Happy Fi-yay all. This week had me crashing on the couch way more than anticipated. I blame the gray weather, or the cake I kept eating that sent me into sugar comas, or the baby that is sapping all my energy, or maybe just a total denial of the fact that we are already halfway through May. But in any case, it’s the weekend, and here are some fun links to amuse and distract.

The men are out! Let the bracket research begin! And no- hipster is not a profession.

Why can’t they just put water in the cups?

Everything about this is perfect. I don’t plan on getting The Cut… but I sure do love an oversized glass urn with a single candle.

We finally set up our Ikea crib this week… and I can neither confirm nor deny the truth of this depiction of the process.

Every word of this rings true. I love academia, love my colleagues, and value the diverse opinions that I encounter every day at work. They have rubbed off on me in the best possible way, making me think about aspects of my own beliefs that need clarity, or at least more clarity and compassion in expression. But I also know that, as a conservative Christian in academia, my own brand of diversity is less welcome, or occasionally outright mocked, and that saddens and worries me as I consider my career. I have long wondered if this was open bias on the Left, or longtime failure to communicate on the Right, or maybe a little of both.

I have really struggled to find baby boy clothes that I liked. On the whole, I am not a fan of the aggressive prints and slogans that are splashed across anything ostensibly baby boy. Which explains why I went mildly crazy on Old Navy’s selection of adorable unisex baby clothes. And of course, when I bought them earlier this week they were a mere 35% off, but now they are 40-50% off because we all know that Old Navy basically has a sale every day that ends in y… but only for a “limited time.” Old Navy is also where I got that maternity tank dress that I am wearing under a knotted-t in the above photos- but only after texting all my girlfriends for their opinion of said outfit combo as “Boho bump” over “Frump bump.”

In spite of the endless rain and gloom characterizing DC spring, I am gearing up for summer food, which means that all I want is panzanella salad… anyone have an amazing recipe for it that they are dying to share?

And no link for this one, but I am STOKED about doing 4 loads of laundry today because it means I can justify watching The Good Wife finale as I fold. I have worked really hard to avoid spoilers, but I am DYING to finish strong with Alicia and crew!

[Photos from an outing this week to Union Market, home of the District’s most Instagrammed wall. Because why bother taking shots in front of amazing monuments when you could pose with a giant wall of Lisa Frank sloppy painted hearts???]