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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites

Me and my homies from work doin’ the Friday Freedom Happy Dance!Ace Ventura Happy Dance GIFYou know who you are!

 

Favorite # ONE

My daily lunchbox note from LB

Isn’t he the sweetest?

He knows just what I need!

 

 

 

 

Favorite # TWO

New Blouses

Two of them!

Last week I wore my new pants from LOFT with a blouse from LOFT that just didn’t quite work.

So I searched for a pink peplum blouse and found two that I thought might work.

A Ruffle Sleeve V-Neck Smocked Elastic Empire Waist Peplum Blouse Top

And a Sleeveless Skater Peplum Summer Top

Hopefully one of these blouses will look good with my new floral pants

Or I won’t wear them any more.

 

 

 

Favorite # THREE

Beautifully Divine DIY Woodcraft Studio & Custom Gift boutique

They put the ART in pARTy!

Last Christmas my son and daughter-in-law gave me [and Mama] the gift of a DIY workshop to share

at the

Beautifully Divine Studio.

We were finally able to coordinate our schedules and make an appointment to partake in this wood crafting together time.  Mama chose the “God Bless Our Home” sign.  Mine says Home Sweet Home referencing the state of Florida.  We enjoyed the experience so much, as we were leaving, Mama was talking about plans to go back soon and include “all the girls”.

 

 

 

Favorite # FOUR

Home Sweet Home

The sign that I made at Beautifully Divine DIY Woodcraft Studio & Custom Gift boutique

not bad for an amateur, huh?

Mama is a crafter and enjoys creating projects like the one in this post.  I knew that her sign would turn out to be perfect, but I was surprised that mine turned out to be so nice!

 

 

Favorite # FIVE

Making memories with Mama

Isn’t she cute!

 

 

 

 

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

One Sentence is Enough

It has been said that keeping a journal can help make one become grateful as it will call to mind daily blessings.

And it is possible that daily happenings can bring more joy to our lives than we would expect.  While pizza on Friday night with LB or a day off from work may not seem memorable to some, looking back on these daily occurrences may actually bring great pleasure.

Because journaling can take a great deal of time, a possible solution would be to keep a journal and write down just a sentence (or two) to record your prominent memories of the day.  The idea came from a blog I read called Foxy’s Domestic Side.  She writes a monthly recap using just a sentence (or two) for each day of said month.

In an article I recently read, writer Jessica Stillman poses the question:

Can writing Just a Sentence a Day Make You Happier?

Citing Author Gretchen Rubin, she writes, “You might think such short entries aren’t enough to make any difference in your life, but Rubin insists that this idea is both manageable and impactful. “One sentence is enough. When I look back on it years later, that one sentence really does keep memories vivid–it really does bring back the past–which is one of the things you really want a journal to do,” she says.” (source).

If I were to recap April using a sentence per day, my journal may look something like this:

 

1 Easter Sunday means remembering Jesus and spending time with Family.

2  Monday  It was a great weekend filled with activities!

3 Tuesday I love springtime. 

4 Tuesday “Giant Steps are What You Take Walking on the Moon” ~ The Police

Watched a crreepy movie with LB… TITAN (fictional story about preparing for life on one of Saturn’s Moons).

5 Wednesday My Quarterly Mary Kay Order arrived today.

6 Friday The Usual Friday Dinner and A Movie Date Night.

#LittlePizzasandLookWho’sTalking

7 Saturday Cleaning my closet is good for my soul.

#3HeftyBagsFull

8 Sunday I love to have dinner with Friends at La Nopolera!

9 Monday Peace and quiet all alone at the office today.

#EveryonesOffButMe

10 Tuesday Apparently I like yellow.

11 Wednesday There is a lake in my yard.

12 Thursday Give me a sign.

13 “It’s Friday the 13th. Just a warning before you make any weekend arrangements for wood cabins by lake.” ~unknown.

Little pizzas and movie with LB.  Not a Jason flick.

14 Saturday It’s going to be a long weekend! 

#iHaveMondayOff!

15 Sunday Help me Rhonda!

16 Monday Brunch in St. Augustine is the best.

17 Tuesday Back to work I go.

18 Wednesday I’m thankful for my job.

19 Thursday I Love baking.

20 Friday I usually have a doppelganger.

21 Saturday I’ve ordered my Kentucky Derby hat!

22 Sunday It’s a perfect day for a Bird Rescue and a Ballet Recital.

Today LB and I enjoyed both.

