Enjoying a PERFECT pool day!

Great weather (after the horrible heat and humidity wave we had), a nice breeze, SEATS IN THE SHADE, friends (Anna and Kelly!), good music, peanut M&Ms, a cold beverage, and a library book!

And makeup that would stay on if I dared to go swimming — I did go in up to my neck as a starter!

Kelly’s here! Kelly’s here!

We haven’t seen each other in person in about eight years, so when she was going to be in Chicago for a work convention, she just added on a few extra days to come stay here!

Unfortunately our planning failed a bit and she couldn’t get an Uber out of the city so at 4:30 we had to drive and pick her up in downtown Chicago!

We drove straight back to our favorite restaurant, Primo, for dinner with Anna and David. We had a great time…and we introduced Kelly to the deer.

Then it was back to our house for drinks and conversation! And a new friendship was forged tonight—now we just need to get Kelly to move here.

P.S. I think we look pretty good — it was a hot and crappy day and our makeup still looks spot on!

Top Gun: Maverick

There was no way in hell I was missing this on the big screen…

My thoughts?

  • Holy crap was that good! I wasn’t sure they could pull it off but they did.
  • It was more emotional than I anticipated for sure.
  • Tom Cruise still has it.
  • I got goosebumps more than once.
  • I teared up more than once.
  • The actor that plays Goose’s son is damn near perfect casting.
  • I’m so glad my mom didn’t see it first and tell me I didn’t need to see it because it was “just a bunch of planes flying around.”
  • I definitely want to see it again.

Baseball coaches BBQ

Our welcoming committee (Katie) was dressed and out waiting a good 15 minutes before guests were supposed to arrive!

I apparently don’t know how to make food for less than 30 people.

It was a BBQ so Tom did pulled pork (which requires cole slaw since we lived in North Carolina for eight years), baked beans, and cornbread. Then we added three flavors of smoked cream cheese with three types of crackers, pea and peanut salad, peanuts, cashews, fresh fruit and chips for the kiddos, and someone brought the veggie tray (and desserts which aren’t in the photo).

The evolution of Living Lippy!

Y’all have seen my avatar by now, I assume, since she’s been around since 2018.

Well, I figured four years was long enough to use the el cheapo Fiverr look (which I did love)…so when my friend Joyanne offered to design something new for me as practice for her new business, I jumped at the chance!

And I’m in love! I mean, who doesn’t want to look like a Disney princess?! And of course I still have my trademark margarita…but my hair is shorter and I’ve got a cardigan now (and I’m not quite as slim as I was back then). And yes, the margarita is a more realistic appropriate size!

That said, part of me is sad to give up the old me because it has memories…but we all need to grow and evolve…so in with the new!

Introducing…Olive!

I loved Maggie fiercely and was devastated when we had to put her to sleep earlier this year. I knew we’d get another Boston Terrier eventually, but I wasn’t ready quite so soon (just over two months).

Emotionally I was okay but I was really enjoying having NOTHING to take care of (kids don’t really count as they mostly take care of themselves). Tom wasn’t thinking about that—he just wanted a puppy. But guess who’s going to be home with her ALL DAY EVERY DAY?! (You know if I would have told Tom I was getting him a new daily job he would have said oh hell no, right?!)

That said, I did kind of miss having SOMETHING around the house. And she IS super cute…I’ll give her that. This is the first photo we got of her:

Owen holding Olive’s sister. We actually had to pick from between the two. We picked Olive.
Look at that cute face!
Look at his smile!
Katie’s turn!

We stopped in Normal on the way back and had dinner with Marie and Gabi!

Meeting Anna.

Bon Jovi concert!

As soon as I saw free tickets for Bon Jovi, I had to get them. I mean Bon Jovi WAS high school. And I know there’s been some stuff since then that I’ve liked. And I’m still trying to do more things outside my box.

But let me say right up front that even though this was a bucket list concert, I was not impressed. /cry

From now on, I’m checking the setlist FIRST. I only knew like 1/3 of the songs! And his voice wasn’t great—plus the sound system seemed off and it was like he was screaming to be heard over the music. And holy hell the people that want to stand for the whole damn thing (I know this argument can go on forever). Ughhhh. But then, maybe I’m just old and cranky. But to be honest it wasn’t just me. We all agreed.

Amazingly, the Eagles last week blew this concert out of the park. I guess they can’t all be winners.

Ugh. Sit. The F. Down.

So I knew I wanted to wear a red, so what better red than my fave no-longer-available Mojave?! Which then called for a slightly more subdued eye, so I went with more earth tones. And my shirt had to be #runsonlipstickandsarcasm!