Hello, my friends! It feels so good to be back and writing to you. My friend, Lisa, recently sent me this.

This summer I have made a concerted effort to reduce my use of technology and screen time. I can honestly say that it is so joyful not to be tethered to a device, plus I have so much more time to get things done. Unfortunately a side effect is that I haven’t been blogging as much.

It’s hard to believe that August is upon us.

Unlike most parts of the country in the summer, Phoenix is the last place you want to be in July and August. Not only is it hot, but it is often the beginning of monsoon season so we get to enjoy high heat AND humidity. The upside is that there is no traffic, no lines, no congestion, but escaping to cooler locations is what most people do.

We just returned from our annual 2 week summer vacation in Newport Beach, California.

Staring at the Pacific Ocean allowed me time to contemplate the possible next steps in life. We’ve been vacationing in Newport and going to the same places for YEARS but now the children are heading off in their own directions. It is bittersweet but re-inventing travel destinations will provide new opportunities and flexibility that we really haven’t had being previously tied to school holidays or vacations.

While in Newport, I was able to paint and got a good start on two new projects. One Sunday morning I had the luxury of painting outside, in my pajamas overlooking the Pacific. The only thing missing was a mimosa!

This painting was inspired by a photo my husband loved of Texas blue bonnets.

I follow Cecilia Rosslee, a painter on Etsy and love her use of color. Her style is fun and loose, which is a very difficult technique for me. Her painting is SO much better but here is my interpretation. Neither paintings are done yet, but I feel like I’m getting closer.

I still haven’t found my over the top fabulous book of the summer yet, but I have had some good reads. I would rate these 4 out of 5 mostly because they were a bit predictable, but pleasant nonetheless.

The Unbreakables by Lisa Barr is “a delicious, sharp novel about a woman who jets off to France after her perfect marriage collapses, putting the broken pieces of herself back together while rediscovering her own joie de vivre”.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware is a suspenseful novel set at sea on a luxury cruise ship.

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner is set in a postcard perfect suburban Connecticut town and then there’s a murder. I do enjoy the way Jennifer Weiner writes~~she does have a way with words!

I connected with Riley Costello as she was teaching outdoor exercises classes at our hotel in Newport. She, in addition to being fit, is also an author. This is her first book, Waiting at Hayden’s. When I finished it, I pictured it being made into a Hallmark movie. Riley has trademarked an interesting concept called ShopFiction. In the book, when she describes a character’s outfit, for example, you can click on the link, see the dress and then purchase it. Obviously you need a Kindle or other electronic format, but it’s rather clever to see the characters come to life.

Do you have any good books to share? Hoping you are having a fabulous summer! Stay cool! I become an official empty nester in a few weeks and I’m trying to embrace the new life stage with grace……yikes.

We are up in the cooler mountains for the July 4th holiday week. The temperatures have soared in Phoenix so we are truly enjoying the higher altitude.

Since the homespun Bull Frog Loop parade goes right by our cabin, we typically host a patriotic brunch set up in the kitchen ~~an easy spread so our guests can grab and go while watching the parade.

For several years we had an unused side deck that we recently converted to seating and dining rooms. Here is where we will have our sit-down dinner.

I’ve never used a paper table runner, but I ordered this red and white striped one from Hester & Cook (a great tip from friend and fellow blogger, Lory from To Have To Host)

The white enamel metal plates (from Formation purchased from Target)I borrowed from my dear friend, Janie.

The antique blue Staffordship Rowland & Marsellus Co. plates were purchased on Etsy. I love how each plate is different~~from Cincinnati City Hall to Theodore Roosevelt images!

The napkins are from my collection. I made a simple napkin ring from red. white and blue ribbon I had from years ago. I just stapled the ends together!

The flowers were purchased from the local Safeway. Since I don’t have many vases here at the cabin, I used dessert dishes instead.

Whatever your plans are for the 4th of July, I wish you a safe and patriotic one. We live in such a wonderful country and have enjoyed our freedoms for nearly 250 years. Happy July 4th, my friends!!

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” – Abraham Lincoln

I cannot believe it has been nearly a month since I last posted. But as you know from my previous post, I’m in a bit of a transition and taking a step back for re-evaluation. Thank you so much for your kind words of support and encouragement!!

However, I’ve missed you! I thought I would send you a note today to let you know what I’ve been up to.

The general rule of thumb is when the temperature reaches 100 degrees, it is officially summer here. Due to the long, cool and rainy Spring we had, the garden is so abundant!

