Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Julie
Hello friends. I'm linking up with Jennifer from Overflowing With Thankfulness for her fun link-up Four Things.
For the last Saturday of each month, she prompts us to share Four Things that we Loved, Read, Learned, and Ate.
LOVED: I'm happy we will be celebrating Memorial Day this weekend. We have a baptism to go to and that will be a nice way to spend time with family. We might go to the movies and we will definitely have our own bbq at home. My husband is the grill master and makes the best burgers.
What do you have planned for this weekend?
READ: I just started reading The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis. I love this author and I've read a few of her books such as The Dollhouse, The Masterpiece, The Address, and The Magnolia Palace. This author writes historical fiction books about iconic New York City buildings.
From the dramatic redbrick facade to the sweeping staircase dripping with art, the Chelsea Hotel has long been New York City's creative oasis for the many artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers, and poets who have called it home—a scene playwright Hazel Riley and actress Maxine Mead are determined to use to their advantage. Yet they soon discover that the greatest obstacle to putting up a show on Broadway has nothing to do with their art, and everything to do with politics. A Red Scare is sweeping across America, and Senator Joseph McCarthy has started a witch hunt for communists, with those in the entertainment industry in the crosshairs. As the pressure builds to name names, it is more than Hazel and Maxine's Broadway dreams that may suffer as they grapple with the terrible consequences, but also their livelihood, their friendship, and even their freedom.
Spanning from the 1940s to the 1960s, The Chelsea Girls deftly pulls back the curtain on the desperate political pressures of McCarthyism, the complicated bonds of female friendship, and the siren call of the uninhibited Chelsea Hotel.
Spanning from the 1940s to the 1960s, The Chelsea Girls deftly pulls back the curtain on the desperate political pressures of McCarthyism, the complicated bonds of female friendship, and the siren call of the uninhibited Chelsea Hotel.
LEARNED: I learned how hard it is to crochet a garment. I tried crocheting a retro granny square vest and the sizing was not coming our right. The size of the vest came out too small. I had to rip out the yarn and find another project. I'm in the process of crocheting this shawl and I'm hoping it comes out better than the vest.
ATE: We have a fancy diner that's in our neighborhood. I've been there a few times and this was a first for my husband. We recently went on a Friday night and we both enjoyed our dinner. We had fish tacos, greek salad, and mussels with linguine on the side. I can't wait to go back there again.
I hope you have a happy Friday and a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.
I'm joining Holly and Patty for their Monthly Musings. We will be answering questions for the topic Celebrating Memorial Day Weekend.
Here are the questions:
Here are my answers:
1. How are you spending Memorial Day weekend? We will be going to a baptism and it'll be nice to spend time with my husband's side of the family. We might go to the movies and we will definitely be having a bbq.
2. Favorite ice cream? I love mint chocolate chip and also half vanilla and half chocolate ice cream. I also love ice cream sandwiches.
3. Memorial Day travel or hang at home? We will not be doing a lot of traveling and staying somewhat close to home.
4. Burger, hot dog, or both? I love both!
5. Favorite cookout sides? I love corn on the cob, and pasta salad.
6. White before or after Memorial Day? I usually wear white after Memorial day.
7. Memorial Day traditions? We always have a bbq.
8. Share a summer recipe.
I love peaches in the summer and one of my favorite summer recipes is this Peach Cobbler.
9. Parades, fireworks, or cookout? I love having or going to a cookout.
10. Show us your red, white, and blue! One year at our bbq we had cupcakes that looked like a red, white, and blue flag.
Wishing everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.
Here are the monthly topic and dates.
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Julie
Hello friends. It's been a while since I've shared what books I'm reading and what shows I'm watching.
- The Mystery of the 99 Steps by Carolyn Keene - I loved reading Nancy Drew books when I was little. I collected a few of these books for my daughter to read too. I wanted to read something light and I'm glad I chose this mystery.
- Rules of Civility by Amor Towles - I've read two books by this author and I liked this one too.
- Verity by Colleen Hoover - I've never read a Colleen Hoover book and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I liked this book but not the ending. I'm not sure if I will read any more books by this author.
- Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson - I like both authors. I loved this read about the rise to fame of a country writer/singer.
- The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis - I've read other books by this author - Doll House, The Address, and The Masterpiece. This book is centered around the Frick mansion and museum. I'm now inspired to visit the Frick museum.
- One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle - This book was good and about a mother and daughter relationship. After reading this book it makes me want to take a vacation to Italy.
- What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline - I loved this book and I couldn't put it down. This is an action-packed thriller.
- Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen - This book is one of Reese Witherspoons book club picks. I liked this book about the world of counterfeit handbags.
- The Maid by Nita Prose - I enjoyed this murder mystery. It's about a maid who works at a hotel and stumbles upon a dead body while cleaning one the rooms. She is now the prime suspect in the murder of this person.
What are you reading now?
WATCHING:
- Daisy Jones and the Six - I loved this series and I thought it was better than reading the book by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
- Shrinking - Season 1 - I like this show and I'm looking forward to watching Season 2.
- The Morning Show - I like this show but some of the scenes are hard to watch.
- Jury Duty - We watched two episodes and we liked it. It's a funny show.
