Mother's Day Gift Ideas

If you need a present for Mother's Day, I have a few ideas for you today.  Or if you normally buy your own present for Mother's Day, as many of you do, maybe you'll find something to order for yourself.

First up, Portland Leather is offering a special selection of their products that are ready to ship.  They are currently not making and shipping products because of the virus.  But they have a limited number of items that are already made, boxed up and ready to ship.

Even better news......enter code TAKE25 for an additional 25% off the great prices.

Classic Tote

This is the classic tote, but they also have crossbody bags, large totes, backpacks, etc.  I bought several things from Portland Leather and reviewed them here if you want a closer look at their products.

Also, my favorite local store has a collection of Mother's Day bundles
Check out all the Sweet Pineapple bundles here
including this one

Conversations with Mom

Lastly, my favorite skincare line also has some good ideas for the day

Check out all of Colleen Rothschild deals by clicking here

My favorite cleansing balm is availabe

Jumbo Cleansing Balm

Plus you can get an additional 15% off with code MOM15 and shipping is free over $49.

There..... a few ideas for you or a mom you know.

See you back on Friday!

Sweater Repair

Y'all I am literally FINDING things to do.  I mean it is challenging circling between my bedroom, the living room, and the kitchen.  On one of my passes through I passed a pile of items that all needed mending.  You know how you stack things that need buttons, socks that have holes or various other garment afflictions.....well maybe that's just me that has a pile like this.

So I mended a few socks and then took off on this gal..... this is my Halogen sweater from Nordstrom.  I love it.  I am still clueless as to how I got a hole in it.  I went to put it on one day and noticed this hole right in the front of the sweater

No one has admitted to it, but I am wondering if maybe someone borrowed it and had a little snag that they never mentioned.

So I did a little Pinteresting about visible mending and I took a shot at it

I started with two colors of embroidery floss: one very close to the sweater color and a light color

I  made several rows of  stitching with the lighter color, pulling the hole closed

Then I started with the red, but realized I needed a contrast color. I was tempted to go with black, but since I wear this with jeans a lot I went with blue

So I used the blue to do stitching in the opposite direction weaving it in and out of the cream stitches

And then I decided to add a yellow too

So then I repeated these same steps in other random spots on the sweater that didn't even have holes....you know to make it look like it was always supposed to be like this

I think it turned out fairly well

There you are....one favorite sweater saved to wear another day!

Hope you have a great week......hang in there!

What to Watch?

Anyone else struggling with finding quality television entertainment?  I have been taking suggestions from everyone, giving an episode or two a test drive and then deciding if I will go forward or not.

Here's a look at what I have enjoyed

This is a British show on Amazon Prime.  It has a bit of Law and Order flair....but fair warning, one of the detectives is seriously lacking in moral judgment and the crimes they investigate are quite brutal.  Maybe a bit more graphic than Law and Order.  There were 5 seasons free on Amazon Prime and I devoured all 5 of them.  I do enjoy British TV.

I also thoroughly enjoyed

I learned so much from this one.  I honestly had no idea about the origins of English football.  It was just one season and is on Netflix. I really enjoyed this one.

Then I watched

This is also on Netflix.  I really didn't know what to expect from it but it had memoir attached to it and you all know that draws me in.  It was quite interesting.  There are a few subtitles here and there.  That can sometimes be a deal breaker for me because I usually like to read OR watch TV.  I don't really enjoy reading my TV.  But it wasn't a constant thing so I stuck with it and I am so glad I did.

Another one from Amazon Prime

Now the language in this one is beyond....well it's bad.  You've been warned.  Also, the main character is crude, lacking in moral judgment and just odd.  But I found myself cheering for her.  The world can be hard and tough, especially on those dealing with weight and self-esteem issues.  It was an interesting story and I enjoyed it.  I just cleansed my ears from all the language with a good episode of King of Queens.

And then I gave in and watched

I couldn't help it.  Every time I turned on Netflix it was right there....so I clicked on it.  And then I could not look away.  I couldn't.  Oh my, oh me, oh me, oh my.

Now here are a few that I did not enjoy

It is well written, the acting is good but I was on edge the whole time I was watching it.  I could never relax.  I was waiting on the next terrible thing to happen.  So I quit.  I made it through two episodes.  The rest of the family enjoyed it so they are finishing it.  It was just not my thing.

so then I tried

This one had potential and I made it through 3 episodes.  I am not a Baldwin fan.  I usually try to avoid them but I tried to push through.  I thought I was going to make it but then the oldest daughter in the movie wore the most ridiculous shorts ALL the time.  I know.  I get annoyed by something as simple as that and just can't get past it.  Actually it was the Baldwin/short shorts combination that took me out.

This weekend I am going to try

 

There's a few seasons so I am either going to be in for the long haul or out after about 3 episodes.  We will see how it goes.

