Friday Favorites

October 7, 2022

Hello and happy Friday. I am back this week with a few of my favorite things. These are things I am really loving or have enjoyed this past week. So here we go:

First up is this amazing lip gloss, lip ink whatever you want to call it. The official name is Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink. Now you may not be crazy about something with vinyl and ink in the name, especially when it goes on your lips, but it is great. An influencer I saw on TikTok recommended it and she said it lasted all day. Yeah, right, I’ve heard that before. Friends it does last all day!! I ordered mine from Amazon because to be honest I just haven’t had a lot of time to shop lately and I really wanted to try this. I got it in two colors. I got a berry color called Coy and a brownish color called Lippy. So far my favorite is the berry color. Once you put it on you let it dry for a minute and then it stays on. If I feel it getting a little dried out during the day I just dab on some lip gloss or even chap stick and it shines it right up. Love it.

The next thing is this facial scrub. I ask my niece if she had one that she liked and she told me about this one. Amazon again. You can use this two or three times a week and it makes your face feel so fresh and clean. It gets rid of all of the dull skin cells and leaves your face glowing.

Before I went on my trip last week to San Antonio I realized I needed a new small crossbody bag to carry when I didn’t want to carry my big purse. I found this one and then ordered an extra strap to go with it. That way you can get a different look without changing out the entire bag. This bag is fairly small but plenty big enough for a wallet, your phone, a small brush or comb or compact or whatever.

This is the purse I ordered, top picture, and the strap below. The strap that is shown with it at the top was included and I really like it too.

I have been using dry shampoo for a few years. To be honest I think it may be drying my hair a little. DUH!!! You think? I try not to wash my hair too often but the dry shampoo is having an effect on it. I’ve tried several different ones. I started trying this texturizing spray instead. You don’t have to use very much and it sort of plumps your hair up and makes it easier to hold. So far I am loving this brand. I got it at Walmart and it smells fabulous.

I got these earrings when I was in Texas and I can’t wait to wear them.

I thought I would also share some books with you. This first book, The Perfect Marriage by Geneva Rose kept me on the edge of my seat. It starts with a murder and ends with a little twist that you won’t be expecting. I give it a 4 out of 5 and only a 4 because it had a couple of things that just wouldn’t happen realistically.

I loved People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry. Two very different friends through the course of many years travel together on a trip every year. They go through a lot of things together but they are very different. I give this a 5 out of 5.

Starfish was a short, heartbreaking book about a young teenage girl who is overweight and struggles to be accepted not just by her peers but by her own family. I could really identify with this, not the family part but definitely peers, I have struggled with weight all my life and it started at a very early age. I give this a 4 out of 5. Definitely worth the read.

And pumpkins!!!! I love them I love the different shapes and colors and making pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread. I just love them that is all.

But the main “favorite” this week is my sweet family and being back with them after a week of being gone. I know a week isn’t that long but I am sort of a homebody and I like being home. Being back with my husband and kitties every night is where I am most happy.

What were some of your favorites this week?

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!

A Week In San Antonio Texas

I spent last week in San Antonio Texas. I had to be in Texas for a work trip. Our National Caves Association was meeting with the International Show Caves Association for the first time that I can ever remember. It was a big deal. This is a chance for show caves to come together and visit different caves and learn things about each cave that might be helpful for their own caves. So last week we met in San Antonio, home of The Natural Bridge Caverns in Texas, to visit and share ideas with each other.

Me and a couple of my co workers left on Sunday morning. We flew through Atlanta and arrived in San Antonio about 2:30 PM. We rented a car and headed to the hotel. The hotel was only about eight miles from the airport but we always like to have a car in case we want to see other things not on our meeting agenda.

We stayed at The Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio Let me just say this is a beautiful hotel. Every single person I encountered at this hotel was super nice and friendly. We were able to walk outside the back of the hotel and be directly on the Riverwalk. Each room had a small balcony. I was on the fourteenth floor so I had quite a view of the city. Especially at night. When we arrived at the hotel we checked into our rooms and took a short walk on the Riverwalk. We had a welcoming dinner that night and we wanted to get back to freshen up for that.

It was so nice catching up with people we had not seen in a few years. We hadn’t attended since 1999 because of Covid and some work issues last year. We had not seen some of our friends for a long time. This is a wonderful group of people and it is always nice getting together with them. I even got to see my sweet friend Kay who follows my blog, we have become such good friends even though we don’t see each other often.

My sweet friend Ann, She is from Pennsylvania. I don’t get to see her often but when I do it is like we were never apart.

Monday morning we started early with a buffet breakfast and a warm welcome from the Mayor of San Antonio, Ron Nuremberg, and our hosts from Natural Bridge Caverns the Wuest Family.

