Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

1. America celebrates turning 250 years old this year. Primary cities set to lead the celebrations on July 4th are Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Washington D.C. Other significant locations for celebrating will be Charleston SC and the ‘historic triangle’ which includes Jamestown-Willimasburg-Yorktown Virginia. 

Of the cities listed how many have you seen in person? Of the cities listed which would you most like to visit this year? Any plans to do so? What’s one place in America you think everyone should see? If you’re not American what’s one place in the US you’d like to see? 

I have been to all but Boston and Philly. I have been to DC multiple times and NYC just once other than the airports.

I would love to see Boston but probably not when it’s super crowded.

I think everyone should see DC.

Being there for a 250-year celebration would be super cool, but the number of people makes me start to twitch.

My Dad had to go to DC for the military and that was my family’s spring break as a child a few times. We especially loved the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum since my Dad was an Air Force pilot.

Tom and I took our kids to DC for spring break and here we are visiting Mount Vernon during the same trip.

Our kids were very interested in what they were learning in elementary school so the time felt right.

The summer after DC we did Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown. They were so much fun on both of these trips.

Here’s how I have all my photos – in albums – I also did captions. My twins loved a hotel room. They would claim their double bed and immediately get in. This was in Williamsburg.

I had been to NYC’s airports, but my first and only time exploring it was when my sister Kate had a summer internship at the Guggenheim. My bestie and roommate Heather and I flew to see her and have her show us the city:

Her original degree was in “Museum Studies” but she went back and got her teaching degree and is now an elementary art teacher.

Heather in the black and me in the denim and it could possibly be JFK, Jr. shirtless next to me? I spot a backwards baseball cap. If that’s not him, Heather and I are sure that he passed us on his bike.

We’re sorry, officer.

Staten Island Ferry

The weather was horrible while we were there. It was cold and rainy in July and we had to borrow Kate’s sweatshirts. We tried to get on tv shows by standing in line in the rain!

We got on the front row of David Letterman because he was in Indiana and we told the staff we were, too. Samuel L. Jackson was on the show.

I think I would love to see Napa, CA. I have been to California and I have seen San Francisco, but I think going north from there to see the northern part would be of interest to me.

2. Three sounds you love to hear?

Baby laughter (is there anything better?), anyone laughing (especially if it’s a really funny laugh), sounds of pencils while kids are taking a test (haha)

3. Three sounds you hate to hear? 

Screaming, throat clearing, nose blowing – It’s a real pet peeve of mine when someone full on blows their nose at a dining table. Please go to the restroom.

4. February 24th is/was National Tortilla Chip Day. Are you a fan? With salsa, guacamole, queso, or just plain please? Do you like nachos? With what on top? Is there anything (besides nachos) you make that calls for tortilla chips? 

Um, yes! I am quite picky about my chips. They need to be not too thick, perfectly salted, and bonus points for warm if I’m in a restaurant. I love salsa (if it’s not crazy spicy), guac, and queso. Come on, this was a pre-requisite to be a Spanish teacher! Yes, I make chilaquiles sometimes. They are so good! I prefer them with salsa verde.

Also, it’s surprisingly easy to make your own tortilla chips with the thin corn tortillas in the air fryer or the oven.

Here are some chilaquiles I split with my friend Victoria:

5. We March into March with next week’s Hodgepodge…what’s one thing on your March calendar that makes you smile? 

My sister Kate (of Guggenheim fame from the above NYC photos) was born on St. Patrick’s Day, and she is one of the most important people in my life. We are part Irish, too. I have always loved celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. I’m already looking forward to making Jen’s corned beef and Irish soda bread.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Boy, did I take a walk down memory lane in going through my albums for this post. I wish I could squeeze those sweet little twin boys.

I also really enjoyed seeing my 90s fashion. I remember loving my wardrobe in the days of the NYC trip.

I had a LBD – little black dress – that I even wore one of the first times I saw Tom, a chambray shirt, a black floral skirt from Kmart, a denim jumper that I wore a white t-shirt under, a denim dress – all things I think are back in style probably!

I think this was us dropping someone off at college – maybe the baby of the family, Molly, on the right:

This was us at Versailles, I think, on our epic European trip with our mom and dad – Our dad only stayed for half of the time due to work- but we stayed a month!

Look at those chunky sandals!

Well, I think I got off topic a bit!

