Ethel & Sabel

07/30/2026

My cut garden is starting to produce beautiful bouquets! This morning’s kissed by the rising sun

07/29/2026

This was my mom’s garden shed- yes the rest of our yard looked this beautiful. She was a single mom, worked full time, and spent every weekend in the garden. I always admired her green thumb, and thought mine would forever remain brown. Thankfully mine has started to turn green…on my way to this level!

07/22/2026

I didn’t know Mikayla was taking pics of me living my best life in garden in my nighty. She asked to take a pic of the flowers I cut, and when I saw the other I thought aw I’m romanticizing my life without even realizing it. My happy place is home, with my garden, my animals, and my family.

07/19/2026

Catrina Ballou and I spent the afternoon at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco watching the Dracula Ballet, drawing inspiration for this year's October Ladies Party-the theme: Vampires. We're full of ideas to bring a Gothic theme to life. There's a lot of planning and work ahead, but it promises to be spectacular.

07/09/2026

Hydrangeas have held my heart since childhood — we had one in the deepest purple-blue, and I was completely mesmerized by it. For years I’d drive past a house with a wrap-around porch lined with them and think, someday that will be mine. On hard days, that image carried me.

Now they grow in every shade garden in my yard, and honestly? That little dream came true.

Pink is my preference — all the blush and mauve and dusty rose variations nature will allow. And somewhere in the garden right now, a cutting I brought back from bare sticks this fall is quietly waking up. I’m watching for it.

When I look at them, I feel it — that specific kind of happiness that comes from wanting something for a long time and then actually having it. Not luck. Just patience, and finally getting there.

07/08/2026

Yellowstone adventure.

07/08/2026

Not what I usually share on here, but this is what I’ve been doing, hanging out with my favorite son.

06/15/2026

This year's annual tea party embraced a charming post-WWII/1950s picnic theme set in Cat’s Orchard. We kept things simple this time, but it became one of my all-time favorites! We scored a treasure trove of vintage tablecloths and baskets at our beloved yearly rummage sale, then crafted matching kites and two kinds of bunting to add a festive touch. The menu was delightfully straightforward—everything packed into a basket with a bottle of water, perfect for a relaxed picnic on the blanket! We enjoyed pesto pasta, tri-tip sandwiches, a basket of fresh fruit, and finished with cookies and brownies for a sweet treat.

05/10/2026