Monday, October 27, 2025
Well, here we are – last week of October. Ay ay ay as they say in Spanish. Did you have a good weekend? Let’s link up with Sarah and Holly and share…
In my new role of SAHDM (stay at home dog mom) and TW (trophy wife) I don’t have much of a routine. I want one. The Type A First Born person that I am wants to have a certain day to go to the library but I don’t have a certain day yet. On Thursday I had a book request ready for me and I made it one of my errands.
I snapped a photo of the Halloween/scary book display:
Over the weekend I finished this:
It wasn’t nearly as good as a Kristin Harmel – The Winemaker’s Wife, The Stolen Life of Colete Marceau, or The Room on Rue Amelie – but I did like it. A couple of the details were confusing and a couple of things bothered me, but I did like it.
I stayed in Paris for my next book – he, he
I just barely started it. All this Paris is gonna make me crave some baguette!
Thursday afternoon I went with my friend Jessica to a fashion show! She snapped my outfit pic for me…
First, we had drinks from a mobile bar…
Then we had a food from each of the restaurants in the shopping center…
Then we saw fall fashions from all the boutiques in the center. There were also models with doggies up for adoption because the humane society was a sponsor.
It was a fun thing to do!
Friday little boy jumped up on this bench to be closer to me and it was so cute!
He seems to enjoy laying outside more now that it’s cooler outside. He is a little stinker because I always use a torn piece of paper for my bookmark and he loves to pull it out of my book and eat it. He’s part goat.
Ok…short story time…
Have you heard of Storyworth? It would make an excellent gift for someone this Christmas, I think.
So, I gifted this to my mom about 3 years ago. You receive a question about your life via email, and you answer it and add photos where you see fit. The gift includes one hard back book where all of your answers/stories are compiled. My mom loved this gift! She did a great job answering her questions and adding photos. I am super impressed that she added so many because sometimes technology was not her friend.
My mom loved it so much she bought herself another year’s worth of questions and bought three more book credits for each of us.
I gave the job of editing and creating the final book to my sister Kate in exchange for writing her thank you notes. Lol. I said, “I will do your thank yous if you do this huge project that is daunting to me”. We had hundreds of thank you notes to do and we divided them up based on who knew who and then some were just random. Yes, our mom taught us to write them as children and Kate always cried over hers and never did some of them!
I did her thank yous and she didn’t do the Storyworth project. But, she did do so much of the getting ready for the estate sale and so much more. I have talked about this before, but we really did divide up the work according to each of our strengths. I took on most of the business and phone calls where they were better at the cleaning out and dealing with the stuff.
So, since I retired the Storyworth was mine to do. It wasn’t super user friendly at first and I got frustrated. I had to call a couple of people from the company. I’m not selling this gift very well now, am I?
Also, it was quite emotional to read my mom’s stories to be honest.
Well, Friday was the day that I called the customer service again and got help and finished the editing and designing of the book. I added one more copy of the book and one will go to my sisters, me, and then my mom’s two siblings.
Anyway, it felt like a big accomplishment!
Tom and I are trying the Scandinavian way and it looks a bit weird but we really like it. We have two twin sized down comforters and two twin sized duvet covers. Here is what our room looks like now…
We need to get rid of the armoire that used to house our smaller tv…
My favorite red trees by my house are showing off!
Saturday, I had an Anthropologie return that I had ordered online and I browsed around…
They have shoes now in my store…
I bought these two from the sale room…
Love this mug and love this drinking glass. Yes, I only bought one of each!
Test run…
Eddie Otis cannot get close enough to Tom -look at EO’s smile…
We had some Saturday sports ball and a fire!
At 5:00. we went to a pizza place for a going away gathering for our friend…
She took pictures with the different groups that came trickling in. We stayed to eat with her.
Tom and I split a yummy salad with focaccia and then ordered, as well…
The guest of honor gave me an early birthday present of this pretty mug! How thoughtful!
Sunday morning, I researched Diane Keaton movies and watched part of one I had never heard of.
Tom and I went to Costco and did a Kroger pick up, too.
I missed my Amylus and I need the protein.
I was most excited about these wedge salads!
“Daddy went to Home Depot without me”, said EO.
Not a fan of falling back…
By the way, I have to fall back on my birthday!
Loved this…
I planned out my meals for the week…
Chili, Grilled cheese
Burger bowls
Chicken, potatoes, broccoli
Fish, peas, Mac n cheese
Mummy dogs, fries, salad
Leftovers – chili again, hot ham and cheese
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
It looks like a nice weekend! I like the picture of you and Tom and your friend. Your outfit is cute and your hair looks really nice :). That stinks about falling back on your birthday when you don’t want to fall… I don’t mind it at all but I know I’m kinda in the minority on that. The Storyworth project sounds like it will be such a meaningful book to have for you and your sisters. Good job for sticking with it. Have a great Monday!
