Happy Super Bowl weekend! Despite not really following football throughout the season (or understanding more than the basic rules, if we’re being honest), this is always a fun weekend because J’s been hosting a Super Bowl party since we moved to DC…and that means we’re jointly hosting together this year. (Though let’s be honest, I was mostly responsible for the food in years past :)) That makes this particular year the “fourth annual,” which is kind of fun, and J’s also a big Patriot’s fan and we all know what it’s like to have ~your team~ in the big game.

My week was pretty low key, with pretty much no post-work plans aside from catching up with Ashlee and Serena at Mintwood on Tuesday. I’m out of town for seven out of nine weekends so am trying to keep my weeknights pretty open to get through blog + freelance work, keep up with my workouts, and get in enough downtime. If you were one of those people who thought January was like the longest month ever (seriously, I asked Ashlee and Serena if they’d been seeing mentions like this all over social media because I was so confused), hopefully your February is off to a better start :) Have a great one, friends!

OF NOTE…

• My coworker brought in a loaf of this homemade apple bread and while I’m kind of obsessed with my own version, this one was phenomenal and is getting added to the rotation!
• I’ve been to India several times but haven’t ventured much beyond Mumbai. There are so many beautiful places to visit, and if the opportunity to take this kind of luxury trip were to arise, there would be no complaints :)
• A new-to-me food blog that I can’t wait to cook from.
• Do any of you love German chocolate cake as much as I do? It’s essentially a staple in our household (by that, we make it 1-2x/year for special occasions), but its origins were completely foreign to me. Turns out the original recipe traces back to my hometown–Dallas!
• One of the most interesting people I started following on Instagram last year was Chris Jackson, who’s the royal photographer for Getty Images. He shares some stories about what it’s been like to cover Harry + Meghan’s engagement.
• I recently discovered Jen’s blog and love her blend of style + focus on writing. You guys know how much I love the em dash…I basically overuse it in every blog post! Hence, my obvious enthusiasm and support to An Ode to the Em Dash.
• Katie recapped her Dry January experience and kept it real! Kudos to everyone who did it–enjoy your drink this weekend :)

ON THE BLOG…

• How I organize my finances and how J and I split our shared expenses now that we live together–curious where others stand on this!
• The best coffee table books, including a bunch of my current favorites!
• You guys know how much I love something that functions for work + play, and this wool sweater does that so well!
• Recapping one of the best weekends away, ever.