This is going to be a genuine catch-all of rambles, so get a drink to sip on and let’s dive in, shall we?
Blog Updates
You may not have noticed, but I’ve added 2 blog pages that I’ve been wanting to incorporate for some time now. The first, Recipes, is self-explanatory but something I am very excited about adding. For the last several months I’ve been tinkering with layout options and WP “blocks” trying to find the best way to share these recipe posts. Currently, you can click the caption/name of the recipe and be taken to the original post for all the details. I’m toying with the idea of making downloadable PDFs for each recipe too — is this something that would be helpful? Or are most people used to using blog posts as cookbooks now?
The second page is: What’s in Bloom. As the name suggests, this page will show you what’s in bloom at the moment. For now it will be divided {approximately} by months, with photo carousels showcasing the flowers available. Since some flowers have longer blooming periods, there will be some overlap month-to-month, but this will also be a nice way to watch the seasons unfold. It also makes me feel more like an official flower farmer, having my availability listed online.
Other posts/blogs I’ve been loving:
While March was something of a black hole for me online, I do want to circle back around to sharing blog posts from around the webz. This is a small sampling, and I need to devise a better system for keeping up with posts I want to share … I’ve also had the immense honor of being included in several lists myself, among fabulous company, so I’ll link to those as well.
- 11 Days, 3 Countries: Yesha shared a wonderful recounting of the trip her family took in March. This is a long post, with many details and photos, and is perfect if you’re needing a dose of “traveling vicariously” this Spring.
- The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist: Elisabeth and her family are currently living in Europe, and she is doing such a fabulous job documenting their adventures. I have major travel envy, and also a lot of catching up to do.
- A Curated Reading List to “Savor” in 2026: I found this one via another blog {I think Erin’s?}, and it is such a lovely list of books I simply had to include it here.
- Cozy Mysteries with a Gardening Theme: Speaking of Erin, she posted a Top Ten Tuesday roundup of gardening themed mysteries, and the result is absolutely adorable.
- Embroidery Book Sweater Update 6: Leslie is taking “book craft” to a whole new level with this embroidery project, and I am in awe.
- I am so honored that Lisa included me in a Sunday Bookends post; Charlotte mentioned two of my posts in her March Community post {this one has so many links to awesome posts; Charlotte has been busy reading and finding the good stuff!}; and Briana shared a post in her 10 Interesting Posts from the Book Blogosphere You May Have Missed in March 2026 list.
Pink tree
I’ve got to give a shoutout to this tree. Every year it is absolutely slammed full of ruffly blooms, and I love it. As the blooms fade, and the leaves start coming in more, the petals fall in a shower of pink that is equally enchanting. I’m not sure why, but trees that bloom pink are just better.
Bunny season!
In case you haven’t noticed, we have a lot of wildlife around here. And somehow, even with all the predators, we have a lot of bunnies. A lot. This year promises to be a bumper crop of bunny rabbits, if the number bouncing around my yard this week are any indication. While writing this, I am watching 2 bunnies chase each other around the perimeter of the chicken fence. One came to eat dandelion puffs like spaghetti, right outside the window. The cuteness is overwhelming, and I wish I was able to capture it, but window screens do not play well with cameras.
Coffee
Last week, something tragical happened in the kitchen: first thing Friday morning, the electric kettle died, and Mr had to boil water on the stove for the French press. That same night, the French press broke! And when I say “broke,” I mean “shattered.” A new kettle was already on the way {thanks to Amazon}, but we decided to add a stop to our Saturday errands and pick up a new French press at Target. Isn’t she a beauty? I feel so fancy and European while making coffee now.
It’s only fitting we have a beautiful coffeemaker, since we order Tanzanian peaberry beans {in bulk} and grind them fresh ourselves. Quality coffee definitely is one indulgence we make.
Dandelion puffs
I have always, always, loved these things. When I saw these against that stunner of a sunset, I knew I needed to try and capture the whimsy.
The sunsets have been glorious, with glowing color. This one made the air rosy pink.
Garden friends
While watering the other evening, I noticed movement in the peonies. Since there’s always potential for it to be a nonwelcome visitor, I took a closer look. The mantis babies hatched!
As much as I enjoy hibernation season, it is nice to see the world waking up again. The blooms and green things growing, as well as new animal friends.
Has Spring sprung for you yet?
What kind of coffee do you drink? Or tea – we also like Scottish Breakfast for hot tea.
I used to be fairly boring about my coffee (Folgers Colombian), but my girlfriend likes to surprise me with gifts of coffee bags from different places she sees. I recently finished off some “bourbon pecan” that was quite nice. No actual bourbon, of course….that and customer service face don’t play nice together.
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Oh, and I really like the What’s in Bloom section! What block is that? I’ve used a photo gallery block one last year when the month was too rich to capture in just one shot…
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Thank you! It is the “slideshow” block – I found it by searching all blocks, and testing a thousand different ways to do what I wanted to do, lol
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Ahhh. thanks!
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That’s how we discovered the Tanzanian Peaberry coffee! I got Mr a “Coffee Around the World” subscription our first year married, and one of the months was that – we loved it so much we hunted down a source. 🙂
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The new pages on your blog look lovely. I love how you’ve set both of them out and will have to remember to keep an eye out for updates 🥰 I read recipes on my phone (mostly because I no longer have a printer). I imagine there are some people who’d like other options though.
Thanks for linking to my list. I need to find a better way of tracking mine too. Or rather to keep on top of it more. Atm I save links in my phone notes – as I do my blog hopping on my phone – but I need to move them over into post format more frequently to avoid a last minute catch up rush with that and my monthly wrap up at the end of each month.
