Happy 1st Saturday in October! We are finally seeing much cooler weather in Phoenix and fall tree colors in the mountains. Hard to believe last Saturday I was on a ship in the Bahamas, with hot and humid conditions. It’s nice to finally get into the fall mood and today, we will be pumpkin hunting at Willis Family Farm in Snowflake, Arizona. Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

Fall Styling Workshop

This is the last opportunity to sign up for the Fall to Holiday Styling Workshop, being held at our home on two dates, October 20 and October 21st. We have only a very few spots left and would love for you to join us. I am so excited to be sharing our home and the expertise of Chloe Crabtree, from Celebrate and Decorate. We will be closing registration soon, so come and be part of a lovely day of learning, friendship and delicious food. For more information, click here.

Autumn in the Mountains

Typically when you think of Arizona, hot weather and desert come to mind. But we have beautiful mountains and lakes here. Being born and raised in Connecticut, I have such fond memories of the gorgeous fall colors in New England. School, back then, started in September which meant new sweaters and shoes.

It is tradition now that we come up to the mountains the first weeks of October to experience a bit of fall. Though our leaf peeping is not as colorful, we do have lots of yellows, rust and browns. The skies are a deep blue and the air is crisp and clean on sunny days; moody and dark when it rains.

It is also a time where we haul all our geraniums back to the Valley and let them enjoy winter is a milder climate. Every year it seems a bit more daunting as the geraniums are huge and the pots seem heavier….must be us getting older!

With such a large variety of pumpkins and gourds, Willis Family Farm is our #1 choice for pick your own. I believe they are open all of October and you can get so many pumpkins at a price far less than the local grocery store chain. Not only does the farm sell pumpkins, but they have many fall activities for families such as a corn maze and a train ride.

Have you Been on a Cruise?

The very first cruise I ever went on I won at a charity event with the Phoenix Symphony back in 2001. For a $100 raffle ticket, it was for a 10-day trans-Atlantic cruise on the Queen Elizabeth II with Cunard Cruise Lines, all expenses paid. It was right after 9/11 and the world felt like a scary place. But it was practically free and after securing appropriate childcare, my husband and I flew to London and then took the Orient Express to Southhampton, where we boarded the ship.

Quite honestly, I hadn’t given much thought to going on a cruise, being busy with 3 small children and a major house renovation. Since then we have taken only one other cruise with the entire family, touring the Baltic Sea in 2008. The QE II cruise was quite elegant, formal with most passengers on board were adults.

Holland America did an excellent job touring the fjords and many countries in the Baltic. The children still share their fun stories from that trip.

Last week I experience my first 3-day Disney cruise to the Bahamas with dear friends. My, ships have certainly improved and gotten bigger in 15 years! The Disney ship, The Wish is a new one and beautifully appointed. I didn’t have any feelings of claustrophobia as the halls are wide and brightly lit. Since COVID, Disney does an excellent job of providing sinks at the entrances of each restaurant and require each passenger to wash their hands prior to entering.

Of course, the best part of the trip was spending it with fabulous girlfriends. I hope to write more about this in detail in the future, as I am still processing all the information about this cruise, our destinations and amenities.

Making Quick Breads

Especially in October, everywhere you go you see pumpkin flavored items~from lattes to breads. There are so many good pumpkin quick bread mixes available so it isn’t necessary to make one from scratch.

My favorite go-to pumpkin muffin and bread mix is from Trader Joes. However, there are so many on the market. King Arthur has a gluten-free one here.

Though I haven’t tried this, I always have good luck with Krusteaz products. You can find this one online here.

Adding More Flavor and Texture to Your Bread

I rarely just use the mix and bake. Have fun experimenting with adding chocolate chips, nuts, dates, dried fruit such as cranberries and raisins. Occasionally I will make a mixture of cream cheese and sweetener (sugar, honey, agave) and swirl it through the bread. Be creative!

Use a Pretty Pan

If you bake it in a pretty pan, well, it just looks that much more impressive.

I don’t recall where I bought this pan as it was many years ago. But here is Harvest Bounty loaf pan that is similar.

If you are seeking mini loaves, this one has a harvest theme as well.

Happy Baking! I am so ready for those wonderful smells in the kitchen. What an easy and perfect recipe with an afternoon cup of tea.

From the Internet

Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse is always so creative and full of ideas. Decorating for the fall doesn’t need to be expensive. Her post, Autumn Decor with Elements from Nature, is filled with foraging from nature and how to display in your home.

Fall Bucket List

Do you have a Fall Bucket list? Elizabeth from Pinecones and Acorns shares 25 ways to make this fall extra special. Personally, I have never made a Fall bucket list, but I am inspired by her post. You can see it here.

