Long Weekend Celebrations

May 21, 2018

This weekend was nothing remotely close to being long. As a matter of fact, it seemed shorter than usual.

With clouds and rain as the weekend theme, I encountered only a few minutes of clear sky on Saturday to get outside.I needed to dispose of some weeds and put out four more bags of mulch. Afterward a visit to the treadmill was in order (sorry no treadmill picture).

It was, for the most part, a stay at home weekend with the exception of an excursion to Downtown Jacksonville. On the way there was an opportunity to appreciate some of the art that reflects the local culture. This work of art should be titled “Multi-colored Beaked Mortals Mingling”.

The musical Chicago was playing Saturday night at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. LB and I met some friends there and enjoyed the show together.

Then all of a sudden…

It is Monday Again!

This month for Monday Link-ups, The Blended Blog is focusing on an Entertainment Theme.

Today the theme is

Long Weekend Celebrations

What do you do when you have a long weekend? There are several ways I can think of to best use my upcoming long weekend. Here are a few:

Tackle a Big Project

I have multiple scrapbooks to work on, closets to clean out, a back yard to landscape, and a kitchen to paint. Where to begin?

Throw a Party

Because a long weekend is an ideal time to invite friends or family over to celebrate something.

Fast approaching is the Memorial Day weekend which is a great reason to have a party. I took a poll from members of my family and have received only one positive response. If a Memorial Day party is in my long weekend future, it looks to be a small party.

Also important to note: if the long weekend includes a Monday, this is in itself a reason to party.

Catch Up on Sleep

My Fitbit tells me that I don’t get enough sleep… and I concur. Most nights I sleep 6 hours. I NEED 7 hours, and sometimes more. A long weekend is a happy opportunity to turn the alarm clock OFF and sleep in for several lovely mornings. This option brings me to the next which is

Do Nothing

My house is a great place for a staycation. I have the pool to lay out by with the hot tub that’s not hot. In the evenings there is the TV room to escape to for a good movie with surround sound or light the torches around the patio and listen to some Eighties music under the stars.

That said, the most important thing to do is make sure to take some time to

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Round Round Get Around, I Get Around

April 16, 2018

Yeah!

Just like the song that was made famous by the Beach Boys.

And it is true… I do get around…

Thanks to LB!

Since this past weekend was no exception, I’m going to take a minute to post a weekend recap. Saturday was a workday and we were too exhausted to go out that night; Sunday morning was rainy and I was becoming concerned that the weekend was going to be a bust; But all turned out well, and the fun began on Sunday afternoon.

Things were looking dismal, and we thought it was going to be a wash out, but the rain passed through late Sunday and we were able to make it to a concert to see

The Beach Boys

Pictured below is the reason I’m familiar with songs by the Beach Boys:

This record is older than me [believe it or not] and is one of the many that I grew up hearing. On Sunday night I was privileged to hear that sound live.

It was fun and a great sing-along time.

And it was a surprise to me that the favorite song seemed to be Help Me Rhonda. I have to admit, it was great fun to sing along.

Older. Than. Me.

The St. Augustine Amphitheater is my favorite venue for concerts. As you can see from this picture, there can be a bit of a traffic problem when leaving, which is typical of this type of event. LB and I have learned that it is best to walk. In doing so the traffic is avoided and there is less guilt from the high calorie nachos that are consumed. [My fitbit counted 19,746 steps that day!]

I’m looking forward to our next event there.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Cupcakes & Colored Eggs

April 2, 2018

Easter weekend

would not be complete without coloring eggs on Saturday.

Last year, on the Saturday before Easter were made cookies & colored eggs

You can read about that event in this post.

This year, we made cupcakes & colored eggs on the Saturday before Easter.

First we colored/dyed 24 hard boiled eggs… and made a wonderful mess!

After the eggs had been colored,

and the egg-shaped cookies beautifully decorated,(The brown one is mine. Yep.)

We moved on to the sunflower cupcakes….And it was no easy task.

Lydia participated long enough to finish one cupcakeObviously her skills are unmatched and could have completed the whole job herself.

However she was far more interested in something on TV.

Due to her work schedule, Stephanie wasn’t able to join us, so Amanda and Emily turned all 52 mini cupcakes into lovely sunflowers.The cupcakes were presented the following day as dessert after Easter Sunday dinner.

Afterward the Easter egg hunt began!It was High energy(notice the binoculars for easier egg spotting)Serious business!but plenty for everyone!

It was a good day to spend with family, enjoying time together, and making memories!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog

May Your Blessings Outnumber the Shamrocks that Grow

March 17, 2018

…And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.

That is an Irish Blessing that I can appreciate!

For several years LB and I have been “dressing up” in observance of

St. Patrick’s Day

I’m not sure what started this practice, but it has become a tradition for us.

With the closing of O ’Brothers Irish Pub, the Margaret Street/Five Points St. Patrick’s Day street party is no longer happening (sad face). The annual St. Patrick’s Day party became a major event, filling not just the restaurant, but Margaret Street with thousands of people. We’ve been hoping to find a similar event.

This year, I thought I may have found a suitable replacement when this ad appeared:

Hyperion Brewing Company and Crispy’s Springfield Gallery are presenting Historic Springfield’s inaugural St. Patrick’s Day Block Party.

From 3pm – 9pm: Main Street, between 7th and 8th, would be closed and filled with live music, food, beer, vendors and other fun activities (i.e. Mario Cart). This event was FREE to attend! Woo Hoo!

In addition to the live music and food vendors, there were sites (historic buildings) to be seen.

