Book Signing at Patina Farm

This past weekend, I was fortunate to attend the book signing of one of my favorite bloggers, Courtney Allison of French Country Cottage. I’ve never met Courtney and just started following her this year. However, she has inspired me to learn more about photography because every single thing she posts is stunning.

The photos in her first book are truly drool worthy. It was such an opportunity to meet her since being a relatively new blogger, there is so much I don’t know. I am always grateful when others share their knowledge. Having the book signing at Patina Farm was an extra special gift!

On our drive in to the farm from Santa Barbara, we passed a sign that said, “Flowers Ahead”. We pulled over to this sweet unmanned flower stand and purchased a few bunches of lilies to give the hosts. They were only a $1.00 per bunch and the money was left in a box ~~simply on the honor system.

Here we are at the entrance of the event. Janie is a dear friend who is an artist and an expert in anything to do with home decor and antiques. Janie also has the best jewelry!

Patina Farm is the home of Brooke (@velvetandlinen) and Steve Giannetti (@stevegiannetti)~~a design/architect duo that continues to impress the design world. Their 5 acre farm was designed and built by them~~including cherished pieces they have collected around the world. The color palette is neutrals and soft pastels both in the home and garden.

This area, just off the kitchen, is the cover photo of their book, Patina Farm.

Fresh flowers were in every room.

Here are more house details. It is very apparent why they call their lovely home “Patina” farm. There is an abundance of textures and finishes.

Bowls of fruits and vegetables were in abundance.

Courtney was signing her book in the shade of an enormous oak tree.

I cannot recommend her book enough. Drawn to a French country look, Courtney’s home is filled with wonderful decorating ideas and stories.

The property at Patina Farm is on different elevations. Pebbled paths lined with lavender and rosemary lead you to secret spaces.

These fun wooden mushroom statues can be purchased from the Giannetti Home store or giannettihome.com

Steps lead you down to the donkey barn, greenhouse, shed, vegetable garden, rose trellis and lavender maze.

The guest cottage is set above the small pond and boat dock.

Brooke and Steve Giannetti were such gracious hosts. They served light appetizers and lavender lemonade, with or without sparkling wine.

I was so happy to finally meet some of the bloggers I just know through the internet~~Karen from Sanctuary Home Decor. I am disappointed to know I missed meeting Julie Blanner and Slim Paley, but respect and admire all the work they do. It was also such a pleasure to meet the agent who provided all the guidance to both books~~Jill Cohen.

Being with others who love beauty and simplicity fed my soul. We also met a group of 5 women (Debra, Cindy, Beth, Melissa and Tori) who traveled from Northern California together in celebration of Cindy’s birthday. Within minutes, we became fast friends and I hope we keep in touch!

It was a very civilized way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Rubbing elbows with a house filled with talented individuals is inspiration at its best!

Even the cat seemed to enjoy it!

Have a wonderful week!

P.S. All the photos were taken by me….I think I see some improvement!

A Little Peace and Quiet

My husband and I spent the weekend in the mountains of Arizona. It was SO peaceful and quiet. Since my life is rather frenetic and busy, there is not much down time. It wasn’t until I was the midst of serenity and stillness that I realized how much I miss the absence of noise.

For me, the mornings there are the best. With the dawn, the sun light streams through the trees and the day starts anew.

There has been so much rain lately. The 3.5 hour car drive was glorious~~lots of green and plenty of wildflowers along the way. Thank goodness for all the precipitation as it has helped reduce the threats of forest fires.

One of my favorite places to have my morning coffee is the small screened in porch off the kitchen.

I purchased the day bed a few years back and it was in sad shape-chipped white paint with rust spots. Chippy, shabby chic paint is all the rage, but back then it looked decrepit to me. I spray painted it a mossy/sage green. The day bed actually pulls out to a full double bed, hence the two base cushions.

Cushions were made by the experts and I. through trial and error, made all the other pillows.

I found this rattan chair in a local second hand store. I do need to create a lumbar pillow for it, but it’s the perfect place to read on a chilly day.

The small bistro table and two chairs was made by a New Mexico artisan passing through who sold it to a local store. I’ve never seen another one like it.

Beyond the porch you can see our wood sculpture in the driveway. We lost a very large Ponderosa pine tree due to beetle infestation. Instead of cutting it to the ground, we had a local artisan turn it into this.

