Memorial Day weekend is less than two weeks away. Not only do I love the patriotic colors of red, white and blue but this is one American holiday we should all respect. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the brave men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.  This year Memorial Day is Monday, May 31st.

Here are some ideas on how you can recognize this holiday at your table, while enjoying the freedoms we share.

Layering

This blue and white Indian block print tablecloth is perfect for the base of your table setting. I just love this shade of blue and the detailed pattern at the edges. Purchased through Days with Daviny – Instagram @dayswithdarviny.

If you are not familiar with Hester & Cook, they have so many lovely tabletop, party, stationery, and gift wrap items. See their website here. The paper die cut red Swiss dot paper placemat is a wonderful choice for not only a patriotic tablescape, but also for Christmas, Valentines Day and summer in general.

What is nice about a paper placemat is that is also protects the table cloth from getting stained. I am branching out and trying to do more pattern combinations with my place settings. It’s not without a bit of trepidation, but is fun when it all comes together.

The blue ceramic chargers are a long-ago purchase from Pier 1 but Amazon has an amazing and affordable collection here. The sweet flowered plates are a gift from my friend, Sandy. Made in Cauldon, England by Brown Westhead Moore & Co. between 1904-1920, I love the hand painted rose floral pattern.

A simple centerpiece of apples in an 1815 Meissen Blue Onion pattern serving bowl (for sale in my store) completes the patriotic look. Wine glasses are Waterford and the silver-plate flatware is from Oneida, Ballard Country Lane.

Additional Ideas

More ideas for your Memorial Day table. Here is another Hester & Cook item~a 20″ x 25′ red and white striped paper table runner. Instantly you have a big pop of color and by adding vintage blue plates from Etsy, you have a patriotic table. To see more details on this table setting, click here.

Often we are at our cabin in the mountains for Memorial Day. At that location I do not have access to as many dishes or linens. But, after quick trip to Walmart, you can make a lovely patriotic table utilizing what you find. To read more about this disposable table setting, click here.

Happy Wednesday! I hope you now have some inspiration to create a patriotic table for Memorial Day (or Flag Day, July 4th and Labor Day). In spite of all of the division and problems our country faces, it is still the best place to live.

It feels so good to get back to writing a Saturday Meanderings. The last two weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind and I appreciate you understanding my lack of posting. Happy Saturday and let’s chat about what is going on.

The day after our houseguests left I excitedly left Phoenix to Orlando, Florida to meet up with 3 of my favorite blogging friends (Design Morsels and Chas Crazy Creations). For me, this trip would be full of creative ideas, new sites and new memories. I landed in Orlando late on a Wednesday night and got to see Celebration, Florida for the first time.

Celebration is a master planned community designed by The Walt Disney Company. The town, which has approximately 12,000 residents, is architecturally beautiful, fabulously landscaped, and impeccably maintained. Think Main Street USA but far better. My friend, Chloe, from Celebrate and Decorate lives in a gorgeous home with a large Southern front porch. Hosting our blogging get-together at her lovely home is such a treat.

The length of my trip was supposed to be Wednesday through Sunday. However, the very next day, I received notification that the Norwich, Connecticut police found my aunt dead in her home. My aunt, Gail, is the last of my father’s siblings and lived alone. Her death was unexpected as she was in good health, extremely active and independent (still driving) for her age of 100. She would have been 101 in August.

I ended my trip to Florida after one day and got the first flight up to Connecticut. With no children or living spouse, I am the person responsible to handle Aunt Gail’s finality and estate. Fortunately, I locate some documentation with her burial wishes and we had a lovely farewell ceremony the following week. Now probate begins and who knows when I will need to return to manage the rest.

The good news is that spring flowers are in bloom in Connecticut and my aunt has 3 very large lilac bushes. I cut armfuls and fill her home with their lovely scent. Azaleas and rhododendrons are also at their best.

Now I am back home in Phoenix and quickly had a day to do all the laundry from our last house guests. We are entertaining our new delightful house guests this week. So it’s been a bit busy and as a result, I’ve hardly spent time on my blog or social media.

While I was away, the sunflowers opened up and the birds are enjoying the fresh peaches on the tree.

Daydreaming

But life happens and we manage. Maybe as a result of experiencing a loss, you think ahead. Lately I am dreaming about designing my own home someday. Or at least thinking about being able to renovate a home exactly the way I want with an unlimited budget! Wouldn’t that be nice. But I seem to like several different styles. Which of these appeal to you?

Stark and serene?

Classic and clean?

Warm and elegant?

Or lots of character and charm?

Oops!

Do you remember last year when I changed the color of the front door from red to blue? Look what I just found! Ha! Funny how I did not notice the unpainted edge until now..ah, another project.

