Saturday Meanderings

Happy February, Groundhog Day and welcome to the first Saturday Meanderings of this month. February 2024…wow. Who remembers the year 2000 like it was yesterday? That was 24 years ago! As life continues to just fly on by, my attempt at slow living is truly failing. Here we are with another month starting and it’s time to chat about all good things this week for Saturday Meanderings.

Add Touches of Pink

This week, I am adding touches of pink to the house to celebrate the month of love. I treat myself to a new wreath for the front door from TwoInspireYou. I first found them initially on Etsy and they make wreaths of various widths. With a 4 foot wide front door, standard wreaths look a bit puny so it nice that they create wreaths up to 30 inches wide.

These are not inexpensive wreaths, but they are a very good quality and last a long time. I purchased an autumn wreath from them several years ago and it looks as good as the day I received it. Granted, you need to store them properly, but I find these wreaths a good, long term investment.

The pink peony wreath with greenery comes in a hot pink, paler pink or a white flower. For Valentine’s Day, I add a few yarn hearts to pick up the colors from the nearby lighter pink geraniums. A few pots of more pink geraniums are in the wicker basket on my blue beach cruiser.

Fireplace Garland

Do you remember the Valentine’s garland I made a few years ago? That’s up this week on both the dining room and breakfast room fireplace mantels.

What’s nice about this garland is that once you make it, you can use it year to year. Paper heart garland DIY here. Yarn heart garland DIY here. Each year I try and mix it up with something else-like this pearl button garland.

Why not find a fun or unusual container to hold your heart-shaped candies? This Cambridge Rose Point footed mayonnaise bowl with etched depression glass is from the 1920s. I never use it for mayonnaise so may as well use it here.

Are you putting up any decorative touches for Valentine’s Day?

More Progress

This week I am able to check off 3 items on the 2024 Small Project List~woohoo! Though I cannot take credit for this one, I am thrilled that our side green gate near the rose garden is finally painted. It looks so nice and fresh. A relatively easy project with a great impact! Though the picture doesn’t reflect that actual deep and rich blackish green of the door, it still looks good!

Valentine Cookie Decorating Class

The class is full and we will be creating gorgeous Valentine cookies today! I’m a little worried about the weather because the temperatures have dipped out of the pleasant 70s to the 50s. But we have heaters on the back terrace so hopefully everyone will be comfortable. Will take lots of pictures and share with you next week.

From the Internet

I just discovered Drew Michael Scott from Lone Fox Home on Instagram. Truth be told, I try not to spend any time on my phone unless I have to, but this young man is so incredibly talented I watch all his videos. He recently purchased a 1929 small Spanish style home and on a budget and with amazing creativity, he is transforming it into a one of a kind living space.

He finds bargains on Facebook Marketplace and has a great eye for detail. What I like is that he is true to his taste and not following the latest trends. Drew is an inspiration as his ideas and techniques are not typical, but very innovative. You can find him on Instagram @lonefoxhome (where you see him in action) or his website here (which sells his products).

My friend, Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms has written her FIRST book and it will be releasing on February 6th. Stacy is a phenomenal gardener and her flower beds are magazine worthy. Here’s what Amazon has to say about this book:

In this incredibly comprehensive and gorgeously photographed guide, master gardener Stacy Ling helps aspiring green thumbs achieve success with her easy-to-grow, easy-care, and low maintenance approach to growing beautiful flowers.   

I have preordered mine and you can see it here. Let’s help out a budding new author and get lots of books sold! Fabulous gift to a gardener!

Speaking of flowers and seeds, my sweet friend, Kim from Shiplap and Shells shares a recent post on the viability of seeds. If you are like me, I try and plant seeds that I find several years later and wonder why they didn’t grow? See Kim’s informative Flower Seed Viability Chart here.

Mary’s Must Haves

Lately, in the afternoon I am enjoying a hot cup of tea. However, I am unable to find this tea on the supermarket shelves. It is available online and I highly recommend it. Twining Earl Grey with Lavender is delicious. Of course I add a few things like honey, a small amount of vanilla extract before I steep the tea bag in hot water. Then I top it with some steamed oat milk (any milk with do). You can find this yummy tea here.

First Saturday Lime

Even though I have shared this before, I cannot say enough good things about this product. It is the ONLY thing that gets rid of those nasty worms that eat my geraniums. It was probably over a year ago I first applied it and didn’t see one worm for months. The package recommends you apply it monthly and First Saturday Lime is a healthy alternative to pesticides.

Plus this product does many things~ from increasing soil pH to turning hydrangeas pink. You can use it with horses, chickens and even as a whitewash. Pretty amazing and a 20 lb bag runs about $32.00. If you follow me on Instagram @lifeatbellaterra, I did a reel this week demonstrating how I use this product. You can find it here.

Perfect Hostess Gift

If you are looking for a Valentine gift or hostess gift for February, isn’t this an attractive cocktail shaker set? I own a few products from this company and so far the quality and performance has been great. This entire set is only $24.99 and includes a 24 oz. shaker with a built-in strainer, a double sided jigger and a muddler mixing spoon. See it here.

Help for my Knee

Decades ago, due to a bad skiing accident, I severed my ACL and significantly injured the other two ligaments in my left knee. Three surgeries and a full year recovery, I am happy to say I do not walk with a limp. However, lately my knee is slightly swollen and creating a bit of a fuss.

I am looking at this ice pack wrap as perhaps a solution to minimize the pain. Does anyone use a product like this? Coldest Knee Ice Pack Wrap can be used for both hot and cold therapy. This reusable compression is best for Meniscus Tear, Injury Recovery, Bursitis Pain Recovery, Sprains, Swelling and Rheumatoid Arthritis. It’s on my list of things to buy and you can find it here.

That’s a wrap! Have a beautiful weekend and whatever you do, stay warm and safe.

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