Things I’m loving lately

Contrary to the title of this post, my first inclination is to tell you all about something I’m SO not loving lately.  Paint.  Remember the redecorating project I’ve got underway?  Yeah, well, it includes a lot of painting and I just so happen to be the resident specialist.  To me, there is only one good thing about painting and that is the finished product.  I needn’t tell you, then, how absurdly frustrating it is to finish one painting project only to find out that the color isn’t my cup of tea.  I spent an entire day last weekend painting the back of the cutouts in our built-in shelving units.  After much consideration, I went with a turquise’ish sea blue color.  I didn’t immediately love it.  And then, by day four, I had decided that I most decidedly disliked it.  And so guess what I did this past weekend?  Yep.  Painted over it with a far more neutral khaki color called “soft suede.”  This one I love.  Pictures coming soon.

Paint aside, there are some things I’m loving lately.  Here they are.  This post does contain affiliate links.

JAMBOX – Both Jeff and I LOVE this thing.  It’s a small wireless portable speaker (about the size of my wallet) that packs a serious punch, soundwise.  It plays music from any Bluetooth source; we use our iPhones for it, but iPods, tablets or computers would work, too.  We take it to the backyard while Jeff is grilling or to the front porch for our mommy & daddy wine sipping.  It’s truly as easy as carrying it with you, plopping it onto a nearby table and hitting play.  I’m not particularly picky about sound quality, but I can tell you that this little baby is clear (not crackly or muffled), even at moderate volume.  We have big plans to take it with us to the beach this summer.

Dark Places – I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fiction lover, much more so than non-fiction.  It’s been a while, though, since I’ve read a novel that I can’t put down.  I’m happy to report, though, that Gillian Flynn has come along and changed all that for me.  Much like the title would indicate, this book isn’t all rainbows and unicorns.  There is some raunchy language and the topic of devil worship does come up.  It’s not by any means glorified, though.  It’s the story of Libby Day, who testified at the age of seven that her brother murdered her family.  In the twenty-five years that have passed since, Libby has led a lonely and angry life, surviving off of the funds donated by strangers when she was younger.  When the money runs out, Libby finds herself tiptoeing into the past to find a way to sustain her future.  What she finds there begins to slowly unravel a web of lies two decades old.  It’s a page turner, for sure.

Snip Snap App – This is pure brilliance.  Seriously.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve walked into a store to make a purchase, only to find that I left my dagnabbed coupon book at home.  Not since having downloaded this app have I had that problem.  To use it, you simply snap a photo of your coupon and submit it.  The app will magically transform that coupon into a barcode that the cashier can scan.  But even if you don’t have a coupon for the particular store you’re shopping, use the search function to see if other couponers have shared a deal.  It’s easy to use, free to download and has saved me around $30 since I started using it a week ago.

Red Letter Words – In the search for beautiful things to incorporate into my redecorating project, I found Red Letter Words.  Dee’s art prints are both inspirational and gorgeous.  In my big reveal (coming soon!) you’ll see the print I chose for my home, but given the option of a custom piece, there truly is no limit to what Dee can do.  Keep your eye out for a giveaway announced soon.

Foil-baked (or grilled) lemon garlic fish with asparagus – I don’t have a picture for you, but if you click through to the link you’ll see one.  We’ve had this meal twice in the last month and have loved it both times.  We use Mahi mahi and cook it on the grill instead of in the oven.  It’s a great light and healthy meal to add to your spring dinner rotation.