Saturdays on the Porch #63

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Saturdays on the Porch

Fit Tip: I really like this sweathshirt and have been wearing it a lot for spring. I am wearing a medium. It shrunk just a touch. I air dried it then fluffed to get the stiffness out. I do this with a lot of my clothes. If you'd like to layer or want a larger fit, I wouldn't hesitate to size up especailly if larger busted. This will probably be somehting I'll toss after summer. At under $16, it's not going to stand the test of time. This is my second season with these Sperry sneakers. I love them. Wear them with no socks. They are true to size. Slight break in period with heels. I wear a .5 in all Chico's pants.

I hope you have had a great week! It's been a good one here. I haven't done anything exciting. It's been a productive week with homemaking.

My heart is heavy with the latest school shooting. I'm honestly terrified for the future and grandbabies down the road.

I had hoped to work on painting more in our bedroom this week. I need to do one more coat on the mantel plus I still have 2 doors with the frames and 2 windows to finish. All of the ceiling, crown, and base molding is done! I didn't change the wall color.

On a pleased note, the painter came out on Wednesday to give us a quote on finishing the 2 upstairs bedrooms.

My husband and I took a guess on what his quote would come back at. I said $700, and he said $1,200. Guess who won? His quote came back at $750! This is based on us providing the paint. I'll admit, thoughts go to the $750. I do NOT hire people to paint what I can paint. So much of it over the last couple of years has me weary. Plus it takes away from the time that I could be working on the blog. Hubby offered to get it done…..so I accepted! He is starting Monday or Tuesday.

This week I have been getting the rooms cleaned out. Ashlyn pretty much cleaned hers out. My hubby had already removed the old carpet. Woods was a different story with his room.

Woods and his wife are closing on a new house next week. They are so very excited! I'm very excited for them. PLUS this means that he will have space for all of the stuff he left behind. I spent one day this week packing up the remainder of his stuff. I then carried it all down to the garage for him to load up. Y'all I went up the stairs 18 times to take all of that down!

I have lured Ashlyn and Tim over today with the promise of a fillet mignon and crab cake dinner if they would take out the carpet in the other bedroom. Max isn't able to do it with his shoulder surgery.

I spent Thursday changing out my fall/winter clothes to spring/summer clothes. It literally took all day. I took the time to do a try-on session. I did a major cleanout. I am still not completely done, but I was pretty ruthless. I am really bad about keeping old stuff. It felt really good to get things purged.

This Week on the Blog

The Look

This is what I wore to church last Sunday. This knit blazer is amazing! I have worn it countless times since I purchase it in February. It is a fabulous fit. I am wearing a small. Everything else, I have had. I have linked similar jumpsuits, shoes, and necklaces above. The heels are VERY old and are starting to show it. You can never go wrong with a leopard pump. The jumpsuit is from Chico's last year. I am wearing a size 1. The necklace is also Chico's from last year. Chico's has the best costume jewelry.

Here it is without the blazer. This is excellent for travel in that it will not wrinkle. It's a definite classic piece that I will get years of wear. I have one linked above that has sleeves. Wish I had that one.

I wore this yesterday for a quick Sam's trip to pick up steaks for dinner tonight. This week, I've only been wearing eye makeup and a little concealer for makeup. I've been using Musely on my face and dealing with Tretinoin peeling. My leggings are Chico's. I've had them for several years. They are a definite step above. I am wearing a size 1. The ones linked above are the same with the exception of the ankle detail. Mine have slits and the ones linked have ankle rivets which does dress them up a bit. My sneakers are true to size. These are not exercise sneakers, but street sneakers. My cardigan above is several years old. I've linked one above that I have from Amazon in a similar color. My Amazon one is small. The sleeves run long which is good for me. I just roll them up. It's lightweight and great for spring and travel.

What We are Watching on TV

• Succession is back on HBO, and we are loving it! This family is about as dysfunctional as it comes, but the story and acting are top-notch!
• I'm late to the party, but I am obsessed with The Crown! I have just started the last season available. I know it is adapted for TV, and lots fabricated. I grow attached to the actors playing the parts, then the next season moves to the aged version. They really lead a sad life in my opinion. Charles and Camila….ugh! It's tough in that they weren't allowed to be together in the beginning, but they way they carried on from the get-go. Diana was so young when she entered this life with stars in her eyes. Elizabeth is such a cold person, but again…..thrown into a role she never wanted. Stifled my duty and tradition to the tee. I find myself constantly pausing and googling things. I was a big Diana fan. I remember watching the wedding with my grandmother as a little girl. My hubby and I were in London literally a month before she died. London was obsessed with her. She was always on the cover of the tabloids there. Watch it on Netflix if you haven't seen it.
• The Night Watch on Netflix is a fun political White House ride. We are really enjoying it. We have 1 episode left.

Latest Reels

In the Kitchen

We picked up a 2-pack of lobster ravioli from Costco last week. We had one pack this week and froze the other. It was quite tasty and a quick meal. I made the sauce. I buy a large can of peeled tomatoes. Saute a little garlic in the pan. Dump in the can of tomatoes and crush them up as they cook. Season with salt, pepper, basil, and Italian seasoning. I then add a bit of heavy cream and finely grated parmesan cheese. Right before serving, I added chopped spinach to the sauce. It was so good!

I love the above cookbook! This is the pesto chicken with roasted potatoes. I added brussel sprouts to it this week. The pesto is some that I made from our garden in late fall. I freeze it in ice cube trays.

What I'm Reading

• I have a list of 12 books to read physically this year (1 per month) in addition to my audiobooks. You can find the complete list here.
• I am currently on my March read which is Hotel Nantucket. I love anything by Elin Hilderbrand!
• My January read was Lessons in Chemistry and absolutely loved it! The setting is the early 1960s and centers around a female chemist and her navigating a man's world. It's fun with a bit of romance and heartache. It is so worth a read!
• My February read was Not a Happy Family. This is a murder mystery. Parents are murdered, and we will try to solve who did it……their kids are suspects!

What I'm Listening to on Audio Books

• I am caught up on listening to the Peachtree Bluff Series and really enjoyed it! Here is the list in order of the series.
  • Book 1: Simply South of Simple
  • Book 2: The Secret of Southern Charm
  • Book 3: The Southern Side of Paradise
  • Book 4: Christmas in Peachtree Bluff
• I just finished listening to The House Guest. It was ok. I wasn't blown away, but the end did get interesting. It was a bit predictable.
• People We Meet on Vacation
• The Blue Bistro
• Wrong Place Wrong Time

What We've Bought

• Restore-A-Finish for the family room secretary
• Capri leggings for my walks (medium)
• collagen powder– I use 1 scoop in my morning coffee. I stir it with this to blend well.
• I just ordered these walking sandals. I am all about comfort these days. They were highly recommended by my travel group.
• I've been trying to find the perfect white top to wear with wide-leg linen pants and shorts for summer. I splurged big time on this, but I'm working to buy quality and classic closet staples. My fingers are crossed that it works. If it's not perfect, it will be going back.

What Caught My Eye

Here are a few things that caught my eye this week from a few blogging friends.

With all of the painting and room refreshes going on, I am loving the idea of taking a gamble on giving an existing light a simple makeover like this for a fraction of the cost of buying a new one.

Thank you so much for being here today with me! I hope your weekend is joyful. XO, Christy

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