Life Update

Hello! Welcome back to my little corner of the Internet. I’m sure you noticed that I was a little quiet this past month and a half. I took a little break from blogging and also took the month of May off from my Etsy shop. Everyone needs a bit of a break and it was nice to just be without worrying about content. Which I am trying to get better at, lol.

So I thought I would update you, my readers, on what I’ve been up to lately outside of this blog. Mid-April things started warming up, so I took that time to get my outside plants ready. We also did a little landscaping along one side of the house. I planted some knockout roses and limelight hydrangeas and I’m in love with the rose blooms already! I can’t wait to see the hydrangeas when they start popping. Also, I’m trying really hard this year to not murder all my outside hanging baskets and planted pots within the first month. So far so good! We also ran some cabling for the blackberries, and I can’t wait to start harvesting those. Currently, the bushes are loaded with berries. It will be a race to get them picked before the birds.

We also went to the Botanical Garden and the Butterfly House, where we got married! The Garden had so many flowers in bloom. I can’t wait for the new entrances and buildings to all be completed, because I think it will look amazing. I decided to get a Garden membership this year, so I’m hoping that we will be attending more events they have. While we were at the Butterfly House, I shopped at the native pollinator sale and we released some freshly hatched butterflies into the atrium.

I spent a few afternoons exploring some new places, like the second governor of Missouri mansion (located in Faust Park), and hiking some trails with the dogs. I’ll be posting a review/list of some of my favorite summer dog gear soon! We also had our first *summer* boil of the year. There is nothing better than a good shrimp boil unless you throw in some crawfish to make it better. Let me know if you want boil recipe post!

Spent my weekend mornings relaxing on the deck with the pups, and working on some cross-stitch because I am secretly an old lady. I’m still searching for the perfect dining set to put out there and then I think it will be mostly complete. Maybe a few more decorative accents. Finding exactly what I want has been tricky, but I’ve not given up hope yet!

We also took a few motorcycle adventures. Taking the ferry over to Grafton is a highly recommended thing for your summer bucket list. Stop by the Loading Dock and grab a table to listen to the live music and watch the boats on the river or head over to 3rd Chute for some shrimp and cold drinks. Another bucket list item to tick off? Elephant Rocks State Park! We took the bike down there and hiked along the trail. It’s pretty accessible, so you don’t have to be an expert hiker to complete the 1-mile loop.

Finally, the last thing that I have had going on was the birth of my newest nephew! We headed up north to Iowa just before Memorial Day to be there for his big debut. He arrived just a bit after 10 in the morning. We stayed for a few days to help get the nursery arranged and be there when they got home from the hospital. I can’t wait to watch him grow up!

So that’s a wrap-up of what I’ve been up to these last several weeks. I’ve been scheduling content for the blog, which includes some new monthly series. Also? This week Amor et Vita is launching our newsletter! Currently planning on a weekly send-out, our newsletter will contain a recap of blog posts, tips, and a freebie or two. You can sign up for the newsletter below!

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