Happy Friday! Being a little under the weather has also made me feel a little anxious. I ate a lot of junk food, but managed to go to bed early every night. You win some, you lose some!

[Monday snacks with my friend Erica.]

Some weekend reading for you:

Funny, Cute, and Pretty
This killed me--Boss Really Getting On Man's Ass About Finishing NCAA Bracket. I love The Onion.
How sweet is this little polka dotted background for your phone or computer? Nice and spring-y!
I treated myself to a new dress for Melissa's wedding this summer.
I love Maddie's blog--so sweet and creative.

Culture 
I loved this beautiful story about Hillary Thompson, an inspiring transgender skateboarder.
Almost fist-pumped while reading about the Westboro Equality House. Aaron Jackson, let's be friends.
Fantastic thoughts on the Stuebenville rape trial and our culture of rape in general: "I can't imagine doing anything to someone who is passed out, other than finding them a blanket and rolling them onto their side in case they puke."
This was a really beautiful piece about modern marriage.

Odds & Ends
This blog post about having a deaf dog resonated with me as Rocky's hearing has already said "see ya!".
Cool photos from a springtime snow in China.
I started doing this plan this week to get my butt in gear. It's kind of like having a coach.
My friend Jackie has a cute stationary shop--but I also love this banner she sells.
I love reading people's "Currently" posts--read Robyn's here!
Have you checked out Feedly? I love it! I don't even care that Google Reader is discontinuing anymore!

--

I'm off to Northern Virginia after work today to hang out with Rob and his brothers--he got in yesterday and I can't wait to get there! I'm also hoping to say hi to and get coffee with a few friends while I'm in town. What do you have planned this weekend?

A few months ago I made some broccoli, and I got several emails asking me to post more simple recipes like that.
So here we are, with tomatoes and avocados.
Warm weather vegetables! Except they're really fruits. But whatever.

Ingredients:
For the salad
One big ripe avocado or two
Some ripe little tomatoes
For the dressing
A few tablespoons of olive oil
A few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
A tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

1. Peel and cut your avocados.
(I do this by cutting them in half, then in quarters, then peeling each quarter before cubing them.)
2. Wash and cut your tomatoes. I cubed these bad boys.
3. Throw them in a bowl together. Seriously. Now we're going to make balsamic vinaigrette.
(Find that recipe after these photos.)

I have no measurements for this balsamic vinaigrette because I just kind of make it up as I go. 

But here's what you do:

1. Start with salt and pepper. Add a little vinegar.

2. Add a little Dijon mustard--maybe a tablespoon.

3. Mix those together while adding a slow stream of olive oil.

(Usually I just pour everything in a jar and shake it up.)

Everyone needs a tiny whisk.

Toss the salad with the dressing and eat it by itself or throw it on top of a bed of lettuce, maybe, or on some chicken? Maybe throw it on an omelette. Or, like I said, eat it by itself. Easy peasy. Now go outside.

Today is my sweet mom's birthday. She's in Colorado for the week, skiing with some of her friends.

Last summer I was going through old photo albums and came across this picture of her looking like a model. I immediately wanted to post it to Facebook or Instagram but decided to save it for a rainy day. But today seems perfect. Look at her!

Happy birthday, Mom. I love you.