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!

After being out of town for 12 days, I’m feeling a bit lost here at home. The stacks of mail, bills need to be paid and I just don’t feel like doing much of anything in 111 degree heat. Seems like all the good relaxing vibes fly right out the window and are replaced with the foreboding sense of responsibility and chores. So today’s post is about catching up with you!

My time at the Cabin

The good news is that we finally got rain in the mountains and lots of it. When we have such a dry summer, it doesn’t take much for a massive forest fire to start. The one and only day I decided to go do run errands (Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s) is when I got caught in a torrential downpour. Given the ground is so dry, the volume of rain couldn’t absorb fast enough.

Here is what I posted on Instagram. The roads were badly flooded within minutes after the first clap of thunder. This felt like my first flash flood and when I was driving through this, escape options raced through my mind.

Perhaps the storm disrupted nature, as it was shortly thereafter that I had a bat(s), mouse and woodpecker experience. A bat, possibly two, flying around inside the bedroom, a mouse in the house and then several woodpeckers.

The next day I searched everywhere and never found the bat(s). Later that evening, Mr. Mouse visited me again. I set a trap, put really good Brie cheese on it and then hoped I didn’t hear it snap shut in the middle of the night. When I woke up the next morning, the trap was still engaged but the cheese was missing. Very smart mouse.

Did you know that a group of woodpeckers is called a descent? Well, that what it felt like. The woodpeckers are relentless in pecking at our cedar siding. All day long….tap..tap..tap. I must have looked like a mad woman running outside scaring them away. Look at the damage they’ve done. The challenge is that they are a protected species and insurance doesn’t cover the repair.

In search of the bats/mouse

The unintended consequence of not finding the bat(s) or mouse resulted in me deep cleaning. Envisioning a dead bat or mouse behind a sofa was impetus enough to get me scrubbing.

So how often do you deep clean? You know, really clean, where you move furniture, roll up the rugs, and wipe down every single surface? Me? Not so much. Maybe once a year?

Sprucing up the furniture

Since we are at 7500 feet in altitude, unless it is raining it is quite dry. And the furniture suffers.

This Howard’s Feed-N-Wax wood polish and conditioner is a good one. See the side that wood that is conditioned and the one that is not? The results are impressive and it smells nice. Click here for the link.

Cleaning all the Vents

If I could re-design something, HVAC vents would be it. These are the most unattractive and dust collecting devices ever created.

Hours were spent moving all the rugs, vacuuming underneath and then cleaning the floors with Bona Floor Cleaner. I use this same cleaner on our 110 year old hardwood floors in Phoenix and prefer it to other wood floor cleaners.

What is out of sight is out of mind, so I climbed on a ladder and looked on top of the curtain rods. Eeek! Lots of cobwebs.

How often do you clean your lampshades? Finally, I did this to all of mine.

This cluttered cord look is disturbing and I really need a system to label each and every cord. But in the meantime, I just vacuumed behind all the various cabinets.

The great room has 3 large sliding doors. The grooves where the doors slide get so dusty and dirty.

After all of this, which literally took me hours, I didn’t find any mice or bats, dead or alive. Which makes me wonder where they went….

The good news now is the cabin is the cleanest it has ever been and then, of course, I had to leave to head home to Phoenix!

Project Update

Now that I’m back home, yesterday I started the actual stenciling of the pool house bathroom floor. To date, the floor has been cleaned, primed and painted with 2 coats of white paint.

This will be a time consuming one. Here’s my progress so far. I do feel like I’ve bitten off a bit much but I can’t stop now.

This room doesn’t get a lot of natural direct light so the photos are a bit dingy with the overhead lights on. A bigger project than anticipated, it will definitely take some time to complete. To see another floor stenciling project I did, click here.

Summer Canning

My friend, Rick asked me if I wanted 50 pounds of tomatoes as he has a farmer resource. Naturally I said yes and now wondering when I’m going to have time to can them. But homemade tomato sauce is so good and worth the effort!

So between stenciling, canning and paying bills, that’s my exciting weekend! Please tell me you are doing something fun and exciting so I can live vicariously through you!!!

Happy Saturday, my friends.

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small stipend if you make a purchase after clicking on my links, at no cost to you.

During a recent trip to Home Depot, I found a few fun things and bargains that I want to share with you. Typically, when I think of Home Depot, lumber, plumbing and hardware comes to mind. But in the last few years, Home Depot has become so much more. Here is a list of some of the fun finds and bargains I discovered. Also, this is not a sponsored post by Home Depot, only my personal recommendations.

If you do not get their seasonal catalog, I would highly recommend signing up for it. Here is an online version of their Summer one, which is chock-a-block full of ideas on summer home decor and entertaining. Granted, many of these products are not in the actual stores, but ordering online is very easy.

If you are doing your summer canning, click this link to see all the supplies Home Depot offers.

