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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Trailer

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...