Things I Love About Girls' Weekend

Hello!  Thanks for popping in Thinking Out Loud Thursday.  Last weekend I hosted a girls' weekend at our house.  Today I'm reflecting on some of the things I loved most about spending time with this group of friends!

Getting ready for a girls' weekend is one of my most favorite things.  Goody bags awaited the arrival of my friends.  I'm always on the lookout for fun things to throw in the bag and decorating the outside gives me an excuse to fire up my Silhouette.  

Once the design was done for the bags, I figured I might as well make nametags for the towels!

It's not everyday our toilet paper looks like this, but I love to use the excuse to do some folding when friends are coming over.

I'm always looking for a reason to bust out the china.  Moments, when we all gather around the table, feel so special.  Why not set a special table to celebrate!

The table was made a little more special by using my grandma's silver.  I use it every chance I get.  There's not a doubt in my mind that my grandma is looking down from heaven with a smile every time her silver is on my table.

Speaking of using my china - I love drinking out of the fancy teacups.  I don't always have tea or coffee in them.  This weekend it was diet cherry Pepsi and charged lemonade from Panera.  It just tasted better when it was coming from a tea cup!

There is a local baker who makes the best cookies.  I've never gotten them for just me and Eric, but love it when we're having company because it's an excuse to bring home a dozen!  

It's always fun to have cocktails!  We enjoyed all kinds of fun concoctions over the weekend.  Saturday started with mimosas and just got better and better from there!

The weekend was full of activities.  Saturday afternoon we took a cooking / wine pairing class at a local store, Fezziwig's.  

When the class was over, we enjoyed some retail therapy before dinner.  After dinner, we went to a comedy club.  Loved the comedy club!  It's one of those places I just don't think about going to very often.  That needs to change.  

On Sunday, everyone headed home.  It was such a sad feeling when they pulled away.  Having fun with friends was something I greatly missed during the pandemic and I'm so grateful we are getting back to normal.  Weekends like this one are good for my soul.  I felt more energized this week than I have in a while.  Let's face it, friends just make life better!  I'm so very lucky to have the friends I do and love it when we can be together.  Can't wait to do it again!

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

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Thinking Out Loud Thursday - February 4, 2021

Hello there!  Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I share something I'm thinking out loud about and invite you to link up and do the same.  

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine posted the below graphic on Facebook.  Since reading it, the message has been on my mind.  

My first thoughts drifted to those friends who are "in my circle" that I know aren't the loudest to clap when things are going great in my life.  Am I spending too much time and energy trying to keep them around?  Are they really my friends at all?

I feel so blessed to have many really great friends in my life.  Ones that are there for me no matter what.  They show up and I know they will support me even if they disagree with the situation.  

Then I started thinking about how I support my friends.  Am I cheering them on with all my heart?  Am I showing them how much I want them to win?  I sure hope so!  

Galentine's Day, celebrated on February 13, has been gaining in popularity for the last couple of years.  What better day to reach out to your friends and let them know you are in their circle - standing proud and clapping loud!  Even though in-person gatherings are probably not the wisest this year, think about scheduling a Zoom and catching up if it's been a while.  Send a card or letter and let them know you are there for them.  Check in.  Be the friend to others you wish they would be to you!

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

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Good Friends Warm the Heart

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Today I'm reminiscing of the fun I had a couple weekends ago.  Eric and I flew in from Vegas late on Saturday night and I had friends coming in for a few days starting Sunday morning.  Normally after a late-night arrival home, I would have wanted to linger in bed the following morning.  But not this time!  I knew my friends would be arriving around noon and that was motivation enough to hop out of bed and get rolling.

The three friends visiting are all sorority sisters of mine.  Linda and I went to high school together and have been friends since the sixth grade.  We both choose to attend the same college and was interested in joining a sorority.  While we were going through rush, we decided that we would make individual decisions about which sorority to join.  As it turned out, we picked the same one and was thrilled because of it!  The other two ladies visiting were our pledge moms, Donna and Terri.  We've known each other for (dare I say how long!) thirty-eight years!  Our closeness over that time has ebbed and flowed, but every time we're together it's like no time has passed at all.

