Decorating for Spring begins at the front door.
When I discovered this delightfully colorful and Easter-inspired door candy I knew I wanted to share it here on my Latest Loves post for March.
Love. It. #GOATSpringwreath
You can buy it here.
And speaking of door candy, I use to have this "Why Hello" sign on the door from the garage into my art studio in our Linden home but I had to leave it behind when we sold the house.
I bought the original sign at Hobby Lobby but couldn't find it again so I was thrilled to find this similar and downloadable version last week on Etsy. I can't wait to pull this greeting together and have it hanging on the back door of our new downsized home up north.
get it here.
Shifting now from home decor to manicures...
I use to routinely go to the salon for manicures but then, somewhere along the way, it seemed that what had once been a pampering luxury became a have-to something that I needed to fit into my schedule.
During COVID I was happy to just have my natural nails but I did sometimes miss the look of a pulled-together polished manicure. I started painting my own nails using gel polishes and an LED light with mixed results. Sometimes I would get a great salon-looking manicure and then the next time the polish bubbled or it would only last for a few days. Recently I tried these sticker nail polish strips from Color Street and I have to say they are pretty incredible.
Color Street polish strips for nails
They can be rather tricky to work with the first time or two. There is a definite learning curve to applying them. I would recommend starting out with one of the glitter styles of polish strips because they seem to be more forgiving than the solid colors in case you mess up. There are some great YouTube videos with tips to help you learn how to apply them easier and I would suggest reviewing a couple of them before jumping in and going it alone.
After doing this three times now, I think I finally have the application process mastered and I have to say that this polish really does last an easy ten days to two weeks. Plus, they are so much easier to remove than gel polish. With a little extra effort, you can get two manicures out of each package so that brings them down to about $5.00 a manicure!
This sports bra is another latest love for me.
I bought it in white to layer under low-cut tank tops and loved it so much that I ordered it again in two other colors. Order your usual size. They run true to size and I ordered the one with the built-in bra. Is it designed for a high-intensity workout? Well, I wear a D cup so for me, probably not. But for everyday wear, it is amazingly comfortable and supportive.
Then I ordered this air-fryer.
The kids were coming for a visit and I thought it would be perfect for Crew's chicken nuggets and fish sticks. It was. But surprise! Now we are using it too. Fries, turkey breast, fish, and bacon; they all cook up beautifully and healthier in this little wonder.
What have I been watching lately?
I've been watching and loving this.
I wasn't a fan right away. In the first episode Georgia, the mom, was just too extra and frankly annoying and appeared to be a southern belle cliche. But as I am winding my way through the season, I am realizing that the initial portrayal of her is just a facade she puts up to hide her fears, frustrations, and sadness. Her character is definitely multi-dimensional and intriguing.
The show is almost always compared to Gilmore Girls and there are some obvious similarities but this show is definitely saucier and saltier than its predecessor and is seemingly unfiltered. Ginny and Georgia isn't some cheap clone. The writing here is sharp and the characters are charismatic. Max, Ginny's BFF, is one of my faves along with her brother Marcus. If you watched Schitt's Creek you will recognize Jennifer Robinson, who played Jocelyn as Ellen, the wine-guzzling, sometimes pot-smoking, stressed-out mom, neighbor, and close friend of Georgia.
Pay attention when you watch this one! It is full of constant rapid-fire dialog. There are so many great one-liners and you don't want to miss them.
I'm not going to be white and bougie even if you put me in a cable-knit sweater.
~Ginny Miller in Ginny & Georgia, Season 1 Episode 1
And I just finished reading this.
This novel consists of several stories told by different women throughout the book; women that don't have much in common other than where they live and the time in which they are living. But their individual narratives and events merge to bring the central story full circle.
The setting of this book, Western Texas, and the time period, 1976, are both so key that they feel like two more integral characters in this story about rape, justice, injustice, bigotry, feminism, marriage, and loss.
This isn't a feel-good book, probably because it is more reflective of real life, and real-life isn't easy. But it is extremely well written and one that you will remember long after you have turned its last page.
So there you have it. My Latest Loves, the things that inspired me, made my life easier, made me feel prettier, made me laugh, made me cry, and entertained and enlightened me. Enjoy!
Wishing you a Happy Holy Week,
