Friday, May 9, 2025

Happy Friday! How was your week? I am linking up with Andrea and Erika to share about mine.

My regular readers know I am retiring after 31 years as a high school Spanish teacher. It’s starting to feel more real now. I guess I should start my countdown on my whiteboard. I now have 12 days left of being a teacher and then 5 days left of teacher days after that.

Here are some random favorites from the week; it wouldn’t be my blog if it weren’t totally random!

I have started cleaning out my room and a sweet girl made this for me about 5 years ago. I am going to start posting it as my header or along with my header!

I finished this on Sunday. It was super cute. It was like Eleanor Oliphant as an air traffic controller in South Africa. Sounds weird but the observations she had made me chuckle.

I love that the library is open for very limited hours on Sunday afternoons and was able to pick up this request because my Saturday was too busy. Yes, I am trying my hand with another Scottish book; this time no one is a lochness monster who changes back and forth into a man. Yes, I do judge my books by their covers. The kilt! The yellow boots like mine!

I also had requested this:

I can’t remember why I requested it so I will have to look into it and see if it is my cup of tea.

I have a few other books I renewed. I just haven’t had much reading time lately. That makes me sad.

Cute boy! He is so in love with Tom and it makes me happy to see them “cuddling”.

I keep remembering Tom saying he doesn’t like who he is without a dog in the house after Ernie died. Tom has always been a dog person.

This may ruffle some feathers. I do not have a sourdough starter. I am not a sourdough queen. I bought this 3 pack of loaves at Costco and you bake them for 12-15 minutes and they are pretty darn good! I did see on a blog that I can buy an ancient sourdough starter off of Etsy for $12!

I have a student who just started calling me “queen” and I think I like it. I have two classes who wouldn’t stop saying “Sra. Scott” and I asked them to call me “Juanita” for the rest of the year and it has stuck. So silly.

I am loving my salmon lately with this seasoning. It makes a super easy sheet pan dinner.

I ordered some fun summery colors. I use Impress brand and they take a sweet forever to come in the mail. But, I almost always have some sort of discount. You can get two manis out of one box.

I can’t remember the last time I had the same color on my toes and my fingers. I plan to do a neutral pinky white next time I get a pedicure which is soon. That way it will work with any of the colors.

I did the colar red color first! I love it!

I took my AP class to our art show and basked in the sun on the way back.

My special girl dedicated this piece to me. I love this girl and have taught her for two years.

Do I have favorites? No – but some kids are open to letting you get to know them more and others are very closed off. When a kid volunteers and shares more of their life, I can get to know them better.

We had our last food day on Cinco de Mayo Monday. I let each class vote on the day they wanted. My very last food day of being a teacher was spectacular! One kid brought pupusas with a delicious slaw and sauce.

All of my food days this year were really great! They went to a lot of effort to make authentic dishes.

Eddie Otis never gets on the outdoor sectional with me but he will for Mason. His profile looked so handsome one day after school.

My weekday outing this week was a lovely early dinner with my high school friend Beth. I have two Beths and two Heathers, by the way. I have one Elizabeth. Lol.

We went to Captain’s Quarters which just reopened after the flooding. We both ordered a pineapple rum cocktail and it was delish. Beth is the Host It Notes friend and we talked about some of her recent charcuterie and grazing table projects. Her side business is taking off!

I love the drive to the river, too.

I wore this:

I couldn’t get this in time for Fashion Files yesterday, but I ordered some new pants from Amazon and my theory of spending around $30 to get a good quality on Amazon held true. I had white linen pants from Old Navy that were really old. I have been looking for some that aren’t too long and maybe had more of a modern wide leg silhouette without being too voluminous. Cue the ones I tried from Target and Old Navy this year – too wide. The only weird thing about these is they have built in white liner shorts just at the top of the pants. The line kind of looks like the pocket lining. Yes, they have pockets. The fabric is divine. It’s way softer than a scratchy linen. I really love them. I maybe should have gone down a size because they did stretch out a bit. I wore them to school all day and then changed shoes for my dinner out. I wrote lots of words but I wanted to share if anyone is around 5’4 like me and looking for the same.

