Saturday Meanderings

Happy Saturday! I am so delighted to be back writing again after two rather eventful weeks. It’s still hotter than the dickens in Phoenix but I am getting a brief respite from the heat while writing this from the cooler mountains of Arizona. Thank you for joining me today for Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things.

A Whirlwind Move

As you may recall, my middle child, Julianna graduated in May with her masters in Global Security and Intelligence. Three weeks ago, she receives a fabulous job offer in her field of study with an international company, with one of their facilities based in Austin, Texas.

With a few days of accepting the offer, she (and her boyfriend) fly to Austin to find housing. Four days later, they fly home and begin the quick process of collecting their belongings from multiple locations. With a packed U-Haul and her car filled with 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 gecko and 85 house plants, we make the two day drive to Austin.

After the second day, I felt like I needed a walker after sitting in the car for 10 hours. Next, 5 days of unpacking, cleaning and painting, I am home nursing all the aches and pains of manual labor. Not sure if this is an Austin rental market thing, but it is surprising how rental turnovers do not involve deep cleaning.

Initially we thought the baseboards were just dirty, but after scrubbing, they still look horrible. A quick coat of white paint makes a big difference. A relatively easy fix with a big impact.

Kitchen cabinets are sticky and get a good cleaning with a degreaser. Now it feels sanitary enough to fill with utensils and kitchen items.

The windows that lack privacy with an adjacent house, get this pretty film coating my daughter selected. Surprisingly easy to apply, it adds a bit of interest instead of blocking out the light with curtains or blinds. What a great affordable option.

Easy Decorative Pie Crust

My last post, I share the secrets of making a delicious peach pie. Here is a way to upgrade your game and it is SO easy. My sweet friend, Tevia gave me this decorative rolling pin as a gift quite some time ago and I have never used it.

After rolling the dough, I cut in between the embossed designs and make strips for a lattice crust. Since I don’t want to cover the pretty design, simple narrow strips are made for the pattern.

In researching this type of rolling pin, there are so many designs to choose from. You can use it for cookies, clay, ornaments, and other crafty projects. Check out these beautiful holiday designs here.

Remember the salt dough ornaments I made last year? I think it would easy to make those ornaments using one of these decorative rolling pins.

Annual Pumpkin Hunting Trip

Each year we look forward to driving to Snowflake, Arizona to Willis Family Farms to buy pumpkins. This year, walking out to the active pumpkin field is actually quite a hike. The closer fields are being rejuvenated and not planted with any pumpkins this year.

Typically we get 4 wheelbarrows full of pumpkins and gourds, but this year we buy far less. Dragging 175 lbs of pumpkins all the way back to the check out stand was not fun. I swear it was a mile.

There are many other activities at Willis Family Farm for your family~corn maze, haunted corn maze, train rides, laser tag and cute baby pigs and goats. I do suggest going earlier in October when they first open.

Do You Decorate for Halloween?

Each year I debate whether or not to decorate for Halloween. With fond childhood memories of Mom putting up cornstalks around the entry lamp post and painting faces on pumpkins, I get a bit nostalgic this time of year.

My friend, Chloe, lives in a perfect neighborhood to decorate and see the spectacular decorations she has designed this year with large skulls. She is able to remove all the decorations before Hurricane Milton hit and fortunately they are safe with minimal damage.

Chloe will be demonstrating some holiday styling at our workshop on November 9th. It is always exciting to see what masterpiece she will create.

Kensington Doll House Company

There is something so magical about a well-appointed dollhouse~from the diminutive furniture to the scaled-down wallpaper and scrumptious fabrics. If you want to see some gorgeous photos of the work of the Kensington Doll House Company, click here.

This mother-daughter duo have turned their passion into a business, taking private commissions from their clients.

Geranium Moving Time

Each spring we move our geraniums up to the cabin as they love the cooler temperatures and rainfall. They generally look tired from the Phoenix heat but within a few weeks, they are happy and abundant.

The plants are looking so strong and healthy. Today I will be deadheading them and getting them ready for transport back to the Valley. Next week’s temperatures should be lower (keeping my fingers crossed).

The 12th season of the Great British Baking Show is now showing and it’s one of Finn’s favorites. Love that dog!

It’s been a scary weather week with the impact of the hurricanes. Our friends in that part of the country have experienced a range of damage from severe to being without electricity for over a week. Thankfully, they are physically safe. Our hearts and prayers are with those who are suffering. Hoping the hurricane season is over soon.

Wishing you an enjoyable weekend. We’ve got outdoor chores here at the cabin getting it ready for the winter. It’s nice to be here~so quiet and touches of fall in the air. Just what I need after a very hectic few weeks!