Can we talk about our weekend inspiration? ย Let’s take on the rest, the recharge, and the gathering and laughing with friends. ย Can we turn the email down and the Fleetwood Mac way way up? ย Can we find reason to bust out the sunscreen? ย Can we order a basket of French Fries at Brunch and order another basket at 1am after a very loud night of karaoke?
Can there be cold negronis and long dog walks. ย Maybe some catnip and breakfast cake? ย Too much coffee and a long afternoon nap? ย Oooh man… I’m just talkin’ dirty now.
My wish for you is that at least some of your weekend is a true weekend for you. ย Even if there’s a clock you have to punch, or overtime in your future… I hope there is at least a moment of cake and/or sunshine and/or a snooze button and/or an extra cup of coffee.
Here’s some weekend inspiration.
I love you (seriously, I do). ย Happy Friday!
I spent some weekend time with my maj Tracy from Shutterbean. ย I sliced into this Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake like it was my life’s work. ย I also played Star Wars Legos with four-year-old Cooper. ย Pretty much the best ever.
Sidenote: ย I may have ignited a previously dormant passion for Legos. ย We can talk about that later.
Making scones is part of a super relaxing weekend, right? ย These lavender scones are coming atcha in a few weeks. ย In the meantime, these Maple Blueberry joints are the business.
The Ivy is a Los Angeles institution.
It’s the kind of restaurant where the salads are $40, and ย you’re probably enjoying your lunch next to a Kardashian or three. ย Maybe you’re into that sort of thing. ย The Ivy is full of roses, which got me thinking…
I should make a Rose Cake!
I’m still tweaking the recipe, but I’ll have it ready for you around Mother’s Day.
Work feels less like work when you’re doing it with friends.
Grab you camera this weekend, call a friend, go see what you can see! ย It’s totally fun. ย Flowers, pets, and big bushes of Bougainvillea make excellent subjects.
Just call him.
He could be wearing a party hat for no reason. ย Call and ask.
Weekends can also all about meeting new friends, making them Ina Garten’s Baked Shrimp Scampi, and eating all mellow-like on the front patio. ย Elsie and Emma from A Beautiful Mess are fun people to sit outside with. ย They don’t look at you crazy when you go in for second and third helpings of shrimp and rice, and they bring over Whiskey Lemonades. ย Kindness abound.
I hope your weekend is full of work that you want to do. ย Sleep in like it’s your j.o.b… that has really comfy pillows.
xo j
75 Responses
This is great advice and I’m psyched about the weekend now! Thank you Joy. This is such a blessing. Just discovered your site so I am looking forward to reading more.
Laura Beth
Now I’m totally ready for the weekend. Luckily for me, that starts in 3 hours! Hope you have a fabulous weekend this weekend too! :)
loved this post… am i the only one that was looking for the negroni recipe? I got uber-excited for a second there lol i think i’m turning into a lush
I love the look of the photos. Great post. Thanks
Here is how I spent my Saturday afternoon.
https://www.meetup.com/Los-Angeles-Bread-Bakers/photos/14606612/
I’ll never look at my oven the same.
Your post inspired me to make Ina Gartenโs Baked Shrimp Scampi for Sunday dinner this weekend. My husband and friends LOVED it. We are talking shear deliciousness. Thank you so much for the recipe and inspiration (as always).
Love this! I’m going to share it. Just makes me feel good.
I DID have one of those weekends and it WAS awesome. It actually took your post to remind me of just how wonderful it was. Thank you for the perspective! (And I’ve had double helpings of Ina’s scampi before … yum).
Cheers to weekends!
Such an inspiring post this is :) I am now inspired to bake a cake from your blog ofcourse.
I am majorly in love with this whole situation. My weekend has been a foodie dream so far. The best part? It goes on for three days! I’m going to bring in the Fleetwood Mac. Great suggestion.
….rose cake…did she say that?
GAHHHHH!!! I just let out a fan girl scream when I saw this! These two worlds colliding is making my brain explode. Love you all!!!
I love the picture of your father ! He seems so serious and on the other hand so funny with this little hat :)
He rocks !
