Happy Thursday and November Southernistas! I must say I loved all the very fashionable Halloween looks/costumes I saw all over social media of fearless plus size fashion babes…they SLAYED Halloween!
Well here we are in November and here in NC the month came in like winter and not fall at all. The temperatures dropped lower than me or Miss Pumpkin were anticipating since I’m used to more mild temps this time of the year. Looking at the news some places have gotten snow, are getting snow, or wondering where the snow is which leads me to what I want to talk about today…outerwear. Coat season seems to be kicking jacket/blazer season out the way and is ready to shine. Outerwear doesn’t have to be boring and can just as stylish and the clothes we wear and I believe just as much thought should go into your outerwear as it goes into your other fashion choices.
A great coat even a puffer coat can make a statement and can really up your fashion game especially as it get colder, and if you’re like me and like to post outfit of the day pics, the coat gets its moment in the spotlight since it is too cold to (for me at least) to take it off and to showcase what I’m wearing that day. Even what you may consider your everyday coat doesn’t have to be boring.
I recently took an inventory of the coats in my closet and discovered I don’t have a single black coat! How this happened I know not but I have plenty of prints, checks, and other colors. I would definitely recommend that every closet should have following: a trench coat, a black coat, denim jacket, moto jacket, and a long line blazer each of these should be the start of your “coat closet” and each one will fit into your winter wear rotation. I realize some of your don’t’ need a coat because you live in a state that only has one season but I disagree a cute little denim jacket or a vest and boom.
My personal rule for buying outerwear is to size up so that you have a more comfortable fit due to bulky sweaters you wear under your outerwear.
So here are a few coats at different price points I am loving right now with links:
Hello book lovers! Well we made to the end of August and for many of y’all it is the first week of school so parents congratulations on surviving the summer with your sanity (hopefully) intact.
Didn’t get a lot of reading done this month so while I may not have read a ton of book I definitely some great books. I have to remind myself that it’s not the quantity but the quality that really matters!
How was your August? Did you make a dent in your TBR list? What are you currently reading now?
This is the first book in Jennifer Chow’s L.A. Night Market series that feature cousins Yale Yee and Celine Yee who are totally different but work great together. I loved this book and the cousin despite the fact that none of the cozy mystery tropes are in this series. There is no cozy companion, no small town, no love interest and yet I loved this book and hope this series has a long life.
This is the third book in Darci Hannah’s Beacon Bakeshop mystery series and it is another winner! It’s August and Lindsey Bakewell is gearing up the annual Beacon Harbor Blueberry Festival but there is a prankster afoot who is creating havoc during the festival. Then Lindsey and her beau Rory Campbell stumble upon the body in a boat with a goat ( I know) and discovers it is Lars Jorgenson and his pet goat Clara. Now Lindsey and Rory along with her friend Kennedy, Betty Vanhoosen, and Lindsey’s parents are trying to discover who’s behind the pranks and who killed Lars?
This is another winner from Darci Hannah. With every book the character development is wonderful and no one is just one note but fully developed from the major characters to the side characters. The red herrings were perfect since I had no idea who the prankster was or the killer was but when the reveal happened I was so surprised and I related to the reason for the pranks and the murder.
If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery that will grab you from page one the Beacon Harbor Bakeshop mysteries are for you! I can’t wait for the fourth book in this series.
This second book in Diane Kelly’s delightful Southern Homebrew mystery series was so good. This series is set in Chattanooga, TN and again I am really hoping this series has a long life.
This was my Facebook Book Club August pick and I was really excited to dig into this book since it would be my first cozy set in Alaska. Charlotte “Charlie” Cooke’s chef Oliver has been murdered and she is one of the suspects at first now she is determined to find out who killed the prickly chef and clear her name. I loved all the characters and how the police “deputized” everyone to help with the case and it made me want to book an Alaskan cruise. But I felt the story was just okay.
I am back in Parasio with Plum Lockhart and I am really enjoying this second book even more that the 1st book which is as it should be. This book is so good I find myself staying up late because I just can’t put this book down!
I am enjoying the growth of Plum in this second book!
Happy, happy August Southernistas! It’s by God’s grace we made it through July and here we are in August! For many parents this is a month of celebration as they get ready to send their offspring back to school. My own offspring will be starting Pharmacy School this month and I am so proud I could absolutely pop! I can’t wait to attend her coat ceremony!
August is not just back to school season but it also marks the waning days of summer….big sigh. In just 50 days 5 hours 53 minutes and 38 seconds (but whos counting) summer will be no more and fall will be here in fact many retailers are starting to introduce pre-fall collections which I am loving but not ready for. I’m starting to see all the fall anticipation memes about pumpkin spice and all things fall and I say BLAH! At the same time I am planning my fall closet refresh because I am nothing if not fashionable.
August is the only month in the year in which we celebrate no major holidays unless you want to count back to school as a major holiday and I’m sure there are parents who treat it as such with that being said that means we can celebrate everyday like it’s a holiday.
Happy Friday book lovers! I usually don’t do independent book reviews because I do a mini review on my Wednesday Reads posts but of the books I’ve read that week. But this second book in Beacon Bakeshop cozy mystery series by Darci Hannah deserves its own review. I was introduced to this author last year and I added her first book Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop to my TBR but I didn’t read it until this month because as I’m sure you all understand the TBR list never shrinks and takes on a life of its own. Once I read the first book which I enjoyed so much (clink on link below for that review) that I immediately ordered the second book in this series.
As I’ve stated before I am not a fan of Christmas in July because I like to celebrated each holiday in its season and I can only do one holiday at time and Christmas is a lot! But I knew I was going to break that rule this year because I just couldn’t wait until Christmas to read Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-off. Darci Hannah is such an amazing author and she doesn’t disappoint in this second book in the series (yes I have book 3). So as soon as I read my book club picks for July I immediately dived into Christmas cookie bake-off.
It’s Christmas in Beacon Harbor, MI and Lindsey Bakewell has visions of sugarplums and the perfect Christmas a la Hallmark dancing in her head. The bakeshop is doing great, her romance with Rory Campbell is going great, she has more staff to help her out, and the holiday orders are rolling in! The only problem is Lindsay has been through 3 baking assistants and when the self proclaimed Christmas expert Felicity Stewart owner of the towns year round Christmas Shoppe springs a Christmas cookie bake-off competition a week before the Christmas festival titled (kid you not) The Great Beacon Harbor Christmas Cookie Bake-off in which every one must introduce a signature cookie and the top 4 will be in a live baking competition at the Christmas festival that will be judged by the famous Chicago food critic Chevy Chambers of the show Windy City Eats well Lindsay is ready to throw in the towel! How is she going to do this on top of all the baking and filling orders without a baking assistant she needs a Christmas miracle!
Chevy Chambers turns out to be a truly loathsome person creating chaos and making enemies. He is hitting on the women in the competition and making promises to each one in exchange for “favors” but Lindsey sees through the slimy Mr. Chambers and doesn’t take him up on any offers
Then during the actual live competition Chevy is murdered and everything points to Felicity will Lindsay along with Rory, her best friend Kennedy, her parents who have flown in for Christmas and the resident lighthouse ghost Captain Willy be able to find the real killer or will Lindsay’s perfect Hallmark Christmas get cancelled permanently?
I loved this book! You can see the growth in every character and from the first sentence I was hooked and just couldn’t put the book down. There were plenty of red herrings but the one thing I appreciate about the author is she never introduces anyone or anything that doesn’t move the plot along. Also there are never like a hundred suspects or a lot of subplots that can take away from the actual mystery. I was fully engaged in the plot and again the killer was not the person I thought it was but there is one scene in the story that had me dying with laughter that involves Lindsey, Kennedy and her mother Ellie. I also loved her temporary baking assistant Mrs. Nichols who is Lindsey’s Christmas miracle.
It is hard for me to find anything I didn’t like about Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-off but if I have too:
I was not a fan of the whole cookie napping thing because the only person who could identify them was Mrs. Nichols it worked on some level but I could have done without it
I was well into the book before the murder actually happened but this is a matter of personal preference for me. I tend to like for the murder to happen at the beginning of the book again nit picking.
The Great Beacon Harbor Christmas Cookie Bake-off I know it was a play on The Great British Bake-off but oh my goodness what a long title and I know I’m being super nit picky but I felt this title was just too much.
rejection: 1. the dismissing or refusing of a proposal, idea, etc. 2. the spurning of a person’s affections.
Hi Southernistas I always like for my post to be uplifting, encouraging, and full of fashion so I try to avoid dark and heavy topics that may be triggering for some of you but I feel the need to talk about rejection. In this thing called life we are going to face rejection and quite frankly it sucks! We face it on our jobs when that presentation we worked so hard on or that great idea gets rejected by the boss or client, job searches, in our dating life (for those of you who have one), in familial situations, even with our friends we can face rejection I mean you want to try the new Asian fusion restaurant and everyone else wants to hang out at the same old same old.
Goggle Images
No one likes to be dismissed or spurned and I like to think of myself as an expert in this field. In school I was the one who was always picked last for EVERYTHING, I sat alone at lunch. Even in college I had a wide circle of friends but whenever we went out all of my friends were approached and I was just…there and I was like “hello over here.” I was always the wallflower! After college the number of thank you but no thank you letters I received in my job search really made me think “did my mom just waste thousands of dollars on my expensive college education for nothing?” Why aren’t companies breaking down my door to hire me?
As a Christian many times my well meaning brothers and sisters in Christ will say “they rejected Jesus and His apostles so expect the same” and while I know they mean well this is not always what I want or wanted to hear. I know they are trying to be encouraging but there are times I reject this because I don’t need a “cliché” I need more than a tried and true saying. I am always so much more appreciative when I can talk with a fellow believer and they don’t start with they rejected Jesus but they really pour into me with words of encouragement and when needed correction to help me deal with the rejection. They give me a Jesus perspective on the rejection that I can’t see at the time because I am so wounded by the rejection.
Inspiring Quotes
As I got older I found myself slowly withdrawing from any situation that would lead to me being rejected or saying yes to everything so I wouldn’t be rejected because a person can only take so much! Rejection hurts no matter how gently someone tells you no although there are those who take pleasure in rejecting people. When we start to fear being rejected we find ourselves in a position of always saying yes which leads to over commitment and being taking advantage of by some truly awful people who feel no guilt at using you. This fear of rejection to the point of closing yourself off from people or either saying yes to everything is called rejection sensitive dysphoriawhich is defined as People who have an emotional reaction to negative judgments, exclusion, or criticism beyond what most people feel. While this is not a medical or a recognized mental health issue it is a serious and real thing that can hinder your growth as a person.
So here are some of my suggestions for dealing with rejection:
Know that rejection is a part of life and there is nothing you can do to avoid rejection. You are going to be rejected its how you deal with the rejection that’s important.
Some of the most famous people have suffered a lot of rejection but it didn’t stop them you have to be persistent. Remember that no can lead to a greater yes in a greater career. J.K. Rowling was not an overnight success.
Look at the rejection as a blessing in disguise. Sure that guy/girl turned you down but then you meet “the one” and realize you had a lucky escape. That so called dream job or promotion you didn’t get? Then you discover it was more or a nightmare than a dream…whew!
You are allowed to feel and be hurt when you are rejected but not wallow in self pity. The worse advice I’ve ever received was to suck it up and move on like it never happened. NO! Give yourself permission and a time limit (I give myself 24–48 hours) to be hurt, sad, angry, or whatever you’re feeling then move on. I’m not saying when the time limit is up the feeling just disappear they don’t but you’re able to function better and have perspective. If it requires therapy seek help but don’t act like it didn’t affect you! Hear speaks the voice of experience.
Reach out to your tribe! When you’ve been rejected there is nothing like having those who know you and love you best surround you with love, prayer, encouragement, and guidance! Lord knows where I’d be without my Mom, daughter, church, and besties Lisa & Laura!
Be open to rejection and dare I say embrace it! Yes I said it be open to rejection be willing to approach that person, apply for that job, pitch that idea to your boss do whatever it is knowing there is a chance you will be rejected but you’ll walking away knowing you tried and that is half the battle!
Turn the rejection into a positive! Some of the richest people in the world started their business because they were rejected so they struck out on their own and the rest is Microsoft history!
Use that rejection to work on you and better yourself. Sometimes rejection can reveal something about you that needs improvement.
I can’t say it enough and I know I’ve already said it in #4 but find a qualified and good therapist that can help you deal with rejection. They can give you the tools you need to help you deal with rejection and if you suffer with rejection sensitive dysphoria.
Last but not least try not to take every rejection so personally. It took me years to learn how to deal with rejection and see the pluses and not see it as God punishing me. I can honestly look back over my 51 years of life and see that many of the rejections I received was the best thing that ever happened to me. If I had got that job, stayed with that guy just to be in a relationship, maintained that friendship, and so many other things that were harmful to me I wouldn’t be where I am now and who I am. I don’t think I would be here. There is no doubt Jesus is infinitely more wise than I will ever be and knows what is best for me!
So just know rejection is a part of life but it doesn’t have to define your life or cause you to miss out on what’s to come!
Hello again book lovers! Today I want to share with y’all what I’ve read, what I’m currently reading, and what is up next in my cozy mystery reading adventures. July has been for me a month of non stop reading and yet my TBR pile doesn’t seem to be getting any smaller.
With it being so hot and know for some you the temps have been in the 100s this is the perfect time to stay inside and read a good book:).
This is the third book in the Cape Cod foodie mystery series and I highly suggest you read the 2nd book An Eggnog to Die For before you read this book as there are references to the second book that for me at least was a slight distraction from the actual plot of this book.
