Wednesday, July 31, 2019

A Book Review: Lilac Girls + TOLT

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you link up your post below and share what's on your mind today.

I'm thinking out loud today about a recent book I finished - Lilac Girls.  This is the first novel for author Martha Hall Kelly, and it is a hit!

Lilac Girls: A Novel by [Kelly, Martha Hall]
Available HERE
Here's how Amazon describes this New York bestseller ~
New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France.
An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.
For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.
The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.
I was so excited when the Book Babes book club decided to read Lilac Girls!  The three main characters, Caroline, Kasia and Herta, were strong women and their stories were so intriguing.  Discussing the story and characters with a group of friends is the best!

Lilac Girls was a book I had a hard time putting down.  Each chapter focused on one character of the story and ends leaving you wanting to hear more.  There were parts of the book, namely when the story line moved to the concentration camp, that were hard to read.  Knowing the book is based on real people  and true situations made it even harder.  But the way the story was woven together made me want to keep reading and exploring the lives of the characters.

Martha Hall Kelly visited St. Louis shortly after her second book, Lost Roses, was released.  She spoke about her journey in writing Lilac Girls with passion and made me love the book even more.


Going to these types of authors' events have become one of my favorite things to do.  Have you been to an author event?  Do you like them?  If you haven't been to one before, give it a try!  The St. Louis library system has wonderful opportunities with authors from all genres.  Check with your local library for events near you!


So that's what I'm thinking out loud about today.  What's on your mind?  Link up and share!





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Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - July 30, 2019

Welcome to our party! Party? How do you have a party on a blog? We call them "blog hops" or "link parties." For those who may not be familiar with them, blog hops are parties where bloggers share their latest posts with the public. Other visitors also attend, looking through the collection of posts in search of great ideas. Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop has some of the best recipes, crafts, kids activities, mom tips and home decor ideas on the internet. Check them out and, when you find something you really like, visit and pin it so you can find it again in the future!


Last week there were so many great posts shared at our party, it was hard to narrow it down to just a few features, but we did it! So, take a look >>>  

Fabulous Featured Picks of the Week

   
   
   
 
 
wedding dress
 
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Weekending - July 26, 2019

Weekends.  They just flat out go by too fast!  Last weekend I hosted a couple of my friends from Kansas City and it was packed with all the fun stuff.  Here's a recap ~

Friday I took off work to enjoy the day and get ready for our weekend company.  Although the weather was a bit warm, it was still glorious to sit outside in the morning and read.  It's not often enough that I get to start the day in this relaxing way, so I soaked it up!

The official purpose of the visit was to discuss our book club selection - Lilac Girls.  If you've not read this book, I highly recommend adding it to your TBR list.

Available HERE
To set the environment for the book discussion, our message board announced the book.  Linda and Mary were also welcomed with goody bags in the bedrooms with a true lilac theme.  I'll be sharing more on those in a later post.



When they arrived, we spent the evening relaxing around the fire pit, sipping wine and making s'mores.  It was a perfect way to start the weekend and catch up.


Saturday morning we hit the ground running!  We went to the farmer's market in O'fallon, Illinois and stopped in a little resale shop before heading over to the Fox Theater for their 10:30 am tour.  This is my second time around for the tour and it was just as enjoyable as the first time I took it.  If you are visiting St. Louis, or if you live here, this is a must-do if you enjoy theater at all.  

                      Image may contain: sky and outdoor

The Fox Theater is so beautiful on the inside.  It's nice to have an opportunity to experience the beauty when there's not a show about to begin.  




You even have an opportunity to see a real live Tony up close and personal!


After the hour and a half tour, we headed to Fountain on Locust to enjoy a cocktail and lunch.  This restaurant is located close to the Fox and has the coolest vibe.  I'd stopped by for the boozy ice cream desserts they are known for, but hadn't experienced their food before.  We shared a bowl of their dill pickle soup - and before you wrinkle your nose up at that, let me just say it was FABULOUS!  I'll go back for the soup alone.  Not kidding.  


Even though our lunch was very filling, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to partake in their "World's Smallest Hot Fudge Sundae".  Oh my - it was delicious!


From there, it was off to the Joya birthday celebration sale going on at The Spotted Pig.  Joya was celebrating four years and doing it in style.  We each played a game and won amazing prizes.  So worth the stop!


The Joya sale got us in the shopping mood, so we drove straight to the outlet mall.  Each of us found things we "needed" and bargains we just couldn't pass up.  

From there, we went to our scheduled cooking class at Kitchen Conservatory.  It was the first time any of us had taken a class there, but it definitely won't be our last.  The theme of the session was Tiki Time.  Our instructor guided us through making a special cocktail, slaw, broccoli, plantains, pork steaks and a key lime icebox cake.  




