laura tremaine

Wow! Where did the month go? I feel like I blinked, looked at the calendar and it was April 15th. And now- Bam! It’s over! Don’t we always feel that way, though? I mean, except for January. I’m always glad to see that one go. But what a quick month it’s been. Maybe because it’s been so full of such wonderful things. We had Easter, I helped throw a baby shower for a friend, I went to the beach, we had state testing, which wasn’t a favorite of the month, but it was totally a huge part of the month and a stress inducer. There were hair appointments (always good days), a book release I was excited about, the premier of the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and so much more. Let’s dive in to all the good things I’ve deemed my favorites of the month.

Favorite Book of the Month

I can’t remember a time when Beth Moore wasn’t teaching me about Jesus. Her memoir was on my radar, but I couldn’t decide if I wanted to read the physical copy or listen to her read it to me on Audible. I decided to go with the Audible version. And listen, I knew some of her back story. I mean, I’ve listened to countless interviews, done a Bible study of hers, and watched all the Youtube videos. (This one is my favorite.) But, y’all, I was not prepared for some of these stories. I was not prepared for her to share as much as she did. If you’ve been studying under Mrs. Beth and have been blessed by her, please consider getting on the waitlist at the library or using an Audible credit for this one. You’ll love it.

Favorite Purchases of the month

Paul’s counsin’s incredibly stylish wife started a new online boutique called Not the Norm that has the cutest clothes. She had her first pop up at the beginning of the month, and I scooped up two colorful tops, which are way out of my comfort zone, but I love them both! The next pop up is on Saturday, May 6th at the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce. You should definitely come, you should definitely start following them on Instagram, and you should definitely go ahead and shop online.

It wouldn’t be a new month if I didn’t buy a book. This one was a highly anticipated release. So highly anticipated that I preordered it. If you’ve been around long enough, you know that I love Laura Tremaine. She wrote a book I loved called Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First. She hosts a weekly podcast called 10 Things to Tell You that is a delight to listen to and learn from. And now she’s written a new book called The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs. It came out early this month, but I haven’t been able to start it yet. I can’t wait!

Favorite Thing I Watched

I am so behind on shows, but I was most excited about the return of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Though it’s the last season, I’m still excited to see how they will wrap it up for us. I sort of appreciate the weekly release of the episodes. It’ll help me savor it. I have been such a huge fan of the show since the beginning and have watched the previous seasons multiple times. It became on of those “comfort shows” for me. If you’ve never watched, you must start at the beginning. Know that seasons 3 and 4 aren’t always top notch, but stick it out anyway. The endings will leave you floored. And just one more reason to watch it- the costumes. Gosh, that fashion is divine!

Paul and I watched Daisy Jones and the Six like the rest of the world. It was just okay for me. No, that’s not true. It was actually very good and well done. But I had just reread the book and had so many ideas fresh in my head, and when the show didn’t match my expectations, I turned my nose up at it. I thought the book was perfectly done and didn’t see any need to change anything, so I had a hard time with the show. However, if you’ve never read the book, I’m guessing you loved/will love the show, and I do recommend it. And while we’re talking TV fashion, Camilla’s outfit at the album cover shoot…that head scarf and oversized sunglasses- PERFECTION!

Favorite Thing I ate

Having lived in Louisiana one can get used to a caliber of food that just isn’t matched anywhere else. And one also cannot replicate that food on her own either. During Lent, Paul and I were thrilled to give the boiled crawfish from Pip’s a try. It was delicious, and we made ourselves incredibly satisfied over who-knows-how-many pounds of crawfish one Friday night. We even called over my parents, who never got crawfish while we lived in Louisiana. While it wasn’t my dad’s idea of a good time, mom liked it pretty good. It was a nice taste of our other home.

My birthday falls at the end of April, and my mom offered to make me a cake. She made a delicious chocolate cake with chocolate icing last year, and I told her I’d like that again. She decided to do a different recipe this year from the one and only Ina Garten. It was delicious, and I recommend finding any excuse to make it.

Other Favorites

Red Aspen Press On Nails
in Nina On Cloud Nine

I cannot get over how wonderful these press on nails are! The learning curve is short, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll love the natural look, the longevity, and the price. Nina on Cloud Nine is the perfect white mani. If you’re one who paints her own nails, you know how many coats it takes to get an opaque white mani. This takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and zero dry time! Get yours here.

Naghedi St. Barths Tote

It’s been high time for a new handbag around here, and I was kind of digging the woven tote bags I’d seen some of the influencers carry. Most of the ones I saw were the larger size one from Amazon. I think those are so cute, but I was in the mood for a change- smaller purse, bold color. Enter Naghedi. I first laid eyes on the St. Barths Tote via @nashvilletash in the gorgeous orchid color (no longer available). But I wanted one that I could carry longer than spring and summer. That’s when I perused the website and found it in poppy. She’s a bright orange that I will carry all year round. It’s neoprene, machine washable, and thoughtfully made. There are tons of styles and sizes. It’s a bit of an investment but not a huge one in comparison with more couture bags. It’s a total win in my book!

Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion

I’ve droned on and on about my oily skin here, especially when talking about Beautycounter. Honestly, I’ve been dealing with it since I hit puberty. I was using and loving the Countertime Collection at Beautycounter, which is the anti-aging line that has a retinol alternative called Bakuchiol in it. It was super hydrating and I knew it was keeping those deep set wrinkles at bay. (Also, the eye cream is truly incredible and worth every penny!) Anyway, I just kept being EXTREMELY oily throughout the day, so I decided that I was going to experiment and see if a different moisturizing routine would help. I swapped the Supreme Cream (night) for the Soft Cream (day)- I put this on at night before bed. I was foregoing moisturizer in the mornings because the Soft Cream was too much moisture for my skin under my makeup, which happens to be a tinted moisturizer base.
I decided I needed some type of moisturizer in the morning, so I finally gave the Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion a try. The beauty of this moisturizer is that it’s sort of like a mood ring for your face. It just knows what you are/need. I have been less oily than every before! It is so light and absorbs quickly into your skin. I cannot get over the sorcery that is in this product. 🙂 If you don’t love your current moisturizer, you must give this stuff a try! It’s pure magic!

I Feel Like I’m Missing Tons

April may have been fast and furious, but it was great! Lots of fun and lots of blessings. I hope April brought joy to your life, and I hope that May brings even more. We have another birthday I the house in May and let’s not forget the end of the school year! Counting down the days. Hope to share more soon.

Ready or not, here comes another week. It’s going to be a busy one around the Norman house. I’ve got three meetings this week for work- it astounds me how many meetings teachers have to attend, a book club meeting, and I’m praying very hard my potential outfit for the game on Saturday makes it in time. We’re heading to the loveliest village on the Plains for the first time in years. It’s a white out, so I had to get my hands on a few white dresses that will be both comfortable and carry me into fall as good layering pieces. And I know there’ll be something else to present itself that will need to be done, but I’m thankful for the busyness of life right now because the faster this week is over, the faster we get to September. And the faster we get to September the faster we get to fall and (hopefully) some cooler temperatures. But while those good things are coming, let me share some good things I discovered this past week.

#10Days10Books

I’ve shared about Laura Tremaine countless times here and on my Instagram. She is an author, podcaster, blogger, and all around champion of knowing yourself and sharing about it because it’s powerful. Clearly I agree with her or else I wouldn’t be here telling you about it. Anywho, Laura hosts challenges on her Instagram page a few times a year, and she announced she was going to be doing one based on the topic of books. I’m no stranger to sharing books with the internet, so I was all in and had a blast picking out the books for each day’s prompt. The challenge is over on August 31, so there’s still a few days to join in. Here’s what I’ve shared so far:

Fall Shoes

I’m crushing hard on the lug sole penny loafers for fall. I jumped on the clog trend at an inexpensive Walmart price, but I think I want black loafers, and black loafers have to be good in order to not look too cheap. I’m going back and forth between the patent leather and regular leather options. I really love the look and have so many outfit ideas in my head. Here’s some I like:

The Sam Edelmans are my favorites, but they’re also the most expensive. (Go figure) I’m also considering Mary Janes instead of loafers, but I’ll save those for another day. Decisions, decisions. How do you feel about loafers for fall?

House of the Dragon

Game of Thrones fans were very happy last weekend when House of the Dragon premiered. I don’t know if you watched, but it was full of all the Game of Thrones intensity and visual goodness we’d been missing. The actors were remarkable, the dragons were so cool, and while it was tough to watch at times (hello c-section), I already can’t wait for the next episode. There’s also an accompanying podcast that I like to listen to called Oysters, Clams, and Cockles. Ross and Barrett break down the episode scene by scene, and if you’re into deep-diving your favorite shows, these two are extremely entertaining and knowledgeable. But be warned- the language is terrible. Don’t listen around little ears.

Bird Clock

Growing up my grandparents had a clock in their house at one point that would make a bird chirping noise on the hour. I’ve been wanting one for my classroom for a while, and I finally got it. I got it second hand, but it works perfectly, and my students love it. It really freaked them out the first day or two, but now we giggle every time we’re interrupted by a mockingbird or an owl. We read a story about a warbler last week in class, so it was very appropriate that I brought the clock in and surprised them with it. I hope it brings us all much joy this year. You can get one here on Amazon.

Prep Schools

I’m reading a book for book club about a girl who goes to a prep school. While I’m not sure yet if I really like the book (I’ll get back to you when I finish.), I do find the concept of prep schools very interesting. We were talking about the book this past week and remembering our high school selves and discussing if we’d have been able to go off to school at such a young age. I concluded I wasn’t sure that I could have. I don’t think I’d have wanted to leave my family that early, but also, I don’t think I would have been mature enough to be on my own. I know that much of who you become and think about yourself is heavily based on those very formative years. I value my upbringing in this small town and how close I am to my family. It’s important to me that that’s how I was raised. But a tiny part of me is curious what someone’s life would have been like to go off and have to become an adult away from the people who love you most.
I don’t disagree with it. I think it is an excellent opportunity that the majority of the population doesn’t get. The main character in the book goes to this school without knowing a soul. That I could not have done. Had I been able to go with a friend or small group of friends, I might have been more willing, but to go alone is incredibly intimidating.
Anyway, we were so intrigued that one of the members sent us a list of prep schools in the United States. First, I didn’t know there were so many. Second, wow, are they expensive. Here’s the link if you’re curious now.

Have a fantastic week, friends! I’ll be joyfully saying goodbye to August and welcoming all the fall things. Try to find five good things this week and share them with a friend. You’ll be so grateful to see to the good in each week.

Tag: laura tremaine

April Favorites