The Coolest

Have you seen this cooler on Kickstarter yet? It's already far surpassed its fundraising goal, probably because it's so awesome. It features a rechargeable blender, bluetooth speaker, USB charger, lid light, cutting board, bottle opener and more, and I love the retro design. It's just the sort of thing that would make camping a more acceptable experience for me.

Dish It Out

I'm a fan of these screen printed flour sack towels from Nourishing Notes. Nothing like a little friendly advice while you're drying the dishes.

Summertime Chai

Last week, I finally busted out the ice cream maker for a batch of this coconut milk chai ice cream I found on Cookie + Kate. It was yummy and just the right blend of spices, but I undid all the lactose-free fun by turning it into a milkshake, which I'd also recommend. Just blend together a cup and half of chai ice cream, about 3/4 a cup of milk and a splash of vanilla extract and top with cinnamon. It's a delicious, summery spin on the usually cozy drink.

Weekend in Photos

We squeezed in donuts, Planet of the Apes, Chinese food and house-hunting this weekend, but all in about four-hour increments so we could check in on Zuzu. We've become puppy parents. We found a field for her to run in and none of us lasted long in the Texas heat, but it was great to give her plenty of space to play. It's amazing how a puppy has changed our routine. I can only imagine what a baby will do.

Austin Eats: Elizabeth Street Café

Elizabeth Street Café is just my sort of place, cute and charming with a case of readily available pastries. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the menu is Vietnamese and French, featuring everything from pork buns and noodles to baguettes and macarons. I would happily sit in their friendly space all day with a pot of green mint tea.

Monthly Photo Project: July

For this month's photo theme, I chose "relax." I thought it would be appropriate for photos of summer vacation, days spent by the pool and other hot weather fun. I'll share the results on Thursday, July 31st. Just email me your photo and information in advance, so I can highlight images from some of you. Send it to: southernhostess[at]gmail.com

Weekend in Photos

We enjoyed a nice long Fourth of July weekend with Jonah's parents who came from Seattle for their first visit to Austin. With back-to-back parent visits, we've been busy eating good food, being spoiled and entertaining puppy, which sometimes proves to be a job for four adults. We watched fireworks in the distance from the roof, ate loads of ice cream, did some shopping for baby boy and gave the Broulettes a taste of Texas.