This year, I did save some of my garden produce and flowers in order to make a Harvest Wreath. The autumn represents the end of the growing season in most areas. Even though, here, we start our gardens in the fall, most of the summer plants have gone to seed or have been harvested. If you have never made a wreath from dried materials, it’s a simple and affordable way to celebrate this time of year.

Wreath Base

Michaels is currently having great bargain pricing on wreath frames. This 18″ grapevine wreath is only $5.99 and it is the base I choose for my Harvest wreath. I tried finding this price on Amazon, but it’s quite a bit more.

Wreath Materials

I love growing artichokes for eating but did you know they are beautiful after they go to seed? Their brilliant purple “crew cut” is very fun to touch. I always let a few stay on the plant and dry them for later projects.

Here is what this artichoke looks like once it has dried.

Remember my spring poppies? Here are the pods that remain after the blossoms are gone. Vents appear at the top and when the plant leans over, all the poppy seeds fall to the ground for next year’s flowers.

The dried pods looks like this and are perfect to add to a wreath.

Any faux fall leaves will work depending on how much color you want or need to add to the wreath. I will use neutral or light brown maple leaves like this~purchased at Hobby Lobby, but you can find similar online or at Michaels.

Wheat sheaves, cattails, pinecones and dried thistle are a few fall items you can also add.

Other Items Needed

• Wire cutters
• Glue Gun
• Bowl of Ice water

Assembling the Wreath

For this diameter wreath, I will use 7 (I like odd numbers) dried artichokes. Attach the base of the flower to the wreath with a glue gun. One of my subscribers suggests keeping a bowl of ice water nearby as it is easy to get the hot gun glue on your fingers (ouch!). A very great and helpful tip.

Using a wire cutter, cut the light brown maple leaves from their stems.

Add the leaves, again with the glue gun, as a backdrop to the artichokes.

Here is where you can add whatever you want to give the wreath a more lush feel. I add sheaves of wheat which has a completely different texture.

Since I need to break up the space between the artichokes, I add pinecones.

Dried thistle (prickly so be careful) is used because it is in the purple family, though faded with drying. Narrow, smaller cattails bring some foundation to the wreath and only placed on the bottom end.

Even though the colors are similar and neutral, the textures and shapes of the elements makes it interesting.

This wreath is hanging on the back Dutch door and I love that it represents our garden harvest and items from nature. The cost is minimal (the wreath) and the rest is free from Mother Nature.

Artichokes grow very well here so if you have never planted any, you may want to try. Typically I plant them in the spring for an early summer harvest.

I hope you try this DIY as you will get a great deal of satisfaction using beautiful, natural items from your life.

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

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!

After a 3 week hiatus from blogging, our international travels are over and I am back in Phoenix. Happy Saturday and I hope you enjoyed a patriotic and relaxing July 4th week. The last time I missed July 4th in the United States was in 2014 when we were stuck at JFK airport coming back from an Italy trip. Thank you so much for joining me today for another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

Our Recent Trip

I am almost at a loss for words about our trip to Seoul, South Korea and Mongolia, as it feels like a life-changing experience. Why Mongolia? As I have mentioned in the past, my husband is on the board to the Peregrine Fund, a non- profit group that conserves threatened and endangered birds of prey worldwide. For their 50th anniversary, Scott bid on an expedition to Mongolia…and we won.

Since we just arrived back home a few days ago, I am in my jet-lagged fog and still processing how different and enlightening both Seoul and Mongolia in comparison to our own country. So more details to come on this trip.

Still Enjoying Roses

It’s hard to believe that my rose garden is still producing. With the higher temperatures, the flowers are smaller, but I’ve never had blooms in July. I expected to return to a completely barren rose garden, only to be delighted with new flowers. Unfortunately leaf cutter ants are taking over and I need to research how to get rid of them. If anyone has suggestions or remedies, please let me know.