Advice for Mother’s Day that I am taking, too:

My crew sometimes isn’t great about Hallmark holidays. I don’t want to do any chores on Sunday so I am going to work hard on Saturday to make that a reality, if that makes sense.

This year could be hard for me. I have gotten a sweet inquiry from Mason about what I want to do and an invite from a friend to hang out.

I am going to make a breakfast casserole Saturday that I can pop in the oven on Sunday am. My crew is better at dinner than breakfast so we might have a nice dinner that I don’t make – not sure what that will be yet; I would even be happy with a prepared meal from Fresh Market and their chocolate cake. Basically I am going to plan my own day. You can’t get mad when you don’t ask for what you need, either. So, I will ask for what I need this year.

I am doing some self-care but that is probably Saturday. I have my Japanese head spa appointment Saturday and I am getting a pedicure – probably Saturday, too.

I just wanted to share if anyone needs encouragement or if this year will be hard for you, too. And again, why do Fathers get the relaxed June holiday and Mothers get the crazy Maycember one? Not fair!

Happy Friday!

Amy

Thursday, May 8, 2025

I don’t feel like I have been super fashionable for school lately, y’all. My classroom is no longer cold, but now it’s muggy and my hair is flat after about an hour and I can’t seem to be dressed for the right temperature. Lol. Oh well. I am linking up with Kellyann and Jill to share my real life outfits – that’s for sure!

I really did love this outfit but it wasn’t for school…

This was a happy hour ‘fit! I am wearing my new Dr. Scholl’s buckle heels, my light Halaras and then two consignment items – the magenta blouse and the scarfy kimono are both from consignment stores. A teenager that I don’t know at the shopping center where my happy hour was complimented my outfit, too.

Sunday was rainy and I forgot a cardinal rule – no wide leg flares on rainy days. My hems were soaked! I have on my Aerie button up and my JCPenney Soho baseball cap.

We are having a weird teacher only spirit week this week for teacher appreciation week and Monday was dress for retirement day but it was also Cinco de Mayo. I wore leggings that made me hot and my Mexican inspired kimono. I didn’t know what to do!

Tuesday was decades day but I didn’t get it so I just wore what I wanted. I have on my $5 Chico’s white gauzy skirt, my Old Navy beachy graphic tee, and my Aerie oversized gauzy pink button up. Whatever.

I have on my new Dr. Scholl’s sneakers in the above photo and in the Sunday rainy day photo. They are not real leather and I think that makes them more pliable and more comfortable. I am super happy with them.

I know Derby has come and gone but I want to show you how pretty my friends look. Heather got to go to “Thurby” which is the Thursday before Derby. She is on the left and I got to help her shop last week.

And, then both of my Heathers got to go to the famous Barnstable Brown party and rub elbows with all kinds of famous people.

I was doing very non-Derby things like teaching and cleaning out my mom’s house.

I love this photo of my sisters and I in Europe. We took a month long Europe trip when I was 24, Kate was 21, and Molly was 16 almost 17. My Dad stayed for only 2 weeks of the trip.

It’s so funny because I think some of the styles we wore are back! The year was 1996 I think.

What is your favorite outfit of mine?

What have you been wearing?

Amy

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

1. Let’s compare this May to last May. What’s changed? What remains very much the same? 

Last May, my college kids were graduating! Also, I knew I was going back to school for at least one more year. My mom was still thriving. She had an episode in July that scared us, but in May she was doing great. So I would say a lot has changed.

We still have a pretty wild puppy just like last year, though. He has brought so much fun and entertainment but also so much work!

2. What’s something you may do this month? 

I may pamper myself. I need a pedicure for sure. I made an appointment for a new to me concept called a Japanese Head Spa. I saw it on IG and then looked to see if we had one and we did! It’s like a facial for your scalp. I might hate it, but I might really find it relaxing. I am only doing a 30 minute session. I love having my hair washed and my scalp massaged and I thought I would try it.

3. Mother’s Day is approaching (in the US of A)…in what way(s) are you like your mother? 

I know I got my ability to talk to people from my mom. She was interested in travel and other cultures and so am I. She would talk to anyone and ask to take pictures of people, too.

