Well, here we are once again.  It is Friday and my heart is full of anticipation.  There is no containing my excitement when a double batch of mozzarella sticks and a trip to IKEA are on the horizon. 

Let's chat it up. 

I treated myself to this liner and this gloss this past weekend and I love it so much.  I know I’ve talked about the Urban Decay 24/7 lip liner before, but I have to mention it again because it really is so worth splurging on.  Honestly, you really do not even need a top coat.  It’s so smooth and it really does last all day.  Venom is a really pretty berry-pink and I’m obsessed with it.  I paired it with my Buxom gloss in Jane and I love the effect.  

It would seem I’ve been breaking some butter ground rules  Oops.  Also, I do not even remember the last time I bought salted butter.  I am an unsalted girl all the way. 

How do you feel about shopping for your groceries online?  I'm really not into it myself. While I have no doubt it would save some time, I relish my Monday afternoons of marketing.  It might sound pathetic, but grocery shopping is one of the things I look forward to most each week. I find inspiration in the produce section and I chat with my favorite cashier, and my favorite butcher with the charming New Jersey brogue.  However, for those of you who have to tote tiny people about with you, I can totally see the appeal of front door service. 

These shrimp. All the heart-eyed emojis. 

I baked up a batch of my favorite shortbread cookies this week and was reminded of how truly perfect they are.  I gifted half of the batch to a friend, but I have loved having a stash of my own to break into when I have my tea in the afternoons. 

Some eighteen years ago, my mother and aunts made these shamelessly elaborate sugar eggs and I remember huddling together in my Aunt Mere’s tiny galley kitchen with our piping bags and pompom chicks in hand as they were assembled.  This year, I was determined to indulge myself in some nostalgia, so my mother, sister, and I made half a dozen of these faux-faberge creations last weekend.  It was the sweetest of times (no pun intended) - sitting around the table with icing on our elbows and talking as we hollowed out our eggs and piped each delicate swirl.  I have not crafted much in the past several years, due primarily to a lack of time rather than desire, but I am now determined to delve back into some handicraft in 2017. 

I started by purchasing this pattern.  Not because I need a stuffed llama, but because it was just so cute I could not resist.  Besides, considering my background with sewing, I needed to make something I would not have to wear.  I’ll let you know how it turns out.  

I fell into a very dark, mysterious, and mentally exhausting rabbit hole this past week thanks to Joy's recommendation.  I listened to this podcast constantly and finished the 9-hour saga within two and a half days.  Of course, as I have explained to my husband, I was working the whole time I was listening and that makes it sound less pathetic.  Oh my, this story… It’s consumed ninety percent of my thoughts this week and to say I have been panicky might be an understatement.  I did full-on attack my husband when he unintentionally sneaked up behind me.  I’ve been watching the landscapers with suspicious eyes and wondering which is most likely to murder me.  It is not exactly healthy, and my husband has wisely suggested that I set aside the true crime podcasts for a bit, but now… Oh, I’m in deep, you guys.   

What are you up to this weekend?  May I suggest baking a batch of muffins and settling down with a cozy read, or a slightly terrifying podcast?

Happy, happy weekend! 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie