Have a wonderful weekend.

What are your plans for the weekend? It's going to be hot! We're heading to our friend's cabin in Connecticut. I'm looking forward to wading in the river, grilling outside and sitting very still. Also, I can't believe we're going to have another one of these in a month or less! Crazy. Hope you have a good one, and here are a few fun links from around the web...

Is it better to walk or run?

A new animal print.

The real couple behind Before Sunrise.

Made me laugh.

Adorable Father's Day gift.

Cheer up your desk!

10 celebrity photobombs.

Trying out this nail polish this weekend.

Three easy updos for the summer.

Ron Mueck's new hyperrealistic sculptures.

Apparently, lots of people made out during the hurricane.

This book looks hilarious.

A tumblr all about Obama eating snocones.

Could three words change the way severely ill patients and their loved ones think about death?

Plus, three posts you may have missed:
* Hidden mothers.
* How to boil an egg.
* Romantic getaway outfit.

(Photo of the Amalfi Coast by Randy & Pippa, via Lark & Linen)

Toby's straw hat

The other day, Toby and I were walking back from a music class when it started raining. We ducked into a J.Crew store and went to the kids area to see if there were any toys to play with. Instead, he immediately spotted this straw hat. I took him over to the three-way mirror, and he was beside himself with how cool he was. It was the first time he has taken any interest in his clothes at all (usually he just wants to stay in his pajamas).
Needless to say, he is now the proud owner of said hat:)

P.S. Do your eyes light up when you see your child? And the adorable reason kids cover their eyes when hiding.

San Francisco home tour

Blogger Liz Stanley lives in San Francisco with her husband, their five-year-old son and a baby on the way. They have such a fun and playful home, where you can bowl in the hallway and paint crocodiles in the bedroom. Take a peek inside...
Read More >

Wake alarm

When you're bleary eyed in the morning, it's so annoying to fiddle with buttons on your phone, don't you think? Well, Wake is an iPhone alarm clock app that is totally intuitive: You just slap it to snooze, and you flip it to turn it off. Thumbs up.
P.S. The funniest app for peeing during movies.

(Photo of sleepy Lucy by ©Bob Rosinsky, with permission. Alarm via Swissmiss)

The Kings of Summer

Have you seen the trailer for The Kings of Summer? It's a comedy about three teenage friends who decide to run away from their stressful parents and spend the summer building a house in the woods and living off the land. It has been compared to the 1986 movie Stand By Me, which was so great, and it got rave reviews at Sundance. The movie opens in New York and LA tomorrow, then a bunch of other cities on June 7th. Do you want to see it?

P.S. 10 entertaining movies, and the seven types of women in romantic comedies.

6 tricks for photographing goofy kids

Poof! Kids reach a certain age and suddenly don't want to be photographed. They hide from the camera, they sulk, they goof around when you tell them to smile. But! My photographer friend Alpha has figured out ways to get her adorable (and spirited!) niece to interact with the camera. As part of a three-part photography series sponsored by Canon, Alpha agreed to share six handy tips for photographing older children...Read More >

Summer book recommendations?

Can I ask you guys for a specific type of book recommendation? Our new baby is due in about a month (eeps!), and one thing I'm really looking forward to is rocking him or her while reading a good book. When Toby was a newborn, I remember having those little pockets of reading time, and it was so lovely. (Including a few times in the middle of the night; I'd click on the light, breastfeed him and read magazine articles from 4-5 in the morning:) But, since I'll most likely be sleep-deprived, I'm trying to find books that are light and easy to read but still well-written. Like smart beach reading.

If you're looking for the same thing, books that fall into this category that I've enjoyed in the past include: Blink, Heat, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Bossypants, Operating Instructions, Mindy's hilarious book and Ghost World.

Do you have any summer reading recommendations? I'd love to hear...Thank you!!!

(Photos of people reading on the subway by Ourit Ben-Haim for her brilliant blog, from last summer)

The Best (Cheesy) Biscuits You'll Ever Have

Do you prefer sweet or savory breakfasts? I'd always choose savory: peppery eggs, fried potatoes and a warm, buttery biscuit. Well, Adrianna of A Cozy Kitchen has agreed to share her incredible recipe for biscuits, including chives and sharp cheddar. Who'd like one this morning? Here goes...Read More >

Summer uniform: Which would you pick?