This was fun!

Amy

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

I have a special guest today on the blog. I’m going to step away and let Eddie Otis’ paws do the work for me.

Eddie Otis here. You can call me Eddie or EO if you want. My Daddy picked my name. It’s so silly. His baseball coach was named Archie Otis, and my big, big brother’s name was Archie (no Otis after). The baseball coach had a son named “Eddie Otis” and my Daddy thought that would be funny. My big brother’s name was Ernie, so I think some people get confused. They tell me I’m the third in a line of chocolate labradors.

Here I am in the back of mom’s car:

My friends got me this cool bed with my name on it.

Anyway, I’m starting to become a “good boy” as my mom says. She likes when I lie down next to her. She pets me nonstop when I do this.

I love my stuffies. Boy, do they get me a lot of them. I am not supposed to, but I love taking them outside. Here I am with two in my mouth at the same time! I mean – heck – I didn’t even know it at the time, but now I’m thinking that was pretty cool.

I know the names of all of them. I’m pretty smart. I have Axel and Moo Cow in my mouth in this picture.

Boy, I made the mudroom muddy last week. I was just chilling. I really love the tile in here and I think mom is trusting me more to be in here with the yummy shoes.

Here’s me – pretending not to see the yummy shoes but I sure am thinking about them.

Let’s got back to how it all began. I was born on a farm in Indiana. My first mom’s name is Ally and my first Dad’s name is Terry.

Ally:

Terry:

Do you think I look like them?

So, my new Mom and Dad came and saw me play with my two chocolate brothers. There were some sisters, but they wanted a boy. They picked me out because my brothers were in a fight and I was more interested in the humans. Isn’t that silly?

A few weeks later, they came back and said they were taking me “home”.

This was my first time in my yard.

My mom and I watched the solar eclipse there a couple of days later. My mom looks so goofy.

I didn’t have glasses in my size so I had to cover my eyes.

This was really silly. I laid in this bowl of water for this thing called a “rain chain”.

My parents took me to a concert in a tote bag. It was so crazy!

My Dad taught me how to go down a slide on my playground.

I went out on this thing called a boat.

I got to go see my cousins at a graduation party.

My favorite place to be is with my Daddy. He’s the best.

This is my serious face.

I liked to sleep in my dog wash. Don’t try to wash me – are you kidding? I just liked to sleep here.

Here I am with my mommy.

When I’m old enough to date, this will be my profile picture. I just think I look so good here.

But maybe I should include this one, too?

I love to help Daddy with outdoor chores. This fall I built a fence! I love to mow, too. Here’s me mowing a couple of summers ago.

Dad and I take some great naps together.

Dad must really like that green jacket thing. He mainly wears green and blue.

A few more things about me…

I like to get hugs from my Daddy, too. I stand up on my hind legs and we hug. If I need one, I usually just paw at him until he notices.

I really like linens. Socks are so yummy. I actually eat those. I just like to carry around dish towels, wash cloths, my family’s clothes.

I love to steal things and be chased. It’s really fun.

I love the taste of an Amazon Fire Stick. My parents have had to order so many. What a hoot!

Taco Tuesday, anyone? I really like my taco.

I pretend to not know the words “no” and “come”. As if!

I love my dog sitters. I have had Makena, Ali, Avery, Ella, and Sophie. They love me. Here I am with Sophie.

I’m not sure what I’m getting for my birthday today but I hope it’s good!

EO

Monday, February 23, 2026

It’s Monday and time to link up with Holly and Sarah to share our weekends.

Weather-wise, we had a nice spring preview last week and now it’s winter again – for a couple of days and then we are supposed to get 60s by the end of the week. Ok, I can handle that. Do you think snow is done for the year? It could be for us, but we have had big snows in March before.

It’s the last week of February! Wow, did this month go by quickly!

I am trying to not go to the grocery this week. I went on Thursday and got pretty well stocked. I have been doing a spending diary this month and trying to have a low spend month, so I would like to be able to call my grocery total final.

I am working at getting EO to calm down outside. Sometimes he can’t help but bark at all the many noises he hears. I have been playing calming dog music, classical, or soft jazz in the house at the busy times of day and that really helps.

This was Thursday afternoon. I got him to lie down and relax!

It was so nice to see most of the snow gone! Wow! I can’t remember any time in my life where snow stuck around for over 3 weeks.