The Perfect Travel Bag(s)

When you love your luggage, it is hard to move onto another piece. However, the carry-on Rimowa bag I invested in back in 2014, no longer meets airline specifications. It’s just too large now. So when the 21 inch DELSEY Paris Champagne white hard side luggage was on sale back in March, I bit the bullet and purchased it, along with the matching laptop backpack.

I am convinced that I cannot possibly fit enough in this smaller roller bag for a week’s worth of travel. But since I do not like checking luggage, I really have no choice but to try and make this new, smaller size work.

This roller bag is a DREAM! Not only am I able to fit enough clothes for the Seoul portion of our trip, but 2 pairs of shoes and all my toiletries..with room to spare.

The leather-like accents and style reminds me of vintage traveling accessories but with modern construction. In addition, the backpack slides over the handle so I am able to roll everything on board.

Currently, both items are on sale (30% off for the roller bag; 20% off for the backpack), but I’m wondering if they will be discounted even more during Prime Days next week? I hope to do a post on Prime Day deals and I’ll remind you to check these products out.

I’m a bit old fashion when I travel as I like to look nice (no pajama pants for me on an airplane) so these new luggage pieces complement my navy and white traveling outfit!

In summary, I am very happy with both pieces in regard to function and style.

From Around the Internet

If you are over 50 and need some fashion advice, Cindy Hattersley is a great resource. With our sweltering summer temperatures it’s hard to wear black here in Phoenix, but it’s a great color for summer travel. Check out Cindy’s latest post about Five Effortlessly Chic Ways to Wear Black this Summer.

Since my fashion sense is somewhat lacking, I get great ideas from Cindy.

This Salad, oh my!

Elizabeth from Pinecones and Acorns shares her favorite finds on Fridays. Check out this gorgeous salad! Wouldn’t it be perfect for a hot summer day? The original recipe is from Recipe Runner and I hope to make it this weekend…and maybe add some grilled chicken or shrimp for a complete meal.

Learning to Make Paper Flowers

Want to learn something new this summer~ how to make life-like paper flowers? Join this 3-day online event with 18+ FREE paper flower workshops taught by Abbi Kirsten! Abbi is a paper flower expert with 10+ years of paper crafting experience. The free event starts on Monday, July 10th. Of course if you want access to the classes for more than 24 hours, there is a reasonable fee.

You can find the link here.

Typically, I am not a very good DIY or craft person, but I did make a paper flower wreath recently and was very pleased with the results. You can see that project here.

Summer Home Tour

My sweet friend, Michele from Vintage Home Designs, has her home featured in Farmhouse Living as part of their summer home tour series. The 30 minute video is filled with so many great ideas and inspiration! You can see it here.

Passion for Plants

My daughter, Julianna, has a new found passion for indoor plants. She rescues those that are on the “nearly dead and on sale” shelves at plant stores. Recently, her collection tops 30+ indoor plants.

Personally, I only have a few indoor plants which are the ones that thrive with or without me, so I am learning a great deal from her about the care and keeping of various plants.

You are never too old to learn something new! If you want to learn more about plants from her, you can follow her on Instagram @plant_obsessed_witch.

Well, that’s a wrap! Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to relaxing and getting back to a schedule.

When did the Memorial Day weekend sneak up on us? It’s hard to believe it is already the end of May! However, Memorial Day is a very important national holiday, when we honor and mourn those who have died while serving in the United States armed forces. I love our flag and all it represents and for me, red, white and blue are the respectful colors I use to decorate. Though many people think of Memorial Day as a long weekend to begin summer, Memorial Day is much more than that. Here are three easy Memorial Day DIY decorations you can make before the Monday holiday.

Paper Patriotic Garland

Since we have a few fireplaces here at Bella Terra, I love decorating them with a garland. You can use any themed paper from a craft store or in this case, I had some Hester & Cook paper placemats and a paper runner in Stars and Stripes. If you are not familiar with Hester & Cook, they have a vast selection of paper goods, kitchenalia, lighting and numerous other items.

All you need is pretty paper, twine, scissors and a glue stick and you are ready to go! This is also a fun and easy project with children or grandchildren.

To see the detailed DIY instructions on making this paper garland, click here.