If you have a good suggestion for me, please send it my way!

I hope you have a great weekend.

Spring Trunk Club

I received my spring Trunk from Trunk Club and thought I would share what I received in this shipment

We did this try on late one night so I had to move to my daughter's closet for the best lighting available.  The lighting is still not great.....but neither is the model so here we go.....

First outfit

Vince Camuto pleated neck top and Vince Camuto Seersucker Satin Pant

The top is a nice basic top that I think will be good with a lot of things.  The pants were a satin and I did not keep them.  I don't have a big need for a satin pant in my wardrobe.  Obviously, lots of people liked them because I could not find my color to link for you.  The link above is the same pant but in apricot.  Now actually the apricot color would be nice for a shower or wedding.......when those things start happening again.

Here is outfit number 2

It is a navy Court and Rowe sleeveless turtleneck with Boden Richmond Pant.

I liked both items and I kept the top.  I did not keep the pants.....but I might go back and grab them.  

The top comes in several colors and pant has one other color option.

The next outfit

Stretch Sweater Blazer with the Boden Carey Top.  I am wearing my own navy slacks with them.  I kept both the blazer and the top.  The links above are the same items, but the particular colors I am wearing are both sold out.  However, the colors available are still nice and I wouldn't mind having these items in other colors.

Here's a look at the top without the blazer

Next outfit is simple but screams summer

A Madewell Whisper Cotton T-Shirt with the Court and Rowe Seersucker pant.  

I love a Madewell T-shirt.  They fit great.  They wash well and they are super affordable.  The pants were cute, but I own something similar.  The nice thing about these is they are actually a grey seersucker which is a bit unusual.  I kept the t-shirt.  I did not keep the pants.

The last thing I tried on to show you is

It is the Boden Bronte Ottoman Dress and look

It has pockets!!!! Unfortunately, it is sold out on the Nordstrom site, but I did find it on the Boden site for you....just click here.

I also kept 

Halogen Camisole

I didn't model it for you.....you are welcome.  But I am in a cami 12 months out of the year, so I am always in the market for some good comfy ones.  This one fits the bill.

These booties were also in my trunk

Madewell Regan Bootie

I absolutely could not justify owning another black bootie, but it was cute and it was comfortable.  I wanted to tell you about it because it is currently 60% off so if you are in the market, this would be a good one to grab right now.

I love this whole Trunk Club experience.  It really exposes me to things I wouldn't neccessarily find for myself. Plus, it is pretty nice for someone else to select items for me and for them to all show up on my doorstep for me to try in my own home and see how/if they work with things already in my closet.

I am currently set up to receive a Trunk every 3 months which gets me a little closet refresh for each season.

If you are interested in trying out a Trunk for yourself, click here.  

You just answer a few questions about your likes and dislikes....your preferred price range, etc.

I know it may not feel like it right now.....but we are going to need real clothes again.

Take care.....see you on Friday!

Painted Books

I have said a couple of times that I wish I had stocked up on craft supplies.......while I was buying tuna I should have grabbed a little more paint and fabric.  But, fortunately, I had bought the supplies for this project quite a while back.

I have this little table at the end of our sofa

But I felt like the lamp needed a little lift

So I tried a couple of old textbooks we had

And we decided to paint them 

We are using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White

The second color is Cocoa

And I had some gilding wax in warm gold for the pages

We just used a foam brush and laid the book flat and went to town painting

We had to let the first coat dry and gave it a second coat

The paint covered up all the textbook cover writing so well

Once the cover was dry....maybe 30  minutes or so, we started painting the page edges with the gilding wax

In hindsight.....we should have painted the pages first.  So if you give this a go, you might reverse the order

And then.....we tried them out under the lamp

Aww....there you go, sweet lamp, now you can stand proud and tall on our new painted books.

I got all my Annie Sloan paints from Art & Soul on Whitesburg Drive.  They are still doing online ordering and curbside pickup.  I knew my project was small so I just bought a couple of sample pots and I had more than enough.  I could probably paint another 6-8 books.....and I might.

Super easy, quick project if you are looking for one.

I hope you have an absolutely wonderful week.

Stay at Home Wear

I haven't done a clothing posts in a while......Come to think of it, I also haven't worn real clothes in a while.  Well here are some comfy ideas to wear at home

PJ Set

This set comes in 5 color options and is in plus and regular sizes.

If you are like me and even your stretch pants are getting tight you might opt for

Lounge Dress

And when we get to leave the house again.....I dare say you can wear this with some cute sneakers on errands.

Lastly, if you just need a little cozy wrap

Comfort Wrap

This comes in solids and patterns....plus and regular sizes.  The mornings in my house have been chilly so I always start the day in some type of sweater or wrap.

Spruce up that home attire!