I am caught up on two shows – Love is Blind Season 10…

and Love Story.

They are dropping new episodes little by little which I kind of like.

I took a pretty long press on nail break and then put on this pale pink Thursday night after my shower. This is before filing and trimming. I can’t have my nails too long.

We loved getting out and seeing the sun Friday morning.

I had breakfast plans with my friend Kara at Highland Morning:

I got biscuits and gravy and only ate half and was still full until dinner.

And, I tried a few bites of their key lime pancake. It was so pretty and would be so perfect for St. Patrick’s Day but I didn’t love the flavor. It was definitely “breakfast dessert”.

We went to this gorgeous plant store! They had moved from downtown to near my house.

We each got a couple of new plants.

I put this guy in this cute container I already had.

I picked up library books:

Love going into the weekend with a fresh stack of books! I have loved this feeling since I was a child. I can still remember being in the children’s section of my hometown library.

EO tried to take not one, but two, stuffies outside!

We met friends at a speakeasy for dinner. It was so cool!

You know how you can never see the menu at a restaurant? They had this cool light up menu!

I slept in a little bit Saturday and woke up to Eddie Otis cuddling beside me.

I cleaned off his crate of all his accessories and our many dog towels.

I moved plants around, swept, mopped, and cleaned the mudroom.

I asked Alexa to play cleaning music and it was the best playlist! I loved every song! Try it out!

Here is my meal list for the week to get me through without going to the grocery again (I hope!):

Next to it is my February Goals list!

I spent a few hours cleaning and finally made my favorite breakfast that was more at lunch time. I am still hooked on this combo.

I didn’t go anywhere on Saturday! Can you believe it? I was happy at home. I guess since I had such a full day Friday I was content. Tom and I watched a new show, I read, we watched Olympics, and then I made a great dinner with a combo of leftovers and new things.

I made spinach salad with warm bacon dressing:

roasted carrots and a chicken sandwich for me with leftover chicken and a fish sandwich for Tom from my Friday night fish.

It turned super cold overnight and we even had some Sunday snow! I had a Target return and saw this Western themed section.

I spent some time reading this:

Tom and I watched a gumbo recipe and attempted another batch together!

It’s hard to believe, but it’s almost time for another Currently. It will be Wednesday, March 4 and here are the prompts (thanks to Jenn for her help!): saving your life right now, cleaning/purging, loving, planning (trip wise), taking a break from (since it’s Spring break month).

If you also do Hodgepodge, feel free to do them in the same post or you can do two different posts. Feel free to interpret the prompts any way you want.

What did you do this weekend?

Amy

Friday, February 20, 2026

It’s Friday and time to link up with Andrea and Erika for the happiest post of the week!

Here are some of my favorites from the week – I would love to hear yours, as well!

I visited my old school – really just the office staff and my small language department:

Is it weird that I kind of think it was a milestone for me or at the very least good for me to go back for a visit? I wasn’t sad to not be in the trenches anymore. I may have felt differently if there were students present, I realize. I tell myself it was 25 years of my life so of course I have had to process feelings. I felt at peace!

After that, I had been asked to go to happy hour by my friend Victoria. We had a nice hour and a half of catching up with some chips and guacamole and a margarita for me and a mosquito for her (a spicy margarita basically).

I was looking for something and came across this from Mason when he was in late elementary school. I think I was on the phone, and he wrote me this note and then corrected his own grammar. Bahaha!

There are only 3 episodes out as far as I know, but wow, is this good. I feel like I’m reliving the 90s through the fashion, too.

This week I tried toasted coconut and it’s really good. I don’t like coconut shavings but I like the flavor if that makes sense.

Remember my relative success with cooking German food for V Day? Well, Mardi Gras was a different story. I spent about 2 hours making the worst gumbo ever. I guess I burned my roux.

Eddie Otis ate my gumbo spoon:

I had to Door Dash some gumbo since I had promised it. Wah!

I also had hair day this week!

Before:

During:

After:

Why do all of these look like mug shots?

Eddie Otis and I have been spoiled because we have had the playground behind our house all to ourselves. The kiddies are out again and EO is not sure what the screaming is all about.

There is a charity that helps those in the restaurant industry and each month a different restaurant does “chef in a box” which is a meal for two. This month Captain’s Quarters was doing it. This is the restaurant we can go to by boat.

