holidays

We always look forward to going to our cabin for the July 4th holiday. It is much cooler in the mountains of Arizona and this area has a nice small town feel. The highlight is the July 4th parade, which started many years ago by a wonderful neighbor who believed this holiday needed proper celebrating.

Parade Cancelled

Yesterday, we received word that the parade is cancelled this year. My heart sank as it is just one more thing to adjust to during this pandemic. Intellectually I understand, but emotionally, I was really looking forward to it. And our governor has imposed a 30-day lockdown….again. But we will prevail and keep our spirits up. What choice do we have.

Not only is this parade quite fun but every year thousands of dollars is raised through t-shirt sales and donations supporting the local fire department. Being in the mountains, our firefighters are true heroes as the threat of devastating fires is common during our hot summer months. I am hoping there is still a way to donate?

Nonetheless, we will celebrate our independence and freedom in the true spirit of red, white and blue. Today’s post is a compilation of patriotic celebrations over the past few years. Since I barely know what day it is, I haven’t thought ahead on how I will set the table nor what foods I will prepare. But for some reason, like Christmas, it all comes together, right?

Patriotic Brunch

Our July 4th morning starts with a patriotic brunch and I do serve the same dishes every year. Perhaps I should try something new but these recipes continue to be crowd pleasers.

The egg casserole can be served hot or cold~it’s delicious either way. Hard to believe I shared this with you in 2016! Click here for the recipe.

A tried and true coffee cake recipe can be adjusted each year depending on what fruit you have. My 2017 recipe includes raspberries, but it can be made with peaches, pears, apples, or blueberries. Click here for the recipe.

Since we need our fruits and vegetables there is always a green salad and a fruit salad. Our guests tend to linger after the parade so I make a charcuterie board for nibbling. Ha! I just realized I made a 6 pointed star vs. a 5 pointed star with the cheese! I get an A for effort….Here’s the link to the charcuterie board.

Can’t have brunch without a dessert! I was rather ambitious in 2018 when I baked this impressive red, white and blue 8 layer American Flag cake. First of all, I am never going to do this again, as baking in high altitudes is not one of my strengths. But surprisingly, it did taste very good! Here is the link to that post.

What is July 4th without cherry pie? I have yet to master the perfect cherry pie, but I hope to try my friend Gwen’s recipe this year. It is my husband’s favorite.

Typically I set up brunch around the kitchen island so guests can go in and out of the house, eat, watch the parade, eat some more, watch the parade. But with no parade, we will more than likely sit down at the table on the outdoor covered porch. Here are a few pictures from previous events.

The Table

July 4th is a very important holiday. We often take for granted our independence and freedom. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States as an independent nation began.

We live in an amazing country and I will proudly display many flags. Let’s all remember what the flag symbolizes: white signifies purity and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Long may she wave.

What are you doing to celebrate the 4th of July? My next post will be from the mountains! Happy Wednesday, my friends!

Today’s post shared with Charming Cottages and Gardens

and Centerpiece Wednesday Linky Party at Karins Kottage

When we renovated our home, we changed the upstairs floor plan and added square footage to accommodate a more modern master bedroom layout. The master suite now includes an office, sitting room, bedroom, bath and closet.

The sitting room was part of the original master bedroom. It has a sweet, small fireplace angled in one corner. The room is rather small, and the windows face east and south. Again, not the best light for painting but during the day it is bright and happy. To see before and after of this fireplace, click here.

I took the liberty of using this space and making it my art room. Quite honestly, it was necessary because my painting supplies were all over the house. I was like a roaming artist, trying to find the best light, a flat surface and some place where the cats would not walk through my paints.

The art resting on the fireplace mantel is a Steven Hofberger painting. During our restoration, we had the unpleasant surprise of having to replace 55 windows. The original rope and pulley windows with blurry original glass had to go. I loved those windows and the thought of them going to the dump was disturbing.

Thankfully, Steven was using old windows as his canvas and took all 55 of them. As a thank you gift to us, he gave us this painting on the window that actually came from this very room. It still has the original hardware too.

When I refreshed my son’s bedroom, I took his large desk setup and moved it to the sitting room. The base is made from 2 Ikea cabinets and the top is a generous countertop that is 26″ wide x 90″ long. Using plastic and paper table cloths, the surface of the desk and adjacent space is safe from paint spills. To see my son’s bedroom re-do, click here.

