Saturday Meanderings

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.