Books, TV, and Movies

Good morning, dear friends.  Happy day-after-the- Fourth-of-July.  I hope that you enjoyed your holiday.

Yesterday, our dear friends, Annie and Bob invited us to attend their local parade and have lunch at their charming home.

I've written a couple of posts chronicling the charm and beauty of the town of Hingham.  You can read them here and here.

Throw a little red, white and blue into this picturesque town, and it looks like a movie set.

We also ran into a celebrity.

Ought oh...

Either this officer liked the Mister's new shirt or he recognized his face from a Wanted poster. 

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As promised, here is my last post until September covering this Summer's entertainment.

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This book got great reviews.  Unfortunately, I just could not get into it.  It was slow in the beginning and dragged in the middle.   I finally gave up.

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I loved Mary Kubica's past books, Pretty Baby and Don't You Cry, and The Good Girl.  I'm halfway through listening to her latest novel and I am not disappointed.  Btw... The Good Girl ebook is on sale on Amazon for $1.99.

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I received an advanced copy or B.A. Paris' latest novel.  She wrote another one of my favorites, Behind Closed Doors.   It's jam packed with suspense and twists and turns.  I'm about midway through, and it's hard to put down.

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This novel is set in Maine and traces the lives of a family in the aftermath of a tragedy.  The Salt House is next on my reading list.

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Karen Slaughter seldom disappoints when it comes to thrillers.  This is on my audible list.  Scary books make me walk faster.

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I really enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10.
I have high hopes for this one being as good.


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This novel is inspired by a real-life scandal centering around stolen children sold to wealthy families.  The majority of reviews are 5-star.


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An aging, reclusive Hollywood starlet hires a writer to tell her story.  This one sounds like it is right up my alley. 

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Three grandmas decide to ditch their humdrum lives and move to Greece for a year.  
It sounds like The Golden Girls meet My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
Save me a seat.

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One of my readers is an author and sent me a couple of books that she wrote.  The Time Seekers is recommended for children of the fourth grade and up, although adults have enjoyed it as well. It has gotten rave reviews and has been described as pure unadulterated escapism and captivating.  

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Rumor has it that the story is as cute as its cover.  The Fantastic Adventures of Sammy and Mr. Chips has been described as delightful and the perfect read for animal lovers of all ages.  Another great read if you are looking for Summer reading for your child and even you. 

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Odd Mom Out is the only scripted Bravo show that I enjoy.  

Lucky for me, it's coming back this month.

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I don't watch this show, but I know a lot of people will be happy to know that Game of Thrones will be back in July.

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Suits is one of our favorite shows of all time.  The writing is razor sharp, and acting couldn't be better.  The Mister and I are counting the minutes until Harvey and Mike are back in town.

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No doubt about it, Ray Donovan is very entertaining.  If you haven't seen it, Ray is a "fixer" for the wealthy and the entitled in California.  Lots of dirty words, some gore, and a splash of inappropriate scenes are plentiful in this show.  

Don't say I didn't warn you.

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The Mister and I have been binge-watching Billions and really enjoying it.

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One of my sweet readers, Tricia, emailed me to let me know that the latest season of Offspring is finally on Netflix.

I love all the quirky characters in this show.  If you're looking for a cute show to binge watch, I recommend this one.

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Demi just keeps getting younger.

I only hope the movie is as good as the trailer.

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This film looks like a good one with a touching message.

You might need a tissue or two.

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The Mister and I share a love for mob movies. I've seen every film ever made about John Gotti, and it looks like I'm going to see another one.

I hope you all have a wonderful Summer.

See you in September.

In the meantime, 

I'll be checking in on Instagram.

Until next time...

The Friday Files

Hello, dear friends.  As I sit here, I am surrounded by ear-splitting hammering, pounding, and drilling.  We are at the beginning of our Master Bath Renovation.  So forgive me if there are even more typos than usual - I can't even hear myself think.  

Yesterday, was the anniversary of the day that I made the Mister the happiest man in the world.  Twenty-seven years and not a cross word between us.  

Well, maybe a few.  

It's not easy training a husband.