She got things done and I would like to think I got that from her, too. Boy, was she persistent.

She was a teacher and I’m a teacher. She loved hearing the gossip from the students and many came to spill the tea to her on a regular basis. I think she really liked the high school drama. Sometimes my sisters and I thought she gave her best to her students and not to us.

After people pass, I think you can still learn to understand and accept them. My mom was difficult and made it hard for us to have a good relationship, but I am focusing on the positives now and less on the negatives. Tanya and I had a nice conversation and she said some things that will stick with me.

4. Did you have a favorite book as a child? What was it and why was it a favorite. 

I think it was first grade when I discovered them but I could be wrong – I was literally obsessed with The Boxcar Children. I wanted to be them. I did have my own adventures in the woods, but for some reason this series was just so perfect for me. We lived in a new subdivision in the country on a lake and there were houses constantly being built and my friends and I would play in them and there were boys who built forts and we would find them.

5. Are you more of a tortoise or a hare? Explain. 

I am more of a hare, to my detriment sometimes. Sometimes I am in such a hurry to get something done that I don’t take the time I should. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good, but at the same time, don’t just check a box and get something done haphazardly. I remind myself of this all the time.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I started seeing Mother’s Day things in the stores a few weeks ago. This year is going to be hard. I have now had four consecutive busy weekends so I hope that I will be able to rest this Sunday and not be too sad. I guess sadness is good but I have just had so much of it this year. I’m tired of being sad. It takes a toll for sure.

What would you say to any of the hodgepodge questions?

Amy

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

I am a day early for Currently, but hopefully Jenn won’t mind. I am doing Hodgepodge tomorrow and was struggling for a Tuesday idea!

Loving

I am loving all the green! We have had so much rain that maybe the green seems more vibrant this year?

I’m loving all the beautiful flowers in my yard, around town, and at all the garden centers and even places like Kroger with all of their plant offerings. Aren’t we lucky to have plants in our lives?

And, rain or shine, I am happy to have my little outdoor space.

I’m loving my new electrolytes find! They are from Costco, but I haven’t looked to see if they can be bought elsewhere. Thanks, Marilyn!

I’m loving this for my salmon!

I’m still loving my press ons and my fun spring color and…

a new shipment of more fun summer colors came in!

Looking forward to

Summer! I won’t feel that it’s truly summer until June 2nd at 3:30!

Leaving behind

I hope that I am leaving behind work drama and the bad parts of teaching so that I can remember and focus on the positive. And, honestly, most of the kid stuff is the positive and most of the adult stuff is the negative. My students make me laugh everyday and most of our interactions are positive.

I did follow up with her on the pregnant llama and we had a nice discussion. It wasn’t a cry for help.

Letting go of

I am a work in progress, but I hope I can let go of the small, insignificant stuff that annoys me. I hope I can let go of times when I think I have been slighted. I CAN let go of it – only after I have told everyone I know about it and many weeks have passed. Why am I like this?

Looking at

Much of my day – this! Why does he always look surprised/scared?

I’m also looking at my camera roll at my very full and fun April. The weekend with my sisters in my hometown, the 24 hours with my Spanish friends, and the weekend with my blogging friends all filled my camera roll and my cup. What a nice month!

What are you up to – currently?

Amy

Monday, May 5, 2025

It’s Cinco de Mayo! How was your weekend? Ours was wet – again! It rained Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! I thought it was April showers bring May flowers? I am linking up with Sarah and Holly to share my weekend.

I almost always start my weekend recap on Thursday after school, but this time I really had a reason to do so. We were off on Friday; it’s a flex day that I worked over the summer. Too many teachers asked off for Oaks Day (the big race on the Friday before Derby) many years ago so they turned it into this. I spontaneously asked one of my Heathers to meet me for happy hour and it was so lovely! Look how cute she is!

I woke up Friday morning and watched the news coverage of the Oaks to see all the pretty pink that people wear for the breast cancer survivor’s parade. The color of the year was magenta! So much magenta!

I got dressed for spray tan, car wash, and hair day!

Before:

After:

Bonus of hair day is I get to talk to Laura, my stylist!

