five finds friday (lemon trees, Noonday parties, toasters, homemade mittens)

Every single week IT’S THE SAME STORY.

How is it already Friday?

WHERE ARE MY DAYS GOING?

Why are my to do lists so long?

When will I ever be caught up?

Why doesn’t anyone EVER hang up their jackets at this house?

But seriously, am I the only one who knows how to load the dishwasher?

funny

Almost a year ago I saw a little plant in Lowe’s and decided that I wanted to become a person who did not kill her house plants.

For my entire life, that’s more than 40 years folks, I have let plants die on my watch. I have overwatered and underwatered, I have forgotten and ignored.

But no more.

I bought that little self-watering plant called a money tree (too bad it didn’t produce – right?) and told myself that if I kept it alive for one entire month that I could reward myself with a new plant the following month.

That little money tree is still alive and I have slowly been adding to my collection. So much so, in fact, that my sister in law was pleasantly surprised when she last visited, (It’s shocking to all of us that green things are growing at my house.)

The kids have joined the fun too, receiving plants as gifts and naming them and enjoying the process as well.

This past weekend I stepped up my game and I bought a lemon tree.

A LEMON TREE.

In my house.

I named her Liz.

And I kind of love her.

She smells amazing. And, if we’re lucky and the stars align, she might actually produce genuine edible lemons.

I’ve been moving her around the house like she’s my friend.

fashionable

Riley asked me if I wanted to host a Noonday party with her.

I said yes.

It’s been a long time since I have hosted one. I think I had an online one a year or more ago and my last in person one was probably about four years ago. (You know, when Sean Penn moved in. I still love Sean, but my affection for him has perhaps been replaced with a stronger affection for Walter Mitty. Shhhh. Don’t tell Sean. He still gets a front row seat every now and again.)

The party is Feb. 24 and if you want to join us, well – that would be lovely.

It’s a wonderful organization. Apparently there will be chips and salsa. We’re a good time. There are all sorts of new arrivals that are beautiful.

Like these earrings:

flavorful

I ditched our toaster many many years ago. I hardly recall why. It took up too much counter space. I didn’t care about a toaster. You can toast bread in the oven. I read that mice are attracted to the crumbs. Toasters aren’t cute.

Apparently the reasons were many.

Lately the kids have been talking about wishing we had a toaster. About how waffles reheated taste better in a toaster. About how we walk away from the oven when the bread is toasting and we burn it too frequently. They aren’t wrong.

I can’t make too many dreams come true, but a toaster is a pretty easy one and after a rather brief search on Amazon a prime deal with a cute color toaster caught my eye and it seemed an easy wish to make happen.

The funny thing is, it was a somewhat spontaneous late evening purchase.

I often put items in my Amazon cart and then delete them later or add them to a list so long and ludicrous that it will never be fulfilled.

I guess I thought I had done that with the toaster because a few nights ago a package was delivered. London opened the door to bring it in and asked what it was. I said, truthfully, “I can’t even remember. You should open it. Maybe it’ll be something fun.”

It was.

It was this cute blue toaster.

I guess we’re toaster people again for now.

feels

London and Mosely and Bergen have been taking a photography class with my talented and fantastic friend Jane.

The other day the class got together for a study group and they were all playing around with their cameras, taking fun photos and being silly.

When London came home she showed me some of her photos.

I think they are incredible.

And I love this one of Mosely looking so sincere and artistic.

faithful

Look at these gorgeous hand knitted (is there another way to knit? can a machine knit? it probably can. well, this is better than any old machine could do.) hand warmers.

I love them so much.

My dear friend Jo made this for me. (She MADE them. That seems so impossibly difficult to me.)

Now if only we would EVER have an actual winter in South Carolina. (Side note: every January and February I wonder why I live in this particular state. Bergen and I bemoan our lack of snow all winter long. Of course, when I ask myself why I stay in this too-warm state, it always always always comes down to people. So many people I love are right here. And so I remain.)

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