For those of you who know me, I do not do anything Christmas/holiday related until the day after Thanksgiving. No decorations, no gift buying, no holiday cards. However, 2020 is a completely different year, forcing completely different behavior. Ever since the pandemic started, our supply chain has been stressed. And even though there is toilet paper back on the shelves, many other items continue to be out of stock. Inventories are low. A recent trip to Walmart had 30% of the shelves completely empty.

So what can we do differently this year in our holiday gift planning? I am teaming up with my blogging buddies as we are trying to find viable solutions to gift giving. And I do believe we must all think about it sooner rather than later. Here’s just a peek into some ideas and hopefully I will generate a few more gift guides in the next few weeks. And please check out the links to other holiday gift ideas at the end of this post.

For the cook/foodie

My son, Benjamin is our family’s foodie and he loves to cook. Here are his recommendations in the kitchen:

• Instant Read Thermometer. Link is here

• Good Oven Gloves. Link is here

• Nice Balsamic Vinegar~Hands down, our FAVORITE balsamic is from a very small shop in Pinetop, Arizona. This thick, delicious balsamic comes from Modena and is called the “mamma” of all balsamic. Link is here. Their shop has limited hours of Wednesday-Saturday, but you can order online or give them a call. $18.00/bottle

For the Gardener

As a gardener, I go through many things~gloves, shears, and tools.

Gardening Shears~Depending on your budget, here is a selection of shears/pruners.

Gardening Gloves: I literally can trash a pair of gardening gloves in one day in the garden. So having a few is always recommended. This 6 pack from Amazon is a great deal. Click here.

Gardening shoes: I’ve written about my Sloggers before. These were a Christmas present from my friend, Janie and I LOVE them. I wear a typical 7.5 women’s shoe and these Sloggers are a WO S 7 and they fit perfectly…..and oh so comfortable. Here is the link.

For the Wine Connoisseur

Costco is again featuring their wine Advent calendar this year. With 24 1/2 size bottles of wine from around the world. At $99.00, it works out to be about $4.00 per bottle. Wine advent calendar from Costco. Link is here.

As we all know, 2020 has been an interesting year. There are SO many wine glasses out there with fun quotes for the person who loves wine and has a sense of humor. See the extensive collection here.

For those wine enthusiasts who like to keep track of the wines they are enjoying, this leather bound wine journal is a lovely gift. Link is here.

For the Hostess

My favorite candle is Capri Blue Volcano candle. Generally for the holidays, they change up their jar design but you cannot go wrong with this candle. If you prefer, there is also a reed diffuser.

Click the link here.

Small Prep Bowls: A gift from my friend, Connie, I use these 4″ bowls all the time when cooking, entertaining or just using them for food storage. Here is an affordable set of 16 for nearly $20.00.

I met the owner, Sherri of Mad Dash Mixes during a trip to Waco in June. So far the mixes I have tried are very good (and easy to use!). These mixes are just fabulous to have on hand if you need to whip up a dip, or a soup or dessert. Just for this blog post, Mad Dash Mixes has created a coupon for you for an additional 10% off! Any orders that you place using BELLATERRA10, will get you this discount.

Here is the link to their main page so you can peruse the numerous products they have. If you want to order the Host Bundle (Link here) it includes Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip, Cranberry Pasta Salad, Cheesy Chicken Enchilada, and Pumpkin Spice No-Bake Cheesecake. $21.00 (and don’t forget the discount code!)

Just some wonderful gift ideas:

23 and Me~for the person who is interested in real science, real data and genetic insights that can help make it easier for you to take action on your health. Especially this year, knowing more about your ancestry, genetics and health profile is a valuable gift. Link here.

My personal splurge is subscribing to the quarterly subscription to My Stylish French Box. It is such a treat to get this beautifully wrapped box filled with hand picked French items four times a year. You can also do a one-time purchase or give it to someone as a gift. I highly recommend this for yourself or someone who is extra special. My Stylish French box. Link here.

Help your local businesses as suggested by my friend Tevia on her Instagram.

As soon as I finish typing this I am going to start my holiday gift planning. I hope you enjoy today’s post and please send me any other ideas you have for holiday gifts.