Last summer, my summer uniform was a sweatshirt dress, which I wore on bike rides, to work meetings and out to dinners with Alex. For this summer, here are three more effortless dresses for everyday adventures. Let's go pretend shopping...
A grey tankdress with a slit to the knee.
An afternoon dress for a pop of red (with a cute zip pouch).
A breezy striped shiftdress. (I LOVE this one.)

Just for fun: Which of these summer uniforms would you pick? Which suits your personality best? I love that these dresses are feminine but tomboy-ish at the same time.

P.S. I'd wear them with my trusty wedges, but flat sandals would be cute, too.

Three great NYC bike rides

Ten years ago, when I got my first bike in New York City, I was definitely nervous to ride it around town. Would I spend the whole time dodging cabs and pedestrians? But I was surprised to discovered beautiful routes that feel breezy and bucolic—where you can soar over bridges, pedal under magnolia trees or visit a little red lighthouse. Here's a guide to three amazing rides, sponsored by Poland Spring...Read More >

Conversations with a two-year-old

Have you seen this hilarious video? Matthew Clarke, the dad who created the video, says: "If you take the words of a two-year-old and put them in the mouth of a grown man, suddenly the malevolence and intimidation really shine through." Made me laugh.

Hope you're having a good long weekend!

P.S. Toby in conversation, and how to talk to little girls.

Have a beautiful (long) weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? After a nutty week, we are ready to just relax. We also did a huge cleanse of our apartment, where we got rid of a million things. It feels so good to be able to open closets again! Hope you have a great weekend, and here are a few fun links for you...

A song for your weekend.

An A-to-Z guide to the conversations in Before Sunrise and Before Sunset.

Margarita popsicles.

These mean tweets made me laugh.

Landscape dinner set.

Love this classic trench. (It would look cute with this striped dress.)

Cool idea for bedroom art.

Popcorn tip.

Sweet mother and daughter.

Not getting sleep is like walking around drunk!

Wow, this movie trailer has a surprising twist.

Magic bookshelf.

A photographer's girlfriend leads him around the world.

And if you're in a TV-watching mood: Arrested Development starts Sunday, and The Bachelorette premieres Monday. Whoot whoot!

(Photo of the Leningrad Ballet Academy)

Summer's here!

After a never-ending winter, New York has finally enjoyed a stretch of balmy weather. Aren't you excited for summer? We went to Washington Square Park the other day and waded in the fountain. The water was sparkling clean (officially) and Toby was in heaven splashing around.
And to top it off, we saw a rainbow:)

Hope you're having a good day. Stay dry in all this rain!

P.S. The full Cup of Jo Guide to NYC.

Lovely dress shop

When Alex and I got hitched, Lovely Bridal Shop didn't yet exist. I wish it had! The bridal boutique is tucked into a West Village townhouse, and you can try on dresses in the airy former bedrooms, complete with antique sofas and fireplaces. Whenever friends ask where they should shop for wedding dresses in New York, I always recommend Lovely.

Well, I was excited to hear that they just launched an online shop—Shop Lovely—with party dresses under $100. Their little white dresses would be beautiful for date nights and fancy parties—or even as short wedding dresses. More below...Read More >

Summer vacation rentals

Are you going on a summer vacation? New York Magazine just featured a round-up of amazing rental properties, including a tiny lakeside cabin, working lighthouse and private island. Which would you choose?

P.S. Five weekend getaways from NYC, and my own travel fantasy.

Do you wax?

We've talked about a bunch of intimate stuff on Cup of Jo, so I figured I'd make a confession...Read More >

Wednesday giveaway

Today's giveaway is from Of a Kind, a Brooklyn-based site run by two amazing women. Each week, they choose an emerging designer with whom they collaborate on a limited edition piece. They sell these lovely pieces (think: bracelets, shirts, stationery) exclusively on their site until they sell out. Today they're giving away this handmade Bianca Rockwell ring, which would make your finger sparkle. Don't you love it?

For a chance to win, please visit Of a Kind's online shop (and consider signing up for their newsletter here) and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: The winner has been emailed. Thanks for playing.

Bonus for all readers: Get 30% off all jewelry from Friday to Monday with the code NOSWEAT.