I had a 60-degree day and enjoyed going to pick it up. Look at the boats in their shrink wrap!

I had planned well since I knew I was “trying” to make gumbo the night before.

We had spinach salad:

Chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans:

Bread pudding for dessert:

I have been re-watching Younger and then saw this!

We don’t have much longer to wait for a MomTok Bachelorette. Look at the book she’s holding.

I started this:

EO and I were able to read outside a little bit this week. I have to get him to be calm and lie down, and this is a photo of me spying on him behind me.

My hydrangeas have made me happy this week!

Sophie of Big Boo Cast recommended this hummus and I had to go to Costco anyway. It’s like restaurant quality good. I am a big fan of Graza oil, too.

I keep re-purchasing LMNT because it’s just so good. I realized it worked really well with the coconut water from Kroger. It’s a great mocktail!

I was craving a spreadable cheese for crackers, and this is pretty good.

Jen has talked about Drizzilicious and I found a box at Costo of s’mores, birthday cake, and cinnamon. So good! 90 calories!

And, that’s a wrap for my week! Tell me a fave of yours!

Amy

Thursday, February 19, 2026

February is flying! We have had such a reprieve from the cold and I have loved it. It just makes everything easier. The mornings are still super cold but I have my awesome long waterproof coat.

Last week I attended a Galentine’s event at a open air shopping center near me and I decided to go for it and be festive. I have always loved pink and green together. This is a Target sweater from a few years ago and the pink pants are consignment this year.

The next day I wore my Old Navy tee purchased this year. It’s a very light pink with cherries shaped like hearts. I have on my Amazon Essentials cardigan and Halara jeans.

I bought a new sweater from Target. I swooned when I saw it. My photo is not great, so I will link it here. Just click on the red font “here”. For spring, I love white and cream and lacy or crochet textures. My very old gold clogs are not that comfortable to me anymore so I want to get a neutral pair of shoes with a little height that are both comfortable and modern.

I ended up putting this on for errands with Tom.

Sunday I went super casual with my pink and white striped from Old Navy. It’s not flattering but I was comfy. We had some more errands and visited some friends. I’m wearing my old Tieks flats but meh. Again, I want a neutral or gold shoe for spring. Yes, I do have a thing for gold shoes and I’m not gonna apologize.

Speaking of the bright gold Swedish clogs above – you would not believe how many students commented on them. I would have kids I didn’t know come up and compliment them. I usually said, “Solid gold, baby”.

I visited my school Monday in this outfit. My hot pink Old Navy sweater is quite pilly. I wore light Halara jeans and I think the gold clogs.

I often get hot under the cape for hair day so I wore a blouse with Halaras. You will be happy to know I didn’t go barefoot. I wore my tan Adidas Sambas.

It’s kind of a hard time to get dressed! Anything too springy doesn’t feel right yet and some of the winter clothes are too much right now.

I also haven’t been doing any scarves this week – yet!

We didn’t see a single silk scarf at the consignment stores last week, either.

What have you been wearing lately?

Amy

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time to link up with Joyce for the Hodgepodge. It is Ash Wednesday which marks the first day of the Lenten season. Yesterday was Mardi Gras which means “Fat Tuesday” as it’s the last day of Carnaval in many countries. The time to party is over as they move into the six weeks leading up to Easter.

You didn’t miss my post yesterday; I had a rare case of writer’s block and a really busy day on Monday.

Louisville is a big Catholic city and when Tom first moved here from Eastern Kentucky, he thought someone had a dirty forehead on Ash Wednesday and told him he needed to wipe it off.

The Catholics eat fish on Fridays and churches hold big fish fry events. Many restaurants do fish specials. My old teacher next door neighbor made frozen truffle mac and cheese every Friday, and it smelled horrible all down the hallway!

1. The Hodgepodge lands on Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. Do you mark this season in some way? Will you be giving something up or adding something to your life in this Lenten season? 

I did not grow up in a church that asked us to give something up or add something to our life for Lent. I have done the “40 Bags in 40 Days” challenge as an adult – you list forty spaces in your home to declutter and gather a “bag” to donate or throwaway in each of the spaces.

I made my first gumbo yesterday for Mardi Gras. Tom loves gumbo and misses his favorite Cajun restaurant that closed.