And now for some other gift suggestions from my blogging friends:

Family Gift Exchange Ideas from Chas Crazy Creations|DIY Custom Gift Boxes for Christmas from Design Morsels|Holiday Gifts under $30 by Celebrate and Decorate|

Am still traveling and cannot wait to share some of my photos of this trip with you! Happy Tuesday.

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As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. If you purchase something linked through my website, it will not affect your cost, but does provide me with a small stipend for making the recommendation.

I’ve always wanted to be that person who bakes fresh bread daily.  The anticipation of slathering butter on a warm slice right after it comes out of the oven makes my mouth water.  Now that it is getting cooler in Phoenix, turning on the oven isn’t so painful. I actually found this recipe on Pinterest (what did we do before Pinterest?) and it’s fail-proof. Unlike making sourdough bread from starter which takes me 24 hours, this bread is simple and quick with good results.

It only requires 4 ingredients – flour, yeast, salt and water.  I happen to love this Celtic Sea Salt and use it most of the time for all cooking, baking and seasoning.  Though I tend to use King Arthur Flour, any non-bleached all purpose flour will do. I’m not a proficient baker so I don’t know if one type of yeast is better than the next, but I did use Red Star Active dry yeast for this recipe. No kneading-just throw the ingredients in a bowl, loosely mix, and let it sit for 12-18 hours.  Here’s what it looks like after 13 hours of sitting in a covered bowl.

This recipe is perfect to throw together before bed time so it can sit overnight.  Simple, affordable ingredients and you can make your kitchen smell great and provide comfort food for those you love.  I did get a little fancy on the bread I made this a.m. Adding lemon zest, gruyere cheese and rosemary is a flavorful spin on the basic recipe.

Doubling the recipe, I divide the dough and let is rest, covered, while I put my Le Creuset pot in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.  Yes, heat the empty pot with the lid in the oven. You can use a dutch oven or cast iron pot too.

Be very careful taking out the extremely hot pot and lid.  Put one dough ball into the pot, cover and place back in oven for 30 minutes.After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven and put the bread on a rack to cool.

Isn’t it beautiful??? I am glad I made 2 loaves as the first one disappeared very quickly!

Below is the basic bread recipe, but here is the Pinterest link for more information about this recipe.

As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. If you purchase something linked through my website, it will not affect your cost, but does provide me with a small stipend for making the recommendation.

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When the weather becomes crisp and the smell of autumn is in the air, one thinks of apples, cider, hot cocoa and all things warm and cozy. This week I am making all sorts of drinks that inspire fall vibes.

Homemade Apple Cider

Growing up in New England, we always had our fair share of fresh apple cider. Apple orchards and farms are plentiful and I have fond memories of sweaters, mittens and cups of apple cider, both cold and warm. Well, here in Phoenix, it is a different story. My apple tree is abundant for picking in June when it is insufferably hot.

We pick the apples and try and cold store them for as long as we can. This week I used up the last of the summer apples by making homemade apple cider in the slow cooker.

Coarsely chop apples, add spices and cover with water. Cook for 10-12 hours. Smash the apples with a potato masher and strain.

Inspired by a recipe from Baker Bettie, I did alter it based on what I have available. No orange, just add a good squeeze of lemon. I believe this is one recipe that would be hard to screw up. And you let the slow cooker do all the work while your house fills with yummy, homey, autumn smells. Click here for the recipe. And then you can reduce the cider to make apple cider donuts! (see recipe here).

Homemade Hot Chocolate

I confess to be a bit of a hot chocolate snob. Not a big fan of over-sweetened packaged cocoa, I tend to not drink it because I always expect a better flavor. Finding this recipe torn out of a Coyuchi product magazine, it is a very different type of hot chocolate.

First of all, I didn’t recognize some of the ingredients. Macuna prurient? Maca powder? Pearl powder? The recipe also calls for organic raw cacao powder. Conveniently I am able to find all the ingredients on Amazon and the links are below with the product benefits.

The recipe states this hot cocoa “improves mood, lowers stress levels and helps keep you healthy through the holidays with magnesium, iron and antioxidants”. Wow! Really?

The down side to this recipe is that it does not tell you the number of servings. So I doubled it and had so much of this homemade beverage!

First of all, it is VERY chocolatey so I would recommend a small cup vs. the huge one I made for myself. Secondly, since I consumed SO much just before bed, I didn’t realize the impact organic raw cacao would have on my sleep patterns (raw cacao has caffeine!) so I do not recommend that!

