Friday Faves

TGIF and how-did-that-week-go-by-so-fast. Has it really been 5 whole days since we were all talking about peeling Easter eggs and 4 days since we were trying to figure out how to use them all?

Last weekend my man left me and Smudge to our own devices to celebrate Easter while he traipsed to Denver, CO for a Drive By Truckers show. That’s where they “rock out” and do a lot of finger pointing at the stage. As in, “You ROCK man (insert pointed finger at stage here.”)

Given the latest laws that have been passed there, and the fact he was there on 4/20, he said he spent most of the weekend enveloped in a second hand fog.

Oh Denver. You rebels.

With a history of me taking things into my own hands and sort of going off the rails when he jets off to see a band, this time around I didn’t go out and buy a way too expensive vacuum cleaner like I have in the past.

Nor did I create a new home improvement project. To be abandoned in frustration and left for him to figure out—and fix—once he returned. Okay, I did rearrange the living room furniture…

And he didn’t come home to a brand new foster dog like that time he went and saw U2 in Portland. Lenny, the dog that started my 10 year-obsessed-involvement with this animal rescue and literally over 50 foster dogs crossing our doorstep for a stay.

What can I say? I love the poochers.

This time around I splurged on self improvement. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do!

So, I bought this awesome new bike I’ve had my eye on for a while. Yeah Smudge’ll be fitting into it in just about 37 seconds. It’s more of a touring bike with a comfy seat and upright handle bars so I don’t come back from a ride looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I’m totally loving it’s sleek, matte black frame that’ll be looking sweet biking with my Smudge or hitting the grocery store once I get some bike racks.

Of course as will happen when someone’s (me) being sneaky, I texted the pic above to my husband to reveal my new prize, and he unhappily let me know he was in the process of buying it for me for Mother’s Day. GAAAAHHH! I could have had 6 new pairs of shoes!

speaking of…

Smudge nearly swore me off declaring, “those are NOT fashionable,” when she saw me trying on these new shoes, but they are making a world of difference for me on my kitchen’s concrete floors. And I think the metallic is pretty dang snazzy. I got them at Nordstrom Rack (and now I can’t find them on their site but did find them on Amazon.) Man, I love that store and their $ discounts.

while we were there…

The whole reason we went to Nordstrom Rack was to get new flip flops for our girl’s date of splurging on mom and mani / pedis. I got this pair of my favorite slim Haviannas and she got this pair.

then…

We gloried in foot rubs, heel scalings and some serious toe work. This nail polish is my latest go-to.

Speaking of—or was I?—being young, and slim and carefree again I would totally be rocking this look at the beach if I was. How cute are those leggings!

This guide on planting succulents got me all inspired so we also headed to the garden store to pony up for a butt-load to put some green on the deck.

Speaking of green, lately for lunch I’ve been loving this pre-packed Costco-size veggie stir fry kit, literally eating kale, broccoli, carrots, peas and swiss chard every day for my mid day meal. I’m totally digging it because unlike most Costco size veggies, they seem to stay fresh longer. Yum.

I’m totally crushing on this self-taught photographer aka blogger’s recipes and photos. Def give her a check out.

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, and that means MARGARITAS. Here are 7 best budget tequilas for under $25. See ya Patron, Olé!

4 Instagram photo editing apps you should be using now.

This weekend, a gaggle of food bloggers will be in Murietta, CA for the Big Traveling Potluck. Sadly, this year I won’t. But if you want to live vicariously through last year’s event, get last year’s weekend of recipes, interview and tons of photos in all the fun I documented here.

Wanna start a blog? Maybe you shouldn’t. An interesting take here.

Print photos straight from my iPhone? Anywhere I am? This could get dangerous, because I really, really want one.

What? Rubber wine glasses? Brilliant! And just in time for summer sips.

Yellow. My mom’s favorite color. She’d love this.

but…

If she was looking for more aloha in her life, these fashion finds are super fun.

I LOVE this video! Real Housewives crying through botox. Not, um, like there’s anything wrong with that…

What’s with this time of the year that leaves me sneezing my head off thanks to Mr. Pollen Count and dreaming of elegant, beyond belief cakes? I’m blaming it on Mother’s Day decadence.

Well deserved, mamas. Well deserved.

Here are a few cake faves from this week’s perusing of the internets that’ll certainly put your mama in the palm of your hand.

Spiced Dark Chocolate Beet Cake with Cardamom Infused Cream

The looks of this cake, and inclusion of beets, could surely scare off a simpler baker. But this recipe is actually pretty straight forward and uses yet another not often played with herb, cardomom. Cardamom for mom. There’s a joke in there somewhere.

Recipe here.

Banana Cake with Whipped Nutella Frosting

Thick, rich and banana bread bound, this cake is a far more decadent presentation than one would expect from the bananarama fruit. Don’t even get me started on the lovely whipped Nutella. Just look at it!

Recipe here.

Rustic Italian Spongecake with Creamy Cheesecake Filling

Rustic or not, this looks pretty dang diggable. It’s a light, airy cake that’s been doused with cream cheese. What’s not to love?

Recipe here.

Chocolate and Vanilla 5 Layer Cake

As should be in any great cake, the frosting is what makes it. Since this cake uses both vanilla and malted buttercream, that should pretty much be a foregone conclusion.

Recipe here.

Coconut Cake

Incredibly soft, but still deliciously moist, this simple tropical cake is the stuff memories at Grandma’s are made of.

Recipe here.

Have a fab weekend everyone, and have a great time baking your cake and eating it too.

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