Happy Saturday, friends! Am I the only one that cannot believe it’s the first Saturday in May? Each time I write this post I like to take the time to look at photos from a year ago. Last year at this time I was harvesting artichokes and this year, there are none growing in the garden. Looking back is a reminder that time marches on whether we want it to or not. Quite honestly, I didn’t even think to plant artichokes this year! So here we are again reviewing what took place this week and having our Saturday morning chat.

The Impact of Last Summer’s Heat

In 2023, there was an abundant crop of apricots, peaches and apples from our orchard. The excessive summer heat killed the apple tree and all the fruit trees have been negatively impacted. One apricot tree is nearly dead and the other is not far behind. We do have some peaches but certainly not the quantity we normally get.

I can only imagine how difficult it must be for any farmer when the weather negatively impacts their crops and their livelihood. Mother Nature is both wonderful and unpredictable. We hope to replant new fruit trees in the fall. It will be sad to remove these trees that have provided us with delicious fruit year after year.

We are certainly hoping for a more normal summer with monsoons and cooler temps…however, we can only hope.

Anomalies in the Garden

On a more positive note, my tomato plants are doing so well and the arugula has gone wild…it’s literally growing everywhere. Funny, in 2020 I was picking tomatoes in late April, early May. This year, they are small and green and won’t be ready to harvest for a few more weeks.

Right now I have amaryllis blooming! Aren’t they supposed to show their flowers at Christmas time? Beautiful deep red, this is a garden surprise this year.

Great Horned Owl

While doing a walkabout with Finn, I am hearing the deep hooting of an owl. Using my trusty Merlin Bird ID app, I discover the sound is coming from a Great Horned owl.

We have many Western Screech Owls (like the one I found in my library), but I did not realize the Great Horned owl resides here. I follow his hoot and lo and behold, I spot him way up in one of the palm trees. Can you make him out in this photo? He is very well camouflaged.

These birds of prey are very large~like the owls in the Harry Potter movies. As I was taking photos he never took his eyes off of me. Such an impressive bird.

Thrift Finds

My friend Christine and I went to Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market which is a huge, 3 day event in Scottsdale. Held at WestWorld in a massive 120,000 sq. ft. space, there are over 160+ local small businesses, vintage curators and handmade artisans from all corners of the country. 

I am able to find some fabulous vintage suitcases (for a theme dinner in June), a gorgeous piece of art for our cabin, an 1800s child-size tea service and a few small pieces of silver.

It is hard to believe this J. Meir & Son Balmoral child’s tea set has survived nearly 175 years without damage ~and the set is complete.

From the Internet

Check out these pecan-topped, chocolate pretzel bites from Lisa at Celebrate Creativity. The rich, smooth chocolate envelops crunchy mini pretzels creating bite-size flavor is the perfect blend of sweet, salty and crunchy.  It’s both indulgent and super easy to make. In addition to this distinct flavor combo, Lisa also elevates this simple, homemade treat for gift giving, that will look more like it came from a fancy boutique than your own kitchen. See it here. I cannot wait to make them after the “I’m watching what I eat” phase is over!

Downloadable Garden Planner

Kim from Shiplap and Shells is truly an amazing gardener….all self-taught. She has a Garden Planner, which is 35 pages that you can download for only $4.99. This week I purchased mine and I am looking forward to being a bit more organized in my gardening strategy. Regardless of what USDA Hardiness Zone you live in, this garden planner is a winner. See it here.

Note: Kim also has a 6 page free planner too, however, why not get the bigger one for under $5.00? This would be a great gift (maybe Mother’s Day) to give~print it and put it in a pretty binder…

I really like this particular article from The Glam Pad. Since I am completely out of my favorite fragrance, and with Mother’s Day right around the corner, here are the perfume choices of 20 Top Designers. In addition to learning what fragrances they like, there are a few interior design photos as well. It is fun to see what other people are wearing…and if I didn’t like their interior designs I’m guessing I wouldn’t like their perfume choice? Do you have a favorite perfume scent?

Mary’s Must Haves

With everything in bloom, are you experiencing allergies? Stuffiness? Sneezing? I don’t have an allergy issue but occasionally I will get stuffed up from something. The over the counter medication I find, dries you up and I am not a fan. Instead, we use D-Hist and it is a mainstay in our health arsenal at home.

It is not inexpensive but read the 1,115 reviews on Amazon to get information on this product. Since I only take it occasionally, I love the fact it is natural and non-drowsy.

Don’t you love a pretty soap container? Each season I try to change it up and add Michel Design Works hand soaps in our powder room and guest bathrooms. This cheerful brightly colored container is the perfect affordable touch that shouts SUMMER. Right now this Lemon Basil foaming shea butter hand soap is 21% off on Amazon. See it here.

If you need paper hand towels, here are some citrus ones to match.

Last week, I shared how much I love my lighted magnifying glass. A friend and subscriber, Nancy left a comment stating how much she loves these lighted tweezers. With an LED light and ergonomic design, they are perfect for eyebrow shaping and those pesky chin hairs. Currently 26% off on Amazon here.

There is a bit of satisfaction when you use this indoor (or outdoor) zapper and connect with that annoying fly or mosquito. With a 4.4 rating with over 15,500 reviews on Amazon, this is well worth the $29.00 cost. Bug season is on its way!

