What’s the Tea: Spring Planning

Here’s to a new week and the approach of a new month! I can’t believe March will be here on Sunday. January seemed like a well-paced month, but then I blinked and now February is almost over. Anyone else feeling that way!?

It’s been a couple of weeks since I did a “What’s the Tea” post on IBC. Many of you seem to enjoy this type of post, so I’ll try to do them more regularly. Today I have lots to share with you, so let’s get started!

HOME PROJECTS:

I’m beginning to make plans to tackle more of my Bayberry House To-Do list. This week I’m meeting with a new landscaper about a few outdoor projects. I’ve also been thinking about which indoor spaces to tackle. At the top of my list right now are my office, a guest bedroom, and a large basement project. In the coming weeks, I’ll be posting “before” tours of these spaces.

If you’d like, you can also check out some of my inspiration photos on Pinterest. I have a board dedicated to my home with several collections for each room. You can find that here.

I’m excited to start some of these projects. I’m especially looking forward to improving the basement. It will be a huge transformation, plus I think I’m going to love having a creative studio down there.

ART:

Speaking of a creative studio. I’ve been feeling a growing desire to get back into creating art. In high school and college, I loved taking art classes, including several independent studies. Last year, I enrolled in a couple of local art classes. One was painting with watercolors, and the other focused on oils. I enjoyed both immensely but haven’t picked up a brush since.

Like many people, I tend to overwhelm myself with all of the details and “getting things right” instead of just starting to paint. So I’m blocking out time in my schedule and finding a few online courses to help me create a new art habit.

I also picked up this book Daily Painting by Carol Marine, which was recommended by Miss Mustard Seed. (She’s doing a weekly book series on her Instagram page if you’re interested in seeing more of her favorites.) I’m looking forward to diving into that book as well.

SPRING DECORATING:

Last week I worked with HomeGoods to put together an Easter/Spring tablescape. It was so much fun to style a colorful table, do a bit of shopping, and get my hands into all-things-spring.

The tablescape I created is fun and colorful. I shared a peek on my Instagram feed but plan to write a post about it for IBC soon.

ANTIQUING CONTINUES:

This past weekend my mom was here. It was her birthday last week, so she decided to visit me. We went to dinner. I cooked breakfast. We watched movies, and on Saturday we visited the small town of Franklin, PA. Franklin is about 1.5 hours north of Pittsburgh. (A couple of people had recommended that I visit.) Mom and I had a lovely day. The town is quaint, and it has fabulous antique shops. I’m kicking myself for not getting more pictures, but I’ve included a couple of the photos that I did take.

Lots of my new treasures are from Downtown Wildflowers. They are a must-visit in Franklin, PA.

I found lots of vintage treasures that I’ll be sharing with you in an upcoming post. I may even film a little video about them. Here’s a sneak peek at one thing I purchased: this set of white and gold dinnerware. It’s stunning. There are over 85 pieces, and I was able to get it for $110. That’s less than $1.30 per piece. What attracted me about it was that it’s simple enough to work for any celebration or holiday, but it still feels special and important. I can hardly wait to play and decorate with it!

I got this from Sage & Saints which shares a location with Downtown Wildflowers.

We enjoyed our trip to Franklin so much that we plan to go back when the weather warms up. Franklin has an excellent bike trail so we may take advantage of that as well as do more antiquing. After our next visit, I’ll write a post about must-sees in the town.

In the meantime, if you are local to Pittsburgh, I recently put up a post with my favorite Pittsburgh Antique Stores. You can find that here in case you missed it.

WHAT I’M WATCHING:

A few weeks ago, fellow blogger Shannon of The Simply Luxurious Life mentioned a new show that she is watching: Agatha Raisin. It sparked my interest, so I decided to check it out. I’m loving it! It’s a British comedy-drama based on the murder mystery books of M.C. Beaton. There are three seasons available via the Acorn TV App. You can also watch/purchase episodes on Amazon.

It’s truly a fun show. At times, it will make you laugh, and at other points, you’ll be on the edge of your seat. I also love that it takes place in a picturesque town in the British countryside. It’s so beautiful to watch. I especially loved the cottage house in the episode “Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley.”

So far, I’ve watched Seasons 1 and 2. Season 3 was just released.

If you do decide to watch, I recommend starting with “Agatha Raisin and The Quiche of Death.” It’s not bundled with Season 1 so I missed it and was a tad confused early on.

LISTENING TO:

Last year, I created a jazz playlist which I’ve been listening to on and off since then. Recently, I fell back in love with it and have been playing it frequently. It’s easy and mellow but still happy. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to it, you can check it out here.

I’m also currently listening to the book Atomic Habits by James Clear via Audible. It’s a quick read (listen) about building better habits. There are loads of great tips, tools, and ideas. I want to listen to it again to make some notes and let it sink it. Following this book, I’m going to check out Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg. (Apparently, I’m working on building better habits. Ha!)

I think that’s it for today! I have more to share, but this post is getting lengthy, so we’ll save those things for another time.

What’s new in your corner of the world? What exciting things do you have planned for spring? Let us know in the comments below!