Friday links

Finally Friday! Amazing how a shorter week (I had Monday off to fly back to DC from Phoenix) can feel so incredibly draggy. Tomorrow morning will be full of errands, but we're having friends over to grill in the afternoon, and I am very excited. Hope you get lots of time to relax, and if you're looking for some weekend reading, here are a few suggestions:

Such pretty flowers.

Very important reminders.

Read this book on the flight to Phoenix and this book on the flight from Phoenix last weekend (both from the DC library via Kindle).

Thinking of making this soup tonight to use up some CSA goods.

And, around here:

Arizona snapshots.

Rosemary cookies.

Hexagon potholders.

hexagon potholders

We recently decided to renew our apartment lease for another year, so when I heard about Elise Blaha Cripe's #cripetinyreno, I was intrigued. Since we're renters, we can't make big changes, like swapping out the counter tops or cabinets, but we can get totally get better household accessories.

Then she went and posted the tutorial for these hexagon potholders, and I was sold. Mine turned out a little wonky, but it adds such a nice pop of color to our kitchen, and now I'm considering making a whole slew of them... They'd make especially nice presents, if I could get my technique refined a little.

rosemary cookies

If you are looking for the perfect spring cookie, this is it. It's just slightly sweet so the butter and rosemary really shine. They're small and crispy and the rosemary adds the perfect unexpected earthy flavor. Make them this weekend! 

(source: Martha Stewart)

Arizona snapshots

We flew out to Arizona early Saturday morning and came back to DC yesterday evening. We had gone for a memorial service, but managed to also see lots of people I grew up with, so it was a really nice trip overall. I didn't get many pictures, but here are a few I did manage to grab. From top to bottom:

1. My boyfriend was surprised by how many palm trees there are in the Phoenix area, since palm trees are not native desert plants. They sure are pretty, though.

2. Actual native desert plants.

3. View from our hotel balcony Sunday morning. Arizona sure knows how to do a sunrise.

4. I think many people don't realize that the desert actually has really pretty spring flowers. Giant yellow blooms on prickly cactus plants.

5. More palms. This one is from the ASU campus, which has changed in a million ways since I graduated in 2009.

Friday links

Basil limeade sounds like such a refreshing summer drink.

The best reminder.

My boyfriend and I started watching this show, and I am hooked.

Super cute ombre gallery wall.

We do this for dinner all the time, but it never occurred to me that it could also work for breakfast.

And, around here:

Pink and peach quilted tote.

Chocolate cupcakes.

Pencil drawings.

A few more paintings.