But it is good and you can control the sweetness. And how fun to learn about the health benefits of those unknown ingredients:

Pearl Powder: Anti-aging mineral, rich in calcium to help support hair, skin and nails. Maca Powder: Supports energy and vitality. Promotes balance in the body. Macuna pruriens: A natural source of Levodopa it increases dopamine in the brain cortex resulting in mood enhancement and elevated alterness. Has been used for over two thousand years for its energizing, revitalizing and restorative properties. Raw Cacao Powder: Nature’s superfood containing high concentrations of minerals and magnesium.

Spooky Cocktail

I cannot take credit for this fun cocktail. The recipe is from Half Baked Harvest and is called Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter inspired!). What better glasses to serve it in for a scary impact than these from Pottery Barn (I also heard you can get them from Walmart).

Silver tequila, cranberry or pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, lemon juice, maple syrup and ginger beer, garnished with a sprig of thyme. Lighting the thyme gives it a bit of smoke and mystery!

Click here for the recipe. I hope to use this cocktail at a small scary dinner party I am having at the end of the month.

Happy Wednesday to you! Are there any drinks or beverages that remind you of Fall?

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When we purchased our cabin, the previous owner left a few pieces of furniture. I don’t consider them to be my style, yet it is nice to have furniture already there that doesn’t require moving. This plain, brown dresser is a large piece left behind that we moved into the family room. Placed under the flat screen television it houses all the television equipment and family games.

The Original Cabinet

A few years ago, my daughter and I painted it green, sanding the edges for a rustic effect. We left the top of the dresser the original brown. The drawers in the middle look like 8 individual small ones, but they are really 2 large drawers with 8 small pulls.

The Inspiration

As you know I am trying to add a more Scandinavian/European flair to the cabin (see that previous post here). Since I have never been in love with this piece, the decision to hand paint it made sense. Searching the internet for hand painted Swedish antiques, I am inspired by these photos.

The Plan

Starting with a rather rough sketch, the design and colors are developed.

The actual flower design is inspired by this photo.

Painting the Base

The blue and parchment paint choices for the base cabinet are historical colors from Benjamin Moore. Instead of getting full size quarts, I purchase these in sample sizes from Ace Hardware. The deep red is leftover paint from a previous project. The actual colors names are up at the cabin but if you need them, let me know.

Most of the cabinet is painted blue; the drawer faces are parchment, and the drawer detail is in red. I do need to put on two coats of paint to completely cover the previous green. The hardware appears dated to me and I am looking for drawer pulls that are less bulky and intrusive.

At this point, the parchment looks more yellow and I am hoping to add an antique glaze at the end to tone everything down a bit.

Adding the Detail

Next, I hand sketch the design on the larger drawers. Using my acrylic paints, I select the color combinations I want to use. Any mistakes I make I figure I can clean up later.

I paint the large drawers first (2 of them) and then continue with the smaller drawers (4 of them).

The Obstacles

So far I am happy with the results. And now I struggle with what to do with the two center drawers. I attempt to paint them in the same fashion as the larger drawers, but think it may be too busy. Do I leave them plain blue? So I sit and stare at my options for a few days.

I consult a few of my very artistic friends and ask their opinion. Whatever I do can be always painted over, right?

The new hardware finally arrives! These Restorers Classic Curved pull handles with rosettes are in antique brass. Their smaller profile will be less dominant than the existing ones. See the link here.

But the sizes are wrong for the smaller ones and I am two short on the larger drawers. What was I thinking when I ordered these? Here you can see the style of the new hardware vs. the old, but the pull is too long. So I wait another 2-3 weeks for the right size hardware.

Adding the Glaze

In the meantime, I decide to paint individual flowers on the 8 smaller drawer fronts and antique glaze the entire piece.

The Finished Piece

So here is the finished piece…..well, I think it’s finished. I am wondering if I should add a red border to the 8 smaller drawer faces? And I am thinking about painting the top blue vs. leaving it wood. Your thoughts?

Once I am certain it is “finished”, I will put a coat of satin polyurethane over the hand painting to protect it.

Now I just need to find a way to hide the television equipment. It is so ugly, right? I do miss those huge armoires where you could tuck it all away and out of sight.

These colors go nicely with the oriental rug in the family room and adds lots of color to the rather bland walls. And I am so happy to have another daunting project in the rearview mirror!

