#le catch

I'm off to get in a last half day of work for the week, before heading into a three-day weekend of hanging out with my mom, who is in town for a visit. We're still trying to decide what fun things to do, but I'm really looking forward to a few more days of uninterrupted mother-daughter time! What are your plans--any Cinco de Mayo or Kentucky Derby parties? Let's jump on into my favorite links from around the web this week, because there were some things I really, really loved and want to share...

Plate: How beautiful is this rose zucchini and aubergine tart? I love recipes like this that pack in your veggies, look absolutely amazing but are deceptively simple to make.

Closet: Marlien's cool style never fails to catch my eye, and I adore how she effortlessly styled this bohemian chic Donovan Jacket from Tory Burch. Her two looks are definitely worthy of imitation.

Home: I'm with Meg, Jennifer Fisher's office is rocker-chic-meets-glam perfection. Love so many elements of her space and pinned it to help inspire our own home office makeover. 

Passport: I'm wondering if my parents will mind if I stay at Travaasa, a destination resort and spa that Tablet just added to their mix, next time I make it to Austin? Doesn't that look somewhere more exotic from the photo? Gosh my hometown is beautiful! It's actually not too far from their home, nestled in the Texas Hill Country and boasting guided adventures, culinary classes, and healing spa treatments all in a Zen-like preserve...

And in case you missed it:

We shared our current reading material on Channeling Contessa yesterday.

Grab some strawberries and mascarpone this weekend, because you NEED to make these easy tarts - now and all summer long.

You guys, I know more of you want those fragrant treats from ILLUME (over $70 in value). Enter for you, enter for your mom, enter for a friend. Just be sure to enter the ILLUME giveaway by Sunday for sure. Winner will be announced Monday!

I am pretty anti-shorts. I rarely find them flattering on anyone & I tend to avoid them as a rule. But they seem to be having a big moment & one of my fashion favorites, Poppy Delevigne, shows us here how fab they can be!  A couple weeks ago I got a super cute, super budget version of loose silk print shorts (HERE).  I've been dressing them down on the weekends, since they are so comfortable, with vintage or striped tees & tanks & sandals.  I love all the options below (courtesy of Le Catch).

Haute Hippie (Nordstrom)

J. Crew

Hope you all had a lovely week! What's on your agenda this weekend? We don't have much on ours, except having a couple friends over Saturday night for tacos (and margaritas, of course). We tested homemade tomatillo salsa earlier this week in preparation, using a recipe our lovely cook in San Miguel shared with us...It's just as flavorful and spicy as I remember it, and I can't wait to see what our friends think. Don't forget Daylight Saving Time kicks in on Sunday, and enjoy a few links to some of my most-favorite sites! 

P.S.: A very warm welcome to those who are new readers this week, stopping by after seeing my little jewelry and accessory reorg passed around Pinterest...hope you'll stick around! xo

Plate :: The perfect triumvirate of flavors--apricots, coconut, bananas--in one healthy breakfast bar. Can't wait to give Sarah's recipe a try. 

Closet :: I'm all for a bit of flower power this spring (did you catch my floral pants post?), and Marlien sourced a show-stopping floral coat that's no exception. 

Home :: This dinner party is so my style; I've found myself flipping through the images a few times now, wishing I could jump right into them.

Passport :: Yesterday I showed you my most recent travel treasures, but this gal has me thinking I should keep my eye out for interesting beauty products on my next trip. 

And in case you missed it, I was on Channeling Contessa yesterday discussing the pros and cons of tasting menus--you know, where you just eat whatever the chef prepares for you. I'm all for it, but what's your opinion? Hop on over to chime in! 

If you love fashion and you're not a millionaire and could only follow one blog in the entire world, it should be Le Catch. It's run by a Lucky editor, Marlien Rentmeester, and she takes one low-cost fashion item and pairs them with a bunch of high-end stuff. I completely zone out on the expensive stuff and keep with my low-low wardrobe. 

Here she does an outfit around the $39 dollar Gap clutch. Love the clutch but I want it in the blue/turquoise combo. Serious lust. 

I found her in a Style at Home feature on Glitter Guide. Girl has great taste. I am secretly hoping we can be BFFs and hit the Flatirons Mall. Our friendship ending when she wants to cruise over to Neiman Marcus and I'm left in the dust. 

I was reading one of my favorite blogs, 'Le Catch', and I came across this awesome outfit combination. It's a nice example of how I could carry over the boho/rock and roll style I've been into lately into a more sophisticated office look.

Le Catch is run by Marlien Rentmeester, West Coast Editor of Lucky Mag. She starts with one accessory or item that is on trend and builds an outfit around it. The items she picks to create the outfits are from H&M to Bergdorf Goodman, which doesn't make it exactly accessible, but she promotes a way or idea of styling, rather than a brand.