Today on Weekend Meanderings, a beach day, a summer dress, a sale and a recipe you’ll want this weekend.
Happy weekend, friends!
It’s Saturday and I’m joining Kim and Elizabeth for Weekend Meanderings.
Our weekly roundup of inspiration and goings on.
This post includes affiliate links for your convenience at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
It’s Memorial Day weekend.
The unofficial beginning of summer.
And it’s Jim’s birthday weekend too.
He’s reminded me several times.
I bet you have a busy few days ahead so let’s get this show on the road …
TINA TURNER, THE QUEEN IS DEAD
When I saw the news of Tina Turner’s death flash across my phone I almost couldn’t believe it. Could you? Tina Turner. The comeback queen. The rock and roll goddess. The survivor. The icon. I mean, her story. It was incredible. And incredibly moving. And I loved her. Didn’t everyone? I remember the summer of 1984 … so clearly. I had just recovered from a bad break-up and had started to date someone new. He had a boat and we spent every weekend that summer water skiing with friends on the Delta. Tina Turner’s Private Dancer album blasting from the cassette deck. What’s Love Got to Do With It and Better Be Good to Me are the songs I most associate with that time … that special summer. And I can picture myself, in the car singing along, as though it was only yesterday. It’s funny how music can do that … stamp a memory into our mind forever. And just a verse, even a note, from that song will transport you right back.
MTV was still in its infancy when Tina made her roaring comeback and her music videos were the best. Her energy, her strength, and her legs. Oh my gosh, her legs. And who remembers her LiveAid performance with The Rolling Stones … singing State of Shock and Only Rock ‘n Roll with Mick Jagger? Has there ever been such an electrifying performance … and on-stage chemistry. It’s iconic. Truth be told every performance of Tina’s was iconic. And there will never, ever be anyone like her.
But there was so much more to her than being a performer. She overcame some difficult times and she talked about important issues. Like domestic violence, when this was a taboo topic. Her first book, I, Tina, laid everything bare.
Thank you, Tina. The joy you spread around this earth was immeasurable and you will live on in our hearts forever.
Tina Turner, Queen of Rock & Roll, Dead at 83 – Rolling Stone
OUR PATIO IS SUMMER READY
Our patio may be summer ready, but someone needs to notify Karl the Fog, who keeps creeping over the hills early in the evening, hanging around through morning and most of the day. But I’m not complaining in a month or so I’ll be whining that it’s too hot.
Last weekend we did the annual chore of pulling the outdoor cushions down from the rafters, along with the outdoor pillows and throws to get the patio in early summer shape. And then we had our first cocktail of the year around the fire pit. It didn’t last long because … Karl the Fog. So after all that work, the furniture covers went back on and we’ll see how it goes this weekend.
Our Serena & Lily outdoor pillows are going into their third season and I’m thrilled that they still look brand new. Serena & Lily is not inexpensive, and I sometimes hear grumblings about that. My experience is that they offer high quality, well made and beautiful products and for that I do expect to pay a little more. When our landscaping renovation wrapped up in the early fall of 2020 … I made a mad dash to Target or World Market or someplace like that to buy whatever outdoor pillows remained to get us through the rest of patio season. By the time I packed them away that November they were faded and in some cases unraveling. When I pulled them out the next spring I realized they weren’t reusable … and I couldn’t, in good conscience, donate them. They were trash. I expect my Serena & Lily pillows to last for many seasons to come … and for me that’s worth having invested a little more. And there’s good news! Serena & Lily’s Let Summer In Sale is on and everything is 20% off using code: SPLASH
These are a few of my favorite Serena & Lily outdoor things ~
I just took advantage of the sale to order these hurricanes for our outdoor dining table.
MADEWELL SUMMER DRESS
This Madewell summer dress is part of my Nordstrom personal styling experience haul. I plan to pack it for Italy and wear it with white tennies for a day of exploring. And if we ever get beyond this May gray/soon-to-be June gloom situation I’ll be wearing it a lot this summer. Probably with my puffy slides. Gasp! And, less controversial, a white denim jacket. I have this Liverpool jacket in two sizes … a small, to go over tanks, sleeveless tops and dresses, and a medium to wear over long sleeves and lightweight sweaters. Does that seem excessive? It’s very well priced. And another reason I adore it is that it has a lot of stretch and is super comfortable. It’s one of my favorite year-round jackets.
Madewell Dress | White Denim Jacket | Woven Tote | Sandals
MEMORIAL DAY BBQ FARRO SALAD RECIPE
We don’t have any exciting Memorial Day weekend plans. We put our flag up to honor those who’ve given their lives in service to our country. And we have a relaxing, do nothing weekend planned. There will be a lot of dog walking, patio lounging (if it ever warms up) and I’ve got a stack of new magazines. I haven’t had a good magazine day in quite a while. Jim plans to use his long-neglected barbecue and there’s playoff hockey! And basketball. None of our teams remain in the mix, but it’s still fun.
Weekend Reading
If I were hosting a holiday weekend gathering Nancy Fuller’s Farro Salad would be on the menu. It’s my go-to summer side dish and a crowd (read niece) pleaser.
A DAY AT THE BEACH
Yesterday niece Shelby and I spent some time at the beach … ahead of the holiday weekend rush. We filled the Igloo cooler with drinks and grabbed a couple of beach reads … it was chilly (May gray), but relaxing and fun. You can see our beach day Reel here.
We’re wearing our new Change of Scenery swimsuits and dresses. Change of Scenery is a new-to-me brand committed to sustainability. Their swimwear is made with 100% recycled materials. And their clothing pieces are made using certified organic cotton. Learn more here.
Shelby’s wearing the Erika bikini top with Classic High Waist bottom and Suzanne dress (it’s on sale!) in black. And I’m wearing the Kara one-piece and Kristin dress both in an abstract wave pattern.
I LOVE this dress, which I turned into a skirt to save us both the embarrassment of a full swimsuit reveal. It’s kind of an ideal summer dress/skirt. And it comes in a floral ikat pattern too. Click on the images below to shop. And use code SPRITZER10 to save 10% off orders over $100 until June 30.
And that’s what I have for you this week.
Let’s see what’s inspiring Kim and Elizabeth …
If you missed last weekend’s post, you can catch up here.
You’ll find all my weekend roundup posts collected here.
You can also follow along on Instagram and Pinterest.
History, Facts and Why We Observe Memorial Day.
LYNNE GILBERT, GETTY IMAGES via Readers Digest
As always, I appreciate your visit and welcome your thoughts in the comments below.
Cheers from Snowberry!
Reader Interactions