Well that’s a wrap for our first Saturday Meanderings in October! Getting ready to plan and plant the fall garden. Stay healthy and be safe out there.

We are right smack in the middle of summer here in Phoenix. It is hot AND humid. Not a drop of rain predicted until maybe mid-next week. Based on the weather forecast, the temps may get up to 117. Fortunately we are heading to Chicago for a few days and we couldn’t have picked a better time to escape this inferno. It’s that time again for another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things.

Fall Styling Workshop

I am teaming up with Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate for a fabulous Fall Styling Workshop. We would LOVE for you to come and spend the day(s) with us on either October 20 or October 21. The workshop will be from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and includes lunch and some other delicious morsels. All the details are in the Events tab on the top of my website or here. Space is limited so please get your registrations in as soon as possible. We are not sure if we can provide remote access at this time but will let you know if that is a possibility down the road.

Fun Find

Years ago, I used to macrame ALOT. Hard to believe it’s all back in style. I saw these cute storage baskets on another blogger’s website, however, they were out of stock with that manufacturer. So with some internet sleuthing, I found these online for far less money. This 13.5″ macrame storage basket is perfect for plants, or whatever else you want. I like having attractive storage options at a reasonable price under $25.

Garden Update

The remaining spaghetti squash (you can only eat so much) is being enjoyed by the chickens. All the tomatoes disappeared during our trip to Mongolia~not sure what happened. Not much growing in the garden except for the grapes and a few peppers.

If the birds do not eat them, I may try and make grape jelly this year when we return from Chicago.

Foot Update

Over a year ago, I was suffering from Morton’s neuroma in my left foot. I tried healing myself naturally vs. getting a cortisone shot in between my foot bones. At night, I would wear Splay, a set of toe separators or commonly referred to as yoga toes.

I must admit that it is awkward to wear these and it takes some getting used to but I am currently pain free, contributing my success to Splay It took a few months but I no longer use them unless my feet feel tired but would recommend them to anyone who is looking to improve your foot alignment.

Remember to Hydrate

Sometimes we get busy and forget to drink LOTS of water. It also helps to add electrolytes, especially in high heat times. Drinking regular water is fine, but how much more fun is it to drink a naturally flavored water using fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs? Lemons, berries, cucumbers and herbs (cilantro, rosemary, thyme) are some of my favorite flavors.

I try and drink half my body weight in ounces so if you are 120 lbs, then that means 60 ounces of water. Plus it plumps out any wrinkles!

Easy Chicken and Grape Salad

My friend, Rachel from The Pond’s Farmhouse has the easiest recipe for a cool salad on a warm summer evening. Serve it on lettuce or in a freshly baked croissant. Using rotisserie chicken from the supermarket is an easy way to whip this up in no time. See Rachel’s recipe here.

Looking forward to Making this Bedtime Drink

Renae from Peacock Ridge Farm shares an enticing bedtime drink made with lavender, chamomile and vanilla. I am always looking for a warm night time beverage that will help in providing a good night’s sleep and this one sounds like a winner. See Renae’s recipe here.

Mixing Antiques with Modern Touches

I am hooked with the title, “Antique Lover’s Lake House” as I love antiques and anything to do with living by the water. Even though I have never built a new house, I would welcome the opportunity to design one and have it beautifully appointed. This article from Cottages and Bungalows will not disappoint, especially if you love blue and white, vintage collections and Cape-Dutch elements.

Sharing a Bit of the Art Institute of Chicago

Before wrapping up, I thought you’d like to see some of the amazing art on exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago. In addition to a large Van Gogh exhibit, here are some classics you will recognize. I always find it amazing that one can get rather close to the actual piece of art. And after so many years, the colors of these paintings are just rich and gorgeous.

Seeing this self portrait of Van Gogh in person for the first time, is really something! The attention to detail and the colors are so perfect. Did you know Van Gogh created 190 paintings in 2 years while he was in Paris? That’s almost 8 paintings per month!

This is an all time classic~American Gothic by Grant Wood featuring a farmer and his daughter.

John Singer Sargent painted The Fountain, Villa Torlonia Frascati, Italy in 1907 of his friends, artists Wilfrid and Jane Emmet de Glehn. Sargent was frequently interrupted by rain and he completed this painting over several days.

Lastly, I will share a Claude Monet, Water Lilies. The Art Institute has so many beautiful Monets on display but I love the colors that only Monet can do.

If you ever get the chance to visit this amazing art museum, please do. There is so much to see and it’s impossible to take it all in at once. I feel so inspired to paint when I get home.