Samantha Barnes the Cape Cod foodie is really excited for her 4th of July clambake she’s planning and has discovered the perfect blueberry buckle to serve. When she gets the chance to meet famed celebrity chef Clara Foster and learn how to make the blueberry buckle for her blog is beyond excited. The day was great and Sam had so much fun with Clara so she is shocked to discover the next day Clara has died in a house fire. When carelessness is believed to be the reason for the fire Sam knows that Clara was too a good a chef to leave a frying pan on a stove unattended and is determined to prove that Clara was murdered.
I found myself steadily engrossed in the plot. I definitely see growth in Samantha and all of the additional characters in this book. I never found myself getting bored with the storyline and there were not too many red herrings.
This was the July Cozy Mystery Book Club pick and I was looking forward to discovering a new (to me) series and author. There are nine books in this series with book 10 in the works so it is a very popular series.
Five years after Pamela Paterson became a widow she is settling into her life and career as an editor for a craft magazine and an empty nester. She runs into an old friend Amy who has moved to Arborville, NJ to teach at the local college. Pamela invites Amy to her knitting group known as knit and nibble but Amy never shows up and when everyone in the group leaves Pamela finds Amy’s body in her yard stabbed with a knitting needle when she goes looking for her cat.
This book was not for me and when the killer was revealed I just couldn’t see how the person who was the killer could have been the killer. I mean everything pointed to 1 of 2 people and it wasn’t the killer. How could everyone enter and left Pamela’s house and not see Amy’s body or hear the murder? I was also disappointed that there were knitting patterns included in the book. I never really fully connected with Pamela.
I am hooked on this series! I read the first book in this series Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop quickly because I just couldn’t put the book down. Then I immediately bought the second book in the series which just so happens to be Christmas themed and I just couldn’t wait until December to read it!
Darci Hannah does not disappoint with her second book in this series and I am trying to pace myself but if work didn’t interfere with my reading I would be home right now curled up with a cup of coffee reading this book but I will be reading on my lunch break!
I am very excited to read this first book in this series by Jennifer J. Chow who is also the author of The Sassy Cat series and Winston Wong series. This will be my first time reading anything by this author but I am really looking forward to reading this book especially since it takes place in Los Angeles and not in a small town. If the reviews I’ve been seeing on Instagram by bookstagrammers are anything to go by this is going to be a treat!
1st Book in a New Cozy Series
Book Blurb:
When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to play tour guide to a relative she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Not only that, but her father thinks it’s a wonderful idea for them to bond by running a food stall together at the Eastwood Village Night Market. Yale hasn’t cooked in years, and she hardly considers Celine’s career as a social media influencer as adequate experience, but because she’s just lost her job at her local bookstore, she feels she has no choice.
Yale and Celine serve small dishes and refreshing drinks, and while business is slow, it eventually picks up thanks to Celine’s surprisingly useful marketing ideas. They’re quite shocked that their bubble tea, in particular, is a hit — literally — when one of their customers turns up dead. Yale and Celine are prime suspects due to the gold flakes that Celine added to the sweet drink as a garnish. Though the two cousins are polar opposites in every way, they must work together to find out what really happened to the victim or the only thing they’ll be serving is time.
Happy Thursday Southernistas and shoe lovers! In case I haven’t stated this before I have a serious love of shoes some would call it a obsession but I prefer to call it an appreciation. Shoes are the ultimate accessory and a perfect way to try a trend or a print if you don’t want to wear that print “why yes I will buy those animal print/polka dot/striped heel.” I often build a whole outfit around a pair of shoes. My shoe goal is to own a pair of (cue the harps and spotlight) Louboutins one day but my bank account tells me to keep working towards that goal.
Weather you love heels like I do, flats or you’re a sneakerhead shoes in my humble opinion shoes completes your whole look. There is nothing like finding that perfect shoe. There are many pieces in my closet I purchased based on a pair of shoes and a specific look I was going for and of course when you want to elevate your look. If you work in an office with a specific dress code you can express your personality with your shoes. I’ve lost number of the amount of times I’ve been complimented on just my shoes and not the whole outfit.
So today I want to share with y’all some of my recent shoe purchases and they are all still available and some of these go up to a size 10.
for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. Phil 4:11b
Happy Friday Southernistas and also Happy February 1st! There is nothing like starting the weekend off in a new month!
When I was thinking about content for this week’s blog I was trying to decided what I wanted to talk about regarding fashion and style but the I felt the prompted to talk about something I’m not comfortable talking about…my singleness especially in February. My martial status is something I try not to think about mostly because I’ve spent a lot of time and energy thinking about my martial status. The closer I get to 50 (I’ll be 48 this year) the more aware I am of the fact that I am still single and I mean single never been married single. I always thought that by now I would be married for a number of years and provided my daughter with siblings.
Then I realized last year that although I am single I never really learned how to be single I mean your status is single when you come into the world but then as we get older and discover the opposite sex we feel the pressure to be coupled up with someone. I remember desperately wanting a boyfriend all though high school and college (not one date in college) especially when you see everyone all lovey dovey. The month of February was torture for me but I had friends that made it bearable. Except for one brief relationship in my 20s I have been very, very, very single and for most of this time I have been very sad, lonely, and depressed about being single.
The number of times I cried on my best friend shoulder about being single are too many to count! The times I’ve spent in prayer asking God why am I still single again too many to count. My Pastor and First Lady encouraged me that it would happen for me but it just seemed that every year it never happened. One year at my church it seemed like all I did was announce upcoming nuptials! To encourage myself I would ready 1 Corinthians 7 to remind myself the benefits of being single versus being married.
I look back over those years and realize now that I wasn’t ready for a real relationship. I was needy, desperate and was looking for someone to fulfill all my emotional needs. I had a lot of baggage that needed to be unpacked and dealt with. I also realize now that I wanted to be a relationship so I could say I was in a relationship so I was more committed and in love with the idea of being in a relationship.
Then last year it happened! No I didn’t meet a man but I realized that I had to learn how to be single. I had to learn to truly appreciate being single and being happy with my state until God changes my status. I had to learn that I can go out by myself and shop, eat, visit museums and enjoy my own company. Also I also realize how great it is to have the freedom to come and go as I please without having to consider someone else. My spending choices are mine alone. Most importantly this is the time when you can really focus on God and really seek Him.
As I was thinking about what to say the latter part verse 11 from Philippians chapter 4 came to me in this last chapter the Apostle Paul is encouraging the Philippians to rejoice, not to worry and if you do what to think on to ease the worry, and then he begins to let them know that he has experienced different circumstances the one thing he has learned is to be content. Now I want say I’m content with being single but I am learning to be content. I am learning that my life is not dependent on having a man in my life but it is dependent on having Jesus in my life!
Yes I am still single but the difference now is that I am waiting for that someone that is right for me and not doing anymore is moping around discontent and depressed because I don’t have someone in my life. I know longer dread February 14th. I am learning in this phase of my life to be single and content and that has made all the difference.
Until next time Southernistas Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!
Dress from Eloquii x Draper James Collection (no longer available) | Shoes from Payless
Hello Southernistas and Happy Spring! At the risk of being a broken record I do so love Spring! I know this time of year can be miserable for allergy suffers and I am so sorry the pollen is making your life miserable but SPRING IS HERE…WHOO HOOO! It is just something about seeing the Earth waking up from its long winter nap that lifts my spirits. To see the trees budding, feel the sunshine, the flowers blooming, and the most important thing the Spring fashions and swimsuits my favorite brands rollout well a girl can’t help but be happy.
In this blog I’m going to post some of my favorite pieces I’m loving right now from two of my favorite brands Eloqui and Lane Bryant!
Hello Southernistas! Hope you’ve had a great week and that you have an even better weekend! I confess the one article of clothing that puts me way outside my comfort zone is the bodycon dress. What is a bodycon dress you ask. Bodycon is a dress that hugs your body and trust me I realize this dress makes many plus size women uncomfortable and many avoid this dress . I understand because I was one of those women for years because of my tummy. My comfort zone is an A-line or fit and flare dress that doesn’t draw attention to my middle.
As you can see from the numerous pictures of me on this blog I carry my weight in my middle so in my mind bodycon dresses are more suited for an hourglass shape or a pear share. If you’ve wanted to try a bodycon dress but have been hesitant I recommend a sweater dress they have stretch and they tend to skim the body so they’re not too bodycon which I personally believe is the perfect dress to start with or size up the dress will not hug your curves as much. If you’re self conscious about your tummy or another part of your body you don’t want to draw attention to add a duster, cardigan, moto jacket, or blazer to give you a little more coverage. I cannot stress the importance of the right foundation garments! The right shapewear and bra with the dress will not make you slimmer but smooths everything out so the dress fits you like it should!
I promise you bodycon dresses are nothing to be afraid of and there is a dress out there for you that will make you feel sexy and a total bombshell. Don’t let the negative voices or doubts stop you from dipping your toe in this part of the fashion waters. If you’re still not ready to try full on bodycon look go with a pencil skirt to begin with and work your way up to the dress.
You have a wide selection of brands to choose from but I highly recommend Fashion to Figure they are my go to for bodycon dresses and this little red bodycon sweater dress (buttons are not functional) is FIRE! I wore a cami under it for the office and wore this red moto jacket to complete the look. This dress is sold out but click here and here for an alternate
There is a bodycon dress out there for you I promise!
“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world!” Marilyn Monroe
Hello Southernistas! Well I hope y’all are having a great week and that you have great plans (or not) for this last weekend in February! You might not know this but I love shoes! I actually own a little over 100 pair of shoes. I’ve actually written previously about two of my favorite shoe brands Nine West and Just Fab. Now I can hear the men saying “what woman doesn’t love shoes”…LOL! But my love of shoes especially heels border on obsession okay it is an obsession. I mean I use to watch Sex and the City just to get my shoe fix. I wear heels 6 days out of 7. My motto is the higher the heel the closer to God!
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love high heel shoes it is definitely a life long love affair. I think I get my love from my grandmother who loved heels and tried to pass it on to my mother but it skipped her and passed to me. I remember going out shopping with her and how she would bypass the flats and go straight to the heels section of the store. I guess it rubbed off on me because I’ve been wearing heels since I was 13 and as I got older my heels got higher. At one point I actually owned a pair of 5 1/2 inch heels.
Why do I love heels maybe its because I’m 5’3′ and I love how “tall” I feel when I wear them. I love how great my legs look in heels and as a short girl when I wear maxi dresses, skirts, or certain pants heels assist in “lifting” the hems so I’m not tripping over my hems and I don’t have to pay a visit to my tailor. They give a little extra oomph when I walk. Heels can take a plain ordinary look and kick it up a whole level. You’re wearing a LBD (little black dress) just add a killer pair of red stilettoes, animal print, sassy pattern or a jeweled sparkly shoe and boom just sit back and watch the compliments roll in!
The best things about heels is that unlike shopping for clothes they fit regardless of dress size. I love that heels come in different heights, types, and styles. I love a wedge heel for a relaxed and causal look and they are the best type to wear if you want to wear heels and be comfortable. Block heels are right up there with wedges when it comes to comfort but are dressier and perfect for the office and church. Stilettoes are for the ultimate girly girl and when you want to totally vamp it up! I myself am personally a stiletto girl and they make up a large percentage of my shoe collection but when I want to feel sexy, fierce, and unstoppable then my go to shoe is a pair of killer stilettoes and I feel like I can take on anything or anyone!
Now I know that many of you can’t wear heels or any kind for health reasons. Some of you have had surgeries, suffered sports related injuries, are dealing with a chronic illness, back issues and other reasons. I have friends who love heels but are just not able to wear them. But for those of you who are just a teeny, tiny bit hesitant about wearing heels my best advice is to start with a kitten heel (2″) or a cute little wedge and work your way up and stop at the heel height that feels comfortable for you.
I absolutely love shoes and I’m pretty sure when I’m 95 I’ll still be wearing high heels and they will probably be orthopedic and I’ll probably be using a walker but I’ll still be wearing them and loving them!
Until next time Southernistas! Keep your head, standards, and heels high!
Hello Southernistas! As I was thinking about what I wanted to talk to y’all about the campaign slogan from President Obama’s 2008 first presidential run popped in my brain! His slogan was Yes We Can except I substituted the we for you (you get it). This also lead me to Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” So many times in this life we live we are more often told no you can’t do that in one way or another but as then Senator Barack Obama proved Yes…You…Can! The Apostle Paul list a number of situations he had experienced but then followed up with verse 13 in chapter 4 which is every Christian’s go to scripture (and Romans 8:28). I think about all the times I allowed the negative words from well meaning and some not well meaning people to tell me I couldn’t do something or you can’t wear this or you shouldn’t wear that because of my size but I’ve come to realize that I don’t have to listen to the no you can’t/shouldn’t and start to listen to the yes you can Regina voices!
Today I want to let you know: YES YOU CAN! Yes you can start that business, blog, YouTube channel. Yes you can wear that swimsuit, pattern, print, color. Yes you can leave that toxic relationship weather it is a romantic, a friendship, or a work relationship. Yes you can write that book. Yes you can heal from unspeakable trauma with the help of a great therapist and Jesus. Yes you can take that trip by yourself or with your girls. Yes you can buy that house all by yourself. Yes you can take that chance on that new relationship. Yes You Can! Yes You Can! Yes You Can! YES…YOU…CAN! God will give the strength you need to make the steps you need to make.
