Saturday Meanderings

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!