Goal Summary for July 2019

July is always one of my favorite months. People tend to be happier in the summer, and it’s by birthday month! I spent a lot of my time prepping some upcoming blog posts, celebrating my birthday, and focusing on my hobbies. I’m happy to say I accomplished everything but my fitness goal.

Books

This month I read 2 thicker books followed by a quick read, all of which were physical books. I often check out digital books from the library and read on my phone. It was good to get back to physical books.

The first was The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice. I found this one to be quirky, and a tad slow at times. The characters, especially Charlotte, didn’t have a lot of depth for me until deeper into the story. I also didn’t feel like the story moved much until then. Overall though I thought this one was okay.

The second book I read was In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner. It follows 2 sisters who couldn’t be more different. Rose is intellectual and logical, whereas Maggie is impulsive and looking for a good time. This brings out humor and drama to move the plot along. I really enjoyed this one, even if I had to finish it with a chewed up spine and no back cover. Thanks Gimli.

I finished the month with The Intern’s Handbook by Shane Kuhn. It took me all of 3 days. I wasn’t satisfied with the ending of this one. It felt rushed and left me with some unanswered questions. Up to that point I liked it and sped through it. It’s not my usual style of book – it’s centered around an elite assassin. The twisted sense of humor connected with me though. This was one Mr. PC suggested and since we already have the sequel, Hostile Takeover, I’ll probably read that too.

Explore

I didn’t go to any new places in Richmond, but I did try some new things at familiar spots. We went Coco + Hazel in June, but their milkshakes are so massive [and fantastic] I didn’t try anything else. This time I got a chai latte and a Mexican hot chocolate cookie. Both were excellent. We also went to Joe’s Inn for brunch (I had only been for dinner). The biscuits & gravy were good, but Mr. PC said his steak & eggs were better. The more you know.

My first new spot this month happened when I met a friend at Park Lane Tavern in Fredericksburg for lunch. I had the most glorious, sinful burger. It was stuffed with bacon and Gouda. Then topped with more bacon, cheddar, and a magical BBQ aioli. Plus you can get it on a pretzel bun. We’re getting a Park Lane Tavern in Short Pump and I might die of happiness. Or heart disease.

We went to Box Office Brewery in Strasburg on my birthday while visiting family. It’s a converted old movie theater which makes for a massive open space with some cool architecture. Massanutty, a brown ale, was my favorite, but a lot of their beers were tasty. They also had food which we didn’t try.

Craft

After crocheting with Caron Cakes in January & February, I was excited when I stumbled across some clearance Lion Brand Mandala yarn. I went to Walmart mid cooking to replace a broken can opener and walked past skeins of it on sale. Then they only rang up $1 each. Score! Using the chimera color I crocheted in the round with the moss stitch and was able to make accent pillow fronts. I was pretty shocked I could get 3 fronts out of one skein. I still need to finish crocheting the backs (I went with a medium gray) and stuff them. But I’m excited for the colors they’ll add to our guest room.

The desk I use for crafting is a mess. I wanted a way to vertically store my framelits so I could see them all. But also wanted whatever hung on the wall for that to be able to act as decor too. I painted some wooden plaques and attached pictures to them. That’s how they’ll look when everything is tucked away. When I’m crafting I can attach a magnetized sheet holding my framelits so I can see all of them. They’re currently on my basement floor waiting for hangers so they can be hung. Once they’re fully finished I’ll write up a post with more details.

Fitness

Something about 30 day challenges and I don’t agree. In February I didn’t finish the arms one I intended and in April I didn’t finish the one on abs. I repeated the April one this month. And still didn’t finish it. I’m going back to steps because I am more likely to do that. The goal is 11,000 steps each weekday.