It is so important to surround yourself — not with yes people — but with cheerleaders who will always bring out the best in you, cheer you on, encourage you, tell you the truth, help you achieve your goals. I am blessed to have some great cheerleaders in my life. People who saw my potential when I didn’t and couldn’t see it and was listening to the negative voices. People who loved me, encouraged me, pushed me, cheered me, and wouldn’t let me accept less than in my life. Who said to me yes you can until I could say if for myself. This blog exists because of my mom, a friend at work, my church (love you AHOD) especially, and my besties Lisa and Laura. When I first thought about starting a blog I talked to my cheerleaders and they helped me pick out the name of my blog and gave me really great input and not one word of negativity or discouragement was spoken.
So if you’ve been thinking about taking that first step in a new direction in life and you’re wondering if you should let me be one of your cheerleaders to tell you YES YOU CAN with the help of God (always seek God first), therapy (if needed), and great people in your life you can achieve your goals!
Until next time Southernistas!
Skirt & Top from Ashley Stewart (sold out), Faux Leather Blazer from Eloquii, Shoes from Just Fab (sold out)Cropped Blazer, Top, Skirt from Ashley Stewart (sold out), Shoes are Just Fab (sold out)Blazer and Jacket from Lane Bryant (old), Turtleneck from Ashley Stewart (sold out), Shoes are Torrid (old)Faux Leather Blazer and Pants from Eloquii, Sweater from Old Navy, Booties from Just Fab
Hello Southernistas! Well here we are at the end of January and unless you live in the Caribbean, Canary Islands, or some other year round warm haven then you like me are in the depths of winter. I am sure that some of you like me are tired of winter and ready for the H.E.A.T! Here in NC we started last week with snow and ended with snow and now the weatherman is predicting more snow this weekend. Make…it….STOP!
So I suffer from a mild case of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is a thing and it affects some 3 million people. This occurs during the winter when the days are shorter so longer nights (how do people in the Arctic Circle survive) and some of the symptoms are depression, fatigue, hopelessness and social withdrawal pile on top of this pandemic. This can be treated with therapy and in some cases medication. If you can afford it a vacation to warmer climes it is a wonderful boost.
Last week with the frigid temperatures coupled with snow and ice I really struggles. I just didn’t want to get out of bed and felt so low so I recognized the signs and knew I needed to practice my coping skills when I began to experience some symptoms.
Here is how I handle the winter blues:
I lean more into my quite time with God when I get up I grab my Bible, devotional, journal and I spend time praying and letting God’s word speak to my soul. I try to spend at least an hour and when I come to the end of that hour reluctantly I feel lifted and ready for the day.
Exercise! Weather it’s just 15 mins or you go full on beast research shows that exercise releases those wonderful endorphins which gives you a boost. I am by no means a morning person but when I get up and go walking at the YMCA, because hello it’s cold outside, for 45 minutes at the end of my walk I feel in the words James Brown good and I am in a better had space! So get moving
Fashion (I mean you knew it was coming) I am firm believer in the Regina Brett quote “No matter how you feel get up, dress up, show up!” and that is what I do! Last week and this week has been a real struggle for me. I didn’t want to get up and do #1 or #2 but this quote would pop in my head and after my quiet time and walk after I shower and go through my morning routine I hit my closet and pull on something fabulous. By the time I dress and step into my heels I am ready and in a totally different place. Now I know there are many who don’t believe in the power of fashion but I am telling you there is nothing like putting on that dress or suit that gives you boss feelings! When you put on that outfit you know the one that puts a big smile on your face. There is indeed power in fashion and there is something to be said for the feeling you get when you see yourself dressed and ready to take on the world.
Now as I said my SAD is very mild and I am in no way a psychiatrist or therapist so please seek treatment if you are suffering from SAD. These are what work for me and hopefully along with other treatment these suggestions can be incorporated into your treatment.
Hello Southernistas! I hope each and everyone of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that y’all are enjoying the leftovers! If you traveled I hope you had a stress less travel holiday with no delayed flights and not (too) crazy traffic. In the next few blog posts I will be talking about sweater dresses and the brands I love. This week’s post is about Lane Bryant sweater dresses but it is not sponsored by Lane Bryant. Lane Bryant is my go to for affordable and stylish dresses and sweater dresses are included. I actually bought 6 sweater dresses (there was a sale) and I don’t regret a single purchase. I love that Lane Bryant’s sweater dresses are feminine and come in different styles from A-line to bodycon and you just can’t go wrong!
I’ve stated before and even wrote about how much I don’t like Fall but with that being said I must amend that because I do love fall fashion and I especially love when I can break out the sweater dresses…oh yeah! Fall is referred to as sweater weather, cuffing season, and cozy season but I like to refer to it as sweater dress season. I love a great sweater dress they give you a cozy feeling and warmth. Every year when I add to my sweater dress collection and this year is no different. Some are very heavy and warm and some of them are very light weight for 60 plus degree weather.
Every brand offers several dresses in every color, length, type (A-line, bodycon, sheath), and weight (heavy and light). This is the perfect time to grab them up with all the sales that are happening and if you’re not a dress girl they would make a great gift for the dress girl you know.
I’m a 50 something southern girl who has a passion for fashion. Join me on my fashion journey. Follow me on Instagram: @reginathesouthernistaTHE SOUTHERNISTA FOLLOWS
Hello Southernistas! I hope you’ve had a great week and are getting ready for not only the weekend but to regain an hour of sleep as we turn back out clocks. Today I want to talk about an independent size inclusive brand that is woman and black owned and a totally cool and unique fashion brand and that is Sofistafunk the Skirt Co . I discovered this brand about 3 maybe 4 years ago thanks to an Instagram ad. Arlinda McIntosh is the owner and incredible designer of this brand and trust me when I say once you see her designs you will find yourself reaching for your credit card.
The designs really are one of a kind I mean Arlinda elevates the denim skirt to a whole new level and believe me you’ll get nothing but compliments. I’m not going to lie to y’all some of her pieces are expensive but they are worth your dollars and she offers customization plus this brand is environmentally responsible and most of their designs produce zero waste! If you have any questions you can reach out to Arlinda and she will respond to you pretty quickly. This brand doesn’t just offer denim skirts I just love the denim skirts but you will find dresses, tops, and accessories also.
As a plus size woman independent brands are a plus size girls best friend! They really do design with a larger body in mind and they give us the fashion that we want and demand and they are worth every dollar. I have purchased two denim skirts from Sofistafunk and I have never been disappointed.
When you order from Sofistafunk keep in mind everything is hand made so it will not ship out that same day you order it takes about 10–14 days without customization. She does offer customization which can add to how long it takes to receive your order but it is well worth the wait and Arlinda always adds some little extra goodies in your order.
I recently purchase this lovely maxi denim skirt and it fit my 5″3 frame perfectly and I’ve gotten nothing but compliments. Don’t sleep on this brand!
Hi Southernistas! Let’s talk about houndstooth! Now I know for many of you any print is scary to wear because we’ve all heard “the rules” no polka dots, no florals, no strips, and only wear black to make us look “smaller.” Well throw those rules out the window and embrace….houndstooth! I love this print in fact it’s right up there with my love of all things gingham and polka dot. If you look in my closet you will see plenty of all three prints but houndstooth to me is by far the boldest of the prints (I also call it the optical illusion print).Houndstooth is a very sophisticated print and it can make you look very pulled together and elegant. This print is as previously stated a bold print and you have to wear it with equal boldness and fierceness! This print not only comes in black and white but you can find it in other bold colors like this print from Ashley Stewart who does has really taken it up when it comes to this particular print.
I encourage you to give this print a try. If you don’t want to do a head to toe look try wearing a pant or skirt or a blazer/jacket in this print. You’ll feel elegant and trust me the compliments will come!
Until next time Southernistas! Be Bold! Be Brave! Be Beautiful!
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesian 2:10
Hello Southernistas! I was actually working on something else as I struggled to come up with a topic for this week’s blog post then this week then I felt the Holy Spirit whisper you are created for purpose! The verse that immediately came to me is Ephesians 2:10 which has become my life verse and I often speak this verse over me when I am bombarded with self doubt.
So I abandoned the blog I was working on for this week and wanted to let you know that God has created you for purpose. There are so many self help books and gurus out here that say they can help you find your purpose but the only book you need is the Bible, God’s holy word, that speaks truth. There are times when we wonder why am I here what is my purpose? To know what your purpose is you need to know who Jesus is and once you come into relationship with Jesus and begin to walk with Him trust me you will begin to realize that you are created for purpose and He will help you to walk in your purpose and live out your purpose.
For so long I wondered what my purpose was in life I even read The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren but still felt like my life had no purpose. Then one day during my quiet time with God I was lead to Ephesians 2:10 and this verse just stuck me and made me realize that I am His masterpiece and I was not created just to exist but to do and everyday I strive to live my life with purpose. I am not just talking fashion but to be that light that points others to Jesus.
Just know that God has created you for purpose and where ever God has planted you He put you there weather it be temporary or permanent you are there for purpose. You are there to be an agent of change for good and to have a positive affect on the lives of those you come into contact with. Purpose doesn’t require wealth or celebrity status all it requires is a willing heart and faith in Jesus.
Hello Southernistas! The one thing I never ever talk about on my blog is weight loss or exercising or anything remotely like it but as I was wondering what to talk about I just couldn’t get away from this subject so I want to talk to y’all today about being healthy at any size. Now before you move on just hear me out first. I’ve spent most of my life on one diet or another I mean literally since I was 13 years old I’ve been dieting. I’ve lost weight and gained (more) weight. I decided in my 40s that I was getting off the diet hamster wheel and just make peace with my weight and live in my body and live my life and that is what I’ve been doing for the last 7 years.
Let me say right now before I continue that I am not getting weight loss surgery or starting a new diet in fact I’ve started a healthy lifestyle. Also I am not here to judge or put down weight loss or weight loss surgery. You have to do what is best for you! I had to make changes due to high blood pressure and I now use a CPAP machine so I knew I needed to make some changes but it took me a long time because all I heard was loose weight i.e. go on a diet.
Once I realized that getting healthy does not mean going on a diet but making life changes then I was able to realize that healthy does not equal dieting. So I’ve stopped eating fast food every day but I try to limit my fast food stops to once a week, I walk 2 miles or more 3–4 times a week, I eat at home more and bring my lunch to work but again to get to this point I had to stop looking at exercise and healthy eating as “dieting” which was a major obstacle for me. As a plus size woman diet culture it constantly pushed in my face and I constantly get unsolicited weight loss ads and suggestions on my social media sites when I block. It wasn’t easy but it helps when I go walking and I see bodies of all shapes and sizes being active, I see plus size influencers who work out not for weight loss but to take care of their bodies and I have an amazing doctor who really talks to me and not at me and treats ME the person.
Luckily there are loads of resources (listed below) out there to help you get started towards a healthy lifestyle regardless of what the scale says. Plus more and more brands are creating plus size workout wear we can be just as cute and stylish as we move our bodies. If you’re looking at being healthy as dieting just know that you are not alone in this thinking. Once we get off that diet wheel we don’t want to fine ourselves back on the weight loss/weight gain merry go round but I just want to encourage you to get moving weather it’s dancing, walking, bike riding, skating or whatever it may be just enjoy moving your body.
Until next Southernistas! The fashion will be back in the next blog…PROMISE!
If you’re wanting to start a health journey check out these websites:
Hi Southernistas! I hope y’all are staying safe, washing your hands, practicing social distancing, staying home and most importantly staying sane in the pandemic!
I have been doing a lot less shopping since I’ve been home and been tackling my quarantine reading list (if you’d like to know what I’m reading check out my IG @reginathesouthernista) but I’ve also been overhauling my skincare products. These products are inexpensive but just as effective as the more expensive brands with the most expensive product being $16.00. If your budget is stretched thin right now but you don’t want to forgo your skincare routine I hope you will find these products kinder to your pocketbook and they are vegan and natural products.
First product – Botanics All Bright Foam Cleanser
I discovered this cleanser at Walgreens and it was one of my best discoveries! I was looking to purchase my usual cleanser which is close to $20 then my eyes fell on this cleanser and it is under $10.00! It is a very light and gentle cleanser so perfect for sensitive skin and it left my skin feeling truly clean and bright.
Second Product – Burt’s Bee’s Cleansing Oil
The first time I heard about cleansing oil was on thatgirlarlene blog and I was intrigued but hesitant and one of the biggest obstacles was the price. I love Arlene’s blog but the prices for the cleansing oils were a little on the pricey side then I found Burt’s Bee’s cleansing oil and at $16.00 it is still a little pricey but compared to other cleansing oils this is truly inexpensive. I have nothing but good things to say about cleansing oil it leaves your skin clean and so soft. Don’t let the word oil scare you it is all natural and very gentle. I highly recommend.
Third Product – Botanics All Bright Cleansing Toner
Now I know there are some that don’t think toner needs to be a part of your skincare routine and I will admit I was in the camp for a long time but within the last few years I have reincorporated it back into my routine. Toner removes excess dirt and oil from your face and further helps open up those pores. This toner is gentle and under $10.00.
Fourth product – Cleen Beauty
I had never heard of this product but I’m so glad I found this product through a Google search. I was looking for skincare products under $10.00 and this brand popped up first in my search and imagine my delight when I found it could be purchased at Wal-mart. All of Cleen Beauty products are under $10.00 and vegan. I purchased their serum, night moisturizer, and night mask and I am happy with each of these products. My skin definitely has even more of glow then ever.