Im loving those embroidery book sweater updates too and the cosy mysteries linked to gardening sound cute (and perfectly timed with one of your challenges).
The tree looks beautiful and the petal ‘snow’ looks just like flowers in the grass. I always love seeing the blossom and magnolias at this time of year. Your sunset pictures are gorgeous and Im a little jealous that you get to see bunnies play in your garden. Although I also don’t know how they’d fare with the number of cats around near me if we had them wild here.
Losing a kettle and coffee press in the same day sounds stressful. Im glad you’ve managed to replace both. Since my mum got a coffee machine for her birthday I’m so used to the fresh stuff that I don’t really like instant anymore. It just can’t compete 😂
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Thank you! 🥰 I am happy with the way they turned out, and hope they’ll be a helpful/nice addition to the blog 🙂
With the coyotes and foxes and bobcats around here, not to mention some wandering tomcats and hawks, I am amazed we have as many rabbits. {Can you imagine how many there would be without predators?!}
I didn’t drink coffee until we got married, so my introduction to the stuff was fresh-ground fancy coffee … Mr jokes that he made me a coffee snob from the get-go, lol
Adding links to a post as I find them might be the ticket – I already keep a draft post running as I finish monthly reads, so I could either do better including the links in that post, or make another one … hmm. Good thoughts.
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Oh wow thats a lot of predatory wildlife in your area. We just have foxes. And I suppose that just goes to show that there’s some truth in the statement about ‘at it like rabbits’ 😂
Oh lol sounds like a good introduction to coffee at least. I found it too bitter for years. I think flavoured varieties gradually introduced me to coffee and now I love unflavoured straight up coffee too, as long as it comes with milk and sweetener 😂
I hope you find a system to works for you. Trying to catch up on everything last minute can be somewhat stressful at times otherwise.
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Such beautiful photos! The pink blooming tree is amazing. I like your new pages for recipes and blooms!
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Thank you! ❤
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So many reading blogs!!! I had no idea most of these existed, and I just went down a major rabbit hole and clicked on all the links. So fun.
Speaking of rabbits… is there anything cuter??? Are you seeing babies? I’m envious.
Your photos are beautiful! I love the ones of the dandelion puffs.
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So so many reading blogs! And this barely scratched the surface of the amazing blogs I’ve found! 😀 I’m glad you had a rabbit hole journey 🙂
I haven’t seen any itty-bitty babies yet this year, but some of the ones running around are probably the first litter as teenagers? They’re not full size, but they’re not lemon-sized either. I love when the tiny babies are out in the garden ❤
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Beautiful photos of the sunset and dandelions. I love dandelions! I think your new pages are really cool too. I love your idea of sharing what is in bloom!
I love bunnies. There are never enough! Lol.
Now I need to look that coffee up. I am intrigued.
Thank you for sharing my post about gardening cozies! I have just finished up the whole Enchanted Garden mysteries and it was so cute, and I am about to start Statue of Limitations. Lol. Well, next week, but soon. And I did share that books to savor post – she linked up on our Good Book and a Cup of Tea linky!
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Thank you! 🥰 I have loved dandelions since I was teeny. Family lore has it that when we’d go visit my grandparents, one of the neighbors had a crop of dandelions, and I insisted on blowing every single puffball, lol
Here is the exact coffee we’ve been ordering for several years now: Tanzania Peaberry
We’ve been getting it through Amazon, but when I was looking for their social media to tag on insta, I realized we could be earning reward points + save a few $$ to buy direct. Wahoo!
Yay for gardening cozies and sharing bookish love! 😀 ❤
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Oooh, that sunset looks stunning! Those colors are so vibrant. I feel like it’s been a minute since I’ve seen a sunset. I live in Michigan and our winters are so, so grey. Spring is *just* beginning here. I’ve seen tulips and daffodils start to sprout this week, the grass is certainly green again, and the trees are just not starting to bud the tiniest of leaves. I’m happy to see color in my neighborhood again!
I love a cup of Scottish Breakfast. (Or any of the breakfast blends, really). And I was just thinking about how I should drag the Jin Jun Mei from the back of the cupboard. It’s been a minute since I’ve treated myself to a cup of tea.
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We are fortunate enough to have a very clear western horizon, so our sunsets tend to be gorgeous. That night it was just so saturated and literally glowing 😀
Yay tulips and daffodils! They are such happy promises of the Spring finally coming! I hope that the weather has turned in earnest for y’all now, and you’ll see much more color in your world 🙂
I like Scottish Breakfast best, and then English. Haven’t tried Irish yet, but I’ve heard it’s good. I love a nice strong black tea. The joke was always that I didn’t have to drink coffee because I made my tea so strong, but now I drink both!
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Awww, thank you so much for featuring my book sweater! ❤ March was similar for me. We had spring break and now we are in full swing soccer. I’ve been MIA a lot on the blog. Your photos are always so stunning! ❤ Ohh, your new pages are lovely, especially “what’s in bloom.”
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Thank you! ❤ And you're quite welcome! I am continually in awe of your progress on the sweater! It's just gorgeous 😍
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Thank you so much!! ❤ It's been a minute since I've done an update. I've also been so busy that I'm a bit behind! haha
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[…] the somewhat lighter blog posting that occurred. There was however a diverse range of content, from random Tea Time chatter to a flower farm update, and the first in a new bookish feature. We also got a very exciting […]
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[…] Rebecca shared a lovely tea time update post, including news about her recipe and flower pages and links to other fascinating sounding posts. […]
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