Out and About and A Book Review

Hi! Are we looking for Spring?
Halloooo, Spring? [listening, looking].
Nope, another nor'easter is instead bringing us rain or sleet or snow. Much as I enjoy winter  I am getting tired of cringing painfully from the biting winds each time I set my foot outdoors. And I'm tired of ''layers", tedious layers: short sleeve tee, long sleeve tee, sweatpants, wooly sweater, windproof pants, microfleece vest. Socks, Uggs, down coat, scarf, earwarmers, mittens. Sunglasses.  And then I have to dress poor Mo.

Spring will arrive here sometime mid-June, I expect.
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My friend L and I have been out running errands and looking for spring inspiration, a sure cure for storm induced cabin fever.

First up, a utility trip to the little Target for home supplies, like crates of paper towels and toilet paper, gallons of Tide.

I found a few fun treats, at Target the price is usually right!

Useful small prep bowls, about 1/2 cup each.
,

Love the colors, like Easter eggs.

Pug socks!

Pretty spring socks. I especially like the flowers. Need a navy cardi to go with.

You know how I love pompoms. Just something fun for my craft stash. Bunny butts. bunny tails, or whatever.

And this really sweet floral leather/ faux leather? wristie. Isn't it spring-y? $9.99, I think.

 It reminds me of the spring Coach wristies that are currently out of my budget, so adorable.
Target:

 Coach wristies:

OT, but have you seen the new haut style Coach designs? Coach has been a favorite of mine for many years, I love the classic style of the totes and the preppy functionalism of the wristies [I don't use a purse]. My previous pug always wore a baby blue Coach collar, with a silver Tiffany heart tag, he was a cutie. Anyway, one of the new lines is bizarre. It looks like they hired the stylist of Juicy Couture c. 2004, all crazed charms and Keith Haring motifs and doodads. Big bucks for this too! I'm talking three, four hundred and up! I love tacky so I kinda like the designs, but soooo not-Coach.
Coach Spring 2018

Then over another bridge to Trader Joe's. I've been visiting every week, waiting for the ranunculas to appear. They only are sold briefly for a week or two in March.

I adore them.

I suppose they're too fragile but I always thought ranunculas would make and exquisite wedding flower choice.

BTW TJ's overcooks the quinoa in their apple, cranberry, quinoa salad. Make your own. Add goat cheese.

But they have the very best, always properly ripe and cheapest brie and Camembert cheese.

Other fresh goodies. asparagus, papardelli pasta, delicious Irish soda bread, soft and sweet with luscious currants.

And I love their Vitamin E oil for dry wintery skin and nails.

Friday we went out to explore the new Costco that was built in the wetlands, over a different bridge.  I don't have room to store massive quantities of stuff and we don't eat much snacks, so a forty pound sack of Doritos is not on my shopping list.

 It was hard to find things and it was HUGE.

I did get these cool and useful reader/ sunglasses for sewing on the beach. What a great idea. And a soft drapey black sweater that I didn't try on yet.

I checked out the small but fairly well stocked liquor store that is part of Costco but separate, as that is NYS law. My brother had recommended New Zealand  sauvignon blanc and I noted a number of choices:

I emailed my brother to ask which to try and he helpfully said all were good but ''you get what you pay for." Meaning, of course, the more wine costs the better it tastes. Do you think that's true?  I plan to return for summer stocking-up after I compare prices at Wine Warehouse, which is much closer and doesn't require an 80.00 membership fee.
This is a fave rose, to compare prices.

And last we popped into the wholesale fruit stand. Aren't these the cutest biggest radishes ever?

I want to make radish pickles, but wanted to try these before I start, bec some large radishes are woody and inedible. These are excellent, crisp and delightful, if not as spicy as I might like. Recipe here. Pickled Radishes

All this happy homemaker / errand-y talk makes this week's book review[s] apropos, I think.
 I've been reading Caimh McDonnell's Dublin Trilogy here, oddball Irish mysteries, kind of like if Elmore Leonard wrote a series set in Dublin,  Ireland, only less wacky and not as funny. BUT when it came time to start book 3, I found out I can't order it from my Kindle only from Amazon itself, so I decided to wait on that and try one of the samples in my book list. The Vintage Housekeepers Circle, by Alison May here

Omigosh, I thought it was going to be a ''cozy'' mystery with a Stephanie Plum-like heroine who cleaned houses and found crimes to solve. But NO. It is a series of ghastly lah di dah blog posts or essays by a woman with a very frilly turn of phrase and a humor that escapes me, whose life and home don't measure up to Gwenneth and Martha, causing apparent anxiety and shame.
And I should care, why? By chapter two I wanted to text her,  So make your stupid bed already, it's not rocket science! 

Maybe I was a bit grumpy---I was in the mood for comedy and got---mess.

I am so glad Amazon offers free samples.

I'll make it easy, as taught to me by my first housekeeper, the meticulously perfect Sharon:
Never leave the house with the beds unmade. Be sure the throw pillows on the sofas are fluffed before you go to bed. Hang up everything that gets a hanger when you walk in. Never leave dirty dishes in the sink. No bath towels on the floor. And my favorite: always polish the bathroom chrome.[it makes the bathroom look sparkly clean even if, well,...it's not].

Hello, Spring!?!

PS I apologize if I didn't respond to recent comments, especially St-Paddy Day wishes. The Daylight Savings Time week culminated in a monster migraine the past few days, I don't adapt well. I'll write back as soon as I can, you know how I love to hear from you guys!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

Coach Spring 2018