Sunday Morning Harvest...

 

After a busy weekend of showings, the day kicked off in the garden, enjoying a harvest of radishes. Making room for summer goodness... Tomatillos and snacking peppers are taking their place today. The pick is so satisfying, isn’t it?

Garden Explosion!

My oh my how the plantings of June pay dividends in September?! Pepper and tomato party at Casa de Nenonen.

Hello, Thursday... a peek at my morning.

 The joy of keeping a summer vegetable garden? 

You awake to a treasure hunt every day! Have a terrific day, friends.

How does your garden grow?

Exciting things are happening in the garden...

I’ve always heard “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow” and how true?! There has been no greater test of my patience, faith, and hope than this fun backyard project. The progress is astounding. What a difference six weeks makes 🥦🥕🥬...

Just for Fun: Sweet September!

Tis the season! Farewell begonias, hello pumpkins...

I took advantage of the lovely weekend forecast to acknowledge September with a little touch of Fall curb appeal at Casa de Nenonen.🍁

We have a volunteer!

In a great big world of succulents... 

...don’t be afraid to be a petunia! 🌱❤️

Morning harvest with my girl...

Nothing says “Good Morning” in mid-July... 

... like a healthy harvest of beautiful ripe tomatoes from your garden! 

Hello Friday, Herbed Lemonade recipe toast!

Hello, Friday and Memorial Day weekend! Nothing screams “SUMMER!” in Casa de Nenonen like Herbed Lemonade...

Honestly, it’s one of the driving forces to maintain my container herb garden. Plop them in to the lemonade of your choice and steep for a few hours. It’s that simple!

I add a touch of cucumber vodka and a spritz of club soda for the adults. The kids- a touch of 7-Up or Sprite. Don’t be afraid of the savory herbs like dill, basil, oregano, and rosemary! I also toss in cocktail favorites like mint, lavender, and edible flowers like pansies.

Spring has Sprung: A May Checklist For Homeowners

Due to cooler temperatures and an incredible amount of rain, St. Louis has been slow to switch focus to our outdoor living spaces.  It has been a busy week here in Casa de Nenonen as we too play catch-up and continue to slowly prepare our yard for warmer weather between bouts of rain.  Parallel to that, we have had a rotating door of contractors visiting this week to do everything from power wash the exterior to aerate and fertilize the lawn.  

While I take a lot of pleasure in the planting and garden aspect of the process (my herb starters-hurray!)...

The money and time-management of the other projects?  Yeah, not-so-fun.  That being said, I have learned over 20+ years of home ownership that being proactive in the Spring almost always reduces an enormous amount of headache in the Summer and Fall.  I will also note that my weekend showings served as a terrific reminder (aka a serious kick-in-the-pants) to get started as 5 of the 11 properties that I showed in the rain this weekend had wet basements.  ALL FIVE OF THEM HAD GUTTERS OVERFLOWING WITH LEAVES.  Not a coincidence, friends. Read more about preventing water in your home HERE.

As we get periodic breaks in the rain, place your focus here Homeowners:

Clean Home Exterior:               

_ Clear all gutters, downspouts, and exterior drains of debris

_ Clean siding (TIP: if you have this professionally done like we do every other year, generously spray your plants with the hose right before the power washers arrive to protect your landscape from absorbing the chemicals.)

_ Decks and Porches: Clean, make repairs,stain

_ Patios: Clean and repair as needed

_ Windows and Screens: Clean and make repairs

Landscape:

_ Rake Leaves

_ Aerate, fertilize, and seed lawn

_ Prune shrubs (tip for pruning grasses HERE)

_ Remove weeds

_ Mulch garden beds 

Miscellaneous:

_ Check Sprinkler system

_ Schedule termite and pest inspection

_ Service your mower, have blades sharpened 

_ Check fences and gates

_ Seal driveway

_ Test outdoor lighting 

_ Inspect concrete for patching needs

_ Inspect brick for tuck pointing needs

_ Check roof for damage

_ Repair peeling paint 

_ Stain or reseal exterior wood 

How does your garden grow?

Even if you lack garden space (and a green thumb), you can grow your own veggies!

Our organic salad greens container is loving all of this St. Louis rain. 🌱🌦

Spring Fever!

Immersing myself in our garden over the past 2 days has left me with a serious case of Spring fever. I forgot how much I missed my “dirt therapy” and the simple flavors of the growing season!

Pretty plate of sunshine to start the day... hello, Tuesday! 🌸☀️

Celebration of Spring at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas...

I snuck away to Las Vegas for a quick weekend... 

There is no more lovely place to celebrate Spring than at the stunning Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden. Talk about pretty in pink?! Had to share!

We never travel to Las Vegas without a visit to the conservatory.   In fact, it is typically one of our very 1st stops.  Each season, the resort's talented and creative horticulturists 100% transform the 14,000 sqft space to the distinctive sights, sounds, and colors of that particular season.  Photos do not do it justice friends, I promise. It takes my breathe away ever single time, and this visit was no different. 💗

Learn more about the garden display HERE.