Just recently, I started reading a wonderful book series from Karen White. The House on Tradd Street is the first book of many and it is a brilliant, chilling story featuring a Charleston real estate agent who loves old houses~and the secret histories inside them.

I am looking forward to a quiet and relaxing weekend here at home. Thanks again for joining me today!

I am so excited to join a small group of fellow gardeners for a monthly Garden hop. What makes this fun is that we all live in different planting zones. So when one of us is planting, another may be harvesting. So if you love gardening, or are a novice, you have come to the right place. Today my post is May Gardening, a peek into what is happening now in my garden.

For those of you who are new to Life at Bella Terra, I have a designated vegetable/flower garden space on the western side of our 2 acres. Surrounded by a white picket fence, the vegetable garden space is approximately 22 feet wide by 30 feet long. Situated nearby is the hen house.

We have several “gardens” on our property~a fruit orchard, a bulb, rose and flower garden. Today I will focus on our vegetable garden.

There are 5 raised planter beds inside the picket fence. And the entry is a rebar arch with grape vines growing up and over, creating a shady spot during the summer.

Our growing zone is 9B according to the US Plant Hardiness Zone Map. If you do not know your growing zone, click here. There are two main growing seasons in Phoenix: from mid-February until the end of May, and from September to mid-November.

In May, the temperatures are getting warmer and we are nearing our end of the Spring growing season. Generally this is a good month for harvesting peaches, apricots, tomatoes, snap peas, strawberries, shishito peppers, basil and rhubarb.

Protecting from Garden Pests

This year I am fighting garden pests for the first time. As a result I am protecting the plants with mesh screens, tulle and cages. This is the first time I am using tulle on hoops to cover some of the beds. I just realized that I may be preventing pollination as the birds and the bees cannot access the plants to do their thing.

In pulling back the tulle, I am opening up the fruiting plants (pumpkin, cucumbers, melons) to the air so hopefully this will solve that problem.

The quail in the yard is doing a number this year on my garden. In one day, all my snow pea plants were stripped to the stalks. Rhubarb leaves are gone. Sunflower seedlings pulled up out of the ground. Previously I used bird netting, but occasionally it would trap a small bird. And it can be easily gnawed through by something with teeth.

Kale is another plant that seems to attract rodents. Never before have I had to protect my plants like this.

Slugs and leaf eating bugs are captured in bowls of beer. But with additional protective measures this year, I hope to have a good spring crop.

May Garden To Do List

• Fertilize rose bushes and tomato plants (late April/early May)
• Keep roses watered well and deeply throughout this month
• Weeding~summer is coming and Bermuda grass is actively invading flower beds.
• Thin fruits to increase their quality and prevent them from dropping from the heat
• Check your drip system for the coming summer
• Plant cantaloupe, pumpkin and winter squash
• Flowers to sow: Balsam, Celosia Cockscomb, Cosmos, Gloriosa Daisy, Hollyhocks, Marigold, Salvia, Shasta Daisy, Sunflower,Vinca, Zinnia

And now for the Gardening Blog Hop!

Chas from Chas Crazy Creations shows us how to do a Straw Bale Garden set up.…this does sound interesting!

Kim from Shiplap and Shells demonstrated how to divide dahlia tubers.

Stacy Ling from Bricks ‘n Blooms shares her early spring garden tour here.

I hope you are gardening or getting ready to plant. It is so rewarding and each year is different than the one before. For another garden post, click here.

Happy Tuesday! I am currently out of town for an unexpected death in the family so I am not posting much on stories, Instagram or Facebook. But hope to be back home next week, if all goes well. Stay safe!

Happy Saturday and welcome to Saturday Meanderings. I love chatting with you on this weekend morning about all the good (mostly) things that are occurring this week. Tonight we are hosting a wine tasting here at our home, which we offered as a charitable item for the Scottsdale Artist School. I will try and take lots of pictures as we hope to have great wine, good food and charming company.

Tiger Eye Flowering Maple

Do you ever go to the nursery and buy something you know nothing about? I have never seen a Tiger Eye flowering maple. Apparently they grow very well here and we did buy two of these plants. I just love the flowers and I wonder if they will dry, like Chinese lanterns. Wouldn’t they be fun for autumn decorating?

The plumber arrived on Thursday and we, unfortunately, did need to take up part of the floor in my daughter’s bathroom. After moving the clawfoot tub, the plumber indicates that the original installation was “jury-rigged”. Groan. So a new drain pipe is installed and I am determining the extent of the damage to the floor and floor tiles. It may be time to replace the whole thing. Not sure a patch job will look good, even if it is under the tub. More to come on this. Cha-ching. If you missed the post about the leak, click here.

