The Blessing & The Chaos and Everything In Between
Life feels very full right now…sometimes chaotic, but good! Keeping up with three daughters, five grandchildren, two dogs, a huge old house, renovations, blogging, creating content for social media, maintaining friendships and being married is a lot, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. This post is kind of a This & That…what I’m doing, buying, eating, shopping for and thinking about! I hope you enjoy this brain dump!
Last weekend on Friday I left for Richmond to visit my daughter Rebecca and her husband and my adorable little granddaughter Stella! I love Richmond and always look forward to visiting my favorite shops and eating delicious food. Traffic was a nightmare on the way there and I was running so late that I met them at Conejo which is a Mexican restaurant that serves very delicious food. It’s pretty casual, filled with families and they have an outdoor area that’s so nice when the weather is warm.
Not a great picture but those pigtails!
We were all tired and went to bed early on Friday. On Saturday morning, Rebecca and I got Stella ready and hit the road early so we could get in some shopping! The first stop was the most wonderful toy store called Fort. All of the toys are made from natural materials for and it’s just such a nice place to shop. I got Stella a baby carriage and a baby doll and a few other adorable things for my two younger grandchildren.
Our next stop was Nellie George. They have a children’s section as well as fabulous women’s clothing. I bought a pair of ReDone jeans that I love and got a few Easter things for the kidos. My favorite brand to buy for my younger grandchildren is Pink Chicken. If you’re a grandmother, you need to know this brand because it’s so adorable. It’s not inexpensive but honestly, I just can’t help myself!
While we were in Nellie George, I met a lovely lady that follows my blog and we took a picture together! I was so happy that she spoke…I’m really bad with names and I’m so sorry I don’t remember!
Another boutique I love for more affordable women’s clothing is Traveling Chic Boutique. They carry brands like Rails, Pistola, Z Supply and Dolce Vita. I always find a couple of things to bring home with me!
Probably my favorite store in Richmond is Creme de la Creme! I purchased my favorite salad bowl there and I ALWAYS find so many things I want! They have a pair of huge planters right now that I’m seriously considering to go on either side of my front door (more on that soon)! My only purchase this time was a cookbook by Edna Lewis. If you love real, authentic, Southern food (I’m not talking Paula Dean here), this cookbook is a must have.
Dinner on Saturday night was at my all time favorite restaurant in Richmond - Uliveto. I had the most delicious risotto with leeks and pancetta. I could eat there every night and highly recommend!
The New Neutral
My post yesterday was all about the butter yellow trend for spring 2025! The pastel colors this season are so pretty and I’m especially loving the soft yellow! Here are two more collages (one higher end and one lower from Amazon but both fabulous) with butter yellow items that you’ll love…I just can’t get enough!
For Spring 2025, soft, buttery yellows are a major trend in women's fashion. Pale, creamy yellow is taking over where beige left off, offering a fresh take on neutrals that's both flattering and easy to layer!
If I’m not wearing jeans, I’m wearing some version of the outfit below…leggings or yoga pants, a tee…long sleeve or short sleeve, depending on the weather, sneakers and a crossbody bag. Everything below is from Amazon and I’m really loving the black pants…they have pockets, a drawstring waist and the length is perfect for me!
I’m loving these pink jeans…who knew! They’re really kind of neutral and go with so much! I’ve also worn them with a navy and white striped sweater (also love this one) and these silver sandals! The fabulous bag pictured is so roomy and would be ideal for travel because it has a space for everything! As is sometimes the case, I couldn’t find the exact one, but this one is similar.
I’ve been cleaning out and purging like crazy in anticipation of getting back into our space soon! It’s amazing how much you can accumulate over a period of almost 20 years! I’ve boxed up more books than I can count and taken bags and bags of clothes to our local thrift store. Everyone there knows me by name at this point…feels like home away from home!
I still have a few loose ends to tie up…it’s funny the things you don’t think about - like door knobs and light switch covers.
I did start to stress the other night about coat hangers! I know that sounds crazy but I want them to all be the same. I decided to purchase the velvet hangers with gold hooks and 250 of them were delivered over the weekend! Baldy thinks I’m crazy, but I’m going to organize his closet as well, because if I don’t, it’s no telling what it’ll look like!
I haven’t been cooking nearly as much as usual but the one thing I continue to make every week is my coconut rice that I cook in the rice cooker. This one is the newer version of mine which is at least 20 years old and still going strong!! I serve it with everything from Mississippi Pot Roast to Cuban Black Beans and it’s alway delicious! I have never shared my Cuban Black Bean recipe here, but it’s what I make when I have no time and not many ingredients…it’s very delish!
Roasted chicken breasts are also something that I’ve been making and keeping in the refrigerator. It’s great to have chicken on hand for salads and to chop up for pita sandwiches. I sprinkle the chicken (boneless, skinless chicken breasts) with salt, pepper, and rotisserie chicken seasoning and drizzle with olive oil. Then I roast the chicken breasts in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. I served this chicken with my homemade basil pesto over pasta on Sunday evening and we loved it!
I’m so ready to get back in the kitchen soon!
Romanticize Your Life
Make your life about joy. Celebrate your big and little wins. Celebrate your progress. Grow every day. Let the warmth of the morning sun kiss you before you dive into the day ahead. Find little things to smile about. Give hugs often, complement others whenever you can. Get inspired. Read books that light you up. Nourish yourself. Go outside and spend time in nature. Take chances. Make the art. Watch the sunrise and sunset. Climb the mountain. Life is just too short and fragile to not live a life on inviting joy. ~ Nikki Warne from Walk the Earth
Daffodils in our front yard…
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the idea of romanticizing my life, which is something that I’ve had a hard time with lately because of all the clutter and chaos.
I have tried to keep things neat and I also try to make a little ritual out of my coffee every day. Other things that help are sitting down for lunch with a plate (as opposed to standing at the kitchen counter)…even if it’s just a few crackers and some cheese, drinking my water from a beautiful glass, and getting dressed in something besides sweats every day. However, I know that romanticizing my life is about more than a pretty glass…it’s the thoughts I think and the way I look at life in general. I think the outside things (like a pretty glass) help with the inner thoughts. When I’m taking the time to treat myself well, it’s a signal to my brain that I think I matter. When I take a moment to visualize how my day will go and practice gratitude for my blessings…I have a much better day!
I’ve done my best to keep the part of the house that’s not under construction neat and pretty, although the dust has been horrible and it’s a daily thing to keep it under control. Just having a pretty space to be in has been lifesaving for me through all of this.
Getting plenty of sleep on fresh sheets, using my scented laundry pods so everything smells nice and taking a few moments to get inspired by a beautiful book each day (this is my recent favorite beautiful book) have also helped.
I’m including a boutique below with things mentioned in this post and, of course, a few other things that caught my eye!
Well that certainly turned into a long post and I hope you enjoyed it! I’m off to walk the dogs and run some errands! It’s a beautiful day here!
Thanks so much for reading!
~XOXO Suzanne