Though I am not ready to give up on summer yet, I feel I could easily welcome cooler Fall temperatures. It doesn’t get Fall-like here in the Valley of the Sun until late October. We seem to be hotter now with all the new growth and development, which is unfortunate. I recall cooler weather in mid-September when I first moved here. Fall decor is on the store shelves and typically, by the time I am ready to decorate everything is gone.

Front Porch decor

So today I would like to share some inspiration as we dream about apples, sweaters and falling leaves. The front porch is always a fun place to decorate and the wreath is the first item that goes up. Since our front door is wider than a standard size, our larger wreath is an investment. As a result, I store them carefully year to year. I love the rich fall colors and surprisingly, they do work with my light blue front door.

Or you can make a wreath using some natural materials from nature. To see my blog post on this, please click here.

Adding fall plants like wild grasses or coleus creates an autumn tapestry of textures and shades.

Pillows and Blankets

Pillows and blankets are an easy way to bump up your fall theme. This is a welcoming spot by the front door to sit and just relax. You can find great pillows on Etsy or Amazon here. And I love this blanket from Amazon too.

Fall DIY

Making fall trees (see post here) is a simple DIY utilizing all the fall foliage that can be found at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. Keep some of your outdoor branches and with a drill and glue gun you are good to go!

Fresh cut branches with colorful autumn leaves in a large glass vessel can provide an instant change in season. Since we don’t really have these lovely deciduous trees here in Phoenix, I cut branches on our trip to the mountains each October.

Accessories

A few years ago, I discovered these amazing candles by Rosy Rings. They are works of art~beautiful to look at and smell great too. This autumn candle is Spicy Apple and you can see the slices of apple, cinnamon sticks, leaves and berries in the wax. You need one, right? See it here.

Adding a few pieces of seasonal art brings new color to any room. Here is a painting I did a few years back…my first pumpkin!

Decorating Shelves

I love adding a bit of fall decor to each room, but one of my favorite spots is the antique Hepplewhite secretary from the late 1700s which sits in our living room. From my Johnson & Johnson plates to the pheasant soup tureen, everything about this vignette screams autumn.

Last year I made fabric pumpkins, to replace the ones damaged by creepy bugs. This DIY is really easy and if you can get your hands on real pumpkin stems, then the possibilities are endless.

We have a huge pine tree in our front yard and for the first time it is dropping big, gorgeous pinecones. I cannot wait to figure out what I am going to do with this pretty gifts from nature.

Last year I did bleach pinecones and the results are a bit different but perfect for a more monochromatic theme. And you can use them into the Christmas holiday too. See that project here.

Well hopefully I have your fall decor juices going. I think my focus this year will be on making some of the mantels truly spectacular.

Do you have a favorite fall theme or color? Are you more traditional in the shades of oranges, reds and browns? Please share any fun projects that you are doing.

Happy Wednesday!

I always appreciate it when you share my pins on Pinterest. Thank you!

I hope everyone enjoyed the nice, long holiday weekend. Each year we head to the mountains where the July 4th holiday is extra special. Everyone’s cabin and golf cart is adorned in red, white and blue and there is a strong sentiment of patriotism and love for our country. And, I do feel like I got some relaxing in! Welcome to this week’s Saturday Meanderings, where we just chat about all good things.

I am always amazed at the energy and creativity residents put into decorating their homes and participating in the parade. From highly decorated trucks and trailers to innovate dance routines, the Bull Frog Loop parade doesn’t disappoint. And I think this year’s parade is extra special after a year of lockdowns.

Hosting a Brunch

Since our cabin is on the parade route, we always host a pre-parade brunch. With about 30 guests, I did rely on the same menu that I do every year. My egg casserole (here) and a blueberry coffee cake (here). Since we have a large rectangular wooden surface, I made this fruit/croissant board. Mimosas and bloody Mary’s add to the festivities.

Bringing the Dogs

This trip we did bring Cooper and Sox up to the mountains, and of course, it takes a few days for them to adjust to all the activity. But as you can see, it didn’t take Cooper long to dominate the sofa.

Our pocket beagle, Sox did celebrate his 14th birthday. Our sweet old guy can’t hear as well and his eyes are getting cloudy with cataracts, but he still has puppy moments.

New Baby Birds

Last Saturday, I did share this picture of a nest found in one of the large geranium planters. It’s been hard not to peek but I just couldn’t resist and yes, the birds have arrived!

Each morning, I sit on the front deck with my coffee and watch the parent birds fly back and forth with food for their babies. The marvels of nature.

