Today on weekend meanderings, cocktail night at Snowberry is back with a refreshing spritz to kick-off summer, a dream wedding you won’t believe, and yes (sigh), Memorial Day sales plus more.
Happy Saturday, friends!
It’s time for the weekend post with Kim and Elizabeth. Our weekly roundup of inspirations and goings on.
It’s Memorial Day weekend and important to note that the holiday is about more than sales, BBQs, and, if you live in the Bay Area, BottleRock. It’s a day to mourn, honor, reflect and express gratitude for the brave women and men who died during their service in our armed forces.
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Image Jessica Brydson Photography
I can’t believe it but this will be my last dispatch from Snowberry. Well, not exactly … it’s my last dispatch as the owner of Snowberry. Jim and I will be renter-backers for a short while. And I’m already shrieking at him not to touch anything as it’s no longer ours.
Bittersweet as it is to leave, we’ve been preparing for this day for over a year and we’re ready to move on to our next chapter and focus our energy on the new house.
Cocktail Night at Snowberry
Cocktail Night at Snowberry is underway for the summer with Wishbone Kitchen’s Boozy Blueberry Basil Lemonade.
A couple of weeks ago I shared Meredith Hayden’s new cookbook, The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook. Just prior to the books’ release People magazine did a feature on Meredith including her Boozy Blueberry Basil Lemonade recipe. It looked beautiful, and refreshing, so I knew it would be a great drink to kick off Cocktail Night. Also, it’s a batch drink which is perfect for holiday weekend entertaining.
The ingredient list is simple. Vodka (or gin), freshly squeezed lemon juice, blueberry jam, club soda plus sliced lemon and basil sprigs for garnish.
The recipe calls for homemade blueberry jam – recipe in the book (and People feature). I love making jam, raspberry is my specialty, but jam making wasn’t on my agenda this week so I used Stonewall Kitchen’s Wild Maine Blueberry Jam.
Jim isn’t always a fan of my spritzer-ish drinks, but he gave this one a thumbs up because, he said, it’s not sweet. Nope, it’s not sweet, but it’s delicious, refreshing, and wonderful for summer … and serving a crowd.
You can watch my mixing Reel from last night here.
Next week will be my last Cocktail Night at Snowberry, but not to worry we’ll continue cocktailing through the summer from our temporary home.
Summer Skirt
A month or more ago I ordered this white, tiered, pull-on skirt for summer and then forgot all about it because our weather hadn’t been the best. That changed this week and I took the skirt for it’s first, and second, spin. For cocktail night, above, and to Taste of Lafayette, a fun event downtown we were invited to attend with Dana Green and her husband, Todd.
Organic Cotton Tiered Maxi Skirt
I hate to even publish this photo because it’s not the best but whatever … I want to show you the skirt. Anyhoo, Taste of Lafayette is an annual event put on by the Chamber of Commerce and a ton of restaurants up and down the main drag participate. After visiting and enjoying amazing bites at as many restaurants as we could manage, we ended up in The Hideout Kitchen bar watching the hockey game because Todd and I are fans. Jim and Dana tolerated the situation with good humor and a glass of wine.
Creamy Lemon Chicken & Orzo Soup
Soup is my very favorite food. Not just for fall and winter but year round. I could survive on soup and bread plus a little bit of chocolate. Last week Sincerely, Marie Designs shared a Creamy Lemon Chicken & Orzo Soup recipe that sounded – and looked – so good I had to make it immediately. Of course it’s totally delicious and destined to become a staple at our house. Don’t skimp on the lemon juice which gives the soup a bright, tangy flavor.
As a soup lover, my Le Creuset Dutch Oven gets a lot of use. Le Creuset is expensive, but a great investment that should last a lifetime. I use mine weekly … and if I was marooned on a desert island with only one piece of cookware … this is it. It’s also a go-to wedding gift … I’ve probably told you that before.
Dream Wedding
Paige Drummond got married last weekend and I’m obsessed.
Caroline Lima Photography via The Pioneer Woman Blog
I fell hard for Paige’s mom, Ree Drummond aka the Pioneer Woman, during the summer of 2013 while spending a very challenging couple of months with our new puppy, Bella. Bella did a lot of napping during the day … but only in my lap. As a result I spent a ton of time on the sofa where I discovered the Pioneer Woman show on Food Network which I watched on repeat. That led me to read Ree’s first book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story and I’ve been a devoted fan ever since.
