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!

If you recall, we recently had a major leak from the upstairs bathroom tub/shower and into our living room below. The bathroom is out of commission as a result. In order to find the problem, the plumber does damage the floor. To see that post, click here.

My very reliable tile guy, Rick, said he could patch it but it would look like a patch job. And the floor is over 20 years old. Instead, we decide to pull off the old tile and add a new floor. The subfloor around the leak damage also needs replacing too.

Selecting the Tile

Fortunately, we do have a Floor and Decor in town. Floor & Decor is a leading specialty retailer of hard surface flooring, offering a large selection of tile, wood, stone, and flooring accessories at everyday low prices. A big box store, I can touch and feel the product before buying it. And they let you return leftover tile!

The tile we selected I am now seeing everywhere I go. Not realizing its popularity, the timelessness of it is perfect for our bathroom. We try to make selections that are classic and appropriate for our 110 year old house.

Here is an older photo of the bathroom, taken when I painted our daughter’s bedroom black and white. See that post here. Notice the tile on the floor was installed in a rather crooked fashion. Overall this is a poor installation job.

The new marble tile goes quite well with the existing Carrera marble countertop.

Demolition

Rick tears out the existing tile~which is a messy job. Being a second floor bathroom, it takes lots of trips up and down the stairs to dump the debris.

Naturally, all the fixtures need to be removed first~the tub, faucets and toilet. Fortunately there is space in the nearby bedroom.

Installation

The original Hardy board backer on the floor is in great shape. And only the section near the tub’s drain pipe needs repair.

Here is the finished floor. While the tub is out, it is a good opportunity to scrub down the baseboard!

Since this floor is marble, we will more than likely add a penetrating sealant for protection.

The total cost of this unexpected leak is:

Plumber: $895.00

Cost of tile: $500.00

Tile Installation: $700.00

Now this is a good reason to have a Rainy Day fund! Thankfully, there is resolution to the problem and we are happy with the results.

Happy Wednesday!

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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With daily life here at Bella Terra, I tend to just take some things for granted. After having house guests the last few days, it is fun to see our home through other peoples’ eyes. Since we are immersed in our homes daily, we tend to overlook the details. I thought I would start a new series, Room by Room, where I can share each room of my home in detail with you.

Someone once told me that the photos of our house don’t do it justice. I agree. It is difficult to capture the essence of a room in a one dimensional picture. But I hope to do a better job of explaining why each room in our home is special to us.

I would like to start with our living room, because this past weekend we experienced a flood. One of our guests was showering in the room above the living room. While I was heading to the front door to welcome more guests, I heard what sounded like rain…..inside the house. Loud, torrential rain. Yep~the water was pouring down from the living room ceiling onto my linen sofa, end tables with my cherished books and the Oriental rug. A lot of water.

Here is how the living room currently looks. With towels and fans, the rug is finally dry. The sofa is stained and the plumber will arrive on Wednesday. My fear is the leak is from a broken pipe in the ceiling (or under the bathroom floor).

In spite of the current state of disarray, here is what I love about this 15′ x 28′ room. The photos in this post are collected over time.

The Light

Facing east, this room gets the morning sun. Gently bathed in sunlight, the shadows are long and soft. Each morning when I walk down the stairs, I pause to peek into the living room, grateful for another day.

The Coffered Ceiling

Original to the house, the ceiling is coffered. A coffer in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. With our 9 feet tall ceilings there are 9 coffers.

The Fireplace

Due to its grandeur, the fireplace is the focal point of the room. Spanning nearly 10 feet long, the mantel is nice and deep (17″) which is perfect for decorating for the holidays. To see more about this beautiful mantel, click here.

When we first bought the house, the tiles around the fireplace were painted black. After stripping them, we discovered they are Batchelder tiles, which are highly desirable tiles from the early 1900s Arts and Crafts movement.

On either side of the fireplace opening are two brass hooks known as jamb hooks. Originally I thought the hooks were to secure a screen, but after some research, they are just a place to hang your fireplace tools.

The Windows and Doors

Eight panes over one make up the double-hung windows located in the south-east corner of the room. French doors to the library and family room are in the photo above. What results is a room with air flow, light and a terrific traffic pattern.