Using Puff Pastry

Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is a staple in my freezer as there are so many easy recipes you can whip up at the last minute. This week I did try a tomato tart from Twigg Studio. With caramelized onions, goat cheese, thyme and lots of lovely tomatoes in a puff pastry, isn’t this tart beautiful? Click here for the recipe.

Having an additional puff pastry sheet, I did use up the rest of the goat cheese, sweetened with honey, and ripe apricots for this tart. Drizzle a bit of honey on the top and bake. Since I did this on the fly, I didn’t measure anything but in retrospect, I would add more honey as the apricots are a bit tart. 400 degrees for 30 minutes (but note: this is high altitude cooking here).

Personal Gourmet

For many years I use the services of Personal Gourmet. Locally, Chef Jimmy Watters delivers restaurant grade protein to our home. This service has been a life saver with being able to have chicken, salmon, steaks, fish, meatballs, shrimp and similar proteins always on hand. Individually shrink wrapped and stored in the freezer, I cook up what we need and only have to make a salad or provide a vegetable side dish for a complete meal.

This is such a convenient service, especially with our growing family or even now, just for the two of us. Before leaving for the cabin, I placed a large order with Jimmy and now I have both freezers filled with things to eat. Since I prefer to cook at home vs. going out to eat, I know we are getting high quality choices for lunch and dinner.

It appears that Personal Gourmet may be located in Californa, Texas and North Carolina, in addition to Arizona. For more information about this convenient and delicious service, contact Chef Watters at 602 -339-2059.

Finally Painting again

I haven’t picked up a paintbrush since my Christmas painting of our cat, Donovan. Yikes. For something that I enjoy doing, I cannot seem to be disciplined enough to make time for it. But, being at our cabin with a more relaxed schedule, I am able to start a new painting! This painting’s inspiration is actually an arrangement of wisteria and lilacs done by my friend, Barbara from Mantel and Table.

It is not done yet, but it does feel good to put brush to canvas.

Watercolor Tutorial

Danielle from Finding Silver Pennies is a talented artist and designer. In one of her latest blog posts, she has a tutorial on painting mini watercolor seascapes. The video is 6 minutes long, and it is a fun way to experiment with watercolor paints.

With limited supplies, I did Danielle’s video this week. I do not use watercolors very often but practicing with her guidance is a good start! See Danielle’s post and video here. Danielle and her son (a young and inspiring artist) sell their artwork and various items on the Finding Silver Pennies website. Check it out here.

If you are in need of a watercolor set, there is a nice selection here. It helps to paint on watercolor paper. And don’t forget watercolor paint brushes here. Happy painting!

Laughter Therapy

It’s fun to share a good laugh, but did you know it can actually improve your health? After a very long and challenging year, it’s more important than ever to laugh and be happy.

It is true: laughter is strong medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. It also helps you release anger and forgive sooner.

As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a day, but as adults, life tends to be more serious and laughter more infrequent. But by seeking out more opportunities for humor and laughter, you can improve your emotional health, strengthen your relationships, find greater happiness—and even add years to your life.

So go out there and laugh! It will make your face look younger too!

Cheers to you from the White Mountains of Arizona! Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

If you missed my blog posts this week, see them below.

Has anyone else had a strange week? Is there a full moon? Anxiety levels seem to be up this week and I am SO happy it is the weekend. Happy Saturday to you and thank you so much for joining me for another week of Saturday Meanderings, where we chat about all things taking place this week.

If you have had a crazy week and missed my two blog posts you can see them here. The Room by Room series featured our master bedroom (click here ) and if you are thinking ahead to Memorial Day you can find patriotic table inspiration here.

A Week of Flowers

This week I received two beautiful flower arrangements. One from my blogging friends expressing their condolences about the death of my sweet aunt. This white themed bouquet is full of lilies, ranunculus and snapdragons. You have heard me rave about The Bouqs before and these flowers did not disappoint. Thank you, friends!

The next arrangement arrived yesterday from a local florist, Camelback Flowershop. Typically local florists tend to be expensive and the bouquets are underwhelming. But I must say this stunning arrangement from my sister, Joanie, is just gorgeous. The color combination of dusty pink with a soft orange is unexpectedly unique. Roses, tulips, wax flowers, ranunculus, stock, hydrangeas and pincushions create different textures and aromatic scents. Such a thoughtful gesture!

The sunflowers planted from seeds from Floret Farm are bursting in the garden now. A bit of a low yield, but I am so happy to see some results of my planting labor.

