Cold Hold: You Scream, I Scream, We All Scheme for Ice Cream

Time for another bite-sized book review!

It's a rocky road to whodunit in Lee Hollis's Death of an Ice Scream Scooper.  On an innocent mission to score some Sea Salt Caramel, Bar Harbor food columnist-turned-restauranteur Hayley Powell discovers the body of a coed in an ice cream truck.  What follows is a trail of twists and turns as unexpected as Bar Harbor Ice Cream's Blueberry Basil Sorbet and Thai Chili Coconut.  So, one scoop (or two or three) at a time, Hayley moves in on the cold-hearted killer. 

And with that, this reviewer's verdict is in: detecting has never been so delicious! 🍨🍧🍦

Sweet Feet: Madden Girl Madness

All Madden Girl from Kohls, except for the blue pair, which is from Macy's.

It's been a minute since I posted about shoes.  So when I snagged these bottle green patent slingbacks, it seemed like the perfect time to revive that tradition.  Because there are few things I enjoy more than collecting stuff and then photographing it.  That said, here are my top five favorite pairs of Madden Girl kicks, so grouped because they remind me of candy.

Clearly, the countdown back to carbs has begun.

Hop Happy: A New Breed of Bunny

Sixty-year-old, free-spirited Billie Slate has never held a nine-to-five job.  So when she and her bestie birth the brainchild of the Heartbreak Bunny one drunken night, it's the latest in a long line of unorthodox stints.  And so begins the irresistible romcom that is Maddie Dawson's Snap Out of It.  

Billie dons a bunny suit and helps the lovelorn move on -- or, as she so succinctly puts it, "snap out of it" -- by strong-arming them into tossing the pictures, love letters, and, yes, condom wrappers, that remind them of their exes.  It's a successful enterprise that snowballs after Billie casts a spell -- she also dabbles in magic -- on the son of a local anchorman to release him from the hold of his ex-fiancé.  The anchorman puts Billie on TV, fame and fortune follow, and she hops happily ever after down the bunny trail of the American Dream.

Well, not quite.

You see, Billie's daughter Louise, the popular influencer behind love story brand Lulu & Leo, is suddenly minus Leo.  What's more, Billie's ex-husband Victor, who left her thirty-five years ago, has resurfaced.  So Billie muddles through family drama while staunchly and hilariously defending her nose-twitching position that romance ruins lives.  Even as she finds herself charmed by a certain irritatingly optimistic anchorman.       

It's a crazy quilt of a story that shouldn't work but somehow does.  Because Billie is very relatable, a woman of humor and principles endlessly challenged by life.  Three marriages and a lifetime of living in a house with revolving boarders have made her tough but still always human.  This, combined with the push and pull of her relationship with Louise adds to her appeal, showcasing her in all her flawed authenticity.

In other words, this bunny knows best, even when she's starting over.

Never underestimate the wisdom of rodents. 🐰  

FM Gem: Heeeey, Baby. There ain't No Easy Way Out.

Jeans: Sonoma, Kohl's

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Modcloth

Shoes: A New Day, Target; Socks: Style & Co., Macy's

Headband: INC, Macy's

Night Sky Necklace

Sweater: On 34th, Macy's

Jacket: Worthington, JCPenney

Top: My Michelle, Kohl's

Bag: Nine West, Kohl's; Shoes: Chinese Laundry, Zulily

Fifi Phoenix Necklace

Top: Nicole Miller New York, Marshalls

Flowers at my parents' house.

Skirt: Candie's, Kohl's

Boots: Wild Fable, Target

Bag: INC, Macy's

Hair clip and dickey: SHEIN

Primary Princess Necklace

Dress: Macy's

Bag: Dolls Kill

Bright Brown Bird Necklace

Hair clip: So, Kohl's

Top: Nine West, Kohl's

Truer words were never spoken, Tom Petty.  That's what I was thinking yesterday as I sang along with the radio on the way to my 32-week appointment.  Because if there's one thing you need when faced with the prospect of pushing a watermelon through a peephole, then it's a sense of humor.

Not that baby girl is a melon.  She's only 3 lbs., 5 oz. and will probably be a small but healthy 6 lbs. at birth.  And this mama, for one, is grateful.

I'm also grateful for my recent crop of necklaces and the outfits they inspired.  I'm still getting away with regular tops and dresses teamed with maternity leggings or jeans.  The last pair of jeans is actually a pair of jeggings, and an uncomfortable one at that.  But I just wore them for this pic and a short Zoom call.  For actual outings I rely on big bootcuts.  Like in the pic with the leopard coat, where I'm at the hospital for a prenatal class.  

Those classes, by the way, are no joke.  Consider this excerpt from the workbook:

"While Esmerelda is open to whatever happens, she is hoping for an unmedicated labor and birth.  She plans to give birth with the support of family, friends, and 2 doulas."

Clearly, Esmerelda and I are different people.  

Which is my way of saying, bring on the epidural.    

