What's Up Wednesday ~ April 2019

It's been a while, Friends! I took a blogging break over Holy Week and even though we celebrated Easter at the beach this year, our hearts are still heavy over the loss of our best friend to stomach cancer earlier in the week. I'm so thankful for the time we got to spend with Brad before his passing and I've been spending time with Leigh this week as she traveled with her family to the beach last week, too. There is so much I could say about our sadness, but in a way, I feel as though it's not my story to tell. I'm still trying to work through my own emotions and just be there for my best friend. My heart is just not in to blogging right now, but I wanted to document some things for our family scrapbook, so here is an abbreviated version of What's Up Wednesday.

What I'm Reminiscing about || Like I mentioned, Wayne and I celebrated Easter and our 24th anniversary at the beach. It was absolutely perfect! Beach hair, raccoon eyes, crop tops, cell phones in our back pockets, and all! Alise invited her best friend to go, so Wayne and I shared some moments alone which included Easter sunrise services on the beach. What a gorgeous morning it was! I already miss our long walks on the beach where there was a plethora of shells. I've never seen so many! PSA: The cabanas on the beach are not SPF-proof. Only my face is a living testimony to that fact. Thank goodness for MAC Foundation!

What I'm Loving || I recently discovered the Happy Color app and I love it! I "colored by number" most of the way home from the beach yesterday.  It is so relaxing and a nice change from browsing social media and Pinterest. 

What We've Been Up To || Alise went with her class on their last middle school field trip earlier this month to Dallas and had a great time at Six Flags, Dave & Busters, the Dallas Library Observatory, and doing facials with her favorite teacher! Oh, with the exception of leaving her purse at the hotel. Thank goodness for honest people still in this world! Her cash, credit card, air pods, and new retainer were still in the purse! She also managed to come down with a sinus and double ear infection so we were in the doctor's office on the Monday after they returned with fever.

Two days after getting a shot and antibiotics, Alise was on the track with her relay team and they came in third place in the district meet! Wayne and I really wanted her to sit out, and so did her coach, but she was determined to run and not let her team down. #proudmamamoment

What I'm Dreading || I've come to the conclusion that I need to find a new OB/GYN. After fifteen years of my all time favorite doctor holding my hand and literally walking me through life, and hard circumstances, and childbirth, it's time. I waited over four hours yesterday and still did not get to see her. I realize that the dreaded m-word is knocking on the door and I think it's time that I found a doctor that no longer delivers babies and is devoted to more of a gynecological bed side manner. It is going to be so hard to find another doctor that lives out the standard of care that I've had with Dr. S, but with a broken heart, I'm going to try. 

What I'm Working On || Marking things off my spring bucket list! One Friday evening after we dropped Alise off at a friend's house, I spotted my first rainbow of the year! I was reminded of the Bible verse in Jeremiah 29:13 that says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Rainbows have always had a special meaning for me and on that particular evening, it had been raining off and on and I was searching the sky in all directions as Wayne drove. This beauty brought a huge smile to my face! I spotted another one at the beach this past weekend! 

What I'm Excited About || We are SO excited for our friend, Brooks, as she becomes the new head women's basketball coach for mine and Wayne's ala mater! She comes by way of the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!), which is where we met.  Oh, how I wish Stephanie could have played for her! Our friend, Hannah, had that opportunity at Bama. Brooks is a fantastic coach with a winning record and smile, and we just know that she is going to do great things for ULM. Congrats, Friend! Can't wait to support you on the court! 

What I'm Watching/Reading || We have been binge watching the new season of Bosch, our favorite crime/detective show based on the series by Michael Connelly. I love his books even though the Netflix series tends to be much slower paced. I struggled with finding a great book to read at the beach and finally decided on The Summer House by Jenny Hale.  I haven't finished it yet.

