Happy Friday and hello from Washington, DC! Rob and I got here on Wednesday evening and have been spending some time with my brother-in-law and his sweet girlfriend before we catch up with a few friends who also live in the area!

I'm finishing up edits on our latest episode of Hello, Butter and have a couple of meetings before I step away from the computer for the weekend, and while I'm still here I wanted to share some links with you. Enjoy!

Let's start with this--what a day!

To Watch/See:

• 100 Years of Beauty: An engaged couple ages quickly with the help of hair and makeup, and their reactions are absolutely moving.
• Peter Dinklage singing about Game of Thrones--what more do you need?
• This video made me smile. I feel the exact same way whenever Ender destroys something I love.
• Harry Potter's Matthew Lewis Makes His Clothes Disappear For Attitude Magazine--why not?
• A chef plates junk food like high-end cuisine and the result is really beautiful.

To Read:

• An important read (I'm still so confused about how these people are as popular as they are): Quiverfull of Shit: a Guide to the Duggar's Scary Brand of Christianity
• The Confederate Flag is America's Swastika--why is this even a debate? Let's take that thing down.
• 20 Things You Didn't Know About the Paleo Diet, or, what I got from it: Calm Down, Paleo Police.
• So excited about this book!

Wish List:

• This bathing suit.
• This romper!

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What are you up to this weekend? I hope you have a great one!

This post is sponsored by Hebrew National.

My brother and I do a lot of cooking whenever one of us visits the other--it's sort of our thing. Usually we come up with really involved, complicated dishes that require a ton of planning and cleanup, but last weekend, in a very appropriate nod to the beginning of summer, we threw some Hebrew National hot dogs on the grill and enjoyed a hot Sunday evening in the courtyard of our apartment building.

My family has always really enjoyed throwing dinner parties that are casual but creative and highly interactive--and I usually do that by picking one dish and letting everyone customize it themselves. I set out bowls with lots of toppings, prepare the main ingredients, and let everyone do their own thing--this works really well with burgers, and I've even thrown a dessert-only s'mores party in the same way. S'mores feel really summery to me, and so do hot dogs, which made me realize that a hot dog party in the same, do-it-yourself fashion would be a perfect way to celebrate the beginning of summer.

I made drinks and Sean and Rob manned the grill--I decided that since it was just the three of us, I'd keep it simple with just ketchup, mustard, pickles, and a bit of lettuce instead of a bun for me. But if you were entertaining a large party, you could set out a huge variety of toppings: tomatoes, onions, relish, spicy ketchup, Dijon mustard, jalapeños, coleslaw, cheese--the list goes on and on. You could even do themes like an Asian-inspired hot dog with kimchi and edamame (which sounds amazing, right? I'm going to go make that right now).

Even with just a few things to choose from, I thought it was cute how different our three hot dogs were: Sean added some hot sauce, Rob likes it plain with just a little bit of ketchup, and mine pretty much had everything but the bread. When you're hanging out with the people you love the most, sometimes it's better to just keep it simple.

What would you put on yours?

What makes a Hebrew National kosher hot dog premium? It's all about what makes the cut (and what doesn't). We're choosy about what goes into our franks--we use only premium cuts of 100% kosher beef from the front half of the cow and then choose the best from that. No artificial flavors, colors, fillers, or by-products. When your hot dog is Kosher, that's a hot dog you can trust! For more summer fun with Hebrew National, visit facebook.com/hebrewnational.

When I made the transition from office job to working from home, pencil skirts were definitely the chunk of my wardrobe that I missed most (followed closely by heels and statement jewelry). I just don't dress up for everyday life anymore, which is kind of silly. So the other day I challenged myself to dust off one of my favorite skirts and find a way to make it work for just a regular, non-working lunch date.

I decided to pair it with a favorite tee shirt, but I knotted it in the front instead of tucking it in, which is what I usually would have done to go into work. The result was still a little on the dressy side, but I think that with flat shoes or even sandals and a graphic tee instead of a plain one, it could be made even more casual--I'll have to give it another try soon and let you know!

Tee: Victoria's Secret | Skirt (on sale!): J.Crew

Shoes (similar) and Necklace: J.Crew | Bracelet: Banana Republic

Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs | Earrings (not similar but cuter!): Juicy Couture

I've had this skirt for a couple of years and absolutely love it, but I got it hemmed when I first purchased it and now I'm starting to think I might like it better a little longer (right at my knee)--what do you guys think?

Photos by Andi Perullo for Freckled Italian.