I’m ready for a beautiful spring day, but I’m watching rain fall and wearing a hoodie because it’s a little chilly for April.  I normally cheer on these last gasps of winter, but I am itching to work on some landscaping projects!  It will all happen in good time.  When we have the long, sunny summer days, I’m sure I’ll be longing for the cooler temperatures of fall.  I need to focus on enjoying each day I’m given instead of always looking ahead to the next thing!  I’m sure I’m not alone in that.

Here are my four things for this week – Bringing France home, catching up on an old favorite, the best swimwear is on sale, and I’m pecking away on my neck book.

what I’m reading

I just got a book I’ve been waiting for this week – French at Heart.  It’s the second book by the lovely ladies of @thecooksatelier.  Their first book, The Cook’s Atelier, is one of my favorite cookbooks.  The recipes I’ve made from it have been wonderful, but it’s also a gorgeous book to look through.  I’ve just flipped through their second book so far, but it’s just as much a feast for the eyes as the first one.

what I’m watching

I’ve been catching up on some newer seasons of Survivor that I haven’t watched yet.  I just finished Season 46 and enjoyed it so much!  I do miss old-school Survivor, but this season had a cast that was enjoyable to watch.  It’s a rare season where the three people who make it to the final vote have all played the game well while being nice humans.

what I’m loving

I usually share a quote or something that’s resonating with me, but I wanted to share that my favorite swimwear, Land’s End, is 50% off with the discount code PLUNGE.  I have developed an allergy to the sun in the last few years, so I have to wear rash guards and leggings, and Land’s End makes the best!  I have some of their tankinis, swim dresses, and swim shorts, too, and they are all so well made, come in a variety of sizes, and are made for all body shapes and modesty preferences.   (I’m wearing one of their rash guards in the picture below.)  Their pieces coordinate year after year, too.  I always buy in the Deep Sea Navy colorway, so everything goes together.

I ordered a few more swimwear pieces as well as some of their cotton tunic shirts and espadrille shoes since they are having such a great sale.

what I’m working on

I’ve started working on the garden a bit with weeding and tidying up, but the weather has been mostly cool and wet, so it hasn’t been a great week to be outside.  I’ve also started pulling pieces of ironstone to sell and doing some rearranging of “smalls” on my shelves.

Aside from that, I’ve been making great strides on my next book.  You can read about that HERE if you missed the announcement.  I have most of it done and plenty of time to work and rework, but I want to make sure I’m giving this book my very best thoughts and words.  So, I visit with it each day, sometimes several pages, and sometimes just proofing, editing, and tweaking.  This week, I finished two chapters and made progress on a third.  It has felt good to see the first milestone, turning in the first draft of the manuscript, in sight.