LB and I walked up and down the street checking everything out, while everyone was checking us out. Once it became apparent that LB and I had been voted King and Queen of the Green, it was time to go.

Next stop

Culhane’s Irish Pub

I [typically] love Culhane’s, but for the St. Patrick’s Day BASH, it was much like a zoo. And I promise I won’t say another negative thing after this…. there was a long line, a long wait, and a cover charge.

The Tent:

The positives: although there were way too many crazy people for my taste, the DJ Vito was good, the band Briteside was good, and the Reuben Sandwich was good.

You can check out some other photos from the Culhane’s BASH here.

I’m not completely positive if it will be next March 17th, but we will definitely be dining at Culhane’s again.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

Getting Out Early

February 27, 2018

It isn’t typical that I get out of the house before 5PM on Saturdays.

This past

Saturday

I had to keep an appointment with the eye doctor, so I was out and about by 1:30. My prescription changed only slightly, so I decided to keep using my current glasses instead of putting money into the designer pair that caught my attention. Armani Exchange. Rose Gold. Pretty.

Luckily for me, the Holland Eye Care office is located in a Target, giving me an opportunity to SHOP.

Sadly, my eyes were dilated, so I wasn’t able to focus clearly on what I was seeing. LB was kind enough to take pictures for me.

As many of you know, if I am shopping, I will scour the

Shoe Department

These black shoes are so cute and 30% off

but not to be found in my size.

The white shoes are not on sale.

and neither are they to be found in my size.

The flats didn’t interest me at all.

This particular pair is very trendy.

This pair is very comfortable…

but I just can’t.

After stumbling around in Target, LB and I headed to Kohl’s to return a couple of items that didn’t work out.

While there, we took a walk around the store to see what kind of Kohl’s deals are available

Chaps sports coat $48

Another Chaps sports coat

When it comes to shopping, LB and I are two peas in a pod.

Back to shoes

From cowboy boots to stilettos, 2018 shoe trends are wide-ranging.

If you are a shoe lover, this season will leave you with a diversity of styles to choose from.

I found several that I think I need.

Although 2018 shoe style are varied, mules are on trend.

Circus by Sam Edelman

Floral Mules by Apt 9 – not on sale – but my 20% coupon made it a sensible purchase.

Eventually my shoe collection is going to need a room of its own!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

A Baby Shower for our Galentines

February 13, 2018

Galentine’s Day

is a pseudo-holiday that has gained widespread popularity since invented by Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler’s character on Parks and Recreation).

Galentine’s Day is typically observed on February 13^th and also the weekend prior to that day.

The premise is “Ladies celebrating Ladies”.

More simply put, it is a day to celebrate non-romantic relationships with your best Gals. According to Knope, Galentine’s Day, celebrates three important things: waffles, women, and Leslie’s wise words.

(source)

One of the “wise words” of Leslie Knope was displayed in the décor at our Galentines themed event:

Very nice.

There are many special Galentines in my life… and two more on the way.

My daughter-in-law Emily is expecting her second baby in March

and

my sister’s daughter-in-law Chynna is expecting her third baby in June.

What better reason to have a

GALENTINE’S DAY CELEBRATION

To help them prepare for the arrival of these baby girls and to commemorate Galentine’s Day… we had a baby shower!

Planned and hosted by my sister and my daughters

who demonstrated their dexterity in decor…

and their culinary cleverness.

There was the Mac & Cheese Bar

Shirley Temples

and an assortment of delectable treats.

However there were no waffles. No frittatas.

The event took place at Mama’s house

So she asked for God’s blessings over the day, the event and the ladies who were gathered to celebrate.After lunch and a couple of girly games, it was time for presentsThere were onesies, tiny socks, lots of pampers and a couple of unexpected surprises for the “big” sisters.

Case in Point:

the Cinderella Cross-Body Bag

Modeled by my lovely sister Gina.

With all of the Disney enthusiasts in the family, it was agreed that the

Danielle Nicole Disney Cinderella Cross-body Bag

was the perfect accessory for a day at the Magic Kingdom.

Although it was suggested that the chain was much to long for Lydia and Thea to comfortably carry these bags, there will be no chain manipulation to better fit little girls. After all, the mamas may want to borrow these little beauties.

I found this bag at Nordstrom and Amazon, both currently unavailable.

It was nice to be able to enjoy time with family and friends as we ready ourselves to welcome two new little ones.

Thank you MY Galentines Gina, Stephanie, Amanda and Mama, for hosting a lovely event.

You are clearly a group of poetic and noble land-mermaids.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

Rockabilly Prom Jax

February 12, 2018

Rockabilly

is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating back to the early 1950s in the United States, particularly the South.

As a genre it combines the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues leading to what is considered “classic” rock and roll.

Some have also described it as a blend of bluegrass with rock and roll”, which would explain why I like some rockabilly music, as opposed to all.

(source)

On Saturday, February 10^th, LB and I donned our best rockabilly attire to attend

THE 4th ANNUAL ROCKABILLY PROM:

ROCKIN ROMANCE EDITION

The Rockabilly Prom is a fundraiser to provide support to Oral Cancer Patients during their treatment. The event is made possible by Cindy Platt and more specifically by ROCSTART

and Grease Rags Clothing Company.

I made reference to these last year in this post.

The Rockabilly Prom took place at the Ramona Pavilion Ballroom, a perfect venue for dancing.

This event was something that I have been looking forward to since last February because I love to dress up.

I’m not a huge fan of the rockabilly style of dress, but I have no problem wearing a pretty dress that is reminiscent of one that might have been popular in the 1950’s.