Weekending - June 10, 2022

I'm here for a little weekend rewind today!  It's graduation season and this weekend we celebrated the daughter of our friends!

This young woman is truly amazing!  Not only is she stunningly beautiful, but her heart is also just as spectacular.  It's a little hard for me to believe she's graduating from high school.  I can still vividly remember visiting her in the hospital when she was just a few days old.  Watching her grow up has been a joy!

I share something very rare and unique with her momma.  Sharyn and I have been friends since the first grade. Not many people have the honor of friendship with someone for that long!  Sharyn and I met our friend Linda in the sixth grade and we've been friends ever since.  

They did a great job decorating for the party.  I loved all the special touches!

One of the coolest decorations was the balloons floating out of the pool.  They looked great at night too.

Guess where she's going to college?  She is Auburn bound in the fall.  I'm secretly hoping she joins the same sorority I was in at another university.  

Sunday morning we met up with our friends again for breakfast.  Breakfast food isn't my most favorite, so I opted for the chili cheese fries with a side of pancakes.  Yum!

Eric spent Sunday afternoon doing yard work and I spend it on the couch finishing the season of Grey's Anatomy.  

We did get our ceiling fans switched over for summer.  Did you know that during the summer months, your ceiling fan blades should be set to turn counterclockwise?  Ours are now going in the right direction. We need all the cooling help we can get this week because the temps are supposed to hit 100 degrees most days.  It's HOT!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and your week is off to a great start.  I'm going to be showing you our Fourth of July mantel later this week, so be sure to pop back in!

Five on Friday - June 10, 2022

Happy Friday friends!  I'm back to share my five for this week ~

1.  Jurassic World Dominion

I feel like we are finally getting some good movies back in the theaters!  After Top Gun last week, this week we're getting Jurassic World Dominion.  Here's the plot as reported by Movie Insider ~

Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

2.  Mini Air Conditioner

I'm sure a lot of you are spending your evenings and weekends sitting on the sidelines watching your kiddos play sports.  And it gets mighty hot doing so!  Years ago I invested in a couple mini air conditioners and they have been lifesavers!  These come with me to weddings to keep the bride and groom cool, outdoor concerts, parades, really anywhere I have to be out in the heat.  There's a sponge on the inside that you wet and that helps keep the air that's circulating through nice and cool.  You won't be sad to have a couple of these around!

3.  The Hotel Nantucket

Elin Hilderbrand's newest novel is being released this week.  Order now to have it arrive to you on the day it comes out.  It sounds like a great beach read!  Here's the summary from Amazon ~

Fresh off a bad breakup with a longtime boyfriend, Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton is desperately seeking a second act. When she’s named the new general manager of the Hotel Nantucket, a once Gilded Age gem turned abandoned eyesore, she hopes that her local expertise and charismatic staff can win the favor of their new London billionaire owner, Xavier Darling, as well as that of Shelly Carpenter, the wildly popular Instagram tastemaker who can help put them back on the map. And while the Hotel Nantucket appears to be a blissful paradise, complete with a celebrity chef-run restaurant and an idyllic wellness center, there’s a lot of drama behind closed doors. The staff (and guests) have complicated pasts, and the hotel can’t seem to overcome the bad reputation it earned in 1922 when a tragic fire killed nineteen-year-old chambermaid Grace Hadley. With Grace gleefully haunting the halls, a staff harboring all kinds of secrets, and Lizbet’s own romantic uncertainty, is the Hotel Nantucket destined for success or doom?

Filled with the emotional depth and multiple points of view that characterize Hilderbrand’s novels (The Blue Bistro, Golden Girl) as well as an added dash of Roaring Twenties history, The Hotel Nantucket offers something for everyone in this compelling summer drama.

4.  Denim and Rhinestones

Ready to hear some new music this weekend?  Carrie Underwood's new album, Denim and Rhinestones, is being released today!  She's bringing us 12 tracks, including her latest hit single, "Ghost Story".  It's sure to be another best-selling album to add to her long list of hits.

5.  Where I Am...

Have a wonderful weekend!  I'm determined to get caught up on some things around the house.  Truth be told, I've been off my game lately.  Hoping this weekend will give me a little time to get myself back together.  We also have a graduation party to attend.  Pop in next week to hear how it goes.