In order to protect the hardwood floor, I covered it with Ram Board. This heavy duty Kraft paper is leftover from the multiple commercials and photo shoots we have had at our home. The film crew doesn’t want it and I always offer to take it off their hands. To see a previous post on filming commercials, click here.

There is a large day bed in the room and I am debating whether to remove it or not. It is a nice place to land after several hours of focused work, especially with the television nearby.

The sitting room tends to be that room that harbors items that have no official home. My friend, Susan, found this lovely prayer bench for me. It is on my list of projects to complete as I want to make a new kneeling cushion and find a quiet space for it. Currently, it is a place to set some of my paintings.

Right now, I am going through all my artwork. I have kept nearly all of them since I started four years ago and it’s time to thin out the herd. Many I will paint over, especially those during my kindergarten stage. A few people are asking that I consider selling some, which I am contemplating.

The configuration of this room isn’t ideal yet. The wall paint color is 20 years old too. But it is low on my list of projects. Ultimately, I’d love to take everything out and really contemplate how I want this room to function as a viable art studio. Also, I did a live Instagram story on this room yesterday if you would like to see it firsthand.

Do you have a space in your home for your hobbies and interests? If you have an art space, please share your tips and techniques on design and style. I love learning from all of you and appreciate your comments and feedback.

Have a wonderful Wednesday. We are enjoying the most glorious weather here~~mid 60s in the morning and low 90s during the day. A far cry from our typical sweltering hot June weather. Praying it stays this way for a while.

Sticking my face into a hedge of lilacs is a fond childhood memory. Inhaling deeply, I recall this heady, sweet fragrance confirming that Spring is here. My lilac memories as an adult are a bit of a blur since life took me to multiple geographic locations, some with lilacs and some without.

These flowering, woody plants range in color from magenta to purple to white. The colors symbolize every thing from purity and innocence to love and passion.

I have a longing for lilacs every single year, because they do not grow in our hardiness zone in Phoenix. Buying them locally is a disappointment due to lack of smell. What is a lilac with fragrance?

One year when I was back east visiting my parents in Connecticut, I literally brought a huge bouquet on the plane which took up most of the overhead bin. I was the only one happy about that!

Another time, during a business trip to Lake Tahoe, the hotel’s flower shop had an abundance of beautiful, fragrant lilacs. I purchased all of them and requested they be sent to my room. I don’t remember much about that 4 day conference, but I do recall how wonderful my room smelled!

Since I am unable to enjoy lilacs in person, I am inspired to paint them. Recently, my friend, Barbara from Mantel & Table created a gorgeous arrangement with lilacs and wisteria (another thing we cannot grow here). To see her lovely post, click here.

I have never painted these flowers before, but I know that it is difficult to capture the color and detail. This weekend, I took a few hours and found an online class by Kelli Folsom on how to paint lilacs. She luckily can pick them from her yard and this is a photo of her still life inspiration.

What I love about art and painting is that everyone has their own interpretation. Here is Kelli’s finished version.

And here is mine~~again not completely finished yet as I need to noodle it a bit more.

Now that I see these paintings side by side, I have an idea on what I can do to improve mine.

Kelli Folsom recently posted more lilac paintings. Unfortunately they are not subjects of an online class, but the paintings are up for sale on her website. Wish I had some extra cash laying around!

Practice makes perfect so I will be painting many more lilacs! Do you have a flower(s) that you love? That evoke wonderful memories? If so, please share.

Wishing you a Tuesday where you smell lots of flowers!

Teaming up with Kristin from White Arrows Home, Andrea from Design Morsels, Tarah from Grandma’s House DIY and Chas from Chas’s Crazy Creations for our DIY Blog Hop this month with projects for our dining rooms! (Make sure and check out all of the dining room projects following this tutorial) 

Many of my friends are still hunkering down due to the virus, but I long to have them over for a meal. I dream about entertaining again and since it is June, it is peony season. Unfortunately we cannot grow these beauties in Phoenix~~way too hot. Getting peonies at the store is unpredictable due to lack of inventory or poor quality.

But I love this ruffly, delicate flower and I wish I could just go outside and cut them. Instead, I get to create the atmosphere of peony abundance in our dining room and thankfully there are items that can help.

Hester & Cook sells “Peonies in Bloom” placemats, wrapping paper and place cards. The placemats are in a pad of 24 and they are designed and printed in the USA. I love the size~~12 1/4″ x 18 1/4″ ~~large enough for a full place setting.

Their coordinating wrapping paper is perfect for small guest gifts or to use as a runner down the center of the table. The place cards come in a pack of 12.

