Spring is in the air and I for one am ready to welcome it with open arms.  

It has been a long cold and rainy winter here in the Southern California desert.  Don't be fooled by the old song, it does indeed rain here and when El Nino happens through, it rains in record numbers.  

The upside to all that water is the lush green spring we have in store for us.  The ranunculus are already putting on a spectacular show and I am having trouble keeping them cut fast enough to ensure they continue providing blooms for as long as possible.  Ranunculus are one of those flowers that actually produce more flowers the more you clip them.  

I decided to make a weekly to do list to help me stay on top of all the things I want to accomplish in the next couple of months and thought it would be fun to share it with you.  Partly for encouragement and partly for accountability.

If you are like me, it can be easy to let things slide until tomorrow but that can quickly turn into next week, next month or next season and before you know it you are living in clutter and cobwebs with no creative energy or desire.

If you're game, grab a notebook or planner and join me.  Ready? 

Here's my list for this first week of April...

1. Clean the baseboards and ceilings. (Did I mention cobwebs?)

2. Shred and divide the cheese that I took out of the freezer when I cleaned it out last week and plan menus to use it up before it goes bad. (I use the attachment on my Kitchen Aid when I have a lot of cheese to grate.)

3. Wash and change out my daily aprons.  The ones from Christmas are still hanging on the hook.

4.  Figure out a better way to store my empty canning jars as we are all tired of listening to them clang together on top of the dryer.

5.  Plant my pepper plants on Thursday, after this last cold front moves through.

6. Head to the nursery for bedding plants to freshen up the topiary containers.

7. Move the Iceland poppies since I can't seem to stop whatever creature sneaks into the garden at night and eats the flowers right off the stems.

8. Organize my craft table and rolling cart.  The area I currently have designated doesn't inspire me to create.  Having my most used supplies on the rolling cart will allow me easily transport my things to work at the dining room table where the natural light shines in.

9.  Sew up my garden stool cover and table topper for my garden side table.

The list may seem long but most items will only take 15 minutes or so.  I have them spread out over several days this week so hopefully this will motivate me and help me stay on track!

What did you come up with? Share it with me in the comments and we will meet back up here next week and see how we did.

Have a wonderful first week of spring! Get outside, listen to the birds, inhale the fresh air and behold the beauty of the fruit tree blossoms!

xo, Patty

 I have been purposefully making a run to Trader Joe's every week to purchase a pretty bunch of fresh flowers.  It is a bit out of the way and yes, I do grow flowers in my garden but the act of selecting just the right color to suit my mood or match my tablecloth brings me such joy.

Every time I pass by the dinner table on my way in or out of the kitchen, I can't help but smile. 

I find that giving myself just a small gift helps to remind me that what I do is not just a task on a to do list but a vital part of running our household.  Making things pretty with decor or a lit candle shows that you take pride in your home and the contribution you make to it.

I am not talking about getting in debt or buying in excess but a relatively inexpensive thing like a bouquet of flowers, a sweet smelling candle, a set of new tea towels or a pretty notebook to plan menus in can be a real attitude changer and turn an ordinary thing like cooking, washing dishes or dusting feel a little less like drudgery and more like a blessing.

The things I mentioned come with a small price tag but spending money isn't necessary to give yourself and your home this same feeling. You can set out your best dishes and light a candle when you sit down for lunch by yourself or reuse that pretty wrapping paper you are saving to line your kitchen drawers so that you are greeted with something lovely each time you reach for a fork or a spoon. There are so many ways to bring added joy to what we do in an ordinary day.

With things as expensive as they are right now that $10.00 purchase might seem like an unnecessary splurge but to me it is worth every penny.  You just can't put a price tag on the boost that those special little things can do for your mental health.

I know that true joy comes from a deeper, spiritual place but the simple act of treating yourself to something special can brighten your mood and make you more willing to do for others with a better attitude. Don't you agree?

What are some of your favorite attitude lifters around the home? How do you bring joy to the everyday?

xo, Patty

When we moved last winter I quickly discovered how much I would miss my community of girlfriends and our planned times of togetherness. Making new friends as we age is certainly more difficult than when we have young children and there are natural meeting points like school pick ups and little league fields. 

I soon realized that without these built in gatherings of women I was going to have to get creative in finding my new community of local friends.

What I did have nearby was family. So in my typical type A (read pushy) way I set about creating intentional get togethers to do the things that I missed doing plus a few I always wanted to do. 

And so what I affectionately call the "Granny Skills Club" was born.

Once a month I get together with my mom, sister in law and niece and we practice or learn a new skill together. We have learned water bath canning, basic quilt making, sewing an apron, preserving lemon curd and this week we are taking on the perfect pie crust, just in time for our holiday baking.

My niece gifted me with Kate McDermott's gorgeous book, Art of the Pie and it seemed fitting that we take our lesson from her. We are attempting her traditional all butter crust and quintessential apple pie filling this week. She offers both a handmade and food processor addition of the all butter crust and we will be trying them both.

I love the idea of coming together as women. In days gone by this would have been a normal thing to do as a community. Whether it was around the quilting table or cutting board these gatherings were the place where life's joys and concerns were discussed and advice and encouragement were given.

I believe these in person gatherings are needed now more than ever. As we four come together around the kitchen table we are gaining so much more than new skills, we are gaining the community built around doing them together. And that just might be the biggest reward of all. 

Something about the times we are living in has me longing for days gone by.  Not centuries ago, although that sounds lovely as well, but the days of my early adulthood and marriage.  You know the good old days of the 80's and 90's. (Technically I guess that was a different century but in my mind it can't have been more than 20 years ago.)

Do you remember the days of Romantic Homes, Country Living and Victoria magazines?  The days when we looked to still pictures in books and monthly publications for our tips and style inspiration.  The days before fast moving reels and flashing images?  The days when you went to a thrift store and old dishes cost a dollar or two?

Our move last winter was a considerable downsize for us and I was brutal in the editing of my possessions.  Countless sets of glassware, dinner plates and serving bowls found their way to the donation center. There is nothing like a move to motivate you to reassess everything you've accumulated over the years.

Long forgotten about boxes of chintz china and teacups that fell out of style, were unearthed from a previous move and lovingly hand washed and repackaged to be brought to our new home. No longer concerned with the latest decorating trends they are proudly out on display and I am determined to use them routinely. 

This year, as this brutally hot summer comes to a close, I am excited to reconnect with my love of the art of afternoon tea.  Nothing fancy but a purposeful slow down with a fine china cup and saucer, a little sweet treat, a time of quiet contemplation, a good book to read or the browsing of an actual magazine.  A little time just for me.

Or perhaps I will send a handwritten note to a friend (there was no text messaging in the good old days) and invite her over to join me? Nothing says hospitality like tea and conversation, don't you agree?

Just because this world seems to be spinning faster and faster, doesn't mean we have to hop on for the ride.  

We are still in control of what happens under our roof and between our four walls and if I want to go back in time to circa 1985 and open up one of my treasured Mary Engelbreit magazines, then by goodness that's just where you'll find me.  

The outside world will intrude eventually, but until it does, here's to the good old days.

xo, Patty