Happy Tuesday to everyone. We are experiencing the most glorious cooler mornings and beginning to have my cup of coffee outside……finally after the hottest summer on record. Yippee!

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Happy Saturday! I so look forward to catching up with you today about all things~from travel to baking. So grab a cup of coffee or tea and let’s chat.

I don’t know about you, but I feel like my world has gotten so small since COVID. And I didn’t realize the enormity of this until our recent road trip from Phoenix to Denver and back. Hesitant about going (you know, “but I have so much to do!”), in retrospect, I am very happy that I did.

The Car Trip

Driving for 34 hours and covering 2000 miles in four days is a bit intensive. However, what a wonderful reminder that we do live in such a beautiful country. The open roads of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico are some of the most spectacular. And everyone we encountered was nice and friendly, unlike what the news portrays. America is a gorgeous place and often, I think we take our freedoms for granted. Lesson learned~turn off the news!

First Stop: Vermillion Cliffs

We had the great opportunity of watching the release of the California Condors at the Vermillion Cliffs, near the Grand Canyon. Known for its vibrant colors and intriguing forms, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is 280,000 acres up against the Arizona/Utah border. Since my husband is on the board of The Peregrine Fund, we spent the day with the program directors and biologists responsible for this conservation event.

It takes the dedication and tenacity of hundreds of people to bring the iconic California Condor back from the brink of extinction. In the 1980’s, there were only 22 individual birds left on the planet, yet today they stand at nearly 500. To learn more about this incredible program, click here.

Denver

Not only is the condor release a reason for this trip, but we are also picking up a huge set of antlers in Denver. As you know I am trying to add more Scandinavian elements to our cabin. What better way than placing a nice set of antlers over the front door?

Friends of ours own a ranch and have elk, deer and bison shedding their antlers each year. Since these sheds are very big, shipping them wasn’t an option. So we packed these beauties in the car and drove back to Phoenix.

COVID Hors D’ouerves

We are blessed with wonderful neighbors and make an effort to keep connected during this pandemic. With social distancing of course. When we gather, instead of making a large charcuterie tray or cheese board, I am making “couple plates” so no one is sharing food from the same dishes.

Individual vegetable cups with dip in the bottom, salted almonds, caprese sticks, cheese, salami and crackers seems to be the right amount of food to nibble with a glass or two of wine. I wonder how this pandemic will affect the ways in which we will entertain in the future.

A New Recipe

Do you ever just get a hankering for something and you must have it? I had a chocolate chip cookie moment like that this week. Trying this new recipe, which claims to be the BEST one, turns out to be a winner.

With Christmas cookie baking just around the corner, you may want to consider this recipe. Using block chocolate vs. chips, each one is filled with nooks and crannies of warm melted chocolate. Sprinkle with a flaky sea salt as the finishing touch. Click here for the recipe and review done by Kitchn.

My October Afternoon Tea

A new favorite afternoon tea for this month is Pumpkin Spice Brûlée, with a bit of Rare Hawaiian honey and a spot of milk. The tea is from Teavana, which unfortunately was acquired by Starbucks and all stores are now closed. However, you can find several types of pumpkin spice tea brands on Amazon here. And I just love this very thick honey from Rare Hawaiian Honey Company (I order it online). They have several flavors and I recommend them all!

Be Careful What you Ask for

During this time of year, I sometimes complain about the lack of good pumpkins in Phoenix. All the ones in the stores are basic and have broken stems. And I have to wait to visit the pumpkin farm up in the mountains to find any that are reasonably priced and unique. So what does my husband do? He comes home with this.

Maybe the picture doesn’t depict how HUGE this is, but it took two of us to carry it up the stairs on this rolling cart. It is the focal point now of the front porch. Too funny.

On my bucket list

While in Santa Fe, we toured The Inn of the Five Graces. This stunning Relais & Chateaux property is one of a kind. Quite honestly, I have never seen anything quite like this. The rooms are so fabulously decorated and this is definitely on my bucket list.

Returned to the Yard Sale

A few weeks ago, I wrote about an ongoing yard sale to a home that may potentially be available for purchase. See that post here. Well, I went back in hopes that the contents on the inside of the house are finally revealed, but no luck. Here is what I found instead. Wouldn’t these dolls be perfect for a scary Halloween party? And no, I didn’t buy them.

