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.