Well, that’s a wrap! Our middle child is graduating with her master’s degree in Global Security and Intelligence today so we will be happily celebrating with her. Wishing you a magical weekend!

Last November, we hosted family at our cabin for Thanksgiving. In determining who would sleep where, we decide to take our home office room on the first floor and convert it into a guest bedroom. This particular room is at the end of a hall with its own bathroom, so it makes sense for our out-of-town family to use this as a bedroom. Unfortunately, this is a last minute decision and at that time, the room is functional but not very appealing. Recently, I try to improve upon this space with some aesthetic additions.

The Before~Home Office

This is a good size room (12’10” x 10′) with an eastern window (for morning sun) and large sliding doors to a deck on the south side. As a home office, there is a desk and chair, a day bed and a green leather chair and ottoman.

I purchased this day bed long ago and we used it frequently when the children had friends sleep over. The bottom pulls out and pops up with another mattress. However, it doesn’t get much, if any use now. It’s one of those pieces of furniture that I wonder if I should sell.

Here you can see the green leather chair and the closet doors. This chair and ottoman are leftovers from the previous owner but I am fond of the color and wear of the leather.

This Hekman Queen Anne desk with inlaid leather is one that has been in three home moves. All the wall art (reproduction currency) belongs to my husband. I’m not a fan, but it’s a marriage compromise.

Moving it All

Since I really do not want to purchase any more furniture, we move these pieces to other parts of the cabin. The desk now is in our master bedroom, which has a larger enough space for it. The day bed and leather chair/ottoman go upstairs to another bedroom. A final deep cleaning of the berber carpeting, windows, and walls ready the room for the next step.

From an upstairs bedroom, we move 2 vintage mahogany Georgian style twin beds with a lovely acorn posts by the Van Stee Corporation from Jamestown, New York. I picked up these two sweet beds from a local thrift store at a fabulous price. BTW~have you seen the price of vintage or antique twin beds lately? If you ever see a beautiful set of twin beds at a great price, you may want to consider buying them.

Working with two twin beds allows a bit of flexibility. In this room, we push the twin beds together and use king size sheets, pillow top, comforter and quilt. If we need to separate the beds for two guests, it is rather easy to do as I have all the bedding for twins.

Window Treatments

Since the sliding doors are large and south facing, I get black out drapes from Pottery Barn in a soft blue chambray flax linen.

On the eastern window, we use a woven blind, identical to the cordless ones we use in the pool house renovation. From Factory Direct Blinds, we continue to be pleased with the quality and customer service they offer. I like how they blend in with the natural wood window trim.

Bedding

The walls in this room are SO white, but I’m not up for painting them. Instead I add more blues and neutrals~like the quilt set I buy from The Company Store.

I must have purchased it on clearance because I cannot find the exact one on their website. However, I find something similar on Amazon here. The top stitching and the pattern combination make this feel like a vintage piece.

Surprisingly, I find very cute throw pillows at the local Walmart. This 21″ x 21″ off- white knot pillow from the Better Homes and Garden collection is only $14.98. It is a good quality and the knots give it texture and dimension.

Another great find from Walmart is this very soft rosette plush pillow 22″ x 22″, again from the Better Homes and Garden collection. The ivory is the only color left and you can find it here. I try and stay away from the big box stores and support smaller local businesses. But up here in the mountains, the shopping is very limited and Walmart is a good employer of the local population.

Look how cute these pillows look on the bed with an existing embroidered Ralph Lauren one.

On the Walls

I love vintage and antique quilts and use them extensively here at the cabin. Typically it is difficult to find matching quilts for twin beds. A few years ago, at a Junk in the Trunk vintage market at Westworld in Scottsdale, I find these fabulous flower garden pattern with a scalloped edge . BTW the next Vintage Market is September 15-17th. If you want to attend, find the link here.

Since the unattractive orange peel textured white walls dominate this space, I use these precious quilts like art and hang them from a curtain rod. Our guests can take them off and use them for an extra layer, if needed.

We have a Big Lots store about 20 minutes away that I have recently discovered. What bargains can be found there! This 24″ x 36″ piece of canvas wrapped art work, on sale, is less than $20 (can’t recall if it was $9 or $19). The colors work with the room and I would be hard pressed to find a blank canvas for that price.

Extra Touches

With limited space on either side of the beds, I use a thrift shop find small end table that fits right up against the door trim.

On the other side of the bed, I am looking for either a small table or shelf. An old brass wall lamp is ideal since space here is limited.

I am debating about a dust skirt on the beds. Since the beds take up quite a bit of floor space, I think not having a bed skirt makes it feel a bit more open and perhaps, charming? Your thoughts?

Instead of the bulky green leather chair, I move a ladder back chair from another bedroom. Again, Big Lots has this great artificial plant and basket (on sale) that provides a bit of green to this corner.

Doorstops remind me of my childhood. Since we are at the cabin, this huge pinecone does the trick. I think this is a Coulter pinecone?

Overall, the transformation from home office to guest room is nearly complete. Now I’d like to create a special seating area just outside the sliding doors, so our guests can have private outdoor space too.

In the past, the master bedroom was the only one on the first level of the cabin. This newly transformed bedroom allows our guests to stay on the first floor and not need to navigate the stairs to the second story.

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