Recycling Flowers

This week I made another big batch of chicken potpourri with dried flower petals, lavender and calendula. Now that the weather is getting hot, we tend to see more bugs in the hen house. Placing the potpourri in the nesting beds does help in reducing the pests. Plus I think our eggs taste better when laid on a bed of rose petals!

Results of the Fast Metabolism Diet

Several posts ago I shared the book, The Fast Metabolism Diet by Halie Pomroy. This 30 day program allows you to eat a lot (3 meals and 2 snacks per day) without counting a calorie or fat-gram. There is a great deal of scientific information (which, quite frankly I skipped over) about the mechanics of the body and how the metabolism works. The purpose of the program is to keep your metabolism guessing in a very specific and deliberate way.

The author states you can lose up to 20 lbs. in 28 days and I do believe you can. Eating specific foods on specific days is the key (i.e. Monday and Tuesday, lots of carbs and fruit). Haylie also claims that not only will you lose weight but your cholesterol will drop, blood sugar stabilize, energy increase, sleep improve and stress melt away.

Actually, I did enjoy this program. I do not recommend it if you are traveling or on holiday. The challenges for me include eating every few hours, which is hard if you are on a plane or staying with friends. Do this program when you are at home and can control your environment. I didn’t lose 20 lbs. but I did lose somewhere between 10 and 13 lbs. (different scales). The recipes are tasty and fun. I am now off the program for 10 days and haven’t gained a pound….so I’m hoping this means my metabolism is fast again?

Going forward, I may do this the first week of every month because I do like the structure of it. If you decide to try this, please let me know what you think.

Did You Know?

According to an article published by theKitchn.com the best place to store cucumbers is….drumroll please……room temperature and not in the refrigerator. This is based on a study by University of California, Davis, which determined that cucumbers are sensitive to temperatures below 50°F. When stored at room temperature, cucumbers thrive and last longer. Stored below 50 degrees, they’re prone to developing “chilling injuries,” including water-soaked areas, pitting, and accelerated decay. No wonder my cucumbers don’t last long.

How Often to Clean your Sheets?

In a recent article by Food 52, the question is “how often do you wash your sheets?” According to the National Sleep Foundation, it’s best to wash your sheets once a week. Why? Because because your bed collects lots of stuff while you sleep ~sweat, skin cells, soil, food crumbs, makeup, dust mites… you get the picture.

Pillows collect the same icky stuff mentioned above so the recommendation is to wash them every 6 months (pillow cases weekly).

Blankets or duvet covers should be laundered 2 to 3 times a year~think seasonally. Time to do laundry.

Thinking Ahead to Summer

Remember when you were a child and school was finally out and you were so excited about summer? Those lazy, hazy crazy days of summer that seem to have lasted forever? I want to re-create that this year. It is so insufferably hot in Phoenix that most of the summer is spent indoors in air-conditioning. Though we do have some travel plans, I am longing for cool days at the cabin, easy brain-candy summer books to read and lots of watermelon.

Shortly I will be creating my summer reading list so if you have a book that is not controversial, not political, but a fun read (can be a mystery or thriller), please do share. And the goal is to start painting again! I don’t understand why I am not painting so getting motivated again is definitely a goal.

Well that wraps up this edition of Saturday Meanderings. After a controversial week, I am turning off my phone and just chilling. Cannot wait! Sending you big weekend hugs!

Last month, I introduced a new series, Room by Room, where I can share a room in our home each month. In April, the Room by Room feature is the Living Room (see post here), and this month, I will focus on the master bedroom.

What I am enjoying about this Room by Room series, is that it gives me the opportunity to really scrutinize each room, what I like about it and what I don’t like (or may change). Since the master bedroom is only used after the end of a long day, I am eyeballing my comfortable bed and not necessarily assessing the elements of the room.

When we restored and remodeled the house in 1999, the only access to the master bedroom was by actually walking through a long and narrow closet. It was a great opportunity to completely revamp the master bedroom, bath and closet footprint to create an oasis just for us.

The Privacy

Currently the entrance to the master suite is at the end of the upstairs hallway through separate French doors. A small foyer showcases a unique piece of art floating from a curved wall. Years ago I wrote about our “quote door” (see post here). This is one of my cherished pieces as it contains our family’s favorite quotes. Illuminated from behind, it is focal point as you enter our master bedroom.

Behind these French doors is access to my art studio, my husband’s office and our master suite.

Here is your first view past the entry doors into our bedroom. This antique sofa is a Round Top, Texas find several years ago. Re-upholstered in a houndstooth print, it is a new look to a very old sofa. To see the before and after, click here.

Overall, the bedroom measures 23 feet by 15 feet. There is a set of doors leading to the master bathroom and French doors with sidelights that open to the second story outdoor terrace.