Mason wanted to go out so we went to Con Huevos when I was done:

And, then I went to the store by myself and I went in! Can you believe it?

I literally spent the rest of the day on the patio with Eddie Otis. He was pretty chill and I got to read and…

drink strawberry lemonade electrolytes…

Thanks, Marilyn, for the rec! These are soooo delicious! I love both flavors equally and the glacier reminds me of a Taco Bell Baja Blast. They are from Costco and I also had a Costco delivery that day so I didn’t have to go there.

I watched this on Netflix most of the day.

I received my darling twin niece and nephews’ prom photos. Mia even did her own hair! Apparently emerald green was the color of the year.

Mia and her boyfriend:

Miles and his gf:

We ordered pizza and it was just a lovely lazy day. It started raining and storming around dinnertime when Tom came home from work.

Saturday – guess what? – it was raining! I went outside anyway!

Then, Tom and I left for my hometown.

We had a meeting with the realtor, a few things to fix in the house, and stuff to load up in our car, and stuff to help Kate load up. Molly was coming on Sunday, so Saturday was just one sister and I.

And, I found a penny from my Dad immediately when I went in the house. Kate thinks Molly and I are leaving them for each other!

I got very emotional when I found the penny and over the fact that this would likely be the last time I see the house with stuff in it.

Kate and Molly had decided to take some large pieces, but I didn’t take anything big because I didn’t have space/like my current stuff/have a different style.

The empty spaces looked weird:

That view:

Everything went smoothly and Tom and I felt that we deserved a DQ Blizzard for the ride home. We are fans of Heath.

I got home in time to watch the Derby race on the patio in the rain – lol. I am a broken record!

Then, we ordered Cuban food for dinner and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I went to bed at 9:00 for the last few nights. It’s a physical and emotional tired that your gal is feeling. I’ve got the typical end of year teacher tired plus the emotional exhaustion, I reckon.

Sunday morning – you are never going to believe this – it was raining!

Eddie Otis was in rare form so I brought him outside and then he barked like a fool so I brought him inside and he stole shoes, the laundry basket for towels, and various things so that was fun.

Sunday morning’s agenda was clean, order groceries, do laundry, organize stuff I brought home from my mom’s house, and just all the catch up things. Tom took EO on a long walk so I could get things done.

We are having an estate sale company hold a sale at the end of May so that was the reason for the urgency of all of us going to the house this weekend. I have never been to an estate sale (I have been to lots of garage/yard sales) so I really didn’t know how it worked. We were given a recommendation by a trusted friend and this week I met him to ask some more questions and sign the contract. He had looked at the contents of the house a couple of weeks ago. We have contracted him to sell as much as he can and then take away everything that doesn’t sell at the end. I am grateful that there are people who have this calling.

We all have about 3 weeks of school left (my sisters are also teachers) and Molly has twins graduating! Kate and Molly finish around May 23rd and I finish with students May 23rd, but then have to work until June 2nd. So, to have this handled for us during the month of May is really a blessing.

Even though I was emotional Saturday, I woke up feeling better Sunday knowing that we have the important and sentimental things with us at our homes.

Boy – adulting is hard.

I can hardly believe we only have 15 school days with kids left!

How was your weekend?

Amy

Friday, May 2, 2025

We do not have school today for the Kentucky Oaks horse race and of course, tomorrow is Derby day, so things are crazy around these parts.

I am linking up with Andrea and Erika to share some favorites from the week; the week went by quickly for me!

We joke that Eddie Otis specializes in linens. Here he brought me about four cloth napkins. Thanks, EO!

There are two faves in this photo. I loved my highlighter press on mani and I have a new pointer finger ring. It may look like an ordinary ring, but it is a migraine and menopausal ring! Ha! It’s only $8.95 so I don’t have much to lose, right? I will let you know when my finger starts to turn green.

I am still thinking about my – let me see if I can get this name right – brown sugar shaken espresso cold brew coffee. It was so good!

New Ista follow. She is adorbs and has some good recipes and tips!

My friend Beth is busy with Derby orders – look how talented she is!

Jenn had a very glowy face last weekend and I want that glow! I purchased this in hopes of achieving it.