2. Pancakes…are you a fan? Syrup or no syrup? Plain, blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, or some other add in? Are pancakes on your menu this week? 

I am a savory breakfast person, but my best friend always suggests ordering a “dessert pancake with chocolate chips” for the table. I do like a sweet bite after eating! If I did order them, I would do plain or chocolate chips most likely.

3. Tell us about a time recently when you felt ‘spread too thin’. 

Teaching last year! There is just so much to do as a teacher. I visited my school for the first time since June 4th on Monday. It was a teacher day so I got to see my old department and some office staff. I didn’t wander the whole building.

4. What’s your favorite jewel or gemstone? In terms of your wardrobe would we find more gem tones, pastels, black and white, or primary colors? 

I love bright pink as you can see above. Other than that, you see lots of black and white and patterns.

5. What responsibility do you think is hardest about being in charge? 

I’m not sure if I am interpreting this question correctly but managing people is really hard. I do think I have an authoritative tone, and I have a voice that projects to get attention when needed. But, after that, I don’t think people respond well to yelling. I like clear concise directions without repetition. People respond better when they feel free to make choices and not like they are stuck, if that makes sense.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I was not “allowed” to go to my school until after October 1st (3 months after official retirement date in the state of KY).

I was waiting for a teacher workday to go visit and Monday was my first opportunity. I was worried about how I would feel, but I felt great. I felt like that chapter was closed and I was not sad at all to not be a part of it anymore. I wasn’t able to go in my classroom as the teacher who now uses it was absent and I didn’t ask to have it unlocked or anything. Now, it may have felt different with students there, but it didn’t on a teacher workday!

A few people asked me about subbing, but I just don’t want to do an 8-hour day right now and it might be too soon to do that anyway. One of the reasons I retired was because I didn’t want to be out of the house for so long anymore so my next gig would have to be shorter and much more flexible.

What would you say to any of these questions?

Amy

Monday, February 16, 2026

And, just like that, Valentine’s Day is behind us! Let’s link up with Holly and Sarah to share!

Last Wednesday I had my second dose of the Shingles vaccine, so I didn’t plan much for Thursday until well over 24 overs after the dose. I had no problems with the first dose other than a very sore arm. I am happy to report the second one was fine, too. I drank tons of water, electrolytes, and a probiotic soda. I again had/have a very sore arm and a big bruise, too. My sister got actual Shingles this summer and she was miserable. She had only just turned 50 and had not gotten the vaccine yet.

Do you remember my pink consignment pants I got this winter? I put this outfit together for a Thursday night Galentine’s event.

All the stores in the shopping center where the event was held were open late and there was some free swag at many of the stores.

There was so much spring stuff out!

Puppies up for adoption:

And, a random lady with two baby goats?

I went with my friend Jessica and we ended the evening at Steak and Bourbon at the bar and I got a delicious lemon drop martini:

The famous butter candle has experienced “shrinkflation”. Now it’s only 3 rolls instead of 4.

We had some spinach and artichoke dip, too. We called this girl dinner. That’s the only thing I bought while out!

Friday morning the clouds were so fluffy and pretty. Eddie Otis and I walk every morning before I get ready for the day. I listen to podcasts or talk on the phone.

We had 40s and 50s and a lot of sun but there were still so many patches where the sun hadn’t hit.

I had a Kroger pick up for my Valentine’s meal. Look at that blue sky!

And, I had a Target pick up and did a drive-up return for the first time. I ordered a “set” that I didn’t love on me that I returned, and I picked up a darling sweater. I still want a set, but the pants were too long, and the sweatshirt was too cropped. It was a very nice scuba material but $70 for a Target set seems like too much. The sweater is so cute! I hope it softens up a bit after the first wash. I still want a set and might try Aerie.

Friday I had no other plans other than a friend stopping by to drop something off for Tom. Tom had helped their daughter with her internship application in architecture. I also had to start my Valentine’s red cabbage.

I decided to put on my cherries shaped like hearts with bows tee.

My probiotic soda in my lobster glass:

When my friend arrived she wanted to sit on the porch and I made us the best drink if I do say so and even better in the heart glasses, no?

She is a dog whisperer and when EO barked she did a trick on him and it worked!

We chatted for quite a while and it was really nice. I miss having my patio hangs!

For dinner, I decided to do my Trader Joe’s blooming onion from the frozen section – meh, I won’t buy it again.