What I'm Wearing || My best friend recently had a Cabi party and I must have been out of my mind for ordering a thicker sweater for spring and summer here in Louisiana, but the rhinestone buttons had me as soon as I saw them. They reminded me of some clip on earrings my grandmother use to wear to church. I bought several other pieces that day, but this is the only one I've had time to photograph in time for this post.  This entire outfit is a walking Cabi ad. Ha! The poppy leopard cami is from a few years ago and I bought the matching woven heels last season.  Absolutely love how this outfit came together! 

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month || We are celebrating Baby Girl as she turns the big 14! It's been a difficult month raising a teenage girl, but I am so grateful to be her Mama. I pray everyday for the grace and strength to walk through this stage of life. There are fun days filled with lots of laughter and then there are days filled with tears and feeling like I'm ready to pull my hair out! My moma tells me all the time that I'm "paying for my raising," but I swear I never acted like my kid does. So thankful for friends who hold me accountable and lift me up when I need it most! You know who you are! 

Rainbow Dress Inspo

I spotted my first rainbow dress on Collins' IG while she and some friends were visiting Charleston and fell in love. Rainbows have always been pretty special to me and they are even more so now after last summer. I even included spotting one on my spring bucket list, but unfortunately, I have yet to see one. But if April showers still bring May flowers, then I should be able to spot one this month for sure! 

So back to rainbow dresses. And back to the fact that I love them!! Here are a few of my favorite styles (and colors!) of this latest fashion trend.

And speaking of rainbows!  THERE ARE SHOES, TOO!!

So all my 80's girls will remember this Girlie! I hope you have a COLORFUL day, Friends, and spot a rainbow! 

Show Us Your Books ~ April 2019

Thank goodness March was a MUCH better reading month for me!  I seriously considered giving up my favorite hobby for a few months if things didn't shake back soon, but the books I read this month just kept getting better and better. A great reading month makes this bookworm very happy!

Just Mercy || I decided to read this book because Jamie Ivey raved about it on her IG story. Last summer, I was in her summer book club and thoroughly enjoyed the books she chose. However, even hearing that this book would be made into a movie, did not push me to even finish it.  I made it to 77% and decided to call it quits. If you're interested in reading about the unfairness of our court and prison systems and the trials and sufferings that people have gone through to be wrongly convicted of crimes and thus sentenced to death row, then this is the book for you (and if that sounds callous and cold, I don't mean it to be. I just don't think it was the right book for me at the time). This was definitely not the book that I had hoped it would be to jump start my 2019 reading slump. Three out of five stars. 

Sold On A Monday || Ellis, an up and coming newspaper reporter in the 1930's, makes a poor decision of capturing a picture of two small children in a post-Great Depression era. After discovering what happened to the brother and sister, Ellis and Lily join forces to turn a bad mistake into a family restoration. This book had it all post-depression era, the mob, gambling, Prohibition, love, fantastic characters, and most of all, redemption and hope. Probably one of my favorite reads for 2019! Four stars. 

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter || A Facebook book group that I'm in ranted and raved about this book and author.  I've never read anything by Hazel Gaynor before, but I enjoyed her writing style and would be open to reading another one of her books. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter was entertaining at best and sometimes confusing due to the author's flip flopping of character chapters and time. Basically it's two stories in one about women who find themselves as care takers of lighthouses, one in Ireland and the other in Rhode Island. Tragic events occur, but the story and lives of the two heroines come full circle and I enjoyed it very much. Note: Historical fiction. Three and a half stars. 

Lying Beneath The Oaks || This book showed so much promise and even though parts of it were cheesy, I made it to 90% and then I said, "That's it! I can't read this anymore!" By that time, cheesy just got plain stupid. In spite of the cheesiness, I loved the southern charm of this book as well as the characters. Bottom line: don't waste your time. 

The Silent Patient || I thought this book was totally worth the hype. Alicia shoots her husband and refuses to say another word. She is admitted to a psychiatric facility and meets Dr. Theo Faber. Will Dr. Faber be able to convince Alicia to speak again, and most importantly, will she confess to the crime?  I was totally surprised by the ending. Totally recommend. 

