Saturday Meanderings

I seriously do not understand how fast August is flying by~especially these last two weeks. Happy last Saturday of August and it’s hard to believe the Labor Day weekend is next week. We are so lucky to still be enjoying the cooler mountains of Arizona and lately, I can certainly feel a touch of autumn in the air. Thanks for joining me for Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

Hummingbird Frenzy

We have two hummingbird feeding stations just outside the front of the cabin. Both are filled with so many hummingbirds, dipping their beaks into the sweet nectar. It is so entertaining to watch them maneuver while batting their wings at lightning speed.

Most of the hummingbirds I have observed are shades of blue or green, but lately, we are seeing multiple bright orange and red ones. Little did I know but they are the Rufous Hummingbird. Out of all the hummingbirds, this one migrates up to 4,000 miles (from Alaska to Mexico).

Research has revealed that the area of a hummingbird’s brain related to learning and spatial memory — the hippocampus — is proportionately the largest of any bird group studied to date. Hummingbirds “brain volume” is up to five times larger than that found in songbirds, for example.

With enhanced spatial memory, the Rufous and other hummingbirds pinpoint prime locations of nectar, their main food source. Remarkably, hummingbirds can also remember feeder locations from previous years, both on their home territories and along their migratory pathways.

Anyway, just wanted to share a little hummingbird info that I found fascinating this week. In the meantime, we are refilling our feeders almost daily and enjoying their elaborate flight displays, steep dives and territorial nature.

I hope to post a video on Instagram documenting the Rufous Hummingbird invasion~you can see it @lifeatbellaterra.

Fun Finds this week

Speaking of birds, many years ago I purchased these bird plates from Anthropologie as part of a wall grouping. When no longer needed as that, I realize how much I like these plates from their colors to their size. However, I only had 3 of them.

A quick visit to eBay and I find 4 more, with just the blue and yellow border. These are the perfect size for a small meal or dessert. A happy purchase.

Do you use eBay to find or sell your treasures?

A Sustainable Way to Reuse Candle Vessels

I am trying a relatively new product from a company called Siblings. According to their website, they do candle refills, not single-use vessels. Their 100% compostable bag contains everything needed to make a luxe, non-toxic candle in a vessel you already have. A candle with less waste, lighter weight and fewer emissions.

Basically, you microwave the bag and pour the melted candle wax into your own vessel. No fuss, no mess! The scents I ordered are: clove lavender cedarwood, eucalyptus balsam wild berries and bergamot white rose oak moss.

I am making one candle and it is super easy. Check them out. Again, I don’t get a stipend if you buy this, but if you remember the mess with melting candle wax in a pot on the stove…you will love this!

Cute Little Painting

While at Big Lots, I spot this cute 8″ x 10″ painting on a wrapped canvas. The colors match one of my vintage quilts in my daughter’s room. Not sure about the black leaves as I can touch them up with a bit of green, but I will live with it for awhile. A steal at $5.99…..really!

Another find from Big Lots is this faux fern with a basketweave pottery pot. I add it to the nightstand in the cabin guest bedroom~surprising how real it looks! If you missed the post this week about Reworking the Home Office to a Guest Bedroom, you can see it here.

Face Moisturizing Question

In a recent email from Costco entitled $80 OFF Moisturizer, my curiosity leads me to open the marketing piece. I am thinking…$80 off? That’s quite a savings. Then I click on the link which takes me to La Mer Creme De La Mer Moisturizing. The online price for 3.4 oz. container is $409.99; sale price (for 2 days only online) is $329.99.

I then look at the ingredients. Not sure what Miracle Broth is, but the second ingredient is mineral oil, which is a heavily processed petroleum product. For some reason, I am under the impression that mineral oil is not something you want to use on your skin….?

Anyway, after having sticker shock about this product, both the retail and sales price, does anyone use this? Personally, I can’t imagine spending this much money on a face cream unless it’s going to get rid of all my hard earned wrinkles and spots.

Recently, I did switch my day time moisturizer to Clinique Moisture Surge and so far, I am very happy with the way it works on my skin. You can order this directly through Sephora here. However, if you look for this product on Amazon, they only have it with an SPF of 25. Not sure if it is a knock-off, but on the Clinique website they do not have Moisture Surge with an SPF of 25. Make sure you get the real thing with an SPF of 28. Cost is $48.00.

This 1.5 oz container is lasting quite a long time. I’ve been using it every morning for a few months now and only 1/4 of the jar is gone.

What type of moisturizer (day and night) do you use?

Help!

A few months ago, I posted a picture of this wonderful rocking chair given to me by my neighbor across the street. It has a wonderful history and I love the wide, comfortable seat.

I haul it up to the cabin with the intention of stripping off the yellow paint, determining the original wood and perhaps just staining and varnishing it.

Well, I start this project and what a colossal pain in the butt. There are at least 3 layers of paint and after working on it for several days, here is my progress.

Getting the old paint out of the decorative turns is so tedious and often times, impossible….at least so far.

Does anyone have any great solutions to making this stripping go faster? I am using an orange gel stripper and wondering if it is just not strong enough? Dipping the entire piece into stripping solution is not an option due to the woven seat and back of the chair.

Maybe it’s best to just repaint it? Perhaps a heat gun? Would appreciate your thoughts and expertise.

From the Internet

You have heard me mention Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate (such a creative and talented person!). If you are looking for a non-traditional look for Halloween, check out Chloe’s living room mantel. I love it when I see something I’ve never seen before.

Letting Go of Summer with Gratitude

I would consider myself someone who hangs onto summer for as long as I can. It’s rather easy to do when you live in Phoenix, Arizona and the heat really doesn’t seem to end until Halloween. But there is something about the ease and fluidity of days in this season, that doesn’t really happen the rest of the year.

Heather from Home with Heather has a thoughtful post on Letting Go of Summer with Gratitude. If you are having reservations about saying goodbye to the summer rhythms, you may enjoy this.

Easy Sheet Pan Recipes

Quite honestly, I rarely make any meal on a sheet pan. But this article from Food 52, makes a compelling argument on why one should try it. Sheet pan Harissa Chicken with Smashed Olives and Apricots, anyone? See it here.

It’s time to wish you a wonderful weekend. I am driving down to Phoenix for a few days to see my daughter(s), catch up with a doctor’s appointment and maybe a haircut. Be happy and be safe out there!