Happy Friday! My Chief Culinary Consultant and I have moved on to the final phase of our nearly four-week road trip. We left Florida early yesterday morning and tackled (we might be insane) the drive from Palm Beach County to Rockville, MD in one day. We made it through a rain storm in Jacksonville and ridiculous road construction in Virginia. We’re in the DC area for a long weekend to see a couple of concerts and catch up with friends, before finally heading back home to Pittsburgh on Monday. It certainly feels more like fall here; I was happy to throw on a pair of jeans today! More fun Friday stuff below!

1. A quick glimpse of our last week in Florida…

2. I love all of the book recommendations I received a couple of weeks ago (thank you!). I’ve heard a ton of great things about Gone Girl, I’ll be picking that up soon. Next question: give me the scoop on The Hunger Games – yay or nay?

3. This is all me… I’m the crankiest person in the world if allowed to get too hungry!

4. True story: I spent three weeks in Florida and didn’t put a bathing suit on once. We spent some time at the beach, but it was early in the morning or in the evening. Thus, no bathing suit wearing. I did, however, manage to snag some tan lines on my back and ankles from my workout clothes. It made me feel less guilty about my daily ice cream cones ;-)

5. I get to see this face in three days!

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6. I posted about cupcakes a couple of times while I was in Florida and received some questions via Twitter about which shops I recommend. I’ve been to Cupcake Couture in Delray Beach twice now, and am in total love with their cupcakes – the cake is moist and they use a lot of frosting, which I love. There is a huge assortment of flavors to choose from, all with fun, fashion-inspired names. I also tried Sweet Surrender in Boynton Beach this trip. Their selection wasn’t as large, but the cupcakes were phenomenal. If you’re in the Palm Beach County area, I’d highly recommend either of these stops if you have a sweet tooth!

7. I did it. I took the Apple plunge. My shiny, new toy should be in my hands by this time next week.

8. I’m completely infatuated with Anthropologie. When I saw the store while walking through a  local mall, I nearly ran I was so excited. I could do monumental financial damage in that store. Everything is so unique! This time I came away with these Dining Room Measuring Spoons:

(I also happen to have an infatuation with measuring cups and spoons. I can’t help myself!)

9. I’m thrilled that fall TV is back! We caught an episode or two of American Chopper while we were in Florida, and I’m really excited about getting back into Boardwalk Empire, as well as catching new episodes of Parks and Recreation. What are your go-to shows?

10. TGIF! Enjoy your weekend!