Have a wonderful weekend. Stay cool out there! I hope you are doing something fun and relaxing.

Happy Saturday and I hope you are enjoying the fall season. Our morning and evening weather is slightly shifting to cooler temperatures. Last weekend we went to the mountains where we had actual crisp sweater weather. The social season is starting up again here in Phoenix, and we are looking forward to entertaining again. It’s that time again for Saturday Meanderings where we recap all good things this week. Grab your favorite beverage and let’s get started!

Cute Fall Hostess Gifts

There is something romantic about a wax seal on an envelope or using it here, affixing paper oak leaves to the top of a candle. By simply tracing a real oak leaf, I made these sweet notes out of decorative paper.

If you don’t have a wax seal, please do get one as it feels oh so very civilized. They are affordable and you can choose wax colors and your stamp design here. If you are a Target shopper, there are such good candle selections from Threshold (Studio McGee). Check out this 14.5. oz. Harvest Apple and Leaves candle for $15.00. Personally I like the wooden lid to affix the leaf.

The perfect hostess gift.

Ever attend a Webinar?

I’m probably sounding like a dinosaur here, but I really prefer meeting people in person or attending real classes. However, this week I signed up for a webinar through the University of Virginia (my son graduated from there in 2018) for a 45 minute class entitled Behind the Scenes – Sketch a Fall Leaf with Botanical Artist Lara Gastinger. A webinar is an online seminar that turns a presentation into a real-time conversation from anywhere in the world

Lara keeps a perpetual journal that she uses to sketch plants everywhere she goes. Rather impressive and I can say it was nice to sit still for nearly an hour and focus on the structure, design and color of one leaf. I did get to draw along, however, I did not have a micron pen (which Lara uses) only a sketch pencil.

Here are my notes and my simple sketch. Anyway, it is a good way to learn something new.

Virtual Vacation

My husband and I didn’t do much traveling this summer as we spent lots of time at home with our dog, Cooper. Typically our summers are filled with travel destinations and I long and dream to go somewhere. I follow artist, Jeanne Oliver and she has been exploring Italy for the past 9 years. Just reading her post, An Artist in Bellagio, transports you to the beauty of Lake Como in Italy.

You will feel as if you are on vacation as her posts are filled with travel sites, restaurants, activities and nature. Jeanne also has other artist series in Florence, Tuscany, Marrakech, Lombardy, Oaxaca, and Lisbon. If you need a mental vacation, check it out here.

Autumn Play List

There is never enough music in my life. The music system we put into the house 20 years ago, is non-functioning and I miss listening to music while cooking in the kitchen. I need to plug my phone into a good set of small speakers, but I just haven’t done that yet. However, I may be inspired to do so.

Jen, from Simple Modest Mom recently assembled an Autumn Playlist, which she states is perfect to play on a cool autumn day. You can find it here. I haven’t sampled it yet, but if it is not your taste, you can search the web and find several other genres.

Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

I get a little giddy going to Willis Family Farm in Snowflake, Arizona. It was opening weekend and we (my husband , Scott and my friend, Tevia) bought 340 pounds of pumpkins! The trunk is full with all sizes, shapes and colors. I cannot wait to finish my fall decorating.

Doesn’t this look Good?

The Autumn issue of Chic & Country magazine is now available. Not only are all the home pictures gorgeous, but the recipes they are featuring this month look so yummy. I may try out this Hazelnut Cake with Pears and Grapes. However, one of the ingredients is 2 glasses of milk. What? How much is that? American sized glasses? Does anyone have any idea? Plus one of the ingredients is Maria cookies? On second thought, maybe it is just best to look at the picture.

Fun Story

With so much bad news out there, it is a delight to come across a good story with a happy ending.

Andrea Scholten of St. Albans, Maine, and her family packed up their pop-up camper late last month and set off on a road trip to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for an airshow event.⁠
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Little did they know their cat, Delilah, had invited herself along for the ride.⁠
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After driving about 900 miles from home to Toledo, Ohio, the family discovered the stowaway in the camper.⁠

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Scholten suspected Delilah had sneaked into the camper when they were packing it that morning.⁠
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“The plan so far is to see how she does as a camper cat. If she doesn’t do well, we’ll have to find a kennel,” she wrote in a Facebook post at the time.⁠
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As it turned out, Delilah was well-suited to both camping and fame. Scholten’s Facebook posts attracted lots of attention, especially after arriving at their destination. Delilah quickly became an Oshkosh sensation, making multiple local news headlines and getting traction under her own hashtag, #stowawayoshkoshcat.⁠

On that note, I will wish you a wonderful weekend…and it is already October! Oh my what even happened to September?!?

