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Monday Musings

We just got back from a wedding up in Healdsburg, California and are packing for a quick trip to Austin, Texas. Iā€™ve been to Healdsburg before but wow, Iā€™d forgotten how much I love it. Nestled in a beautiful wine-growing region, full of yummy eateries, cha-cha shops and entertainment…it simply oozes charm. And the boutiques! Donā€™t get me started!

Iā€™ve been inspired by many things this week and here are a few of my favorites.

MacKensie Childs Vourtly Readers on A Well Styled

Fun Readers

One of my dearest friends at the wedding was wearing these adorable readers. I tried her’s on last summer at her barbeque and adored them! Theyā€™re in MacKensie-Childā€™s Courtly Check. I have to say this chain to hang them on is pretty amazing too, but just one touch of the check may be enough for me at one time. The case is pretty fun too.

Little Fires everywhere book on A Well Styled Life

This Book

I picked this book up last summer, got hooked, then laid it down when we got on the road to drive home. I forgot all about it until last weekend when I tossed it in my bag for our trip. I canā€™t believe I put it down because itā€™s a lightning-fast read and so fun!

Tarte lipstick on A Well Styled Life

 

Nude Lipstick

I’ve long admired a perfect nude lipstick on other women but have never found one for me. I spent hours swiping samples all over the back of my hands last week and discovered this Salt Lyle by Tarte. One of the easiest ways to find a flattering nude lipstick is to pull out your bottom lip and match it to the skin on the inside of your lip. From there, you can go lighter or darker to get the look you like. I’ve found the wrong shade can either wash you out or make you look like a corpse, so testing is smart.

Pumpkin Loaf

It’s officially pumpkin everything season! My favorite time of year. Besides the lattes, I’ve been on the hunt for a yummy, gluten-free pumpkin loaf recipe that’s not too sweet. They’re all over the web, so I’ve bought multiple BPA free cans of organic pureed pumpkin and will be experimenting.

Did you know to avoid cans containing BPA? BPA is said to mimic the structure and function of the hormone estrogen and its use has been restricted in many countries. It’s used to make epoxy resins, which are spread on the inner lining of many food cans to keep the metal from corroding and breaking. Yuck!

What are you inspired by this week?

14 Comments

  1. Christine says:

    I always look for BPA in plastics, but didn’t know it’s also in cans. Thank you!

  2. You may also like Everything I Never Told You also by Celeste Ng. I thoroughly enjoyed both reads.

  3. Better than testing lipstick on the back of your hand, try your fingertips or the pad of your thumb instead. They are much closer to the colour of your lips and will give you a truer result.

  4. Yes, please MORE DETAILS on Healdsburg: restaurants, shops, activities. Thanks.

  5. Can you recommend a hotel/motel? Iā€™ll add a stopover in Healdsburg on our next trip south. I love a cute town with great places to eat and little boutiques to poke around, on top of all the wine tasting. The things a girlā€™s got to do…?
    I hope the smoke from the fires are not reaching you.

  6. You have made my day knowing about a gluten free pumpkin loaf. This is my eleventh year without gluten and it does not get any easier – for me anyhow. Here is a great gf tip: when making gf brownies from the box, substitute an equal amount of purĆ©e pumpkin for all the oil or butter. Yummy, good for you, and no one knows. It Thanksgiving Day here in Canada. You and your blog are special blessings for me. Looking forward to the recipe.

  7. Can you give us your gf recipe? I need oni will be curious how your trip to Austin goes!

  8. I have those readers, too! Get soo many compliments on them. They’re just so different! Glad you had an enjoyable trip! I enjoy reading ALL your musings…

  9. We’re headed to Sonoma at the end of the month. Healdsburg was already on my list. Now it’s underlined in red pen. Thanks for the reenforcing comments!!!

    Loved the book by Ng, too.

  10. Alice Read says:

    I love the Mackenzie Child look! I live only an hour from the Mackenzie Child Barn in Aurora, NY. Itā€™s a great place to visit. You can see her homestead, beautiful gardens, watch the artisans painting pieces, and of course shop in the showroom! I think you would love visiting the Finger Lakes region in upstate NY. Itā€™s fabulous for charming shops and many wineries nestled in the rolling hills above the lakes.

  11. This East Coast girl (me) also fell in love with Healdsburg, eateries, wineries nearby and shopping. Been there twice, now thinking of heading back there. Thanks Jennifer! A charming place!
    That book by Ng is one of my last years favorites too. A friend who reads and reads and reads loaned it, and like you…this tine…could not put it down.
    Now I can’t get a trip West out if my radar……it’s lovely weather here right now, cool and low humidity, sun and a bit of rain here and there. So, it’s my favorite season here in the East, the trip may wait til end of winter…March? Is that a good time to visit Northern California, Healdsburg area?
    .

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