Just For Fun: Spring in Casa de Nenonen

Sweet Spring, I missed you and the return of the simple pleasures of life outside of work that I enjoy so much:  Time in my garden, bird song, sunrise breakfast on the deck accented with the herbs and greens I grow myself, lazy late night meals under the stars with my family,  more time in the woods spent lost in nature with my pup, and more hours of gorgeous sunlight. 🎔

Spring is indeed a time of regrowth and renewal and the energy is contagious!  I missed it dearly.

While I have always enjoyed the fun resurgence and swift pace of business that the Spring market delivers each year professionally, personally, life has felt a bit like a high speed train recently, as well.  My oldest graduates in a couple of weeks and has chosen Bradley University for his next journey...

My youngest has taken high school by storm, rocking drum line, varsity wrestling, and this exciting (yet frightening) new venture...

Typically, Spring is pretty much "business as usual" for our family, but this one has caused much pause and reflection as we carefully document the tides of change...

Life is happening for my babies and it is happening quickly. The past few months have been eye-opening to how little time I have left with these two as they tiptoe closer to Adulthood every single day.  Bittersweet.  *sigh*

Anyhoo, as we quickly barrel ahead towards Summer 2017, here is a teeny tiny peek at a slice of Spring here in Casa de Nenonen. ..

Green grass, green thumb.

The upside to all of this rain?

We have gotten 2 new trees, 3 flowering shrubs, and 2 flats of colorful annuals in the ground at Casa de Nenonen. Our herb garden is started and our ornamental pots and urns are filled with everything from impatiens to fragrant mandevilla.

When Life hands you rain, get your hands dirty!

Summer Recipe: Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction

The mild St. Louis summer that we have enjoyed thus far has resulted in a major herb surplus in Casa de Nenonen, most notably basil...

It makes me so happy, I swear.  While I have been busy preserving much of it, I have also been incorporating as much as I possibly can into our late night tiki-lit family dinners on the deck!  

In my opinion, no recipe highlights the superstars of the summer growing season like a simple caprese salad, as the 3 components perfectly compliment and highlight one another.  A caprese is easy to make, requires little prep, and can be presented in numerous ways to accommodate a large party or a creative dinner party take-a-long!

Here is my favorite recipe to doll up my garden tomatoes and basil with a tangy balsamic reduction... Bon Appétit!

Just For Fun: Force bulbs to bloom indoors to cure the Winter Blues!

Have a case of the winter blahs?  Need a little Spring inspiration?

Bulbed perennials like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, paperwhites, and irises do NOT need the nutrients of soil and can be forced with an empty vase, a couple inches of decorative rock, a handful of flower bulbs, water filled to the bottom of the bulbs, and a sunny spot.  

My tulips burst yesterday and I couldn't be happier!  I have already started two more vases to ensure fresh flowers in my house until Spring.

Click HERE for helpful tips on how to start your own indoor bulb blooms.

Grow Your Own Wheatgrass- Easy, inexpensive, & foolproof!

It is that time again- weeding, prepping, planting!  Love it. 

I have had numerous visitors to my house over the years inquire about how I grow my wheatgrass.  As I just seeded this year's pot last week, I figured I would share!   DO NOT buy an overpriced kit.  This process is so easy.

Purchase 1/4 lb of Organic Hard Red Wheat Berries from the Whole Foods bulk section.  That is WAY more than enough, trust me...

Place enough seeds for a single layer in your chosen pot in a bowl and soak in water for 3 hours... 

Fill your growing container with organic soil (if plan is to juice/ingest it) and soak it!  You want SUPER moist soil.   NOTE:  a pot is NOT necessary!  You only need approximately 1 inch of soil.  I have seen people grow wheatgrass in everything from teacups (for a cute table centerpiece) to enormous troughs.  Anything goes! 

Next, spread the wheat berries in a thin single layer atop the soil and give them a good spray with a spray bottle of water...

Place container in a sunny area and continue to generously spray the wheat berries 5-8 times per day to keep them moist.  Within a couple of days you will have this...

Within 5 days you will have THIS...

Within 10 days, you will have a pot of mature grass perfect for smoothies, recipes, juicing, or garnishes!  Trim as needed and keep it moist.  That's it!

Not everything that happens there stays there!

A girlfriend and I snuck off to Las Vegas for 5 days for long overdue catchup and a little fun in the sun. While there are numerous things that I adore about grandiose Vegas, there are many sights I find myself returning back to every trip. The Bellagio  Hotel being one of them.

Obviously, who doesn't adore the dancing fountains?!

They are both beautiful and fun.

Carrie Hint:  Head to Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris hotel (across from the Bellagio) around 4:30 (no later or there will be an enormous line) and request a patio seat.  Enjoy a long and DELICIOUS drawn out 4 course  meal over French martinis, the fountains, sunset, and the BEST people-watching in town...

It is SO perfect, that we do it every return trip to Las Vegas!

Anyhoo, back to my point of this post:  my favorite part of the Bellagio,  besides Dale Chihuly's beautiful hand blown Fiori di Como?  The Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, aka A Little Piece of Heaven!  The display changes 5x/year and it is nothing short of STUNNING!

Every time I walk into the sun-drenched atrium, I truly lose my breathe.  It never gets old.   Wonderland with surprises around every corner.  Well, Harvest has arrived in the Conservatory.  I felt compelled to share...

This site is FREE and open 24/7.  You must see it during the day and at night!