Friday Favorites (56)

I hope you’re all having a wonderful June, friends. I can’t believe it’s nearly over, but before this month ends I wanted to share some favorites. This month I have a lot to share in terms of books, gardening, and fun outings.

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Favorite Day

Back on Memorial Day weekend we went out on our friend’s boat to go fishing and it was so much fun. In fact, I think I might write a separate post about it because I got some really beautiful photos of the ocean and Scituate, and, of course, lots of fishing!

Favorite New Flowers

We have a bit of a project going on around the patio which isn’t finished just yet due to the heat wave, but we’re adding David Austin roses. We’re doing two varieties. These are the Charles Darwin. Aren’t they so pretty and cheerful?

I will, of course, write a detailed post along with tips for planting once I have more soil and shells down.

Favorite Books

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore – Wow! I really really enjoyed this book. It took me a while to get into it because there are a lot of characters and two different time periods BUT wow! It’s a mystery and two children disappear. This book had me guessing all the way through. Wonderful summer book.

The Secret Life of Colors by Kassia St. Clair – I love color and love painting and swatching out watercolors. I’ve always been fascinated by color and took a color theory class maybe 6 years ago at Boston Architectural College. In the course the instructor recommended this book. It’s been sitting on my bookshelf ever since and I finally started reading it. It’s a fascinating history of so many colors from Cobalt to Lead White, Avocado to Russet. So very interesting.

Truly Madly Guilty by Leane Moriarty – This is from the same author as Big Little Lies. I enjoyed the book and the series. This isn’t a new book, I got it at a library book sale and had it on my shelf for a while. I just started it because I wanted something easy to read by the pool and at the beach. The premise – something goes wrong at an ordinary BBQ in a quiet neighborhood.

I’d love some more book recommendations. What are you currently reading? What are you loving?

Favorite New Walking Trail

I discovered a new walking trail to me while I was staying with my mom. If you follow to the end of Hewitt’s Cove Walk, you’ll come to a walking path and it goes through wooded areas and comes out to the ocean.

I spotted this sweet bunny which reminded me of Beatrix Potter and her Peter Cottontail:

Luke and I walked on the full trail a different day. Doesn’t this look like it could be St. John?!?

Favorite New Products

Earlier in June we launched our Summer 2025 collection. I really enjoyed painting all these illustrations. You can see how I painted the hummingbird and how I painted the starfish. Here’s a peek of the collection if you missed it.

Favorite TV

Stick on Apple TV+ – If you loved Ted Lasso, you will love this. We’ve watched three episodes so far and love it. The show stars Owen Wilson as a washed up golfer who discovers an unknown teen with a mad golfing swing. It’s so funny. We’re watching it with Conor.

Favorite Watercolor Class and New Paper

I love trying new watercolor products and I’m loving the Legion Stonehenge Aqua in Coldpress. It’s 100 percent cotton which means the paper stays wet longer while painting. It’s wonderful to work on. I enjoyed painting this toucan in a class on Skillshare with Nadine Dudek, an Australian watercolor artist. I took a few classes on Skillshare while staying with my mom so I could keep in the the flow of watercolor. At home I paint every morning. If you’d like to try out Skillshare, I’m happy to gift you with one month free of Skillshare Premium.

Favorite Flowers

It’s hydrangea season and I’m so happy our hydrangeas are in bloom. Read my hydrangea guide here to get all my hydrangea tips. I also have a hydrangea collection.

Favorite Lunch

We headed to our favorite beach, The Spit, and spend a few hours to have a picnic on the beach. You can get to the Spit by boat or by this gorgeous long boardwalk:

We brought our new picnic backpack which we love. We got one for our wedding 21 years ago but it got ruined in our basement flood.

I shared some more photos and a video on Instagram of the Spit.

It’s such a beautiful spot and we love making memories there.

I wore my trusty bathing suit from Fair Harbor which I’ve had since last season and it still looks new. Hasn’t faded, pilled, or stretched and it’s so comfy. Oh, and it’s ON SALE – now $48.

Let’s Stay In Touch

Well, I think that covers all my favorites! Hope you enjoyed this installment of Friday Favorites! You can see all of them here. Now, it’s your turn! What are the things you’re loving right now?

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