Happy Halloween! After tonight it’s time to switch gears toward Thanksgiving and Christmas. I haven’t decided yet how much decorating I’ll do for the holidays. Since the whole family heads to Galena for Christmas, I’m not hosting a holiday dinner at home. So I’m left wondering why I’d want to do all that work putting…
Summer is definitely over here in the Chicagoland area. Our temps have dropped down into the 50s and the leaves are beginning to change color and fall. And we’re finally getting some rain after what seemed to be a weeks-long drought. I’m ready for autumn even though I’m a summer girl at heart. For Friday…
Fall is in full swing with its riotous colors and crisp days. I don’t know of a single person who doesn’t love this season. Before you head out for leaf peeping this weekend, enjoy some of this week’s Friday Finds! From fixer-uppers to home details to baked donuts, what’s not to love? Let’s kick off…
Wednesday night hubby and I ventured into Chicago for a comedy show and dinner at Topo Gigio – a favorite Italian restaurant. I love all the different neighborhoods of the city and we were in the Old Town district. My only regret was we didn’t have enough time to explore so I’ve already been checking…
Has another week gone by already? Lately I’m waking up when it’s dark outside thinking it’s 3:00 am, only to find that it’s actually 6:30 am and time to get up! That’s the only thing I don’t like about fall – the shortening of days. But I do like all the fall colors and getting…
First, I want to thank all of you who commented on this week’s book giveaway post saying how much you love my blog! Your kinds word were so refreshing during a stressful week. Some of you mentioned how you start your day with a cup of coffee while reading Town and Country Living. That truly…
September is going by quickly and I have to admit that although I love summer, I’m ready for the cozy days of autumn. The leaves are just starting to turn color and I even noticed my burning bush is becoming tinged with red. Now if the nights would cool off enough so I can sleep…
This morning I’m starting my weekend off with a hydrafacial. It’s a little luxury that I like to give myself from time to time. Your face looks like a dewy dumpling afterwards and I can definitely tell a difference in my skin texture for weeks after. And then I’m ending the weekend with my daughter…
This weekend I’m headed to Sawyer, Michigan for a girl’s weekend with my granddaughter Zoe. We take weekend trips on occasion and I always enjoy them. It helps me reconnect with her as she heads into the teenage years. We’re staying at a little farm cottage retreat complete with goats and horses. The home is…
Our weather dropped by about 20 degrees this past week and it sure has put me in the mood for fall! I’m thinking of all things autumn related like pumpkin spice candles, baking in the kitchen, going for walks through crunchy fallen leaves, and more. It’s surprising how a change in weather can affect your…
Eeeeek! I have some fun news to share. My grandson has been longing to visit Japan so I told him 2026 is the year we’re making it happen! We plan to visit (along with his mom) during cherry blossom season. If you’ve ever been there, please let me know your favorite places in the comments…
Happy Friday, friends! A bit later today I’m headed for a day at the beach – all by myself. I always head to the Michigan lakefront in Lake Forest which is a little over an hour drive from my house. The beach is pristine and uncrowded and is totally worth the drive. It’s the perfect…
Happy first day of August!! In just two weeks the kids in our area will head back to school and summer just won’t be the same. When I was little, we didn’t go back to school until after Labor Day and I think that’s the way it should be today. It’s too hot to sit…
This weekend I’m back home from our vacation on Cape Cod. We did a lot of exploring, I took a lot of photos of beautiful homes and gardens, and we even spent some time on the beach. I’ll share more later, but I’m excited to share this week’s Friday Finds with you. Photo by John…
Would you believe I’m on vacation while writing this? I woke up early in the morning and decided to let hubby sleep in, so it’s a perfect time to give you this week’s collection of Friday Finds. I’m going to start today’s treasures with a look at a special wine country getaway in Oregon just…
We’re almost halfway through July and I leave for Cape Cod next week and I can’t wait! Of course I’ll snap photos of beautiful historic homes in the Boston area along with charming cottages on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. There’s going to be so much to see and share! And for today, there’s some great…