I cannot recommend these products enough! They are either natural or vegan and since I’ve been using these products I don’t suffer the slight tingling or discomfort I use to deal with when using other products because they don’t have harsh ingredients. They can be purchased from drug stores, Wal-mart, or online. My skin is smoother, brighter, and softer. It doesn’t hurt that they are extremely affordable!
Until next time Southenistas! Remember Be safe, Stay home, wash your hands, and practice social distancing!
Hello Southernistas! Well I know I’ve been M.I.A in fact I haven’t blogged since October and I can only apologize. I decided to just enjoy the holiday season and I was really going to resume at the beginning of the year but then I took a 21 day social media fast to reconnect with God. After the fast I just got use to not blogging but those days are behind me and I am back feeling refreshed, renewed, and restored.
For my first 2020 blog I wanted to talk about as the title says the best tights I’ve ever worn and it’s all because I took a chance and responded to an Instagram ad about Snag Tights. I will admit I am very wary when it comes to Instagram and Facebook advertising because the product doesn’t always live up to the hype unless it’s an ad from an established company but with winter around the corner I decided to see if the hype was real. Snag promised that their tights are not just size inclusive but height inclusive also which was what caught my attention. At 5’3 my biggest complaint about wearing tights are that when I put them on I can literally pull them all the way up to my underarms! I always go by the size chart recommendations on my tights but I swear they make tights for Amazons and not shorties like myself or the tights I do purchase that fit I only get 1 or 2 wears out of them before I have to throw them away with the exception of Lane Bryant. Not to mention tights I’ve worn in the past have either been too big once I put them on or too small. What made up my mind to try these was Gloria Shuri Henry who is a YouTuber (glowpinkstah) and is in the add wearing their tights.
Once the decision was made to purchase the tights I went to their website and was very surprised at the variety of tights they offer but they also have chub rub shorts, fishnets, sheer pantyhose and skin tone tights. They have opaque tights, woolies (merino wool), and semi opaques too. Depending on the type you purchase they cost from $20 (woolies) to $12 and the chub rub shorts are $13 but if you order 3 pair you get a 10% discount, 5 pair 15%, and 10 pair 25% off . I ordered their short F according to the size chart in black and caramel. Snag Tights is a British company so be prepared for a wait to receive your order it was 3 weeks before I received my order but they do offer next day delivery . When they arrived I was excited to try them out and OH MY they fit my short little legs perfectly! The short F black tights fit me and stopped at my natural waist. I can’t begin to tell y’all how wonderful it was to put on a pair of tights that stop at my waist with no sagging. They are so comfortable and feel so good on my legs.
I highly recommend Snag Tights it will be the best money you spend!
Until next time remember BE BOLD! BE BEAUTIFUL! BE CONFIDENT!
This post is not sponsored by Lane Bryant or Catos I just really love their shapewear.
Hello Southernistas! I hope y’all enjoyed this last weekend of Summer and are ready to kick of the first day of Fall! I can’t believe Summer is over! I hope your Summer was full of fun in the sun (with sunscreen) and travel.
Today I want to talk foundation garments specifically shapewear now there are those who don’t wear it and those who want leave the house without their Spanx. I am one who wears shapewear when needed but I was also that person who wouldn’t wear shape wear. I found it uncomfortable and at times very painful plus I also believed that if I wore it I was trying to make myself look smaller but I have come to realize that is not the purpose of shapewea. Shapewear is not about trying to look “smaller” as many A list actresses wear shapewear and proudly admit that they wear shapers. I have come to realize that the purpose of shapewear is not to make you look smaller but to smooth you out and when you are wearing that body con dress or jeans/pants it gives you a smooth clean look.
Shapewear is not necessarily one size fits all and gone are the days of our grandmother’s girdle that only came in super painful. There are different types of shapewear depending on what look you are going for. There is shapewear that is very firm and really holds you in to shapewear that smooths you out with no firmness at all. I personally like Lane Bryant and Catos shapewear. Lane Bryant’s Cacique’s line comes in different levels ranging from 4 being extra hold to 1 which is no firmness and it doesn’t roll down. Catos’ is perfect to once again smooth you out especially their panties and they are not expensive whereas Lane Bryant is a little pricey. Also when purchasing shapewear do not size down or up get the shapewear in your size! So don’t be afraid of shapewear there is something out there for everyone and tons of videos on YouTube by plus size bloggers with their shapewear recommendations.
I bought this beautiful yellow body con maxi dress from Just Fab and the first time I wore it I didn’t wear shapewear as you can see but when I wore it again I made sure I wore shapewear and you can see the difference. I am wearing Lane Bryant’s Cacique #1 shapewear which is not firm and it just makes me look good in this dress.
Until next time Southernistas Be Bold! Be Beautiful! Be Brave!
Hello Southernistas! I hope y’all had an absolutely fabulous weekend and that you are relaxed and recharged. If you attended church on Sunday I pray you are fully restored and filled and ready for Monday.
This weekend I attended a plus size fashion show with my beautiful friend and style sister Laura of the blog wonderfullymadestyle, y’all go check out her blog. The fashion show was produced by the talented Mrs. Jenica who is the founder and CEO of Plushy Jenica and she truly put on an amazing fashion show! The models were different shapes, sizes, and heights but they were all beautiful and fierce as were the fashion they rocked. As we enjoyed the fashion show the audience was invited to rock the runway between collections and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you Laura and I were more than happy to struct our stuff on the runway!
I want to encourage you today whatever size you are to rock your runway! You may never walk in New York Fashion Week but everyday that you get up, get dressed and step outside your house you can rock your runway ladies and gents! Whether you are going to work, running errands, or keeping up with the little ones you can step out onto your own personal runway and work your style with confidence. You never know who you will inspire!
Until next time Southernistas Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!
Here are some pictures from the Plushy Jenica Fashion Show. If you would like information about any of the outfits from the fashion show check out Plushy Jenica’s Facebook page.
Happy Monday Southernistas! I hope I y’all had a great weekend and that you are feeling rested, renewed, and restored and ready to conquer your week.
It is not secret that my absolutely favorite color is red! I look amazing in the color red and I feel bold, confident and sexy in red too. I mean what girl doesn’t feel a total boss babe or a sexy siren when they put on a red dress or lipstick or even a killer pair of red stilettos. But I must confess there is another color I am starting to fall in love with and that is the color green. Now don’t get me wrong it will never replace my first love red but over the last year I find myself gravitating to the color green whenever I go shopping. I discovered this beautiful green maxi dress at Ashley Stewart and it is so comfortable and stylish but alas it is sold out but I will provide links to alternates. Green always reminds of Spring and Summer and it is such a restful and peaceful color and it is a soft color. Green can also be a bold color like every color there is a shade of green for everyone.
With fall just around the corner I’ve been checking out the darker tones of the color Green and can’t wait to incorporate them in my fall closet. If you are looking in your closet and wondering what’s missing I would suggest you incorporate a little green in your closet and just enjoy all the compliments.
Until next time Southernistas remember Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!
Hello Souternistas! I hope everyone had a great weekend and that you are now recharged and refreshed and ready for Monday.
If you’ve been following me for any time you’ll know that I did a post all about my skincare routine a while ago but since then my routine has changed. I was introduced a few months ago to Yeouth Skincare and since then more and more of Yeouth’s products have been replacing my other skincare products that I thought I would never let go. Yeouth is fragrance free, sulfate free, cruelty free, paraben free, and gmo free so you don’t have to worry about harsh ingredients. I started out with incorporating their Retinol Serum into my skincare routing and I quickly saw wonderful results. I now use Yeouth’s hyaluronic acid, vitamin C & E Serum, and the Glycolic Acid 30% gel peel and my skin looks great! Not only does my skin look great but I love how gentle they are on my skin also. The products I use to use could sometimes irritate my skin but since I’ve been using Yeouth I have experienced no skin irritation.
I am so glad I was introduced to Yeouth Skincare products. They are gentle on my skin and I love the results since I’ve been using these products. If you are looking for an all natural skincare line please check out Yeouth and let me know what you think of their products. To get 20% off your first order use SOCIAL20.
Until next Southernistas remember Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Beautiful!
Hello Southernistas! I hope y’all have had a wonderful weekend and that you stayed cool and fashionable in this heat.
I must admit that lately I’ve just felt like I’ve lost my fashion mojo. The great thing about fashion is that there is so much great plus size fashion out there and my closet reflects this the problem is there is so much great plus size fashion and my closet reflects this. I honestly don’t know how full time bloggers do it! Once upon a time I hardly had anything to wear and now I have an overwhelming selection. Usually I plan out my outfits for the week but lately I have been lacking inspiration. I have just felt so uninspired the last few weeks and I find myself looking in my closet thinking whatever my hand lands on that is what I will wear and sometimes that works.
I plan to find my inspiration by tapping into my style sisters at church, my friends, on Instagram, and the Dia Facebook community where there is sisterhood and I am always encouraged and inspired by the women in the Dia community who are fearless. These are great ways to rediscover my fashion mojo. If you’ve been feeling uninspired lately or have lost your fashion mojo tap into your community weather it is on online or in real life and rediscover you fashion inspiration.
Until next time Southernistas remember Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Brave!
Dress from Eloquii | Shoes from Payless Shoe Source | Bag from JustFab (sold out) alternative
Hello Southernistas! I hope y’all are having a fabulous 4th of July holiday and that hopefully you were able to have a 4 day weekend.
I want to introduce y’all to Miss Dynasty whose sizes range from XS to 4X. This is a great company with plenty of cute and affordable fashion. The sizing is junior plus so please use the size chart and check out the reviews before purchasing. When they reached out to me (my first) to give them a try I was hesitant to do so at first because my style is modest and I didn’t think I would find anything that would work with my style aesthetic but I was so wrong! I found this cute denim ruffle t-shirt dress and it checks all of my style boxes. The fit also is great for me especially in my arms and I liked how the dress moved with me. I have worn this dress multiple times and gotten so many compliments every time I’ve stepped out in this dress. I like that I can be super casual in this dress or dress it up and not sacrifice comfort. I’m sorry to say that this dress is sold out but I have linked an alternate that I think you will love.
The wonderful people at Miss Dynasty has given me a PROMO code that you can use, again a first for me, to receive 25% off your order with them which I have linked below. This discount if for you and I don’t receive any money when you use the promo code and this post is not sponsored by Miss Dynasty.
Hello to all my Southernistas! I hope y’all had a great weekend and that your Monday has been a good one.
Today is my birthday! That’s right today I turn 48 and I count myself blessed to see another year. In the past I’ve usually been so depressed when my birthday comes because I am so focused on the negative and what I don’t have instead of counting my blessings. Year 48 I am looking for greater blessings and even more love. I know I’m blessed to have a loving family, a beautiful daughter, awesome friends, the best church family (love you AHOD) and my fashion is ever evolving. I am embracing my natural salt and pepper hair and I have my hair stylist Angelia to thank for knowing what’s best for me even when I’m being stubborn. I changed the name of my blog and I have great things in store for the blog this year! I am also in great company in celebrating my birthday because I share it with the ah..mazing Stacey Jemison as well as Judy Garland.
To celebrate my birthday I turned to my favorite retailer Eloquii and got this beautiful strapless fringe dress I have been lusting over forever and paired it with my go to black lace bell sleeve top from Ashley Stewart for modesty. Pulled the whole look together with these cute silver shiny heels from JustFab.
So as I enter into year 48 I enter with expectation and anticipation! Who knows this could be the year I meet my husband.
Until next time Southernistas Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident
Also I’ve included pictures of the birthday surprise from my daughter
Strapless Fringe Dress from Eloquii (no longer available) alternative, alternative, alternative| Lace Bell Sleeve from Ashley Stewart (no longer available)| Halsey Pointed Toe Shoes from Justfab.com
Hello to all my Southernistas! I hope your week has been awesome and that you are ready for the three day weekend and remember to take time to remember those who paid the ultimate price in service to our country.
I can’t believe it has been a year since I started this blog! My actual blog birthday was May 6th but things got a little crazy at work. First I never thought I would ever start a blog and now I’ve blogging for a year so crazy. When I started this blog it was and still is my intention to share my fashion journey and a peek inside my life (not a lot happening) with my fellow fashion addicts. I knew it wouldn’t be easy and I really thought a lot about weather to start a blog because there are so many awesome blogs out here now but with the encouragement of my Mom, my best friend Lisa, and the awesome Shelia Amir’s Blogging with Precision class I took the plunge and here I am 1 year later. So today I just want to share what I’ve learned in my first year.
First Lesson: Blogging is hard! It is one thing to say I’m going to start a blog but it’s a whole another world when you start! Blogging is a commitment and you have to be willing to commit time weather you are doing it as a hobby (me), part time, or pursuing it as a full time career you have to be committed.
Second Lesson: Blogger/Social Media Workshops are worth the money! When I decided to take that step and start a blog I had no idea where to begin (refer to lesson 1) and I was overwhelmed when I did a Google search. The great thing is I had enrolled in a social media workshop and it helped me so much and when I received an email that Shelia was offering a workshop all about blogging I gladly paid the money. It was money well spent and at the end of the blogging workshop I had the tools I needed to start my blog. Now there are free online blogging classes offered online too if the funds are just not there but if you can make the investment.
Third Lesson: Blogging requires organization! Yes you must be organized when it comes to blogging especially if you have decided to make it a career. There are so many tools available that will help you get organized and stay organized. There are blogging workshops, manuals, and every state has a blogger network you can join for a fee and YouTube is a great resource too. Seasoned bloggers who have a YouTube channel have shared great advice.
