It’s the weekend and time for a bit of a rewind. I love to write my Saturday posts and share a bit about my week and what has been happening at WM Design House.
Well, sadly, the heat has arrived here in sunny California.
I love summer, but I am not fond of the heat.
I thoroughly enjoyed those cooler temps in the high seventies when you could spend hours outside. Now you have to either work in the garden early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Weekend adventures
We started the weekend at an outdoor concert with the girls. The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed some great company, food, and country music.
I am wearing my infamous romper again. It is so darn comfy I ordered another one in black.
We were up early on Saturday to avoid the heat and conquer a 5-mile hike. It was a beautiful day, and I managed to forage some of these dried thistles. Another project is in the works.
I love to forage and see what I can create with what I find out in the wild.
What’s Happening at WM Design House
The garden is in full bloom, and I harvested a sink full of blooms this week.
Roses, Rudbeckia, Dahlias, Zinnias, Hydrangea and Cosmos. Having all these fresh flowers in the house is such a treat.
I have so many flowers that we are going to have a flower stand with our two granddaughters this weekend. I think they will get a big kick out of selling flowers.
And don’t worry, I will write a post all about our DIY flower bar.
What Happened This Past Week
Deadheading Dahlias for Thriving Blooms all Summer Long
I adore vintage garden tools, and wait until you see what I made with them!
How to Make the Cutest Garden Clock
What’s Happening Next Week
On our recent trip to Florida, we created a beautiful backyard oasis for our son and daughter-in-law. You will love what we did, I promise.
And remember those beets from last week, well the post is coming this week. I was not able to get it finished this week, so I had to put it off until next week. I have a yummy salad recipe, beet hummus, and more.
Fabulous Finds for July
Now, I have a special treat for you.
Five of my blogging friends and I are getting together and sharing our hand-picked favorite finds just for you! You will see this post on the third Saturday of every month. We will each be sharing a few of the items we are currently loving, and we think you will like them too.
You can check the links below for our faves and be sure to pop over to visit their blogs. Each of these ladies has a beautiful blog with so much to share. I’m sure you will enjoy reading their posts. Amy is on vacation, but she will be back with us in August.
I love to be in the garden this time of the year, so I thought it would be fitting to share a few of my favorite gardening tools with you.
- I’m so excited about gardening this summer, especially now that I have my new raised flower beds. They make gardening so much easier. No bending over; a raised bed also allows you to customize your soil with my favorite amendments to your flower needs.
- I have a few favorite garden tools that I could not live without. The first is a flexible, lightweight bucket with handles. It makes trimming so easy, even for those hard-to-reach places. The bucket is also lightweight, so I can easily carry it around my garden while trimming with my favorite clippers.
- My other favorite garden tool is a mini battery-operated blower. It keeps my patios and gardens tidy 24/7. The blower is small and lightweight, so it’s easy to maneuver around my garden without cords.
Meet my friend Michele
Michele is a native Texan and an amazing interior designer.
- I love this linen bedding I discovered recently!! I ordered it for a refresh of my downstairs guest bedroom. They have a cute linen duvet that ties or a cute one with a ruffled edge. And the price is fantastic!! Can you guess which one I got?
- This super cute and cozy outfit is my new favorite! I got it just a few weeks ago and have worn it many times. It is so comfortable but stylish. It will be a great travel outfit, and I am also getting it another color for fall.
- This real touch Norfolk pine garland is so great for holiday decor. I used this on my staircase last year and plan to add some to my mantel this year. It sells out early every year, so if you want some, grab it soon.
It is on sale but still a bit pricey, so I think it’s on my Christmas wish list.
Don’t you love it??
Meet my friend Lynn
Lynn is a fantastic woman who can do it all, from cooking to gardening and lots of DIY projects. Lynn is a retired interior decorator with the most charming home on the water.
- I’m doing a porch make over and I love this blue and white outdoor rug that I can hose down. I topped it with a blue welcome mat that says Welcome in gold.
- We have a few outdoor events coming up, and I need a few summer dresses that are cool and comfortable. I love this loose-fit long dress in Royal Blue.
- I’ve enjoyed fun summer drinks with ice cubes from flower molds in these glasses.
Let’s meet Diane
Diane has been blogging the longest out of all of us girls. Her style and charm will take you in, and you will be smitten. And I must say she is amazing with power tools.
- We’re hosting a large potluck dinner next weekend! Did I mention it’s on our patio? On our recent trip to Dallas, we discovered fly fans! Several restaurants had them on the outdoor tables. I need these for my patio and balcony.
- And this is my very favorite “tablecloth” to use on my outdoor tables. Every time I wash it, the texture becomes even better and so soft and drapey despite it’s weight! It’s huge and drapes to the ground. I’ve also cut one up to make three long tablecloths! You can’t beat the price!!!
- The deer munched the first of our hydrangea blooms, but not anymore!! I gave them a good coating of this Deer Out concentrate. This is the most successful product I have found. And this new sprayer worked great!
On that happy note, I hope you have a great weekend, and I will see you next week.
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You have beautiful flowers Wendy! And that blower! Omgoodness, my back patio needs that!
Your flowers look amazing Wendy, and I can’t wait to see the flower stand!
I think a flower stand with your granddaughters is a spectacular idea! And I think your new “Shopping with Friends” group sounds like fun! Great post!
Wendy, your dahlias are absolutely beautiful! Mine are just starting to bloom and I can’t wait. Happy weekend, friend!
Thank you, Kim. I cannot wait to see yours. Mine have been so happy this year.
Wonderful blog, Wendy! So many wonderful finds. My husband and I tried the Fly fans with no luck, but I hope your’s are a success. I just ordered the Grandpa Weeder. Can’t wait to get it. Stay cool.
Hi Miche, I am so sorry that the fly fans were not successful for you. Were they out of stock, or did the link not work. I love that grandpa weeder, I hope it works well for you.
What a fun She Shed Share! I can’t wait to see the Flower Bar in all it’s bloomin’ beauty. Im sure it was a big hit — especially with the Marvelous Maddie out there selling!
Thank you, Diane. They just left, and I am trying to recoup, lol!
Wendy, so many great ideas in this post. I love the idea of the flower stand with your granddaughters! So much fun. I can’t wait to hear how it all went. They will remember this for years to come. Have fun!
Thank you, Susan. Now I need a long winter’s nap. It is so darn hot outside. We only did the market for a few hours and made $300, not bad.