Unique tile

Recently, I ordered this beautiful green tile for our barbecue backsplash from Home Depot. They have an extensive tile collection on their website. Their stores tend to inventory what is popular or a best-selling item, but if you are looking for something unique and different, try their website. If you missed the blog post on the BBQ project, please click here.

Lanterns

During my latest trip I picked up these fabulous outdoor lanterns. They are 22″ tall. This must be the clearance price, but the cost is $12.98 each. I purchased two and went back and bought the remaining 3. When I first checked, they were available online at the price. But I believe they are now out of stock online. However, you may only get this price at the store level. Check out the inventory in your local store too.

Think of all the different ways they can be used for fall and Christmas decorating!

Even the smaller 14″ lantern sitting next to this one on the shelf, was more expensive (regular price $24.98 reduced to $16.00). Go figure.

Right now, they are sitting outside on the covered porch of the cabin. The battery operated candle is not included, but I have several of those anyway. Isn’t this just a steal? It feels so good to get a bargain!

Halloween Items

In the fall, Home Depot also has the BEST selection of Halloween items. A few years back, I ordered several fun decorations, all done from the comfort of my home. They were ready for me to pick up at my local store~~which now with their curbside pickup makes shopping a breeze. It appears that Halloween items will be available after August 1.

Entertaining

Check out the variety of entertaining items in their catalog! Their photos are beautifully staged and they also include a recipe for Grapefruit Rosemary Cocktail.

With the holidays coming, Home Depot’s prices are so affordable for glasses, dishes and serving pieces. Check out some of the fun items here.

And look how cute these blue and white melamine plates are? Perfect for outdoor use or pretty enough for indoor entertaining too!

I’m not sure how much holiday entertaining any of us will be doing, but check out these sweet oversized red and white dish towels for $2.49 each. Aren’t they ideal for wrapping baked goods or lining a gift basket. The online price is less than the catalog at$18.00 for 8 ($2.25 each).

Another fun find is a set of ceramic dinnerware that I purchased for our cabin. This is the first time I have ordered dishes from Home Depot, and am delighted with this set. Online price is $116.12 for the 16-piece set.

Outdoor Furniture Covers

Finding a good quality outdoor furniture cover is a challenge for me. They are not inexpensive and often, made of plastic, which doesn’t last more than one season. This new purchase from Home Depot is an attractive brown and beige fabric. It’s large size can accommodate a big table and 6-8 chairs.

This cover has handles and a venting system on either end. So far I am impressed with the quality and the roomy construction. Let’s see if it will survive the elements. So if you are looking for outdoor furniture covers, the collection online is rather extensive. Online price for this one is $41.98.

If you click on the links I provided, it will take you to the Home Depot website. If you decide to buy something, I may get a small stipend at no cost to you!

Home Depot’s fall catalog will be mailed sometime in August so keep your eyes open for it. Now with more online ordering and curbside pickup or home delivery, you can truly enjoy the vast number of fun Home Depot items.

This post shared with Thursday Favorite Things #450 with An Artful Mom

Last September, my husband attended a board meeting in Vail, Colorado. Naturally I tagged along! If you haven’t been to Vail Village, you are transported to a quaint, charming European hamlet. Loaded with Scandinavian decor everywhere you go, the experience is a magical one right here in the United States.

We stayed at the Sonnenalp Resort, a boutique lodge and our room made me feel like yodeling. A cozy fireplace, cuckoo clocks, window boxes spilling with colorful flowers were some of the treats we enjoyed during our stay.

One of the highlights of the trip, for me, was exploring Axel’s of Vail, a European clothing store in Vail Village. Decorated in old Scandinavian decor, the architecture of the store, as well as its contents far exceeded my expectations.

Most retail stores do not go to the expense to make their exteriors so exquisite. The wood carvings, the iron hardware and the abundant flowers transport you from Vail to Norway in seconds.

At one of the board meeting dinners, I had the pleasure of sitting next to the owners of Axel’s, Axel and Janie Wilhelmsen. What a warm and engaging couple! The conversation was lively and as a result, a visit to their spectacular home was arranged.

Some people are enamored with Hollywood celebrities. I am not. But I do get very excited when I am invited to see someone’s unique and spectacular home. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of seeing the same design styles over and over again.

The next day, my friend, Missy and I traveled to this treasure of a home. Yes, they have a living roof (also called a green or garden roof). The plants grow each year on top of a waterproof membrane. Living roofs provide good insulation, are long lasting and often seen in Norwegian homes.

The Wilhelmsens, being such gracious hosts, provided a full tour of the guest house and main home, which they built and designed themselves.

Below is their guest cottage. What a delight for their friends and family to stay here!

Each room is more breathtaking that the next. The kitchen in the main house, which is part of an open plan with the living room, did not feel like a kitchen at all. The cabinets are beautifully hand painted and even the refrigerator was covered with a decorative panel, making the kitchen feel as furnished as the dining and living room.