Where is the television?

Above a chest of drawers is an oil painting of San Gimignano, a medieval village in Tuscany, Italy. Not only have we been there, but the art work rolls up to reveal a television beneath.

To the left of the hidden television, is a charming kidney-shape make-up table and mirror from Horchow. It appears that Horchow no longer carries this, but there are several make up tables at Amazon here. The fabric skirt is custom made and I do have one for winter/fall and spring/summer.

I would love to tell you that I use this table all the time. I like the romantic notion of having a table for glamour, but it seems to be a place where I store my perfume and pretty jars. Because at the end of the day, I’m not a very glamorous person!

Another romantic notion in this room is the crystal decanters on the silver tray on the painted chest of drawers. I can recall on perhaps two fingers where we poured a nightcap from this area! But I do love the shapes of the bottles and the silver tags.

The View

Perhaps one of the best features of this room (besides the bed), is the view. All we can see through the French doors and windows are tree tops. No neighbors, no other homes, just the mature tree canopy of our property. During the cooler months, we leave the doors open and awaken to bird song. Just lovely.

The Bed

In retrospect I am so happy we did purchase a high quality mattress. When you spend 1/3 of your life in bed, a good, supportive bed is important. Ours is a Chattam & Wells and every night I so appreciate this bed.

Quality linens and fine pillows are the icing on the cake. Since I have an ongoing neck issue, making an investment into this pillow system from Pandora de Balthazar is worth every penny.

The actual bed is upholstered in a short sage green velvet. Purchased from European Traditions in Scottsdale, I believe this store has since closed. We add picture frame lights behind our pillows for nighttime reading.

Night Stands

Though I do not like matching bedroom furniture, I did purchase identical Louis XV commodes imported from France (years ago)….back when darker finish was popular. These European cherry night stands are stained walnut and are the perfect height for our rather tall bed.

The Artwork

In addition to the oil painting of San Gimignano, there is a set of vintage botanical prints over the sofa.

I am not sure this piece is even my style anymore, but I do consider it a piece of art. Hand painted many years ago by a local artist, this commode goes extremely well with the painting above it.

Lydia and her sparrow is one of my favorite paintings.

Flooring

Like the living room, the hardwood flooring is Canadian Beech. A richly colored silk Oriental rug measuring 10′ x 12′ anchors the sleeping area.

What I Love or Would Change

The master bedroom space is perfect. With a southern and western exposure, we do not need any curtains on the windows/doors. No one can see in from the outside. The room feels spacious and welcoming.

However, in writing this post, I would probably use more subdued colors. The duvet cover doesn’t really go with the rest of the room, but I like its soft colors. Some of the furniture seems dark to me, but perhaps not enough to replace it.

There are areas that we don’t use much~the vanity, the television and the sofa, but those pieces do fill the space. I’m not unhappy enough with it to change it. However, the master bath DOES need to be completely re-done and maybe that will inspire me to re-think the master bedroom.

I hope you enjoy this segment of Room by Room. Happy Tuesday, my sweet friends!

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This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #643

Each year we support the Scottsdale Artist School. Over time, the School has evolved into one of America’s foremost independent art institutions, offering a robust slate of art programs for adults; and a youth academy for teens and children. Last November, during their annual event (which was virtual), we offered to host a wine tasting and historical tour for 20 at our home.

Of course, at the time we were all in the midst of COVID. An event where one can be outside, social distance and taste wine, sounds like a good contribution. We have never done a wine tasting here before, so I did need to think through the details of hosting this event.

Determining Location and Time

Our property looks its best in April. Nearly everything is in bloom and the weather is perfect. Months earlier the auction recipient and I determine a date. Two hours of wine tasting seems the right amount of time and 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. is selected.

Welcoming the attendees at the front of the house makes the front porch the ideal location to start. From there my husband and I walk the yard and designate 3 other parts of the property. Areas of interest, a shady spot under a tree, and other factors point us to the right locations for a total of 4 tasting stations.

Food and Beverage

I feel very fortunate to have someone who caters for us frequently, knows my kitchen and is a talented and creative chef. Julie Greder designs an innovative menu with multiple options. After some discussion, we decide on an Italian theme with heavy hors d’oeuvres and food that will complement the wine.

This is the first time we engage a sommelier, who is highly recommended to us by our local Safeway liquor manager. We contact Mardi Keckeis and we are instantly good friends. Mardi walks the property and hears our ideas on how we want to the evening to progress, while making wine recommendations.

I put Mardi in touch with Julie and they work on the perfect food/wine pairings.

