Happy Birthday, Mama!

Weekend in Photos will be coming up later today, but my first order of business is to wish a Happy Birthday to my sweet mama! She has taught me so much about walking in joy and grace no matter what with a sweet spirit and a sense of humor. She and I are both celebrating big birthdays this year that end in zero, and just like with everything else, I'm glad she's leading the way so beautifully. Love you, Mama!

Wanderin'

I've got some trips coming up, and I sure am ready for them. I think my right arm needs a break from clicking a mouse all day. In two weeks, we'll be in Seattle for a dear friend's wedding. Jonah is from Seattle, and we spent three years there, so it's one of those places that always feels like home. I'm anxious to visit some of my favorite spots and discover some new ones. And in April, we're going to Austin. Neither of us has been, so we're really excited to explore (especially since it's a great food city), get a dose of warm weather and visit some Texas friends we're lucky enough to have. Any suggestions? Food, fun or otherwise? Y'all always have the best travel tips! Happy Friday and thanks for stopping by!

[print by: Fifi Du Vie]

I Bought It, I Like It: BKR Bottle

I was really happy when my bkr bottle arrived in the mail. Like so happy that Jonah said, "I've never seen anyone so excited about a water bottle, you weirdo." It's a glass bottle in a silicone sleeve, and there are lots of color options (mine's called crush). It's BPA-free, dishwasher safe and totally adorable. I think water really tastes best when drunk from a glass, and the durable silicone sleeve keeps your precious bottle safe. If something should happen in the first 90 days after purchase, bkr will send you a new bottle for free! I'm pretty much in love with mine so far, and it's helping me with my goal to drink more water.

I blog about shopping a lot, but this new series will highlight items I've purchased with my own money that I think you would like too.

Light and Lemony

These lemon custard cakes were just what I was craving, light and tangy, warm and gooey all at the same time. The top half bakes into a soft, spongey cake, and below the surface is a lemon curd-like custard, which is especially delicious when it's still warm. It's a simple but impressive dessert. I whipped some up on Friday night after work for the in-laws. They're always incredibly generous when it comes to compliments, but something tells me they really liked these. You could fancy up these cakes with some fresh berries or candied lemon peel, but they are just fine all by their lonesome.

[recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food]

Monthly Photo Project: March

Despite snow flurries over the weekend, I'm still hopeful for an early spring. For this month's photo project, let's capture spring and all the loveliness that comes with it. I'll share your photos on Friday, March 29th. If you want to email me your photo and information in advance, I'd love to highlight images from a few of you. Send it to: southernhostess[at]gmail.com.

Weekend in Photos

From these photos, it looks like we spent most of the weekend in a coffee shop, which I very well could have. One of our favorite neighborhood spots, Sweetleaf, just opened a new location about two blocks from our apartment. I was pretty excited about it. We also got in some more time with Jonah's parents before they headed back to Seattle. Yummy meals and macarons were involved. I read Saveur's latest issue, which is all about doughnuts and then fell asleep on the couch dreaming about them. Of course, this called for a late afternoon doughnut run. Napping and doughnuts: the stuff weekends are made of.

This Thing That I Love

While I was thinking about things that I treasure for February's photo project, I realized there are a lot of objects that are special to me. Stuff that's more than just stuff because of nostalgia, uniqueness or just because it makes me smile.

This Rolling Stones 1978 tour t-shirt is my dad's. I consider it proof of his excellent taste and the fact that he was a rock star in his own mind. I can't fully describe the perfect softness of this shirt. They just don't make 'em like they used to. That's me as a kid, baffled by its softness. It was my favorite shirt to sleep in growing up, and at some point, it became mine for keeps. It came with me to college, and it's tucked away in a drawer right now. I do fear that a hole will form in that delicate, worn-in cotton one day, and its slow death will begin, so I don't wear it too often, only when I need to feel like a rock star ... in a cardigan.