After my Tuesday appointment, my friends and I went to House of Marigold for brunch.

The espresso martini looked cute, but it was so bad I couldn’t finish it. It was a weird flavor.

My azaleas and rhododendrons are really showing off. They don’t stay bloomed for long so I am really trying to admire and enjoy them.

I bought a Louisville candle last weekend and it smells wonderful!

I planned three meals this week and that’s about all I could manage.

I made the best salmon I’ve ever made, a new broccoli recipe, and English style Yukon Gold potatoes.

The broccoli sounds weird but it turned out sooooo good!

Good old spaghetti one night – I was able to brown the meat in the morning and that made dinner time super fast and easy.

The other meal was cabbage, sausage, and potatoes. I forgot to take a photo.

A necessary evil of being a language teacher is FOOD DAY! I used to have classes beg and beg to do multiple ones, but these kids never said a word. I had to bring it up! So, it’s for a grade and you have to pick and authentic or authentic-ish dish from a Spanish speaking country. I have an alternate assignment if you really can’t cook, but very few do that. I also suggest that can can “rizz someone up” and ask them to help. That means if they don’t know how to tell someone they like them or they have no game. Maybe their hands will brush up and meet in the dough or something? I don’t just teach Spanish, ok?

One girl who hasn’t done much for months or maybe all year, brought in this work of art – fruit pizza.

They went all out in this class and really enjoyed the food. It made me happy.

I never doubted how much my mom loved me even though our relationship could be difficult. Looking at my baby book and all the milestones she recorded and looking at my photo albums made me feel very loved this week.

Apparently I played pickleball as a baby. So, sorry girls – I did it first!

I lived in Southern Indiana, not Alaska, by the way. The first hot flash I had occured on this day.

While I was busy socializing last weekend, Tom made some major progress. I think he has now put in 8 days on this project.

Eddie Otis stole a gift bag and then got his snout stuck. Karma!

Can’t keep up with the dog hair!

I started Wear What the F You Want this week. I didn’t love the first girl or the style she chose, but I think the show has promise. Did anyone else watch?

This is the time of year at school where we start testing – state and AP tests. So, in my classes I have sophomores through seniors and it gets kind of crazy. One day some girls asked me for coloring sheets when they finished their work.

I thought I would show you the corn one of them colored:

And, then, I think I need to delve deeper into the meaning of this one and I might need to have a birds and bees talk with her:

Is the purple llama pregnant with a human baby?

What made you smile this week?

Amy

Thursday, May 1, 2025

It’s May! I almost cannot believe it! It’s Maycember if you are a parent or a teacher!

I am linking up with Kellyann and Jill to share what I’ve been wearing.

Last Friday afternoon the blogger weekend was starting and it was raining and ugly out. I decided last minute to go with my black Halaras and this print blouse from TJ Maxx.

Saturday was a beautiful day and I wore my yellow floral blouse with my Dillard’s Westbound jeans. I wore my new Target woven Birk looking sandals. Did you see my shoe post yesterday?

Saturday night for dinner we changed into dresses and I wore my boutique find from back in February.

And, Sunday I wore my light Halaras, J.Crew Factory blouse, and J.Crew consignment sweater.

Monday for school I wore Target blouse, blue gauzy pants, and Dr. Scholl’s sneakers – they passed the all day school test. They more than passed. They are so comfy! I had food days in 3 classes so I was on my feet and running around a lot going to get food from office fridge.

I was off Tuesday for an appointment and I wore my other new this year boutique dress. They both came from the Tunie’s outlet and each were $39. I have on an old consignment sweater and the Target woven Birk sandals.

After the appointment, I switched to the cork heels and they were so comfy! They are high, but the platform makes them comfortable. I was able to have lunch and go to two stores with my besties. We thought about going to the track, but there were storms in the forecast and we opted out.

I looked at some of my childhood albums this week.

Lol

What was I scheming here? How to get back at the person who gave me this haircut?

The last time I felt confident in a bikini…

My mom dressed me like a doll. I have more to show you another time. I was the first born so I’m sure it was lots of fun for her!

What have you worn lately?

Amy

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

It’s Wednesday and time for Hodgepodge with Joyce!