An OG blogger, Ree is mostly known for her blog, cookbooks (the first published in 2009 – Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl) and cooking show. I enjoy her recipes … which are easy, hearty and not the least bit fussy. Her empire has expanded to just about the entirety of downtown Pawhuska … the Mercantile ‘the merc’, restaurants, a hotel (The Boarding House) … and I’m sure there’s more.
Frontier Follies: Adventures in Marriage and Motherhood in the Middle of Nowhere, a follow-up memoir came out a couple of years ago and I loved every page of it.
In 2017 three friends and I made the trek to Waco, Texas to visit Magnolia and from there drove to Pawhuska, Oklahoma to see the Pioneer Woman’s recently opened Merc. Much to our surprise, during our visit to the Merc we were offered the opportunity to drive out to see the Lodge. The Lodge is a guest house on the Drummond Ranch that doubles as the set for the cooking show. It was an unexpected – and very happy – surprise.
It was a long drive, on an unpaved road, from the ranch entrance to the Lodge. We were greeted by Haley, the Pioneer Woman’s assistant who is frequently seen on the show (back then anyway) and Walter, one Ree’s beloved basset hounds.
If you’re a fan of the of the show you will recognize this BBQ.
And view of Cowboy Josh’s home on the ranch.
The pastures were so green and the skies so blue.
Of course, the best photo op was the kitchen where the show is filmed. I still can’t believe they let randos like us in there to wander around unsupervised. What a treat!
But enough about me. Paige, Ree’s younger daughter and second of four children, married David Andersen on her family’s ranch last weekend. The posts documenting the fabulousness of the event dominated my social media feed all week … and the goodness keeps coming. Not only that, Ree shared the wedding gallery on her blog and – someone grab the smelling salts – I can barely contain my excitement.
Caroline Lima Photography via The Pioneer Woman Blog
Just look at those pale blue banquettes. I. Am. Dead.
You can see the wedding, in all its glory, here. And, Ree created a ‘Paige Wedding’ highlight, a collection of all her IG wedding stories, here.
Yes, older sister Alex had a very similar wedding on the ranch four years ago and I swooned over it too. I can only hope the Drummond boys opt to marry on the ranch someday.
Speaking of wonderful weddings, happy anniversary to niece Sophie and her husband Chad who will celebrate their third anniversary in about a week.
I shared all the details of their intimate, family wedding here. Sophie and Chad’s family has grown since that happy day.
Memorial Day Sales
I’m not one to shop sales for the sake of shopping sales, that said, this year there are a few things I’m looking for and it makes sense to take advantage of sale pricing.
The first is a TV. Both televisions at Snowberry are staying at Snowberry. Jim has been waiting for the Memorial Day sale at Best Buy to purchase a new TV for our temporary home. He decided on this one.
Have you seen the hilarious Progressive Insurance commencement address commercial? It cracks me up. Some of the hardships of life … ‘putting on a duvet cover, taking off a duvet cover.’ Exactly!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8xqm6bQsAI
And that’s why I opted to buy this Serena & Lily linen comforter for summer which is billed as duvet-like without the aggravation of the on and off struggle. Its 25% off. Better yet it’s machine washable.
The Serena & Lily sale is all over the place from 20% off to 70% off clearance and everything in between. My favorite Beaufort trays are 20% off and, by the way, I’m not leaving them behind, they’re in the ‘pack’ pile.
The past couple of weeks I’ve been experimenting with GoodJane’s evening radiance bundle, an easy 4-step nighttime skincare routine. I’m loving it so far and will share more about it next week. But … this weekend they’re having a Memorial Day site-wide sale so I wanted to mention it. Spend $75 and get $25 off using code 25Memorial at checkout.
GoodJanes Evening Radiance Bundle
Preparing for Our Move
This will be our very last week at Snowberry. Can you believe it? Anderson Bros. Movers will be here on Wednesday to do the final packing … all the fragile stuff. We won’t actually move until the following Monday when Anderson will return to load everything up and deliver it to our temporary home and a storage unit. Pippa and Maggie are unbothered by the chaos swirling around them.