Battery Operated Candles

Just a reminder to take your battery operated candles inside during warm weather. We use these candles ALOT during the cooler months as they provide such a pretty ambiance in lanterns and on the table. However, one warm day and look what happens. The candle still works and maybe I can use it as a Halloween decoration?

Kimonos

I love the look of a pretty kimono. Not only is it fashionable, but they do a great job of hiding the backside. There is one at Chico’s that seems quite pretty, but I have a hard time spending over $100 on this.

Last year, I did buy this yellow one from Amazon for $23.99 and each time I wear it, I get many compliments. Simply draped over white jeans and a white t-shirt or tank, it’s a nice look. So I went back on Amazon and purchased two more designs. I will let you know if I like the new colors.

Going for a Garden Win

Gardening this year has been a bit of a challenge due to the pests who have invaded the garden. However, I am determined to get ahead of their destruction. This week I did cover the garden with tulle. A new blog post will be coming out about this endeavor but hopefully, this fabric will do a better job of keeping out the critters.

The Plight of the Strawberries

As you know, one of my garden goal’s this year is to have LOTS of strawberries. Well, the plants I ordered online all died and I’ve been trying to replenish them with local plants. Slowly, I am getting strawberries ripening one at a time. This gal may end up buying strawberries to make anything yummy! Why do homegrown strawberries taste differently than store bought?

Everything is Blooming

It is a beautiful time of year to take brisk walks around the neighborhood. All the flowering trees are blooming. Since I don’t have any allergies, I find it all so beautiful. And I love how the ground turns yellow with all the blossoms!

I don’t mean to complain

Typically I try and keep a positive attitude on most things, but I have to say who the heck designed the sign-up system for Medicare? What a painful process. I consider myself relatively bright and navigating through this bureaucratic system is indeed frustrating. Not to mention none of my doctors (not that I have many) take Medicare and I am paying more than my old private insurance plan. Ah, the fun of turning 65!

I just started reading Rhys Bowen’s The Venice Sketchbook. Since I love Venice and art, this is becoming such an enjoyable read. Two women, generations apart, escape to Venice to find answers to secrets. As one reader states, Rhy’s writing is “glorious and atmospheric”.

As you know I am very partial to Rhys Bowen’s books, as I am a character in one of them. To read that post, click here.

Well, this wraps up Saturday Meanderings. Thank you for all your positive comments about the new blog series, Room by Room! I am excited to share more of my home with you. If you missed that post, you can see it here.

Have a terrific weekend! Our son and his friends will be arriving back to Phoenix today after exploring Arizona and Utah. Can’t wait to hear about their adventures.

Happy Saturday! Every time I type this I feel like each and every week is just flying by so quickly. It’s been another busy week and currently we have a house filled with guests. Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee or tea and let’s chat about the week.

Some of my favorites

Even though I am always looking for ways to get off the computer and mobile phone, I am always inspired by these blog sites.

Cheap Old Houses

If you love renovation or want to move somewhere more affordable, Cheap Old Houses is a fun site. Called Instagram’s most addictive rabbit hole this website shows affordable homes all around the country and world.

I do sometime fantasize about purchasing a historical villa in Italy and restoring it. Cheap Old Houses is free to view. To get Cheap Old Houses Abroad is a $6.00 per month, but worthy entertainment!

The Glam Pad

Just the opposite of Cheap Old Houses is The Glam Pad. Andrea is a firm believer in timeless classic style with a generous dose of English sensibility, Southern charm, Old Hollywood glamour, and Palm Beach whimsy! According to Andrea’s website, “I am passionate about historic preservation, antiques, and old-fashioned traditions such as needlepoint, tea, and handwritten letters.” A person after my own heart. If you are looking for beautiful photos and design inspiration, check out The Glam Pad.

Getting Ready for Guests

As I mentioned earlier this week, my son is home with 6 of his friends. They plan to explore Arizona and Utah next week in camping vehicles. We get to have them for the weekend before and after~which, of course, is just delightful.

Lots of beds = lots of clean linens. There is nothing better than freshly washed sheets drying outside on the clothes line. I wish I could bottle that smell. This is also a good time for me to check the condition of towels and pillows and replace if necessary. In a later post, I will share what I do to prepare for house guests.

New Things Coming

I am excited to join a group of other like minded bloggers who love gardening. Starting in May we will have a monthly blog hop talking about our gardens.

What will make it interesting is that we are all located in different parts of the country and growing zones, so where I may be harvesting, others are just sowing seeds.

If you aren’t familiar with my sweet blogging friends, I recommend you check them out. Kim from Shiplap and Shells, Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms and Chas from Chas Crazy Creations. More to come!