1. My very first edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge was published on November 10, 2010 (linked here if you’re curious). Tell us something about your life from that era. 

My twins were 8 years old in 2010 and I was really embracing the elementary years if I remember correctly and I am not romanticizing the time period. We belonged to the pool in the summer, we watched the nieces one day a week, we went to the library, book store, zoo, park, and school playgrounds. We played soccer and baseball to try our hands at those sports. We had playdates. It was a sweet time for me! I was very happy! I am still very happy, but I just remember really loving being a mom and feeling so grateful. Tom was involved in everything we did after 5:30 on weekdays and all weekend!

My kids would sit with me and “cuddle” until they were maybe 11 and they still will sit close to me now. I loved mornings with them. They would wake up so happy to see me and I felt the same.

2. What’s a song you love that relates to time in some way? 

Jim Croce’s Time in a Bottle was a player piano roll we owned. Yes, my family had a player piano that you pumped with your feet (pedals) in order to make it play. It is still in my mom’s house and will be part of the estate sale if a family friend doesn’t want it. We would sing when we had people over. So weird, right? I really remember the player piano the most in our childhood home and it was not really used in my parents’ home after that. I only lived in two houses with my parents, by the way. I lived in one until I was 5 and then the other house was their house until I was 34 and I had my hands full with 3 year old twins, so I’m not sure how much I was able to get sentimental.

But, the place I grew up is extremely special to me. I know long time blog readers have heard this, but my dad thoughtfully dug up a periwinkle hydrangea from the childhood home and brought it to my current house.

My childhood neighborhood friends are having a reunion this summer and I am so excited! It’s three families that were all really close and only one still lives there – my dear Terry. Terry is like the cool aunt/big sister to me. She moved across the street when she was in her twenties with a 6 week old baby boy and I spent so much time at their house.

The house we are working in right now was never “my” house so my sisters and I have commented many times how this is easier than our special childhood home would have been. And, yes, we were very sad when they decided to move but we understood their decision. It was in the same town but out in the country in a neighborhood with a lake so they wanted to be closer to town.

The lyrics are so melancholy, no?

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I’d like to do
Is to save every day
‘Til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I’d save every day like a treasure and then
Again, I would spend them with you

And, who doesn’t love “I’ve Had the Time of my Life” from Dirty Dancing?

Now I’ve had the time of my life
No, I never felt like this before
Yes, I swear, it’s the truth
And I owe it all to you
‘Cause I’ve had the time of my life
And I owe it all to you

I’ve been waiting for so long
Now I’ve finally found someone to stand by me
We saw the writing on the wall
As we felt this magical fantasy
Now with passion in our eyes
There’s no way we could disguise it secretly
So we take each other’s hand
‘Cause we seem to understand the urgency

3. May is nearly upon us. When did you last need to yell ‘MAY DAY-MAY DAY!!’? 

At my job! I’m done! Ha! This week my principal had asked me to come up with a “who should teach what” plan. I have been department chair and that position will also need to be replaced. So, there is some department drama bubbling beneath the surface because several people feel entitled to my good classes and my position. You know what? It made me so glad/ready to be done with that.

I also had to call in help with my sisters for some things that I was working on. Kate took over a couple of phone calls and I took the rest of her thank you notes because they have always been the bane of her existence and I have always loved writing – lol.

Our other deal is that Kate is going to work on getting my mom’s two years of Storyworth questions/answers turned into books. I got my mom Storyworth and she loved it so much she did it for more than the year and I think she upgraded to already purchase a certain number of copies. If you are looking for a Mother’s Day gift, that would be a good one! And, how special are her answers/stories going to be for us now?

4. How do you feel about food trucks? Is this a dining experience you enjoy?  Do you have a favorite What’s something you’ve ordered from a food truck? 

Here’s the thing…I am not a big fan. I do partake at the outdoor concert we go to once or twice a year because it is a nice atmosphere and we sit and listen to music while eating. I just don’t enjoy eating out of styrofoam with no atmosphere or ambiance. I guess it can be nice at a picnic table sometimes? I feel like food truck food is really expensive, too!