Multi-Uses

The living room’s function is divided into four areas: Main gathering, music (piano), board games and desk. The game table also makes a lovely setting for a romantic dinner. In the opposite corner, sits a black baby Grand Yamaha piano.

The inlaid Hepplewhite secretary is from Philadelphia between 1790 and 1800. The doors have 13 glass panels for the original 13 colonies.

Between the game table and the secretary sits my husband’s grandfather’s clock, from his days working at Talley Industries (who owned General Time Corporation at the time). The gentle ticking with the swinging pendulum and the Westminster chimes are soothing sounds.

The Paintings

When the children were approximately 2 1/2 to 3 years old, we commissioned Virginia Cook, a local artist, to paint them. She is such a talented person and truly captured their nature…and their favorite things.

The three paintings hang over the fireplace and are cherished items.

The Flooring

This room has the original Canadian beechwood floors. Solid wood, 3/4″ thick with planks spanning nearly 12 feet~such materials and workmanship just doesn’t exist today. But these floors have lasted for the last 110 years and will continue to do so. They are so well built that we have no floor squeaks.

Many happy holiday memories are in the walls of this room. Choosing soft blues and cream adds to its serenity.

I hope you enjoy Room by Room. Please let me know if you do and I’ll share another room soon. And also keep your fingers crossed that my plumbing problem is a minor one!

Happy Tuesday!

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #646

It is not very often in life when you get to go somewhere so magical, so unique that it leaves a lasting impression. Fortunately, for my birthday celebration, my sweet spouse arranged a visit to Castle Hot Springs. The kudos actually goes to my son who made us aware of this amazing destination (even though he lives in Washington, DC) based on this Wall Street Journal article.

History

Only 50 miles north of Phoenix, nestled in the Bradshaw Mountains, Castle Hot Springs opened in 1896 and was a wintertime retreat for Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Pews, Astors and Carnegies. The WSJ states, “It’s like a tornado picked up a five-star resort and dropped it in the middle of a desert valley”. Tycoons and captains of industry would take a Pullman car and then a long stagecoach ride to stay for the season.

Rich in history, Castle Hot Springs gets its name from the mineral-rich thermal waters running beneath the property. The healing properties of these waters, which flow at a rate of 200,000 gallons per day would take “frail boys and girls and develop them into robust manhood and womanhood”. John F. Kennedy recovered here for several months after his combat injuries, as this also served as a military rehabilitation center after World War II.

In 1976, a devastating fire destroyed the main lodge at the resort and the resort lay dormant for the next 40 years.

Fortunately, a local businessman and his wife purchased the property in 2014 and spent millions of dollars bringing it back to life. Their 5 year “passion project” on this 210-acre parcel is now my birthday experience! Dubbed the cousin to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, this all inclusive resort has 32 rooms. Expansion plans are anticipated.

What makes this idyllic retreat so appealing, is that it is so hard to get to. The hotel sits at the end of an unpaved 7 mile road, which is subject to flash floods. But when you arrive, the scene is breathtaking.

Farm to Table

I love to garden and the gardens at Castle Hot Springs provide a large percentage of the food for the guests. Taking the farm tour from Ian, the head agronomist, is a lesson in new varieties and experimentation. Ian plants different types of fruits, vegetables and herbs producing fresh results at every meal. Striving to grow the most unique and diverse ingredients, the garden is more like his laboratory.

At the end of the tour, we sample the vegetables~some completely new hybrids grown only here at Castle Hot Springs.

Even the bartenders go out and pick fresh herbs to garnish their beverages, while creating a beautiful, fragrant display at the bar.

Unique touches, like using the stalk of a fava bean plant as a straw, is what makes this place so special.

Activities and Adventure

Naturally, there is a plethora of hiking trails. The rocks rise like a cathedral in the Bradshaw Mountains. The air is so clean and clear.

With a long and illustrious past, we visit the Wells Fargo cave~where the money was kept and guarded from bandits.

From horseback riding to helicopter tours, there are many activities to choose. We did archery, Wild West shooting of replica guns from the 1800 and 1900s. But the star of the show is the hot springs. Three pools with varying temperatures are nestled in the rocks above the resort. And without the typical rotten-egg smell most often associated with hot springs.

