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Saturdays on the Porch #60

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Saturdays on the Porch #60 features the latest from OSH in decorating, fashion, and what I've found online from shopping to ideas!

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Check out the most recent Saturdays on the Porch.

Saturdays on the Porch

woman in mirror selfie

I hope you have had a wonderful week. The last 2 weeks have been busy and eventful.

Last week I went to a blogger retreat with 15 other women in Asheville, NC. It was so much fun. I'll share more below.

We started back with our Sunday lunches last week. It was fabulous. We used paper products, which I never do unless dining outside for a cookout.

Our dishwasher was on the fritz. So we decided that with 9, we didn't want to be washing dishes by hand all afternoon. We have a home warranty so we had to wait for the company to send out a repair specialist. Fast forward a week and he finally arrived yesterday. Our dishwasher is a Bosch and was installed when we built our house in 2003/04. This is the first service call on it. It was an amazing dishwasher. It needed a new control panel as well as a pump. They deemed it not worth fixing. The good news is that we are being given $791 towards a replacement. We have a cabinet panel for our current dishwasher and would like to do the same. I plan to head to a local appliance store on Monday to inquire about ordering another Bosch that will accommodate the cabinet panel. You don't realize what this modern convenience means until you are without it.

First Colonoscopy

Yep, I had my first colonoscopy this week.

Prep day was Monday. The liquid diet was no biggie for me. That broth bullion never tasted better. Ha, ha! Also gained a new appreciation for orange jello cups.

I had no trouble drinking the prep in lemon-lime Gatorade. I will say that the medication made me quite nauseated for about 3 hours. I felt horrible. That eventually wore off.

I was prescribed 4 Dulcolax tablets at 5 pm. At 7 pm, I had to mix a bottle of unflavored Miralax with 64 ounces of Gatorade. I then had a drinking schedule that went on until 12:30 am! I am not a night owl. Follow your doctor's prep rules to the tee!

What I had not anticipated was being up the entire night. I did not sleep at all!

I had to be at the hospital at 8:30 am on Tuesday for the 9:30 procedure. Everything went promptly. It only took about 30 minutes. You sleep through it. My doctor sent 2 polyps off for testing but didn't expect any problems. he said all looked well. Hope to get a see you in 10 years report!

Also on OSH!  Plaid Outfit Ideas for the Holidays

Latest on the Blog

In the Kitchen

cooking on a blackstone grill

Last Sunday's lunch was fabulous! I prepped everything on Saturday which made this much easier.

We prepared steak and chicken stir fry.

TIP: You want to make your white rice the day before. You want to make fried rice with cold rice.

The rice and veggies were cooked on the Blackstone griddle. This griddle has quickly become a family favorite. I bought it for my husband's birthday in October.

chicken and steak stir fry

We ate on paper plates, but I plated one on china for you! You can even purchase yum yum sauce at the grocery.

pasta in a blue and white bowl

This was a meal on Thursday night using what we had on hand. Y'all it was so good! I had a pack of cheese tortellini in the fridge plus frozen shrimp. The sauce was made with 1/2 a large can of leftover tomatoes, heavy whipping cream, garlic, parmesan cheese, and an assortment of spices. I LOVE creating pasta dishes with what I have on hand. I also used up 1 zucchini in the fridge that was close to tossing in the trash.

Blogger Retreat

Last week, I was at a blogger retreat in Asheville, NC with 15 other ladies.

We rented a massive Airbnb. I shared a room with 2 other women.

My friend Lauren from Blesser House organized the entire event for us doing an amazing job! She figured up the cost and we paid her over the course of three months. Seriously, it was a 5-star few days!

charcuterie on coffee table

We arrived to cocktails and fabulous charcuterie boards for a meet and greet cocktail time.

We had a chef come and cook us a fabulous meal at the home that evening. You had a choice of steak or fish. I chose the fish. It was fabulous! We didn't even have to do the dishes. The chef and her assistant did it all.

Here is the house on Airbnb if you'd like to see more.

bloggers at dinner
My favorite white sweater is in a size small.

During the day, we worked all day in our pajamas learning all things blogging from each other. Some had been blogging for over 10 years like me and some were newbies. I learned a lot from the newbies!

Friends that I already knew were: Diane from In My Own Style, Sonja from At Home with the Barkers, Beth from Home Stories A to Z, Lauren from Blesser House, and Tasha from Kalidescope Living.

We had breakfast and lunch catered to us each day.

3 women posing together

We had a limo van pick us up for dinner both nights out.