23 Monday Hi Ho Hi Ho its off to work I go.

24 Tuesday Gardening is good for you.

And that is just what I did after work today.  Thank you for the amaryllis Wendy!

25 Wednesday She said, soo… do you have any new ducks at your house?

While walking around outside looking at flowers, Lydia inquired about the possibility of Glammy having any new toy (rubber) ducks.

So I ordered some ducks.

26 Thursday The lady behind me is an owl.

At The Voice of Romance Tour 2018 Johnny Mathis, a fan was heard to say “WOO” several times per song.

27 Friday I’m feeling like a Loser but that’s okay.

28 Saturday Dinner @ Olé with a side of karaoke.

I didn’t post my review of the Atlantic Boulevard Restaurant, but I won’t likely visit again.

29 Sunday Mulch Makes it Better.

30 Monday I’d rather be at the beach.

 

Although one sentence may be enough, occasionally I feel I need to elaborate with hashtags, links, and a picture here and there.  I agree that it is a good idea to remember and appreciate the little things in life.

 

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

Fave Spring Color

Once again, I have The Blended Blog to thank as they have provided me with a subject for my little blog.

Wednesdays on TBB will be style perspectives from various ladies that contribute to that site.  For the next several weeks, the topics that will be covered are listed below:

Obviously today’s discussion is all about:

Fave Spring Color

If you assume that I am typical, you may guess that I have chosen a soft and delicate springtime pastel.  Or, if you know me very well, you may guess that I have chosen black.

Neither is the case.

For spring 2018 I am stepping out of the box.  I have selected a color of which I have very little in my closet collection.

It is audacious.

It is fresh.

It is…

[drum-roll here]

MEADOWLARK!

More simply put… Yellow.

It is What’s Happening

The swatch above is directly from the Pantone site and you can see all of the spring 2018 color palate by clicking here.

Pantone describes Meadowlark as bold and lively, a confident and outgoing bright yellow shade that highlights the spring 2018 season, glistening with joy and illuminating the world around us (source).

Although I have merely 3 items in my closet that compare to this color…

it is my favorite for this season and I intend on procuring other items in yellow before I sashay into summer.

Here are some of the options that I am considering from LOFT:

I’ve been shopping at venus.com for a long time.  Here are a couple of cute yellow options from Venus:

Happy Shopping!

 

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

 

 

 

No affiliate links have been used throughout this blog post;  neither will clicking on links result in compensation for the blog author.  That’s just the way it is.

 

Friday Favorites

Just when I think I couldn’t be any happier to see Friday… I become happier than ever to see Friday!

Favorite #ONE

Living in Florida!

After a brief chat with a colleague in Missouri today, it was brought to my attention [once again] that I am blessed to be living in the sunshine state!

Although we are expecting rain tomorrow night, there will likely be more beautiful weather than not this season!

 

Favorite #TWO

Spending time with this little angel

Yesterday she spent some time with her Mema, but still wanted to see Glammy and pick flowers.  We walked around the yard for a while and talked about the flowers, and picked a few.

Glammy was the lucky recipient of these

 

Favorite #THREE

Elf

This week LB sent me this text:

Looking forward to December 23, 2018!

 

Favorite #FOUR

Carrot Cake Trifle

It’s FINALLY out of my house!

And unfortunately we didn’t take a picture…

OMG what is wrong with me???

You can look at this one.  It is similar.

I made the Carrot Cake Trifle as one of our Easter Sunday Dinner desserts this week.  We had so much food that I had half of this delectable concoction left over.  It served as LB’s 9:00PM dessert every night and each time I scooped up a dish for him, I took a bite myself.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box Carrot Cake Mix & required ingredients
  • 8 oz. softened cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 sticks of softened butter
  • 3 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla
  • 16 oz. Cool Whip
  • Chopped walnuts

Easiest dessert recipe ever!  Prepare the carrot cake according to package directions, allow to cool and cut into cubes.  Mix together cream cheese and butter.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla.  Combine mixture with Cool Whip.  Layer in trifle dish with carrot cake and walnuts.  OMG delicious!

Obviously this is not helping me in my quest to be swimsuit ready by Memorial Day.

 

Favorite #FIVE

Hoda and Kathie Lee

Happy 10th anniversary!