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - June 9, 2022

Hello friends!  Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I talk about something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same.

It's been a minute since I wrote anything for the blog.  The last couple of weeks have been a blur and it feels good to sit down to reflect on what's been going on around here.  I'm so grateful to have Eric by my side because he has a knack for keeping me at least half sane in times when my world gets a little stressful.  That's what I'm thinking out loud about today!

We did our annual trek to Kansas City over Memorial Day to participate in our friend's washer tournament.  Eric and I are blessed to have these friends in our lives and it was fun gathering with them for a weekend full of action!  Eric actually threw his way to become this year's champion!

My parents' house is on the way home from Kansas City, so we were able to stop in and see them on our way home.  

Last weekend was one of the two weddings I'm coordinating this year.    Every time I do an outdoor wedding, I'm obsessed with the weather forecast starting as soon as the date comes into view.  Thank heavens, the weather was absolutely perfect!  

Photo Credit ~ Jennifer Klink Photography

We worked with a couple new vendors and everything turned out lovely.  I'll be doing a more in-depth post as soon as some of the pictures come back from the photographer.  Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Paschal!

Eric and I snuck out Tuesday night to see the new Top Gun movie.  Both of us loved it!  I laughed, I cried, and I hid my face under my blanket.  Add them all up and it makes for a great movie in my opinion.  

Now I'm looking out over a mound of laundry and thinking how you could write your name in the dust that's accumulated on my dresser.  (Care to guess what I'll be doing this weekend?)  But I wouldn't have traded the fun from the last couple of weeks for anything!

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

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Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - June 8, 2022

          

 Welcome to Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

Welcome to the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop and thanks for stopping by! Here you will find inspiration from dozens of bloggers including recipes, home DIY, gardening, decor, family fun, traveling, fitness, and so much more.

A friendly reminder to our guests that as a courtesy to the hosts, we ask that you follow every host on at least one social media channel.

If you are a blogger, then be sure to link up below. You may be our next feature!

Before we get this party started, let's meet the hosts and check out this week's featured favorites.

Meet The Hosts

Please follow the hosts on at least 1 social media channel!

1. Ahna - HAMMERS N HUGS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
2. Anne & AnnMarie - SIMPLY 2 MOMS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
   
3. Bev - ECLECTIC RED BARN | IG | PINTEREST
4. Cindy - SIMPLE STEPS FOR LIVING LIFE | FB | IG | PINTEREST
5. Christin - MY HOMIER HOME | FB | IG | PINTEREST
6. Emily - LeCULTIVATEUR | FB | IG | PINTEREST
7. Jana - HARVESTING HOME | FB | IG | PINTEREST
8. Penny - PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
9. Sinea - DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
10. Tammy - MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST
11. Tara - STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST

Today's Features

Top Viewed

 5 Ways to Hide Tummy Fat

 Very Popular

Easy No Bake Pink Lemonade Pie

Very Popular

Early Summer Entry with Bovine Beauties

Editor's Pick

Father's Day Pillow with Infusible Ink

Air Fryer Pretzel Bites

Be sure to grab our Specially Featured graphic below if your post was featured this week, and hyperlink it to this post on your blog or sidebar. We love showing you off!

Let's Get This Party Started

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Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - May 31, 2022

 

Welcome to the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop and thanks for stopping by! Here you will find inspiration from dozens of bloggers including recipes, home DIY, gardening, decor, family fun, traveling, fitness, and so much more.

A friendly reminder to our guests that as a courtesy to the hosts, we ask that you follow every host on at least one social media channel.

If you are a blogger, then be sure to link up below. You may be our next feature!

Before we get this party started, let's meet the hosts and check out this week's featured favorites.

Meet The Hosts

Please follow the hosts on at least 1 social media channel!