The lantern in his left hand is solar powered and lights up at night. The ball at the top of his wand is a globe that changes different colors. It, too, is solar powered.

The weekend wasn’t all R& R and we completed a small project while we were there.

There is a side porch that has been unused for a few years. I had purchased an old pine table many moons ago and brought it up to the cabin envisioning fabulous dinner parties. Guess how many dinner parties I have had so far? One! Yep, just one…during the 4th of July weekend this year.

Here is a before picture of the porch…..truly underutilized.

And here is what it looks like now! It needs some other elements (rugs, art?) but this is a good start.

My husband hung outdoor lights over the table. The furniture is protected with an overhang, which is perfect during those mountain thunder storms.

I am finally able to use these fun bistro chairs and outdoor furniture I purchased to stage my last remodel (the Willetta house).

Now it’s time to entertain! Unfortunately we just don’t get up to the mountains as much as we would like. Maybe Labor Day????

I am still feeling the after effects of the weekend’s solitude. Sending you some peace and quiet. I certainly need more of that in my life.

Tree Carving Artist- Trent from the Burly Bear, Pinetop, AZ

Chairs from Wayfair

Coffee Cup- Anthropology

Red Outdoor Furniture: Lowe’s

August Happenings

August is like the Sunday of Summer…..unknown

I am finally back in town. As much as I love to travel, transitioning back home is a bit of work. Luggage to unpack, bills to pay, dead plants to discard, laundry to do~~in addition to the mental shift of getting back into the swing of things.

My latest adventure was to Washington, D.C. where I helped settle my oldest in his very first post-college apartment. He starts his new job soon and is embarking on a wonderful journey in our nation’s capital. His apartment is in a fabulous, hip section of the Navy Yard, close to the Metro and numerous restaurants.

But he needed everything-sofa, bed, dresser, desk, television console, coffee table, kitchen island, and assorted 1st apartment things. Thankfully, IKEA is an affordable option and was only 30 minutes away. However, we opted to assembly everything ourselves. What were we thinking? Who knew a sectional sofa came in so many pieces?

Here is the apartment on Day 5~~the good news is that we (my son, his roommate, and his mother) worked well together and got it finished! #loveIkea #hateIkea #exhausted

We are experiencing exciting weather in Phoenix. It is our monsoon season= rain/wind/flooding. We’ve also had a few haboobs ~~ intense dust storms. Bella Terra is looking quite tired this time of year due to the heat and the unpredictable weather. The minute the yard is picked up and cleared, another storm blows through.

The wind has been so strong that part of the hen house room came off and a garden obelisk toppled over.

My middle daughter has moved back home and is living in the guest cottage for her last year in college. She surprised us (long story) with this sweet little bundle. Meet Hemingway. He has his own Instagram account….Hemingway, the GSD. (German Shepherd dog). After our initial shock, it’s hard not to love him. #puppylove

My youngest daughter has already started her senior year in high school. We are knee-deep in the college application process….sigh.

August is one of those months. It’s part of summer but no more summer vacations. Routines and schedules are back. Traveling is over. But it’s too hot here to really do anything exciting. Temperatures will not cool down for another month or so.

I’ve been reading ALOT and must share these two books with you. They are part of a trilogy but I haven’t gotten to the 3rd book yet. Recommended to me by my friend, Rick (who always has the best book suggestions), I cannot put this series down. If you like fast paced, espionage thrillers, these are a must read.

Red Sparrow (Red Sparrow Trilogy Series #1) About the author.

Jason Matthews is a retired office of the CIA’s Operations Directorate. Over a thirty-three-year career he served in multiple overseas locations and engaged in clandestine collection of national security intelligence, specializing in denied-area operations. Matthews conducted recruitment operations against Soviet-East European, East Asian, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean targets. As Chief in various CIA Stations, he collaborated with foreign partners in counterproliferation and counterterrorism operations.

I am working on the second book in the trilogy~~it is equally as good as the first.

Palace of Treason (Red Sparrow Trilogy Series #2)

The last book is The Kremlin’s Candidate.

The Kremlin's Candidate: A Novel (The Red Sparrow Trilogy Book 3) by [Matthews, Jason]

I am always a bit sad when the less structured days of summer are over. Even though mine has ended, I am hoping your summer will linger on for at least a few more weeks.