Soon after my friends arrived, we loaded up in the car and headed to one of my favorite diners - The Fountain on Locust.  You've heard me mention this restaurant before, but it's worth mentioning again.  They have boozy ice cream drinks that are OH.SO.GOOD!

Another thing I can't get enough of is their dill pickle soup.  I know, you're thinking really, dill pickle soup?  Yes.  Dill pickle soup.  It's fabulous!  And all three of my friends agreed.

Even if your meal fills you up, there's just enough room for their famous world's smallest hot fudge sundae!  

After our late lunch, we went to the National Blues Museum, located downtown on Washington Avenue.  The museum has an intimate listening room where they host their Soulful Sunday concerts.  This particular week The Kingdom Blues were performing.  So good!

We ventured back home and spent the rest of the night playing board games and catching up.  There's nothing quite like a great day out with friends to feed your soul!

Monday was spent lounging around the house and, of course, playing more board games.  Those two days were filled with deep conversations, lots of belly laughs and all kinds of fun.  Friends are truly priceless and I'm so very lucky to have these women in my life.

Just in case you're wondering, our sorority is Alpha Xi Delta.  Joining the sorority was one of the best decisions I made during my college years.  Friendships were formed that are precious to me and that's worth everything.

Now it's your turn - what's on your mind today?  Link up and share!

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Thinking Out Loud Thursday - January 18, 2018

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  This week has been a blur of activity and it's hard to believe we're at Thursday already.  I'm still thinking about what fun I had last weekend and that's what I'm thinking out loud about today.

Friday I took off work and headed to Kansas City.  The predicted weather had been sounding fairly ominous for Thursday night, but thankfully come Friday morning it wasn't as bad as the forecasters thought.  I got an early start on the day, stopped at my parents for lunch and arrived at my friend Linda's house in plenty of time for us to go see a movie.

Linda and I had both been excited to see the movie Lady Bird.  Have you seen it?  It had been getting such great reviews.  For me, it just wasn't all that.  I liked it, but definitely didn't LOVE it the way I had thought I would.  

When we got home, we started watching the series Divorce on HBO.  Loved it!  Let's just say that by the time I left on Sunday, season one was successfully watched.

Saturday was the main reason I made the trip to Kansas City.  I met with a couple in the morning about helping with their wedding later in 2018.  The meeting went great and I'm excited to be helping them make their wedding dreams come true.  You know you'll be hearing more about this as their date gets closer!

Then it was time to celebrate my friend Jodie's big 4-0 birthday.  Her husband, Patrick, had orchestrated an entire day of activities - all of them a surprise to Jodie.   The group assembled was Jodie's close friends from high school, college, and family.  Patrick - job well done!  The day was perfect! 

One thing that helped add to the fun of the day was Patrick had arranged a limo service to take us from place to place.  Everyone could kick back and have a great time without the worry of having to drive.  Carey Limousine Service had the perfect coach and driver for us.  If you ever have the need to use them, I highly recommend asking for Joe Boschert be your driver.  He was professional, fun and the perfect fit for our group.

Jodie's brother, John, had even traveled into town as a special surprise.

We started at Pinstripes where we had some pretty competitive games of Bocce ball.  The measuring tape had to be brought out more than once.  

                           

Then it was on to Amigoni Urban Winery for a wine tasting before going to dinner.  Amigoni's is a great gathering spot.  They even had a few board games you could enjoy while sipping on your wine.

Then we were off to dinner at Garozzo's Italian Restaurant where the portions of pasta were huge and the wine continued to flow.  Look at this birthday girl -- no way does she look 40!

With very full bellies, we loaded up in the limo after dinner and headed to The Green Lady Lounge to listen to some jazz.  We were lucky enough to snag a table in the basement and enjoy the music.  Great place!

The night continued on to John's Big Deck.  Nothing like a little dancing to cap off a wonderful evening.  Jody definitely ushered in this decade of her life in style and I'm so grateful I was able to be a part of it!  You can see why I'm still thinking about it!

What are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!  I'd love to hear from you.

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Dear Jane

My dear friend Jane,

Today marks two years since I sat in church and got the chilling phone call from your sister letting me know you had joined the angels in heaven that morning.  Two years.  In a way it seems like only yesterday and in other ways it seems a lifetime ago.