Fourth Lesson: Be You! I follow a lot of bloggers but I know that as much as I admire these bloggers I am not them and I have to be Regina and have my own voice. Make sure your blog reflects you. It is totally okay to admire and even to aspire to be like that blogger you love but don’t lose who you are because you are pretty cool yourself and the more authentic you are the more authentic your blog.
Fifth Lesson: Blogging doesn’t have to be expensive! I started my blog on Medium.com before I moved to WordPress but there are other sites you can go to and they are free. Also don’t stress over hiring a photographer. My mom takes all of my photos on my cell phone and I get asked all the time who my photographer is and when I say my mom the look on people’s face is priceless. Also I’m learning how to take my own pictures and check out my girl Laura of wonderfullymadestyle she takes her own photos! Don’t stress thinking you needs buckets of money all you need are people who love you and support you to help you make your dream come true.
Last but not least I’ve learned to have fun! Blogging can be stressful but it can also be loads of fun too especially the photo shoots.
Well those are just a few of the lessons I’ve learned this first year of blogging and I’m constantly learning and discovering something new and neat everyday.
Thank you for following me and your comments and encouragement! This blog would not exist without my Southernistas! As always remember Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!
Dress from Fullbeauty.com (no longer available)| Shoes from Venus | Bag from Justfab.com
Hello my lovely Southernistas! I hope your week is off to a great start. My Monday was a little rocky at work but all in all in it was a good day.
I thought in this blog post I would share my skincare routine with y’all which takes me 30 minutes from start to finish and is well worth the time. I will confess I have been pretty lazy when it comes to my skincare routine and my skin has reflected this so I decided this year I would get serious about my skin after all it is the largest organ and as I get closer and closer to 50 I realize I need to take better care of this organ. One of the first things I’ve started doing is drinking more water! That is the best thing you can do for your skin. When you hydrate you will see your skin start to look clearer and healthier. Try drinking water for 30 days and if you don’t see any results let me know but I can guarantee you will see the results.
For my morning routine I usually use L’Oreal cleanser but I’m currently using Garnier sulfate free cleanser, Burt’s Bee’s lip scrub, L’Oreal toner, L’Oreal Revialift serum, L’Oreal eye cream, L’Oreal hyaluroinc acid (new addition), collagen that I buy from Family Dollar, and a moisturizer with SPF 25 sunscreen. Sunscreen is important regardless of race!
For my night routine I add Yeouth skincare retinol serum along with a face oil or mask. After I apply the collagen I use L’Oreal’s night cream and the last item I use before I go to bed is L’Oreal’s overnight mask.
Since I’ve started drinking more water and being consistent about day and night skincare routine my skin has never looked better. My skin look healthy and I’ve gotten so any compliments! This is not a sponsored post by any of these brands I just really love their products and they have worked for me. The prices range from $20.00 – $1.00. I didn’t list any of the masks I use but I use the Global Beauty brand mask and you can buy them at Family Dollar for $1.00 and they have a variety of masks.
Southernistas it is never too late to start a skincare routine no matter the age just get started and fine what works for you! Nor does it have to drain your pocketbook.
Until next Southernista remember Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!
Hello Southernistas! Happy Friday to everyone. I hope everyone’s week has been a great week and not too stressful. I can’t believe it has been two weeks since my last blog post and I missed y’all. If you haven’t noticed I’ve changed the name of my blog to Regina the Southernista instead of the Southernista let me know what you think.
There is no doubt plus size fashion has come a long way and I am very happy to see the number of new fashion forward plus size designers along with the established and older brands. I love all the options that are now available to me but what I don’t love is the fact that I do the majority of my shopping online. More and more straight size brands are extending there sizes but only making it available online or in select stores (yes I’m talking about you Anthopologie and Loft). I talk to many of my friends who are hesitant to shop online because they are afraid the clothes will not fit and I totally understand that because I was nervous when I first started shopping online because lets face it there is nothing like going to the store and trying on the clothes. Plus with the inconsistencies of sizing it is better to try on everything because you could wear a size 18 at one store but a size 22 at another store.
To help you better navigate online shopping here some tips that I use when I am shopping online.
Know your measurements – this is the most important thing you can do before you buy anything online. You can take your measurements, have a friend do it or go to a tailor and have your measurements taken. By knowing your measurements you can look at the sizing chart and determine what size you should purchase. Also if you like styling services like Dia & Co, Stitch Fix, Trunk Club etc you can send them your measurements for better picks.
Read the reviews – Trust me reviews are very helpful. By reading the reviews it has helped me avoid some big mistakes.
Bloggers – Find bloggers that are your body shape or close to your body shape. Those who are full time bloggers are very honest in their reviews of brands plus you get to see what that brand may look like on your body.
Become familiar with the brand’s return policy. Some brands will give you a refund and some will give you a store credit. Some have very easy return policies and some are complicated.
When in doubt size up.
Learn if the brand is Junior plus or Plus trust me there is a difference. If you are ordering from an Asian company please be aware that Asian sizing runs very small so you will need to size up 2 sizes or more.
Shopping online doesn’t have to be scary and can be fun once you get the hang of it. I hope there tips help you in your online shopping adventures.
Until next time Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!
Happy Friday Southernistas! I hope you’ve had a great week and although you couldn’t tell by the weather Wednesday was the first day of Spring! Happy Spring everyone! I’ll do a spring fashion post soon…promise.
Today I want to talk to y’all about lip care. Last year I realized that as fanatical as I’ve been about taking care of my skin especially as I am getting closer to 50 (yikes) I have never given my lips the same attention. Our lips go though a lot! In the winter they can become dry and chapped. Lips can also become severely cracked and bleeding in the winter if they are not taken care of and due to excessive lip licking too. As you get older you will also start to see a lot of lines on your lips. At 47 I realized that I have mistreated and sadly neglected my lips but I also know it’s not too late to start caring for my lips.
To begin my lip care journey I turned to Burt’s Bee’s lip care products to develop a lip care routine now let me say this is in no way a sponsored post by Burt’s Bees I just really love the products. I have been using their lip care products for about 6 months with amazing results. The lip scrub is great, the lip mask is only five minutes and I use the ultra conditioning lip balm before I put on any lip gloss or lipstick. I find that my lip gloss or lipstick lasts longer after I put on the lip balm. At night before I go to bed I apply the overnight intensive lip treatment which feels so good on my lips. If you’re worried about chemicals don’t worry Burt’s Bees is all natural.
Since I’ve started my lip care routine I’ve gotten a lot a compliments on how great my lips have been looking and I owe it all to Burt’s Bees! Before I end this blog I just want to say that Chapstick has just introduced a lip care kit too and it is a kit that includes everything with Burt’s Bees you have to buy each item separately it doesn’t come as a kit.
Wearing Burt’s Bees tinted Lip Balm
You can purchase these products from any drugstore. Wal-mart, Ulta or you can go to their website http://www.burtsbees.com to purchase.
Until next time Southernistas remember Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Brave!
Happy Friday Southernistas and a early Happy Saint Patrick’s Day which is this weekend (Sunday). I hope y’all’s week has been a great week. My week started off a little rough but it got better.
With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner I would be remiss if I didn’t delve into my closet and pull out my green to celebrate this fun and festive holiday. For me this holiday feels like the unofficial start of Spring and I am all for that! I am so over winter! Green is such a rich a vibrant color and I can’t think of another color that represents Spring than the color green.
If you are saying that you can’t wear green first remove the can’t from your vocabulary and know that you can wear green. If you are not comfortable with a head to toe look try wearing a print with pops of green or a cute skirt or pants in celebration. Think about a cute pair of shoes, bag, or jewelry for that pop of green. There are so many ways to incorporate green into your look.
So make sure you break out your green this weekend and HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
Until next time Southernistas remember Be Bold, Be Brave, Be Beautiful!
Dress from Eloquii (no longer available) click Here and here and here for alternatives
Happy Friday Southernistas! I know it has been a while since I’ve blogged and I ask your forgiveness but the weather here in North Carolina has not lent itself to photo shoots but the rain seems to be holding off so I can create more content for the blog! I hope everyone has had a great week and that you have a great weekend.
Today Southernistas and fellow shoe addicts as you can tell from the title this blog is a memorial for my absolute favorite shoe store Payless Shoe Source. Last month the news broke that after 62 years Payless doors are closing and I am devastated. This news came out of nowhere and to say I was blindsided would be an understatement. Payless has always been my go to store for affordable and stylish shoes for years. In 2008 they partnered with Christian Siriano and it has been a very successful partnership. Payless has appeared on the runway at NYFW and who could forget the recent commercial where bloggers pair hundreds of dollars for their shoes because they though they were designer shoes.
There is no other shoe store you could go to with a $100 and walk out with 6 pairs of shoes a cute bag and still have change! That was the beauty of Payless your dollar went a long way especially for families. I can’t count the number of times I stood in line behind families who were buying shoes for the whole family especially during buy one get one half off. When I was really strapped for cash I knew I could always go to Payless and get a few pair shoes at a really great price.
There is no doubt I am going to miss Payless Shoe Source! I am going to miss Christian Siriano’s shoe line. I am going to miss the savings there is no doubt. I am just going to miss Payless!
So thank you Payless Shoe Source for the Christina Siriano collection, the great sales, but most of all the great shoes! I am going to miss you dear friend. R.I.P
Until next time Southernistas remember Be Brave, Be Bold, Be Beautiful
Happy Valentine’s Day Southernistas! I hope you are having an awesome day and that you are sharing it with you love one(s).
I must confess that Valentine’s day has never been one of my favorite days. After Christmas I always began to the countdown to February 14th with growing dread and depression. As a single girl it is hard to see everyone getting flowers and candy and all the other romantic and sweet gestures that go along with this day and not feel some kind of way about this day. For years my friends Beth & John would always send me a beautiful gift that had all kinds of goodies in it and it just made my day. Of course my daughter and Mom also gave me gifts as well as my sister and my best friend Lisa and I did appreciate it BUT my heart ached for a special someone to give me those things.
This year is different and it’s not because I’m seeing anyone but my perspective about February 14th has changed. Today I celebrate my ultimate valentine gift which is God’s love. I know this scripture is quoted all the time but John 3:16 tells us of the best gift this world was given: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. How can we ever top that gift! This morning in my prayer time I began to thank God for his son Jesus. Jesus loves us perfectly, completely, and whole. His love is without strings and everyday He gives us gifts and again its without any strings attached. Jesus will never break your heart, abandon you or hurt you but he will heal and mend your broken heart and let you know that you are loved with an everlasting love.
So today I celebrate that I am loved by Jesus so much that he was willing to die for me so that I could have eternal life. I celebrate His resurrection and how everyday I feel his love surrounding me and filling me and I know I am never along and I am always loved. Because I know Jesus loves me I allow myself to celebrate and be my own Valentine because I know I’m not celebrating this day alone. Today I celebrate the Ultimate Valentine – JESUS!
Until next Southernistas Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Brave!
Dress from Lane Bryant | Shoes from Payless Shoe Source (old) | Pearls from Ashley Stewart (no longer available)
Happy Friday Southernistas! I hope y’all had a great work week and that you are ready for the weekend! For some of us it was a four day work week due to the celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I don’t know about y’all but winter has really arrived here in North Carolina and we’ve had more rainy and cloudy days then sunny days. The temperature has dropped with the exception of two days of 60+ degree weather this week. With the days being so gray I’ve taken the opportunity to wear more color and the one color I decided to wear was white. I usually don’t wear white because as a southern girl it was ingrained in me that you don’t wear white after Labor Day. This is so ingrained in me that I really don’t even think about wearing white in the winter unless it is for a church service.
On my fashion journey I am constantly pushing myself to step outside my comfort zone and when I was deciding what to wear my eyes fell on this beautiful Karl Lagerfeld (yes that Karl) skirt I got from a previous Stitch Fix box I almost put it back thinking this is for Spring but then I said to myself “Regina break that no white after Labor day rule!” and so I pulled it out the closet again and paired it with my favorite white sweater from Full Beauty.
I am so glad I did because when I saw the total look it was an instant mood lifter for me and even though it is winter I felt like a beautiful Spring day! So remember to toss outdated fashion rules out the window and wear your white!
Until next time Southernistas remember to Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!
Skirt Stitch Fix | Sweater Full Beauty | Shoes DSW | Denim Trench Coat Eloquii | Bag Payless Shoe Source
Hello Southernistas! I hope everyone has had a good week and that you are keeping warm. Here in North Carolina the week started out in the 60s but it is not freezing!
Southernistas there is nothing like a suit! I had forgotten how wonderful and versatile a suit can be and how timeless they are too. I think my main reason for avoiding suits for so long is because when I think of suits I think about the suits from the 80s shoulder pads and all (shudder) but that is not the case anymore. This week I rediscovered the power of a great suit. The great thing about a suit is that it instantly makes you feel stylish and pulled together. It gives you a polished and effortless look plus total girl boss vibes! You don’t have to go out a buy a suit if you have a great blazer and cute skirt voila you have a suit! Which is what I did with this outfit I paired this blazer from Lane Bryant with this cute skirt also from Lane Bryant and since we’ve had nothing but gray skies recently I wore this ultra feminine lavender floral top and I felt ready to go forth and conquer.
Suits never really go out of style but they are having their fashion moment. With a suit you can mix and match with pieces in your closet to create several different looks. So in the words of Barney from How I Met Your Mother….SUIT UP!
Unit next time Southernistas! Have a great weekend and remember to Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!
