9-7-24
What I Can’t Let Go Of:
(just like the NPR Politics podcast on Fridays- minus the “Politics or otherwise” disclaimer.
This blog is a publicly politics-free zone, so all musings will be “Otherwise“.)
Do I say this every year?
But what the heck happened to Summer!!!!
I’m like this one lone hydrangea bloom
that is holding tight to Summer, not ready to let go.
On the Blog This Week
It seems like I spent this week gathering remnants of Summer and forward to next Summer:
I collected seeds from Lambs Ear — so easy!
If you’ve been around for more than a hot minute, you know I’m rather obsessed with Lambs Ear.
Yes, the soft fuzzy, silvery sage leaves that soften edges, fill in around rocks, love the sun and tolerate shade well, and don’t care whether it rains or not.
Basically, the sweetest garden workhorse you’ll see.
And I wanted seeds to share and save to fill a new bed next year.
Then I shared ideas for hosting a seed swap party.
Not a big community seed exchange — which can be great. But rather a more intimate gathering of your gardening friends and neighbors.
And a seed swap can be held remotely!
That’s what my Blogging Besties and I decided to do. The details are in the post along with links to their how-to’s for all the seeds they are sharing.
I’m so excited that next Summer, my beds will be filled with flowers from the gardens of these ladies who are so special to me.
TECH TIP:
Oh it’s a good one!
Something I helped my husband with this week.
To which he responded “Why have you been holding out on me? I wish I’d known that way back”
Remember, these tips are exclusive content for my creative community.
They will be in the Saturday newsletter emails only
(and sometimes in the FB and IG stories for my followers there).
It’s just one way I say “Thank you” to all those who support me time after time!
Don’t worry, you too, can become a House Mate!
Sharing From Around the Web
The links in this post may include affiliate links, which means if you purchase anything using these links, you pay no extra, but I may receive a small commission that helps keep this blog running. I truly appreciate you using affiliate links whenever possible. Please know that I will never recommend a product I do not believe in!
It’s the first Saturday of the month — the day we take a shopping excursion together, you and me and some of my blogging friends! Let’s see what we found this week.
What Was the Top Seller From Last Month?
Not surprising, this amazing wood vase (at an even more amazing price), from Dave and Jenny Marrs for Walmart, seemed to be in everyone’s cart! It can still be added to yours.
Did you hear? We are grandparents!
Of course we need to pictorially chart our little one’s growth. So I ordered this sweater embroidered with her name.
She was one month old last Wednesday and our daughter sent the most precious pics of her being swamped in this cuddly sweater.
It will be such fun watching her begin to fill it out as we document her growth.
(this is not our little one — our daughter has asked us not to post images of her)
Are you thinking about Halloween decorating yet?
Better start planning quickly — all the best decor pieces are going fast. Like this great dog skeleton.
It’s only $15 and sits almost a foot tall, so it can make a great presence without spending a lot.
I have not bought clothes at Walmart for …. um, like forever.
When I was in the store recently, on my way to the paint aisle, this green caught my eye.
This is the nicest made set — quality fabric and all!!!! Complete with their signature great prices.
Perfect lounge/casual set!!! This top and these pants sold separately so you can mix and match sizes.
Available in four colors.
I love freshening my napkin inventory when I find good ones at a great price (yes, I’m a napkin snob). And these napkins are great!
With enough money left to treat myself to a cool new napkin holder.
Don’t dilly dally, this holder is going fast.
Now Let’s See What the Other Gals Found For Us
Lynn – Living Large in a Small House
We’ve had a lot of house guests all of August and into September. Today I want to share with you the random things I’ve bought for entertaining.
- I got this beverage dispenser to have lemon-infused ice water always available for my guests.
- These glass carafes are perfect for having juices available for guests in the morning.
- My baking sheets were so old that you couldn’t tell what color they once were 🙂 I bought these set of 3 for $30. They are heavy-duty and have nice high sides. They also are very pretty.
- When I have guests I love to set a pretty table and use real candles. My favorite are Colonial Candles Classic Tapers 10“. I buy these in bulk.
Anna – Sky Lark House
- This Willow Picking basket is gorgeous. It is well made and comes with leather straps. At the moment, it is filled with wheat and dried grasses.
- This brown velvet ribbon is gorgeous and affordable since 15 yards is less than $13. With the holidays approaching, the price is likely to increase. So, buy early. It’s also available in other colors.
- Antique candle company has some amazing fall candle bundles, which make the entire home smell warm and inviting. “Apple Pie” is my favorite scent.
- Now that there is cooler weather in the evenings, we have been having fires outside at night. This Fat Wood makes starting a fire easy.
Cindy – Reinvented Delaware
I’ve been thinking about fall cooking since our temps have been cooler lately. Here are some of the fall cooking essentials I use throughout the autumn season. They also make great gift ideas if you want to get some Christmas shopping done ahead of time!
- A crock pot is a must for any kind of fall cooking IMHO. Soups, stews, and roast beef with root veggies all scream fall to my stomach and I love starting them in the mornings and letting them fill the house with all the cozy smells throughout the crisp fall days.
- If I forget to start those tasty meals in the morning, I resort to my Instant Pot. An electric pressure cooker is a great way to get the all-day cooked feeling in just minutes.
- One of our favorite kinds of soups is creamed and blended like butternut squash soup. It’s super easy to make if you have a high-quality immersion blender like my Vita-Mix blender. It’s pricey but sooooo worth it.
- Storage of these home-cooked meals is the perfect way to have a home-cooked meal in minutes. I always cook more than we eat in one meal so that I can have leftovers. Glass storage containers are my go to but I also love the new silicone options too.
Lora – Lora Bloomquist
- To make sure my smile was wedding photo ready, I made sure to use THESE before the big day. I also always have my favorite lip color handy in my pocket. THIS brand is my favorite (I love peony, watermelon, and fig). It provides a moisture-filled color that’s so much nicer than regular lipstick.
- As I was decorating for the big celebration, I made sure to have my favorite attaching items in my toolbox. Chenille stems, bind wire, zip ties and jute twine enable you to attach almost anything. Definitely have these handy in your decorating toolbox. You can find my favorites HERE.
- Our garden party themed wedding had tons of flowers. I wish I would have thought of it sooner, but the best way to preserve flowers so you can enjoy them in a pretty display is with THIS. I’d love to preserve some of my garden flowers and wedding flowers and create something like THIS. Wouldn’t that be stunning?
- I’m in post wedding clean up mode and have so much to wash! 300 glass goblets and chargers, 130 glass vases, tons of votive candle cups. I’m going to try and get my Fall on while washing and using my favorite autumn scents of THESE.
I hope you enjoy your weekend!!! Thanks for hanging out with me a bit,
As I said before, I would greatly appreciate your feedback, any special requests, or questions you have.
That sweater was so cute. I just love babies, they are such a wonderful gift from God. That hydrangea was so pretty.
Thanks so much Marlene! You are so right about babies — true gifts!!!
Diane – First, I absolutely love the sweater you selected for your granddaughter. So charming! She is cute as a button. Second, I too love lambs ears and have them growing in my garden too. Such a good idea to collect seeds from them! Love the napkins you shared. They are the perfect color for fall. Always fun shopping with you!
That is all so sweet of you to say Anna!!! I look so forward to our joint shopping excursions — so many great treasures curated by women I trust. Saves me a lot of time and shopping anxiety. That picking basket you suggested is now on the top of my list. (If it’s good enough for Anna, . . .)