Jo Jo Moyes, Me Before You, A Mug Life, a spring outfit and more on Monday Musings.
Monday Musings
Good morning to you friends, how was your Easter? I hope that it was everything that you hoped it would be. What did you do? Host family and friends? Go out to dinner? Or just stay home and relax?
On a sad note, I woke up this morning to learn that Pope Francis had passed away just 12 hours after he gave an Easter blessing in Rome.
Our weekend started Friday with Good Friday mass, then a few hours with family and friends at the pool. With so many people in town visiting family we met so many new and interesting people from Spain, France, and several states.
Saturday we went to an Easter egg hunt and then came home to bake and get a head start on Easter lunch. I baked Bear Claws and Bear Paws until 9:00 pm for Easter breakfast. If you don’t know what a bear claw pastry is, but you love almond croissants then this is the pastry for you. They are not hard to make but there are a few steps and then a 4 hour wait time.
Anyway, the pastries are scrumptious. They are actually my favorite almond pastry.
Sunday we went to mass, and it was beautiful. The church was filled with cute families and adorable children in their Easter outfits. There are a lot of older people at our church that were beaming from ear to ear and introducing their grandchildren who were here for a visit, it was heartwarming.
Then we had breakfast and after that went to my sisters for dinner. This year because our house is chaoitic we decided to have an unconventional Easter dinner at my sisters’ house. Each family(there are 3) brought their favorite pasta and we had various sides, salads and desserts too.
I made bolognese, my husband made a lemon roasted caper linguini, my sister made pesto pasta and my sister in law made chick pea pasta with asparagus and peas. We also had vegan meatballs made with walnuts, shrimp, salad and garlic bread.
For dessert we had lemon loaf, white cake with my favorite chocolate frosting and coconut cream pie. Everything was delicious but we all made way too much so we have lots of leftovers for this week.
Ok, enough about me, on to 5+things.
I read Me Before You years ago but came across it again while cleaning. I reread it this past week and loved it.
They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .
Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.
Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.
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.
2. Watched~A Mug of Life
There are not too many A Mug of Life videos, and it’s a shame because they are so interesting. It is tru what they say, “everyone has a story.”
3. LINKS: READ+WATCH+LISTEN
“I’ll Have What She’s Having”: 14 Iconic Food Moments in Movies
Americans Are Obsessed With Protein and It’s Driving Nutrition Experts Nuts
In 1982, Gophers Were Dropped Onto Mount St Helens And Amazing Things Happened To The Ecosystem
Win a trip to Paris with Le Creuset.
EUROPE’S MOST IMPRESSIVE MEDIEVAL CITIES THAT TURN HISTORY BUFFS INTO TRAVEL ADDICTS
When is the best time to book a flight?
Go inside the factory where Peeps are made.
A perfect 24 hours eating in Paris
What wine should you pair with Easter candy?
The 5 Best nuts to eat for weight loss.
4. SHOPPING BREAK~OUTFIT OF THE DAY
J. Crew is having a sale this week and one of my favorite dresses is on sale, this blue linen dress can be worn around the house, at the pool, to date night and wherever else life takes you.
I paired the dress with yellow and white bag, slide sandals and jewelry. An easy outfit to put together using things you already own.
Click the photos to see the pieces.
You can see all of my outfits on LTK! Follow me for more inspiration.
5. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT THIS WEEKEND
Saturday I joined Kim for Weekend Meanderings, I shared The Roses, Rosedale Farm, Steven Cordony, Robert Doisneau and more on Weekend Meanderings.
THAT’S ALL FOR NOW
Have a great day friends, thank you for spending part of your day with me I hope that you enjoyed Monday Musings.
You can also keep up with me 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
Hi Elizabeth,
My heart was saddened to hear that Pope Francis passed away. He was such a wonderful Pope/person.
Wow, you even make Bear Claws and Bear Paws. I bet they turned out perfectly. My papa used to buy them from the bakery for a treat. They were always one of my favorites as a child. Your husbands lemon roasted caper linguine sounds good. It’s nice you had left overs to enjoy this week. It’s extra wonderful that you have family so close by.
I made us a vegetarian dinner. We are very easy to please at dinner time. Our main meals are breakfast and lunch.
Our family is very small, on my side in LA, my husband’s side are in Canada, Spain, Scotland, England. We have no family in AZ. It’s nice you come from a large family.
Have a lovely day.
Katherine,
I LOVE LOVE bear claws, and so does my sister. I do not make them often but I wanted to make them for my sister this easter. They were delicious!
They are my absolute favorite from childhood.
My husband lemon caper linguini was scrumptious.
I was a vegetarian for 25 + years but had some health issues so went back to eating some meat and chicken
I am from a large family, my mother has 9 brothers and sisters. I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. My husband only has a sister and no cousins. His family is very small.
I hope that you had a wonderful, but small easter and a beautiful week.
Wow Elizabeth, your mother comes from a HUGE family. How wonderful is that. You must have many cousins and nieces and nephews? How about on your father’s side?
Your husband mirrors my family, I have one sister that lives in San Diego. However the sad piece is the relationship is fractured. I have one cousin that lives in Spokane, WA. I have not seen her in years.
Family ties and togetherness is so important. I admire yours. That is always something that I wanted was a real close loving family that all get along inspire of someone’s frailties.
Happy Easter Elizabeth. Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Watching the news, I keep thinking how lucky the babies are that were blessed on Easter Sunday by Pope Francis.
Thank you Rita, we had a wonderful day.
I could not agree more. How wonderful that all of the babies were blesses by the pope. And thankfully he did not suffer when he passed.