- Abbott Elementary - We watched 2 episodes. I liked it and thought it was funny. I can't wait to watch more episodes.
- Ted Lasso - I think Season 3 is good but not as good as the other two seasons.
- FBI - We love this show.
- FBI International - This is also a good one with a lot of action.
- NCIS Hawaii - One of the reasons we like this show is because it takes place in Hawaii.
- Magnum PI - We also like this show because it takes place in Hawaii.
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Season 5 - I love this show. I will miss it since this is the final season. This show is funny, I loved the fashion, and the scenes shot throughout New York City.
What are you watching now?
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Julie
Hello friends. I thought it would be fun to do a This or That - Self-Care Edition.
Here are my answers.
2. Going to bed early or sleeping in late - During the week I go to bed at 10:00 pm. On the weekends I like to sleep in a little later then during the week.
3. Mindful walking or doing yoga - I like both. I like going to the gym two times a week to do yoga. In the spring and summer I like to go for walks.
4. Shower or bubble bath - I like taking a shower.
5. Meditating or Journaling - I will say meditating. In the beginning and end of each yoga class we have a few minutes to meditate.
6. Watching a sunrise or watching a sunset - I love watching a sunset.
You can play along and leave your answers in the comment section. What will you pick?
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Julie
Hello friends. I hope you all had a nice week. The weather is finally warming up here with sunny skies and that makes me happy! 😎
Here are my favorites for this week.
Last weekend my husband and I went out to eat at one of our favorite local restaurants. We shared garlic parmesan chicken wings, a cheese burger, and fries. My husband had Shock Top beer and I had a Coors Light. The pub was so crowded and we were all able to watch the Kentucky Derby. We had such a fun evening.
Recently, I was on my way to my gym when I saw this cute dog sitting in the window. He didn't move and let me take his picture. (to me he looks like a boy dog) LOL. So cute! 🐶
I bought these herbs from Costco a few weeks ago. I was finally able to plant the herbs outside.
I planted basil, mint, rosemary, and oregano. I can't wait to use these herbs. I especially love using basil to make pesto sauce.
I recently saw a blog post from Lindsays Sweet World and how much she loved this mascara. I was so convinced to buy this mascara and I like it too. This mascara works great with only one coat of mascara but I usually apply two coats. I love when I find makeup recommendations from other bloggers.
We were all finally able to celebrate my daughter's birthday this year. My daughter was away at college for the past four years. We celebrated with sushi and red velvet cake. We will be going out again tonight to celebrate her birthday. This time out to dinner with my daughter and her friends and my husband and I in the city.
To celebrate Mother's Day my daughter and I will be going to the movies to see Momma Mia. I can't wait to have a fun day with my daughter.
Wishing all Moms a very Happy Mother's Day!💗
Wishing you a happy Friday and weekend.
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Hello friends. We went to Trader Joe's recently and I'd love to share with you some of my finds.
This time I spotted so many spring flowers. I replanted this plant into a large pot and it's sitting on my kitchen counter.
I repotted three pots of daffodils into a planter on my front stoop.
We bought this pretty succulent plant. Hopefully I can keep this plant healthy. I know they don't need a lot of water.
I recently saw a dermatologist on Instagram suggest using this facial sunscreen. I can't wait to use this SPF 40 sunscreen.
I was running out of this eye cream. This is a favorite of mine and it works great with hydrating my skin.
My daughter and I have been drinking tea in the afternoon and evening. We picked up a few boxes of tea.
I love the artichokes from Trader Joe's. I used them to make stuffed artichokes.
I spotted a large package of vegetables. I made a stir-fry meal for dinner. I made the veggies with olive oil, teriyaki sauce, and a little bit of garlic, and added cut up chicken. You could also do a stir-fry meal with veggies using shrimp, or steak.
We had a good time picking out an assortment of dips.
I love this spinach dip on chips or crackers.
We love the chips shown below.
Here are some other items I love from Trader Joes:
- sourdough bread
- english muffins
- lemonade
- Joe Joe's cookies
- peanut filled pretzels
- mixed nuts
- cereal
Have you been to Trader Joe's lately and what did you buy?
My blogging buddy, Heather likes to share items she bought at Trader Joe's too. You can see her latest TJ's haul here.
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
Hello friends and happy May.
I'm linking up with Jennifer at Overflowing With Thankfulness for what I'm currently loving, picturing, craving, wishing, and collecting.
This link-up is held on the first Wednesday of each month.
LOVING:
I'm loving all of the spring blooms popping up all over New York City. I love these yellow daffodils lining the steps of Bryant Park. This is a great time of year to visit this park.
PICTURING:
The lily of the valley is just starting to bloom in my garden. I love the smell of lily of the valley and it's one of my favorite spring flowers. I love that they pop up in my garden each spring.
CRAVING:
I'm craving visiting Coney Island and eating Nathan's hot dogs and fries on the beach.
WISHING:
I can't wait for this summer to go to the beach and swim in the water. This is one of my favorite things to do in the summer.
COLLECTING:
I will be collecting flowers and herbs to put in my garden. I usually wait until May when the weather is warm and there is no threat of frost.
I love planting red and pink geraniums.
What is currently new with you?
Click HERE to see the blog parties I will be linking up to.
Julie
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