Good morning, friends! It’s that time of year when I start making ambitious plans (lol who am I kidding – there’s no time of year when I’m not trying to do the absolute most). I’ve been in the bighouse in Bellville for nearly a year (can you believe!?) and it’s feeling time for a spring cleaning, gardening to beat back the weeds, and maaaybe even pulling out the spring dresses over winter sweatpants. The sun is out, the pollen count is up, and we’re all feeling just unhinged enough to believe we can grow my own tomatoes, and finally clean out the back of the truck.
To celebrate this season of fresh starts, here’s what’s on the Springtime Bucket List:
- Keep fresh flowers on the table at all times even if it’s just clippings from the magnolia tree.
- Drink more water because it’s iced coffee season so, balance!
- Wake up early and go for a morning walk because the sunrises are sherbet colored!
- Wear something other than leggings or maybe leggings but with a dress over them!
- Start a garden and keep it alive even though the basil plant I just put in the grown is already thinking of wilting on me.
Enjoy the links, enjoy your Sunday, and may we can all find the motivation to at least consider vacuuming the couch. Consider.
• There are two pieces you simply must read this week. The first is an essay on aging and yearning by Stephanie Gangi. Ten Years After (Substack)
• The second is, “How do we want to live the last third of our lives?” On Getting Old by Kim Foster (Substack)
• I am minutes away from making this viral Hillstone Sauvy B Martini from here on out. (Instagram)
• Tell me you got added to your husband’s Costco card and bought an entire sleeve of canned salmon without telling me you got added to your husband’s Costco card and bought an entire sleeve of canned salmon: Salmon Patties. (Simply Recipes)
• I have had several Pyne and Smith Clothiers dresses for years and I LIVE in these fine linens during the summer especially. A uniform? These dresses are IT! This is my favorite right now. (Pyne and Smith Clothiers)
• Have you caught the spring cleaning bug yet? I feel like it’s in the air, though I’m set on spending this weekend getting the garden together with my sister Launa. This Spring Cleaning Calendar breaks down tasks into “instant joys” “easy wins” and projects that require us to “dig in” and, YES – that’s some organized, manageable work. (Apartment Therapy)
• Did you have a little cry listening to Dolly Parton’s song to her husband Carl Dean, If You Hadn’t Been There? (YouTube)
• Friend dates are the best dates: Ten Things To Do On a Date with Your Friends (Substack)
• Very me coded: How To Let Go of a Grudge That’s Been Living Rent Free In Your Head (Self)
• Most times I just need to have a pot of beans holding steady for me in the fridge. Rancho Gordo Pinto Beans are my very very favorite. They’re so incredibly creamy and truly, the best $6.25 I can spend. (Rancho Gordo)
• I hate to say it but this slightly expensive Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask is actually fantastic for a quick brightening of my face and decolatage. The enzymes provide a little tingle and there are little scrubby bits in the mask, too. AND the jar is a generous size and I use the mask sparingly so it’ll last forever. (Amazon)
• I’d like to make a tart for no reason other than to have one resting on the counter on a whim and Classic Lemon Curd Tart (maybe with poppy seeds in the crust?) is just the thing! (Smitten Kitchen)
• I’ve discovered that I’m too old to wear cheap t-shirts and nothing hits like a Boden jersey button-down. (Boden)
• If, at any point in your life, you’ve taken on the show Grey’s Anatomy as your personality (see my early 2000’s self raising my hand), I would highly encourage you to get into the nuts and bolts of this Call Her Daddy episode with Ellen Pompeo. I just love her. Am I going back to watch Gray’s from the beginning? Absolutely, yes I am. (YouTube)
Enjoy this day, friends!
xo Joy