When the class was over, we had the opportunity to purchase many of  the items our instructor had used.  Not one of us left there without adding some new clever tools to our kitchen inventory.  

Sunday morning we got up and took a nice walk in the park before visiting Eckert's for some fruit picking and lunch.  If you've read my blog for a hot minute, you've heard me talking about Eckert's.  We love that place!  On Sunday, you could pick peaches and blackberries.  We chose to pick both.  



From the look of the peach trees and the blackberry vines, we'll be able to visit again before the season is over!

We finally got around to doing our book club discussion over lunch at Eckert's restaurant.  Their fried chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes made for the perfect Sunday lunch.  But the highlight was definitely the peach butter cake dessert!


I'll be doing a full book review of Lilac Girls in a later post, but I was happy to hear Linda and Mary had enjoyed the book as much as I had!  

I'm not going to lie, when the girls pulled out of my driveway to head back home I was sad.  We had the most fun weekend and I didn't want it to come to an end.  Times like this are just so good for the soul.  Plans are already in the works to get together again, so I'll just have to look forward to that!
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Friday, July 26, 2019

Five on Friday - July 26, 2019

Hey there!  So glad you popped in to see what my five is for this week.  I've got some good ones!  Take a look ~

1.  Bachelor Live on Stage
Okay Bachelor Nation, are you ready for the live version coming to a town near you?!?  If you were watching Men Tell All this week, Chris Harrison let the cat out of the bag on their new adventure of hosting a live show, on stage, at cities across the country.  Well, tickets go on sale today for the St. Louis version and my fingers are crossed at snagging a couple!  Here's the description of the show from their website:
The most successful reality romance series in the history of television is coming to your hometown. The Bachelor Live on Stage Official Tour guarantees all the drama, the gossip and the romance of your favorite TV show in one delightful evening for the ultimate fan party. Previous Bachelor and Bachelorette favorites will serve as your hosts, as one eligible hometown Bachelor is introduced to local ladies from the audience for a chance at love.
For the first time ever, Bachelor Nation will have a say in the rose ceremony. From the first impression rose to group date challenges and coveted one-on-ones, watch it all unfold live on stage. Audience members and hosts will guide the Bachelor in his journey to find love. If the leading lady accepts the final rose, the night could end with the start of a beautiful romance.
Come to enjoy the show, or come to fall in love! This engaging and hilarious experience will give you and your friends plenty to gossip about and fit an entire season of Bachelor drama into one evening!
WHO WILL GET THE FINAL ROSE?

bachelor_main_logo.jpg

2.  Orange is the New Black - Final Season
The seventh and final season of Orange is the New Black releases today on Netflix.  I have to admit, I didn't finish all of season 6, but for some reason I'm excited to see how they wrap up the series.  Have you hung in there through the first six seasons?  I see some binge watching in my future.





3.  Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Put Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in a movie and I'm going to want to see it.  Once Upon a Time in Hollywood opens today and stars both those guys, so it's definitely on my list of movies I want to see. The cast also has Luke Perry, so this might be one of his last pieces of work before he died.  Here's the synopsis from Fandango ~
Actor Rick Dalton gained fame and fortune by starring in a 1950s television Western, but is now struggling to find meaningful work in a Hollywood that he doesn't recognize anymore. He spends most of his time drinking and palling around with Cliff Booth, his easygoing best friend and longtime stunt double. Rick also happens to live next door to Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate -- the filmmaker and budding actress whose futures will forever be altered by members of the Manson Family.


4.  Metals for Tokyo Olympics
The start of the Tokyo Olympics reached the one year mark on Wednesday and the organizers celebrated by unveiling information on the medals the winners will be taking home.  These beauties were designed by Junichi Kawanishi and for the first time ever are made from all recycled material.  Kawanishi said the medals are to "resemble rough stones that have been polished and which now shine with light and brilliance."  While the front of the medals display the Tokyo Olympic emblem, the backs have the Greek goddess of victory.  Hope lots of these will be making their way back to the US on the necks of our athletes.

olympics, 2020 tokyo olympic medals, Junichi Kawanishi, wire

5.  Stop....
Image may contain: text

Have a great weekend!  I'm off work today just enjoying the beautiful weather we're having and getting ready for two of my friends to visit from Kansas City.  Tonight I'm hoping to enjoy the evening sitting around our fire pit.  Them tomorrow we have a whole bunch of fun stuff in store.  Pop back in next week and I'll share our experiences!

