Bricks ‘n Blooms Weekly 154
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!
I had every intention of planting bulbs, garlic, and bearded irises over the last week but I had a minor calamity that prevented me from working in the beds this week.
My husband was at the Vermont house last weekend winterizing the cabin for winter. And my kids were all out for the weekend but coming home for Sunday dinner.
So I decided to whip up my special Sunday sauce with meatballs that I bake in the oven.
I had a late start so I was working pretty quickly. We’ve got 3 ovens here so I’m able to do a lot of work at the same time.
I got my meatballs and sweet Italian sausages in the oven to get that going and started working on the gravy.
As an aside, do you call it gravy or Sunday sauce? Let me know in the comments below. I mix it up between the two but was raised to call it gravy.
Anywho, as I was opening my peeled tomato cans I sliced my left ring finger near the nail bed.
I wondered whether it needed a stitch or not because of how it looked but decided to clean it, apply pressure, and see how it was.
Has that ever happened to you before?
It was a U-shaped cut so it would not be easy to stitch up. So I decided to keep it covered, wrapped it well, and hoped for the best.
The cut stopped bleeding after a few hours and I was able to get a bandaid on it without it soaking through.
So should I have gone to get it stitched up? Maybe.
At this point, I decided, to just take it easy, let it heal, and don’t do anything that might wreck that process.
To make a short story long, I decided to opt out of planting this week and resume fall plantings next week after my finger has had a chance to heal more.
It looks pretty good now, so all is well.
Big News!
In BIG BIG news, I was shared in both Better Homes and Gardens and People Magazine this week, how crazy is that???
On Friday, I was preparing to post some short-form videos on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, when I received a direct message from a writer that she shared me in this article for Better Homes and Gardens.
I mean – I literally almost fainted just seeing the message! WHAT????
So I quickly searched online for the link and was really happy to see my name and TikTok shared among some incredible gardeners that I admire.
And then! A few short hours later I got a message from Jen Lilley – do you know her? She’s an actress who organized the charity Christmas Is Not Canceled that benefits Toys for Tots.
It’s a great charity and there was a huge event yesterday with some popular 90’s actors that include, Joey Lawrence, Dave Coulier, Danica Mckellar, Andrea Barber, Martha Sokoloff, and more.
Anyway, there’s a full schedule of classes you can take when you register with Christmas University. I’m teaching a tablescape class on November 4 (you can get the full schedule of classes here and register to join here) and she mentioned me in this People Magazine article.
I was thrilled to be included with some actors that I watched ALL THE TIME. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d see my name in a People Magazine article and yet, there I am! So cool!
What I’m Shopping For This Week
I did some shopping for a few items that you may be interested in for your home. Wait until you see the cool things I found!
- This faux kalanchoe plant is great to tuck into to green up indoor spaces without the fuss. I have a few that look similar and love them but can’t get them anymore. So I snagged a few of these to tuck in around the house. Yes, I can grow the real plant, but you can put these anywhere in your home and they are good all year round. And because they are neutral, they never clash with seasonal decor.
- I LOVE these dish towels for fall and just bought them. The color combo is gorgeous!
- I didn’t buy these, but I LOVE the flatware. If I was in the market for new flatware, this would be it for me because I love that vintage vibe! They’d look beautiful on a Thanksgiving or Christmas table, don’t you think?
- As I’m slowly organizing my kitchen, these drawer organizers will work well for me. I have lots of drawers and would free up some cabinet space by getting these in a drawer.
- And we just bought a few of these pull-out drawers and shopped around for different sizes. Chris installed a few already and they have been a game-changer with storage in my kitchen!
Free Downloadable Guide With Book Preorder
Did you hear the news?
You get a free downloadable guide that shares how to get year-round color in your landscape with flowers and foliage.
This free, downloadable guide is only available if you preorder now. It’s like a bonus chapter AND you get a few garden designs created by me that you can’t get anywhere else.
Why Preorder My Book
- Have you never met a plant you couldn’t kill?
- Have you dug around in the dirt with nothing to show for it except a sunburn and a sore back?
- Do you currently enjoy growing flowers, but are looking for more tips and ideas to level up your gardening game?
Then the Bricks ‘n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful and Easy Care Garden Book is for YOU!
What’s in the Bricks ‘n Blooms Guide?
- Gardening basics to set you up for success
- Great garden design ideas with ready-made plans for you to follow
- Easy-care instructions for a wide variety of flowering annuals, perennials, and shrubs
- Helpful how-tos for container and cut flower gardening
- Graphs, charts, and lists to help you stay organized
My book publishes on February 6, 2024, but you can preorder now and get a special pre-order bonus chapter you can’t get when the preorder period closes.
Order your copy here and then fill out this form here to download the bonus content.
What’s Happening at Bricks ‘n Blooms
It was a fun week on the blog!
We went on an antiquing adventure in Waco, Texas where I found some beautiful vintage items that I WISH I could have brought home with me.
Seriously, that painting would look so good here in my home! It’s haunting me that I didn’t get it.
I also shared my go-to side dish for fish, poultry, and meat main courses.
Crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside, these herb roasted fingerling potatoes are an easy and delicious side dish.
Wait until you try this insanely good recipe.
I can’t believe it, but we are already starting to look at the holidays. Thanksgiving is just around the corner!
If you need some Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving ideas, I got you. Wait until you see these must-try decorating, entertaining, and food menu ideas for the big occasion!
Have you ever wondered to yourself, “Are hydrangeas deer resistant?” With lots of diverse opinions out there, the answer may surprise you.
Learn everything you need to know about whether hydrangeas are deer-resistant plants with these simple tips.
And I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but the holidays are right around the corner! If you want to decorate for Christmas early but are not quite ready to give up fall, I got you!
Learn how to decorate for Thanksgiving and Christmas for a festive, seamless look with these simple tips.
Finally, I also shared 25 must-try Thanksgiving party ideas. If you are hosting or in need of a recipe to bring to a Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving dinner party, this post has lots of great inspiration.
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 secondhand thrift store finds were given a new life.
- These handmade pottery earthenware treasures.
- This easy Christmas simmer pot recipe.
- This tartan plaid photo frame.
- I love this cinderella pumpkin bundt cake recipe!
- These DIY mini pumpkin bowls are the cutest for serving chili!
- And these tips for making a toilet paper flower.
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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Enjoy a beautiful day! xo
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