Friday Favorites~a weekly series where we share our favorite books, decor, fashion finds, recipes, podcasts, articles and more.
FRIDAY FAVORITES NO. 630
Good morning friends! How was your week? We had another busy week with appointments, dinners, and house projects.
The good news is the bed room is painted top to bottom. The bad news is that the carpet we picked is not available for shipping until May 10th and then 2-3 weeks later for installation. Yesterday we picked 2 alternatives and had the same issue. We have one more option that we are waiting to hear about and fingers crossed it won’t be backordered.
Tonight we have dinner with friends. Saturday the carriage races and Sunday we rest.
As always, I have lots to share so let’s get to all of our Friday Favorites!
FOOD
Three cheese lemon basil pizza, pizza dough topped with garlic, shallots, lots of fresh grated parmesan, toasted sesame seeds, thyme, chili flakes, and lots of Italian cheese.Â
Chicken Spaghetti with Burrata Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes, and Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce would be a delicious Sunday dinner or even a non-traditional Easter lunch or dinner.
Spring Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Peas salad with peas, asparagus and fresh herbs. It’s topped with a lemon shallot vinaigrette. I cannot wait to make this salad, lemon vinaigrette is my favorite dressing at the moment.
Almonds seem to be the flavor of the minute on all of the social channels. If you like almonds and amaretto try this scrumptious cheesecake.Â
LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN
The return of Sicily’s ancient ‘white gold’
French People on the Culture Shock of Flossing
Inside a stunning, timeless elegant Cape Cod home
Why Smartfood Popcorn Doesn’t Hit Like It Used To
How an 18th-Century Female Physicist Broke Boundaries and Inspired the Generations Who Followed
8 Ways to Read More Books—And Why You Should
Can you age out of Spring Break?
How to make someone feel seen and heard
BOOKS
The Embroidered Book
‘Power is not something you are given. Power is something you take. When you are a woman, it is a little more difficult, that’s all’
1768. Charlotte, daughter of the Habsburg Empress, arrives in Naples to marry a man she has never met. Her sister Antoine is sent to France, and in the mirrored corridors of Versailles they rename her Marie Antoinette.
The sisters are alone, but they are not powerless. When they were only children, they discovered a book of spells – spells that work, with dark and unpredictable consequences.
In a time of vicious court politics, of discovery and dizzying change, they use the book to take control of their lives.
But every spell requires a sacrifice. And as love between the sisters turns to rivalry, they will send Europe spiralling into revolution.
Brimming with romance, betrayal, and enchantment, The Embroidered Book reimagines a dazzling period of history as you have never seen it before.
Did you read The Midnight Ladies Swimming Club? If not, you should read and if you did you will enjoy this book by the same author.
The Bookshop Ladies
Joy Blackwood has no idea why her French art dealer husband has left a valuable painting to a woman called Robyn Tessier in Ballycove, a small town on the west coast of Ireland, but she is determined to find out.
She arrives in Ballycove to find that Robyn runs a rather chaotic and unprofitable bookshop. She is shy, suffering from unrequited love for dashing Kian, and badly in need of advice on how to make the bookshop successful.
As Joy becomes entangled in the daily dramas of Ballycove, uncovering the secrets behind her husband’s painting grows increasingly challenging. When she finally musters the courage to confront the truth, her revelation sends shockwaves through the tight-knit community she’s grown to love.
Betting on Good
Amid the heralded springtime traditions and fabulous splendor of the Kentucky Derby, two Boston couples—longtime friends—indulge in a once-in-a-lifetime getaway. The weekend feels like a winner.
It’s a milestone-birthday present for the newly—and reluctantly—turned forty Drew Starling. Her husband, Nate, has spared no expense, despite the mounting gambling debts that Drew knows nothing about. He’s certain that with his lucky charm, Drew, by his side, he can reverse his misfortunes at Churchill Downs. Joining them are friends Leslie and Graham, floundering in a twelve-year marriage that desperately needs a change of scenery, a new spark. Graham especially looks forward to being in the Starlings’ charmed orbit this weekend, though he won’t say why.
When the bourbon begins to flow and the horses thunder down the track, secrets and simmering tensions soon spill. As sure as the bugler’s call and the winner’s purse, the stakes of marriage and friendship on this revelatory weekend have never been so high.
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.Â
SHOPPING
OUTFIT OF THE DAY
It is no secret that I love effortless dressing and it doesn’t get any easier than throwing on a dress and adding accessories.
CLICK the IMAGES for Outfit Details
This caftan like dress will keep you comfortable and stylish all day. Wear your favorite sandals, grab your bag, sunglasses, sunscreen and you are ready for a fabulous day out or in.
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 reading Pinecones & Acorns. Your time is valuable and I am grateful that you spend a little of each day with me. You can shop my outfits here and follow along with us on  Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and Pinterest.
Don’t forget that Kim I will be back tomorrow on Weekend Meanderings!
If you have missed a Friday Favorites post you can find them all here.
This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Â
On My Radar
Hi Elizabeth,
I love bunnies, in fact one is on my bed, very vintage looking. In fact I found her on my bedroom carpet floor this morning. I’m going to add her to my clothing net and put her in the gentle cycle, then to air dry. Hope she will be okay. She’s about 25 years young. We also have a bunny butler with a serving of sweets close to entrance door. She had been with us for a good 40 years.
I’m sorry to hear about the carpet that you had your heart on being delayed until May then three weeks for installation. What a disappointment. I hope your backup choice can ship sooner. You have been such a good sport through all this ordeal.
We had a tree fall on our roof when we had our retreat in Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona. It did some damage to our master bathroom. After that experience we had even more Pine trees removed. I don’t like taking down trees but we had no choice.
Your recipe for Spring Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Peas looks good. I’m going to print that out.
Katherine, I love hearing about your 25 year young bunny! I hope she made it through the wash unscathed and is happily ensconced on the bed. Your bunny butler sounds like something I need to offer sweets to my guests.
Incidentally I read recently that the “easter bunny” and most of the bunnies that we see at this time of the year are hares! Bunnies apparently spend most of their life underground not out frolicking with their ears standing straight up. Who knew.
Good news, the alternate carpet arrives in 8 days! I am so excited.
It’s been on year since the tree fell on the house, somedays it doesn’t seem that long and other days with all of the chaos it seems longer.
The Quinoa salad does look delicious. This week I made popped quinoa, pistachio dark chocolate bars and they were fabulous!
Have a wonderful week my friend, I hope that you are enjoying the weekend.