Friday Favorites~a weekly series where we share our favorite books, decor, fashion finds, recipes, podcasts, articles and more.
Friday Favorites No.673
Good morning friends and a happy Friday to you. Monday is President’s day, do you have a three day weekend ahead? I have a fun weekend ahead although it won’t be three days.
Are you “invested” in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping? My parents are close to her age and I cannot imagine how you wake up and put one foot in front of the other not knowing where your mom is or if she is suffering. One question that I do have, why is the reward so small? I know that the $50,000 reward is from the FBI but why hasn’t the family offered something a little more substantial? Would that bring in more clues or the clue they need? No idea, just thinking about loud. I am just praying that she is home soon.
Saturday is Valentine’s Day, which is actually the day Bill and I got engaged. After 32 years together we celebrate very low key on Valentine’s Day. That doesn’t mean we don’t acknowledge the day but it is not over the top like it was in the old days. One year we went to Paris for the weekend, another to wine country, others we celebrated with good friends on adventures. Now were prefer to be home with our pups.
What about you? How do you like to celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Ok, on to my favorites.
FOOD
This week in honor of Valentine’s Day I put together a little menu of recipes that would make a delicious dinner to celebrate the day.
Steak strips pilled on top of fat chips and drizzled in sauce is an easy and delicious main course that your Valentine will love, I know that mine will.
I love salad and this shaved vegetable salad with pear vinaigrette is just the kind I like to make.
Sparkling vodka cranberry cocktail with spiced simple syrup, a festive way to celebrate the day.
A box of chocolates is a great gift, especially if they are all sea salt caramel. If you want the taste of sea salt caramels and you want to make something homemade try these Sea salt caramel stuffed brownies.
LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN
12 “Sticky Notes” We Should Read Every Morning for Some Peace of Mind
Why You Should Warm Your Feet Up Before Bed
‘Bigorexia’ Is On The Rise. Here’s What Parents Should Know.
Your guide to Oscar nominated movies and where to watch them.
A quick fix for broken zips – and 84 other tips to keep your clothes looking good
The shadowy world of abandoned oil tankers
Why is my bathroom always cold and how to fix it.
Our Best Lunar New Year Recipes for an Auspicious Feast
BOOKS
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Lost letters have only one hope for survival…
Inside the walls of the Dead Letters Depot, letter detectives work to solve mysteries. They study missing zip codes, illegible handwriting, rain-smudged ink, lost address labels, torn packages, forgotten street names—all the many twists of fate behind missed birthdays, broken hearts, unheard confessions, pointless accusations, unpaid bills, unanswered prayers. Their mission is to unite lost mail with its intended recipients.
But when letters arrive addressed simply to “My Great Love,” longtime letter detective William Woolf faces his greatest mystery to date. Written by a woman to the soulmate she hasn’t met yet, the missives capture William’s heart in ways he didn’t know possible. Soon, he finds himself torn between the realities of his own marriage and his world of letters, and his quest to follow the clues becomes a life-changing journey of love, hope, and courage.
From Irish author Helen Cullen, The Lost Letters of William Woolf is an enchanting novel about the resilience of the human heart and the complex ideas we hold about love—and a passionate ode to the art of letter writing.
It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing-not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply “B”, asking her to leave her husband.
Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a forgotten file in her newspaper’s archives. She becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too. Ellie’s search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance.
For twelve-year-old Ernest Young, a charity student at a boarding school, the chance to go to the World’s Fair feels like a gift. But only once he’s there, amid the exotic exhibits, fireworks, and Ferris wheels, does he discover that he is the one who is actually the prize. The half-Chinese orphan is astounded to learn he will be raffled off—a healthy boy “to a good home.”
The winning ticket belongs to the flamboyant madam of a high-class brothel, famous for educating her girls. There, Ernest becomes the new houseboy and befriends Maisie, the madam’s precocious daughter, and a bold scullery maid named Fahn. Their friendship and affection form the first real family Ernest has ever known—and against all odds, this new sporting life gives him the sense of home he’s always desired.
But as the grande dame succumbs to an occupational hazard and their world of finery begins to crumble, all three must grapple with hope, ambition, and first love.
Fifty years later, in the shadow of Seattle’s second World’s Fair, Ernest struggles to help his ailing wife reconcile who she once was with who she wanted to be, while trying to keep family secrets hidden from their grown-up daughters.
Against a rich backdrop of post-Victorian vice, suffrage, and celebration, Love and Other Consolations is an enchanting tale about innocence and devotion—in a world where everything, and everyone, is for sale.
Looking for more books?
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
This weeks’ outfit inspiration was of course Valentine’s Day. Red is a rich vibrant color that looks beautiful on most everyone, here I have paired a red sweater with jeans, a white blouse, red slingback sandals and a black bag. I added some pearl earrings and a small scarf that you can tie on your bag or wear around your neck.
If you want something a little dressier add a skirt! The bag is smaller and less expensive than the one above but everything else is the same.
Outfit Details
UNTIL TOMORROW
I hope you enjoyed the recipes, links and books I discovered this week on Friday Favorites. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for Weekend Meanderings with Kim and Juliet!
I hope that you have a wonderful day, and a safe weekend, thank you for spending part of it with me.
Before you go, tell me one of your favorite Valentine’s Day memories.
Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. And last but not least, if you like Pinecones & Acorns share it with a friend!
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On My Radar~ Valentine’s Day & Spring
I was hoping to see the sea salt brownies but could not find the recipe. Would love to have it.
Debra, so sorry. Here is the recipe. I also emailed it to you. Have a lovely weekend.
https://pineconesandacorns.com/2022/01/fudgy-caramel-stuffed-brownies-with-sea-salt-recipe/