This wooden cradle could be a potential purchase, however, it is covered in pigeon poop and I didn’t want to put it in my car in this condition. If it is still there when I go back, I may consider it again.

Strange Looking Grapes

Aren’t these the strangest looking grapes? They are called Sweet Sapphire seedless grapes from Bakersfield, California. Tasty and sweet, they are currently at Safeway. I highly recommend them.

Well, that wraps up my weekly activities. If you missed any posts this week, I made a felted wool wreath, organized a hidden space in my front entry and decorated the dining room mantel for Fall.

Have a wonderful weekend! Am hoping to take a quick drive to the cabin to finish the painted dresser. Can’t wait to show you the finished product.

If you like Instagram, I also have an account there. Would love for you to check it out and become a follower.

Inspired by a blog post by KariAnne at Thistlewood Farms, I made this fun wool wreath this week. Probably the hardest part of this craft is finding 100% wool items here in Phoenix.

This project requires just a few supplies. Wool, wreath frame, scissors and glue gun. I don’t typically wear wool because it itches my skin, so I don’t have any sweaters or wool clothing in my closet. And due to our warm climate, trying to find these things locally is a bit challenging.

However, during my recent trip to the mountains, I luck out at a Goodwill store in Show Low. For a few dollars, I purchase a black and white houndstooth skirt ($6.00), a winter white jacket ($4.50) and a dark gray blazer ($4.50). And since checks and houndstooth are so trendy right now, I hope these three fabrics will do the trick.

Fortunately the clothing is too big for me so I don’t feel the need to add them to my wardrobe. First thing to making this wreath is preparing the fabric. In order to make wool into felt, you must do the things your mother told you not to do~wash the wool items in very hot water and then put them in the dryer.

As expected, the wool shrinks down to a thicker, more tightly woven material. Next I make a template of a leaf out of scratch paper, measuring about 4″ long and 1.25″ to 1.5″ at the widest point. Using the template, I cut the first few leaves from the material. After repeating this multiple times, I ditch the template and improvise.

In KariAnne’s tutorial, she uses an 18″ wreath wire frame. However, at Michaels the inventory is so depleted that I end up with a 24″ frame (with 4 wires). Depending on where you will use this wreath should determine the size you choose. Amazon has a very good selection of these wreath frames here. Also, selecting a smaller wreath size will be easier and faster.

Please make sure you have really good scissors, as this project requires quite a bit of cutting. It truly makes the job much easier. KariAnne’s 18″ wreath uses 70 felt leaves; and mine has approximately 190 leaves.

Applying the leaves is easy with a glue gun. Be very careful not to burn your fingers (as I did over and over again) with the liquid glue. Take the leaf and place the glue at the bottom. Pinch the leaf to the wire wreath frame, alternating fabric as you go.

Make sure you lay the leaves in the same direction. I found it easier to work ahead of the leaves vs. trying to tuck them behind each other.

I can honestly say I really did enjoy making this wreath. Think of all the possibilities for future wreaths~red, white and pink for Valentine’s Day; shades of green for St. Patty’s Day.

And this could also be a family project (exercising glue gun caution).

If you recall, my daughter, Julianna’s room is painted with a bold black and white theme. Here is the wreath hanging on her wall. To see more about her room with these sophisticated colors, click here.

And look how fun it looks in Elisabeth’s rooms with the orange walls! Just perfect for Halloween. To see more of this fun orange and white bedroom, click here.

If you are concerned with the felt leaves flopping over, you can secure them with a bit of glue. The larger the wreath, the greater the chance of that happening.

Using a smaller wreath frame will allow you to put in on a mantel or inside a bookcase. With the 24″ wreath frame, the larger size is perfect for hanging on a wall or door.

Some things to remember:

1. Try to get items that are 100% wool and with a tight weave. This prevents the edges from fraying after felting and cutting.
2. Use really good scissors
3. It doesn’t really matter if the leaf shapes are not exactly the same size. As you apply them to the wreath frame, they can be adjusted.
4. Again, be very careful with the glue gun. Squeezing the fabric around the wire wreath frame can cause the glue to ooze out and burn your fingertips.
5. Think of all the possibilities as far as color and design for this DIY!
6. Smaller wreath frame will take less material.

Have a wonderful Saturday! I hope to get out and enjoy some of this beautiful weather!

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