And look at this stove/oven! Even the pedestal on which it sits, is beautifully painted!

I did not take many pictures, because after all, this is their home and I wanted to respect their privacy. But it was hard not to capture every single luscious detail! The wood carvings alone were spectacular. Touches such as matching handmade chandeliers made this a one-of-a-kind home.

Even the television is hidden behind a gorgeous hand painted cabinet. This Scandinavian type of folk art painting is called rosemaling. What is the difference between rosemaling and tole? Rosemaling is painting on wood, whereas tole is painting on tin. I now have a desire to learn how to do this!

Clearly, having logs and chinking walls add enough Scandinavian character, but look at that carved headboard and those comfortable linens.

So you are probably asking, what is Mary sharing this with us today? Well, quite honestly I have not stopped thinking about this house since I saw it last September. The Wilhelmsens’ home is so warm, welcoming and appropriate in the mountains of Colorado.

I would love for our cabin to have this European/Scandinavian charm and decor. However, I would imagine all that wood carving would be a bit cost prohibitive, though Janie was kind enough to share her resource.

While at our cabin, I started to notice that I already have a few Scandinavian pieces that I have acquired over time. I never really thought of a strategy to decorate the cabin this way, but I would love to try.

In a future blog post, I will share some thoughts and hopefully you can help me along the way to add enough, affordable touches to make our cabin unique and charming. It’s a stretch, but I am hopeful!

As a side note, I want to thank my friend, Missy who acquired the invitation to Axel and Janie’s home. Also, if you are ever in Vail Village, you must visit their store (and you can order online). Their philosophy is: Romance is the very thread that weaves our collections together, from Italian handmade sartorial clothing to the rugged leathers that imbue the spirit of the west.” Their “modest” objective is to be the best store in the world. This is a family run business. Their lovely children, Candice and Axel, Jr. model all their clothing. I can honestly say I am very impressed with their collection of goods, but more importantly, their sincerity, passion, elegance and commitment to family is genuine.

House Projects

Back in March, during the lockdown, we created a list of home projects to tackle. As I was washing all the windows in the house, my husband started working on the back terrace. Like most projects, the back terrace morphed into something bigger…..yet better. To see that post of projects, click here.

The barbecue needed cleaning. That led to putting up new tile on the backsplash behind the grill. Of course, the tile requires a sealer to protect it. That spilled over into sealing the slate countertops. I shared that project a few weeks ago when the BBQ was completed. If you missed that post, please click here!

The Floors

Now that the countertops look so good, the floors paled in comparison.

But before sealing the floor, they need a good cleaning. Pressure washing the concrete/slate floors significantly helps to remove the dirt and stains. My husband did this one half of the terrace at a time. We own the Subaru pressure washer but you can easily rent one, too.

After the floors are clean and dry, sealer is applied to both the slate and the concrete. We tried a satin finish first and didn’t like it. So we decided on this Home Depot Behr Premium Wet-Look Sealer.

Using a long handled roller, the sealer spread easily on the floor.

Here is one section done and it is a vast improvement.

After half of the terrace was dry, we moved the furniture and began the process on the other half.

The Rugs

The outdoor rugs have never been washed so this is a great opportunity to vacuum them and pressure wash to remove several years of dirt. Purchased from Rug Studio several years ago, these two 8′ x 10′ rugs are SO affordable.

I just checked and they are still available online. Click here for the link. Prices are a bit higher, but not by much. I am so pleased with how these rugs are holding up outside in our hot summer heat.

Now the floors are now cleaned and sealed, the barbecue area is complete, and well, the upholstered furniture looks like the ugly sibling. Truly, we have used this furniture outside for years. The cushions however, other than spot cleaning, have not been deeply cleaned….ever.

The Furniture

This Bissell Little Green is one of our best purchases. This little spot and stain cleaner is great for both upholstery and carpeting. If you have pets or families who spill, this is the toy for you! Being small and light weight, it is so easy to haul around. It’s approximately $100.00 and can be ordered online through Amazon. Click here for link.

All furniture cushions and decorative pillows are Sunbrella fabric and clean easily with the Bissell.

All the outdoor (really indoor) furniture was purchased from Crate and Barrel many years ago. Since this terrace is covered and somewhat protected from the elements, the furniture has survived fairly well.

The Finished Product

Here is the finished terrace. It sparkles and even smells clean. The black cabinet on the right side of the photo is a new addition. This piece used to be in the family room but will now store placemats, candlesticks, vases and other outdoor entertaining items.

I will at some point need to refinish the mahogany dining and coffee table, but not until the weather cools down a bit. The chandelier over the table needs replacing too. If you have any suggestions, please share! Also, I am still debating whether the rugs clash with the tile. Unfortunately when I selected the tile, I didn’t even consider the rug design. Let me know what you think.

