fudgy brownies

What are you up to this weekend? We have a neighborhood block party with a bouncy castle and face painting. The boys are so excited. For the potluck dinner, we’re contributing cheesy pasta, fudgy brownies and a punch bowl of Aperol spritzes. Hope you have a good one, and here are a few fun links from around the web…

An American Marriage might be the best book I’ve read all year. A beautifully written page-turner.

Gardening could be the hobby that helps you live to 100.

I love these rugs (we have this one in our bedroom) — and they’re offering 20% off for CoJ readers with code COJ20.

Why I like going to a bar alone.”

Have you ever been to the Michigan sand dunes? We went there when I was growing up, and they’re amazing. (New York Times)

40 favorite interview questions.

I tried saying ‘Cheers’… it didn’t work out.” Hahaha.

A cloud wall.

The Modern Love trailer looks great (and star-studded).

What ‘I love you’ feels like.

Remembering New York’s most spectacular restaurant.

Plus, two reader comments:

Says Sarah on a restaurant surprise: “I always pay for the car behind me at toll booths. Is there anything more soul-crushing than a toll booth? Imagining the smile from the recipient is 100% worth the few dollars it costs me.”

Says Lili on what’s your wagon-wheel coffee table: “My Scottish boyfriend loves soccer. When we moved in together, he had a million (six) jerseys hanging from the windowsill of our apartment. It was not a great look, to put it mildly, so for Christmas, I bought him the coolest jersey I could find and framed it. Now we have two framed jerseys on the wall and none flapping in the wind. His team might be Liverpool, but the jerseys might as well say compromise because it’s the team we are both playing on.”

(Photo of fudgy brownies by James Ransom for Food52. Gardening and interview links via Swissmiss.)