Through your death, you taught me so much about living.  I no longer take for granted that there will always be a tomorrow.  I feel a sense of urgency to look at my bucket list and get things checked off.  Far too many people wait around their whole lives to do even the simplest of things and then suddenly it's too late.  I've learned to seize the moments and make things happen.  Thank you for that. 

Thank you, too, for all the memories we shared together.  The road trips, baseball games and concerts.  It's hard for me to realize that there will be no more pictures of us laughing and being silly, but makes me treasure the ones we have even more. 

Your family donated a bench in your honor to be placed at work.  Debbie and I have enjoyed wine while sitting there listening to Bon Jovi.  The deer and turkey roam by it adding to the tranquil atmosphere of it's location.  Today there's a thin layer of snow on the seat -- so appropriate since snow was one of your favorite things.

I wish I had told you how much your friendship meant to me while you were here on earth with us.  Yet another lesson you have taught me -- tell people how much you appreciate them.  As my pastor reminds us frequently, you are fine - no, better than fine, you are GREAT - in heaven.  It's just us left here on earth that are sad you're not here too.  I imagine you among the angels holding your dog Molly with your sister Jill by your side smiling down on us.  Probably with an occasional eye roll! 

You are thought of daily and we miss you Jane.  Until we meet again...

Saying Goodbye   |   Bench Dedication 

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - October 19, 2017

Hello!  It's Thinking Out Loud Thursday over here and I'm glad you stopped by.  Please link up your post below and tell us what you're thinking about today.

Today I'm reflecting on a beautiful thing that happened earlier this week.  You might remember my friend Jane that passed away in January of 2016.  I wrote about her passing HERE.  Jane, along with our friend Debbie, and I had so much fun and her leaving us for heaven left a hole in both our hearts.

This week Jane's parents, sister and brother donated a bench to be placed on our work campus.  We had a little ceremony to dedicate the new memorial.  At the ceremony, as balloons floated into the sky, we had a few tears running down our cheeks.  I have to say, it brought some feeling up that I had buried pretty deep.  Do you ever truly get over a loss of a friend?

Jane had worked at our company for 25 years and had made an impression on almost every employee.  It was so thoughtful of her family to put something on campus in remembrance of our dear friend.

The moderator of the service quoted one of Jane's favorite people, Jon Bon Jovi ~

                                               I'll be there forever and a day.
                                                     -   Always

                                               I'll be there till the stars don't shine

                                               Till the heavens burst and

                                               The words don't rhyme...you'll be on my mind

                                               And I'll love you - Always.

Debbie and I decided that a little private dedication to the bench last night was in order.  We toasted Jane with some wine while her favorite artist, Jon Bon Jovi's tunes played on Debbie's phone.  Spending a bit of time sitting on Jane's bench and reminiscing about all the crazy things we did was good for our souls.

There's not a day goes by that I don't think about Jane.  Usually it's a memory that puts a smile on my face.  The hardest part is knowing that there will be no new memories.  Jane taught me to never take a day for granted because you never know how many more you might have.  I'm a better person for having her as a friend and I hope she's in heaven thinking the same things about me.

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Thinking Out Loud Thursday - March 23, 2017

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Glad you stopped by and hope you all link up below to share what you're thinking out loud about this week.

I'm still thinking about what a fun trip Eric and I had to Kansas City last weekend so that's what I'm thinking out loud about today.  We headed out Thursday night after work so we could be there bright and early on St. Patrick's Day.  Didn't want to miss a single moment of the fun!  Thank goodness Linda didn't mind us rolling in to her house while it was still barely St. Patrick's Day Eve.

Our friends, Mary and Kevin, hosted an all-day party that started with breakfast and Irish coffee.

It didn't take long for the games to bust out.  I was delighted to have enough people around to play my all time favorite card game - Hand and Foot!  Thank goodness my friends indulge me by playing even though I know their love for the game isn't as big as mine!  Anyone else love to play this game?  If so, come on over and let's get a game going!!

Early evening we raced to hear Kelsey, my friend Linda's daughter, do her thing at the State qualifying forensics tournament.  We hit one too many red lights along the way and ended up not getting into the room in time to see her, but we all huddled around the door and was able to hear every word of her poetry reading.  She's a rock star!  And I'm sure you are wondering if she qualified for State.  Well, yes she did!  So proud of her!

