Sunshine, please come back. We need your rays to bounce off our golden shoes… or something.

Source :: Maryam Nassir Zadeh

For only being at work four days this week I am beat. Time for a quiet night at home with my red head, my grey dog and the taxes we haven’t done yet (eeks!). Hopefully I have some Chardonnay chilled because this could be a loooong night. Wish us luck and I’ll see you Sunday!

Source :: m k selwood.

Have you checked the Minneapolis forecast lately? It’s cold. Really, really cold. So the mission for this weekend is to lock the doors, light a fire, read some books, organize our overflowing closets, demo the basement (follow along here) and simply stay put. I cannot wait!

Source :: just you wait.

After a few months of looking like a sad dorm room with a fabulous rug (thanks, JB!) our bedroom got a little facelift this weekend (sneak peek here and here) and the finishing touch is hanging stuff on the walls. Unlike our old house, our current rambler has some pretty large walls to fill. We’re struggling with aesthetic and budget for large art pieces so we’re working within our means and comfort zone at the moment. This little wall hanging was the perfect addition and will balance out a couple other small pieces in the space. Watch here for more updates to come!

Source :: Target

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My favorite thing, of late, is weekends at home. They have been pretty sparse lately but the Red Head and I are doing our best to make them a priority. They’re the perfect excuse to fall asleep on the couch at 9:30 with a glass of wine and a giant dog, make getting up in the morning so much easier and have really helped us tackle little house to-do’s on our (terrifyingly long) list. Today’s tasks include painting the guest room/office. We’re going dark blue! It should be coming together in the next few weeks so follow along here and enjoy these links from around the web this week.

• I love when friends do cool things.
• Way to go, brother!
• Views from last weekend’s wedding.
• Yes, Alex Prager + Nordstrom.
• LA Gifathon.
• Smart women + career advice.
• Curious about this movie.

Big news! I slept on a mattress last night. A mattress on the floor, mind you, but it wasn’t a couch so I count it as a win for the new house. We are struggling with the tiny bedrooms at our new abode. We had our sights set on a beautiful new king mattress and upholstered bed frame but that quickly got downgraded to a queen bed with a very narrow headboard and frame once we busted out the measuring tape. We’re planning to order one of these bad boys later this week so I’ll be sure to report back on how it works out. Next up on the search: very narrow bedside tables and the narrow headboard!

Source :: feathers

The most magical summer party in all the land, Kleinfest, is upon us! It’s an annual summer blow-out with my best Minnesota pals and this years’ is shaping up to be a good one. We’ve got a pig roast, a pool, friends from Chicago, perfect weather and a potential pickle-eating contest. What’s not to love? Catch you on Sunday if I can muster up the energy for a wrap up. Have a good weekend, friends!

Source :: M U T T O N H E A D

Today can be summed up with the phrase, ‘not enough hours in the day.’ I swear I’ve been running around like a maniac for the last 12 hours and my to-do list hardly has a dent. At one point today , I even suggested we put a ticket dispenser (like this) outside my office in an attempt to control the requests, visits and questions we were fielding. Oy. Tomorrow is a new day, though, and I’m spending it away from the office for a management conference (can we just skip right to happy hour?). I’ll catch you on Friday, though, before we head into the glorious weekend ahead. Until then, can we dream about these chunky knit blankets? I think everyone needs one after an exhausting Wednesday like this.

Source :: IGNANT

Meals at the Erickson house lately have been rather lackluster. Translation: we’re eating a lot of cereal (Hey, Golden Grahams!). But looking through my pins and favorites today I’ve got a serious tomato recipe habit forming. Might have to ditch the cereal bowl and give this Baked Caprese Chicken and Arugula and Tomato Crostini a try this week. Here’s hoping the red guys are on sale at the store!

Source :: Damn Delicious :: Life As A Strawberry

I should have known that a week of little sleep, heavy stress, serious deadlines and wayyy too much Diet Coke would catch up with me and, indeed, it has. Thankfully, the symptoms waited until now to get really ugly because my mom and sister were in town this weekend! We made the most out of the last two days with holiday shopping, Mockinjay Part I viewing, new dinner spots, Stillwater adventures and nights in front of the fire. I’m already plotting for them to come back to visit when my nose isn’t runny and my voice raspy. Hopefully it’s soon! Until then, enjoy these links from around the web this week.

• Laughed way too hard at this.
• And watched this too many times.
• Gahhh, Kate Spade, you are good.
• A playlist for the season.
• GIRLS illustrated.
• Great recap, JB, and excellent GIF choices.