Donuts are my favorite food group. In Connecticut, we thankfully do not have a shortage of donut places to choose from — no matter what part of the state you are from. If you’re looking to celebrate National Donut Day tomorrow, here are some places to check out, and you know, participate:
Whitney Donut, Hamden CT: Let’s start with my hometown. Whitney Donut, located on Whitney Avenue, has some of the freshest donuts that I’ve ever tasted. They are classic to a T, and have the traditional flavors such as glazed, vanilla, strawberry and chocolate frosted, and Boston Creme. But, the cruellers are definitely worth checking out. In addition to donuts, Whitney Donut offers a variety of breakfast and lunch choices, but in all honesty, their donuts are a good enough reason to make the trip.
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Neil’s Donuts, Wallingford and Middletown CT: Ahh, the famous Neil’s. Their slogan is that they have the best donuts around. And, that they do. You can check out my post about them here for further details about them, but they are such a great place to spend National Donut Day.
Donut Crazy, Various: With locations in Shelton, Westport, New Haven, West Hartford, Branford, and Stratford, Donut Crazy has a ton of great locations to choose from. Donut Crazy has many traditional donuts (glazed, sprinkled, etc), but they are known for their crazy donuts. A crazy donut is a donut that has a flavor that you would never imagine. Some of my favorites include S’mores, Nutella, and Cookie Monster. They are worth every single calorie, NGL. And, they also change their crazy menu every single month. It is definitely worth checking out their various locations!
Heavenly Donuts, Derby and Seymour: Last but certainly not least, we are taking it old school with Heavenly Donuts. With donuts that are so light and fluffy, you feel as if you are eating a cloud. They are that good. They have over 35 flavors to choose from, so there is definitely something for everyone.
Romance, betrayal and mystery are 3 words that sum up the plot of Marissa D’Angelo’s latest book, The Cursed Vessel. The Cursed Vessel, which is the third installment of the Charles Island series, tells the tale of William Kidd. At the start of the novel, William is kicked out of school for bad behavior. When he comes home, he learns that his father has died. He is only 13. So, he joins a ship and embarks on several journeys across the Atlantic. During the course of his adventures, he meets local Sarah and the two fall in love.
Overall, I really loved reading this book and I think that this was by far my favorite installment of the series to date. I know — an historical fiction novel about a Scottish pirate does not sound that interesting on the surface. I am more of a romance reader, so I was a bit skeptical going in. However, there is so much more to the story. This book is a juicy mix of romance and drama that kept me on the edge of my seat from the moment I clicked into it to the last page.
Now, let’s talk about the book, because I got a lot to say about this.
First, let’s talk about the romance of the book. Sarah and William meet one night while William is out on the town. Before they meet, William’s mom was questioning why he has travelled so many miles, but still has not met the woman of his dreams. That changes once he lays eyes on Sarah. The second the two meet, they fall instantly in love. Of course, there were some obstacles — which include an arranged marriage and the fact that William has to be away from work so often. However, you can not help but root for them to succeed.
Another thing that I had really enjoyed about this book was the drama throughout the series. There is some betrayal between William and shipmates, which causes him to lose some of the people that he is close to. Honestly, it gave me some Lion King/Macbeth vibes. That said, D’Angelo really did a great job laying down the scene for the reader, and left them hanging at the edge of their seat with their jaw dropped in shock.
Furthermore, I want to discuss some of the themes in this novel. They include: grief, curiosity, and of course, the chosen one arch. These themes can be scene in several other novels D’Angelo wrote as well, including the other two novels in the series.
That said, I have noticed that the island isn’t as big of a setting as it was in previous books. In the other two, the island was this big prominent thing. This one, not so much — although it was referenced from time to time. It did not take away from the quality of the book.
Overall, The Cursed Vessel is a quick read and one that can be consumed in one sitting. It is great black companion and is amazing to read when you need to reach that Goodreads goal. I give this book five out of five out of five stars. I will note that there are trigger warnings for grief and loss of a loved one.
The Cursed Vessel is now available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited!
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.
TGIF! There is nothing like a Friday before a three day weekend. I have very little favorites to share this week, but I wanted to pop on really quick to share what favorites will be carrying me into MDW. Both of these are great choices, especially as we are heading into the summer season. So, without further a due, here are this week’s favorites.
Wearing the shoes to a bridal shower!
Woven Sandals: I found these at Target one day and I was obsessed with them. These are really comfortable, and they go really really with casual or dressy outfits. So far, I’ve worn these to work and to a bridal shower and I am in love. I actually took advantage of the sandal sale at Target, and I purchased the blue ones and the black ones. I highly recommend these as we head into the summer.