Fabric Garland

On a scale from one to 10, the easy factor on this garland is a one or two. Plus if you like ripping fabric, it does help release a bit of stress!

The only supplies you need are fabric in red, white and blue, scissors, a ruler and twine. Since I am starting with a patriotic-themed fabric, I don’t need additional fabric colors. You can make this using plain red, white and blue fabric to achieve a similar look.

In order to make the strips of fabric similar in width, I use a ruler and start the beginning of the ripping with scissors. So easy as you just rip and tear into fabric strips and tie them onto the twine.

I believe my twine is 6 feet long and I add 30 strips of fabric. When you tie them on, make sure the right side of the fabric is facing out.

To see the detailed DIY on making this fabric garland, click here.

Vintage Folk Garland

Full disclosure. I did not make this, but my sweet friend, Gwen, made this garland for me decades ago. Each year when I hang it, I think of her. Gwen is a friend you want to keep for life. She is incredibly talented, smart, loyal and I have learned so much from her.

Red ribbon serves as the twine and it stitched through the garland pieces. The star has a hand-stitched circle of blue beads for detail.

The American Flag is stained with tea to give it a vintage look. The small white beads add texture and interest. And check out the back. Not sure if she started with a quilted material or did the top stitching herself. Naturally, making this type of garland is more time consuming than the ones above.

But I love the attention to detail and the care in which Gwen made this…..and gave it to me.

Patriotic Wreath

This DIY is beyond simple. All you need is a wreath frame, assorted ribbons (or fabric), floral wire and a pair of scissors. Since I have way too much ribbon, this project does use up as much as you want.

The wreath is a series of bows scrunched together. Again, this is a great project while sitting in front of the television or listening to a podcast. It is easy enough for children to help.

If you don’t want to pre-make the bows with floral wire, I would imagine strips of fabric tied into bows on the wreath frame will work equally well. With this wreath, I use a single floral hoop. If you want to use the wreath frame in the photo above, you can add more bows for a fuller wreath.

Floral hoops and wreath frames can be found online. If you need assorted patriotic ribbon, see it here. I seem to use floral wire for everything so I always have some on hand.

What is nice about making patriotic decorations now, is you can use them for Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. And once you make these DIY items, you can use them year after year.

Happy Thursday, my friends! Have a truly magnificent day.

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

Happy Easter weekend! I love this time of year and have such happy memories of this holiday. Dad would buy us corsages to pin on our new spring coats. Dressing up for church in hats and gloves and Mom’s homemade lamb cake after dinner. Signs of spring would be popping up in Connecticut and winter was in the rear view mirror. Thanks for joining me today for Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things that happen this week.

This picture cracks me up! That’s me in the foreground, with my older sister and brother and Mom. Not sure when this was taken, but it may have been before my other 2 siblings were born? I still look dorky in a hat!

And We Have Winners!

Thank you ALL so much for your comments to last Saturday’s post. Your feedback and comments are like gold to me. Instead of choosing just two winners for a free box of fresh citrus, I picked four out of a hat. The winners are: Debbie Fischer, Linda DeBono, Tanya Lochridge and Virginia Jordan. I hope you have all received your fruit!

I am Hooked!

Thank you, Valerie for the suggestion to watch the Cornell Lab Barred Owl live cam. I am completely addicted. For those of you unfamiliar with this, there is a live camera on a barred owl in a nest in Indiana. She is sitting on 2 eggs which should be hatching within the next week or two. What I find fascinating is her dedicated partner who brings a variety of food to her, while she incubates the eggs. From snakes to frogs to a woodpecker, this mama owl is eating well.

I literally keep the feed up on my laptop in the kitchen and catch glimpses of her throughout my day. And if you miss an important event like a feeding, there are short videos that capture the important moments. Isn’t Mother Nature amazing? Here is the link.

What is Wrong with my Hollyhocks?

Typically, I have very good luck with hollyhocks. They are like weeds here and grow everywhere. A particularly stunning show of hollyhocks is located near my vegetable garden. But this year, these hollyhock plants are deformed.