I love a cute restaurant atmosphere or a patio, you know? I am not opposed to food trucks, but they just aren’t as nice. If you love a food truck, tell me why and I will try to embrace them more!

5. We’re bidding farewell to April…what are three adjectives you might use to describe the month you’re leaving behind. 

Wet – we started the month with severe flooding. My beloved Captain’s Quarters just opened back up Monday. My favorite little farm to table market just opened back up. Our spring break here in town was wet and disappointing.

Full – it has been a full month and a busier month than usual for me. On April 12th I had so much fun with my sisters in our hometown, on April 18th I had such a lovely time with my friends from Spain, and then last weekend, I met and formed friendships with 5 fellow blogger ladies. I am so glad I said YES to fun.

Social – oops! I should have saved all the full answers for social. Ditto! The reason why it was full was because it was social. I feel like I come alive again after the winter and want to do all the things and see all the people. I have several people on my list to plan things with and I also want to celebrate my retirement with the people in my life. More to come on that…

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Sometimes when I feel happy I say, “I feel happy”. The funny thing is that I usually feel the happiest just doing ordinary things or seeing ordinary things.

Last night I went outside to read after dinner and the temperature was literally perfect. It got up to 84 during the day but when I went outside at 7:00 there was a nice breeze and I just felt so happy to be able to enjoy it.

I still haven’t put any pillows out or any type of decor…I am not sure what I can have out with pup. Also, I left pup inside with Tom so I didn’t have to be on high alert for naughty behavior.

What’s on your mind this Wednesday?

Amy

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

So, yeah…I like to buy shoes. I lost most of my summer ’24 collection to one Mr. Eddie Otis, my chocolate lab puppy. But, I had too many summer shoes, to be honest, so maybe he helped me out?

But, summer shoes are so fun to buy!

Also, I am wondering what my non-teacher shoe wardrobe will look like as time goes on. Will I live a glamorous life of heels? Yeah, no.

Nevertheless, I hope to have some occasions to wear my new cork heels. And, I am ready to not be so dictated by those hard cement floors, you know?

Do you like how I paired them with my very old lounging shorts?

They are probably too cool for me!

I bought these for $30 ish dollars and have already worn them several times.

My Target flip flops are so comfortable and well made. I wear these almost everyday right now for at least part of the day.

I added a new Target pair to my collection. They are really well made and by Universal Thread.

I’m still loving my New Balance and hope to be using them for walking more!

And, I added these Dr. Scholl’s sneakers for $30 something direct from the Dr. Scholl’s website with a coupon they sent me!

They are extremely comfortable and cushy and I wanted something that would work with dresses, too.

Don’t forget today is the day that “Wear Whatever the F You Want” with Clinton and Stacy comes out on Prime. I’m excited to see what it’s all about!

What summer shoes have you purchased?

Amy

Monday, April 28, 2025

Happy Monday! I’m linking up with Holly and Sarah to share my weekend and some of you have been waiting to hear about it with bated breath…

This was the blogger trip to Louisville that you have been hearing about! I had met Jenn two years ago, but this was literally a blind date for me to meet Joanne, Maria, Marilyn, and Tanya!

And, it’s hard to understand if you don’t read blogs (obviously you all do), but I felt like I already knew all of them and they are all exactly like they are on their blogs. So, it was a bit of a surreal experience to meet them in person!

They only thing I can’t understand – I have never been in a group of 6 women (including me) where so many are non-coffee drinkers! Tanya and I are the only hot coffee in the morning people! I mean, my blog is called “Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa” so I love to drink it, think about it, and talk about it. And, yes I do drink more coffee than cocktails.

Marilyn was the organizer and she found a cute little Airbnb in a fun and lively area of town called The Highlands. I checked it out back in the winter and Facetimed Marilyn to show her the exterior.

The interior was cute and had some cool design touches.

I helped Marilyn plan an itinerary and some of it was weather dependent. Also, we are still feeling the effects of the flooding so a couple of things were limited due to that.

Joanne and I were the first to arrive and we prepared snacks while we waited. The car full of Tanya, Jenn, and Marilyn arrived shortly after, and then Maria arrived. Here we are showing our sweet gifts from Tanya of notepads, flair pens, and hand sanitizer in a cute wrapping. So thoughtful!