Barbecue Tile

Last Spring, we added tile to the back of the grill area (see post here). Prior to tile, we had plaster and I shudder to think how skanky and dirty it became over the years. Last night we grilled steaks and here is what the tile looks like after one meal. The photo doesn’t represent how dirty the tile is, but trust me, it looks filthy.

Krud Kutter did such a good job cleaning the kitchen cooking area (see post here) so I decide to try it on the very greasy and dirty tile. Again, the minute I spray this concentrated cleaner/degreaser on the tile, you can smell it working.

The grease melts away easily. The most difficult part is getting my butt up there to do this!

And here is how the tile looks after using Krud Kutter. I cannot recommend this product enough. Here is a link to this non-toxic, biodegradable product.

Do You Knit?

When my girls were younger, we took a knitting lesson. Well, I haven’t really stuck with it, but my daughter, Julianna, knits……beautifully. Now after seeing her latest project, I am inspired to start knitting again. Unfortunately, I just know how to knit and purl….nothing fancy and often with dropped stitches.

Check out this amazing blanket she is currently making with a garter, stockinette, and diagonal basketweave stitch.

Even the back side is attractive.

She is approximately half way through making this blanket. Perfect for her to do while you are using a head set and working virtually.

Please let me know if you knit or crochet. I’ve never done crochet before but I am thinking about taking up something to do at night while watching television.

That wraps up another Saturday Meanderings. Enjoy your weekend and hopefully there won’t be any more snow back east! So crazy as we are in the 70s-80s here.

If you missed any posts this week, check out my birthday trip to Castle Hot Springs here and all about Raising Chickens here.

Also, if you like this post, please pin on Pinterest.

Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we just chat about anything and everything! Grab a cup of Joe or tea and I am so happy you are joining me today!

Today is my birthday. I am 65 years old. How the heck did that happen? Quite honestly, I feel 25 on the inside, yet the outside is definitely showing some wear and tear. So here is what 65 years old looks like. Granted, this is after a hair cut and some make-up, but I still feel quite young and vibrant.

Needless to say, we are off celebrating this weekend and I’m very excited! Our destination is Castle Hot Springs, a 1,100 acre ranch secluded in an Arizona canyon with natural hot springs.

We may not celebrate my birthday in style every year, but my husband gets kudos for planning this. Click here to see the surprise trip to Blackberry Farm for my 60th birthday.

An Unexpected Trip

Earlier this week, we drove to see my cousins in Victorville, CA. Unfortunately, my sweet cousin, John recently received a challenging diagnosis and we hope our visit provided some fun and laughter. Since we grew up in opposite ends of the country, it is wonderful to hear family stories from their perspective.

I have never been to Victorville or Apple Valley and it is a delightful place in the high desert of the state. Listed as one of the top 100 places to live, I can certainly see why. Warm during the day, the temperature drops at night for the perfect sleeping weather. They live in a wonderful, patriotic community with a view out to the snow covered San Bernadino mountains.

Books on Tape

I guess the books really aren’t on “tape” but during the roundtrip 11 hour car drive to California, we listen to Audible books. In my opinion, the success of an audible book is the narrator. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon and beautifully narrated by Alex Tregear, is 8 hours and 7 minutes long and is considered a cozy historical mystery. We did enjoy it and it seems to make the drive go by faster.

What’s Blooming

April is the month where I believe our property is at its all-time best. Here is a snapshot of what’s blooming now.

The iris are in the middle of showing their delicate petals.

After whacking back the rose bushes in January, they always make a gorgeous comeback.

The photo at the top of the post is a bouquet of the heirloom roses (Quatre Saisons) that have been on the property for decades. I tried propagating them last spring (to no avail), but if you want to try rose propagation, I have a great tutorial on it here.

Every time I see a snapdragon I remember showing the children how to make them open and close like a mouth. Even the petals look like they have teeth, right? For some reason, the snapdragons are huge and abundant this spring.

And those hollyhocks are taking over the property. They are EVERYWHERE! I still have many seeds that I am happy to share (just email me at marycrz@cox.net).

San Miguel de Allende

This destination is on my bucket list. Has anyone ever been there? San Miguel de Allende, a colonial-era city in Mexico’s central highlands, is known for its baroque Spanish architecture, thriving arts scene and cultural festivals.

Getting there isn’t fast or inexpensive. However, I do dream about going there someday. In my saved files, I am keeping this Belmont hotel, Casa de Sierra Nevada, as a possible future accommodation.

Doesn’t this look just amazing?

Belmond also does the Venice Simplon-Orient Express train~another bucket list destination. Maybe when I become a famous blogger, they will treat me to a trip!

Well, that’s it for Saturday Meanderings. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. I cannot wait to share our adventures at Castle Hot Springs!

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Photographs of me done by Cozy Clicks

Hair done by Roscoe Nichols at Pucci Salon

Makeup done by Kayla Spencer