My tomatoes are FABULOUS! Every day, I go and collect a basketful of various ones-from cherry to pear, to Early Girl and am still waiting for the beefsteaks to ripen.

The peaches this year were so good, we had to fight the birds for them.

A few years back we planted two apricot trees and finally have the best apricots ever! They are small but so flavorful.

The garden has been providing daily gifts of zucchini, spaghetti squash, grapes and fresh herbs.

If you are looking for the easiest salad EVER, please try this one. Simple ingredients consist of fresh tomatoes, apricots, mint, feta cheese, olive oil and salt and pepper. I did drizzle some thick aged balsamic on the top. I have been making and eating this salad every day. Click here for the recipe from Serious Eats.

On a personal note, my youngest daughter graduated from high school at the end of May. As a celebration gift, we took the whole family (plus friends) to St. Kitts for a vacation. St. Kitts is located in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. One side of St. Kitts is on the Atlantic; the other on the Caribbean. It was after high season and before hurricane season so we had timed it perfectly!

One of the highlights of the trip was TURNING OFF MY PHONE FOR A WEEK. It was glorious. My whole family was together and I was able to be focused on them and not be distracted with technology. Truly fabulous.

When I returned, I spent one week painting everyday. I was able to finish “my girl” and started on 2 new paintings. I will continue to doodle until they feel “done”.

I am trying to master an easy cherry pie recipe this summer (as it is my husband’s favorite). I attempted one but failed miserably (don’t use Trader Joe’s frozen cherries). The crust was good though! Once I achieve it, I will definitely share!

Coming soon: My summer reading and movie list are taking shape and will share with you next time!

Happy Summer my friends!

For the most part, I would consider myself to be an optimist. I choose to look on the sunny side of life. But feeling immense happiness and weeping at the same time seems so incongruous. It’s an odd fit.

This past month has been a series of beginnings and endings. My middle child, Julianna, graduated college. It was a big milestone for her and of course, for us. A mixed bag of emotions~~tremendous pride because she is such a beautiful individual with so much to offer our world; a deep joy in watching her success; a sense of accomplishment that we have gotten yet another child through college; and sadness that life seems to be going so fast. Wasn’t it just yesterday that she was sitting on my lap as I was reading her a bedtime story?

Our youngest daughter, Elisabeth had her senior prom. Geez, I remember my senior prom like it was yesterday. She has grown up to be a lovely young woman, full of excitement about her future. College decisions are made, finals are around the corner, and she will be off to start her new life in August. Our son flew home for the festivities and the nest was full. So was my heart.

We were able to spend even more time with our son, Benjamin during a recent business trip to Washington, DC. He took me to his new office. Boy, have things changed! His workplace was more like a fine hotel, 5 star restaurant, state of the art gym facilities and desks that move when you do. So exciting for him….and I am so happy and proud.

Our Nation’s capital never disappoints as we walked the Mall during one warm evening.

My heart is bursting with pride that we have 3 marvelous individuals that we are giving to the world. But with that comes a sense sadness that is a new experience for me. Where did all the years go?

Motherhood has been the best job of my life. I’ve been a corporate executive, a small business owner and have volunteered countless hours. I know that my role as mother will continue, albeit in a different way, but I feel like I am being fired from the best job I’ve ever had.

I am also realizing that I am now on the back side of the bell curve where graduating college, getting my first job, looking forward to love are all behind me. My youth and many “firsts” are in the rear view mirror.

What new things will I be able to look forward to and get excited about? What will my journey look like? It feels like I am straddling two boats and know soon I will need to lift my foot from one only to plant it firmly on the other. This in between time is certainly an interesting one. Being so happy and sad at the same time is a bit unsettling.

For those of you who have experienced this, I would gladly welcome your perspective. Things are changing rapidly. I DO know that I will come out on the other side~~I’m just not sure what the other side will be.

As the 145th annual Kentucky Derby occurs this weekend, we are celebrating with mint juleps and Derby Pie.

This is my first Derby pie and it was easy to make. The recipe describes it as a thick, gooey chocolate chip cookie meets a warm buttery pie for a heavenly and decadent Southern dessert.

Using a pre-made pie crust (I always use Trader Joe’s brand as I find it to be the best), fill a 9″ pie dish.

Line the bottom of the crust with semi-sweet chocolate chips and toasted pecans or walnuts (I used a combination of both).

Pour a mixture of eggs, sugar, flour, butter, bourbon, vanilla and salt over the chocolate and nuts.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes until set.

Let pie cool to room temperature and add Bourbon Whipped Cream on top.

Click Here for the pie recipe!

