Must-Reads: Presidential Retreats & A Designer's Tour of India

Every Monday, we corral five links from around the web worthy of sharing. On tap for today: presidential retreats, a designer's tour of India's three largest cities, a crowd-pleasing pound cake recipe from Augusta National, a beautiful spring table set-up and a darling cottage in South Carolina that's brimming with charm and decorative delights. {hero image via Southern Living}

SOUTHERN CHARM.

It's always a treat to peer inside interior designers' own homes. Southerner Whitney McGregor follows a simple rule: "If you love it, do it." We love the end result in her South Carolina cottage; it's polished with period pieces but punctuated by layered patterns and lots of color. See the Southern charm for yourself. {image via Southern Living}

PASS THE POUND CAKE, PLEASE.

Yes, the Masters was yesterday, but we like the idea of having the Augusta National signature pound cake around the house for the long Easter weekend. It's the perfect morning treat with coffee if you're hosting family. {image via Intentional Hospitality}

A DESIGNER'S LOOK AT INDIA.

We're taking a tour of India through the lens of the creative forces behind Lizzie Fortunato jewelry designs. Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai are the major pit stops, and each offer inspiration for paint colors, textiles, and gardening from the gorgeous "grassy gathering places." {image via Lizzie Fortunato}

SPRING SOIRÉES.

We love local Houston lifestyle blogger Lyndsey Zorich's crisp green and white spring entertaining table. The pops of yellow bring a splash of sunshine and inspire daylit brunches at home that beat any restaurant outing. {image via L. Avenue}

WIDE OPEN SPACES.

We all need a retreat, and our Presidents and their families are certainly no exception. In honor of the exciting debut of the new exhibition in Dallas showcasing the first families' secluded getaways, we're reminded of the importance of leisure time outside big cities away from busy schedules. Laura Bush shares how she and George showed Southern hospitality toward their guests whether at Camp David or Kennebunkport, her appreciation for wide open spaces, and her current reads. {image via Wyman Meinzer for Garden & Gun}