Saturday we enjoyed a skating party for our friends twins, Alex and Adah.  Even though we didn't actually skate ourselves, we had a blast watching the kids (and some adults) move around the rink.  The ice cream cake wasn't bad either!

Everyone gathered for lunch after the party at the home of the twins' parents.  When all the little cousins scooted off to play, the adults once again broke out the games and cards.  We were almost as competitive as the basketball games that were on in the background.  I swear on Sunday night when I laid my head on my pillow I was still hearing squeaky shoes and a ball bouncing!  Not that I think that's a bad thing - the NCAA tournament is one of my favorite things!  Is your team still in?

Saturday night me, Eric and Linda continued our hunt for the best burnt ends in the Midwest.  We ventured to Char Bar in the Westport area of Kansas City to sample theirs.  They did not disappoint.  However, we feel we must continue our search before rewarding the title of best burnt ends to anyone.

We thought the cocktails, appetizers and sides were equally as good.  We had the fried green tomatoes to hold us over while we waited the 45 minutes for our table.

Sunday we had to come back home so Eric could go to work.  We sure enjoyed ourselves!  It's too bad St. Patrick's Day is only one day a year!

I treasured the time we got to spend with our friends this weekend even if it was a speedy little trip across the state.  We should all treasure every minute we get to spend with our friends.  This week has been a constant reminder of that as Facebook has been prompting me every day of where I was and who I was with just two short years ago.  My friend Jane (pictured below in the center) passed away less than a year after we took this trip to spring training.  We would have never guessed that was our last trip together.  Live life big friends for you never know when your time in this place will come to an end!

So that's what I'm thinking out loud about today.  Now it's your turn ~ what's on your mind?

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Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:

Home of Malones

East Coast Chic

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Thinking Out Loud Thursday - October 27, 2016

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday! Thanks for popping in to join me and Vanessa from X-tremely V for our little linkup party.

Is anyone else shocked that today is Thursday already?!?  After my whirlwind week last week preparing for the wedding on Friday, this week has been total catch up.  But I can't quite stop thinking about the wedding and all the stuff that went along with it.

I'm a little lot disappointed in myself for my lack of thinking like a blogger last week.  I didn't do a good job AT ALL documenting my activities in photographs.  There was no remorse at the time, but now I'm feeling a little sad about it.  All the little details I spent hours working on for the wedding is just a memory in my head right now.  Hopefully pictures will start surfacing of some of the little extras like the placecards on the head table, the Mr. and Mrs. signs on the bride and groom's chairs at the reception, etc., etc. 

But besides the actual wedding stuff, I'm also thinking about the week in general.  On Monday night I called my friend Tracy in a mild panic because we were having family pictures taken on Saturday and I could not find a necklace to wear with my dress.  Every other night my calendar was full and Monday was the only day I had to shop for the needed jewelry.  After scouring five stores - nothing.  I called Tracy on my way out of the mall, explained my situation hoping she would be able to pull something out of her closet for me to borrow.  She calmly told me to get home and start working on wedding stuff and she would take care of my jewelry issue.  Take care of it she did!  A few hours later she was standing in my kitchen with multiple options that were perfect.  We chose what we thought was the best thing and she returned the rest.  Now that's a true friend!  It's not the first time she saved my bacon and, knowing me, I'm sure it won't be the last.  Love you Tracy!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.


Me and my friend Tracy

Speaking of not having enough time to shop ~ week before last I started thinking that I might not have time to get a dress for the wedding so I tossed caution to the wind and bought a dress off Amazon using our Prime account.  Hadn't done that before and it paid off BIG!  I seriously don't know what I would do without Prime.  Click below if you want to give it a try.

Two days after I found this dress on Amazon, it was in my possession and I was trying it on in my bedroom.  Maybe I just got lucky this time, but I'll take it!  Loved the dress!  The quality is great and it fit wonderfully.  Saved me a ton of time and money (it was only $31.50).  Yes, I'll be doing that again.  Have you ever bought clothes off of Amazon?

I don't look as good as the model, but here's the dress on me ~

That's enough of what I'm thinking about this week.  Now it's your turn!  Link up and share what's happening with you.

Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at:

Home of Malones

East Coast Chic

Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

The Deliberate Mom

This is How We Roll

Bows and Clothes

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