Niece Shelby was in town yesterday. She moved to San Luis Obispo last fall and this is the first time I’ve seen her since then. She came over for lunch and loaded up her car with decor and kitchen stuff.
I toyed with the idea of hosting a big moving sale, but after our buyers asked to purchase the furnishings it no longer made sense. Turns out I still had a ton of stuff and our garage looks like a flea market. Thankfully I have friends, kids of friends and of course niece Shelby who have been happy to take the good stuff off our hands.
Shelby ‘shopped’ the candle aisle, but look at all that remains!
I spent a couple hours in the library this week … categorizing books. I’m going to miss this room for many reasons, not the least of which is the space it allowed me to display my books, and accumulate new books.
Image Jessica Brydson Photography
When I got the idea to turn Snowberry’s original living room into a library I thought I had a lot of books, but the book shelves quickly absorbed them and I ended up buying six feet of Books-by-the-Foot. They have many options, and I chose the cloth-bound classics.
Image Jessica Brydson Photography
The Books-by-the-Foot will be staying behind in Snowberry’s library. I bought sets of these colorful dot labels – they stick to the books, but peel away without leaving residue – to mark the books that are staying, the books to be packed to move with us, and those to donate. Jim dropped the last of the donations at the Orinda Library this week.
All these are coming with us.
Current Favorites ~
So that’s what I have for you today.
As beautiful as that wedding was, give me Sophie and Chad’s wedding any day. Enjoy your last week at Snowberry. One of my favourite homes.
Hi Rita, Sophie and Chad’s wedding was something special and we were so happy to be part of it! xo
hi juliet
i am obsessed with the moving details! must be a Realtor thing! pinned your library because we have something similar!
We are in a middle of remodel in our primary ed bath! xolaura in CO
Laura! I have a ton of sympathy for you in your mid-remodel state. Hopefully it’s done soon and it will be so beautiful you’ll forget all about the dust and inconvenience.Back I go to sorting stuff for the move!!! xo
I chuckled when I read your comment about not touching anything that’s not ours! We have just spent the last 7 months leasing back our house while our new one was under construction. For weeks, we were on pins and needles about damaging anything. We got through it without breaking anything and are now settling into our new home. Moving is stressful at any point in one’s life but especially so when also downsizing. We have donated, given away and thrown away more stuff than I thought possible. Like you, it was just too exhausting to think about factoring a moving sale into the process. Good luck with your move and your next chapter.
Hi Pam … you are so right, we accumulate so much stuff but don’t really realize the extent of it until it’s time to move and, oh boy! Love your long-term lease-back. Wish we could have done that here. Congratulations of your new home!!! xo
Hi Juliet, Thank you for all the pictures of your Pioneer Woman trip l would have totally loved that! And getting on set wow!!
I bought a white skirt this week in a sale and wore it for days feeling very summery. All the very best getting through the final push of moving and leaving.
Thank you, Francesca … can’t wait to be on the other side! xo
Hi Juliet and Jim….love seeing you both on your fun posts. I can’t wait to follow your new adventure…I purchased the Serena & Lily comforter… great recommendation! I’m retiring in 43 days and can’t wait to clean and organize the garage (s)….who knew it was impossible to get garages in order while working??? Enjoy your new home !!
xoxo,
Patty
Patty! Congratulations on your retirement! That’s BIG news. Focusing on organizing your garage will be a great transitionary distraction. Seriously, Jim’s first six weeks of retirement has been filled with organizing and packing and he hasn’t had a second to think about how the transition’s going. I ordered the sky comforter and can’t wait for it to get here. And I took off our duvet cover for the last time and it was exhausting. Anyway, I hope you like the comforter as much as I expect to. xoxo
I love that white skirt – so summery but I also noticed your super pretty necklace! I’d love the info on it if it’s at all purchase-able.
Temporary living situations are tricky but you’ll be in your new home before you know it. Sending homey vibes.