I even made the sauce.

veg, twice baked potatoes, and fake chicken minis (idea from Jen) with Bare nugs and Sister Schubert’s:

Valentine’s coffee in my Love mug:

I tried to make Tom heart toast. You press your fingers to form a heart and then toast it. MIne does not look like the example!

I finished this – very cute and fans of The Bachelor would enjoy!

I decided to start this, and I was even able to read outside a bit!

I went to Haymarket to see what they had for Valentine’s Day:

Then, Tom and I ran a couple of errands together. It started raining late afternoon and I had to get serious about my meal!

I had marinated the red cabbage for 30 hours at this point and then it had to cook for 1.5 hours.

This is the Ziguener schnitzel sauce:

Pork schnitzel:

Tom’s favorite German meal! I did it!

Our other Valentine had a face-off with Tom because he wasn’t getting enough attention!

Sunday Tom took Eddie Otis to Home Depot after his walk:

I went to Trader Joe’s for a few things and brought home white hydrangeas for my mantel:

I put my V Day away and put up my St. Patrick’s Day, but I swear I have more! I can’t find it. I do usually find green books to add.

It rained but some snow is still holding on. The big piles of dirty snow are still in the parking lots and still taking up parking spots.

It was so nice to see my rain chain going like crazy:

Yup, I managed to read a bit:

I told Tom I was reading the sequel to “The Last Thing He Told Me” and asked if he watched the show with me. By the way, season two starts on February 20 which might be this book? He wanted to know if the sequel was called “The Next to the Last Thing He Told Me”.

After all of my cooking Saturday and heating things up on Friday, I was done. We had mediterranean for dinner last night!

How was your weekend?

Amy

Friday, February 12, 2026

Let’s link up with Andrea and Erika to share the week’s faves.

Tomorrow is V Day, of course. I am making dinner at home for Tom. I asked if he wanted to know what the menu was or be surprised and he said “surprise” and I asked if he wanted to cook with me and he said “yes, like in the movie Ghost” and so I turned him down because I couldn’t imagine him behind me holding the wooden spoon with me. I am making his favorite German dish that translates to “gypsy schnitzel” and red cabbage that has to be started 24-48 hours before serving. What have I gotten myself into?

Sunday, I took myself through a psychedelic car wash. This is the only time I wish I took drugs.

I thought it would be safe to get the nasty snow/ice gunk off my car since the weather would be turning – which would be my fave of the week! How dependent is my mood on the weather and sun – turns out, quite a bit.

Trigger warning…

Do you remember me doing the foot booties “baby foot” thing?

I know – why would you? Well, you wait 7-10 business days and then you start to molt. I know some of you want to see this. If you don’t, I want you to scroll quickly to a photo of my friend Katie and I, ok?

I warned you…

I feel like now is the time to do this before sandal season.

I had a fun day on Tuesday with my friend Katie who is my high school friend Jim’s wife. We consignment shopped, ate salad, and chatted for several hours! Read yesterday’s post for more details.

I loved my salad!

I made bourbon chicken Monday night and it turned out great but I need to always double or triple the sauce part of Asian recipes.

I made lemon spinach orzo with chicken Tuesday night and I loved it. Why don’t I made more orzo? I linked the recipe I kind of used. I only did about 1/2 c. heavy cream and I didn’t have any parm and I added lemon (freshly squeezed) so I did change it up quite a bit. It was lighter the way I did it.

I bought the Trader Joe’s ready made lemon chicken and this made it super easy!

My hyper-fixation brunch as the kids would say. I roasted my sweet potato cubes on Monday and then added Amylu chicken sausage, did my Pyrex egg mixture and added avocado.

By Tuesday afternoon this is what it looked like. It had been over 2 weeks since we had seen any green or an almost clear back deck:

I needed some new products and tried this – love, love, love the smell. It might be a men’s product but I like it for me.

The new thing in shampoo is “bond repair” and I like these pretty well. I have decided to stop decanting into my bottles because they just don’t fit the shelves very well. I felt I was wasting some product, too.

I just think he looks so cute like this:

He seems to know which is his newest toy – Octo:

I guess I do one of these a day now. I love these!

This neck light is what has helped me to read more this winter. I love it. Tom loves getting blinded by it nightly.

Currently reading this and I’m laughing out loud at some of the parts!

