5 Friday Favorites: August 30, 2024

It's time for my Friday link up with  A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Hey, it's Friday. It's Labor Day weekend. September is coming. The Texas Longhorns play tomorrow. I know it is such a cliche to say that time moves so fast, but hey, 2024:

Here are some favorite things from the last week of August.

1. You Will Never Be Me

I traveled from home to Danville, Virginia, to Spartanburg, South Carolina, to Nashville, Tennessee and back home again last week to visit all my boys. I listened to (or started to listen to) three different books on Audible during that time. One of them I quit because I thought the writing was terrible. It's a really popular book, so I wanted to like it, but it was making me cringe. The other one was just boring and the author used so many similies and metaphors I thought I was taking a high school English class.

Do I sound grumpy? Well, third time's a charm because You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto came to my rescue. It was so good and kept me going all the way from Nashville to home. It's a crazy story about two social media influencers who are best friends. Then one gets more popular than the other and all hell breaks loose. Everybody becomes cuckoo and there's all manner of shenanigans and betrayal. Fun book.

2. New Balance 327

Kyle, Merrill, Steve and I went to Franklin, Tennessee for dinner on Friday night. Franklin is the cutest town with a bunch of great boutiques. Merrill and I stopped in Evereve "just real quick to look" and ended up leaving with the same pair of shoes. These New Balance 327s come in so many colors it was hard to choose. I think we got the Heron Blue pair, but the blue on ours looks darker than the blue online. Anyway, when I left Nashville, that verse about "not storing up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy" kept coming to mind. It appears that the Holy Spirit has some issues with my shoe problem. Speaking of, does anyone out there have a secret for keeping their white shoes clean? Please advise because it seems that moth, rust and dirt are doing their job.

3. Maybelline Lifter Gloss

I've mentioned this lip gloss before because I love it. I have the Sun color and recently bought the Silk color. Such a good price and so many different shades. 5 stars.

4. V-Neck Tee

This v-neck tee is on sale for only $14.99 right now. It comes in several different colors and stripes. I think it's great for now because summer has not packed her bags yet, but will also be perfect under blazers or denim jackets in the fall.

PS "People"are saying that red is the hot color fall. I'm not cool (or hot) enough to know if this is true. Whether it's true or not, this cute red necklace from Park Lane is only $32 and such a pretty shade of red.

5. Some Random Thoughts that Came to Me as I Traveled the Mid-Atlantic 

(plus some photos of the people who have to listen to all my thoughts on said travels)

Some of these things might sound a little rage-y and they are neither deep nor particularly helpful or inspiring. Just keepin' it real, lest you imagine that in my life outside of this space, I am constantly reflecting on meaningful lessons that the Holy Spirit has put on my heart. I had a lot of time to form some opinions that no one asked me to share while spending multiple hours on various interstate highways last week. So here are some of those.

1. First of all, while Steve was driving I had the best time looking at the Dorm Rooms Of Mississippi and Beyond facebook page. I expected to be awed by the girls' rooms, but will you look at this dorm room for guys?

Now I would like you to see the accent wall that Drew created in his apartment.

Here we went with a New England aesthetic. Clean lines, simple style, thumbtacks. Should Drew and I start our own page for boys' dorm room inspiration? 

2. Audible is the best thing to happen to road trips since Podcasts which were the best thing to happen since Music Streaming Services. I remember when I went back and forth between Amy Grant's The Collection cassette tape and the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack over and over on the way home from college. What a life we have in 2024.

3. Speaking of music, I have a very hot take. Taylor Swift? Very enjoyable. I haven't really listened to her music with intention since I wore out the 1989 album. I don't know if y'all know, but she's still pretty good. You should look her up.

4. I had never entered a Buc-ee's until last week. What is happening in there? There was so much going on, it was like Vegas on the Interstate. I felt like I was going to have a seizure. I wasn't in there long enough to get the full experience, but I will say kudos for the Ladies Room management system. There was a real human being doing traffic control in there and it was very efficient. 

5. Whenever possible, I always try to find a local bookstore in any new town I visit. Even though it is clear that Amazon has me wrapped around its little finger, I adore a local bookstore and will always buy a book when I find myself in one. I feel like 9 times out of 10 the bookstore owners are delightful and friendly. Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg, South Carolina proved my theory last week.

6. There should be a law against installing carpet of any sort or kind in hotel rooms. No more carpeting. It's gross and unnecessary. Please join me in writing your congressperson.

7. While we're at it, no more shower curtains in hotel bathrooms. It's disgusting and of course, there's always the feeling someone might show up and murder you with a knife. I propose only glass door showers from here until eternity.   

7. All establishments, lend me your ears: Get all the way outta here with your paper straws. ALL THE WAY OUT. Stop this foolishness.

8. Marriott. I love you. I especially love your AC hotels chain with the no carpet situation. However, what are you doing only serving Pepsi products? This is infuriating and frankly irresponsible. Pull it together. 

9. I think that gas station attendants in the South should teach courses on manners and hospitality. They are always the sweetest, friendliest people I come across on a road trip. And I will always be a sucker for someone who calls me, "Dah-lin'"

10. College football has begun. I thought about it a lot on the drive because I listened to a lot of sports radio. Many of these radio guys are ranking Texas in the top four this year. This makes me feel like this:

And also like this:

But by tomorrow at 3:30 pm, I plan to feel exactly like this:

So I think we've established that I'm maintaining my healthy and balanced relationship with college football.

 Y'all have the best weekend and Hook Em Horns.

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well