I can’t believe it's the middle of June already! This spring is flying by. My husband and I got to enjoy another weekend movie date, this time seeing his highly anticipated choice, The Mandalorian and Grogu, since the last time we saw mine. The Devil Wears Prada 2. Reason for my no-spoiler review of the latest Star Wars film.
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| Movie Poster at our local AMC Theater |
Last weekend was full of Memorial Day and birthday fun for me. I got to spend time with my family, eat delicious food at our annual summer kickoff BBQ, and my husband took me to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 on a special date. I am a huge fan of the original The Devil Wears Prada film, and my husband has watched it with me countless times, so it was sweet that he wanted to share in the experience of attending the sequel with me.
Happy Monday dear readers! I can't believe we're only one week away from Memorial Day, the unofficial kick off to summer. With kids getting out of school soon, and travel season underway, I thought it would be fun to team up with this fabulous group of bloggers to give you an opportunity to win some fun money.
I’m finding it difficult to believe we’re almost to the end of April. The spring is flying by so fast, I didn’t have an opportunity to share Friday Faves in March, so I’m making sure I get this one shared for April. Some of my faves are so good, you may even consider them for last-minute Mother’s Day gift ideas if you’re still shopping.
Happy Friday, readers. It’s been a few weeks since I reviewed a book and hosted a giveaway, so I’m happy to say, I’m fixing that today with a wonderful new garden book from Stephanie Hafferty, award-winning homesteader and no-dig garden expert, called The Productive Garden.
Happy April, dear readers. I’m back from my no-blogging spring break, and I must say, the break did me a world of good. I’m back with creative ideas flowing. Today’s post is one of those fateful things. My daughter gave me a gift, which happened to be part of a Gen Z trend of analog hobbies, and I thought, I’ve been enjoying several analog hobbies forever, I should share them on the blog! I’ll start with five hobbies today.
I'm still in movie love mode after the 98th Academy Awards last night. Did you watch it? I loved the romantic gowns and dapper men with their sparkling lapel pins. Jessie Buckley's acceptance speech for Best Actress in Hamnet made me misty-eyed, and Barbra Streisand's tribute to Robert Redford was truly touching. I was equally touched while screening He Calls Me Daughter for today’s post. Below are my thoughts and a giveaway.
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| Courtesy: Fathom Entertainment |
I’m pleased to share my first film review of 2026 with you today. What I assumed would be a sad, hard-to-watch film brought me more smiles than tears. The Optimist covers heavy topics, including Holocaust remembrance, mental health awareness, infidelity, suicide, love, loss, grief, and yet, after watching this film, I find it to be perfectly named. Please consider these trigger warnings before reading my no spoiler review or seeing this film.
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| Courtesy: Trafalgar Releasing |
For a short month, February sure has felt long this year. I think it’s because of all the harsh winter weather we’ve had to endure. I felt like we all could use some cheering up and hosting a giveaway is a great way to do that! I’ve teamed up with a great group of bloggers for the last Friday in February.
Happy first Friday in February! I’m excited to watch the replay of the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games with my husband tonight, so dinner has to be quick and easy. I’m sharing a dinner that fits busy nights, a set of lovely books for the American Horticultural Society and a few bedroom closet organization essentials in this edition of Friday Faves.
Since National Puzzle Day is next Thursday, the 29th, I thought I’d share this fun, offline snow day idea since so many states in the US are under a winter storm warning for this weekend. Now’s the time to find your puzzle stash and clear off a table before the winter weather arrives.
Happy Friday, dear readers. I’m excited to combine two fun and popular topics in today’s post. Friday's Faves and a look back on the top ten blog posts here on the blog for 2025. I’m thrilled to see that my film coverage had the most interaction and views, with four film posts making the top ten. Next was food and drink, with three posts, and a three-way tie with one each for books, home and garden, and Nashville.
Happy Friday, friends, and welcome to my January reset edition of Friday faves. We’re nine days into the new year, and I’ve spent the majority of those days offline resetting our home. Once the Christmas decorations are down and stored away for the year, I get busy. I enjoy cleaning, organizing, and adding decor to freshen up our home. Here’s what I’ve been enjoying so far this year.
It’s the last Monday of the year, which is really hard to believe, and this is my last film review for 2025. This is my fourth year as a Music City Film Critics Association member, and it's still an honor to be a member, share twelve or more film reviews here on the blog, and submit my Oscar nominations ballot. That’s up next after my final review is done. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on The Fantastic Four First Steps.
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| Courtesy: Walt Disney Studios |
Things are really heating up for the upcoming awards season with “for your consideration” films arriving in my inbox, streaming queue, and mailbox, and I love it! I don’t take any of this for granted. It truly is my honor to be part of this industry. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on After The Hunt, a psychological thriller set in a U.S. prestigious university.
Happy Friday, dear readers. I can’t believe we’re just six days away from Christmas and two days away from the official start of winter! I know in some parts of the country, the ground is covered in snow, so you are already in the thick of winter weather. We’ll be having a green and bright Christmas here in middle Tennessee, which is in line with one of my Friday Faves.
It’s been a while since I hosted a giveaway, so in the spirit of December giving. delighted to share today’s book review and giveaway for five copies of Akiko’s Quiet Happiness by Jan-Philipp Sendker. You may know him from his trilogy, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, which I’d love to read now after experiencing Jan’s gifted writing in Akiko’s Quiet Happiness, The Japan Trilogy, Vol. 1.
Last week, I shared how much my husband and I enjoyed streaming Superman for our date night, and today, I’m sharing another film we enjoyed watching, F1 The Movie. If you like action and/or sports movies with a great plot, this one may be for you.
Over the long holiday week, my husband and I had a chance to catch up on some movies we’d been wanting to see. We both enjoy watching films, and while we still prefer experiencing them in theaters, we can’t make every screening, so being able to screen new titles at home is a huge plus and makes for a fun date night. Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on Superman.
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| Courtesy:Warner Bros. Media |
It’s that magical time of year when I share some gift ideas with my holiday gift guides. Today, I’m sharing four products that have previously appeared in gift guides on this blog. I’m excited to share them for the holidays because I really do use and enjoy each one.
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