Mother's Day dinner!
Resting in bed this weekend, trying to stay away from the tree pollen!!!!!
I hope you are all having a great week! It’s a busy one over here. One of my best family friends is getting married this weekend, so we have family in town for all of the festivities. I’ve written before about how my dad’s high school best friends are still his best friends to this day. All of the kids (now adults) grew up together, and one of them is getting married. She is one of the youngest, and it is so wild to me that she is a full-blown adult getting married! My husband and some other family members are playing golf with the wedding crew today, then we have a family dinner, the welcome party, and, of course, the wedding itself. I am so excited for all of the celebrations.
And that’s not even the end of our weekend because my grammie’s 100th birthday is this Sunday!!! Yes, 100!!! 100!!!!!!! We are having a close family get-together this weekend, then a larger party for her the following week with extended family and friends. I had to look up what percentage of people make it to 100, and I was shocked to find out that, according to Pew Research in 2024, there were 101,000 people in the US aged 100 or older, which is just .03% of the population. I expected it to be a small figure, but I was still stunned by just how small it was! What’s especially wild is that my great-grammie (my dad’s grandmother on his mom’s side) lived to 97, and my great-grandpa (my dad’s grandfather on his dad’s side) lived to be over 100. I vividly remember attending Papa’s (my great-grandfather’s) 100th birthday party in Florida when I was a child! Gosh, I hope I inherited some of those longevity genes! I’m 36, and still having my grammie in my life is a blessing beyond measure.
This weekend is going to be filled with what life is really all about. Being with the ones who matter most, and celebrating all of life's goodness!
This past weekend, we hosted my parents, aunt, and uncle for Mother's Day dinner. My husband spent all day in the kitchen preparing the most delicious dinner, and it is always great to spend time with family! Otherwise, it was pretty lowkey. We got pizza with friends on Friday, and Saturday ran a bunch of errands!
I've also been trying to find a time to do my annual purge of workout clothes and undergarments. I like to purge by category because it doesn't feel as overwhelming as trying to do it all at once. That is one of the small goals I have on my to-do list!
I ordered this square-neck top, and it was a winner.
What I wore to run errands this weekend!
CS just sent me this dress, and it's adorable. I love their twiggy style, and they are now making it in this pretty white eyelet. In the long sleeve version, I size up to a 6. This is a 6, but I think this one runs more true to size, and I should have gotten a 4, as it was a little big.
Wearing: My outfits have definitely been lackluster lately. I swear, we had better weather here in April than we have had thus far in May! It's been chilly, so it's that awkward time when I want to wear dresses and sandals, but it's just too chilly for that most days! This is not a complaint. I know when it's 98 degrees in July, I'll be missing this! I've also been a bit lazy this last week. My allergies have come back with a vengeance, so I just haven't been putting as much effort into my outfits as I typically do. They were bad a few weeks ago, but subsided, and I thought maybe that was the end of it, but nope! This weekend and earlier this week were ROUGH. I think they have started to subside again (knock on wood)!!
You can find me on ShopMy, where I link all of my outfits, favorite finds, home decor, beauty, and more! I am constantly updating it with the latest! You can also follow me on the LTK app. Plus, you are able to access all of my posts, here, on my website!
Eating: The kabobs are back at Whole Foods! I discovered them last year, but they are seasonal, so it's been a while since we had them! I was so glad to see them back in a new-to-me steakhouse seasoning. They also had chicken kabobs, which I want to try! It makes for such an easy, minimal clean-up dinner!
Drinking: I re-shared my watermelon cocktail recipe earlier this week in anticipation of the upcoming holiday weekend. It's an easy one to batch-make!
Sale: Hillhouse just gave me a discount code, SYDNEY20, for 20% off full-priced items! Love this dress and do not sleep on their swimsuits!
Reading: In the past few months, I've been reading articles about the dining industry, particularly the success of Houston's/Hillstone and, in turn, chain restaurants in the US. I've been so interested in their marketing, standards, and results. I just read this article about Chili's, which is a quick little read. If you are interested in that kind of thing, this is a good jumping-off point! Once you read a lot about this topic, you can see that the industry as a whole seems to be bifurcated. Consumers either want a quick, inexpensive, efficient, or nicer dinner out as an occasion. The middle tier is becoming a little more strained. I am not intimately familiar with the dining/food/hospitality industries, but I love learning and reading about this kind of thing. I find it so fascinating. You know, one day I'm learning about Everest and the next, chain restaurants in the US.