And now with Tanya:

We chatted and got to know each other and then sat around and shared a book we are reading and I shared mine:

We kept talking and talking and then realized that we should probably get dinner. We ended up at this little Mexican restaurant nearby.

I ordered some really good mushroom and spinach empanadas.

After dinner I headed home. I had decided not to sleep at the Airbnb and it was perfect for sleeping 5, so it hopefully was good for the other ladies.

I woke up Saturday after not enough hours of sleep and made fruit salad (copycat Chick Fil A, I think – you do two cans of mandarin oranges drained, a container of blueberries, and a container of strawberries sliced up – then you sprinkle about a tablespoon of vanilla pudding powder and about 1/4 cup of lime juice) and a low carb egg casserole.

We had to add to that Marilyn’s sourdough and a couple of really yummy Trader Joe’s breakfast treats – a cinnamon cake and a raspberry kringle.

Then, we got motivated and started at Butchertown Market and Work the Metal. It is a huge store with a kitchen section, a fashion section, body product section, garden section, home decor section, and more. It’s hard to describe. It’s a great place for gifts!

We saw a group of ladies from Texas and Tanya knew two of them! They were trying on hats and fascinators so we did the same. When in Rome!

After shopping there for about an hour, we headed to the NULU district which is on the edge of downtown and a vibrant, hopping, refurbished area of shops and restaurants.

These are two different alley selfies.

Then, we browsed a bit but they had to try what was voted Louisville’s best cookie from Please and Thank You coffee shop. They liked it but I had told them about my favorite Penny and Pearl’s so that was the next stop.

We were supposed to have lunch out but we had cookies instead. We all voted Penny and Pearl’s over Please and Thank You, by the way! We had leftover snacks at the house and everyone was fine with just going back. I dropped them off and then went home for a couple of hours. Everyone rested and changed for dinner and then they came to my house to meet…Eddie Otis…and Tom! No one else was home.

We had a lovely 15 minute drive out to the country to Hermitage Farm. It is a lot of things. They board horses, they have a farm store, they do bourbon tastings, they hold festivals and events. and more.

They have a restaurant and we had a reservation to sit in a horse stall!

The main area:

The bar:

The bathroom is really unique and has fake chickens and roosters making noise while you are in there:

Look at Marilyn’s face; I think she is scared of the chickens.

Maria ordered us some cornbread with sorghum butter. The menu is very Kentucky farm to table style I would say.

I had a really good South African red blend with dinner and I should have written down the name!

I ordered the flat iron steak with chimichurri and tri color potatoes.

The owners of the farm a huge local art supporters and big people in the community. After dark, you can go on an “art walk” which is a lighting design set to music. I have been two or three other times and it was just as spectacular as I remembered. At the very end you can see horses running through the trees. I didn’t get a photo of that part.

Then, we drove back to my house and chatted for a bit in the driveway before the ladies went back to the Airbnb.

Sunday morning we did brunch! We were able to sit on a patio! We went to Biscuit Belly. I’m trying to get rid of my biscuit (entire loaf) belly, but you know, it was a special occasion.

I had heard lots of talk of a brown sugar shaken espresso cold brew and I ordered one and – wow – so good!

I got baby biscuits with three types of gravy! Aren’t they cute?

I swear we didn’t eat all day! In between the brunch and the next food event we went to a consignment store where many of us scored some finds! Then, we went out door shopping area where we went to a cute little boutique and some people found something there, too.

We decided on just a little afternoon snack and tried $5 margaritas (some of us) and potato chip nachos!

Wow!

The ladies went to do a couple of touristy photo opps and I went home to my Sunday preps for the week before heading back to the Airbnb for a little more chatting and goodbyes.

What a fun and full weekend! I’m tired! I don’t usually do this much on the weekends. It was a little different for me because I was in and out of my house and I had my normal life to manage, too, but honestly with school in the homestretch and such a busy time, my mom’s estate, and just life right now this worked out great for me. It would have been hard to go away right now.

I feel like I got to know all 5 ladies much, much better and it will make blogging and interacting even more fun.

That’s all for now!

Amy