Friday Featured Art: Michelangelo's Slaves

A year ago we were in Istanbul for spring break.  I was recently looking at some of our photos from the trip.  We had a layover in Paris and got to visit the Louvre.  (That was a dream come true!)  Michelangelo's Captives are almost beyond belief.  The Rebellious Slave and the Dying Slave were carved from marble but left unfinished.  The muscles in the arms and the chests are so incredibly lifelike.  I love Michelangelo.  {These are photos I took.}

Thursday Tunes: Hitchcock at the Movies

Last Friday we went to a Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert.  It was Friday Night at the Movies and featured some of Hitchcock's best films.  They showed clips from the movies on a large screen while the orchestra played the music live.  It was fantastic.

The Original Soup Man

When I was at the store yesterday, I saw some new boxed soup: The Original Soup Man.  It's soup from the guy that Seinfeld's soup Nazi was based on.  So we had lentil soup for dinner, and it was delicious!

Bissinger's Easter Eggs

I can't believe I've never posted about Bissinger's!  It's our favorite place for chocolate and a St. Louis original.  They have beautiful papier mache eggs with treats for Easter.  Are you getting ready for Easter yet?

Barbara Coupe Scarf

I saw this scarf in The Simple Things a couple of months ago, and I think it's beautiful.  It features a map of the British Isles and is made by Barbara Coupe.  Really I like anything with maps...

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Scottish Beach Finds

To go along with the post from yesterday, I wanted to feature the Etsy shop Scottish Beach Finds today.  This shop has fascinating finds discovered by two young brothers who live on the coast of Scotland.  I would love to order something from this shop - sea glass, marbles, pottery shards, etc.

Thursday Text: The Winter Sea

Our next book club category is "historical," so I've chosen a couple of historical fiction novels to read this month.  The first is The Winter Sea, by Susanna Kearsley.  I'm not very far into it, but I'm enjoying it so far.  (It's set on the coast of Scotland.)  Has anyone read anything by her?

Water Punch

For New Beginnings last week, we had a polka dots theme - with DOTS standing for "depend on the Savior."  It was a lot of fun.  All of the refreshments were round or polka dotted.  I made the old classic: water punch.  I remembered this from when I was little, and it was a big hit!  I floated slices of orange, lemon, and blood orange on top, and it was pretty.  Try it!

WATER PUNCH

1 tbs. citric acid

1 tbs. lemon extract

5 qts. water

2 cups sugar

(float slices of oranges and lemons on top)

Folk Fibers

I loved reading about Folk Fibers in the latest issue of Country Living.  Maura Grace Ambrose is the girl behind Folk Fibers.  She creates timeless quilts using natural dyes, vintage and new fabrics, and classic designs.  This quilt with mitered corners is similar to a very striking one that was in the magazine.  The simple patterns are fantastic.

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Verre Encore

Visit Verre Encore on Etsy for beautiful enamel jewelry.  I love the post earrings.  They come in three sizes and a variety of colors.  And don't you think this necklace is cute?