1. Ahna - HAMMERS N HUGS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
2. Anne & AnnMarie - SIMPLY 2 MOMS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
   
3. Bev - ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
4. Cindy - SIMPLE STEPS FOR LIVING LIFE | FB | IG | PINTEREST
5. Christin - MY HOMIER HOME | FB | IG | PINTEREST
6. Emily - LeCULTIVATEUR | FB | IG | PINTEREST
7. Jana - HARVESTING HOME | FB | IG | PINTEREST
8. Penny - PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
9. Sinea - DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
10. Tammy - MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST
11. Tara - STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST

Top Viewed

Happy Blue Fashion Over 50 Finds from Hello Lovely Studio

Very Popular

 

Simple Goodwill Picture Frame Transformations by My Life Abundant

 Patriotic Front Porch Decor by Penny's Vintage Treasures

  Editor's Picks

Patriotic Instant Pot Cheesecake Recipe from 3 Boys and a Dog

 

Baking Pans Turned Donut Wall Decor from Studio 27 by Jennifer Adams

Be sure to grab our Specially Featured graphic below if your post was featured this week, and hyperlink it to this post on your blog or sidebar. We love showing you off!

Let's Get This Party Started

• Please follow all hosts on AT LEAST 1 of their social channels.
• Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties please.
• Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.
• Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries will be seen no matter when you arrive.
• Please TWEET our party and invite others to join.

Let's Party!

 

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Five on Friday - May 27, 2022

Happy Friday!  Can you believe it's already the end of May?  We are really looking forward to this holiday weekend!  Let's kick it off with my five for this week ~

1.  Memorial Day

Many of us will be enjoying a day off on Monday and celebrating by doing a little grilling.  Let's remember the real purpose of the holiday - to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the military. 

"Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it." –Unknown

2.  Top Gun:  Maverick

It's FINALLY here - Top Gun:  Maverick opens today.  This movie, which is a sequel to the 1986 Top Gun movie, has been in the can forever.  We are so excited to see it!  Here's the summary from Rotten Tomatoes ~

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

3.  Nightwork:  A Novel

Nora Roberts' newest novel hit the stands on Tuesday and it's just in time to add to your summer reading list.  Here's the summary ~

Greed. Desire. Obsession. Revenge . . . It’s all in a night’s work.

Harry Booth started stealing at nine to keep a roof over his ailing mother’s head, slipping into luxurious, empty homes at night to find items he could trade for precious cash. When his mother finally succumbed to cancer, he left Chicago―but kept up his nightwork, developing into a master thief with a code of honor and an expertise in not attracting attention?or getting attached.

Until he meets Miranda Emerson, and the powerful bond between them upends all his rules. But along the way, Booth has made some dangerous associations, including the ruthless Carter LaPorte, who sees Booth as a tool he controls for his own profit. Knowing LaPorte will leverage any personal connection, Booth abandons Miranda for her own safety―cruelly, with no explanation―and disappears.

But the bond between Miranda and Booth is too strong, pulling them inexorably back together. Now Booth must face LaPorte, to truly free himself and Miranda once and for all.

4.  Starbuck's Lime-Frosted Coconut Bar

Next time you're cruising through the drive thru at Starbuck's, grab one of their new lime-frosted coconut bar!  The ingredients include chewy coconut, oatmeal and mini white chocolate chips all topped with a lime frosting and a drizzle of white icing.  Then just to make it a over-the-top good, they add a sprinkle of coconut shavings.  Yum!

5.  So true...

Have a marvelous weekend!  We are headed to Kansas City to participate in our friends' annual washers tournament.  It's a guaranteed fun time and we can't wait to get there!  

What We've Been Watching

Hello there.  Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday.  I'm having a hard time believing that we're already approaching the end of the week!  Today for Thinking Out  Loud Thursday I thought I'd share some of the things we've been watching ~

Last weekend on our date night, Eric and I saw the new Downton Abbey movie.  We both thought it was lovely.  Not too heavy, but just enough to make it meaningful.  Have you seen it?  I'd see it again.

Stanley Tucci's second season of Searching for Italy started and we love it!  It makes us long to return to Italy, roam around and eat all the food.  

We binged the series Candy.  It was slow at times, but we couldn't look away at the same time.  Jessica Biel does a great job and the story is so bizarre.

It's hockey playoff time!  We've been glued to the television watching our beloved St. Louis Blues in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.  We are so hopeful for a repeat of the 2019 season when our team hoisted the cup! 

What's been on your watch lists?  We could use some recommendations for our next binge-watch.

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

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