i'm back ... and five on friday

Finally it's Friday.  It's been crazy around here lately, so I haven't been posting very regularly. Things are starting to slow down, so I hope to be back to 3-4 posts per week. I'm jumping in with Five on Friday today to catch up on what's been going on around here. Let's jump right in.

Fun news!! I'm going to be doing macaron classes this summer. The first one will be on June 8th. If you're local and want to grab a spot, follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all the details. I'm really excited about the classes and so thankful for the opportunity.

We're leaving for our annual family vacation in a few weeks. I cannot wait to get away for a while and just enjoy my family. Relaxing is the only thing on my itinerary. It's our last big family vacation before my niece goes off to college in the fall, so it's kind of bittersweet. I'm looking forward to getting some good quality time in with her. 

I found this cute top at Dress Barn earlier this week. I had a few things to return and this caught my eye on the sale rack. Of course I had to get my sister one too. I'm packing mine for our upcoming trip. It looks perfect with jean shorts and sandals or my navy Tieks. Casual but still a little dressy. 
 

We're having a back yard project done when we get back from vacation. The pic above shows what we're going for.  It has to be scaled down a bit in size because our back yard is a good size without being huge. My cousin's husband is making this happen and I told him my only must-haves are the tin roof and that the swing fits a twin size mattress. I'm excited to see our back yard transformed and am already planning my summer naps. Yep, I'm old and exciting. I'll share the process on the blog once the project is underway. We're also adding a fire pit and eventually a storage shed. The storage shed may be a Father's Day surprise.

 

And now for book news... I have a few food magazines packed for our trip and also downloaded some new books to my Kindle app. I've talked about Karen MacInerney's Dewberry Farm series here before and she also has another cozy mystery series, The Gray Whale Inn Mysteries. I'm about to start book 2, Dead & Berried. I don't like this series as much as Dewberry Farms, but I'll give this second book a try before I give up on it. I'll keep you posted. 

Have a fabulous weekend!

- Tonia

five on friday

Happy Friday! It has been quite a week for me. I had an allergic reaction to a sulfa medication and spent Sunday in the emergency room and Monday and Tuesday on Benadryl & steroids. Fun, fun, fun. I'm feeling much better now and looking forward to the weekend. I'm linking up with Five on Friday again this week. Let's jump right in. 

I ordered this shirt from Nordstrom last week.  I love a cute thermal shirt and especially love this shade of blue. It's also available in red if you need something cute and casual for Valentine's Day.  It's on sale right now, so grab one for yourself.

I'm going to be busy this weekend making my red velvet macarons for Valentine's Day. I'm going to try making heart-shaped. Follow along on Instagram to see how they turn out. I'm Tonia_thc. 

There's some big changes coming up in my life next month. I'm anxious, excited, full of hope. Just ALL.THE.FEELINGS. I got a new life planner from Erin Condren to help stay organized, plus lots of fun stickers.  I can't wait to get ready for my next adventure. I'll share more about that in the next few weeks. 

And now in book news... 

I got my advance reader copy of Raspberry Danish Murder in the mail a few weeks ago and just finished it up over the weekend. It's the latest in the Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke. It's one of my favorite cozy mystery series and I've been reading it from the very beginning. That said, I was very disappointed in this latest book. The previous book was quite a cliffhanger and this new one did not really focus on that or wrap it up...it actually kind of ended with yet another cliffhanger. It might be time to wrap this series up, but just because I feel invested after 22 books, I'll keep reading. 

I guess I actually just have four things to share this week, so I'll stop here. Hope you all have a great weekend! 

- Tonia

five on friday

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with Five on Friday again this week. Let's jump right in. 

We're having movie night for the youth at church tonight. I'm really looking forward to it. The kids will have a great time and it gives the adults a chance for some additional fellowship time. I love our church family so much. God is definitely working and moving at our church. Tonight we're watching The Prince of Egypt. 

 

I've been using Lancome Renergie lately for my skin. I definitely needed something that helps with firming. It's a little pricey for me, so I'm trying to make it last. Any product recommendations out there?  

I got a few new pictures for the living room that I need to hang, but I have the worst trouble hanging pictures and photos. I heard good things about these Gorilla Hooks. I'll be using them tomorrow so stay tuned for how well they work. 

I was looking for a simple storage solution for our back hallway and saw this on Pinterest. It's only a photo - no actual product to purchase or a "how to". I think it would be pretty easy to replicate, so I'm going to show the picture to the handiest person I know and see what she thinks - my momma. ;)   Kirklands has this that's similar, but I don't think it's designed to hang on the wall, which is what I like most about the original.

And in book news...Mike got me this book for Christmas. It has lots of good information about plants, vegetables, etc. and some interesting stories, but not much new information. The illustrations and pictures are great though. I might try to do a cross stitch from a few of the drawings. 

That's all for today. Coming up next week I'll be talking about my Valentine red velvet macarons and other goodies, plus sharing information on how you can join The Hillbilly Chicks book club. Have a great weekend!

- Tonia