Friday, April 19, 2019

Five on Friday - April 19, 2019

Happy Good Friday! I'm enjoying a day off work and I hope you are too. With a little luck, I'll be able to get through my to-do list and then still have a few days to enjoy the Easter holiday. Before all that, here's my five for today ~

1. Breakthrough
Have you seen the previews for Breakthrough? We've probably seen the trailer 20 times and I've gotten tears in my eyes every single time. This is a true story that actually happened in St. Louis. I remember when the story was unfolding and I'm curious to see how they portray it in a movie. Here's the synopsis from Fandango ~

BREAKTHROUGH is based on the inspirational true story of one mother's unfaltering love in the face of impossible odds. When Joyce Smith's adopted son John falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost. But as John lies lifeless, Joyce refuses to give up. Her steadfast belief inspires those around her to continue to pray for John's recovery, even in the face of every case history and scientific prediction. From producer DeVon Franklin (Miracles from Heaven) and adapted for the screen by Grant Nieporte (Seven Pounds) from Joyce Smith's own book, BREAKTHROUGH is an enthralling reminder that faith and love can create a mountain of hope, and sometimes even a miracle.

2. Homecoming: A Film by Beyonce

Are you a Beyonce fan? Is so, you're going to want to see this. On Wednesday, Netflix began showing a movie titled Homecoming: A Film by Beyonce. It's a documentary made up from a mixture of footage from the actual Coachella performance and video-diary-style footage of everything that went on behind the scenes. She also released a surprise live album sharing the same name. You can grab the album HERE. I'll definitely be watching the movie this weekend!

BeyoncÃ© Had a Hand in Every Tiny Detail

3. Philadelphia Dips

Having company coming over this weekend but no time to make an appetizer? Try one of these three Philadelphia dips! There are three flavors to choose from: Jalapeno Cheddar, Buffalo State with Celery, and Southwest Style Black Bean and Corn. They are made with real vegetables and are deliciously rich and creamy.

4. Wicker Earrings

It seems like everywhere I look, the spring thing is wicker earrings. Amazon has this set of 4 for only $10.99!! With Prime, the shipping is free. That's a heck of a deal! Click HERE to check them out.

5. A little humor.....

Hope you have a wonderful Easter! We're looking forward to spending some time with family and having a bit of time at home to wipe out a few projects. We'll also be in front of the television Saturday night cheering for the St. Louis Blues! See you next week.

Linking up with:

The Peaceful Posse

Amanda at Meet At The Barre
Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday

This post contained affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase. Thanks

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Friday Favorites Linky Party - April 19, 2019

Happy Good Friday! Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend and enjoy all the links today!

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

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Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

Jennifer at Busy Being Jennifer - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst

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You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!

And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - April 18, 2019

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday! Hope you are having a great day and are looking forward to seeing what everyone is thinking out loud about today.

As for me and what I'm thinking out loud about, here goes ~

I just need to say out loud how very, very sad the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral made me feel. After glancing at the TV monitors in our cafeteria on Monday and seeing this breaking news event, I just couldn't turn it off. I came back to my desk and pulled up the CNN coverage on my second computer monitor and watched the devastation for the rest of the afternoon while trying to get some work done. Did anyone else do the same thing?

When the spire slowly twisted to the side and came crashing down, did you too think of the day the Twin Towers crumbled?

The fire has been burning for hours. Picture: Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt

The fire has been burning for hours. Picture: Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt

It was just two years ago Eric and I stood in the middle of Notre Dame and was in awe of it's beauty. I'm so very, very glad we had an opportunity to see it. Experience it. Feel it in our souls. I'm also feeling sad for all those people who had viewing Notre Dame on their bucket lists and will never be able to see the 856 year old structure in it's original form. It makes me want to rush through seeing things on my list before something tragic happens to those.

There are a few things, though, that we can all be elated over. One - there were no casualties. With over 12 million visitors streaming through the massive doors each year and this being such a busy week due to Easter, thank heavens no one of was killed. We are keeping the two police officers and one firefighter who was injured in our prayers.

The other thing that brings a sigh of relief is the fact they were able to save so many of the precious artifacts.

Image result for crown of thorns notre dame

I'm already looking forward to revisiting this world treasure when the renovations are complete. New artists and craftsman will have an opportunity to leave their mark in history when they use their talents to put the structure back in order. It will once again be a masterpiece!

Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today? Link up and share!

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - April 17, 2019

Welcome to the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

Welcome to our blog party! So many of us celebrate Easter and Easter weekend is just days away. We have really been enjoying all of your posts and can hardly wait to see what you have for us this week! Here are the posts you, our guests, viewed the most at our last party:

Most Viewed

Reaching Out To Homesteading Bloggers - Unexplained Underfoot Objects

Easy Beginners' Sewing Tips - My Life Abundant

Very Popular

Skillet Chicken Enchilada Bake - Lou Lou Girls

Get Healthy With TMLL - This Mainline Life

Editor's Pick

How To Make a Magnetic Pin Dish - Sum Of Their Stories

So, then, let's get this party started!

We would love it if you would follow us on our blogs and social media:

BAKES AND BLUNDERS [Colleen] – FACEBOOK I INSTAGRAM I PINTEREST

DUCKS ‘N A ROW [Sinea] – FACEBOOK IINSTAGRAM I PINTEREST I TWITTER

ECLECTIC RED BARN [Bev] – FACEBOOK IINSTAGRAM I PINTEREST I TWITTER

ENGINEER MOMMY [Jennifer] – FACEBOOK IINSTAGRAM I PINTEREST I TWITTER

LeCULTIVATEUR [Emily] – FACEBOOK IINSTAGRAM I PINTEREST

MY LIFE ABUNDANT [Tammy] – FACEBOOK IINSTAGRAM I PINTEREST I TWITTER

PENNY’S PASSION [Penny] – FACEBOOK IINSTAGRAM I PINTEREST I TWITTER

SIMPLE STEPS for LIVING LIFE [Cindy] – FACEBOOK IINSTAGRAM I PINTEREST I TWITTER

STILETTOS and SHIPLAP [Tara] – INSTAGRAM I PINTEREST

THE SNYDER FAMILY [Brittany] – INSTAGRAM I PINTEREST

Simple party guidelines >>

Please TWEET our party ♥
Add as many of your family-friendly posts as you would like to. No Etsy shops, adult sites or blog parties, please.
Visit others. Let them know you stopped by!
If you are NEW to Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop, let us know in the comments so that we can follow you back. ♥ Help us find your posts – tell us the title.
NOTE: party entries appear in REVERSE. i.e. the most recent entry goes to the top! That way all of our guests will have a chance to be seen no matter when they arrive.
Thanks! ♥

Monday, April 15, 2019

Weekending - April 12, 2019 | Wedding Workday and Celebrating a Birthday

It's Monday so soon! Some weekends so by faster than others and this past one flew by! We had a lot on the docket, so I'm not surprised. But this morning I was a little sad that the weekend was over. Here's how it went down ~

Friday night was total preparation for the wedding workday we had planning for Saturday. I stopped by Sam's and the grocery store, cut paper for the invitations we would be working on on Saturday and cleaned the laundry room. Full evening!

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to get ready for the bride I'm working with and her tribe to arrive. Our goal for the day was to finish constructing all 95 invitations. I'm proud to say - mission accomplished!!

The bride, Kristina, had the best group working on the invitations. She brought her mom, future mother-in-law, sisters-in-law and a couple of her bridesmaids. They whipped out all 95 invitations in just under 3 hours!

I always like to get the bride's I'm working with a special hanger for their wedding dress. I've been using Carney's Custom Hangers and let me tell you, they are GREAT to work with! These hangers make great shower gifts too. Brides out there -- get a custom hanger for those wedding dress pictures! You'll be sad if you don't.

After the wedding crew had lunch and left, Eric and I decided to go to the show. We elected to see The Best of Enemies. Very thought provoking and touching movie! I'm a huge fan of Sam Rockwell and Taraji P. Henson and neither let me down by their performances in this movie.

We met up with Kayla and Ian for dinner at one of our favorite places - Peel Wood Fired Pizza. Even if you don't get one of their fabulous pizzas, there are so many other great things on the menu to try we never get tired of eating there.

Sunday we woke up to cold, rainy weather. I even drug my winter coat out of the closet to wear to church. After church, we headed home so I could get ready for a birthday celebration I was hosting at our house for my friend Carol.