Paris Letters

I find it intriguing the way some people creatively make a living. Imagine having an unfulfilling job only to leave it (after careful planning) and going to Paris? That is exactly what Janice MacLeod did and as a result, she wrote her first book and memoir, Paris Letters.

This is a book you continue to ponder long after the last page is read. Without giving too much of the story away, the author decides to change the course of her life. In doing so, many unexpected gifts occur along the way.

Her journey leads the author to establishing her own business~~creating and writing “Paris Letters”~~yes, the snail mail kind. You can sign up to receive your very own Paris letter from the author~~either just one letter or a 6 to 12 month subscription.

In the day and age of social media and the internet, it is such a gift to receive a letter in the mail. Excitedly, I signed up to receive a year of Janice MacLeod’s monthly Paris letters. This can be done through Paris Letters Press on Etsy here.

If I didn’t read this book, I would have never known that a monthly subscription like this even existed!

I must admit I was waiting for the mail to come every day since I signed up…..and my painted letter arrived yesterday!

The envelope felt very Parisian, with lovely stamps.

Of course, how can one read a letter from Paris without having some French wine? It’s been so hot in Phoenix that only a very chilled bottle of rosé will do. Not the sweet one, but the dry version from Provence.

Isn’t this just beautiful?

Janice does the illustration in watercolor that accompanies the letter.

Wouldn’t this be a lovely gift for a relative or friend? If you know of someone who would appreciate getting a beautifully illustrated letter in the mail, this is perfect!

Since I enjoyed her first book so much, I just completed her second book, A Paris Year.

Unfortunately I read it on my Kindle while on vacation, therefore didn’t get to appreciate all the color pictures and illustrations in the book. If I were ever to go to Paris, I would bring this book as my guide. Janice goes through each day of the year detailing the sights, activities, and the nuances of Paris.

I received 3 things from this experience. 1) Found great books to read and lessons to contemplate; 2) Discovered Paris Letters and subscribed; 3) In my own way, I am helping a small, creative, business owner.

Happy Tuesday!

Life away from Bella Terra

It has been a busy few weeks away from home with limited internet coverage (how nice!). Since I don’t have a staff to write blog posts for me, I am finally back home and now able to share my adventures.

The only glitch in the trip was the plane had to do an emergency medical landing in Memphis. Unfortunately one of the passengers died after valiant efforts by the crew and volunteers to resuscitate her. We missed our connection but the airline was very accommodating in getting us a later flight. After witnessing a crisis like that, you just count your blessings.

First stop: Connecticut. My sister has a lovely home in Old Saybrook right on the water…..such a treat for me as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the water.

Here is where I had my morning coffee. Lucky me. There is something about looking at the ocean-I can actually feel my stress melt away.

Each morning included brisk beach walks. I enjoyed the abundance of flowers and lush landscaping.

Here’s my future beach house. Here is my future beach house. Here is my future beach house. If I keep saying it over and over again, won’t it come true?

In Connecticut, I cannot resist the fresh, local seafood. Lobster, lobster and more lobster. Here we are having lunch at the marina at Saybrook Point Inn.

After a glorious trip to the beautiful shores of Connecticut and reconnecting with my siblings, we then flew into Philadelphia for my goddaughter’s wedding weekend.

We arrived in Collegeville (about an hour north of Philly). This town has an incredible public park called the Perkiomen Trail, which has 20 miles of walking, biking and hiking paths. The trail goes along the Schuylkill River and we completed a 4 mile walk on the morning of the wedding.

In spite of the high temperatures and high humidity, we all survived the late afternoon outdoor ceremony. The wedding reception was held indoors (thank goodness for air conditioning) in an old barn.

Back to Phoenix and less than 24 hours later, we were headed up to our mountain cabin for the 4th of July.

This PARADISE metal step, from an amusement park slide, greets us at the front door of the cabin. The weather was perfect with cool mornings and 75 degree temperatures during the day~~a significant change from the sweltering Phoenix heat.

When we were here in May, I discovered a bird’s nest in my geranium basket that hangs by the entrance. It was filled with these gorgeous blue eggs.

Now, the nest is empty with tiny pieces of blue egg shell in the bottom, so the baby birds have hatched and left the nest.