One afternoon before dinner, we went shopping at the Antique Tobacco Barn.

women sitting at table

We had dinner at Rhubarb and Curate in Downtown Asheville.

After dinner, we'd get back in pajamas and hang out. It was an amazing 3 nights!

Also on OSH!  10 Affordable Fall Finds

The Look

We've had quite a bit of rain lately and more is forecast for next week. My husband gave me these waterproof booties for Christmas. They are expensive but are so worth it. He has a tennis shoe version for men. Mine are pull-on bootie with a sneaker feel. They are very comfortable and are truly waterproof. I plan to travel with this next year when we are taking a trip to Europe next October when more rain is expected. They will be great for walking.

Click the arrows to scroll through the photos.

  • woman in mirror selfie
  • woman in mirror selfie
  • woman in mirror selfie

Mirror | Jeans | Monogrammed Flats | Collared Sweater

FIT TIP: I am wearing my true to size Chico's jeans in a .5. The flats are true to size. I had orginally ordered the medium in the sweater and it was way too big. Ashlyn took it. She has very long arms being 6 feet. I reordered it in a small.

The above sweater is great! It's a thicker sweater and a bit pricier for Amazon, but I see the value. It's one of those sweaters that could also pass as a dressy sweatshirt. It also comes in black.

Search for Countertops

We've been looking for new countertops just for our kitchen island for the last month. We finally made the decision yesterday and signed the contract! Now, I've got the decide what to do with the farmhouse sink.

The plan was to purchase a new one. I plan to go looking next week with our dimensions.

The current color is biscuit which is a cream color. Whiter is needed for the new quartz. I'm also considering re-glazing. I'd love to hear if you have any experience with this.

I'll be writing a dedicated post on our quartz process with all details. This is a bad photo of the showroom display, but it gives you the idea.

What I'm Reading

I love to read AND listen to books. If you are looking for a way to get more steps in with your walking…..listen to books! You will want to keep walking to listen. I also listen while doing chores around the house. I will use my earbuds while walking, While in the house I will use a Bluetooth speaker that I can carry around with me or our Alexa.

I read actual printed books as well as on Kindle. I prefer my Kindle, but it is nice to hold a real book occasionally.

I've had my Audible membership for a while, and LOVE it! It gives me one book credit per month.

Let me share with you how I read on Kindle and listen to books as well. Get yourself a library card!

Then add the LIBBY and HOOPLA apps to your phone.

I will typically check to see if a book is available there first before using my credit or buying. Using these 2 apps with your library card is FREE!!! I love FREE.

There may be a waitlist if it is a newer title or popular. That's ok. Sometimes the wait can be lengthy. If I'm not willing to wait, I will just purchase. If it is new or popular, you NEED to finish the book in the allowed checkout time. Sometimes you can renew, and sometimes you may have to get back in the queue. If that happens, when it is available again…..it will download where you left off.

Also on OSH!  Fab Five Friday #7

Get in the habit of always carrying a book with you to get in a little extra time. That way if you are waiting at the doctor's office or to get your car serviced….you are prepared!

It was my goal to read more than 12 books last year, and I completed that task. Check out that list which has been updated with my thoughts on the books. Here is my list for 2024. This is the list of definites for the year. I have a goal of 36 books this year. I will sprinkle in lots of audiobooks as well.

  • I have a list of 12 books to read physically this year (1 per month) in addition to my audiobooks. You can find the complete list here.
  • I just finished Lessons in Chemistry and absolutely loved it! The setting is the early 1960s and centers around a female chemist and her navigating a man's world. It's fun with a little romance and heartache. It is so worth a read!
  • Up next on my list is Not a Happy Family. This is a murder mystery. Parents are murdered, and we will be trying to solve who did it……their kids are suspects!

What We've Bought

Thank you so much for being here today with me! I hope your weekend is joyful.

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white blouse and jeans

Christy has been creating content for Our Southern Home since 2012. She has been featured in numerous print and online publications. Her classic, eclectic design approach spans her home and fashion style. Christy has a way of mixing store-bought with thrift store, antique and vintage finds. As a recent empty nester, she is having fun navigating this new stage of life. Read more about Christy HERE. Be sure to subscribe below. You can also contact me HERE.

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3 Comments

  1. Great post! That blogger retreat looked like a blast…like a mini-Haven! Probably more fun though… I need to check out your book recommendations. I’m trying to read more too. And I always bring a book with me in the car since I’m always waiting somewhere to pick up my son! Have a great week!
    Shelley

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