Hi Jenny … I’m loving this skirt too. As for the necklace, it’s a piece I bought at a bazar a couple of years ago from a local artesian … but I have no info. Oof. Sorry. Thanks for your well wishes … we’ll be on the other side of this soon. xo
Hi Juliet,
Oh yes it is bittersweet seeing items pulled off the shelves for moving or donation. Your niece is very lucky to be the recipient of your lovely goods. It was fun to see the wedding photos of Paige Drummond since I no longer follow Pioneer Woman. That was some big shindig! Enjoy the long holiday weekend. Xo
Happy holiday weekend to you too, Karen! xo
Hi Juliet,
I can’t believe you’re already down to the end at Snowberry. That was fast! I was excited that you were initially planning a big moving sale, so I’m sad you no longer have that plan on the table. If you still have anything left, let me know. I’d love to help lighten the load! 🙂
That Drummond wedding is just beautiful. Those flowers! Thank you for sharing it with us. Happy anniversary to Sophie and Chad – I’m not sure how it has already been 3 years since the wedding. Their family is darling.
I’m still hopeful that you plan on doing a post of the results of the Snowberry gardens.
You have a busy week ahead-good luck on the move!
Janet
Janet, our garden is looking fabulous right now! We finally found the right place for roses (rose trees) and everything look perfect. I need to take some snaps before we go. I was looking forward to a moving sale too and then everything happened so fast and the furniture – plus much of the decor was gobbled up. By the time the nieces and BFF’s girls claimed their share we were depleted. I guess it was easier that way … but not as much fun. Anyway, thanks for checking in … when it’s time to plant our little garden at the new house I know you’ll have good advice. Hope you’re enjoying a fun holiday weekend! xo
Can’t wait to follow your adventures to the new house! And if you come to visit Shelby in SLO you have to stop by the beach in Cayucos to say hi!
Oh my gosh, Susan! We were just talking about a trip to visit Shelby once we get settled in our temporary home. I’ll definitely let you know and I’d love to meet up! xo
Juliet, I love cocktails! I cannot wait to try this one! Blueberry is not my favorite berry flavor, I might substitute raspberry.
You look beautiful in your white skirt.
I cannot believe this is your last week at Snowberry. Moving is always bittersweet, you’re ready to go but the memories and fun still tug on your heartstrings.
I hope the move goes smoothly and you are in your temporary home and ready for the next adventure soon.
Take care my friend and have a lovely weekend.
xo
Thanks so much, Elizabeth. You’re no stranger to moving, renovating and all the fun and games that go along with it. Raspberry jam would be just as delicious in this drink … and pretty. Hope you’re enjoying a wonderful long weekend. xo
How do you like your pretty Quince skirt? Did you get it hemmed? I think we might be the same size 5’5””, 120lbs. Did you get the extra small size? Skirt too voluminous? Sometimes I get tired of sending everything back because they’re too small or too big.
Congratulations on your move! I don’t think I could ever leave Snowberry as it’s fantastic. I do understand wanting to be closer to fun things as we age though. Good luck this week with packing.
Jeanne … I ordered the small skirt. I considered having it hemmed, but after wearing it twice I think I like the length. Thanks for the good wishes for the week ahead. I’m looking forward to being on the other side of this. Happy holiday weekend! xo
I had no idea what a special visit you had to pioneer woman’s set!! Her daughters wedding looks stunning!
Your tiered maxi skirt from Quince looks fabulous!! And wow!! Your organization with the color coded stickers….
Can you believe they allow visitors to up to the Lodge … I hope they still do it on non-filming days. Its was so fun! xo
Hi Juliet, so sorry I’m so late to this. Really enjoyed hearing about your experience going down to that farm. How neat that must’ve been. The wedding looks really beautiful.
I cannot believe you’re leaving Snowberry already. That went really fast. Amazing you guys got rid of so much. I would keep all those candles. They look beautiful. I’m sure Shelby got some great things. Anybody who’s your niece is lucky!!
Can’t believe Sophie’s been married three years already. Just seems like yesterday you shared their pretty wedding.
I’m gonna go check out that skin care it looks wonderful. I have rosacea and a super sensitive so I’m wondering how it is for people with those kinds of skins I’ll go read and see if it says anything. It sounds lovely.
I adore your skirt. I’m sure you’ll wear that a ton this summer. I might need to get one too!
Enjoy your duvet cover – last week I ordered one too and in blue, but in sateen from them!
xo