What I’m Reading

It’s time to focus on food, dear readers.  While I told myself I would not turn this summer into a giant to-do list of nagging projects I wanted to finish, I had a hard time not amassing millions more recipes I want to make RIGHT.  NOW.  Here’s the latest batch.

“Truly, boozy milkshakes are seriously under utilized.”  Truer words have never been spoken.  Bourbon salted caramel milkshakes, hi.

I never cared about Funfetti from the box at all, but now I can’t stop thinking about it.  That’s weird, no?

My husband has flank steak on lockdown (and it’s pictured above), so I hope he doesn’t get too mad when I inevitably make this.  Because butter!

It’s no secret that I totally fear the pie crust, but I am all about trying this galette with RICOTTA IN THE DOUGH!

Can we go old school and make a Pioneer Woman recipe?  Ree’s Oven BBQ Chicken seems just right.

Gaby made this bruschetta bar that you must have seen by now because I think it was a rule that you had to Pin it as soon as you saw it.  About once a summer we have a dinner in which I purchase a baguette, slice it, and pile on the detritus from my refrigerator.  This is much more intentional way to create that dinner.

I’m all about everything Caprese in the summer, but this tomato and baked polenta salad looks like a twist I’ll have to try.

Joy’s One Pot French Onion Pasta is going on the table for dinner this week, because it will use up lingering ingredients, and also, because caramelized onions.

What I’m Reading

Are you all drinking Peach Green Tea Lemonade?  Because I can’t get enough (collective gasp, I know).

In which Jolie-Pitting is a verb.  (This is another good one.)

New York Mag’s infographic on sleep is fascinating.

Sous Chef Lauren and I send each other Internet every single day, and I wrote the subject line: THIS IS THE BEST INTERNET EVER for this video.  Enjoy!

What I’m Reading

KP is spending her summer in Paris, and she is never afraid to take a road trip.  I’m loving following along with her Sur la Route series.

Tsh went to Tuscany, and I am insanely jealous.

In other, travel related news, Raluca posted a (well-organized) local’s guide to NYC.

And since this post is now on a full-fledged travel bender, here is DALS’ recap of their trip to Alaska.  Dreamy.

What I’m Reading

I took this picture completely by accident as we were driving over a bridge and I completely and totally love it.

Mauricio Estrella’s passwords have slowly but surely been changing his life.  I totally want to try this.

YOU CAN GET EXTRA DRIZZLE ON A MACCHIATO AT STARBUCKS.  This is so dangerous to know.

When it comes to making small talk, I could not be worse.  If I’ve only met you a handful of times, I apologize, but I will be at almost a complete loss in terms of what to say to you.  I like the idea of throwing this question out there.  I’d love to say I’d travel, but I think the honest answer is clothes.  I just did a bang-up job of spending my way through two weeks in New England, and I think it’s time for me to put myself on a spending freeze for another month or two.

In other, clothing related news, I own one of the dresses Joanna posted was awesome for summer (ergo I must be awesome).  Not surprisingly, it is the blue and white striped dress.  I have approximately 8 billion blue and white striped dresses and I would buy approximately 8 billion more.  This is another blue and white striped item that would be hanging in my closet already if I wasn’t putting myself on a spending freeze starting yesterday.

LOVE this post from Cup of Jo as well.  I am such a touch-er (that sounds so weird), always tapping people on the back or reaching out for an arm in conversation.  Must be my inner French lady.

What I’m Reading

The DC Public Library has this new podcast called “Read This, Not That,” in which two librarians bash overrated books and give readers an alternative.  Despite their choosing two books I found overrated in their first episode (Eat, Pray, Love, and Wild), I love this idea and will for sure going to keep tuning in when they post new episodes.  Love reading, love libraries, love getting new ideas.

Are you in a rental house at all this summer?  Their kitchens can be stocked SO poorly sometimes.  My husband recently retrieved a desk from the closet of a rental house, and relocated it to the deck to accommodate our whole crowd for dinner.  Here is a list of things to bring to your rental kitchen this summer.  Fun fact:  One summer I brought my KitchenAid.  I’m thinking about it again this year.

There is a reason that Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams are called Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.  They are truly amazing, and I hope that when I cross Ohio off the list of states I’ve visited, it’s because I visited the original store.  Design Sponge got to chat with Jeni and showed off a day in her life.  #DreamJob

What I’m Reading

Oh man, I feel like I always have this awkward freeze-up when I’m meeting people and I never know how to greet them.  Are we air-kissers?  Huggers?  Fist bumpers? (Kidding! I am never a fist bumper.)  I used to high five people up and down the halls of my high school–what a lame-o.