I tried to read outside for a minute this week but EO was barking at who knows what.

I hope I’m not stepping on any toes here – no pun intended – but what in the Steve Madden is he thinking giving a woman literal “camel toes”. I have so many questions. I can’t look away. Which toes go where?

What if you walk through a room full of confetti and the pieces get stuck between the camel toes?

Happy Friday to you!

Amy

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Welcome to the most fashionable day on the blog!

Did you ever wear a “dickey” in the 80s or 90s?

They are now calling them “fake collars” but I enjoy the word “dickey”. Look at the Amazon dickey offerings! My teaching colleague when I was 28 and I always talked about dickeys but I can’t remember why. Here me out – the dickey could be the perfect thing for the menopausal woman. The menopausal woman can’t handle a full on shirt situation!

Also, do you ever put a button down/up on under a sweater and feel that it is too bulky? Do you have issues with the cuffs? Step right up and buy yourself a dickey!

Did I sound like an infomercial? That is what I was going for. Because I am the most dedicated amateur blogger out there, I have ordered a three pack of dickeys just for the cause.

I chose this “scalloped” three pack for $23 ish dollars. I think the scallop/granny look is in and I confirmed it with this ad for spring clothing:

The dickeys I bought have an elastic that goes under the armpits to keep the dickey in place. It is adjustable.

It was very hard to get a photo. I was bothered by the elastic that went under the arms and I decided that with it being toward the end of winter (hopefully) to return them. I did take one for the team and try them out. Another brand might work better for me but I’m not sure I’m going to pursue it again this season.

I also started thinking I might need more crewnecks to wear with the dickeys and then I was like, “Amy, that’s crazy” but I still ordered this. It’s going back as well because I didn’t like the fabric.

I also tried to wear silk scarves this week…

With it being so cold I had some difficulty. I wouldn’t say I loved either outfit. I think spring might bring more opportunities to wear them.

Marsha in the Middle sent me her scarf ‘fits! I really like the pattern mixing.

Some more inspo:

I really like the way she tied hers! I have one very similar to hers, too.

This week I had a fun shopportunity. My high school friend’s wife Katie (and blog reader) had to be in town and asked that I take her to my consignment shops. She was specifically looking for some things for an upcoming cruise.

Here are the questions I like to ask when helping someone:

What is the look you are going for? She didn’t really have to answer because I got to see her photos. She was going for comfortable but put together if I had to name her look.

What are you already working with in your closet (take photos)? She did her homework and even took photos of her planned shoes and cover ups!

What color palette will you use? She was using blues, whites, creams, and a touch of black. I recommended she take an athletic/sneaker shoe, a black sandal (she already had chosen), and a nude sandal that could be dressed up. I gave her two pairs of sandals I didn’t want anymore!

What types of things do you feel most comfortable in – shorts, skirts, dresses, etc.? We thought dresses that could work as a dress or a coverup would be great. She had a few knit dresses after our day. She had a linen pair of pants and a few tops. This is a cruise with only excursions where you wear a swimsuit off the ship so that makes it pretty easy.

I was anxious to share with her the Sudoku method of packing that I had heard about. It’s probably more for a different kind of trip, but it’s pretty cool! I don’t play Sudoku so I might not be able to figure it out myself.

I also wanted to emphasize the need for coverups and lounge clothing. Sometimes we forget about the comfortable clothing for your cabin that also look good for a breakfast run, etc. I was thinking sets here maybe. We didn’t find any but I told her to look at Old Navy’s athletic stuff, Aerie, and Loft. What is already in your closet that can be like a set?

Always shop your closet first, then make a list, hit up consignment shops, then go new. I also wanted to tell her to be sure to pack a foldable “day bag” or beach tote. You can never have too many extra little bags.

Here is what I wore to go on our shopping day:

It was going to be 60 by end of day so I wore a long sleeve lightweight blouse, my vest, Halaras, and my Adidas. Shopping is my cardio!

Katie and I spent about an hour in Clothes Mentor. It’s a big store and everything is organized by both size and color. Remember that consignment clothing has been washed so you may need to look at a size larger. I actually like this because you can see how things held up.

I encouraged her to try things on that maybe at first she didn’t like on the hanger. This is Katie behind the door:

Here is her one non-cruise item. She loved this sweater. It was a boutique brand and I told her how much use she would get from it in the time between winter and spring, now, spring, fall and we talked about all the places she could wear it. I think it was $10.99.