Big City to Bigger Sky: A Heaping Slice of Humble Pie

Instagram is fun, but I don't think I'd enjoy it if it were my job.  Especially if I had to promote products I didn't believe in.  But that's the reality -- or perhaps I should say unreality -- for influencer Cat-never-Catherine-Cranwell in Melissa Ferguson's Famous for a Living.  And it ends up being a scandal with just such a bogus brand that ejects her from The Montana, her posh Manhattan apartment, to a tiny cabin in Montana the state.  Cat's beloved park ranger uncle has offered her a post as a social media maven.  All she has to do is raise the profile of an unpopular national park amid snakes, grizzlies, and a cast of kooky coworkers while riding out her notoriety.  And the toughest nut to crack proves to be brooding and brutally handsome Zaiah, a man who abhors social media.

You see where this is going, right?

I always enjoy a fish out of water story, especially when the fish in question is as un-outdoorsy as I am.  That's something I can relate to, even if I can't identify with said fish's willingness to wax poetic about itchy jumpsuits.  Also, I like that Cat learns and grows while holding on to what makes her her.  My only note is that I wish there was more about her and Zaiah.  Then again, maybe this is meant to be an albeit-light-hearted, I-am-woman-hear-me-roar-in-the-woods monologue as opposed to a romcom duet.

And now to post this (honest and unbiased) review on -- where else? -- Instagram. 😏

Growing Gains: Keeping it (Mostly) Casual

Jacket and top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Jeans: Sonoma, Kohl's

Daffodil fill from the husband.

Necklace: Mixit, JCPenney

Wreath: Michaels

Bag: INC, Macy's; Jeans: Sonoma, Kohl's; Shoes: Wanted, Modcloth

Sweater: Alfani (for men!): Macy's

Dress: City Studio, Macy's; Bag: Delia's, Dolls Kill

Wreath: Michaels

Barrettes: SHEIN; Necklaces: Charming Charlie, Francesca's

As baby girl grows, denim continues to dominate.  Except for when all my jeans are dirty and I turn to leggings and a dress, denim's opposite.  Another recurring wardrobe character?  My yellow Wanted flats, as seen in the first two outfits.  Mounting maternity responsibilities mean dressing for more outings.  I wore the first fit to run errands, the second to attend a labor basics class, and the third to LabCorp.  This week I'll be at it again with a baby basics class (where, fingers crossed, I'll finally learn how to change a diaper!) and a detailed growth scan of the baby.  I hope that she's the Goldilocks of little girls, not too big but not too small.  So far she's been on the small side.  Which is good for delivery.  But worrisome when it comes to potentially ending up in the NICU.  

Which I hope doesn't happen for normal health reasons -- but also so she can wear all her outfits. 🎀👶

B is for Books About Bunnies and Babies

Also, Becky Bloomwood.  But we'll work our way up to that.  First things first.  As you know, I can't let a holiday pass without reading a coordinating cozy homicide.  So this Easter hat trick of three novellas including Leslie Meier's Easter Basket Murder, Lee Hollis's Death by Easter Egg, and Barbara Ross's Hopped Along was just what the Easter bunny ordered.  Each story delivered on the irresistible cocktail of cute and creepy, although I enjoyed Death by Easter Egg the most.  There's something about the combination of candy and crime that's especially decadent.    

Kind of like childbirth and chuckles, which isn't decadent, but rather soothing.  Now that I'm in the last leg of my pregnancy (30 weeks!), I felt the urge to reread Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic and Baby.  As the big day draws near, I knew that reliving Becky's hijinks would be especially entertaining and comforting.  And it was.  What I didn't expect was for it to make me cry.  (Then again, these days, there isn't much that doesn't switch on the waterworks.)  Because along with all the fiascos and fun is the heart that beats so beautifully in each of Kinsella's books.  As Becky persevered through her struggles, I knew that I could conquer mine too, and that in the end it will all be worth it because my baby girl is meant to be.

It's no wonder that this book was the first thing I slipped into my go bag.  

Immediately followed, of course, by a brand-new tube of Cherries in the Snow lipstick.      

Holiday Headliner: Sunshine Straw Hat of an Easter

 

Décor: Michaels

Postcard from a realtor

Mom's egg tree

Peeps lip balm, CVS

Feather arrangement: Michaels; Eggs: Marshalls

Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Mom's centerpiece

Bunnies: Target

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Fascinator: Amazon

Placemat (Mom's kitchen): Kohl's

Necklace : Ella & Elly, Zulily

Mom's kitchen window

Last Easter's chocolate bunny

As you know, Easter is my favorite holiday.  I love the flowers, the food, and the way the world finally wakes up from winter.  And even though I couldn't enjoy the traditional fare of ravioli (I'm Italian 🍝), ham, cheesecake, and chocolate, I went all in on festive fashion by splashing out on a new fascinator.  This one is a departure from my usual tulle-topped, I'm-off-to-the-Kentucky-Derby numbers.  The upturned straw, lace, and huge rose give it a Victorian-meets-'90s-meets-cottagecore feel, which, having sported more than a few Blossom-style chapeaux as a preteen, I loved.  What's more, its bright yellow makes me happy.

That said, I did eat a delicious dinner prepared by my mom, full of beef, veggies, and -- this was a real treat -- cheesy mashed potatoes.  Best of all, the starch didn't affect my glucose.  I'll take my wins where I can get them!

On that note, if you celebrate, then I hope you had a winning Easter too.  And if not, then a winning Sunday.  Because it's nice to know that a smile is just a family meal -- or accessory -- away.   

Clearly, impending motherhood is infiltrating my snark with sap. 😏