Bryant Blazer from Lane Bryant, Skirt from Lane Bryant (old), Shoes from Payless (old), Pocketbook from Nine West (Old)
Well book lovers and friends April has come and gone and I hope it has taken the cool temps with it and I am looking forward to May sunshine.
April was a slow reading month, I was doing life, for me I read five books this month but they were great books with one 5 STAR read. I hope y’all had a great month of reading. Please share with me some of your favorite books you read this month.
Until Next Time! Happy Reading!
My Overall Favorite Book:
This was such a great book with lots of plot twists and family healing. I see why Daphne Silver won the Agatha Award this year at Malice Domestice for her debut novel and I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Goodreads Blurb: Rare books librarian Juniper Blume knows this much… an ancient Celtic manuscript shouldn’t be in a Maryland cemetery. But that’s exactly what her brother-in-law claims.
Last year, Juniper saw the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells in Ireland. She learned how their bejeweled covers were stolen centuries ago, never to be seen again. So how could they have ended up in Rose Mallow, a small Chesapeake Bay town? Being Jewish, the Book of Kells might not be her sacred text, but as a rare books librarian, the ancient book is still sacred to her, making it important to Juniper to find out the truth.
Rose Mallow is the same place where Juniper used to summer with her sister Azalea and their grandmother Zinnia, known as Nana Z. Ever since Nana Z passed away, Juniper’s avoided returning, but her curiosity is greater than her grief, so she heads down in her vintage convertible with her rescue dog Clover.
Juniper discovers that her sister Azalea has transformed their grandmother’s Queen Anne style mansion into the Wildflower Inn, backing up to the Chesapeake Bay. Although Juniper isn’t much of a cook, Azalea has kept their grandmother’s legacy alive, filling the house with the smells of East European Jewish treats, like sweet kugels and tzimmes cake. Will coming back here feel like returning home or fill Juniper with a deeper sorrow? Can she apologize to her sister for not being there when she was needed most?
4 Star Reads:
This second book in Korina Moss’ Cheese Shop mystery doesn’t suffer from the sophomore slump. The only reason I gave it 4 STARS was that there were times the story slowed down for me in some parts.
Goodreads Blurb: Yarrow Glen’s newest cheese shop, Curds & Whey, has a lot on its plate, but cheesemonger Willa Bauer relishes a challenge. There’s a float to build for the fall festival, plus the French-inspired cheese shop is playing host to celebrity vegan chef Phoebe Winston. But when photos surface that prove this vegan influencer is, in fact, a carnivore, things crumble faster than any cheese on the market: Phoebe is murdered. Willa’s employee, the affable Archie, was the last one to see Phoebe alive and the first person the police suspect. To clear his name Willa must uncover who’s been up to no gouda…
This historical cozy mystery set in the 1950s during the height of summer getaways in the Catskills Mountains also known as the Borscht Belt because it was a popular vacation spot for well to do Jewish families. Sadly there are only 2 books in this series.
Elizabeth Grady is her second year of running Hagerman’s Family Resort for her glamourous and former Broadway and Hollywood star Olivia when a guest is murdered. When the Sheriff calls in the FBI and begins to accuse the resort of being a hotbed of communist activity along with the rival resort also spreading rumors about the resort Elizabeth is doing everything she can to find out who the killer is and stop the rumors from spreading before they loose the resort which is all her mother has since her third husband ran off with her money and jewels.
Goodreads Blurb: A summer of fun at a Catskills resort comes to an abrupt end when a guest is found murdered, in this new 1950s set mystery series.
It’s the summer of 1953, and Elizabeth Grady is settling into Haggerman’s Catskills Resort. As a vacation getaway, Haggerman’s is ideal, and although Elizabeth’s ostentatious but well-meaning mother is new to running the resort, Elizabeth is eager to help her organize the guests and the entertainment acts. But Elizabeth will have to resort to untested abilities if she wants to save her mother’s business.
When a reclusive guest is found dead in a lake on the grounds, and a copy of The Communist Manifesto is found in his cabin, the local police chief is convinced that the man was a Russian spy. But Elizabeth isn’t so sure, and with the fate of the resort hanging in the balance, she’ll need to dodge red herrings, withstand the Red Scare, and catch a killer red-handed.
3 Star Reads:
This has been on my TBR pile for over a year and I decided this year to try and tackle my TBR starting with this first book in Cheryl Hollon’s Paint & Shine series which is set in the mountains of Kentucky. There are only three books in this series.
This first book starts out with a bang when one of the cooks is murdered in the kitchen of Miranda’s home with a house full of her first customer’s for her Paint & Shine business Miranda fears her business is over before it even gets started.
Goodreads Blurb: After inheriting her uncle’s Red River Gorge homestead in Eastern Kentucky — smack dab in the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest — Miranda comes up with a perfect business plan for summer tourists: pairing outdoor painting classes with sips of local moonshine, followed by a mouthwatering sampler of the best in southern cooking.
To Miranda’s delight, Paint & Shine is a total success — until someone kills the cook. As the town’s outsider, suspicion naturally falls on Miranda. Murdering the best biscuit baker of Red River Gorge is a high crime in these parts. Miranda will have to prove her innocence before she’s moved from farmhouse to jail cell faster than she can say “white lightning” . . .
Goodreads Blurb: Fiercely independent Mabel Canning can’t wait to begin working for the Useful Women’s Agency. But when she discovers a body on her client’s doorstep, it’s time to add solving murders to her job description…
London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.
As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?
As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.
As she investigates, Mabel discovers dusty old photographs that help her reveal the soldier’s true identity. But as she gets closer to uncovering the young man’s murderer, she knows she’s also one step closer to danger… Can she outsmart the killer and save Park and Rosalind before they also turn up dead as doornails?
Hello book lovers and friends welcome to another WWW Wednesday which I share with you:
What I recently finished reading?
What I am currently reading?
What I might be reading next?
This was originally created by blogger MizB at A Daily Rhythm but is now being continued by book blogger Sam of Taking on a World of Words.
Please share what your WWW Wednesday in the comments.
Until Next Time! Happy Reading:)
What I recently finished reading:
This has been on my TBR for a while so I was very happy when it was selected by my Facebook book club for April but I am so sad that there are only two books in this series set in the 1950s in the Catskills Mountains when well to do New Yorkers fled the heat of the city to spend their summers at the many Catskill Mountain Resorts also known as the Borscht Belt since the majority of families were Jewish.
I really enjoyed this first book in the series and seeing the challenges Elizabeth faces as a woman who run a resort in the 1950s however I did find the actual mystery somewhat lacking. 3 Stars
Goodreads Book Blurb: A summer of fun at a Catskills resort comes to an abrupt end when a guest is found murdered, in this new 1950s set mystery series.
It’s the summer of 1953, and Elizabeth Grady is settling into Haggerman’s Catskills Resort. As a vacation getaway, Haggerman’s is ideal, and although Elizabeth’s ostentatious but well-meaning mother is new to running the resort, Elizabeth is eager to help her organize the guests and the entertainment acts. But Elizabeth will have to resort to untested abilities if she wants to save her mother’s business.
When a reclusive guest is found dead in a lake on the grounds, and a copy of The Communist Manifesto is found in his cabin, the local police chief is convinced that the man was a Russian spy. But Elizabeth isn’t so sure, and with the fate of the resort hanging in the balance, she’ll need to dodge red herrings, withstand the Red Scare, and catch a killer red-handed.
What I am currently reading:
I am really enjoying this first book in Marty Wingate’s historical mystery set in the 1920s. I love that Mabel Canning is a 30 something young woman who is living out her dream of moving from her small English village of Peasmarsh and to London working for the Useful Women Agency. I do think it is funny that at 32 she thinks of herself as a middle age woman!
Goodreads Book Blurb: Fiercely independent Mabel Canning can’t wait to begin working for the Useful Women’s Agency. But when she discovers a body on her client’s doorstep, it’s time to add solving murders to her job description…
London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.
As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?
As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.
As she investigates, Mabel discovers dusty old photographs that help her reveal the soldier’s true identity. But as she gets closer to uncovering the young man’s murderer, she knows she’s also one step closer to danger… Can she outsmart the killer and save Park and Rosalind before they also turn up dead as doornails?
What I’ll be reading next:
Not sure what I’ll be reading next but I am several books on one of my TBR piles to pick from.
Hello book lovers and friends welcome to another WWW Wednesday which I share with you:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
This was originally created by blogger MizB at A Daily Rhythm but is now being continued by book blogger Sam of Taking on a World of Words.
Please share what your WWW Wednesday in the comments.
What I finished reading:
This second book in Korina Moss’ Cheese Shop mystery doesn’t suffer from the sophomore slump at all. When a rising vegan chef social media influencer is murdered before the big event at Willa’s cheese shop Curds & Whey and her employee Archie is the main suspect. Not just Willa but her other employee Mrs. Schultz along with her friend Baz get involved despite warnings from Det. Heath to leave the investigating to the police.
This was a surprisingly fast read but a really great mystery and I actually solved the mystery before I got to the end of the book! Be prepared to crave Gouda! 4.5 STARS
Goodreads Blurb: Yarrow Glen’s newest cheese shop, Curds & Whey, has a lot on its plate, but cheesemonger Willa Bauer relishes a challenge. There’s a float to build for the fall festival, plus the French-inspired cheese shop is playing host to celebrity vegan chef Phoebe Winston. But when photos surface that prove this vegan influencer is, in fact, a carnivore, things crumble faster than any cheese on the market: Phoebe is murdered. Willa’s employee, the affable Archie, was the last one to see Phoebe alive and the first person the police suspect. To clear his name Willa must uncover who’s been up to no gouda…
What I am currently reading:
This has been on my TBR for a year so imagine how glad I was when this was picked for one of my Facebook book club! Vicki Delany is one of my favorite authors and I’ve yet to read a cozy mystery series by her that I didn’t love. I especially love that it is set in the 1950s
Goodreads Blurb: A summer of fun at a Catskills resort comes to an abrupt end when a guest is found murdered, in this new 1950s set mystery series.
It’s the summer of 1953, and Elizabeth Grady is settling into Haggerman’s Catskills Resort. As a vacation getaway, Haggerman’s is ideal, and although Elizabeth’s ostentatious but well-meaning mother is new to running the resort, Elizabeth is eager to help her organize the guests and the entertainment acts. But Elizabeth will have to resort to untested abilities if she wants to save her mother’s business.
When a reclusive guest is found dead in a lake on the grounds, and a copy of The Communist Manifesto is found in his cabin, the local police chief is convinced that the man was a Russian spy. But Elizabeth isn’t so sure, and with the fate of the resort hanging in the balance, she’ll need to dodge red herrings, withstand the Red Scare, and catch a killer red-handed.
What I’ll be reading next:
My other Facebook book club pick of the month
Goodreads blurb: Fiercely independent Mabel Canning can’t wait to begin working for the Useful Women’s Agency. But when she discovers a body on her client’s doorstep, it’s time to add solving murders to her job description…
London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.
As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?
As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.
As she investigates, Mabel discovers dusty old photographs that help her reveal the soldier’s true identity. But as she gets closer to uncovering the young man’s murderer, she knows she’s also one step closer to danger… Can she outsmart the killer and save Park and Rosalind before they also turn up dead as doornails?
Hello book lovers and friends welcome to another WWW Wednesday which I share with you:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
This was originally created by blogger MizB at A Daily Rhythm but is now being continued by book blogger Sam of Taking on a World of Words.
This past week was a much better week reading wise!
Please share what your WWW Wednesday in the comments.
What I recently finished reading:
I gave this first book in Cheryl Hollon’s Paint & Shine series 3 Stars. What worked for me was the mystery I mean a woman in murdered in broad daylight in the kitchen with a house full of guest so pretty much under everyone’s nose. I enjoyed learning about rural Kentucky and I thought the author did a fabulous job with her characters and world building.
What didn’t work for me is the mystery never really picked up for me there were times when it felt like it just stalled and the reveal was not what I expected.
Goodreads Blurb: After inheriting her uncle’s Red River Gorge homestead in Eastern Kentucky — smack dab in the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest — Miranda comes up with a perfect business plan for summer tourists: pairing outdoor painting classes with sips of local moonshine, followed by a mouthwatering sampler of the best in southern cooking.
To Miranda’s delight, Paint & Shine is a total success — until someone kills the cook. As the town’s outsider, suspicion naturally falls on Miranda. Murdering the best biscuit baker of Red River Gorge is a high crime in these parts. Miranda will have to prove her innocence before she’s moved from farmhouse to jail cell faster than she can say “white lightning” . . .
Currently Reading:
This is the second book in Korina Moss’ very popular Cheese Shop Mystery Series. I am actually behind in this series since there are currently 5 books in the series.
Goodreads Blurb: Things are going from gouda to bad to ugly for cheesemonger Willa Bauer in Gone for Gouda.
Yarrow Glen’s newest cheese shop, Curds & Whey, has a lot on its plate, but cheesemonger Willa Bauer relishes a challenge. There’s a float to build for the fall festival, plus the French-inspired cheese shop is playing host to celebrity vegan chef Phoebe Winston. But when photos surface that prove this vegan influencer is, in fact, a carnivore, things crumble faster than any cheese on the market: Phoebe is murdered. Willa’s employee, the affable Archie, was the last one to see Phoebe alive and the first person the police suspect. To clear his name Willa must uncover who’s been up to no gouda…
What I’ll be reading next:
Cozy Mysteries Once a Month Book Club Pick:
Goodreads Blurb: Fiercely independent Mabel Canning can’t wait to begin working for the Useful Women’s Agency. But when she discovers a body on her client’s doorstep, it’s time to add solving murders to her job description…
London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.