Renting Glasses

Since I refuse to have a wine tasting with plastic glasses, I rent flutes and both white and red wine glasses from Party People Rentals. This truly is the easiest option. The cost is minimal and the good news is, that you don’t have to wash the glasses before returning them. Who wants to clean 100 glasses?

Fortunately I have 100 glass plates in my garage, so we use those instead of paper ones.

The Day of the Event

With the help of our healthy, young houseguests, tables are placed around the yard. We decide to add some chairs at the 3rd tasting location as an option for sitting.

With a start time of 5:30 p.m., at 4:00 p.m. I place tablecloths and flowers on the tables. By 4:30 p.m. I am in the shower and getting ready for our guests. The caterer and sommelier are here so I can now focus on just getting cleaned up.

And So It Begins..

Our guests arrive and we are delighted that it is an entire family. They haven’t gotten together since before COVID and you can see they are happy to gather and share time together.

The first tasting is Belstar Prosecco D.O.C. with Lemon Basil Ricotta Brushetta and Shrimp Scampi.

While on the front terrace, my husband explains the history of the property.

The next wine station is near the well tower, guest cottage and gardens. Here we feature a white wine and a classic Brushetta, Caprese Skewers and Tomato and Olive topped Polenta bites. We talk about the well and how we water our property. The hen house is a big hit!

Since it is nearing golden hour, it is the perfect time to take a family photo for our guests.

Next we head to the orchard. A delicious red wine, Massolino Barbera d’Alba, is the perfect accompaniment to Stuffed Mushrooms and Risotto. Nasturtiums from the garden add color to the plate.

The final stop is dessert bites on the back terrace with a sparkling sweeter wine, Rosa Regale. Chocolate Cannoli Tarts and Lemon Raspberry Zabaglione round out the event.

All in all, I believe the evening and tasting went well. And to raise money for such a wonderful organization is an added bonus. I’m still on my Fast Metabolism diet so I didn’t get to taste any wines, but they certainly did smell good!

Happy Tuesday! It’s the last week in April. Our houseguests all leave today so the house will feel empty and quiet.

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This past weekend I did do more window washing and tackled the job of cleaning the range hood. Using a newly recommended product from my friend, Andrea from Design Morsels, I am amazed at the results. A weekend of cleaning resulting in also doing some easy kitchen updates. But let’s start with this new product.

A great Degreaser

Andrea is the modern day Hints from Heloise (am I dating myself?). From her decorating tips to product reviews, I know I can trust that Andrea has done the homework for me. When she recommends Krud Kutter to clean your range hood, I immediately order some online. See here.

Our Dacor stainless steel range hood looks clean from a distance….until I spray Krud Kutter on it. Immediately the smell of old grease fills the air and much to my horror, the range hood is far from clean.

When I spray Krud Kutter on my Waterworks tile (again they look clean) the degreaser quickly does its job. At this point, I am just appalled.

In the range hood, I have 4 metal filters which I spray down and place in the sink. Thinking grease is difficult to remove from the mesh, I pour boiling water over the filters. You can see the difference between the dirty vs. clean part.

By the time I finish, not only am I pooped but what other items can I attack with Krud Kutter? Now that this cooking area is super clean, I want to mix things up a bit.

My Inspiration

I love art in a kitchen. However, I have so few walls that it is difficult to find a place for it. Inspired by a picture of Heloïse Brion’s kitchen, (author of Miss Maggie’s Kitchen cookbook), why not put art on the shelf above the stove?

Before and After

Here’s a picture of my cooking area before Krud Kutter. A bit cluttered and well-used.

And now here it is ~new and improved! Look at the clean hood and tile!

I know you are thinking that having original artwork about the stove is not practical…..and it probably isn’t. However, I did have such fun playing with the space and changing things up. Will I leave them there while I cook? No. But for right now I am enjoying the new look around the stove.

Scrubbing the scale and coffee bean container add to the shine.

By the stove I keep handy things for cooking on a pedestal plate~oil, seasonings, spices. Even the water faucet cleans up nicely!

The double ball boxwood topiary is from Ballard Designs and is one of two. And the twine holder with scissors can be found at the shop at Whitfill Nursery.

The paintings are done by me. The blue bowl and oranges is from a Kelli Folsom online art class. Since I do love chickens, this painting is just for fun.

There is something fun about re-arranging items in your home. It’s easy to leave things as is, but mixing it up helps stimulate my creative juices. I am enjoying my much cleaner kitchen and the new look in the cooking area.

Have a happy Wednesday and hopefully the warm Spring sun is shining on you.

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