I loooove your blog so I had to add you to my nomination list for the Versatile BLogger Awards because I follow your blog quite a lot! :) https://vicreardon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/versatile-blogger-award-2.html
justvic x
You are hilarious. Thank you for being hilarious. :)
I LOVE Ina Garten’s shrimp scampi!! It feels so fancy and special – like a real, true indulgence. Your “garden party” on the patio looks lovely too. . . .
That cake looks delicious! I’m like drooling, and I haven’t had breakfast yet, and all I can think about is cake now. :P Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be having much f a weekend. Finals start on Tuesday and I need to study my butt off, especially for physics. :/
Perfct post for the weekend,,.
That picture of your dad is epic.
Sorry, what was that? Couldn’t hear you over the Fleetwood Mac and giant slice of cake in my mouth.
Have a great weekend and thanks for this post. Reminding me what weekends are for!
x Elena @ Randomly Happy
My weekend started a day early down here in New Orleans. It’s Jazz Fest time. I started the day with crawfish beignets, then duck and shrimp cajun pasta, and ended with crab and crawfish stuffed mushrooms and a couple of margaritas. I know you’ve been to New Orleans a few times and you love it here. But next year, come for Jazz Fest. You’ll love it, I promise.
I LOVED this post! It makes me want to really enjoy my weekend! I want cake and coffee. And I’m going to take my camera somewhere. Thank you J :)
That is so cool and weird that you met Elsie and Emma from a Beautiful Mess. I love all your blogs, podcasts, etc.
Yay!
Thanks,
Jen
I love you for posts like this one, Joy :)
I really liked this post! Thanks for the reminder to take it easy.
Oh man. My brothers and I bust out our old Lego sets every year around Christmas. Drinking plus lego-building is a recipe for an awesome night at any age. Give in to your inner architect. A cold Negroni and a newly opened box of legos you may have just planned my weekend for me!
Love your pictures! And the scone recipe seems to be just the ticket!
I love the looks of that oatmeal chip cake & love that you & ABM are friends :)
I had tears in my eyes when I read this post … I’m so exhausted after a hard week and I have some stressful commitments this weekend. nevertheless you mad me feel hugged – and I realized I deserve some rest, coffee, flowers and cake.
love you too!
I wish this weekend wasn’t so busy, but it’ll be full of Legos here, too.
And birthday cake. :D
“Sleep in like itโs your j.o.bโฆ that has really comfy pillows.” I <3 this
Also, I work on weekends, but since it's right next to the beach I find a little time to sneak off and soak up some sun after work. My job may not pay well, but man does it have perks! Seize that weekend like nobody's business Joy!
Joy, YOU are seriously the business. Thanks for being you. :)
I just love this post.
The photos are amazing and the words are so heartfelt.
Thank you, Joy, for spreading your love and happiness!
Cake for breakfast always sounds like a good idea to me! Just make sure it doesn’t have too much icing, it tends to sit in the pit of your stomach for the rest of the day (yes I know this from experience).
This post got me so excited for the weekend, I even made an extra coffee just now, even if it’s 2pm.. crazyness.
The rose cake looks amazing – my mother would love that!
I wish I could dine with you, Emma and Elsie!
joy you are the best! can’t wait for the rose cake recipe, that sounds glorious!
Is that a bottle of gin from st. george’s? my favorite distillery AND favorite gin. yay for bay area love!
You met Elsie and Emma! :O Wowee! Super cool ladies all just hanging out and having fun! The Rose cake recipe sounds absolutely amazing. Can’t wait. Have a lovely weekend, Joy. You’re major xxxxx
This is so comforting seeing as I have overtime coming up every Saturday til the end of June!! I’ll be making my Sundays extra special!!
ok, I will! I need a break and this is my last free weekend for several weeks, so I am taking your sweet advice…
you are lovely! Thanks for this post.
Yesssssss! It’s good to hear people preaching the importance of rest, relaxation and taking care of yourself. Keep it up lady!
I love the “Call your father”. Once I called him, and he told me to cam with him instead and he was dressed up like Santa. It wasn’t even Christmas. Dads, I love them!
that weekend description made me feel all warm and happy inside :) and that cake looks delish!
Oh Joy!! Such a perfect post/reminder!! And lucky me, this weekend I am meeting friends in Manhattan for donut eating and cocktail drinking! I’m learning to savor free time especially with friends. Hope you have a fantastic weekend and I can’t wait for some of those promised recipes!!
i love the weekend. i love these thoughts!
cheers to friday
hope you will have a wonderful weekend :) loving all the weekend inspiration.
This post made me happy!
Well I woke up like a real grump today but I’m seriously in a better mood now. I needed that!
How about a negroni breakfast cake!
“and the fleetwood mac way, way up” – joy, I knew i liked you! have a great weekend of your own!
I’m getting married this weekend! I’m not sure if I will get to relax at. all. But on monday i will be hiding out in the virgin islands…
Joy, love this post. Dude. The rose cake. Just awesome. So inspired by you. :] mean it.
Love these photos!! Have a great weekend!
i am almost wishing that i had read this after work so i didn’t have to slog through 8 hours of desk work when the snow is melting and the sun is out…but now i am looking forward to getting out of here even more? i think i’ll look at it that way.
I don’t know what it was about this post – but it’s one of my favorites. I love hearing the meandering thoughts (and a touch of dirty talk hehe) of someone besides myself. That rose cake looks spectacular. I can’t wait for the recipe – my grandmother would go wicked bonkers over it.
Hear you and am following your example. Headed for the Cape tonight, 2 days of good friends, good food, and maybe a drink or 2. Yay!!!
Thanks for making me smile on an early Friday morning. Happy weekend to you too. We all love you (seriously, we do!) :)
Pining for the weekend now, have a lovely weekend joy!
rose cake seems interesting! I remember eating some crunchy rose petals that were covered with hard caramel on one side I’m curious to see what your rose cake will look like !:D
weekends are the best – when you have time of course. everything seems a little bit more possible when you’re not worrying about day-to-day things like you are during the work week. jimmy fallon should write a thank you note simply for weekends.
you don’t have to tell me twice! I have absolutely nothing on my agenda this weekend and I couldn’t be happier :)
I will be taking your advise and having a wonderful weekend! Guess what?!? Maybe we can have a great weekend together at BTP!
I wish in NYC I knew someone that knows someone where I could dine al fresco. I mean in NYC you feel like the luckiest person alive if you have a tiny little outdoor space. Unfortunately I don’t, but it’s nice to dream.
Love all your inspiration for the weekend.
xo Quinn
Quinn Cooper Style
Great advice, something I must do! Thanks
I have a work conference in Orlando, in June. How does one balance the urge to eat cake and not wanting to look like a blob in a booth?? Does anyone have the answers? And if the Kardashians are there, I will not.
Thank you, Joy. This is such a blessing and I WILL have me some weekend, doggonit! At least a little bit!
Love your Dad in the party hat… Why not!!! Have a great weekend.
Love your phothos!! Have a great weekend!
Man oh man this post gave me that happy, fuzzy weekend feel. It’s just a bummer I’m in the middle of exam season and coffee consumption is a necessity rather than a luxury at the mo! I’m bookmarking this to come back to in two weeks when I can fully embrace that Friday feeling once more. Keep being awesome Joy x
TGIF! I just completed a long work week and my weekend has now officially started. Tomorrow, i plan on hanging out in my bed most of the day. I am so sore from work. That is heavenly after a long week. Then I hope to enjoy whatever fun thing I plan to do after I’m all rested up. Maybe I’ll go shopping!
Tracy’s oatmeal cake is on my radar screen too. Now you have me craving it…that frosting!
And I love the shot of those cameras!
Your post just got me excited for the weekend. Seriously having a teenager in the house of our “Modern Family” (Me + 2 kids + Boyfriend + his 2 kids) has been not so fun. She is angry and moody. It sucks. I am trying hard to remember how it was for me when I was her age. Which also sucks because I remembered how old I am now.
Anyway, I love your blog. You rock!
Happy weekend!