I’ve been watching the 4th hour of the TODAY show (recorded) for SEVERAL years!

I love Hoda because she is happy, full of life, and tough as nails!

I love Kathie Lee because she is blunt, beautiful, and filled with conviction!

This is my favorite show to watch while I’m on the treadmill everyday and I feel like both ladies are my friends.  If I entered their contest for FAN OF THE WEEK (or any other special occasion) I’m sure I would win!

LOVE these Ladies!

https://gph.is/2pZetPD

 

Congratulations!

 

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

TBB ASKS April ~ Spring

It is TBB ASKS day!

Because it is the first Monday of the month, [and because I haven’t finished my post about the weekend], today I’m linking up with The Blended Blog for the monthly Q&A.

1. What 3 colors remind you most of spring?

2. What is the first thing you add to your wardrobe in spring?

This year it was new shoes

3. What is the first wardrobe item you ditch in spring?

Sweaters.

All my sweaters are neatly folded and placed on the top shelf in my closet.

  Won’t be needing those until December

4. Who mows the grass where you live?

LB is head of mowing operations because he does it better than I.

5. What’s spring like where you live?

Today it is partly sunny 86°/61°, tomorrow it is supposed to rain 84°/62°, Wednesday there will be PM thunderstorms 79°/49°, Thursday mostly sunny 69°/51°, Friday partly cloudy 84°/57°.

Each day is a new adventure

 

6. What’s your favorite thing about spring?

Warm days and cool nights

 

7. Are you a spring cleaner?

I’m an all-season cleaner

 

8. Are you a baseball fan?

When the Cubs made it to the World Series last year, I watched every game.  Other than that, I haven’t followed any major league teams in a long time.

 

9. Tulips or Daffodils?

I love tulips and LB knows it!He surprised me with these tulips and I will do my best to keep them alive.

10. Favorite outdoor spring activity?

Being out in the sun

11. Flowers in the ground or in pots?

I have several potted plants, however in the ground is a healthier option at my house.

The dogwood is doing very well.  So far!

12. Favorite bird?

Robins

When I see these little guys hopping around in my yard, I know spring has arrived!

13. Car wash or wash vehicles at home?

There have been occasions when a personal car was necessary, but for the most part our cars will get a run through the car wash.

14. When do you pull out your sandals?

Some sandals are out year round, others will come out with the shorts.

 

 

 

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

 

Cupcakes & Colored Eggs

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

Friday Favorites: Easter Edition

Today is one of the best Fridays Ever, so much so, we call it

Good Friday

Favorite # ONE

It only makes sense to start my list with this day.

 Good Friday is part of a significant weekend, culminating in Easter Sunday.  On Sunday our family will gather to celebrate.  We start the Easter celebration on Saturday with a tradition I’ve kept with my girls… coloring eggs.

This time last year, we colored eggs, as I mentioned in this post and Easter would not be complete without coloring eggs on the Saturday before Easter.

Favorite # TWO

Easter eggs

Why do we celebrate Easter with eggs?

The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring.  From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection.  The Easter egg tradition may also have merged into the celebration of Lent as it was traditional to use up all of the household’s eggs before Lent began.

In addition, one ancient tradition was the tinting of Easter eggs with the color red “in memory of the blood of Christ, shed as at that time of his crucifixion”.

This custom of the Easter egg can be traced to early Christians of Mesopotamia, and from there it spread into Russia through the Orthodox Churches, and later into Europe through the Catholic and Protestant Churches (source).

Very interesting.

 

 

Favorite # THREE

Sunflowers

in the form of cupcakes.

We will be making sunflower cupcakes tomorrow.

Last night I baked the chocolate mini-cupcakes…  52 of ‘em.

Tonight I am coloring the sliced almonds (yellow) that will serve as the petals for our sunflower cupcakes.  When my girls arrive on Saturday, I’ll have them assemble the cute little confections and will premier them tomorrow!

Be on the lookout for Sunflower Cupcakes!

 

On the subject of flowers…

Favorite # FOUR

Yesterday LB came home with flowers!a tulip plant and an Easter lily plant.

I love surprises!

 

 

Favorite # FIVE

Like the petals of a sunflower…

Yellow

Specifically my new yellow pants from LOFT

which turned out to be a smart spring shopping event!  Very Springy.

 

Happy Easter!

 

 

 

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

 

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