Happy Friday! After touring a home last Saturday that left us both underwhelmed, we headed north to Dave’s parents’ cabin for an overnight stay. Even though it was brief, sipping beer on the dock and chatting by the late-night fire was the perfect mini getaway to start the week refreshed. It was also the maiden voyage of the Soludos slides above. They’re ridiculously comfortable so long as you don’t mind going without arch support.

This weekend also promises to be laid back. If the rain holds off, I’d like to go to the farmers’ market on Saturday and then we have two homes to see this weekend. Each of the houses have their pros and cons. One is a two-story home built in 1920 with a ton of original character and charm (and the smallest galley-style kitchen ever and no air conditioning). It’s $65,000 less than the other contender: a 1956 ranch that has been updated with a much larger and functional kitchen, a finished basement, larger bedrooms, and the cutest vintage bathroom with original tile and a turquoise tub. They’re both in good neighborhoods and close to the bike trail. I’m hoping that we’re drawn to one in person, and that we can have an offer accepted and put this whole hullabaloo behind us and start focusing on the good stuff: paint and furniture.

Weekend Reading:

• If you’re lucky enough to be in Los Angeles before May 29, snag tickets to the Museum of Ice Cream and take envy-inducing selfies in the pool of sprinkles.
• I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ll probably buy this dress just because it looks so cute on Allie.
• I’m all about this relaxed striped dress. It’s only $49, so there’s a high likelihood that I’ll snag it next month and wear it with my new favorite sandals and oversize earrings (in “warm sandstone”) every single weekend this summer.
• Hitha’s recipe for Indian black pepper chicken looks amazing. I’m adding it to our menu this weekend.
• These posters to raise awareness for pet adoption in Mumbai are brilliant.
• Grace shared her most recent reading list. I can personally vouch for Styled.
• I haven’t started reading this interview with Anna Wintour on politics and the business of fashion yet, but it looks interesting. (I helpfully emailed it to  myself two days ago with the subject line “read.”)
• We all know that I rarely don a pair of heels, but I’m tempted to add these to my collection in the red-orange hue.
• As if I didn’t already have intense wanderlust, a roundup of the prettiest beauty boutiques to visit is making me yearn to book a trip.
• Ikea issued the best response to Balenciaga’s $2,145 lookalike.
• The Met Gala is coming up on Monday, May 1. While you wait for this year’s looks to grace the red carpet, take a look back at some of the event’s best fashion moments.

ICYMI:

• The outfit I’ve worn pretty much every weekend so far this spring.
• Colorful favorites for spring.
• This month’s shopping confessions, er, budget update.

I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! We’re off to see another house in a couple of hours. This one needs a bit more love and attention than the last house we put in an offer on, but there’s something I like about that. We’re less gunshy about making changes to the interior to really make it reflect our aesthetic. It’s hard to do that on a home that’s been recently renovated, even if the finishes aren’t to our taste. To that end, I’ve still been shopping for home items that I love, like a robin’s egg blue garden hose of all things. (It’s half that price at our local hardware store.) I never thought a garden hose would grace my wish list, but here we are. #Adulting

And with that, here’s what caught my fancy this week:

• Dolce & Gabbana is partnering with the home appliance brand SMEG for a collection of brightly colored kitchen appliances that highlight Sicilian folklore.
• How is Urban Outfitters navigating today’s retail landscape?
• Ah! This mini woven tote is so cute! I just love all of the colors.
• Abercrombie & Fitch is growing up, thanks to its senior vice president of design. (I’m surprised by how much I love this striped romper from the brand. Pair it with slides and a woven bag and you’re set for summer.)
• I had no idea that Victoria’s Secret and Nike are among the top brands for Millennials.
• I just bought this tie-front dress. I love that the top is lined and the fabric is thick enough that small-chested ladies won’t need a bra.
• These earrings also arrived this week. They’re pretty lightweight for how large they are.
• Here’s a cocktail that’s almost too pretty to drink.
• The iconic TWA terminal at JFK airport by mid-century architect Eero Saarinen is being renovated into a hotel.
• Just look at these gorgeous photos of Australia’s salt ponds.

ICYMI:

• Preppy favorites for this week’s “The Coveted.”
• Three one-piece swimsuits that are wallet-friendly alternatives to Marysia bathing suits.
• A ruffled dress I wore in New Orleans.

The photo above is from our trip to NOLA. I’m planning to have a travel guide up next week!

I’m late to the game with this week’s “Weekend Reading!” My parents came to town yesterday, so we spent the better part of Friday and Saturday morning cleaning our apartment. We went out to dinner last night and today we’re celebrating my grandma’s 80th birthday with extended family. In other news, I had my Madison Magazine photoshoot last week. If you saw my Snapchat story (username: bedknobsbaubles), you know I wasn’t exactly thrilled with most of the images that were taken. We shot at the indoor botanical gardens and it was incredibly humid and any bounce my hair had fell within minutes. Despite my initial reservations about the whole thing, the photo that we ultimately chose for publication is pretty and I’m excited for the issue to hit the mail.