I tend to over think the dishes I will use. Selecting a plain white plate (from Pottery Barn) with a simple gold edge doesn’t compete with the beautiful peony pattern.

Though the dishes are a bit whiter than the placemats, I like them better than a creamier pattern. After trying multiple combinations of different china, I stick with my first choice. To see how I organize my china, please click here.

Once the dishes are selected, the table is able to come together rather quickly.

Using artificial white and blush peonies, I make simple napkin rings by wrapping the stem in a circle. These silk peonies are from The Enchanted Home.

The pink stemware is a combination of new and old. The wine glass is a Pier 1 Imports purchase, while the water glass is a vintage shop find.

The flatware is from Horchow and I find it so versatile because of the combination of gold and silver. The bee motif complements the flower theme. It appears that Horchow is out of stock but you can get this flatware through Wayfair.

The peony place cards fold and stand by themselves.

The dining room table is set for 6. The floral arrangements are a combination of fresh and faux peonies, cut low enough for conversation.

I like the colorful placemats against the mahogany table. I may not be able to grow fresh peonies here in the Valley of the Sun, but this happy, colorful and floral setting is perfect for a June luncheon.

So now that I have the table all set, my family will get the chance to enjoy it this weekend. I hope everyone can enjoy some peace and quiet this weekend. Have a blessed weekend.

This is my first “link” party and here is some information about the other participants.

Andrea from Design Morsels has such an eye for great design. Check out her custom dining room bookcases!

Kristin from White Arrows Home has a fabulous lakeside log cabin in Wisconsin and I love her mountain style.

Chas from Chas’s Crazy Creations is so innovative! She can turn just about any thrift store item into something delightful!

Tarah from Grandma’s House DIY lives in a 1915 farmhouse in Minnesota and is constantly sharing her renovations and inspirations.

Now if you would like to share your dining room projects or ideas, please click on the link below.

This Post Shared With

• Tablescape Thursday #611- hosted by Between Naps on the Porch

Greetings from the White Mountains of Arizona. We are up at our cabin and the weather is 60 degrees this morning with sunny, clear blue skies.

The community in Pinetop-Lakeside is small, with limited shopping and resources. Other than a few local grocery stores, you need to drive to the next largest town, which is Show Low for a Walmart or a Home Depot.

True confessions first. I am not a shopper. It is one of my least favorite things to do. Given the choice between spending the day shopping or cleaning toilets, I would choose the toilets. However, there are bloggers I follow who seem to discover hidden gems at WalMart so yesterday I decided to muster up the courage and go.

Trip to Walmart

With the Memorial holiday upon us, Walmart has an aisle display with their seasonal items. Here is where I found Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman line of products.

Ree Drummond is a blogger, author, food writer and television personality who lives on a working ranch in Oklahoma. Her style is mix and match, flea market and everything handed down from your grandmother.

Quite honestly, I don’t know much about her but I like her charming brand. She apparently has a line of dishes and other products there which I didn’t seek.

Please note that I am not fond of paper anything as I would much rather use dishes. But these dinner plates are 11” wide and 1.25” deep and do not feel flimsy.

The ruffled edge has such a vintage feel and look. The coating on the plates gives some substance to the paper, vs. styrofoam or plain paper plates.

The Buffalo check tablecloth is 60” x 84”, slightly smaller than our outside primitive pine dining table, but I like some of the wood showing on the ends. It is a light weight fabric but it does the trick!

The napkins have a cute pale blue dot and a gingham decorative edge. I like how they feel patriotic without being obvious.

Inside the napkin there is a recipe printed for Ree’s Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork, which serves 18! Cute idea.

The Centerpiece

With no fresh flowers and outdoor plants limited to pine trees, I found artificial geraniums and ivy in the garage. Using an old wooden dough bowl as the base, I spread the geraniums out and stuck flags and pinwheels in for color and theme.

All in all, I am pleased with The Pioneer Woman products! They certainly provide a festive, patriotic theme for this Memorial Day weekend and at an affordable cost.

What are your plans for this weekend? I plan on spending some time today painting on a canvas and just enjoying the peace and quiet of the pines. We went out to dinner to a real restaurant last night~~the first time in months! It is so joyful to be able to carefully socialize again.

Let us pause to reflect upon the selfless men and women who have honorably served our nation and made the ultimate sacrifice to allow us our freedom. We pay tribute to their memory and remain forever indebted to them for their service. Happy Memorial Day!