While I was making the pie, my son was making Mint Juleps. With 4 simple ingredients~~simple syrup, mint, bourbon and ice, you can make this Derby Day drink. Click here for the recipe.

Here are some fun facts that you may not know about the Kentucky Derby. 

Nineteen past winners have had names beginning with the letter “S,” including Secretariat, the fastest horse in Kentucky Derby history, who completed the 1973 race in just under two minutes.

The amount of food consumed at the Derby is pretty astounding. On average, spectators will eat 142,000 hot dogs, 18,000 barbecue sandwiches, 13,800 pounds of beef, 32,400 jumbo shrimp, 9,000 scallops, 8,000 pounds of potatoes, 30,000 cookies and 300,000 strawberries.

The traditional drink of the Derby is the mint julep and over 120,000 are said to be consumed at the race each year.

The Kentucky Derby trophy only weighs 3½ lbs.

The Derby is also referred to as ‘The Run for the Roses’ because the winner is awarded a blanket sewn with over 400 roses post-race. This blanket weighs about 40 lbs.

Over $150 million in wagers have been placed over the last several Kentucky Derby races.

I don’t know anything about horse racing but I’ve always wanted to attend the Kentucky Derby to wear a big hat! May the best horse and rider win!

First of all, thank you SO much for all the well wishes and prayers for a quick recovery to my eye injuries. Yes, I am feeling much better and my vision is almost back to normal. Prayers answered.

Our sweet little cabin in Pinetop, Arizona was in dire need of a master bedroom re-do. The original cabin has lots of knotty pine and charm. We use this small cabin as a vacation rental from Memorial Day to October.

Prior to purchasing it over 25 years ago, someone had built a rather odd master bedroom addition. With popcorn ceilings, faux beams, inadequate lighting and too much drywall, the old master bedroom looked like this.

We didn’t help the look by using Scott’s bachelor furniture and leftover pieces. Though a rather large room with 3 big windows, I never gave much thought to the furniture placement. Though unattractive, it was functional.

The first weekend, Tony (the BEST electrician/contractor) took down the faux beams, scrape off the popcorn ceiling, added lighting and ripped up the carpet.

The natural wood wainscoting chopped up the room so we painted it the same color as the walls- Sherwin Williams Cottage White. Since the room is so big and now so white, I chose a vinyl flooring that looks like wood planks to anchor the space.

Here is the finished product. It took a few weekends and many hands, but it is nearly complete for our first guests in May.

I was able to retain a few pieces of furniture~~the Drexel blue checked chairs, the antique trunk and the blue leather sofa (not my favorite but my husband put his foot down on getting rid of it!)

The side table and red desk are new purchases. The pulls on this bedside table were a brushed silver (which was a strange choice) so I spray painted them anodized bronze.

I love how the flooring turned out. It looks like real wood and will be warmer during the winter months.

I was going to have the curtains made but it would have been cost prohibitive. These red/cream checked drapes are from The Vermont Country Store. I was so disappointed when Country Curtains closed their store. However, they now sell their products through The Vermont Country Store.

The round primitive table, desk chair and elk lamp were recently purchased from a local vintage store.

The 8′ x 10′ rug came from Home Depot. The metal etagere was purchased from Ballard Designs long ago as a staging piece in one of my previous remodels. I took these pictures before I pushed the can lights up to the ceiling!

I spent several weeks researching metal beds. I didn’t want one that was cheap and wobbly. I am so pleased with this selection from Wayfair. The quilt and shams were a 70% off purchase from Ballard Designs.

There are a few things left to do but all in all, I am very pleased with the change. Though the master bedroom will never look like the rest of the cabin, this room has a pleasant, mountain feel.

Before and After:

Here is a list of resources:

Rug Persia Almond Buff 8′ x 10′ ~~ Home Depot. $225.00

Cavaillon Panel Metal Bed- queen from Wayfair ~~$275.00 (keep on eye on their sales)

Red Writing Desk~~Birch Lane $174.99

Chelmsford Antique Taupe Nightstand from Hayneedle ~~ $244.25

Vinyl Flooring from Home Depot ~~$1,108.70

Red Checked Curtains from the Vermont Country Store~ $59.95 for 2 panels. I doubled up on the windows so total cost was $359.70

Curtain Rods: Lowes

Annabel Patchwork Quilt/Shams from Ballard Design-discontinued but I know it was significantly discounted.

Art by the Bed: Local Goodwill $4.00

Also if you are ever in the White Mountains of Arizona and would like to stay at our cabin, please contact www.vrbo.com, property # 314250!