Happy Friday! I have a bunch of links I've been hanging on to for a few weeks, so I'll just get right to it:

Life and Reading:

• I really appreciated this: Elizabeth Gilbert on Failure.
• We're talking about young adult literature all wrong.
• Also related: Children's books are never just for children.
• This is something I struggle with sometimes. I'm always kind of proud deep down when I'm too busy to think and that's not a great way to go about my daily life: Exhaustion is not a status symbol.

Food and Health:

• A beautiful piece by one of my favorite podcast-ers: The Seven-Minute Egg.
• Vitamin B.S.--What do you think?
• An interesting thought: We've Hit Peak 'Sommelier.' I liked the allusion to "artisan territory." It is always a little silly to see some kind of "artisan" sandwich at a Burger King or something.

To Watch:

• Ellen Meets Macey Hensley. This little girl had me laughing my ass off. What a gem.
• Usher Plays Peekaboo on #RepeatAfterMe. I love him.
• This was too sweet--Roberty Downey Jr. presents a bionic arm to a sweet 7-year-old with a partially developed right arm.

Wish List/Other Stuff: 

• How sweet is this bright jumpsuit?
• I'm loving all these high-waisted bikinis on ModCloth.
• Are you familiar with Partyopedia? It's a family-run, one-stop-shop for birthday supplies.
• I'm sort of obsessed with these pretty sunglasses.

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What are you all up to this weekend? We've got no place to be for the first time in several weeks so we're staying put and relaxing as much as possible. Hope you have a good one!

Photo by Sarah Gatrell.

Last night, after a challenging afternoon with our puppy that ended in me absolutely needing ice cream, Rob came home from a Hornets game and we ended up driving to the Dairy Queen in Plaza Midwood for a late-night dessert.

It was one of those muggy spring nights that feels more like summer than anything else--79 degrees at 9:45 PM, windows down on the highway with the new Death Cab for Cutie album blaring, hair sticking to my damp shoulders. A line around the corner for ice cream and the smell of honeysuckle in the air.

It felt a lot like home.

Lately we've been talking about what our life might look like if Rob had to travel for work, and the other day I had a bit of a breakdown when what had been excitement and opportunity turned temporarily into sadness and frustration: I've worked really hard for this home. We said we wouldn't move again, so we found a running path and a coffee shop and we got a dog and I painted a wall in our bedroom and bought a six-month barre membership. Because we live here. 

When we moved here last August and I didn't like it, I pushed through and forced myself to call it home. And it worked--we live here and I like it.

It means something to belong somewhere, even if you have to force it at first.

But I always manage to find pieces of myself everywhere we go. There will be warm nights and chocolate-dipped ice cream cones that remind me of my childhood; and every time I hear Little Wanderer I'll remember that first spring after we were married when we drove around Charlotte for no reason at 10 PM on a Wednesday, breathing in the humid air and wondering what might be next for us. 

Whether it's a hotel room in New York City or a house with a front porch and a backyard in Charlotte, home will always be wherever we find ourselves.

Photo by V.A. Photography.

Here's something you might not know about me: I don't have much of a sweet tooth--I would almost always rather have French fries or popcorn than dessert--but if I'm out somewhere and there's crème brûlée on the menu, I'm always going to order it. It's my favorite dessert and I don't think I've ever turned it down. And one more fun fact (at least for me): my brother is a bit of a crème brûlée magician. I'm always amazed by his self-taught cooking knowledge, but nothing impresses me more than when he tames a notoriously finicky dessert recipe like crème brûlée.

As you may have seen already here and here, my brother and I love spending time together in the kitchen. Over Easter weekend, Rob and I were at my parents' house and Sean and I decided to whip up a batch of his famous crème brûlée. He makes all kinds of delicious varieties, but my favorite one tastes like a piña colada--it's got a coconut cream base and is topped with brûléed pineapple. Delicious, perfect for warmer weather, and even better with a glass of chardonnay.

My wonderful friend Sarah came over to capture our cooking adventures on camera and she took so many beautiful shots that I can't help but share a large number of them here today. If you'd like to skip to Sean's Piña Colada Crème Brûlée recipe, feel free to hop over to my post on the La Crema blog right here.

This post is brought to you in partnership with La Crema. For the full recipe, visit my post on their blog today!

Photos by Sarah Gatrell for Freckled Italian.