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Thank you! New hair, who dis? Maybe I will be ok with falling back since I can get outside more this year.
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What a great weekend! The fashion show and festivities looked so fun…especially for a Thursday! I just finished Paris is Always a Good Idea. I liked it. We gave my mom Storyworth a few years ago, and she did a great job answering the questions and my brother and I each have a book. I wish my dad would do it or my Gma but I think it would stress my dad out, haha
A keepsake, for sure. I can’t believe it’s time to fall back!
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Thank you! Oh good – and I already have the Grammar Queen book waiting for me!
Oh, so nice that she did it. I wonder if your dad would dictate the stories to you but then that would be a lot of work for you.
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I thought about getting that Storyworth for my mom but the reality is the technical challenges on her end – she currently needs a new laptop and then the editing of it which will end up being my job. So…I need to think about it, I have a feeling it would be something she would love.
Love those things to say instead of let me know if you need anything! So clever!
The fashion show looked like so much fun and I love what you wore!
xo,
Kellyann
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I think my mom did it all from her phone. She never could get her laptop to work (she said).
Thank you!
It was really fun – I should have worn my tan boots but I was being lazy and didn’t change.
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What a great weekend! That fashion show looks so cool, and how sweet of the guest of honor to give you your early birthday present. I love thoughtfulness! EO and Tom crack me up…he thinks he’s a lap dog with him, doesn’t he? I want to make burger bowls this week; my co-worker has a recipe that calls for a really good special sauce on top, and she always makes me want it when she talks about it at work! Happy Monday, my friend. I hope your week gets off to a great start!
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It was! So sweet! He really does. He would crawl up in Tom’s skin if he could. It’s weird. I can never sit next to Tom! The sauce and the pickles make it! I am also going to saute up some shrooms.
I hope you have a great week with a nice balance of at home and out time!
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Your meal plan is making me hungry! Sounds like a delicious week! LOVE your outfit for the fashion show- you look so chic!
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It’s a pretty simple one this week! Thank you!
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Your dog and mine are kindred spirits. Cannot get close enough to their person! The fashion show sounds like fun and I love the colors you’re wearing! My daughter gave hubs a storyworth but I’m not sure he gets it lol. He is inundated with emails but hasn’t written anything. I’m probably going to have to nudge him a little as I love the idea. They have my blog to read so having him write down his stories would be a nice thing to keep. Have a great week!
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What is it with men and dogs? It was fun! Thank you! You are right – we have our blog but I hope he will do it. I wish I had given it to my dad.
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I love those sayings at the end! I have heard of Storyworth and should look into that for my parents. What a treasure to have that. Happy Monday friend!
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Yes! I wonder if they would do it for you? It is a treasure. I wish I had my dad’s too. Sorry I’m late in commenting but I hope you now have a happy Wed!
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I don’t think anyone but me would ever fill out Storyworth prompts in my family… it sounds like such a neat keepsake though. But I’m the only real sentimental one in my family. My mother and sisters never filled out baby books for their kids either and I think I literally filled every single page plus kept a wall calendar for each of the boys with their whole first year all mapped out… and a journal that I’m sure none of them will ever do anything with! Your bedroom looks lovely but I don’t understand the reasoning behind the Scandinavian way… did you both used to fight over covers?
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Oh, that’s too bad! That is so interesting. They are just not into that.
The reasoning is that each person can have covers on or off without disturbing the other. I am loving it! I never felt that I had enough cover when I wanted it. We are both really happy with it so far!
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What a treasure to have the Storyworth that your mom filled out. I know your sisters will appreciate all your hard work. I don’t mind falling back – an extra hour of sleep. Does EO want to get that close to you too, or only Tom? Mollie is like that with Michael, but she doesn’t act like that about me. Don’t get me wrong…she is kind of obsessed with me, following me around the house. But she doesn’t get in my personal space. Hope your week is off to a good start!
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Yes! I hope so. That’s true.
No – he only does that with Tom. What is it with men and dogs?
Same – I think they know we are the ones who drop food while cooking!
You too!
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hehehe! I love that you are a SAHDM, I am glad you explained that one.
Looking good! I love your Thursday outfit!
Eddie Otis just adorable even though he steals your bookmarks. hehehe
I’ve not heard of Storyworth before, it sounds like a great idea and a fab gift but such an emotional time for you.
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Yes I am! Ha!
Thank you!
He is naughty!
It is going to be a great keepsake, I hope.
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I may have shared this story with you before so, if so, my apologies! In 2019, my nephew gave my mom (his Nana) Storyworth for Mother’s Day. She worked on each weekly prompt and it was a great distraction for her during Covid. Then, in the summer of 2021, she was diagnosed with cancer and died less than a month later. A few days later, my nephew showed up at our front door one evening with her published book. I treasure it – complete with photos – so much! I hope you and your sisters find such joy in your mom’s gift to you all!
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I don’t think you have. That timing – wow. Your nephew is simply the sweetest.
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