June Photo Project: Animals

This month, I asked for your animal photos and we've got some serious dog lovers out there! To be honest, when I chose the theme I knew my parents would be delivering our new Old English Sheepdog puppy this week. So I'm pleased to introduce you to our girl Zuzu! I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of her. Here are the fun animal photos you shared:

Andra snapped this picture of llamas in Ecuador.

Brittany shared a photo of Freckles, the Saint Bernard mix she adopted.

Claudia sent a photo of one of her three dogs, Ella, a 10-year-old beagle she adopted.

And Allison took a pic of her dog donning a bowtie for a picnic.

If you want to share one of your animal photos, just leave a link below! Hope you have a great weekend! I'll be spending mine with my parents and Miss Zuzu Petals.

Pillow Picks

We got rid of a lot of furniture when we moved, and now we're waiting to see if a house works out before investing in some key pieces. In the meantime, I'm curbing my need to nest with things like new sheets, towels and in the more fun department, throw pillows. CB2 has been my latest go-to for bringing a little summer brightness inside.

Where Flowers Bloom

I've got blooms on the brain this week, so when I came across this state flower map of the U.S., I was immediately taken. I received a thorough education on Georgia state history in elementary school, so I know we rep the Cherokee rose, and I've quickly learned that here in Texas, they're all about bluebonnets. But maybe it's time to educate myself on the rest of the country. The print, created by Thimblepress, also includes this lovely quote from Lady Bird Johnson: "Where flowers bloom, so does hope." I like that idea.

Weekend in Photos

I can't remember the last time Jonah and I had one of our weekend brunches, so we finally made it happen. It was so nice to relax and not talk about houses and apartments and moving for a while over pancakes and eggs benedict. We watched a few World Cup matches, spent some time outside (the flowers are bursting out all over the place) and went shopping for our other new arrival. A couple months ago I said it's the year of everything all at once. I wasn't kidding. We've got a new puppy headed our way, and we're so excited! I can't wait to introduce her to y'all later this week!

Thoughts of the Week

A frozen drink to replace my summer cocktail cravings.

Eyeing these cute handmade baby clothes.

There's so much prettiness inside this Dutch home.

Fried peach pies and peach iced tea are beckoning me.

Cute beach towels will make summer even more fun.

A monthly breakfast club: best idea ever.

And please send me your animal photos!

Any big weekend plans? We're moving into a new apartment. We had to find a place that would give us a short-term lease, so hopefully, it's just another (temporary) step in our journey toward buying a home. I had no idea house hunting was such hard work, so kudos to all you fancy, grown-up homeowners out there. Have a great weekend!

Simple Shapes

I love the clean, simple look of these pieces by Summer Bucket Jewelry. The gold and sterling necklaces, earrings and bracelets are handmade in Houston and would be great for eye-catching everyday wear.

Fresh Strawberry Sauce

When it comes to ice cream toppings, I'm typically a caramel sauce kind of girl, but this strawberry sauce is tart and fresh and brings all kinds of deliciousness to a bowlful of vanilla. It's really more of a strawberry puree. I like to blend it completely and then add a few extra sliced strawberries. I think it would work wonders on waffles, cheesecake or anything else you see fit.

Fresh Strawberry Sauce

Adapted from All Recipes

2 cups of strawberries, quartered

2 tablespoons sugar (or more if you prefer it sweeter)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Remove stems from strawberries and quarter or roughly chop. Combine strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Juice will begin to form after a few minutes. Mash berries with a wooden spoon to produce syrup. Cook until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. In a blender, puree strawberry mixture until smooth, then store in refrigerator. Should make 1 cup of strawberry topping.

Tybee Beach House

I was lucky enough to grow up about 10 minutes from the beach, so when I came across this beautifully remodeled beach house on my beloved Tybee Island, it was love at first sight. There's nothing that wins me over like white walls with pops of color -- even the laundry room is cute. I'm already daydreaming about retiring here.

[photos and design by: Rethink Design Studio]

Shopping for Baby

I nearly titled this post: Do Babies Really Need All This Stuff? or Shopping for Baby: Send Help! I've started the process of researching and registering for baby gear. There's a whole world of car seats and carriers that I know nothing about and sifting through online product reviews is like a form of self-inflicted punishment. Plus, everyone seems to have a different opinion about what's best. When I feel overwhelmed, I find myself drawn to more manageable decisions like choosing clothes and room decor. Like how cute is this hot air balloon mobile? I think I'll buy it. See how easy that was.

Any must-have suggestions or advice from you mamas and good shoppers out there?

Austin Eats: Sugar Mama's Bakeshop

I recently paid a visit to Sugar Mama's Bakeshop for some afternoon sweets. The whole place has a kitschy charm, and they sell an assortment of pastries, bars and cookies (they even made Kanye West's birthday cake last week), but the cupcakes are the real centerpiece. I brought home two classic chocolate and vanilla, a lavender and chocolate, and their Cupcake Wars-winning carrot cake. They were delicious, and I'm eager to try out more flavors soon.

Pretend Party: Father's Day BBQ

How about spending a Sunday afternoon with family enjoying some barbecued ribs and all the tasty sides that go along with them? And because dad deserves the best: cookie ice cream sandwiches for dessert. Now that's how you make a guy feel special.

[found here: ribs; baked beans; stuffed tomatoes; mac and cheese; bbq sauce trio; gingham tablecloth; succulent arrangement; spiked Arnold Palmer; chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches; butcher block]

Off the Charts

These prints from Pop Chart Lab are a lot of fun and surprisingly informative. There are diagrams of all kinds of things, from pop star haircuts to varieties of pasta. I think they'd make a great Father's Day gift for your already well-informed dad.

Weekend in Photos

I feel like we're stuck on repeat when it comes to weekends. House hunt, eat, house hunt, console ourselves with more calories, go home, watch Netflix, fall asleep on the couch. I hope you'll bear with me as we await more exciting times -- they're certainly on the horizon -- but for now, I hope you enjoy our latest Austin finds, Tiny Pies and Lucy's Fried Chicken, almost as much as I did.

Monthly Photo Project: June

For this month's photo theme, let's photograph animals. It could be your pet, a bird you spot in the yard, a trip to a farm or zoo, anything you like! I'll share the results on Friday, June 27th. Email me your photo and information in advance, so I can highlight images from some of you. Send it to: southernhostess[at]gmail.com Have a great weekend!

It's a Boy!

Last week, we learned that we're expecting a baby boy! I totally understand wanting to keep it a surprise, but finding out if it was a boy or girl has made it easier for me to wrap my head around this whole parenthood thing. Now I can imagine a little guy in our lives. Jonah's already talking about teaching him to love soccer, and I've been shopping for tiny t-shirts. We feel so joyful and excited, and I can't wait to meet this fella!

Warm Peaches and Cream

Peaches are so delicious on their own that they really don't need any help, but since a little butter, sugar and vanilla never hurt anything, these warm peaches make for a nice variation.

Warm Peaches
2 peaches, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Add brown sugar and stir until melted. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla and sliced peaches. While still warm, serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 2.

Weekend in Photos

One of the good things about house hunting is that it's given us a reason to get out and explore different neighborhoods in Austin. While most of our time is spent driving around and touring houses, we do feel like we're learning the city faster than we would have, and we happen to find great restaurants along the way. On Friday, we had the most delicious pizza at Bufalina, and for dessert, olive oil cake with a scoop of cornflake ice cream. The rest of the weekend was filled with a coffee date, a walk through Zilker Park before dark and our latest tradition of post-church tacos.