Saturdays on the Porch #60 features the latest from OSH in decorating, fashion, and what I've found online from shopping to ideas!
Latest from OSH
- Saturdays on the Porch #60
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Dessert Dip
- 6 Ways to Create a Cozy Winter Home
- 12 Fiction Books to Read
- Tips for Updating and Decorating with Thrift Store Art
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Check out the most recent Saturdays on the Porch.
Saturdays on the Porch
I hope you have had a wonderful week. The last 2 weeks have been busy and eventful.
Last week I went to a blogger retreat with 15 other women in Asheville, NC. It was so much fun. I'll share more below.
We started back with our Sunday lunches last week. It was fabulous. We used paper products, which I never do unless dining outside for a cookout.
Our dishwasher was on the fritz. So we decided that with 9, we didn't want to be washing dishes by hand all afternoon. We have a home warranty so we had to wait for the company to send out a repair specialist. Fast forward a week and he finally arrived yesterday. Our dishwasher is a Bosch and was installed when we built our house in 2003/04. This is the first service call on it. It was an amazing dishwasher. It needed a new control panel as well as a pump. They deemed it not worth fixing. The good news is that we are being given $791 towards a replacement. We have a cabinet panel for our current dishwasher and would like to do the same. I plan to head to a local appliance store on Monday to inquire about ordering another Bosch that will accommodate the cabinet panel. You don't realize what this modern convenience means until you are without it.
First Colonoscopy
Yep, I had my first colonoscopy this week.
Prep day was Monday. The liquid diet was no biggie for me. That broth bullion never tasted better. Ha, ha! Also gained a new appreciation for orange jello cups.
I had no trouble drinking the prep in lemon-lime Gatorade. I will say that the medication made me quite nauseated for about 3 hours. I felt horrible. That eventually wore off.
I was prescribed 4 Dulcolax tablets at 5 pm. At 7 pm, I had to mix a bottle of unflavored Miralax with 64 ounces of Gatorade. I then had a drinking schedule that went on until 12:30 am! I am not a night owl. Follow your doctor's prep rules to the tee!
What I had not anticipated was being up the entire night. I did not sleep at all!
I had to be at the hospital at 8:30 am on Tuesday for the 9:30 procedure. Everything went promptly. It only took about 30 minutes. You sleep through it. My doctor sent 2 polyps off for testing but didn't expect any problems. he said all looked well. Hope to get a see you in 10 years report!
Latest on the Blog
In the Kitchen
Last Sunday's lunch was fabulous! I prepped everything on Saturday which made this much easier.
We prepared steak and chicken stir fry.
TIP: You want to make your white rice the day before. You want to make fried rice with cold rice.
The rice and veggies were cooked on the Blackstone griddle. This griddle has quickly become a family favorite. I bought it for my husband's birthday in October.
We ate on paper plates, but I plated one on china for you! You can even purchase yum yum sauce at the grocery.
This was a meal on Thursday night using what we had on hand. Y'all it was so good! I had a pack of cheese tortellini in the fridge plus frozen shrimp. The sauce was made with 1/2 a large can of leftover tomatoes, heavy whipping cream, garlic, parmesan cheese, and an assortment of spices. I LOVE creating pasta dishes with what I have on hand. I also used up 1 zucchini in the fridge that was close to tossing in the trash.
Blogger Retreat
Last week, I was at a blogger retreat in Asheville, NC with 15 other ladies.
We rented a massive Airbnb. I shared a room with 2 other women.
My friend Lauren from Blesser House organized the entire event for us doing an amazing job! She figured up the cost and we paid her over the course of three months. Seriously, it was a 5-star few days!
We arrived to cocktails and fabulous charcuterie boards for a meet and greet cocktail time.
We had a chef come and cook us a fabulous meal at the home that evening. You had a choice of steak or fish. I chose the fish. It was fabulous! We didn't even have to do the dishes. The chef and her assistant did it all.
Here is the house on Airbnb if you'd like to see more.
During the day, we worked all day in our pajamas learning all things blogging from each other. Some had been blogging for over 10 years like me and some were newbies. I learned a lot from the newbies!
Friends that I already knew were: Diane from In My Own Style, Sonja from At Home with the Barkers, Beth from Home Stories A to Z, Lauren from Blesser House, and Tasha from Kalidescope Living.
We had breakfast and lunch catered to us each day.
We had a limo van pick us up for dinner both nights out.