The leaves are tightly curled and the flowers are small and sparse. Does anyone know why? At first I thought it might be frost damage? However, in other parts of the yard, the hollyhocks look fine. I’m hoping it’s not a virus or something that spreads.

I think I may pull all the damaged plants out and replant, as I have lots of seeds. It’s a bit perplexing.

Did you Know?

If you are like me and not in-the-know, it appears that every 26-ounce canister of iodized Morton Table Salt has a built-in salt shaker. This is only revealed after removing the sticker from the metal spout. Under each sticker are two salt-shaker-sized holes that can be used to pour much smaller amounts of salt — without having to pour it into your hand first.

Someone posted this on TikTok and has over 13 million views. I certainly didn’t know this! Did you?

Also, please remember that iodine is an important nutrient that your thyroid needs to produce certain hormones. Not getting enough iodine in your diet can lead to problems such as an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) and an abnormally low level of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism).

Unexpected Project Completed

On the back of our well tower, is a small platform with a fireman’s pole (to slide down from the second level). Unknown to us, the platform has been rotting due to water damage, which we just discovered this week.

Fortunately our contractor John is able to come by and replace the damaged wood.

My husband repaints the security railing which is faded from the sun exposure.

Now the platform is completely stable and ready for our friends and family to use and slide down the pole safely.

There is always something to repair with these old houses!

The Cherry Blossom paper Wreath

Last Saturday, I shared the paper cherry blossom wreath by Janine from Happy Happy Nester. Well, this week I decide to make it (as I love cherry blossoms). This is the first time I have ever used paper flowers for anything.

Since I want the flowers to have some weight, I download the pictures of the cherry blossoms and print them on some old stationary paper stock.

Cutting the flowers is a bit tedious, however, after a while, I just relax and cut while watching my barred owl live camera! The whole process reminds me of cutting out paper dolls and clothing (am I dating myself?).

In Janine’s tutorial, she uses a 12′ wreath, while mine is a 15″ wreath, so I just keep cutting flowers. A previously used grapevine wreath with lots of old glue dots makes my placement strategy easy by just covering the spots up with flowers.

So what do you think? I’m actually surprised and delighted with it!

The number of flowers cut depends on the width of your wreath and the density of your flowers. For my 15″ wreath there are 70 flowers. Bending the petals gives the flowers a more life-like appearance. You could do less flowers, too.

Baking this Week

I keep trying to perfect two recipes~gruyere, garlic and rosemary sourdough bread and a sourdough panettone. This week, the panettone gives me the perfect rise out of its tall pan and finally I feel like I have a success.

Last week’s panettone:

This week’s panettone:

Trying to get my baking in before the hot summer hits.

Hurt Hummingbird

The downside to having clean windows is birds often fly right into them. This unfortunate incident occurred this week with a hummingbird. My husband found it and it was unclear whether the little fella would make it.

He put the injured bird into a makeshift bed and placed it in a tree. A few hours later, the hummingbird was gone! So we are hoping that he/she recovered from the shock of hitting the window. Makes me want to have dirty windows.

On the Internet

If you are longing for beautiful pictures of front porches, check out my friend, Stacy’s (from Bricks ‘n Blooms) post on 7 Small Porch Ideas on a Budget. I’m always looking for ways to charm up my front porch without spending a lot of money. Plus this post will lead you to 9 other bloggers’ front porch ideas! See it here.

If you garden or just love beautiful flower gardens, you cannot go wrong with reading Kim’s blog (from Shiplap and Shells). For those of us who are enjoying the daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and other flowering bulbs, pretty soon they will wither. After showing their best blooms, we are now left with rather ugly plants. Kim has a great post on When to Cut Back Spring Bulb Flowers and Their Foliage. I’m at that stage with some of our holiday bulbs (amaryllis, narcissus and now my tulips). Lots of good information here.

Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover or just Spring, have a blessed beautiful and blessed weekend. I am so excited that I will be hosting Easter brunch for 8 and will spend all of today cooking and baking. Ah, my happy place!