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Thursday, July 25, 2019

Friday Favorites Linky Party - July 26, 2019

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Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - July 24, 2019

Welcome to the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

Welcome to the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop! Summer is speeding by and it's so fun to see all the great posts each week to celebrate the season.  Here's a few features from last week ~
 

Fabulous Featured Picks

 
 
   
   
 


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Friday, July 19, 2019

Five on Friday - July 19, 2019

Let's hear a rousing HOORAY for Friday!  This week has been long and short all at the same time.  Ever have one of those?  Regardless, I'm excited the weekend is near.  Here's my five for this week~

1.  Lion King
When Lion King originally came out in 1994, it was one of the first movies I ever took my son Ian to experience.  He was three years old, sat on my lap and was mesmerized by what was taking place on the huge screen in front of him.  Now, 28, he, his wife, me and Eric are going on Sunday to see the newly released 2019 version.  I can't wait to experience it again!  In case you don't know the story, here's the synopsis from Fandango ~
Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny on the plains of Africa. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Scar, Mufasa's brother -- and former heir to the throne -- has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is soon ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. Now, with help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba must figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

2.  Hershey's Caramel Whipped Topping
Hershey's has once again tempted us with a new whipped topping flavor - this time it's caramel!  Some of their flavors I could take or leave, but this one piques my interest.  I'm thinking of putting it on pancakes, in coffee, heck just squirting it directly into my mouth!  A serving of two tablespoons is only 10 calories.  Heck, I might just take a can to work and when I get a craving for something sweet take a hit.  Have you seen it in your stores yet?  I'm definitely going to be on the hunt for it this weekend. 

3.  Essie's Summer Collection Nail Polish
Looking for a fun new nail color?  Check out the colors in the summer collection from Essie.  There are only here for a limited time, so scoop them up while you can!




4.  The Latte Factor
I'm starting to think about the books I want loaded on my Kindle for our long plane ride to Ireland.  The Latte Factor keeps bubbling to the top.  I heard the author on The Rise podcast and he sold me on wanting to read every page of his book.  Amazon says this ~
Discover #1 New York Times bestselling author David Bach’s three secrets to financial freedom in an engaging story that will show you that you are richer than you think. Drawing on the author’s experiences teaching millions of people around the world to live a rich life, this fast, easy read reveals how anyone—from millennials to baby boomers—can still make their dreams come true.
 Click HERE to grab your copy and we can figure out how rich (or not) we are at the same time.

                                    

5.  Be careful when you pick up your prescription....
Image may contain: text that says 'When your pharmacist has turned to the dark side. HARMAGIST'

Enjoy the weekend!  We've got fun stuff happening over the next few days.  We'll be seeing Footloose at the Muny tonight, meeting with the bride we're working with on Saturday, then seeing The Lion King on Sunday.  Monday will be here before we're ready for it!  See you next week.

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Thursday, July 18, 2019

Friday Favorites Linky Party - July 19, 2019

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Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Let's Make a Blackberry Cobbler

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  I'm still thinking about the plump, juicy blackberries we recently picked and today I'm going to share a recipe with you using them.

This past weekend, Eric and I visited our go to place for picking fresh fruit - Eckert's in Belleville.  If you live in the St. Louis area and haven't been -- GO!!  Right now there is a trifecta of things you can pick.  There's blackberries, peaches and vegetables.  This fall we'll be returning to pick apples.


From the time we loaded the tractor for our short trip to the blackberry bushes, I could already taste the blackberry cobbler I wanted to make!  The vines at Eckert's are planted in neat rows on a trellis arching towards the sky.  With the vines being loaded with fruit, we filled out basket in record time!


When we got home, I started scouring Pinterest to find the perfect cobbler recipe I could try with my freshly picked blackberries and settled on one titled Best Kentucky Blackberry Cobbler from Top and Exclusive Foods.  It was definitely a winner!

Here's What You Need
2-1/2 cups fresh blackberries, washed
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 stick of unsalted better, melted


Here's What You Do
Combine your blackberries with the sugar and let it sit for 30 minutes.  Something magical happens to the fruit's juice by doing this.


 After 20 minutes of your fruit and sugar being combined, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and milk with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the melted butter and stir until all the ingredients are mixed well.  You might have a few clumps.


Pour batter into an 8x8 baking dish (or similar size).  No greasing is necessary.


Pour the blackberry/sugar mixture evenly on top of the batter.  Make sure to scrape the bowl and get all the sugary goodness on top of the batter.


Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.  45 minutes worked for mine to reach the golden color I was looking for.  Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before digging in.


Serve warm or room temperature.


This recipe was so easy to make and the flavor is the best!  You, like me, probably already have all the ingredients right there in your kitchen.  Just add some fresh blackberries and you are set to go.

I'm hoping to get out to Eckert's again before the end of the season.  We will definitely be making another cobbler if we do!

Now it's your turn - link up your post and let us know what you are thinking out loud about today.


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