Friday Favorites~a weekly series where we share our favorite books, decor, fashion finds, recipes, podcasts, articles and more.
FRIDAY FAVORITES NO. 596
Good morning friends, happy Friday! How was your week? Are you getting ready for school? Making the most of the last of the free days of summer?
August is another “in between” month for me, it’s still summer but there are signs of Fall, especially in the shops. Not to mention that some of the trees are starting to turn colors and of course the kids are headed back to school. But, it is still hot, sultry and feels like summer.
I have a lot to share so let’s get to all of our Friday Favorites! If you have missed a Friday Favorites post you can find them all here.
FOOD
All of your favorite summer fruits and veggies in a summer grain bowl! A delicious meal on a hot day.
Mexican corn inspired cheese dip! This would be an easy summer appetizer and perfect served with a pitcher or margaritas.
Bacon Jalapeño Focaccia Pizza is sweet, hot, smokey and delicious!
Hummingbird cake anyone? Bananas, pineapple, coconut and warm spiced cake topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting.
LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN
Why Americans Are Snubbing McDonald’s and Starbucks
What Olympic Athletes Eat to Have All That Energy
The World’s Most Livable Cities
How the origins of America’s immigrants have changed since 1850
These homeowners are ‘hacking’ their pools and lawns to earn extra cash
Meet the queen of the ‘trad wives’ (and her eight children)
Make the Most of Your Vacation When You Can’t Fully Unplug
How to remove your data from people-finder sites
WitchTok: How witchcraft became the latest controversial wellness fad
BOOKS
A few books to add to your stack, enjoy now or pre-order.
The Italian Ballerina
Rome, 1943. With the fall of Italy’s Fascist government and the Nazi regime occupying the streets of Rome, British ballerina Julia Bradbury is stranded and forced to take refuge at a hospital on Tiber Island. But when she learns of a deadly sickness sweeping through the quarantine wards—a fake disease known only as Syndrome K—she is drawn into one of the greatest cons in history. Alongside hospital staff, friars of the adjoining church, and two Allied medics, Julia risks everything to rescue Jewish Italians from the deadly clutches of the Holocaust. Soon a little girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina arrives at their door, and Julia is determined to reunite the young dancer with her family—if only she would reveal one crucial secret: her name.
Present Day. Delaney Coleman recently lost her grandfather—a beloved small-town doctor and World War II veteran, so she returns home to help her aging parents. When a mysterious Italian woman reaches out claiming to own one of the family’s precious heirlooms, Delaney is compelled to travel to Italy and uncover the truth of her grandfather’s hidden past. With the help of the woman’s skeptical but charming grandson, Delaney learns of a Roman hospital that saved hundreds of Jewish people during the war. Soon, everything Delaney thought she knew about her grandfather comes into question.
In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.
Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure, and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.
The Wedding People
It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years―she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe’s plan―which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.
Enduring Southern Homes
People who embrace traditional interior style are people who love heritage and story. As a professional decorator, Eric Ross has been upholding centuries-old design concepts while injecting fresh colors and fabrics into the mix for more than twenty years. A native of Kentucky, he now resides in Nashville, Tennessee. His Southern approach to traditional decorating includes a little bit of French country, a lot of Southern hospitality, and spills over into his lifestyle and entertaining prose. In Enduring Southern Homes, Eric Ross showcases some of his most beautiful projects and gives tips on how to create your very own enduring home, regardless of where you live.
MORE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
If you have already read these books or missed something I have featured before on the blog check out My Bookshop on Amazon.
SHOPPING
OUTFIT OF THE DAY
Yes, I know it’s August but the heat and humidity has me longing for cooler days. Camel, the color, not the animal is a staple for Fall. It’s warm tones are the perfect neutral and can be dressed up or down. I love the look of a matched bag and shoes, what about you?
As the days and nights turn cooler, layer your summer jeans with a t-shirt and sweater or bring along a jacket just in case you get cold. Spritz with your favorite perfume and you are all set for a great day.
UNTIL TOMORROW
What are your weekend plans?
Tell me something that made you smile this week!
I hope you enjoyed the recipes, links and books I discovered this week on Friday Favorites. Thank you for spending part of your day with me, your time is valuable and I am grateful that you spend a little of each day with me. Have a wonderful weekend.
Follow along with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and Pinterest.
Don’t forget that Kim, Juliet and I will be back tomorrow on Weekend Meanderings!
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On My Radar
Thank you for this wonderful post. The recipes and books are just the inspiration I needed today.
PS – never too early for pumpkins!
Thank you Brenda!
Great links, my friend! Always looking for new book recommendations and I think I’m going to have to make that hummingbird cake. Yum! Have a great weekend!
Thank you Kim! Have a wonderful week.
Thank you for a lovely read with my cup of tea! I really enjoyed Friday Favorites this week, Elizabeth. Great recipe, book and article recommendations as well. I enjoyed reading the article on witchcraft! Thank you for sharing with Hearth and Soul!
Have a wonderful week April! So happy that you enjoyed the post.