Saturday Meanderings

I hope you had the chance to see the post about our successful Holiday Styling Workshop. As you an imagine, I am still putting away, cleaning up and happily reliving all the wonderful memories we created during this workshop. With hopes of having a relaxing week, it really has been the opposite, but trust my light calendar next week will get some overdue “me” time. It’s Saturday Meanderings time where we chat about all good things this week. So happy you are here joining me today.

A Haircut, Finally!

Recently I showed you a picture of a potential future haircut. Well, I finally made the time to get my locks trimmed and here’s the result.

All the credit goes to Roscoe Nichols (at Pucci Salon) ~truly the best hair guy in town. My relationship with Roscoe is longer than my husband of nearly 30 years. He never disappoints!

Such a Pretty Time in the Yard

It always takes a few months to get the property back into shape after the brutal summer months. We are rounding the bend as the flowers are bursting with color and all the plants and trees are enjoying the fall temperatures.

Finn Goes to Training School

My husband and I are attending Top Dog training school with Finn. We probably need it more than our sweet boy! As soon as my husband put on his harness, Finn knew something was up. He quickly headed to the corner of the front yard and tried to hide in the ground cover. Little did he know that it’s hard to hide his 107 lb. dog body.

Annual Turkey Drive

Our volunteer neighborhood association receives cash donations from our residents each year for the Annual Turkey Drive. My sweet board member, Jay and I go and purchase 40 to 50 turkeys and drive them to our local police precinct, for donation to our local food bank (St. Mary’s).

Jay is in his 80s, works out every day at the Y and is the first to raise his hand to participate in this wonderful event. Still working full time, Jay is an inspiration (and yes, ladies he is single!). Today, Jay and I will be buying lots of turkeys and this is one of my favorite things to do during the holiday season.

Donovan Update

I was asked to share an update on Donovan. Finn hasn’t quite learned how to be a good playmate, as Donovan’s tail is just another attractive chew toy to him. Thank goodness the cat is quick!

However, Donovan isn’t your typical cat as he is very social and has a rather calm demeanor. Often, I find him sitting on the kitchen chair just staring at me when I’m cooking or baking. He is now 10 years old and a wonderful companion.

Frozen Geraniums

As you know, we transport our large tubs of geraniums up to our mountain cabin in the summer and back down to Phoenix over the winter. We have been doing this for years. Well, this fall we did not transport our geraniums back in time and they suffered during a major snow storm. My husband brought the dead looking plants back to Phoenix.

I’ve been dragging my feet on ripping out the old plants and buying new geraniums….and I’m glad I waited. Look at the new growth that is currently happening on all the geranium plants.

I’m not sure when (or if) I should be cutting off all the dead parts, or wait until it leafs out more? Any advice from geranium experts would be greatly appreciated!

Documentary on Martha Stewart

I have never been someone who idolizes celebrities but there are a few people who I feel have had an impact on me when I was younger. In the early 1980s, I was living in Darien, Connecticut and I took a cooking class from Martha Stewart at Hay Day Market. Martha was living a short distance away in Westport, CT and had just published her first book, Entertaining.

Naturally, I stayed after class to chat with her and she gave me the leftover pasta dough from that evening’s recipe, Red Pepper Ravioli with Montrachet Filling. Yes, I was a little giddy. Since then, I am a fan and have learned so much from many of her books. I still have all the recipes from that cooking class.

Fast forward 42 years, my copy of Entertaining is falling apart but is kept together with food stains spilled from all those dishes I made from this book (best banana bread recipe)! That book and my cooking class from Martha, set me on a trajectory of trying new recipes, staging food in a beautiful way and entertaining with flair.

The documentary, Martha is now showing on Netflix. Have you seen it? Personally, I am impressed that Martha has reinvented herself to be relevant in today’s world. She is truly the original influencer.

Mary’s Must Haves

Too much time has passed since I posted my favorite things!

Since our temperature has significantly dropped here (38 degrees in the early morning), I swear by this microwaveable blanket (size 44″ x 18″) filled with lavender and flaxseeds. Just before bed, I pop it in the microwave and heat for 3 minutes. Then, I place it between the sheets while I go off and get ready for bed. It is so nice to slide into warm sheets and you can either lay on the blanket or put it on top of you. Since it is slightly weighted, it feels like a warm hug before bed. Cover is removable and washable.

Every afternoon I am enjoying a cup of hot tea and just LOVE this 3.75″ loose leaf tea strainer. Not only does it fit a coffee-size/style cup, but also a tea pot. Priced at $10.99 on Amazon.

It’s dishwasher safe, and if you need a larger diameter, it also comes in a 5″ width.

I cannot tell you how many times I use this attractive beverage dispenser. With the holidays coming, I will fill it with water (and fruits/herbs) instead of having plastic water bottles. Mine holds 1.85 gallons and the style is Georgetown by Godinger (originally purchased at Costco years ago). Here is a similar one on Amazon, slightly smaller (holding 1 gallon) also made by Godinger. It is currently 24% off at $53.00.

Having a 114 year old home, when it’s cold outside, it is drafty inside. As I age, my hands and feet seem to get chilly first. Since I use (really overuse) my hands, I find that they get stiff or ache easily. And in the winter, my skin is oh, so dry.

The microwaveable hand warmers are ideal for many issues ranging from arthritis to dry skin. I often put a good hand moisturizer on and warm these babies up. I know that I do not take care of my hands as often as I should, but using these hand warmers is a spa day for them. Currently, 14% off at $24.99 on Amazon.

Well, that’s a wrap! If you missed the overview of the Holiday Styling Workshop, you can see it here. I hope you have relaxing plans for the weekend. Stay safe out there!