I think she ended up with 5 items for $60.

She was very happy with her finds! I should have taken photos of everything she ended up with but I started getting hungry.

We went to Green District for lunch where you build your own salad.

We went to Target to see what their swim coverup offerings were and it seems like the days of the colorful printed coverup are gone. We saw plain white, black, blue gauzy button ups. We saw pants. We saw some sweatery crochet type things. She has two button ups that she will take as swim coverups or as sun protection. It was good to see what was out, though.

We went to one more consignment store and they just didn’t have a lot of spring stuff yet. All of their winter stuff was on major sale.

I told her to give it a couple more weeks and then to look at TJ Maxx and other stores for spring/summer offerings.

I think she is set right now, though, if she needed to be.

I did look for myself but didn’t find anything and that’s ok. I am getting more and more picky about what comes home to my closet. I said this both to her and myself, “If it’s not a ‘heck yes’, it’s a NO!”

Amy

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Linking up with Joyce for Hodgepodge!

1. What’s something recent that had you ‘tickled pink’? 

This isn’t recent but it came up in my Facebook memories this week. I was a teacher who liked colored paper and would even do colored paper for my quizzes. I asked him if I could take a photo and captioned it, “that awkward moment when your quiz matches your shoes”. I knew him really well and he was tickled, too.

I was tickled pink by the sun on Monday when I got out to go to the library and Trader Joe’s. We still had ice on the ground along with the snow, but the sun was powerful and it felt so good!

I was shocked to see hydrangeas – not that I know their season but it felt early. I saw several sweet treats, too, but only snapped pictures of most and resisted buying.

Look how pretty in pink my library stack turned out, too!

My sister Molly had flowers from my mom’s funeral pressed for Kate and I and herself. How beautiful did they turn out?

I am very easily “tickled pink” and I love the color pink!

2. A bed of roses, everything’s coming up roses, every rose has it’s thorn, stop and smell the roses, rose-colored glasses, a rose among thorns…which rosy expression might currently be applied to your life in some way? 

I guess I have rose-colored glasses on this week because I am uplifted by the weather forecast. I am so ready to have this stuff melt and see some green. I know that we still have more winter but a brief February reprieve would be nice. March can still be really cold but I love March!

I am going through all the months as a new retiree so it’s giving me education and information on how each month looks. I am trying to stop and smell the roses instead of rushing through all of my tasks like I have done for 31 years!

3. What makes you feel loved and appreciated? 

Acts of service – taking down the recycling and bringing it up, taking out the trash and recycling, shoveling off the steps. Anything I don’t have to ask for, really! And, then I am sure to say thank you.

I love Tom turning on the outdoor lights in the morning or the evening from his phone.

4. A box of chocolates or a bouquet of fresh flowers-what’s your pleasure? Any special plans for Valentine’s Day? 

Tom’s first Valentine’s gift to me was ski pants! We learned to ski together at 26 and 30 years old. Tom learned to snowboard and I learned to ski.

I like practical gifts or gifts that show someone listened to me or really thought about me. I just got some surprise new Apple Airpods from Tom so I don’t expect anything this year.

These are dangerous:

I bought them for a gift and sampled.

5. Share a favorite quote, scripture, or song lyric relating to love. 

“Love is a battlefield” – Pat Benatar

Haha – that is kind of a joke, but I do think you have to pick your battles and not think the grass is greener. Love is hard and love is a choice.

Tom came home from work looking like a Yellowstone extra this week.

“Cause all of me loves all of you – all your perfect imperfections.” – John Legend

I really like this because you have to take the whole package and even the imperfections can be endearing and beautiful.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I’m not a big Bad Bunny fan but my students really liked him – especially my students with Hispanic heritage. His song said “I should have taken more photos” referring to when he had the chance before things changed and he lost family or familiar places. I have very few photos of myself with my kids because I was the photographer! I don’t regret a single professional photo or a single Christmas card photo or all the photos I took and printed out.

In going through my mom’s things, she was just like me if not more extreme. We have so many photos! I gave her this professional and it just captures the joy of my twins when they were three. I love it!

So, take the photos! Get in the photos! I think that is one thing that blogging does help with. We have to take the photos! Take photos for other people at special events when you know they are busy and send them to them.

Amy