We had a tea party and I used some treasured teacups I've had in the pantry for literally years. There's a lovely story behind them. When I was growing up, my mom was a beautician. Many of her Friday customers were "weeklies" and when I wasn't in school, I would sit in the beauty shop and chat with them. Well, one of them would occasionally take me home with her after getting her hair done and I would spend the night at her house. Each time I stayed with her, she would let me pick out a teacup and saucer to take home from her very elaborate collection.

Now it's been forty some years later and this is the first time I've actually used them to serve tea. I kind of felt her looking down from heaven smiling yesterday as I sat sipping tea with my friends out of cups from her treasured collection.

My friend Tracy contributed the dessert for our gathering and she did the most ingenious thing. She had bought sponge cake and topped it with strawberries and whipped cream. And here's the ingenious thing -- she crushed pretzels and sprinkled them on top! Oh my gosh -- it took the dessert to a new level of goodness by adding a little crunch and a bit of salty to go along with the sweet. So good!

When everyone left and I finished cleaning up, I spent the rest of the evening on the couch relaxing and trying to finish my book club selection. If only the Blues would have won the hockey game, it would have been the perfect ending to a fabulous weekend! I sure can't complain, though, because all in all it was a great weekend!

Friday, April 12, 2019

Five on Friday - April 12, 2019

Hello Friday! Oh my - this week has been a truly great one. On Wednesday I had the opportunity to meet a blogger friend that was in town from Colorado. Do any of you read Jodie's Touch of Style? Well, on Wednesday night I had the opportunity to have dinner with her. Guys, she's wonderful! I'll be sharing more about meeting her and the fashion show I attended with her as a model later. But now I want to share my five for this week ~

1. Game of Thrones Whiskey
I'm sure this is news to no one, but the eighth and final season of Games of Thrones starts on Sunday night. We don't watch (I know!), but all the hype has made me a little sorry we never got into it. If you are heading to a watch party and want to give a cool hostess gift, Johnnie Walker has you covered. Pick up a bottle of their White Walker, throw it in the freezer and watch the Game of Thrones themed picture magically appear when the temperature falls.

Sorry, Tyrion Lannister, but now everyone is able to drink and know things. While Game of Thrones fans have been waiting (not-so-patiently) for the highly anticipated eighth and final season of the series, Johnnie Walker announced a new line of Thrones-inspired whiskies to hold us over. Not only is there a White Walker by Johnnie Walker bottle inscribed with "Winter Is Here" on the side, but there's also an entire Game of Thrones Single Malt Scotch Whisky Collection with a bottle for each House of Westeros â€” including one for The Night's Watch!
White Walker by Johnnie Walker and the Game of Thrones Single Malt Scotch Whisky Collection are both available in liquor stores nationwide. The collection ranges from $30 to $65. Read on to see all the fascinating House bottles, because Tyrion said it best: "Everything's better with some wine whisky in the belly." Cheers!

Related:

Here's Why Daenerys Will Be Forced to Kill Jon Snow in Game of Thrones Season 8

2. MAC Fresh Brew
Joanna Gaines recently revealed her favorite lipstick - and it's actually one we can afford! MAC Fresh Brew won her heart and it might just win yours too! It's under $20 and Joanna says "the best long-lasting nude lipstick I’ve found!". It seems lots of people love it because it has over 5,000 positive reviews. Get it HERE.

3. Cape Line Sparkling Cocktails
Summer is coming and we love sitting on the patio in the evenings enjoying a cocktail. These premixed canned cocktails come in three flavors: hard strawberry lemonade, margarita and blackberry mojito. I'd be happy with any of them in my hand! Wonder where you can find them in your area? Cape Line's only store locator (HERE) will point you in the right direction.

4. Easter Donuts
Have you seen the Easter donuts at Krispy Kreme? You guys - they are SOOOO cute!! It would be so fun to surprise your kiddos (or neighbors, or friends, or ANYONE) with these adorable pasteries. Just look at their cuteness!

5. Maybe I shouldn't be eating donuts....

Image may contain: 1 person, text that says 'WHEN YOU REALIZE SUMMER IS COMING AND YOUR WINTER BODY HAS GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL'

Okay guys, I'm off to get some stuff done. We have a big weekend over here. Tomorrow is wedding work day for a wedding I'm helping with in June. It will be invitation making central at our house! Then on Sunday I'm hosting some friends to celebrating one's birthday. So much fun stuff happening! Pop back in next week to hear all about it.

Linking up with:

The Peaceful Posse

Amanda at Meet At The Barre
Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday

This post contained affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase. Thanks