And while we’re on a BuzzFeed binge, Sous Chef Lauren sent me 43 Mean Girls Quotes that we can pretend Kate Middleton said.  #YouCan’tSitWithUs

I found myself rolling my eyes straight through NYT’s piece on Instagram envy.  This is news?  That girls are jealous of each other’s donut pictures?  We all went to middle school, and we all know mean girls doesn’t end in middle school.  However, because I’m a deep and complicated person, I loved WSJ’s take on “shelfies.”  Which is probably because I love a good shelfie, as evidenced by everyone I follow on Instagram.

What emojis do you always use?  I find a text isn’t complete till I’ve added the sobbing face, winky-kissy face, or the smiling poop, with the salsa lady or two dancing cats for good measure.  Sorry if that’s an overshare.  This Tumblr explains people’s lives based on their most recent emoji usage.

 

What I’m Reading

When Emily wrote about what she learned in April, I was pretty much in love with each bullet because any list with Lennon and Maisy, a mention of magic florescent butter, and Friends is okay with me.  I totally need those highlighters, right?

I’m on Twitter less and Instagram way more now, so I could see where this post was coming from.  How about you?  Oh well, it’s better to have loved and lost…

If I had any inclination to DIY anything this Happy Hour marquee would be hanging proudly in my dining room.

Once I tried to give up sugar and it lasted three days.  Whoops.  I keep thinking I should do something like that again, or maybe a Whole 30?  I love that Raluca shares that there is never going to be a perfect 30 day window to give up these kinds of things.  You just have to do it.  Queen Cupcake and I discussed this at length when we went out for (sugary) the froyo pictured above.

 

What I’m Reading

(Oh heyyyyy new kitchen color – Benjamin Moore’s Palladian Blue, you’ve changed my life.)

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Tara Whitney.  She is the most brilliant photographer, and one day, when, much like the Frazier family, I have a small army of children, she will take our pictures and they will be my most treasured possessions.  You know, nbd.  I have followed her blog for ages.  AGES.  She was one of the first I read.  What she captures, when she captures families, is nothing short of amazing.

Chill might be one of my favorite words in the English language, and this post confirms it.

I was doing so well until I read #5.

Loved reading John and Sherry’s interview about their showhouse in Richmond.  If you missed the room tours on their own blog, they’re sharing them over time.  Here are two.

I posted another couple of Netflix suggestions recently, but here are a couple more.  I can personally vouch for the last two, and I’m glad the first is online now, because I missed it in theaters.

What I’m Reading

While prepping our guest bedroom for painting on a recent weekend I had what is probably the closest I’ve ever come to a panic attack.  I have no idea what a full-fledged panic attack feels like, but I had a moment where I had to stop and catch my breath.  I was so overwhelmed with the amount of crap I had to move, that I didn’t know where to start.  I have so much stuff.  I don’t think that I do, but I do.  I totally and completely do.  So I’m loving 10 Ways to Own Less.

My husband is an economist, and I am obsessed with finding out how people spend their time, and thus The New Yorker’s (long) piece on everyone’s complete lack of time was fascinating to me.  The book mentioned in the article had popped up in my Instagram feed recently, and I’ve already got it on hold.

Goop has a cookbook club (which I learned about here), and it looks so beautiful.  I’m on a quest to cook more from my own cookbooks this summer, so I hope this little venture of hers doesn’t spark any new purchases.  But, oh man, that cocktail at the bottom of the post?  The American Nightmare?  That sounds too good to be true.

Everyone’s Instagram has been all peonies, all the time lately, and until I have a yard of my own and endless blooms filling my house, that’s perfectly fine by me.

And finally, this is a salted chocolate diablo ice cream sandwich.  Holy yum.

 

What I’m Reading

I love Joanna’s post about traveling alone.  Have you ever?  I absolutely love it.  On my last trip to New York (which wasn’t really alone, as I went to visit Queen Cupcake), I felt this rush as the train pulled out of the station.  I had all the time in the world to sit and enjoy a good book.

Speaking of books, I found out these vintage gems exist, and I want each one.

I loved Jess’s take on not turning your “want tos” into “have tos.”  I am the queen of this, so it’s a great (and timely) reminder.

Ali’s friends whisked her off on a surprise adventure and I love her recap here.  Ali always tells a great story, and you can feel her love for her friends, and for fun, in this post.