The bigger item occupying our minds is, of course, our house hunt. We’re actually looking at a house in a couple of hours that has potential. It’s not in my ideal neighborhood nor my preferred style of house, but there’s something about it that I really like (in the online photos anyway!). Having our house hunt back in full swing has made me obsessive about pinning interior ideas and shopping for home items like this gorgeous chair from Target and a bar cabinet (easier to keep dust-free than a bar cart). Purchasing large-scale items will have to wait until we have a closing date, so I’m adding a few smaller items to our housewares collection instead. I had a few rewards dollars at West Elm that were due to expire on April 15, so I picked up a cocktail mixing pitcher and this darling seashell bowl. I also recently purchased two of these budget-friendly throw pillows for our bed. (Speaking of pillows, how good is this one?!) I’m keeping these purchases to a minimum, of course, since most of our money will be spent on furniture once we find a place! (Plus, let’s not forget the unsexy purchases we’ll have to make! We’ll need a lawn mower, shovels, rakes, etc. Oh, boy! 😉 )

MIX: Dave and I are on our own for Easter this year. We’re going to make a traditional dinner, but I’d love to mix up fun cocktails during the day to make the holiday feel special. These blended tropical drinks sound incredible.

BYE, JENNA: By now, you’ve all heard the news that Jenna Lyons is leaving J.Crew. Here are nine things to remember about her reign at the retailer.

COLOR CRUSH: I’ll admit that one of the things I’m most excited about with a house is the opportunity to choose a bold color for the front door. I’m loving the cantaloupe orange. Of course, it’ll depend entirely on what color the exterior is. We won’t have money to change the house color right away!

SLIDE INTO SPRING: I wish I had a tropical vacation on the books! If we did, however, I’d be scooping up these slides (which I might buy anyway) and this scalloped swimsuit (or this one).

SUGAR-FREE: I had a doctor’s appointment on Friday and he went on and on about the perils of sugar. Yesterday, I came across this post with three sugar-free desserts that won’t have you missing the white stuff.

IN THE PINK: Paul Smith’s  pink building is one of the most Instagrammed spots in L.A., but is it helping the brand drive sales?

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• My favorite dress for spring and summer (and the frock I wore for the Madison Magazine shoot).
• Coveting a springtime selection of pink, blue, and green.
• Must-have baubles under $75.

CAUGHT MY EYE:

• All of the earrings at Anthropologie this season, especially these!
• A palm-print throw blanket.
• A polka-dot faux wrap dress.

Whoohoo! We’re mere hours away from April and the promise of spring weather — finally! We have no plans this weekend and I couldn’t be more excited to sit around at home, throw open the windows, and curl up with a book, the cat, and a cocktail. I’m also looking forward to trying a couple of new recipes that I have bookmarked. I made these slow cooker Korean tacos earlier this week and they were pretty disappointing. However, the pork was ah-mazing in makeshift Korean burrito bowls. We sauteed the leftover meat with sesame oil and gochujang, and added salt, pepper, and garlic powder. We put the meat and the slaw (which needed more rice wine vinegar) over rice, drizzled it with Sriracha and Sriracha mayo, and added more green onions. So. Good.

MISS INDEPENDENT: Despite mounting pressure from department stores to create on-trend items that everyone is clamoring to purchase (ahem, off-the-shoulder everything), Tibi designer Amy Smilovic stayed true to her brand’s vision. As a result, her brand is stronger than ever with an even more loyal customer base.

VISIT CUBA: Brittany put together the most helpful Cuba travel guide that I’ve come across yet. In it, she walks you through the logistics of planning your trip, getting there, and many of the things you’ll need to consider before arriving (e.g. expect to enjoy an “unplugged” trip and cash is king — and, well, the only way you’ll be able to pay for things).

STATES OF UNDRESS: I just started watching this documentary series. Host Hailey Gates explore global fashion and its impact on social issues. I’ve only watched the first episode where she traveled to Pakistan and it was fascinating.

CLOTHING  PURGE: Doing a little spring cleaning? Here’s a handy chart to help guide your decision on what to do with that unloved garment.

SIP: Obviously we all need to purchase this gold pineapple for sipping cocktails this summer. It’s the best $15 Target find yet.

8 SURPRISING FACTS: You probably don’t know everything there is to learn about one of Easter’s most beloved candies. (For the record, I’ll take Brach’s jelly beans over Jelly Belly any day.)

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• I picked up a new fragrance from a darling little perfumery in New Orleans called Hové. I went with Clochettes des Bois, which is a light, romantic scent of lily of the valley.
• I went “Behind the Baubles” with Jenny Bird.
• Here’s my first outfit post from our trip to NOLA. I’m all about that one-shoulder top for spring and summer!
• I found myself coveting neutrals this week and completely caved and ordered the clutch. It’ll be here on Monday!

CAUGHT MY EYE:

• I love the colors in this tropical-print swing dress. The low back might be difficult to pull off with a regular bra, so show off a lace bralette instead. The coconut white would be pretty as would the teal option.
• The raffia earrings I ordered earlier this week. I love how big they are!
• A sweet gingham top.