We are so pleased with how the floor turned out. Custom covers are made for all the outdoor pieces and we must cover all the furniture before our dreaded summer dust storms arrive.

It feels SO good to get these projects checked off the list. Extra kudos to my husband for doing all the work on this space. We can’t wait for cooler temperatures and no more COVID so we can entertain here again.

I hope everyone took some time off and enjoyed the July 4th holiday. Are you working on any home projects?

If you missed the blog post on Fall Entertaining on the back terrace, please click here.

To see the actual restoration/construction project of the back terrace, click here.

Sometimes in my posts, I provide links to the products. Sometimes I get a stipend at no cost to you. Other times I don’t get anything but want to share my resource.

stories

Happy July 4th to all of you! We are happily ensconced here in the mountains of Arizona enjoying the cooler temperatures. I love all the patriotism here as nearly every cabin is displaying flags and lots of red, white and blue.

Our mountain community is a combination of older, original cabins and of course, the newly built McMansions. I love walking in this area because I get to snoop at each and every house. Who doesn’t love looking at other people’s homes? My favorites are the original ones that are bursting with charm and character.

The Drive Up

The trip from our home in Phoenix is approximately 3.5 hours. I love the drive, because the minute you leave the metropolitan area you are winding up through the mountains and forest.

As you may or may not have heard, but we had a very large fire (Bush Fire) that started on June 13th and today is 99% contained. It was so big that NASA could see it from space. However, even though I heard about it, it wasn’t until I drove through it did I realize the extent of the damage.

Experiencing it first hand was shocking and heartbreaking. Here is my posting on Instagram.

Highway 87 runs right through the middle of the 194,000 acres that have burned. On both sides of the road, as far as the eye can see, was blackened earth covered in fire retardant spray. I drove for an hour and the view was the same.

For a 13 mile stretch, the road was reduced to one lane because the guard rail posts had burned and the actual guard rail looked like a melted ribbon. Apparently the fire was caused by a burning vehicle and high winds. Our firefighters are such heroes in battling what is now the 5th largest fire in our state’s history.

That was bad enough, but when I was driving on State Route 260, there was a driver traveling at very high speeds going the WRONG WAY. Thankfully I was in the right hand land and since we were moving up an incline, I didn’t see him/her until they blew by me. It was so fast I couldn’t tell you the make, model or color of the car. I pray no one was killed by this maniac.

Finally Here!

The rest of the way I drove like a little old lady. Naturally, after such an eventful trip, I am thrilled to be here.

Every time I arrive at the cabin, I start daydreaming about re-decorating it. Right now, it is a hodgepodge of furniture we’ve collected over time. I suppose if we spent more time here, it would make sense to redecorate. Here are some inspirational photos on what I’d love to do to the bedrooms.

Next 4 photos from Google.com

I love how they have displayed the quilt on the wall below.

To see more pictures of our cabin, click here.

Lack of Rain and a Surprise

As you may recall, we haul our several big pots of geraniums up to the cooler climate every year. There has been such little rain, and the plants are looking a bit stressed. While watering them, we found this sweet bird’s nest tucked inside the greenery.

Momma bird was startled by the garden hose and flew out, long enough for me to take this photo. Sorry it’s a bit blurred, but I didn’t want to disturb this protected setting. Momma is back on the nest happily protecting her eggs. To see all our geraniums journey, click here.

Sox, our Beagle Update

About 10 days ago, our beagle, Sox lost the control of his back legs. I found him laying in the driveway, overheated and exhausted. We rushed him to the vet and was told he has arthritis (he’s soon to be 13) and a disc issue with his spine.

Our instructions are to keep him crated as much as possible for at least the next few weeks and only take him out for bathroom runs. Well, if you’ve ever had a beagle, this is a very challenging task. This dog follows his nose and from the waist up, he’s very puppy-like. He’s on oral steroids, muscle relaxants and pain meds.

However, his legs are still working and he does get around fairly well on carpets or rugs. Hardwood floors are difficult for his balance. But it’s looking hopeful. Here is how we walk him around. The exercise band is perfect for supporting his hips and still allows him to do his business without obstruction.

Happy July 4th Weekend!

I am getting ready to have an Independence Day breakfast. Fresh berries, plain yogurt and my breakfast cookie accompanied by morning coffee. If you missed my breakfast cookie(s) recipe, click here.

In my last post, I stated that our July 4th parade is cancelled. However, some clever residents are creating a golf cart parade that will start at 10:00 a.m. So after I send this post out to you, I’ll be decorating Shrek, our green golf cart in July 4th attire!

Whatever you have planned for this holiday weekend, I hope you are with those you love, either in person or virtually. Being here in the cabin and around nature has already lowered my stress levels. Be happy, be kind and most of all, be safe.