As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?
As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.
As she investigates, Mabel discovers dusty old photographs that help her reveal the soldier’s true identity. But as she gets closer to uncovering the young man’s murderer, she knows she’s also one step closer to danger… Can she outsmart the killer and save Park and Rosalind before they also turn up dead as doornails?
Cozy Mystery Reading Challenge Book Club Pick:
Goodreads Blurb: A summer of fun at a Catskills resort comes to an abrupt end when a guest is found murdered, in this new 1950s set mystery series.
It’s the summer of 1953, and Elizabeth Grady is settling into Haggerman’s Catskills Resort. As a vacation getaway, Haggerman’s is ideal, and although Elizabeth’s ostentatious but well-meaning mother is new to running the resort, Elizabeth is eager to help her organize the guests and the entertainment acts. But Elizabeth will have to resort to untested abilities if she wants to save her mother’s business.
When a reclusive guest is found dead in a lake on the grounds, and a copy of The Communist Manifesto is found in his cabin, the local police chief is convinced that the man was a Russian spy. But Elizabeth isn’t so sure, and with the fate of the resort hanging in the balance, she’ll need to dodge red herrings, withstand the Red Scare, and catch a killer red-handed
Hello fellow book lovers and friends! I know I always post what I’m reading on Wednesdays but this week has been really busy and really stressful so instead of WWW Wednesday I’m doing WWW Friday.
WWW Wednesday was started by book blogger MizB of A Daily Rhythm but has been taken up by book blogger and new mom Sam of Taking on a World of Words which ask:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Hope you have a great weekend! Please share what you’re reading this weekend? What have you been reading this week?
What I recently finished reading:
This fifth book in Amanda Flower’s Farm to Table mystery didn’t disappoint! I loved the mystery especially liked that the murder took place in front of hundreds of people. How did the victim get a poisoned cherry in broad daylight?! When Shiloh’s cousin Stacy becomes a person of interest Shiloh knows she can’t not sleuth even if her cousin Stacy is not her favorite person. I just couldn’t put this book down. 5 BIG STARS
Goodreads Blurb: Head back to snowy Michigan just in time for the annual cherry pit spitting contest. It’s all fun and games until the local drama professor chokes on more than just his pride.
Shiloh Bellamy can hardly believe it — for the first time in her family farm’s seventy-year history, she has managed to score a highly-coveted booth at the Cherry Farm Market in Traverse City, Michigan. It’s a huge win in her master plan to bring the rundown farm back to life… and the fact that her coup has sent her next-door neighbor and organic farming competitor into fits of jealousy doesn’t hurt, either. But the festive atmosphere at the farm market takes a dark turn when a man entered in the famous cherry pit-spitting competition chokes and dies right in front of Shiloh, who is standing near the sidelines as a spectator.
When the death turns out to be more suspicious than a cherry pit down the wrong pipe, Shiloh finds herself under local law enforcement’s microscope — she has developed something of a reputation for being unwittingly involved in local murders. And when they discover her cousin Stacey had been secretly dating the man in question — and that he was married to someone else — Shiloh begins to worry that everything she has worked so hard to accomplish with her family’s farm is about to be taken away. It will take all her investigative skills, a tenuous friendship (or is it something more?) with the local sheriff, and some help from Shiloh’s trusty pug, Huckleberry, to prove the cops are barking up the wrong cherry tree and put the real killer behind bars for good.
This first book in K.E. O’Connor’s Holly Holmes Cozy mystery series has everything you would expect in a British cozy mystery. Set in the British village of Audley St. Mary with the murder taking place in a castle well we are off and running! Holly along with her furry sidekick Meatball are a joy! 5 STARS
Goodreads Blurb: Holly Holmes loves her new job working in the kitchen at Audley Castle, home to the eccentric and wealthy Audley family.
With her faithful corgi cross, Meatball, by her side, she enjoys a quiet life full of baking, researching old recipes, and trying any fun fitness fad — weighted hula hoop, anyone?
When the bumbling, and cute, Lord Rupert Audley requests some of her scrumptious desserts for his school reunion, she happily gets baking.
Everything is going great until Meatball discovers a hand sticking out of the ground, Princess Alice faints, and Holly gets stuck in the spotlight for murder!
If Holly can’t clear her name, she’ll lose her amazing new life in the beautiful Audley St. Mary, Meatball will go back to the animal shelter, and her freedom will be history.
What I am currently reading:
Goodreads Blurb: After inheriting her uncle’s Red River Gorge homestead in Eastern Kentucky — smack dab in the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest — Miranda comes up with a perfect business plan for summer tourists: pairing outdoor painting classes with sips of local moonshine, followed by a mouthwatering sampler of the best in southern cooking.
To Miranda’s delight, Paint & Shine is a total success — until someone kills the cook. As the town’s outsider, suspicion naturally falls on Miranda. Murdering the best biscuit baker of Red River Gorge is a high crime in these parts. Miranda will have to prove her innocence before she’s moved from farmhouse to jail cell faster than she can say “white lightning” . . .
Hello book lovers and friends welcome to another WWW Wednesday which I share with you:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
This was originally created by blogger MizB at A Daily Rhythm but is now being continued by book blogger Sam of Taking on a World of Words.
This past week was a much better week reading wise!
Please share what your WWW Wednesday in the comments.
What I recently finished reading:
The Beacon Bakeshop mystery series is one of my favorite series and this 5th book in the series didn’t disappoint. I love the introduction of Rory’s Uncle Finn & cousin Colleen and none of the other character’s suffered with the introduction of Beacon Harbor’s newest residents! I mean how can you not be invested in a mystery when the victim is a leprechaun?
While I loved the mystery I felt that Lindsey’s best friend Kennedy has not grown and seems stuck in adolescence. There were times when she acted extremely immature and her actions were childish.
Goodreads Blurb: Follow the aroma of shamrock sugar cookies to the Beacon Bakeshop, a lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan where amateur sleuth Lindsey Bakewell is busy preparing for Beacon Harbor’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities — with a little help from her adorable Newfoundland, Wellington, of course!
Lindsey is baking up a storm — shamrock sugar cookies, Guinness chocolate cupcakes, Irish soda bread — for the well-timed grand opening of the Irish import gift shop, the Blarney Stone, owned by her boyfriend’s uncle, Finnigan O’Connor, recently relocated from the Emerald Isle.
But it’s Uncle Finn himself who seems full of blarney when he gleefully reveals a pot of real gold he claims he stole from an actual leprechaun. And Finn’s fortune takes a turn for the worse when he’s arrested for the bludgeoning of a small unidentified man dressed as a leprechaun — the murder weapon alleged to be his now-missing shillelagh.
Eccentric Uncle Finn may enjoy believing he’s outwitted a leprechaun, but he would never be so deluded as to clobber one with his walking stick. Now Lindsey will need more than the luck of the Irish to seize a golden opportunity to catch the real killer . . .
What I’m currently reading:
If you’re looking for a July 4th theme or summer read here you go!
Goodreads Blurb: Head back to snowy Michigan just in time for the annual cherry pit spitting contest. It’s all fun and games until the local drama professor chokes on more than just his pride.
Shiloh Bellamy can hardly believe it — for the first time in her family farm’s seventy-year history, she has managed to score a highly-coveted booth at the Cherry Farm Market in Traverse City, Michigan. It’s a huge win in her master plan to bring the rundown farm back to life… and the fact that her coup has sent her next-door neighbor and organic farming competitor into fits of jealousy doesn’t hurt, either. But the festive atmosphere at the farm market takes a dark turn when a man entered in the famous cherry pit-spitting competition chokes and dies right in front of Shiloh, who is standing near the sidelines as a spectator.
When the death turns out to be more suspicious than a cherry pit down the wrong pipe, Shiloh finds herself under local law enforcement’s microscope — she has developed something of a reputation for being unwittingly involved in local murders. And when they discover her cousin Stacey had been secretly dating the man in question — and that he was married to someone else — Shiloh begins to worry that everything she has worked so hard to accomplish with her family’s farm is about to be taken away. It will take all her investigative skills, a tenuous friendship (or is it something more?) with the local sheriff, and some help from Shiloh’s trusty pug, Huckleberry, to prove the cops are barking up the wrong cherry tree and put the real killer behind bars for good.
What I might be reading next:
While I just bought a “few” books I’ve decided to read books that have been patiently waiting to be read on my TBR pile the longest starting with this first book Cheryl Hollon’s Paint & Shine mystery series
Goodreads Blurb: After inheriting her uncle’s Red River Gorge homestead in Eastern Kentucky — smack dab in the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest — Miranda comes up with a perfect business plan for summer tourists: pairing outdoor painting classes with sips of local moonshine, followed by a mouthwatering sampler of the best in southern cooking.
To Miranda’s delight, Paint & Shine is a total success — until someone kills the cook. As the town’s outsider, suspicion naturally falls on Miranda. Murdering the best biscuit baker of Red River Gorge is a high crime in these parts. Miranda will have to prove her innocence before she’s moved from farmhouse to jail cell faster than she can say “white lightning” . . .
Happy WWW Wednesday fellow book lovers and friends! I hope your week is going great so far and hang on in there we’re halfway there…LOL.
For those of you who are discovering my little space here on Medium and wondering what does the WWW stand for it simply asks the following questions:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Please share in the comments your WWW.
What I recently finished reading:
4 STARS!
Goodreads Blurb: When former San Francisco cop Maggie Doyle extends her stay in Ireland, dealing with more murder and mayhem isn’t on her to-do list. Too bad because the instant Maggie and her UFO-enthusiast friend Lenny discover the dead body of Whisper Island’s postman, Maggie’s plans to chill for the next two months are put on ice.
Then Police Sergeant Reynolds, Maggie’s handsome neighbor, arrests Lenny’s brother for the murder, and her friend begs her to find the real killer. Meanwhile, Maggie is hired to investigate ghostly goings on at the Whisper Island Hotel. Can she solve two crimes before St. Patrick’s Day? Or will the island’s annual celebrations end in a glittery flame of green, white, and orange?
Currently Reading:
Book 5 of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery
Goodreads Blurb: Follow the aroma of shamrock sugar cookies to the Beacon Bakeshop, a lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan where amateur sleuth Lindsey Bakewell is busy preparing for Beacon Harbor’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities — with a little help from her adorable Newfoundland, Wellington, of course!
Lindsey is baking up a storm — shamrock sugar cookies, Guinness chocolate cupcakes, Irish soda bread — for the well-timed grand opening of the Irish import gift shop, the Blarney Stone, owned by her boyfriend’s uncle, Finnigan O’Connor, recently relocated from the Emerald Isle.
But it’s Uncle Finn himself who seems full of blarney when he gleefully reveals a pot of real gold he claims he stole from an actual leprechaun. And Finn’s fortune takes a turn for the worse when he’s arrested for the bludgeoning of a small unidentified man dressed as a leprechaun — the murder weapon alleged to be his now-missing shillelagh.
Eccentric Uncle Finn may enjoy believing he’s outwitted a leprechaun, but he would never be so deluded as to clobber one with his walking stick. Now Lindsey will need more than the luck of the Irish to seize a golden opportunity to catch the real killer . . .
What I’m Reading Next:
Not sure what I’ll be reading next but it could be one of the following:
Happy Friday fellow book lovers and friends! I hope the first week in March has been a great week!
I wasn’t going to do a Friday post today because I couldn’t decide if I wanted to do an author spotlight, fashion, or miscellaneous but after looking at YouTuber’s Irish/St. Patrick’s Day recommendation I decided this is what I would post today especially with St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner.
Last year my March TBR was nothing but cozy mysteries set in Ireland or set during St. Patrick’s Day and with that day growing closer I thought I would add my recommendations of my favorites that I read and enjoyed along with some I want to read.
Have a great weekend!
Cozy mysteries set in Ireland:
The Movie Club Mysteries by Zara Keane there are 7 books and 2 novellas in this delightful series so far and if you go to her website and join her mailing list you get 2 free eBooks. I love this series featuring former SFPD Office Maggie Doyle who finds herself on Whisper Island in Ireland after she catches her husband with his paralegal and looses her job.
All the book’s title are a play on a classic movie and I love this! This is a fun series and well written. The mysteries are solid and Maggie along with her cousin June and friend Lenny are worth getting to know. So is her Aunt Noreen.
The Irish Village Mystery series by Carlene O’Connor there are a total of 13 books (counting novellas and short stories) and counting in this series set in the Irish village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland. Siobhan O’Sullivan is the amateur sleuth but she goes from amateur to Gard (what the police in Ireland are called) in later books.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and my plan is to read all the books in this series.
Carlene is also the author of the Home to Ireland series also there are 2 books in this series but I wish there were more! I love this series more than her Irish Village series
The County Cork Mystery series by the late Shelia Connolly there are 9 books in this series. I read the first book Buried in a Bog last year and really enjoyed the first book. For the me the mystery was secondary to Maura Donovan’s story which was about finding family.
Shelia Connolly was truly a gifted writer! I was a big fan of her Apple Orchard series.
Irish Castle Murder Mystery by Ellie Brannigan (aka Traci Hall). The author recently announced she was working on the second book in this series and I can’t wait for book 2! The main character is American bridal designer Rayne McGrath who never thought she would end up at the family castle in a little Irish village but then she never thought the man she loved would turn out to be a con-artist who conned her out of her money, custom bridal gowns, and business.