We had a full house for the July 4th holiday. What a joy to have all my children and their friends with us! Our neighborhood has a fun, homespun parade…the Bullfrog Loop parade, which celebrates our patriotism and freedom.

We are now back in Phoenix. Monsoon season is upon us so we are praying for much needed rain in Arizona. My daughter LOVES the rain!

I hope you are having a relaxing and fun summer! In a few weeks, all my children will be going their separate ways so I am cherishing each and every moment. I may not be blogging as much during this time but I will pick up the pace at the end of August.

Sending big summer hugs to all of you!

SaveSave

Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

On late Saturday afternoon, my daughter, Elisabeth, suggested we go hiking the next day……in Sedona, Arizona (a mere 2.5 hour drive). Of course, I jumped at the chance to spend time with her and her best friend, Ella.

We left the house at 6:00 a.m. with an anticipated arrival time of 8:30 a.m.~ 30 minutes before the limited parking area opened. Well, after stopping for gas and snacks, we arrived at the lot at 9:06 a.m. to find it completely FULL. The attendant said that parking opened at 8:00 a.m. and the website was incorrect. Sigh. The closest parking was 1/2 mile away.

West Fork Trail is touted to be one of the best trails in Arizona and one of the top 10 trails in the United States. The trail is approximately 6.5 miles round trip and is rated easy. Although, there are a few areas where short uphill stepping stones are used.

It was a little disconcerting to see the sign about the possible rabid fox.

Even though it was rather early in the morning, the sun was up and shining!

If you aren’t familiar with Sedona, it is a beautiful destination filled with red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls and pine forests. The town of Sedona is a popular tourist destination with several art galleries, shops, restaurants and hotels.

At the beginning of the trail, you pass through the ruins of the original Mayhew Lodge, which was operational from 1925 t0 1968. Some of its famous guests include President Herbert Hoover, Clarke Gable, Jimmy Stewart, and Walt Disney. The family who owned it sold it to The Forest Service in 1968. Unfortunately, it burned down in 1980 and the Forest Service was unable to rehabilitate it for $200,000. You can explore some of the remains….seems a bit sad since this is such an incredible location.

The trail wasn’t challenging from an elevation perspective, but the path was soft and sand-like. There are also numerous stream crossings (at least 13) which are done with stepping stones and logs.

The nice part of having two teenage girls on this hike is that they LOVED posing for pictures! Both wore bathing suits and were able to cool off in the chilly waters of Oak Creek. The stream flows gently, and the hike is very pleasant and relaxing – only occasional sunlight reaches the canyon floor so the trip is ideal for the hot summer months.

There were abundant gifts from nature along the way.

The West Fork trail is 3.3 miles one way. However, it is possible to continue through to the upper end of the creek, and meet with dirt roads in the Coconino National Forest. This is a 14 mile trip, and may involve some swimming of deep pools. We got turned around a bit because we weren’t paying attention to the trail markers, which are about every 1/2 mile. My guess is that our 6.6 mile trip turned into 9 miles as we may have gone beyond the end of the trail. Fortunately, we weren’t the only ones hiking and got directions from a couple who obviously knew where they were going.

By the time we hiked back to the car, we had completed a good 4 hours of hiking (including stops for swimming and picture-taking). With hot feet and hungry stomachs, we stopped at The Indian Gardens Market and Cafe in Oak Creek. The sandwiches were delicious and sitting for the 2.5 hour drive home was welcomed. I LOVED spending the day with my daughter and her friend, who feels like a daughter. I am a lucky person.

Key Points:

Arrive as early as possible. Even though the park’s parking lot states online they open at 9:00 a.m., they really open at 8:00 a.m. Finding any parking in the area is challenging.
Bring lots of water. In spite of the plentiful shade, stay hydrated.
Prepare to cross water, so wear water shoes, or ones you don’t mind getting wet.
Sunscreen always
Fire Danger is high~Stage 3 when we were there. Surprisingly we saw someone smoking on the trail (really?). Please be aware of fire restrictions.
The trail is squishy and sandy and my hip felt it the next day.
Wearing a bathing suit was a plus for the girls-they loved cooling off in the creek
Pay attention to the trail markers, especially if you continue beyond the marked trail.
We didn’t have any issues with insects
It’s $10.00 to park at the trailhead. If you walk in, it’s $2.00 per person.

For more information on the West Fork Trail, click here.

Happy Hiking!

SaveSave