The People We Met on Vacation by Emily Henry: I have been obsessed with this book all week. It tells the story of our main character, Poppy who meets Alex in college. The two are set up on a blind date, and start to go on vacation together. They become best friends. However, you can tell that there is room for more. I am almost done with this book, so I can’t say how it ends, but I am really enjoying reading it.
RocksBox: I decided to subscribe to Rockbox, and I am so impressed. I got three things in my subscription, and have kept two of the pieces. For those of you who don’t know, Rockbox is a jewelry subscription service that allows you to rent jewelry. Whatever you don’t like, you can return. Whatever you do like, you can buy at a discounted rate. If you use my referral link, you can get a discount as well! It is a great service as summer wedding season begins!
It has been a while since I last talked about Amazon, and I have been using my Prime membership to the extreme. Moving has made going to the store harder than expected, so the concept of getting items delivered to my door are super clutch.
That said, I have a ton of Amazon favorites to share with you. The items that I chose are all items that are more specific to Amazon, and I won’t be sharing items that I could otherwise get at a grocery store. And, they vary from beauty to car. So, without further adue, here they are!
Makeup Towels: I have been using the Neutrogena makeup wipes for years. However, I saw them on TikTok when my wipes were running low and I will never go back. These not only take off my makeup, but they also leave my face feeling refreshed. What I also love about these is that they are reusable, so they are much better for the planet.
Apple Watch Sport Bands: I wanted to get the Apple version of the sports bands, and I am so glad that I held off. I got these for $11, and I love that they are a set of 6 bands. I wear sports bands a lot when I work out, and so I love being able to have a band that allows my wrist to breathe. The quality of these bands are also so much better than I thought.
Car Cleaning Gel: I love this product. It is a gel that allows the dirt on your car to stick to it. I personally love this because it makes it fun to clean my car, which is something that I don’t do as often that I like.
Moon Jewelry Dish: I am a huge fan of anything celestial, so this dish is amazing. I love it because it was inexpensive for a set of two, so I can keep my daily jewelry pieces more organized. This is a great gift for someone who loves anything celestial as well.
TGIF everyone! I finally can say that I put the moving process behind me, and I am so excited to finally get back to blogging. That said, I don’t know when I’ll regularly resume to blogging. I have ideas, and now that I have the time again to do it, I hope to have posts up in the next few weeks.
I wanted to kick off blogging regularly with a list of my favorites. So, without further adue, here are this week’s favorites:
James Avery Key to my Heart Ring: I have had my eye on this ring for a while and I have finally decided to purchase as part of a huge accomplishment and I love it. I am wearing mine on my index finger, and it looks great with the other rings I wear most of the time.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: I swallowed this book whole in a matter of three days. This book was amazing and I can now see why it was a best seller. It tells the story of Nora Seed, who is depressed and attempts suicide. She enters the Midnight Library, where she “tries on” different lives. This was a great story and it really was worth the read.
Lululemon Align Tank Top: I am slowly becoming obsessed with Lululemon. And, now I get why the align line is so popular. First off, I got this shirt for $19 and it was really comfortable. I since ordered two more from the We Made Too Much section and I can already see them becoming a staple in my closet. When I wore this, I did not wear a bra, and I was just fine (I am a 40 D for reference). It kept me in just fine, and I am slowly making my way through the align line at Lululemon. At some point, (maybe for my birthday), I want to get the black in this as well as the T-Shirt.
Celesta Youtube Channel: Celesta is a handbag guru on TikTok. I love her TikToks and stumbled across her YouTube channel. I have been binging her channel, and have been influenced by her to purchase a Polene bag. She is enjoyable to watch because her channel mixes affordable with luxury bags.
“You are Catori. And, of all people, you should know what that means. Spirit” — The Cursed Spirit by Marissa D’Angelo
It all started with a reading slump. I was about three books behind on my Goodreads goal, and I was looking for something quick to read. So, I picked up Marissa D’Angelo’s The Cursed Spirit.
The Cursed Spirit is one of the novels in the Charles Island series. D’Angelo released Presence, which is another novel in the series, was released last year. The Cursed Spirit is the first novella in the series, whereas Presence is the fourth. D’Angelo is set to release the Cursed Vessel, which would be the third book in the series, on May 27, 2022.
The Cursed Spirit is set on Charles Island/Silver Sands area (located in Milford, Connecticut) in the 1600s and tells the story of a Native American Tribe. We follow our main character, Catori, who is the chief’s son. Catori isn’t the best at some of the basic tasks as a Native American. However, he is curious about the Island he looks out at, and consistently is found daydreaming about it. He is warned to stay away from it. But, when his friend has a close encounter with it, he goes to find what’s on the island.
