Happy weekend, friends!
It’s Saturday and I’m catching up with Elizabeth and Kim for Weekend Meanderings.
How was your week?
Mine was busy.
I put my new gathering basket to use.
And actually cut some hydrangeas in the garden.
It pains me to cut flowers.
Silly, but it does.
Look what I scored at the Serena & Lily outlet!
Last weekend I said I looking for the Blake Console Table and I found it.
In natural … the indigo was too dark.
Not only that its was 40% off the already discounted outlet price.
Sometimes things work out.
Now comes the hard part … rug, ottomans, mirror, lamp, etc. etc.
Stay tuned.
And I finally replanted the window boxes.
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Enough small talk.
Let’s get to it.
MY NEW FAVORITE ROSE
It’s summer and spritzers are being made regularly at Snowberry. I recently discovered the best Rosé … for mixing spritzers and as a stand-alone wine. The 2021 Campuget Tradition Rosé. A product of France, this wine is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache. A few tasting notes –
The Rosé has a nice appearance with a light and fresh pink color.
This particularly fruity taste of raspberries and strawberries,
typical of the Campuget style, has a good and refreshing acidity.
It is perfect for summertime meals, with fresh salads or around the barbecue.
It’s light, refreshing and the ideal Rosé for the Rosé Hibiscus Spritz recipe mentioned a few weekends ago. And it’s under $12. Jim declared it very pleasant and drinkable. Unlike me, he knows a thing or two about wine. I buy it at our local grocer, Diablo Foods. Looks like you can also find it at Safeway. Your local grocery or wine store may carry it. Don’t be afraid to ask.
Blog post on this, my new favorite summer Spritzer, coming soon.
SUMMER DRESSES
Over the last few years, I’ve really embraced dresses for summer. I don’t mean for going out to nice places. That too. But for every day. Recently I’ve added quite a few to my collection.
Meyer Lemon Dress / Hat / Bag / Sandals / Sunnies / Hoop Earrings / Nail Polish
A couple of weeks ago Kim and I met up for lunch, blog planning and research. Our investigative journey led us to my favorite boutique, Flaunt in Danville. This Meyer lemon dress had my name written all over it and Kim encouraged me to try it on. She might be a bad influence. She thought I should try this one too. I went in saying I was only going to look and walked out with two new dresses. That settles it, Kim is a very bad influence.
I’ve linked to online options, but if you live in the Bay Area head over to (or call) Flaunt.
Kim aka Bad Influence
Here’s my new collection of summer dresses from frou frou boutiques to Target, I love them all.
Oh, I almost forgot … my sister told me to tell you she adores this Beachcomber Linen Dress from Flax. She says she bought it in six colors and lives in it.
GRACIE PIZZAS
Today I made Gracie pizzas for lunch, and it occurred to me this a great thing to share in my weekend favorites
What are Gracie Pizzas and who is Gracie? Great questions. Gracie is / was my dad’s wife. My dad passed away in January, so I guess that makes her my dad’s widow. So weird to think of her this way. Anyway, Gracie makes legendary pizza, from scratch. She’s been doing it since long before pizza dough at the grocery store was a thing. Gracie’s pizza making was an all-day activity and big event. It drew a crowd. Gracie and my dad have seven daughters between them. Everyone showed up on pizza night, including friends, boyfriends, and various hangers on (as my dad would say). Oh my gosh, I loved her pizza. But THIS is not THAT. Sorry.
Gracie Pizza is a short-cut version made on tortillas. I remember the first time we had it. My dad and Gracie were at our house to accompany us to the Avenue of the Giants marathon. Jim was running the half marathon. My dad had run this race many times and was excited to cheer on his relatively new son-in-law. Before we hit the road my dad wanted lunch. Gracie rummaged through the cupboards to see what she could come up with and Gracie Pizza was born.
Here’s what you’ll need.
- Flour tortillas – soft taco size
- Pizza sauce
- Mozzarella cheese, shred
- Pepperoni
You can use any toppings. I stick with the tried-and-true mozzarella and pepperoni. I like Hobbs Pepperoni.
The key to Gracie Pizza is getting the tortillas crisp but not too crisp. Here’s how to do it.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place tortillas on a cookie sheet and bake for 2 minutes.
- Flip the tortillas and bake another 1-2 minutes.
- Add pizza sauce and toppings.
- Return to oven for 5-7 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and before tortillas start to brown.
Another thing I remember about the invention of Gracie Pizza is that on the road to Humboldt County Gracie wondered out loud if she’d turned off the oven. This sent my dad and Jim into fits. We debated turning around – we were halfway to Humboldt – and thankfully were able to reach a neighbor who sent her daughter over to check. She had to break in though the garage window and discovered that the oven was off. Phew.
Gracie pizzas are a great go-to for lunch – or dinner – and I always keep the ingredients on hand. Serve with a simple salad and everyone’s happy.
HALFTIME ON NETFLIX
Remember when Jennifer Lopez and Shakira headlined the Super Bowl halftime show? It was in 2020. What? I swear it was just a few months ago. Anyway, a documentary crew shadowed Jennifer through her halftime preparations while simultaneously navigating award season as her movie, Hustlers, generated Oscar buzz. The film also looks at her entire career – from Fly Girl to Golden Globe nominee and Halftime entertainer – which is quite interesting and eye opening. I haven’t followed JLo’s closely, but I came away with a newfound respect and appreciation for her. Jim and I enjoyed this documentary, four thumbs up.
HOUSE CRUSH
This decorating project by designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas, and featured in Southern Living, makes my heart skip a beat … or two.
Southern Living Magazine / Photograph by: Annie Schlechter; Styling: Page Mullins
The home, a former rental in WaterColor, Florida began with a great floor plan and no structural changes were required. That’s my kind of home project.
Southern Living Magazine / Photograph by: Annie Schlechter; Styling: Page Mullins
You can see more of this amazing home here.
So there you have it,
Now let’s see what Elizabeth and Kim are up to.
IN OTHER NEWS ~
- Early Access for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is on. You probably hadn’t heard. Insert eye roll. I’m not big on shopping sales. But there’ve been too many times I’ve bought something two weeks AFTER it was on sale and wished I’d planned better. It’s a good time to stock up on things you use regularly like fragrance, beauty products, basics, socks and unmentionables. Or something you’ve had your heart set on that might be a splurge.
- July 12 & 13 is Prime Day at Amazon. I’m not really sure what Prime Day is … and why is it called Prime Day if it’s two days? I assume it’s a big sale and what I said about Nordstrom applies. People seem to get all hot and bothered over it so I might try to figure it out. Or not.
- While we’re on the subject, Serena & Lily is having their Tent Sale.
- This outdoor summer table setting is dreamy.
- Do you love hydrangeas?! Everything you need to know about growing them can be found right here.
- We just watched this series starring Julia Roberts and an unrecognizable Sean Penn. It’s so well done, except for episode 7 which goes slightly off the rails. And that led us to rewatch this classic movie.
As always, I appreciate your visit and welcome your thoughts in the comments below.
Cheers from Snowberry!
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