What's your go-to comfort food? (And a crazy story)

The CRAZIEST thing happened at home yesterday...
Read More >

The Best Kale Caesar Salad You'll Ever Have

Kale is a superfood. Kale is on every restaurant menu. According to a recent New York Times article, kale is hot in New York social circles. (Although this Onion headline made me laugh out loud.) Are you a fan? It's delicious and feels so healthy. Phoebe of Feed Me Phoebe has a killer recipe for a kale caesar salad. Who's in? Here's how to whip one up...Read More >

Summer denim

This spring, I keep spotting beautiful women around Manhattan wearing chambray shirts and dresses. There's something so flattering about denim—it's a little tomboy, while still being feminine. Here are a few pretty pieces...
Clockwise: Shift dress, campground shirt, pinafore, mini wedges and fold-over clutch. Thoughts? Which would you wear?

P.S. These espadrilles are cute, too!

(Top photo by Stockholm Street Style)

How to Piss Off Every New Yorker in 36 Seconds

Made me laugh.

P.S. How not to look like a tourist in NYC.

(Via Swissmiss)

Toby's 3rd birthday party

Toby's third birthday is next weekend, but since my mom is in town this weekend, we decided to have his party early. It was such a wonderful afternoon, I promise! Here are a few photos, if you'd like to see...Read More >

Have a great weekend.

What are your plans for the weekend? My mom is visiting, and we're having an early birthday picnic for Toby tomorrow, complete with a doughnut cake and spiked OJ for the grown-ups. His birthday presents include a wooden plane and this awesome book. Hope you have a good one, and here are a few fun links from around the web...

A song to kick off your weekend.

What pregnancy brain feels like.

Peanut butter and pickle sandwich. Would you eat it?

Funny interview with Morgan from The Mindy Project.

Linen sneakers.

A moving Mother's Day story.

Blackberry pie bars.

Pie with a message. Made me laugh.

Do you wear maxi skirts?

10 ways to use a muffin pan.

High fives gone wrong (and a trick for getting them right).

These sunglasses are on my wishlist.

Kids rocking out in cars.

And why Angelina's Op-Ed matters.

Have a good one! xo

Eiffel Tower scissors

My mom is visiting this weekend! It's so nice to have her here. Last night, we celebrated her arrival by ordering Mediterranean food and watching three episodes of House Hunters International, naturally. Two episodes were set in Paris, and it was cool to see inside some beautiful apartments, many with insane wallpaper. On that note, here's a lovely pair of Eiffel Tower scissors, which would be so pretty on a desk. Hope you're having a good morning. xo

P.S. Pregnancy in Paris, and why French kids eat everything.

Do or don't: Making out in public

When it comes to public displays of affection, how far will you go? Alex and I...Read More >

Tokyo bride

Steve and Takako had a traditional Japanese wedding in Tokyo. Look at the bride's beautiful transformation...Read More >

Six tips for photographing your child

My photographer friend Alpha always takes beautiful photos of her nieces (remember this?) and since our new baby will be arriving in less than two months, I thought I'd ask for her advice on photographing wriggly babies and toddlers. As part of a three-part photography series sponsored by Canon, Alpha agreed to share six handy tips...
Read More >

10 backyard ideas

The weather is finally warming up! As I've mentioned eight million times on this blog, our life goal is to have a backyard, not just a rusty fire escape. So, just for fun, here are nine fun ideas for backyards...Read More >

The Best Peanut Butter Brownies You'll Ever Have

It's safe to say that Averie Sunshine loves peanut butter. She comes up with recipes for homemade peanut butter, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter cake, chocolate peanut butter, peanut butter Twix bars...you name it. She even wrote a book about it. So when she agreed to share her recipe for the best peanut butter brownies, I jumped at the chance to hear it. Here goes...Read More >

Vacation photos: San Francisco

We just got back from our week-long family vacation to San Francisco. We wanted to take Toby on his own babymoon trip, so he could enjoy tons of center-of-attention time before the new baby turns his world upside down. San Francisco is truly amazing, and we had the best time. Here are a few photos, if you'd like to see...Read More >

Business cards

Remember the scene in American Psycho, where Patrick Bateman obsesses over business cards? Well, The Mandate Press has recreated the card, so you can order his exact design with your information. How hilarious is that?
P.S. A resume makeover, and 10 creative business cards.