So, when I first went to read this piece, I was a little skeptical because history is not my thing whatsoever. However, I was pleasantly surprised on how engrossed I was with the story. Out of all of the books in this series, this one was hands down my favorite. D’Angelo grabs you on page one, and you don’t want to put it down until you reach the final page.
What kept me wanting to read it was the fact I wanted to know the mystery. Thankfully, it is revealed as you reached the end of the novel, with a side of delicious Native American lore. What can be challenging about writing a historical fiction novel is the research, and it showed that D’Angelo clearly did her homework while writing this novel.
That said, I also really enjoyed reading about the relationships between the tribe members. In fact, that was the most enjoyable thing about this novella. I loved reading about the Native American roles of a chief and the expectation of the Chief’s son. I also loved seeing the relationships between all of Catori’s family members, and especially with Aponi. Aponi was the girl that was his best friend growing up, but you can tell there is something more there. Their parents are rooting for them to get together, and although I did not get that in this novel, I am hoping to get that sometime before the series’ conclusion.
Overall, I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a quick read. Or, any read honestly as I loved everything about it. And, don’t be fooled by the description. It is definitely one of the most interesting novels that I have read in 2022, and I gave it a solid five stars.
The Cursed Spirit can be purchased in either physical and ebook format. It is also available on Kindle Unlimited. I did not get compensated for this review in any way, and all opinions are my own.
I’m back with one of my favorite posts to write — Friday Faves. I don’t know how much I am going to be blogging this month either, but I will try to make sure that I make blogging a priority as soon as I can.
Inventing Anna: I finally found a show that I am obsessed with. This show is a Shonda Rhimes show and has many actors from the other shows. It tells the true story of Anna Delvey, a Russian who is imitating a German Heiress. She manages to swindle millions of dollars and complete fraud. The show follows reporter Vivian Kent, who follows her story. Vivian herself has a story of herself to tell. This show is addicting from the first show, and I am almost complete with the series at the time of writing this post.
Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey: Of course, my toxic trait is starting the second book of the series. The story is all about Hannah, who returns to her small Washington town for a movie she’s working on. She stays with Fox, and the two have a connection, but both have some issues that they are working through. However, I can tell that they are OTP.
T Jazelle Everyday Sparkle Bracelet: I love T Jazelle bracelets, but these are great for days when I just want something a little more simple. I have the champagne agate one and is great to wear with other T Jazelle bracelets or with others. I got mine from Tickled Pink, which if you use code FYRFREF, you can get 15 percent off your purchase or use this link!
Baublebar Acrylic Name Necklace:I saw this on TikTok, but I am obsessed to the point where I have two. I have the turquoise and the tortoise one and I am in love. This is such a fun summer accessory and I even might grab the white one soon.
TGIF everyone! I have had so much going on, so I wanted to combine this week’s favorites with last week’s. So, they are all over the place. And, I am okay with that. Once I move out next week, I envision returning to my normal schedule with blogging. So, without further adue, here are this week’s favorites:
Reduce 40 OZ Glass: I am obsessed with this water bottle. I got it at Target for $25 and it is worth every penny. It’s big but it still fits it in my car’s cup holder. And it has a handle. This is a dupe for the viral Stanley cup (TikTok made me do it, what can I say), and I am so glad I picked it up.
Sister Stardust by Jane Green: Jane Green’s newest novel is my new favorite read as of late. It takes place in the 1960s and tells the story of our main character Claire. I am forty percent through, but I am really enjoying it thus far!
Nook Glowlight 4: I got a new ereader guys. The reason why? I have the plus and it’s honestly just way too heavy for me to carry around so I got the smallest one they have and because of the move, I may have to rebuy ebooks, so its cheaper for me to do that with Nook versus Kindle. I really like this model because it is easy for me to carry around and the screen is definitely easy to read from.
Tree Hut Sugar Scrubs: Guys, this is so perfect. I really love this one because it smells great but really does a great job of making my skin softer. I rarely change my products, so for me to find something to add speaks volumes. Oh and yeah TikTok is responsible for that too.
Aerie Offline Joggers: I love these joggers. I love Aerie, actually. I love these because they are great for work, and they are so comfy. They fit more like leggings, which work out for me since I love leggings. If you are looking for quality joggers on a budget, I recommend these so much.
Spring has sprung in the Wooster Square area of New Haven. In the historic Italian section of New Haven, you can walk through the park to find pale pink blooms, as the famous cherry blossoms have finally reached their peak.
