Huntington Beach is Back to Being THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE !!!

 I have a lot of outfits to show you, but first, I must relay the most exciting news!!

The Huntington Beach Library is back open for business !!  

Inside, the locals paid homage to helping hands and hand hygiene.

And the Secret Garden has been refurbished. I will be showing my own garden refurbishing later in the post.

I called Doc to let him know about the library and continued on my run around the entire park. Doc rushed over - he has been waiting not so patiently for this day.

As I rounded the bend, near the houses at the edge of the lake, guess who I saw?

My beloved Egyptian geese had another family!!  I counted 7 awkwardly adorable chicks.

And one baby goose was kissing a coot !!

But the mallard ducks are giving them a run for their money as far as babies go.

The vultures were back on their roost.

The Park Bench Cafe was open for full business. It has always been open somewhat, since all seating is outdoors. But now they can add more tables.

And I made friends with one of the squirrels. They are so tame that they approach you.

And Pandi has a doppleganger - his name is Lucky.

A brother from another mother!!

On Sunday, May 2nd, I was invited to the Global Citizen Vax Live concert at SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Rams. There were acts by JLo, HER, Foo Fighters, Eddie Vedder and J Balvin. Harry of Sussex was also there, as were a lot of celebrities, including Selena Gomez, the host.

I invited my friend Mary - after a few minutes, we went down from the rafters to see if we could sit on the floor, and they welcomed us !! It was a lot more fun down there. The show aired on TV on May 8th.

Pandi has developed a new habit - she curls up in Doc's pants when he takes them off and leaves them on the floor. I guess it's nice and warm.

My May Birchbox came. It had a retro flower power theme.

Inside, from right to left:

1) Anatomicals Shower to the People Body Cleanser - it smells very herbal with a lot of mint. Tingly as well.

2) The Body Shop Ginger Scalp Shampoo

3) Balance Me BHA Exfoliating Concentrate

4) Benefit They're Real Magnet Extreme Lengthening Mascara

5) Aurora Cosmetics Intensively Precise Eyeliner in Espresso

Onto my own flora refurbishing. Every spring and fall, I replant the flowers on the front porch and the clump in the front yard.

These pictures are from April 24th, when all the plants were just put in.

By May 5th, they had filled in and flowered nicely.

The clump was something else !! The English Lavender had overgrown the entire area. After I dug it out, I saw a giant aloe and a big pot of thyme under there.

I added some pampas grass, some petunias, some zinnias, and a marigold.

My indoor plants are doing nicely also - it has been quite a while since my anthurium had a flower.

My little Vinni has found a place to nest in the backyard.

He likes it under the bouganvillia, near the pool.

Pandi, meanwhile, either chills in Doc's pants or in her crate - she is very protective of her own little world.

Doc decided that he needed more exercise, so he got a mini-trampoline to jump on while I am working out. 

I tried it out for him and Pandi joined me.

She ended up getting pretty tired pretty quickly.

For Mother's Day, the entire Holtzman gang was able to get together.

I brought Win and Mimi a New York cheesecake, which I decorated with Easter mix candy and pretzel topping. I don't like cheesecake as a rule, but this one was delicious.

And Nathan, Kim and their kids got me a little bouquet of flowers.

So onto the outfits !!

Way back on April 26th, I wore the Shein tunic that I got in Washington DC. 

I got this jet bead necklace at the Macy's there as well.

On April 27th, a navy knit dress from Taylor went out for a spin. This dress is scuba knit with black elastic accents.

I went with gold and sapphires for my jewels. And my Gucci sandals that I chased around the world and finally found a replacement for. I wore the first pair out and had them reheeled until they fell apart. Luckily, I found another pair on EBay.

On April 28th, I wore a dress by Michael Kors. On a previous wearing, I had to visit another hospital in our chain, and a lady down there was wearing the same dress!! She has good taste :)

                                                  

On top, a St John Santana knit jacket with silver studs and pearl buttons.

The silver jewelry  belonged to my mom. I wear this set a lot.

On April 29th, I went for comfort. This is a slinky knit skirt with a nubby knit top. I got the top at JC Penney and it is very versatile. 

I wore a Chico's warm up style jacket on top, and accessorized with my Escada belt and Style and Co sandals that are black with gold lurex woven through.

On April 30th, we had errands to do, and it was beautiful out, so I wore a mini dress from Forever 21, along with Gucci flip flops.

The garden rose print is really pretty. I paid $1 at a garage sale for this dress. Big spender.

On May 3rd, the day after the Global Vax concert, I wore a Kate Spade snow leopard print dress.

On top, a silver lurex cardigan from Style and Co.

My embellished pumps are really old - I got them from Spiegel, an old school mail order company that I used to love all through the 90s.

This blue topaz and moonstone pendant also belonged to my mom. It has a matching ring.

On May 4th, I went for my final IPL laser treatment. It was basically a touch up, so not much action. But every one of my age spots is now gone. That worked great !!! Highly recommend.

I am wearing a dress from Philosophy, and some rust suede sandals from White House, Black Market.

 

This long necklace is from Paparazzi Accessories, and it also cost one entire dollar.

On May 5th, I wore a draped knit dress from Encore. I got it in Philadelphia at a great consignment shop. I got a few things there, and boy was my suitcase stuffed when I came back home.

On May 6th, I wore a vintage shirtdress that I got at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop.

It was accompanied by my Tahari boots and an ancient mesh bib necklace from Avon that just keeps going.

By Friday I was beat. I only worked for a few hours, so I put in zero effort. I wore a warm up suit with a little nicer top. At least I was comfy.

On Monday, May 10th, I wore a self made dress. I used ribbons in the two main colors as a makeshift belt.

My shoes are from Guess, and the satin bomber jacket came from Macy's. 

On Tuesday, another Taylor dress. This one is a tribal print, made of a thicker type of mesh. 

It's so comfy. One of my favorite dresses. My suede Mary Janes are from Nine West.

On Wednesday, May 12th, I wore a glittery, nubby sweater from Alfani. It has a chiffon peplum.

My slacks are very old and are from Sun Moon Stars.

Today, I am wearing more glitter, in the form of a top from Ann Taylor. My corduroy jeans are from Old Navy.

I got this moleskin jacket at Stein Mart before they closed up shop. They were a victim of the pandemic. I rarely shopped there, but I always found something.

The jacket is from Lena Gabrielle, and I wanted to show you the trim. It is made of crystals and reptile print. Doc got me the Indian squash blossom necklace. I should wear it more often, but it is very dramatic, so I try to choose wisely.

So that's about it for now. We are getting our hardwood floors replaced next month. It is long overdue. We are getting the same color, because it's just so pretty (when it's clean). 

Stay tuned, and thank goodness our world is returning to normal!!