals—and those are just the ones that are blatantly listed on the labels. There are many more trace toxicities that aren’t printed. 

Here are some of the biggest toxins (including known and probable carcinogens) you’ll find in common detergents: 

• Phosphates
• Bleach
• Formaldehyde
• Ammonium sulfate
• Dioxane

And don’t forget about the dyes, fragrances, and brighteners, which are enough on their own to make it a product you’d never sign off on having in your home. 

But, obviously, detergent is a necessity.

Carrie recommends Molly Sud’s Laundry Powder. I’ve never tried this, but let me know if you are concerned about the possible toxins in our laundry detergent. If so, what are you doing to minimize this?

My friend, Andrea from Design Morsels, doesn’t use detergent at all since she converted to an ozone system. You can read her post, the Ozone Laundry System: Pros and Cons, Does it Really Work? Andrea is the modern day Hints from Heloise (am I dating myself?) and her blog posts are always filled with really good information.

Well, that’s a wrap! Here are some pretty pictures to send you into the weekend! Thanks for joining me today.

Happy last Saturday of May! Wait, what? That’s right another month just shushing by..unbelievable. Thank you for joining me on this Memorial Day Saturday Meanderings weekend to chat about all good things this week. I hope this post finds you happy, healthy and full of vim and vigor. What is vim, by the way? It mean high energy and great enthusiasm. Who knew?

A First Time for Everything

While up at our cabin in the mountains, our friends, Mitch and Tevia invite us to go ATV-ing. Honestly, I have never done this before! The day’s weather just happened to be perfect~blue skies and puffy white clouds. There are multiple trails through the forest and we travel to places I have not seen before

One stop is at the Springer Mountain Fire Lookout Tower at the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. We climb to the top of the 40 foot tower and meet Janie Croxen Ringleberg, a US Forest Service employee who has been watching for fires for 31 years. Her 11′ x 11′ space is filled with maps, radios, binoculars and photographs.

Janie shares her history with us and explains how she is able to assess and know the attributes of fire origins. She works in this tower full time Monday-Friday all by herself. Truly amazing.

Cabin Projects

Remember last year when the brand new roof we purchased for the cabin had a massive water leak in our entry?

To make matters worse, the ceiling is wood and the leak caused severe staining. In an attempt to just replace a few of the panels, we hired someone to replace and try to stain match the non-damaged ceiling. The side walls need new plaster work and the entire project has taken forever.

This week is the first time I have seen the repair work. Unfortunately, the replacement ceiling panels are stained a completely different color from the rest of the ceiling. The question is should we just replace the entire ceiling, or try to stain the balance of the ceiling to match the new wood?

Unwilling to have this torn up yet again, I volunteer to try and see if I can try and blend the two ceiling colors to a point where it is more acceptable.

What was I thinking?!? Here is a picture where I stain a few of the existing boards to match the new, darker color of the replacement panels. It takes me a few days of grueling overhead work with a watery stain, but I am finally a bit happier with the results.

Finally, after several months, the front entry is back together and hopefully the repaired roof will not leak again. I’m not sure my arms and shoulders will ever be the same!

Bargains of the Week

Check out this pretty blue and white melamine tray I find at Big Lots. Priced at $12.99, it is also on sale (at the register) for $9.74. You can find it here on the Big Lots website. They also have really cute matching plates and bowls, very affordable and on sale too.

Sundance Catalog is having a great sale in their Outlet shop..up to 40%. Occasionally I will browse their website and find a really good buy.

This cute eyelet embroidered blouse was $128.00, marked down to $39.99 and now on sale for $23.99.

Scalloped, eyelet hem with gathered cuffs and tasseled tie give this tiered, peasant-style dress a touch of timeless romance. $148.00 down to $29.99 and then on sale again for $17.99!

I just ordered these two items so I will let you know if I like them. Not sure how long the sale will last, but you may want to check it out here. I don’t get any kind of commission if you buy something~just enjoy sharing a good sale when I find one.

Need Your Design Feedback

As we open up the cabin for summer use, we are uncovering outdoor furniture, sweeping the decks and fixing all things broken. On our back deck, we have two entertaining venues in the same space~ one for sitting and one for dining.

Here is the back deck area:

The seating side’s color scheme is mostly red, neutral rug with some navy accents. The primitive pine dining table has grey/white French bistro chairs. Since we have a leftover outdoor rug I place it under the table.

I do like how the table, rug and chairs is visually cohesive.

However, I am not sure I am fond of the entire space. It feels disjointed to me to have a red/blue/neutral palette next to this gray/gold/white one.

What do you think? It’s hard to tell by the photos but I would appreciate your design feedback. Should I live with it? Change out the red cushions to another color? Paint the metal furniture an anodized bronze? Find different pillows? Help!

Garden Harvesting

As the weather gets warmer, my garden will soon go fallow for the summer. But right now, I am picking Black Krim tomatoes (which are so delicious) and Japanese eggplant. The San Marzano tomatoes are still green and hoping for a plentiful batch for sauce.

Artichokes are flowering. We had such an abundant crop this year, I am leaving the last few on the plant to bloom. Will cut them and dry them for a future wreath?

Just yesterday, I picked 4 very large sweet figs from our tree.

The heat has caused all the lettuces to bolt, but the chickens are enjoying them as afternoon snacks. I still have tomatillos, peppers, and kale producing.

Summer Reading List

I am getting ready to compile a new summer reading list so if anyone has great book recommendations please let me know. My friend, Cindy, is reading In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson and seems to like it. The only other Erik Larsen book I read (and really enjoyed) is Devil in the White City back in 2004. My summer reading tends to be light and joyful, without any heavy or demanding topics. Please share your favorites.

I know Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, as most schools are finally finished with classes. But let’s not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day. Wishing you a weekend of loving moments with family and friends as we give thanks, gratitude and honor to the military members who died while serving in the U.S. Forces.