The Cherry Blossoms have been a part of the Wooster Square area for years. On April 24, 2022, the Historic Wooster Square Association will host its’ annual Cherry Blossom festival, complete with music and food carts.
However, if you can’t make the festival, you can still head down to New Haven just to enjoy the blooms. Trust me, it will make the perfect Instagram shot.
I got a chance to head down there with my friend Leah and I am so glad that I did. We got some great shots of them, which you can view below:
For further information on the Cherry Blossoms, be sure to check out the Cherry Blossom Blog here.
Chelsea, owner of Wilde Threads Studio, is a woman who wears many hats. She is running an Etsy shop with embroidered totes, bookmarks and pouches. She is also killing the TikTok and Instagram game, which offers a behind the scenes look at her shop.
How did you learn how to do embroidery? What inspired you to learn?
I’ve always been a diy kind of girl. I love crafting and making things myself, but I didn’t start dabbling with embroidery until college. I was pursuing a costume design degree and taught myself some basic embroidery techniques to use on our costume construction final. We had to research and construct a piece based on a specific time period and me, being a huge Jane Austen nerd, I chose the regency era. I had so much fun stitching all the flowers at the border of my dress, that embroidery became a fun hobby. I would add little designs to my own clothes and make gifts for my family, as a creative outlet.
I also happen to be from a pretty creative family and we have a holiday tradition called “Crafty Christmas” where we all make gifts for each other. We all have our mediums that we like to work with, some of us bake, some are great at woodworking, and my niche is sewing and embroidery.
Tell me the story about how your Etsy shop got started?
The idea for my Etsy shop had been brewing for a few years, but I didn’t decide to start the shop until the pandemic. Like the rest of the world, I spent most of 2020 trying to find creative ways to destress so after I finished all the jigsaw puzzles in my house, I started sketching. The sketches became sample tote bags and the idea to open my own shop grew until I was workshopping names and making a color palette. I was also lucky to have small business owners and creatives in my family to guide me. With their help, by the fall I had a legitimate small business and I launched Wilde Threads Studio in November 2020. As an introvert, tapping post for the first time was terrifying and I spent the whole day texting my best friends for reassurance, but I’m so happy with the shop now.
How do you get inspiration in creating a design?
My inspiration for new designs primarily comes from nature. Sometimes it comes from a walk outside or I’ll see a beautiful floral painting while scrolling through Pinterest, so the spark for each design varies. For my most recent collection, I was working on a completely different project, took a trip to the fabric store and found a simple sky blue daisy print. I took home a swatch and that became a whole collection, so I pull inspiration from everywhere.
How long does it take you to complete a piece/complete orders?
The production time for each project really depends on the design. My sketches tend to be line drawings and usually take 5-8 hours total to complete. I designed a collection last summer that involved hand-dying rainbow gradients onto each tote, so those orders took about 12 hours each to make from start to finish. As time consuming as those bags ended up being, it’s still one of my favorite collections.
You are killing the TikTok game. How has TikTok helped grow your business?
I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t understand Tiktok for a long time, but like everyone else, it grew on me and now it’s my go to app for making videos. Similar to instagram, the embroidery community on Tiktok is always growing, so it’s not just a great place to promote my business, it’s a great place to find other makers who share the same passion for stitching. Tiktok allows me to show myself and my process, which is key for a small business. The real star of my tiktok is my dog Penny who wants to be in all my tiktoks and she’s managed to sneak into a few. She’s always a distraction, but also helps me make great content!
Are there any new collections coming soon to the shop?
The Spring Collection has just launched in April. I was inspired by daisies and butterflies to create three designs, all embroidered in a soft gray. I’m also excited to bring three new silhouettes to shop that will feature again in future collections. The first is a drawstring, the second a circle-shaped tote, and the third (maybe my favorite) is finished with ruffle trim. I wanted to design something romantic and delicate for spring and I cannot be happier with the end result.
Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to get started with an Etsy shop?
I would tell someone starting an Etsy shop to find your passion and let your personality shine. It can be really easy for a small creator to get lost on a big site like Etsy so you have to be ready to promote yourself to find success. It’s 2022, we have tiktok, instagram and facebook at our fingertips. It’s easier than ever to put yourself and your work out there and find your community. I know for myself, I’ve found the most amazing community of fiber artists through social media whose work inspires me everyday. So my biggest advice would be to post. Find a niche you’re passionate about, make something you’re proud of and share.
Be sure to follow Chelsea on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, as well as check out her Etsy! (All photos were provided to me by Chelsea).
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