Watching: I just started the new 90 Day Fiancé. I cannot quit it. The extra time during the pandemic has had me hooked. I am anxiously awaiting the Summer House reunion! I finished Black Bird on Apple TV. It was good, but disturbing, so watch with caution. Is anyone watching anything good? I would love to really get into a show. I haven't binged anything in so long, and when I have the time, that is my favorite way to watch TV!
Listening: I've shared this before, but I love this Pulled Into a Dream album. Open your windows on a sunny morning or afternoon and have this playing in the background. It's so peaceful, I have been listening to it nonstop lately.
Loving: Did you all see Dyson just launched a travel hair dryer! I love my inexpensive travel hair dryer, but I really love my Dyson hair dryer, so if my travel dryer ever bites the dust, I'll think I'll get the Dyson! The issue with the full-size Dyson is that, while I have traveled with it, it's very heavy and not dual-voltage, so you can't use it in other countries.
Wanting: These adorable summertime napkins. This eyelet set is darling. Such a perfect MDW/4th of July coverup! Such cute little scalloped shorts. A perfect, crisp white top. Beaded handbags are really having a moment, and this one is lovely! I was recently gifted a pillow from a brand, and it has not been good. Not because I think the brand is bad, but because the pillow just isn't working out for me personally. I just ordered this pillow to see if it's a good one! I generally love the pillows when I stay at any Ritz properties. I was going to go with what I know from The Company Store or Garnet Hill, but decided to switch it up. I will report back! I'm very content with my red light mask, but have you all seen this red light for the shower?! A classic button-down with a unique twist. One of my favorite spring/summer tops now comes in gingham! One of my favorite pairs of earrings that I wear weekly now comes in emerald cut! A classic red gingham top! The length measurement on this dress is way too short for me, but this is such a cute dress for a petite gal! If I saw this dress in a store and didn't see the tag, I would assume it is Agua by Agua Bendita... thankfully for our wallets, it is not! The perfect MDW/4th of July tablecloth! Minnow just launched many cute things! This swimsuit cover-up is darling. BB just launched the rainbow necklace in a smaller size, so if you think the larger one may have you feeling like Wilma Flinstone, this smaller one could be a good compromise! I definitely had this bag in like 2006! This bag has a steep price tag, but moire gets me every time! This top is such a good Doen look for less! A great raffia clutch to add a pop of color to any outfit. Love this classic-cut cotton tank. A striped set that could be my weekend uniform. These navy checked pants! My code SUMMERWIND10 should work on them! This bikini is so fun, and a bonus because it is reversible!
Nan Xian Soup Dumplings
Doce Taqueria
Pittsburgh: We tried two newer restaurants this weekend, and both were good, but not good enough to race back to either. We grabbed lunch at Doce Taqueria. The barbacoa taco was excellent, but everything else was just ok. I was *so* excited to try Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings, and their signature soup dumplings and pork buns were good, but everything else was just OK. We ordered a ton to try, but I was a little disappointed because I love noodles and dumplings! Udon is one of my favorite foods, and it looked so good, but I felt like it didn't have enough flavor.
Also, separate from the food we enjoyed this weekend, I am so excited because we were able to snag tickets to Leslie Odom! I got an early access code sent to my email, and I jumped on it! They officially go on sale on 5/21. It's 7 months away, but I am already counting down! There is also a lot of really great upcoming programming from the symphony, I think we bought tickets for 4 or 5 shows for the rest of the year! Going to the symphony makes me so happy. Our next show is Appalachian Spring! I might cry tears of joy when I see it live. It is particularly meaningful since Aaron Copland composed it with a Western PA setting in mind.
Amazon Rec: I ended up keeping the yellow vase and used it when I hosted Mother's Day dinner this past weekend. It is so pretty!
You can find more of my Amazon favorites, here on my Amazon page where I am constantly updating it with all of my finds and top picks from home, beauty, fashion, and more!
Quoting: 'I helped a man climb a mountain, and I found that I too had reached the top.' // See more of my favorites, here.
This content may contain affiliate links; when you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no cost to you).
1 comment:
Beautiful photos and lovely outfits.
Post a Comment