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.