One afternoon before dinner, we went shopping at the Antique Tobacco Barn.
We had dinner at Rhubarb and Curate in Downtown Asheville.
After dinner, we'd get back in pajamas and hang out. It was an amazing 3 nights!
The Look
We've had quite a bit of rain lately and more is forecast for next week. My husband gave me these waterproof booties for Christmas. They are expensive but are so worth it. He has a tennis shoe version for men. Mine are pull-on bootie with a sneaker feel. They are very comfortable and are truly waterproof. I plan to travel with this next year when we are taking a trip to Europe next October when more rain is expected. They will be great for walking.
Click the arrows to scroll through the photos.
Mirror | Jeans | Monogrammed Flats | Collared Sweater
FIT TIP: I am wearing my true to size Chico's jeans in a .5. The flats are true to size. I had orginally ordered the medium in the sweater and it was way too big. Ashlyn took it. She has very long arms being 6 feet. I reordered it in a small.
The above sweater is great! It's a thicker sweater and a bit pricier for Amazon, but I see the value. It's one of those sweaters that could also pass as a dressy sweatshirt. It also comes in black.
Search for Countertops
We've been looking for new countertops just for our kitchen island for the last month. We finally made the decision yesterday and signed the contract! Now, I've got the decide what to do with the farmhouse sink.
The plan was to purchase a new one. I plan to go looking next week with our dimensions.
The current color is biscuit which is a cream color. Whiter is needed for the new quartz. I'm also considering re-glazing. I'd love to hear if you have any experience with this.
I'll be writing a dedicated post on our quartz process with all details. This is a bad photo of the showroom display, but it gives you the idea.
What I'm Reading
I love to read AND listen to books. If you are looking for a way to get more steps in with your walking…..listen to books! You will want to keep walking to listen. I also listen while doing chores around the house. I will use my earbuds while walking, While in the house I will use a bluetooth speaker that I can carry around with me or our Alexa.
I read actual printed books as well as on Kindle. I prefer my Kindle, but it is nice to hold a real book occasionally.
I've had my Audible membership for a while, and LOVE it! It gives me one book credit per month.
Let me share with you how I read on Kindle and listen to books as well. Get yourself a library card!
Then add the LIBBY and HOOPLA apps to your phone.
I will typically check to see if a book is available there first before using my credit or buying. Using these 2 apps with your library card is FREE!!! I love FREE.
There may be a waitlist if it is a newer title or popular. That's ok. Sometimes the wait can be lengthy. If I'm not willing to wait, I will just purchase. If it is new or popular, you NEED to finish the book in the allowed checkout time. Sometimes you can renew, and sometimes you may have to get back in the queue. If that happens, when it is available again…..it will download where you left off.
Get in the habit of always carrying a book with you to get in a little extra time. That way if you are waiting at the doctor's office or to get your car serviced….you are prepared!
It is my goal to read more than 12, but these are my must-reads for the year.
- I have a list of 12 books to read physically this year (1 per month) in addition to my audiobooks. You can find the complete list here.
- I just finished Lessons in Chemistry and absolutely loved it! The setting is the early 1960s and centers around a female chemist and her navigating a man's world. It's fun with a little romance and heartache. It is so worth a read!
- Up next on my list is Not a Happy Family. This is a murder mystery. Parents are murdered, and we will be trying to solve who did it……their kids are suspects!
What We've Bought
- Yeti Rambler
- Door Buddy latch to keep our dog away from our cat's food and litter box. We love this thing! It is a replacement for our old one. I am finally painting the door and frame so replacing it with a new one.
- hair spray
- mascara
- polo collar sweater (size small)
- collagen powder reorder
- hair curler (gift)
- I ordered this sweatshirt to wear to Clemson basketball games. I love the oversized fit but returned just because I don't like myself in orange. I do plan to order again. I ordered a medium.
- I ordered this satin skirt in a medium. I loved the fit of the skirt but returned it because the zipper just didn't lay right on the side.
- birdseed
- wooden hangers
Thank you so much for being here today with me! I hope your weekend is joyful.
Christy has been creating content for Our Southern Home since 2012. She has been featured in numerous print and online publications. Her classic, eclectic design approach spans her home and fashion style. Christy has a way of mixing store-bought with thrift store, antique and vintage finds. As a recent empty nester, she is having fun navigating this new stage of life. Read more about Christy HERE. Be sure to subscribe below. You can also contact me HERE.
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