Wishing you the best weekend.  Hang in there!!!

April Gift Ideas

Quarantined or not I know people are still having birthdays.  Oh and all the poor brides figuring our what to do about their weddings.  Bless them.



Well here is this month's gift guide in case you are in need of something for someone....or yourself.

Oh and before I get started be sure to check out Sweet Pineapple's website.  They have put together some great gift bundles to ship to someone you are thinking of.

Now here are some other specific gift ideas

For the Beauty lover on your list

Bye Bye Pores Powder

You don't need to know what shade the person prefers.  This is a universal powder that minimizes the look of pores and provides an airbrush finish.

If you need a Home gift

Amazon Echo

Everyone needs an Alexa....she does it all - sets timers, answers questions, sings songs, reads books.

Now if you need a gift for Men on your list

Silicone Wedding Room

There are all kinds of patterns and colors.  These are great for wearing to the gym, doing yard work, swimming or vacationing.

For the KIDS this month

Remember the paint by numbers.....well

Paint by Sticker Book

These allow kids to match stickers to complete a pretty picture.  I kind of want this for myself.  Seems like a lot of fun!

If it is Girlfriend you need a gift for this month

Embossed Notecards

I love these notecards.  I have gifted them many times.  They are perfect for thank you notes, gift enclosures or even to just send an encouraging note to someone.

Well there you have it.....the gift guide for April.  If you want to see previous month's gift guides, click here.

Hope you are having a good week.

Sour Dough - Update

I mentioned to you all a few weeks back that we began a sour dough starter

As a reminder we are following the instructions from Farmhouse on Boone.  We fed ours for 7 days.  So far we've made ourselves some super good pancakes

The batter is a little looser than normal batter so I found it challenging to get a perfectly round pancake.  But I have no problem at all with eating an odd shaped pancake.

We also made some nice rolls for Easter

She also has instructions for how you keep it going if you are not going to bake with it every day.  So ours has taken up residence in the fridge and we just feed it once a week.

I have not been to the grocery store but a couple of times.  I have not found yeast on either of those visits.  So this has been a nice way to allow us to do some baking.

I hope you are hanging in there and finding some joyful ways to pass the time.

Wishing you a wonderful week.

I will be back on Wednesday with the monthly gift guide!

Holy Weekend

Blessings to you on this Good Friday.

I hope this weekend you are able to have a clear focus on Christ.

Easter will feel a bit different this year.  We don't have grand baskets.  We don't have new dresses.  We don't have all of our normal, traditional dishes.......

It's kind of nice.

I haven't spent a moment fretting over any of the details that normally take my attention.

I haven't run to the mall twelve times.

We will put on something we already own. 

We will dress up in honor of the magnitude of the occasion. 

We will gather in our living room and worship.

We will enjoy a meal together.

We will celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior.

We will be grateful for the Salvation we have through Him.

We will remember how very blessed we are to be safe, together in our own home celebrating Easter.

Blessings!

March Book Review

Welcome to the Book Review for this month.  I read four books in March and I liked them all.  Let's get started so you can get back to reading more books.

First up




Gloria by Kerry Young.  Thanks, Stayce, for recommending this one.  In Jamaica, Gloria is forced to make a life changing move to keep her and her sister safe.  But that is just the beginning....so much goes on with these two.....good and bad choices, good and bad people, good and bad outcomes.  It is a great story.  You will be surprised who you start to pull for in this book.

Then a breather book



The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton. This story is set near Mobile.  Sara inherits her grandmother's place but she has to decide if she even wants it and how far she will go to save it.  It is a sweet southern story with all the likely characters you'd expect.  Just a good enjoyable read.  If you need a mental break, you might enjoy a little trip to The Hideaway.

And then I read



The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms.  Of course, the books on the cover drew me in and library reference in the title sealed the deal. Amy has been doing all she can to raise two kids after her husband abandons them and moves out of the country.  But then....he shows back up and she cashes in on her overdue life.  I hated alot of the things she decided to do with her free time but still the story is good.  And it is a super light fluffy read,  you don't invest many brain cells or emotional energy on this one.

But this one is a whole different story



Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Ok, I always like to warn people because we all have things that just trigger hard emotions in us.  If suicides....attempted or otherwise.....are hard for you to read about, this is not a book for you.  Now, the story is very tastefully done and has sooooo much more to it than that but it is a thread so I just wanted to warn you.  I loved the book.  It is very well written and there are so many of the characters that I was seriously pulling for and invested in.  It was nothing like I expected but really enjoyed it.  Click on the link and read the official summary on Amazon before you decide on this one.  I would  highly recommend.

Hoping you are enjoying the week.  Don't forget if you can't get to the library this is a good time to try Audible on Amazon and listen to one of the reads.....it is totally no contact reading !