We had a light lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon watching around the world cave videos from around the world. there were 47 caves represented and It was amazing.
On Monday night we had a special dinner at The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum in downtown San Antonio. Great food and drinks were plentiful and just what everyone needed after a long day of sitting and listening. Check out the museum and saloon here

On Tuesday we visited the Natural Bridge Caverns and spent most of the day touring the cave. I added a lot of pictures to my Wordless Wednesday post last night and you can check it out here: Cave Photos

The hidden wonders Tour was the second tour we did that day at the caverns. It is not open commercially yet but we got a sneak peek and it is truly a wonder!!!!
This was one of my favorite formations in the cave. It’s beautiful.
The grounds at the cave were beautiful with several gift shops and places to get something to eat. There was also a climbing tower but I was too chicken to do that.

We were even treated to a horse show by The Diaz Family. It was great!!! Such talent and beauty.

On Wednesday afternoon we took a boat ride down the Riverwalk. It was hot the temps were mid 90’s F but there was a wonderful breeze and it was just beautiful.

You know how I love church steeples. This one is amazing!!!!

After we finished the boat ride we took a tour of The Alamo. There is so much history here. Even though it is a fairly small structure, compared to what I had in mind from the movies, it is steeped in history. The names listed below are not all of the names on display. I picked some pictures of those because they were from Tennessee.

After our tour of the Alamo we were on our own for the rest of the evening. We split into smaller groups and headed out for drinks and dinner and a little shopping.

Some of my favorite cave friends, Kara and Ann.

On Thursday we had meetings and individual group sessions and then we had Western night. We put on our boots and cowboy hats and walked to the Briscoe Western Art Museum and had a tour and dinner. I didn’t stay out too late because we had an early flight.

A wonderful time and such a learning experience. The week seemed to fly by like it always does. Friday morning came early and we left for the airport at 3:30 AM. We had a very early flight. It was so good to get back home to hubs and the kitties. And to be able to sleep in my own bed.

I loved San Antonio. I had never been in this part of Texas before. I will go back.

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!

Weekend Happenings, Making a Halloween Wreath

Mums and pumpkins and wood smoke and red and gold leaves. I love fall!!! I just want to grab it and pull it close and savor it. I think that is what I will do. I have so many things I want to do to enjoy fall but it seems like it goes by so fast.

Happy October friends how was your weekend? I got back into town on Friday afternoon. I spent the last week in San Antonio Texas for a Caves Association meeting. I left out last Sunday and was gone until Friday so a long time to be away from home. For me it is anyway. Coming home to the nice cool weather and the changing leaves was so nice. Of course having my kitties snuggling on my lap to sleep was just the best. I think they missed me.

Our flight on Friday morning left at 4:45 AM and we had a rental car to return. So we were out and about super early. I think I got about three hours of sleep. I packed everything on Thursday night so I would be that much ahead on Friday morning.

Our flights were very uneventful. I think those are the best kind. I wasn’t sure if we would have delays because of the hurricane. But we didn’t and we were back in Knoxville by 12:30 PM. I headed straight home for a nap. Ahh sleeping in my own bed was just heaven.

Saturday I had a grocery pick up and I went to see my MIL at the nursing center. She is doing really well. I am so proud of her. If she keeps doing as well we are hoping she will be able to return soon to the assisted living village where she had been. My friend Kathy and I also ran back to Athens to their Dollar Tree and picked up some more things for my wreath. We stopped off and ate Chinese food on the way home.

On Sunday I couldn’t do anything but sleep. I had a lot of things I wanted to do but every time I sat down I found myself nodding off. Just the busy busy busy of the previous week catching up with me I guess. I watched two movies that I thought were good. The first one with Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer. This movie was made in 2014 when Shirley was only a young girl of 80. I think she is amazing. The movie was a little slow but very sweet. The second movie was SO GOOD!!!!! it was Last Seen Alive. It is streaming on Netflix. It was so intense and starred the hunky, ever so easy on the eye, Gerard Butler. I think I could watch him in anything and love it.

I wanted to work on a Halloween wreath and I finally did get to it later on Sunday. I think it turned out pretty well. I got all of this stuff at the Dollar Tree, which is now Dollar and twenty five cents tree. Ha!!

I used the shorter rolls of the decorative mesh. I didn’t want my wreath to be so large I couldn’t put a little sign on it. And I think they are easier to work with.
I cut 36 of these because I wanted my wreath to be full along the wire but not bunchy in the middle. I did black, orange and purple but you can use any color combination.
I only used the black pipe cleaners for this wreath. I felt like the black went well with a Halloween theme. But once the mesh is tied you really can’t see the color of the pipe cleaners so I guess it doesn’t really matter.
I used my cutting board and cut the strips into about 22 inch lengths. I then just crumpled them together to form sort of a bow.
I then added the pipe cleaners to attach them to a metal wreath ring. You can also get these at Dollar Tree.
I continued adding the strips of mesh.
I liked the way it turned out. It took me less than two hours to complete including clean-up.

And because I love fall and everything about it here is a cute Fall Bucket List . I got this from Pinterest. I think my wreath will count as “making a fall wreath” and I watched a football game last weekend, and I can conquer drinking a hot chocolate right now. I love all of these!!!! Which ones will you do first?

Join me back here tomorrow for a total recap of my week in San Antonio. It was so amazing!!!!

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!