Hello and Happy Saturday! I have so much to share this week and so glad you are here today. As you know, Saturday Meanderings is an opportunity to look at the week and hopefully all good things. I just returned from 6 days in Chicago moving my son and his girlfriend into their new apartment. He will be starting graduate school at the University of Chicago next month. An exciting time for them to explore a new city for the next two years.

My Trip to Chicago

Many years ago, I spent a great deal of time in Chicago for business, but haven’t been back in a long time. I forgot how beautiful the weather can be during the summer ~blue skies, puffy white clouds, no humidity and temperatures in the low to mid 70s. That is exactly the weather I experienced along with cool breezes off of Lake Michigan.

It’s unfortunate that most people think of the Chicago we hear on the news~murders, poverty and chaos. The area near Millennium Park and Michigan Avenue is filled with lush landscaping, beautiful parks, and clean, walkable streets. At no time did I ever feel unsafe, even during the late evening hours.

Lots of unpacking, moving furniture and picture hanging for the first few days. But everything is in its place and now it’s time for them to enjoy their new life in this beautiful city.

I will write a separate post about Chicago as I hope to spend more time there.

It’s Tomato Sauce Season

Back in Phoenix, we pick up 100 lbs. of Roma tomatoes from a local farmer, McClendon Select. Thirty pounds go to my friend, Rick for his own sauce. Our neighbor and dear friend, Tevia, came over last Sunday and we processed 24 lbs. worth of sauce for her pantry.

Now I need to get busy and make the rest into sauce for our winter supply. To see this easy, 4 ingredient tomato sauce recipe, click here. If you want to learn about canning and processing tomatoes, see this post here.

I use every part of the tomato and the skins and seeds go to the chickens~they just love it. Anything else leftover goes to the composter.

New James Farmer Book

Love a gorgeous book? This one is filled with lush tabletops, glorious garden bouquets, fabulous invitations and entertaining tips. James Farmer’s new book, Celebrating Home, is a winner. I love and admire his Southern style and am reading this book cover to cover. If you are not familiar with James Farmer, he is designer and author, known for his classic style with a twist.

This book would make a great gift for you or someone who loves this elegant, yet cozy style. I recommend getting it in hardcover because the photos are fabulous. You can find it here. Now I want to buy all his other books (hint to any family member reading this~!)

Impromptu Lunch with a Friend

After traveling for a week, it felt like ages since I played catch up with my friend, Christine. And after a good amount of restaurant food, I am longing for a healthy meal at home. The kitchen is a mess with all the tomatoes. So I pretty up a table in the corner of the living room for just us.

A vintage tablecloth look so sweet on a table for two. Keeping it more casual, I use the melamine plates and chargers I purchased in the spring from The Enchanted Home.

Grocery store flowers of white daisies and red carnations, plus a few faux blue hyacinths, adds a punch of color.

A hearty salad of mixed greens, grilled chicken, veggies and a homemade lemon dressing is the main course. Air fryer blueberry crisp and ice cream is the perfect dessert. I swear I could eat this type of meal every day.

A Very Good Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

With an evening meeting to attend this week, I decide to bring some sustenance and bake chocolate chip cookies. This recipe from Tara O’Brady is quite good and relatively easy to make. She uses chocolate chunks in the recipe but being in a hurry, I use a combination of dark chocolate and extra dark chocolate chips from Guittard.

I am actually glad they are all gone, but not before I ate 3 in one afternoon. That bit of sea salt on the top is addicting. They are very good and I bet the dough would freeze well! You can find Tara O’Brady’s recipe here.

My Next Creative Project

Did you get the Halloween issue, Halloween Haven from Grandin Road this week? I love Halloween and am always looking for new ways to decorate for our Halloween-themed dinner party. Well, in the catalog on page 37 there is a Haunted Figure Window, however, it is pricey at $1,399.

So I am going to attempt to make one myself. After a quick Google search for old windows, I find The Art of Rust, a vintage shop with many treasures.

Here is the old window frame I bought (at 60% off) and hope to use for this project. More to come on this!

If you missed any posts this week, I share how I organize a space in our master bath (here). Plus I gather ideas from the Internet for fabric in lieu of cabinet doors (here).

Have a wonderful Saturday. I am heading up to our cabin for a quick trip. We are rebuilding a deck and need to check on the progress. Enjoy your weekend. May it be filled with rest and relaxation.