Even though we only stayed two nights, this adventure is filled with rest and relaxation. There is something sacred about this secret location. A 90 minute massage is also responsible for starting this birthday celebration off correctly!

I cannot say enough about the staff. You can tell from their demeanor that everyone loves working in this environment. We did feel both welcomed and pampered~just perfect.

What made this location so unique is all the history, the trailblazing spirit of the owners over time and now the Watts family has revitalized an important part of Arizona history. Experiencing it is indeed the best of birthday gifts.

Happy Tuesday! I have a very busy week in store as we are expecting our son to visit with six of his friends. Nothing better than a household full!

Special thanks to the staff that made our stay at the Castle Hot Springs memorable:

Bevin~you need to write the Bodacious Beverages by Bevin book

Ryan and Josh~thanks for being patient with my ambidextrous shooting

Eric, Robert, Amber, Shane and Sarah-thanks for making each meal memorable

Marcin~thanks for the lemon slice tutorial

Bradley~for the archery and transportation

Christy~such powerful and therapeutic hands

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An easy and often affordable way to change the look of an upholstered piece of furniture is a slipcover. Not only can you change the color or fabric, these nifty fixes are easy to launder. With a busy household of children and pets, using slipcovers is a great alternative. Welcome to our monthly DIY blog hop and the focus for April is Furniture. At the end of my blog, please continue reading to see what the other talented ladies are contributing.

Yard Sale Find

Last year, I scored 4 fabulous Parsons chairs at a yard sale for $50. The lines and scale of the chairs are exactly what I am looking for in our dining room. However, the yellow buffalo check did not match at all. And the chairs are badly stained.

As you can see in the photo below, this yellow checked fabric DOES NOT go with the color scheme or formality in the dining room.

Since I did not want to go to the expense of re-upholstering four chairs, AND I did want a similar style to the existing chairs, slipcovers are a great option…especially for a dining chair.

Finding the right dimensions and color

You would think there is a standard Parsons chair size, but I can confirm that is not true. Measuring is key here. Make sure you measure, measure and measure again. Since I did purchase the two camelback upholstered chairs from Ballard Design for the ends of the table, I am looking for a similar white fabric. As you know, there are a million shades of white.

Ballard Designs does send fabric samples with the content and care of each. I do not want a fabric I will have to dry clean so I narrow my search to twill, which is 100% cotton.

Looking at the fabric samples in different light during the day, the Super White twill is the winner. Now I carefully watch for sales and discounts (as Ballard Design is frequently having sales) in order to obtain the best price possible.

In the meantime, the yellow checked fabric on the chairs is cleaned with our handy, dandy Bissell Little Green machine (best purchase EVER!). When the slipcovers arrive, I am so happy that they fit perfectly! Now it is time to put on the slipcovers.

Using a hand held fabric steamer I am able to easily get the packing wrinkles out and tightly secure these slipcovers. Amazingly, they fit like a glove.

Cost Savings

Below is a cost comparison of purchasing slipcovers vs. buying new chairs.

Yard Sale Chairs (4) $50.00 vs. 4 newly purchased Parson chair frames $988

Twill Slipcovers (4) $177 (sale) vs. upholstery ?

Total cost: $ 227.00 / $69.25 per chair vs. $291.25 per chair (new)

I love the look of these smart, white, crisp chairs around our dark dining room table.

Laundering

If someone were to spill something on the chair during a meal, I can just take it off and throw it in the washing machine. With twill, I can use a stain remover too. You also have the option of using a Scotch Guard product for extra protection.

We love slipcovers here at Bella Terra because of the wear and tear on our furniture from our family and pets. Do you use slipcovers? Now off to the DIY Blog hop!

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Andrea from Design Morsels shows how to Update Furniture without Paint.

Chas from Chas Crazy Creations is sharing her Reclaimed Wood Dining Table and Chairs.

Kim from Shiplap & Shells makes a 100-year old cabinet into the perfect bedroom built in here.

Niky from The House on Silverado makes an Easy Makeover with Paint on her kitchen bar stools.

Tarah from Grandma’s House DIY makes a custom hickory workbench and shelves.

Kippi from Kippi at Home demonstrated a DIY chair upholstery project here.

I hope you enjoy all these great furniture DIY ideas! If you have time, please leave a comment as we all love those!