Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly 151
Hi there!
I hope you had a great week!
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Random Things Happening Behind the Scenes at Bricks ‘n Blooms
What a week it was!
Today is a big day for me! I’m heading to Waco, Texas for the Achieve Conference for bloggers and influencers.
It’s a great opportunity to learn new things while hanging out with some of my blogging besties like Anne and AnnMarie from Simply 2 Moms and Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse.
I’m leaving today and it’s going to be a long day of travel as I have a layover in Dallas before I hop on a quick flight to Waco.
Let’s hope nothing cancels my flights this trip!
And I’m staying an extra day so I can do some touristy things and dine with my besties at Magnolia Table.
I cannot wait!
Head over to my Instagram this week to keep up with the week!
This week, we celebrated my husband Chris’ birthday. We went out to dinner with his parents and sisters. It was also my sister-in-law’s birthday, so we had one big birthday dinner for both of them.
In sad news, we closed the pool and hot tub for the season. I shed a few tears as I watched the cover go on. Ah….until next year!
It was a rainy week here, so I didn’t get out and do as much in the gardens as I wanted. With traveling and preparing for that, I just didn’t have the time.
So hopefully, everything will hold up until I get back!
Before I left, I potted up my front porch planters for fall. I wanted to do it last weekend, but we had SO MUCH RAIN I didn’t get a chance to get out there. So I got it done real quick the other day and love how the porch looks now!
We’ve got another two weeks of pond life before they get closed up and netted for the season.
Last year, we put a dye in the front pond to help protect the fish from predators during the winter.
It was very effective and worked well, so we’ll be doing that again this year too. Speaking of the ponds, a blue heron dropped by the backyard the other day.
My dog Koda was going NUTS at the back door, so I let her out to chase it away. We have our 5 koi fish in the small back pond and don’t want them to get eaten.
So I moved Bob to the backyard to help protect the fish too until we net the pond. I hope the birds stays away! Not sure if he saw the fish or not. UGH!
What I’m Shopping For This Week
This week, I was all about prepping for my trip, fall looks, and organizing my kitchen!
When we moved here, we just threw things in cabinets so it is time to figure things out to make it more user-friendly.
And it’s going to be in the mid-90s all week long in Waco, so I bought and packed some essentials!
Here’s what I shopped for this week!
- This 2-tiered drawer and this single drawer for kitchen cabinets. (We already installed a few and they are AWESOME!)
- This spice drawer organizer. I just had my spices floating around in a drawer but not anymore!
- This cute tennis dress in a few colors. It’s a great deal, has great reviews, and it sounds like I’ll be pretty comfortable kicking around the silos in 90-degree-plus heat!
- This under-eye brightener and tightener is seriously the best. I use it all the time and needed more!
- This eye shadow primer is also amazing. I just ran out so needed another one!
- I am IN LOVE with these pants. Not for Waco, but I’m thinking Thanksgiving!
- These cool earrings and necklace.
- This crossbody bag is SO CUTE.
- I’m thinking about getting this jacket for fall.
- This sweater coatigan. I can’t have enough of these types of sweaters. They are essential for me during the cozy season.
- This mixed henley.
- And this oversized flannel shirt.
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What’s Happening at Bricks ‘n Blooms
It was a fun week on the blog!
For starters, I shared a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight dinner you’ve got to try! I was inspired by an appetizer we used to order in Vermont that they don’t offer any more on the menu.
It tastes so good and is really easy to whip up. Get the recipe here.
In the garden, I shared how to use fallen leaves to improve your garden. It’s so easy to do and a no-brainer to try if you aren’t already doing this.
And the best part is you don’t need a lot of space to make it.
Learn how to make leaf mold with these simple tips.
And finally, it was supper club week! This month, the girls and I celebrated the season with an adult Halloween party.
I LOVE how my table turned out for this one! Wait until you see the centerpiece for the dining table.
In addition to some entertaining ideas and party decor, we shared some insanely good Halloween food ideas too. Get the menu here.
Amazing Inspiration from Around the Web
I love finding cool inspiration from around the web and wanted to share some of what I’m loving right now.
- These budget friendly fall decorating ideas.
- This dollar tree Halloween table idea.
- These simple caramel apple bites.
- This pumpkin spice apple sangria for fall.
- This pumpkin flower arrangement is gorgeous!
- And these DIY fridge magnets are genius!
If you enjoy these posts, you can find past Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly posts here.
And… If you’re catching up on blog posts you may have missed, be sure to sign up to get my newest posts via email to stay up to date with everything that’s happening here on the blog and more.
Garden Supplies I Use
I’m often asked about the garden supplies and tools that I use most. From pruners to deer repellents, here are some of my favorites in no particular order.
- I like to use a good-quality, potting soil, garden soil, compost, and perlite when planting. While I make my own compost, you can easily buy it ready-made for use.
- I have used this deer repellent with great success. But now, I’m all about this deer repellent that is systemic instead of topical. This means the plant takes it in as opposed to it just smelling bad.
- Hands down this is my favorite hand-weeding tool. You can use it to get underneath roots and loosen soil, and it cuts down on the weeding time because you work much faster.
- But I also love this long, stand-up weeding tool to really get around roses from afar.
- I use THIS ORGANIC FERTILIZER for roses because the blooms are more prolific and it’s organic.
- And I use this organic fertilizer for my vegetables and herbs in the potager garden.
- You’ll need a sharp set of pruners when working with plants and flowers. I buy a few so I can stash them around.
- I use these garden snips to deadhead and cut flowers from my gardens.
- Where pest and disease problems are concerned, if I need to, I generally use this insecticidal soap or neem oil to help control infestations depending on the issue. When using, only apply when pollinators are less active.
- This is my favorite set-and-forget slow-release fertilizer for houseplants, annuals, and container gardens.
- Whenever I stake my peonies or other plants, I generally use these grow-through garden supports because they work really well and keep the blooms upright.
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Thank you so much for following along.
Enjoy a beautiful day! xo
About Me
Want to learn more about me?
I’m a master gardener who’s been gardening and growing things for over 25 years. With a deep passion for gardening, I enjoy helping others find their inner green thumb with all things plants and flowers, as well as find ways to bring the outdoors inside their homes too.
Get the inside scoop about my background as a master gardener, education, and experience, as well as why I started blogging.
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