When she learns her Uncle Nevin has named her as heir and she much run the McGrath Castle and get it back on sound financial footing or the whole village will be ruined surprised is an understatement. Not to mention meeting her uncle’s long lost daughter who believes Nevin was murdered! Can the cousins work together to turn the fortune’s of McGrath Castle around, solve a murder, and will Rayne be able to run her business from Ireland?
St. Patrick’s Day Cozy Mystery Series:
Murder at the Blarney Bash (Beacon Bakeshop Mystery #5) by Darci Hannah
Four Leaf Felony (A Holiday Cozy Mystery #1) by Tonya Kappes
Four Leaf Cleaver (Country Store Mystery #11) by Maddie Day
A Catered St. Patrick’s Day (A Mystery with Receipes #8) by Isis Crawford
Happy Wednesday fellow book lovers and friends! I feel like I’m hitting my reading stride this month even though I haven’t created a TBR for this month. I have to admit I am just enjoying reading and not putting pressure on myself to read a certain number of books each month or try to speed read a book just to get to the next book. I find when I do this there is no enjoyment because I’m not reading for pleasure but to try and keep up with others on Instagram/YouTube/Facebook and I have to remind myself reading is for enjoyment and not competition.
So I’m not stressing myself out anymore if I don’t read 30 books in a month but enjoying the ones I do read and even though I’m trying to make a dent in my TBR but it is kind of hard to do when I keep buying books…LOL!
Here we are the first Wednesday of March and another WWW Wednesday WWW asks the following questions:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Please share with me in the comments your answers to these questions.
What I recently finished reading:
Cocount Drop Dead (A Spice Isle Bakery Mystery #3) by Olivia Matthews
5 STARS
Goodreads Blurb: The case in Olivia Matthews’s Coconut Drop Dead is going to be a tough nut to crack.
Brooklyn’s annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival is finally here, and Spice Isle Bakery is thrilled to be one of the event’s food vendors. After all, the Murrays have been attending the festival for years. Co-owner Lyndsay Murray hopes their West Indian pastries and finger foods draw people back to the bakery in Little Caribbean. She’s looking forward to having fun, connecting with customers, and celebrating with her family.
The day’s festivities are cut short when Camille, lead singer of an up-and-coming reggae band, dies. The police think it may be a tragic accident. But Lyndsay’s cousin Manny was close to Camille, and he believes someone cut her life short. Now Manny needs Lyndsay’s help to make sure a killer faces the music.
What I am currently reading
Hard Dough Homicide (A Spice Isle Bakery Mystery #2) by Olivia Matthews
Goodreads blurb: Someone in Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean neighborhood has an appetite for murder in Olivia Matthews’ Hard Dough Homicide .
Spice Isle Bakery owner Lyndsay Murray is always looking for new ways to grow her family’s business. But she already regrets agreeing to host the retirement dinner for local high school principal Emily Smith. The tyrant used to be her mother’s boss and they did not get along. Six guests arrive for the celebration, but only five survive. Emily starts convulsing―right after eating the curry chicken―and dies soon after. It’s not long before the police are knocking on Spice Isle’s door, bringing the Murray family back into the heart of another murder investigation―driving away customers in the process. Lyndsay can’t help but wonder if this is the end of the bakery, even though it’s just begun. She must put aside her reservations about investigating another crime, because the Murrays refuse to go down without a fight.
What I’ll be reading next
Murder at the Blarney Bash (Beacon Bakeshop Mystery #5) by Darci Hannah
Goodreads blurb: Follow the aroma of shamrock sugar cookies to the Beacon Bakeshop, a lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan where amateur sleuth Lindsey Bakewell is busy preparing for Beacon Harbor’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities — with a little help from her adorable Newfoundland, Wellington, of course!
Lindsey is baking up a storm — shamrock sugar cookies, Guinness chocolate cupcakes, Irish soda bread — for the well-timed grand opening of the Irish import gift shop, the Blarney Stone, owned by her boyfriend’s uncle, Finnigan O’Connor, recently relocated from the Emerald Isle.
But it’s Uncle Finn himself who seems full of blarney when he gleefully reveals a pot of real gold he claims he stole from an actual leprechaun. And Finn’s fortune takes a turn for the worse when he’s arrested for the bludgeoning of a small unidentified man dressed as a leprechaun — the murder weapon alleged to be his now-missing shillelagh.
Eccentric Uncle Finn may enjoy believing he’s outwitted a leprechaun, but he would never be so deluded as to clobber one with his walking stick. Now Lindsey will need more than the luck of the Irish to seize a golden opportunity to catch the real killer . . .
Hello fellow book lovers and friends! Well February has come and gone really quickly but I really appreciated the extra day we got! For some reason I just never really settled into the month and it felt like the month was constantly surprising me but not in a bad way. By this I mean I had trouble keeping track of events and they just seem to sneak up on me much like February but at the same time it was a great reading month for me overall.
I read seven books last month and they were all really great! I always struggle with picking a favorite overall book because they are usually all great and I rarely read any I don’t like but it does happen but for February I actually do have an overall favorite book this month (miracles do happen)!
How your February?
Until Next Time!
Pride, Prejudice and Poison (A Jane Austen Society Mystery #1) by Elizabeth Blake (Cozy Mystery Book Club Pick)
3 STARS! For the most I enjoyed this mystery but I felt at times it dragged in certain places and I felt like it was sloughing through certain parts of the book. I liked Erin but I felt she was at times reckless.
Goodreads Blurb: Antiquarian bookstore proprietor Erin Coleridge uses her sense and sensibility to deduce who killed the president of the local Jane Austen Society.
Erin Coleridge’s used bookstore in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, England is a meeting place for the villagers and, in particular, for the local Jane Austen Society. At the Society’s monthly meeting, matters come to a head between the old guard and its young turks. After the meeting breaks for tea, persuasion gives way to murder — with extreme prejudice — when president Sylvia Pemberthy falls dead to the floor. Poisoned? Presumably…but by whom? And was Sylvia the only target?
Handsome — but shy — Detective Inspector Peter Hadley and charismatic Sergeant Rashid Jarral arrive at the scene. The long suspect list includes Sylvia’s lover Kurt Becker and his tightly wound wife Suzanne. Or, perhaps, the killer was Sylvia’s own cuckolded husband, Jerome. Among the many Society members who may have had her in their sights is dashing Jonathan Alder, who was heard having a royal battle of words with the late president the night before.
Then, when Jonathan Alder narrowly avoids becoming the next victim, Farnsworth (the town’s “cat lady”) persuades a seriously time-crunched Erin to help DI Hadley. But the killer is more devious than anyone imagines.
Murder at the Festival (A Read Between the Wine Mystery #1) by Dani Simms (Cozy Mystery Once a Month Book Club pick)
2 STARS — This just didn’t work for me at all I felt there was not enough character development of the main character Avery or any of the side characters. The mystery felt a little clumsy and I was left wanting more.
Goodreads Blurb: Back in her hometown, city girl Avery Parker is finally settling in after her husband’s sudden passing.
The town is abuzz with the annual wine festival and Avery is amped to show off Le Blanc Cellars’ newest release. But between pours of their famed Chenin Blanc, a lifeless body is found.
A curious gray stone clutched in the cold grip of a dead tourist intrigues the locals, and no one expects his death would be ruled a murder.
Driven by empathy for the dead man’s widow, Avery pieces together the puzzle and unearths a scandal larger than she could ever have imagined.
As long as she doesn’t get in her own way, Avery might bring justice for a tourist’s untimely demise. That is, unless she doesn’t become a victim herself.
With more twists than the vines at Le Blanc Cellars, Murder at the Festival will have readers guessing this whodunit.
Murder Wears a Little Black Dress (A Resale Boutique Mystery #1) by Debra Sennefelder
4 STARS!
Goodreads Blurb: Manhattan fashionista Kelly Quinn thought she’d left her upstate New York town far behind . . . until the Seventh Avenue expat returns home to revamp her grandmother’s consignment shop into an upscale boutique — and unwittingly sets a trend for murder . . .
After her rising career as a Manhattan buyer is derailed, Kelly has mixed feelings about relocating back to Lucky Cove, in spite of her big plans for the soon-to-be-renamed Curated by Kelly Resale Boutique. What’s left of her luck starts running out when a customer puts on a black lace dress that triggers visions of someone being murdered. As if the haunted “Murder Dress” isn’t enough to kill business, the psychic’s doppelganger cousin has just been found bludgeoned to death.
Was Maxine LeMoyne the real target or was it a case of mistaken murder? With some creepy pre-Halloween bargain hunters walking the night and Kelly suddenly a person of interest, a second murder rocks the close-knit town. Now Kelly could be the one who ends up talking to dead people when she’s stalked by a killer determined to take her out in high style . . .
Alibi in High Heels (High Heels Mystery #4) by Gemma Halliday
4 STARS! This series just gets better and better! I love that the mystery takes place in Paris, France during Fashion Week! This was a fun, twisty, mystery with a lot of travel
Goodreads Blurb: Baguettes, bodies, and haute couture galore! Shoe designer turned amateur sleuth, Maddie Springer, is at it again, this time in fabulously fashionable Paris. When Europe’s designer de jour, Jean Luc LeCroix, invites Maddie to show her creations at Paris Fashion Week, Maddie’s sure she’s died and gone to heaven. That is until Jean Luc’s top model is found dead on the runway, stabbed with a familiar stiletto heel. Sure someone is trying to frame her, Maddie enlists the help of her friends, including the sexy Detective Jack Ramirez, to uncover a daring jewel heist, a devious blackmailer, and even a few skeletons lurking in the closets of those closest to her. But as the evidence mounts, Maddie becomes the prime suspect and Ramirez is stuck between a badge and a cute blonde with a tendency for trouble. Will he stand by her as she attempts to track down an international killer, or will this be the case that finally comes between them? One thing’s for sure, if Maddie doesn’t uncover the real killer soon, she may be saying her final adieu.
Till Death Do Us Port (Colorado Wine Mystery #4) by Kate Lansing
5 STARS! This series like the High Heels mystery series keeps getting better and better! I love the growth of not just Parker but all the characters in this series and really hoping there will be a book 5!
Goodreads Blurb: It’s June in Boulder, Colorado, and wedding season is in full swing. Parker Valentine is excited to attend the wedding of her favorite cousin, Emma, where in addition to celebrating the happy couple, she’ll also be providing the refreshments for the reception from her winery. But when the fussy wedding planner is found dead midway through the ceremony, Parker knows that to get the weekend back on track, she’ll need to unveil a murderer.
Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of high tension and hot tempers during a wedding, so Parker has a long list of potential suspects. Even worse, her entire family has fixated on the state of Parker’s relationship with her boyfriend, Reid. If Parker can manage to impress her relatives with her wine skills and dodge unwanted pointed personal questions, solving a murder will be the icing on the cake.
A Totally Killer Wedding (A Totally 80s Mystery #1) by D.A. Wilkerson
3 STARS — Pull up that 80s Spotify/Amazon Music/Apple Music or whatever music app you use play list put on your neon colors and get ready to revisit the 80s in this first book! I loved Beckett and all the citizens of Cherry Hill, MO. This mystery really is a page turner and so much fun. I was nowhere close to right about who the killer was.
Goodreads Blurb: The year is 1985, and Beckett Monahan is on the cusp of her twenty-eighth birthday. Her job as a church secretary in her small hometown of Cherry Hill isn’t glamorous, but it’s about to get more exciting. When she stumbles onto a dead body at a wedding, she quickly involves herself in the investigation. People she cares about are being accused of the crime, so she must clear their names and help bring closure to the victim’s family.
While investigating, Beckett has to deal with the reality that someone in Cherry Hill — likely someone she has known her entire life — is a killer. She is also forced to hide her efforts from the local police, who have told her not to interfere in their investigation and who are sincerely concerned for her safety.
With the assistance of some friends and family members, Beckett uncovers clues, debates suspects’ motives, and makes clandestine outings to confirm her suspicions. In the process, she strengthens long-time bonds and builds some new and surprising relationships. But none of that matters if she can’t find the killer before they take her out of the picture.
Favorite Overall Book
Murder in Postscript (A Lady of Letters Mystery #1) by Mary Winters
I gave this book 5 big STARS! Countess Amelia Amesbury is not your run of the mill Victorian aristocrat! If it got out among the ton, London elite, that she was the Lady Agony it would be scandal but she quiet enjoys giving advice to the citizens of London on love, life and everything in between. I love that she does this not because she is a poor aristocrat but because she wants too. When one of her readers reaches out to her for help in solving the murder of her mistress Amelia decides to help and when she goes to meet the young lady and find her body Amelia is even more determined to find the killer. This was a quick read with plenty of suspects and red herrings. I loved the character development and even though Amelia is 25 she read much more mature but in a good way.
Goodreads Blurb: When one of her readers asks for advice following a suspected murder, Victorian countess Amelia Amesbury, who secretly pens the popular Lady Agony column, has no choice but to investigate.
Amelia Amesbury — widow, mother, and countess — has a secret. Amelia writes for a London penny paper, doling out advice on fashion, relationships, and manners under the pen name Lady Agony. But when a lady’s maid writes Amelia to ask for advice when she believes her mistress has been murdered — and then ends up a victim herself — Amelia is determined to solve the case.
With the help of her best friend and a handsome marquis, Amelia begins to piece together the puzzle, but as each new thread of inquiry ends with a different suspect, the investigation grows ever more daunting. From London’s docks and ballrooms to grand country houses, Amelia tracks a killer, putting her reputation — and her life — on the line.
Regina the Southernista 