Tuesday Tidbits

First of all, I want to thank you for the all the words of support about the death of our cat, Tippy. I still wait for her to hop up in my lap at night and I know that will take some time to fade.

Back to School

Yesterday, we moved our youngest daughter into her first apartment as she begins her sophomore year in college. Naturally, she is nervous and excited all at once which resulted in some eye-rolling and impatience, but I am used to all of that by now. To see my empty nesting post last year, click here.

Check out the very cute refrigerator I found in the Back to School catalog at Home Depot. I feel like I’m becoming a Home Depot groupie.

Cooper, Cooper, Cooper….

My last trip out of town, I received the above photo from my daughter, who was at home housesitting. Cooper, our Akbash, experiences anxiety when there is a change in his routine. The way he shows us his displeasure on leaving him is to chew up the down sofa cushion. I love how Elisabeth uses duct tape to try and keep it together. Sigh.

Not only were there feathers everywhere in the house, but also out in the yard. I still feel like I’m coughing up a feather every now and again.

After 3 hours of hand stitching the inner section, I finally reconstructed the cushion. We desperately need a new sofa, but who wants to make a large investment into something new, if Cooper thinks this is his chew toy.

A New Time Saving Product

Have you seen these grill mats? After deep cleaning the BBQ, my husband discovered these Kona grill mats. I was skeptical at first, but was very pleased with how they work. In addition to keeping your grill clean, the meat still has sear lines and this doesn’t change the cooking pattern.

With a sink right next to the grill, I just drop the mats in and easily wash them. We have had good luck using these.

My Stylish French Box

Quarterly, I treat myself to Sharon Santoni’s My Stylish French Box. Sharon lives in France, writes a beautiful blog, and one of these days, I would love to sign up for one of her brocante tours.

This subscription is a luxury as every beautifully-wrapped, sweet-smelling box is delivered straight from France to your door. This box always seems to arrive when I need a joyful boost. If you need a lovely gift for yourself or someone else, here is the link.

This quarter’s theme is entertaining and includes:

a deep blue stoneware oil jug by Digoin, a chic set of salad servers by Sabre, a delicate linen embroidered table runner by Charvet, beautifully wrapped 9 Lucienne beeswax candles by Apis Cera, a mustard pot by Pommery, a melamine service tray from Au Bain Marie, an antique brooch, a roll-on lavender oil and a resident artists’ botanical.

In addition, I entered a contest with them and won an additional August box, which I sent to my sister, Susie for her birthday!

Our Weather

This summer, like several other places in the US, we are experiencing record breaking temperatures. The National Weather Service is declaring an excessive heat warning until Thursday. For the last month, we have been in triple digit heat, every single day.

Last night, my oldest daughter and I were in Tempe, about 30 minutes away and got caught in a huge storm.

I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz as debris and signs were flying across the road and bouncing off the car as we attempted our way home. The monsoon winds hit in full force, with lots of lightning but little to no rain. The visibility from the dust made getting home really treacherous.

Does anyone else feel like God is trying to tell us something this year?

Easy Desserts

When I was in Waco in June, I met Sherri from Mad Dash Mixes. Sherri and her daughter catered one of the meals at the seminar. The creamy tomato basil soup she served was delicious and of course, Sherri and I became fast friends. To read about my visit to Waco, click here.

As a result, she let me take several samples of her Mad Dash Mixes. These pre-packaged, time saving mixes can be used numerous ways. I am now just experimenting with a few, but so far, I am very impressed.

Using their plain cheesecake mix, I added softened cream cheese and freshly whipped cream. Layered in a glass with fresh strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream, this is a very easy, quick summer dessert.

The selection ranges from soups, dips, desserts and marinades. What a great gift for the holidays and if you are innovative, there are many ways to substitute ingredients and use them in recipes.

Happy Tuesday! Yesterday, I finished stenciling the very last tile in the pool house bathroom floor. I cannot tell you how happy I was, especially after spending hours wedged between the toilet and the wall to get those pesky ones done. Now 2 coats of polyurethane and I then I am F.I.N.I.S.H.E.D.

Stay cool and safe wherever you are!