We are going out tonight to celebrate.  Last night, I decided to surprise the Mister and cook dinner.  He always breaks out into a cold sweat when he hears those words.

My man's favorite food in the whole world is pigs in a blanket.  We saw an ad for the frozen kind last week, and the Mister said that he'd heard great things about the Trader Joe's brand.  So, being the devoted wife that I am, I picked some up, read the directions three times, and prepared a meal fit for a king. 

There was one casualty in the kitchen.  The darn oven door got in the way of my arm.  Next time, when I get an overwhelming urge to whip up some magic in the kitchen, I'm going to ignore it.  By the way, it was the best meal I have ever made.

It already looks better than it did!

Grab a tissue.  This will be my last Friday Files until September.  I am taking July and August off from blogging to catch up on some things.  I wish I could tell you that I am going on a fabulous vacation but I'm not.  I will be the Superintendent of our bathroom reno and will be taking care of some personal upkeep such as my annual checkup, mammogram, teeth cleaning, and tattoo removal.  Ok, maybe not the last one. 

I didn't want to tell you earlier about all the fun things I have planned because I knew you would be jealous and I couldn't face all the hate mail.

I have one more post to be published on Books, TV, and Movies because I can't stand the thought of you getting bored without me.

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Both houses that I chose for today can be found in one of my favorite places in the whole world, Newport, Rhode Island.  As with all the houses I share in House Tours,  they are both for sale.  Don't forget to invite me over if you buy one.

How about this little gem?  
Nothing screams understated like this property.

Such a pretty bedroom.

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This beauty can be found on Bellvue Avenue which is the street to live on in Newport.  Many of the mansions that are available to tour are on the same street.

I wonder if those darling green chairs go with the house.

I want this wallpaper!

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Here are 30 recipes for the scrumptious strawberries that are in season now.

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Here you will find some simple steps to put together your own bruschetta bar.

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How gorgeous is this powder room?  

Grapevine Interiors never fails to impress with their Instagram posts.

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Are you having trouble styling your coffee table?

Click here for some simple steps.

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Here is a list of the most pinned home ideas and inspiration.

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Want to know what's in 

and what's out in 
upcoming Fall Design Trends?

Click here.

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Grab a cup of joe or a glass of vino, and sit back, relax, and flip through Nora Murphy's Country House Summer Anniversary Issue.  You won't be sorry.

I spent the better part of an hour breathing in the beauty. 

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Here's an interesting article about the beginning of Book Clubs in the 1700's.

Good news:  it wasn't all about reading then, either. 

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Take a gander at this hysterical article and pictures of a Dad and Daughter Duo who like to dress up and post their pics on Instagram.

If you're having a bad day, you definitely need this.

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If you live in New England, see if you can tune into my new favorite show.  New England Living is on here in Massachusetts at 11:30 AM on Sunday morning.  If you can't find it, you can watch the episodes online. 

Perky Parker Kelley is the host and each week she visits a spectacular home and chats it up with the owner who always has an interesting story about the home. 

Parker then takes her viewers on a tour of the town and usually sits down with the designer or architect of the home. 

Parker then meets with a local chef at the home and they whip up an ambrosial meal for about 10 of the owner's nearest and dearest.

This is one of the spectacular homes that was highlighted in an episode.


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The Mister and I went to see Paris Can Wait last weekend.  I loved it.  It is a character-driven story rather than plot-driven.  The film is basically a long conversation between Diane Lane's character and a charming French chap with the breathtaking scenes of France as the backdrop.  The mouthwatering, artistic presentation of the food was a consistent scene stealer.

It will make you want to book a trip to France asap.


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Last weekend, we had a small dinner party.  I only took one pic of the apps and didn't take any more of the rest of the meal because sometimes I have such a good time at my own party, I forget to reach for my camera.  The dinner was great and the company even better.  

I wanted to show you these hand painted dragonfly plates that I bought about 15 years ago. I love to use them in the Summer.

I found these bunny napkin rings a hundred years ago at a high-end accessory store going-out-of-business sale.  

That's it for now.  
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 
I'll be staying out of the kitchen.  


Until next time...