Tablecloth $14.99

Napkins- 20 count $2.98

Dinner Plates 8 count $2.98

Salad Plates 12 count $2.98

Pinwheels $0.98 each

I have never made homemade crackers in my life. Over the last few days, I’ve been experimenting with discarded sourdough starter. When I feed my sourdough starter every week, I keep a small amount and toss the rest. Seems so wasteful, so I’ve been searching for recipes utilizing this discard.

One way to use discarded sourdough starter is to make crackers. My first attempt at creating crackers occurred a few days ago. Here is the online recipe from King Arthur. I was able to get the dough only so thin with a rolling pin. They are tasty, though, with seasonings of garlic powder, rosemary and sea salt. Just a tad bit too thick. But a worthy recipe to try again.

The very next day, I saw a post on Instagram demonstrating cracker making using a pasta machine! How brilliant is that! And timely, as my sweet in-laws just sent me their hand-cranked pasta machine and all the attachments. Thank you, Bruce and Janiece!

This may be my new weekly addiction as the newly made batch of flatbread was E.X.C.E.L.L.E.N.T! The person responsible for the pasta machine/cracker making idea is Aimee from Twigg Studio. Her Instagram feed is @twiggstudios.

Aimee is a food and photography lover based in Devon, UK and I have made a few of her recipes. Visiting her website is a mini-vacation for me as I love her style and photos. And so does the rest of the world as she has 119,000 followers! In a previous post I shared one of her cakes and it was truly delicious. Click here for her vegan pineapple, lime and ginger cake.

Here is another photo of her potato and leek pie using edible flowers in the crust. Not something I would have ever considered!

Her flatbread recipe suggests using edible flowers and herbs and her crackers are truly a work of art. Feeling ambitious, my daughter Elisabeth and I thought we would try this flatbread recipe.

The ingredients are so simple~~sourdough starter, water, olive oil, flour, salt and fresh herbs/flowers.

Combine the starter, water, and oil in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the flour and salt and bring together into a soft dough.

Knead the dough for a few minutes and then let it rest for 1 hour.

While the dough is resting, I search the yard for edible flowers. I was unaware how many flowers can be eaten~~from snapdragons to sunflowers. There is an extensive list of flowers on Aimee’s website. Click here for the list. Naturally, be careful not to include flowers that may be toxic or ones treated with pesticides.

My bounty consists of fresh basil, sage, nasturtium, pansy, primrose, chamomile and chive flowers and roses. After some research, I discovered an additional list of edible flowers online~~I had no idea hollyhocks are edible or I would have added them.

After the resting period, the dough is now ready for the pasta machine.

The dough is soft and pliable. Using more flour during handling prevents sticking. Starting with the widest setting, the dough is fed through the machine.

With each pass through the pasta machine, the setting is lowered. Roll the dough until very thin. Add the flowers and herbs to one half of the length and fold it over to cover it.

Turn the machine back up a few notches and roll the dough through again until it is as thin as possible.

Isn’t this dough beautiful??!!!

Take the second half of the dough and repeat. Cut the dough into 4 long crackers.

Place the dough on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil.

You can use any salt, but I sprinkled smoked Maldon flaked sea salt on the dough, with some more fresh herbs, dried rosemary and additional flowers.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and crispy.

Naturally, trying something new is a bit challenging. But in retrospect, I would make these flatbreads every week. They are delicious and think of all the seasoning possibilities~~parmesan, garlic, gruyere.

The pasta machine is the perfect solution to getting the dough nice and thin vs. hand rolling (at least for me).

In addition to learning how to use the pasta machine, it was helpful having Elisabeth assist on this. The dough is long when it comes out of the machine so extra hands were needed. If you have a pasta attachment to your KitchenAid mixer, I am sure that would work well too. If not, just try to roll the dough as thin as possible with a rolling pin.

Here is the second piece of dough and you can see where the flowers have been stretched throughout. It will take some practice to get this as picture perfect as Twigg Studios, but the flavor was so good regardless.

It is fun to be challenged by a recipe and then have good results! Now that I have the hang of it, the process will not be so daunting.

Aimee’s flatbreads are so inspirational as well as beautiful.

I tend to get into a baking rut, so I love trying a new recipe that forces me out of my comfort zone. If you have a challenging recipe, send it my way. I am always excited to try something new!

Hope you are having a terrific Tuesday. Can you believe Memorial Day is this coming weekend?

Happy baking!