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.

a few more paintings

I've been on such an arty kick lately! I can't tell yet if it's an interest that will stick (I have this really awful habit of deciding, "THIS is going to be my thing" and then promptly losing interest, so I don't want to jinx myself by declaring any devotion to painting or drawing or just general "art"), but right now, I'm really enjoying coming home from work and playing with my art supplies. Here are a few more paintings I made this week:

1. Simple dot pattern is a good way to play with color combos.

2. Big, bold flowers make me smile.

3. I really love how this balloon turned out and kind of want to do an entire rainbow balloon series (spoiler alert?).

As a side note, I need to figure out the best way to iron painted paper. You can tell in that last picture especially how the paper is kind of warped from the moisture in the paint (where there's that big shadow straight across the middle of the page). Any tips?

pencil drawings

Here are four pencil drawings I've made this week (I was going to apologize for them not being very good; there's always an urge to try to beat any potential critics to the punchline. But, I'm not going to say they aren't good, and I'm not going to apologize, because I like them, and they show that I'm trying, and I think that's important. So, here they are):

1. A peek at my current beauty rotation. Bonus points if you can guess what products these are. Hint: They all come from the same brand.

2. Self-portrait that vaguely resembles me. Wearing sunglasses because my attempt at eyes made me look like a total madwoman. Also, so cool. Dreams, right?

3. Beach. Yesterday was another 30-something degree in DC, so a beach scene seemed like the best getaway.

4. Morning tea. The only way to start the day.

chocolate cupcakes

If you, like me, love the texture of cake made from boxed mix (it's okay to admit it) but still prefer being able to say, "Oh, yes, they're made from scratch," then this is the cupcake recipe for you. I'd tried a whole bunch of butter-based recipes before finally realizing that the secret to that boxed fluffiness is oil. These come out way lighter than their buttery counterparts, and as long as you don't overfill your muffin cups (which I have done multiple times before and it always leads to heartbreak), you'll have the softest, most delightful little chocolate cupcakes you can imagine. 

ingredients:

1 1/2 c AP flour

2/3 c cocoa powder

1 c sugar

1/3 c brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/3 c oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 c whole milk

1/2 c hot water

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18-24 cupcake wells with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a liquid measuring cup, combine eggs, oil, vanilla, and milk. Add these wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Slowly stir in water.

Pour batter into lined pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full. DO NOT OVERFILL.

Bake about 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

(source: Bakerella)