Run Away || My second Harlan Coben book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If not for one particular aspect that just rubbed me the wrong way, I would have given it five stars instead of four. Simon and Ingrid's daughter is missing and Run Away is all about what a parent will do to get their daughter back. It's a wild ride, that tends to wane after about two-thirds in, but the ending is totally unexpected. 

Later this month, I'll be sharing my SUMMER reading list! Stay tuned! 

3 Things ~ April 2019

Welcome to 3 Things! Today we're sharing these three prompts about spring and Easter! Write with me or leave your 3 Things in the comments below. I would love to read them! Here we go!
                       
1. What 3 things are on your spring bucket list?
I shared my own bucket list a few weeks ago. I listed seven fun things that I'm hoping we can do as a family over the next few months. Actually, I can already cross out two things: buy fresh flowers and enjoy an outside concert. We've recently attended two concerts at a local vineyard and I've had the pleasure of dining al fresco with friends at a local restaurant that just reopened. I am so ready for the pollen to go away so that we can open up the pool and enjoy meals outside again. 

2. Spring cleaning, spring forward, or spring break. Which is your favorite and why? 
I just wonder how many are going to choose spring break for this question? It makes me smile just thinking about it. Springing forward is definitely NOT a favorite of mine! I'm looking forward to our Spring Break for sure! 

3. What 3 dishes will be on your Easter menu?
Unfortunately, we will be at the beach for Easter so I have no idea what we will be eating. A few years ago, I posted some ideas for Easter lunch here and here so maybe that will inspire your menu for our most beloved Christian holiday. If we were in town, though, ham would definitely be on our table after our Easter church service.

Friends, here are the last 3 Things prompts for Spring. We'll pick back up in the fall on September 9th. Gosh, that seems so far away, but I actually just booked a flight for the end of October and it can't get here soon enough! I just know summer is going to FLY BY! Thanks for participating and writing with me these last few months and I look forward to joining you all again in the fall.  In the meantime, you'll still find me here hanging out at the Horton Family! Thank you for reading! Love and blessings to you all! 

Moody Blue Mood Board

A few months ago, Wayne surprised me with a pair of ice blue earrings from Kendra Scott while we were in Baton Rouge. I absolutely love them. But there is a problem. See, I don't really have anything to wear them with. I guess he gave this girl more than he thought he did because now I have an excuse to go shopping! 

So needless to say, the earrings are the inspiration for my moody blue post today. Blue has always been a favorite color of mine. You may be thinking, I thought purple was your favorite color? Well, it is and since purple is in the blue family, it counts! Just look at that blue hydrangea!! Absolutely gorgeous!

Confession: I can be a little moody at times. I like to withdraw and be by myself from time to time. I'm an introvert and I don't always like the social buzz. This may be a little shocking to some of you because I love to hang out with my friends and entertain and do all the fun things, but sometimes I just need space to be alone. To be still. To rest. To reflect. And in the world of raising a teenage daughter, simply to catch my breath. 

Using the earrings as inspiration, I created a mood board of items that reminded me of that solace time when I like to retreat and step back from all the activity. 

Blue Coat || I'm a winter person, so I love long wool coats. Especially pea coats because they remind me of my Daddy when he served in the Coast Guard.

Beach || Maui will forever be my favorite beach destination.  There is simply no comparison.

Books || Will forever be my favorite way to spend "me" time. 

Pillows || I've always been a fan of gingham and toile. Our first couch that we bought was cream and navy gingham. We still have the love seat upstairs.

Hydrangea || The cross-mixing and planting of this flower family simply amazes me. 

Typewriter || My grandmother had one just like this except it was green. She kept it on a desk in my "Uncle Gary's room" and me and all the cousins absolutely loved to play on it! We would be so disappointed when the ribbon would dry out and the letters would no longer show on the paper. Fun family memories. 

Don't judge if I'm a little moody because our weekend plans got nixed because of the rain. I guess the April rain showers have officially arrived here where we are, but I hope your weekend is filled with lots of warm sunshine and happiness!