Where did the week go? My husband is up at our cabin and it’s just been the dogs, cat and myself here. Lots of stormy, swampy weather made me want to just curl up and read a book. But, noooooo. Instead I am doing all the piddly chores that need to get done, but without alot of enthusiasm. So here we are again at another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

A Surprise Visitor

As I was walking through the library, I noticed a great deal of fireplace debris kicked out onto the floor and rug. I look around and see the cat in hunter/killer mode, poised to leap. And that’s when I looked up and saw this little Western Screech owl perched on a clock. He seems quite happy there.

Fortunately, my daughter was home and she LOVES animals and bravely, reaches up to capture him. Even though he is small, Julianna said he was very strong. She takes him outside to a tree where we know the owls congregate so hopefully he is reunited with his family.

This is our 2nd owl encounter in the last few months. Julianna rescued a fledging owl (you can see that story on Instagram @lifeatbellaterra) and I wonder if this is the same little fella.

He must have flown down into the chimney? It makes you wonder how long he’s been inside as I am still finding owl poop droppings in both the library and mud room. This certainly made for an exciting morning!

Finally Finishing Some Paintings

In 2019, my friend, Barbara posted this gorgeous photo of lilacs from her garden. Since we cannot grow lilacs, I fell in love with this photo and finally finished painting it. There is such joy in completing something, right? Now I just have so many other canvases to either complete or paint over. Setting the time aside to do this is the hard part.

Cordless Table Lamps

https://lifeatbellaterra.com/dinner-in-the-library-tablescape/I cannot even tell you how much I LOVE these cordless LED table lamps. As you may recall, I purchased them for our Dinner in the Library charitable event. If you missed that post, you can see it here. That table was in a very large room, so even though the lamps created a beautiful ambiance, they are even better in a smaller setting.

A few friends came over for a casual dinner of quiche, salad and apple crisp. Since I didn’t have any fresh flowers I just placed the 3 lamps down the center of the table. Instantly this set the mood and everyone loved the warm glow they cast. We didn’t need any other source of lights in the room.

They are 25% off right now on Amazon, but they are still $60.00 each. However, I plan to use them alot and will be perfect for the holidays. You can find them here. If you don’t like the gold, they come in black and vintage copper. You will not be disappointed.

Big Deck Project at our Cabin

The front wooden deck at our cabin is being replaced and enlarged with Trex planks, new railings and staircase. As with any project, the minute you start tearing into it, you discover all sorts of problems. It was a nightmare just getting supplies, but the replacement is turning into dry rot repair and new structural beams.

More to come on this but I empathize with anyone tackling construction projects now. Mother Nature is providing her own set of challenges with severe storms too. Look at what a lighting strike did to a tree on the golf course.

Dreaming of New House Design

I have never built a house from scratch. Every house I’ve owned has been a rescue renovation/restoration. But often I find myself thinking about designing a house. You can find so many examples of farmhouse, shiplap, gray or blue and white, open floor plans, etc. but what a treat when you find something that is truly unique and spectacular.

My friend, Kim from Shiplap and Shells has a Sunday post where she shares really cool things from the Internet. So I am stealing this one from her. It’s called Moonlight Cottage, designed by Murphy & Co. Oh my, every single detail is spectacular. If I could design a dining room, it would be one with books, beautiful windows and look at the hand carved timber opening!

To see more gorgeous Moonlight Cottage photos, click here.

Freezing Tomatoes

My friend, Stacy has a gorgeous garden in New Jersey. Right now she is knee deep in fresh tomatoes. Since I tend to roast or can my tomatoes, Stacy shares how she freezes them. I’ve never done this, but it’s an alternative to canning them. You can get all of Stacy’s tips and tricks here.

Dream Home Makeover

Are you a fan of Studio McGee? I so enjoy their product line, Threshold at Target, actually much more than Magnolia Farm. It is young, stylish and colorful, as is Shea McGee, the founder. Shea and her husband, Syd, started Studio McGee in 2013 and it is an American success story.

Dream Home Makeover is produced by Shea and Syd. Not only does it tell their amazing story, but you get to see Shea work her magic on both new home builds and small room renovations. It’s on Netflix and already has 3 seasons so I feel like I need to catch up.

Trip to Chicago

I am heading out of town tomorrow for a week to help my son move into his new apartment in Chicago. He will be starting the graduate program at the University of Chicago Booth Business School in September. When I was working in corporate America, I traveled to Chicago all the time. However, it’s been years since I spent any quality time there. Really looking forward to a change of scenery.

In a perfect world, I would hope to continue with my Tuesday and Wednesday blog posts, but I may just skip next week, depending on how busy (and tired!) I am. You may not hear from me until next Saturday.

Enjoy your weekend and can August be nearly half over already?