Two years ago today, I read an article in The Arizona Republic about a suburban farm. The Simple Farm is a mere four miles from my house, on Cactus Road. Perfect, I live off Cactus Road! I cut the article out with the intention of checking out the farm later that summer. The Simple Farm is only open to the public on Thursday mornings and at the time I was in the middle of my summer session of kid’s cooking classes.

Classes ended that year in mid-July. I never made it to the farm, not after classes ended, not for the rest of 2012 or all of 2013. I’d drive by, although never on a Thursday morning, and think, “I need to plan a visit!”

What is it that keeps a person from doing something they have every intention of doing? Is it just me, or do you do that too? Is everyone like this or do I have a problem? I am a procrastinator, I know this. But two years?!?

Anyhow, Sheila called me last Thursday and asked if I wanted to meet her at The Simple Farm. I honestly could not go that morning, but I asked her to ask me again next week. Next week was yesterday, and I finally made it to The Simple Farm. It will not be the last time! It is a charming slice of the country in the middle of the city – Simply Wonderful!

Part of the wonderfulness is that they raise goats. Big goats.

Sweet little baby goats!

Of course they have chickens.

They love their chickens.

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Sending out big birthday wishes to my cohort in crime – Sheila!

We shop for vintage and salvage together.

We go on road trips to find the best stuff.

We break into houses when necessary … don’t worry, it was Sheila’s own Coronado Island cottage!

We host craft-parties together.

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In yesterday’s post, I showed you my overgrown herb garden – overrun with rosemary, oregano, mint, and lemongrass gone wild. I also shared my intention to get it cleaned out and replanted this weekend.

All done, a mere 24 hours later! Here it is at 9:00 on this nice Saturday morning; cleaned out, replanted, and looking so much better! This time around I also considered laying sod in this beautiful little herb garden to avoid soil erosion. A friend of mine who has a green thumb once told me that sod could prove beneficial for gardens of all sizes, Be it small or large. She also laid sod (perhaps she ordered the item from shops like Green Valley Turf) and sent me pictures of her garden. Honestly, I was impressed by the appearance of it–beautifully maintained and organized. Hence, I also thought about using it and witnessing the results with my own eyes.

Anyway, enough of sod, let us come back to one of my favourite trees–the peach tree– which is directly across from the herb garden.

I covered it with netting before the birds could feast on the ripening peaches.

Apparently, just in the nick of time!

Two more quick photos to share on this Sunny Saturday. Yesterday, I spent the day with Tram, Zak, and Zoey! So much fun!

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No Friday Funnies today. In their place a “Not At All Funny!”

About this time last year, I bought a housewarming gift for Marissa and Jeff, a beautiful 8×10 Persian-Style Rug from Pottery Barn for their new place.

If I recall correctly, we bought it the first week of June 2013, it was on back-order, so it arrived the last week of June.

Nearly a full year goes by and they are enjoying the rug, all is well. Until the evening of May 4, 2014 (my wedding anniversary, by the way) when I receive a text from Marissa at 9 PM,

“I spilled nail polish on the rug & I don’t know what to do!”

Not yet realizing the rug she was speaking of was The Rug, I reply,

“Reminds me of when I had to replace the carpet in your bedroom with wood floors – I honestly don’t know – you should probably look it up on the internet.”

At this point, I’m really thinking, WTH? This is the 4th time that my otherwise intelligent daughter has spilled (or dropped a full bottle) of nail polish in her short life! When is she going to learn?!? Oh, and Happy Anniversary!

I should mention here that Marissa did call us to wish us a Happy Anniversary, earlier that day and that she had sent a beautiful card. She also went to great lengths to try not to text me about this crisis on my special day, by texting others first, but since they aren’t her mom…they, of course, were no help!

Then she responds, “I did. It said the rug is ruined. 

At that very second, it dawns on me…and I reply, “Exactly where in the house did you do this?”

I get the reply I most dreaded, “The living room. The nice rug.”

“Seriously??? Start blotting it with paper towels. Do Not Rub! Blot!!!”

“I did that.”

“Keep Blotting Until Nothing shows up on the paper towels, then send me a photo. Plus you better lift up the rug and make sure it isn’t seeping through to the wood floors.”

Then I get the next text, with a photo. “Not seeping through. Didn’t want to tell you, but it’s on the leather couch too. I might also need help with that.”

If you have kids, of any age, you know what I was thinking and feeling.

“I’m gonna wring her neck!”

“She drives me to drink!”

and basically, just…

“WTH!?!”

I call her and we agree that she will leave it alone and I will try to take care of it when I visit over Mother’s Day weekend, a short 5 days from then. In other words, Mom To The Rescue. (We agree that the couch is a non-issue because it’s a piece of cr@p that they bought on Craig’s List. It’s not really even leather, more like pleather, so I’m not wasting my time and energy on it.)

We research more and find several sites that suggest using aerosol hairspray or rubbing alcohol to lift out the polish, without lifting out or fading the dyes in the rug. She buys both.

After the full day of Amazing Race San Francisco, the proposal, and dinner with the engaged couple, I give them my hotel suite and I sleep at their place. That evening I get to it and do my best to get the nail polish out without lifting out the dyes on the rug.

Turns out the thing that worked best was the rubbing alcohol. I tried using a rag, paper towels, cotton balls, and cotton facial cleaning pads. The cotton balls worked pretty well, but the cotton facial cleaning pads worked best.

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This week the funnies can really only be about one thing!

I promise, this will be the end of the engagement/wedding talk for a while!

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I’m off to San Francisco today to see my girl. I’ll leave you with a few funnies this Mother’s Day weekend.

This is about right… sad but true.

After this week, I’d call this accurate.

Finally … just for you moms, mommies and mothers….

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Happy May Day

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Happy Birthday, Sloane!

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I’ve finished sharing all my recipes from the Spanish Dinner Party and the menu is now listed on the “Complete Recipe Index” – yet I have one more important tip to share with you.

At the Spanish Dinner Party, I served my Rojo Sangria from this glass beverage server.

Problem was, that the fruit tended to clog the spout.

We solved this problem by providing a spoon that could be put down in the jar and pushed aside the fruit.

Of course, the lid had to be removed to do so. Additionally, the weather that evening was very lovely, which lead to our tendency to leave the door open, as we were dining al fresco

This combination leads to problem number two.

Fruit Flies!

When I entered the kitchen, while clearing the table, I discovered a fruit fly infestation in the open sangria jar! It was disgusting!

I disposed of the remaining sangria, but much to my dismay, a majority of the fruit flies remained.

As a result, here is my tip on how to quickly and efficiently get rid of fruit flies in your home.

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In my final post of 2012, I shared a New Year’s Eve tablescape and showed you some plates that I longed for.

Among them was this set of four Ralph Lauren clock face plates that were from a 2010 Lauren line.

I’ve now learned that the pattern of the plates is Pocketwatch.

On Wednesday of this week, I thought I spotted the plates in a photo I saw on the Sweet Salvage Facebook page for their upcoming sale.

Posted only a few images later there was a close-up shot. It’s them!

Yesterday as the sale began and as soon as Peggy, Sheila, and I got through the doors, we all headed for the booth with the orange scarf on the mannequin. Peggy got there first and was snagging up the plates for me! Thanks, girlfriend!

I was a little worried about what the price would be. I’d searched online the day before we arrived to shop – just so I’d have an idea of what price to expect.  I learned that the original retail price in 2010 was $27 each!

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