11 untranslatable words from other countries

Ella Frances Sanders illustrated untranslatable words from other languages, and they're so lovely...
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12 great iPhone cases

I have the world's most boring iPhone case—one of those ugly thick ones to keep it from breaking if Toby drops it or dunks it into his cereal. But! There are so many cute cases these days, I might just have to switch...

First row: Scales, gold foil, phone booth.
Second row: Bonjour, heart, bike.
Third row: Tulips, wooden, nope.
Fourth row: New Yorker cartoon, 1966 GQ Magazine cover, sun.

Thoughts? What's your case like?

P.S. This sparkly one is cool, too.

(Round-up by Joanna; graphic design by Rachel Ball for Cup of Jo)

A trick to feeling pretty

You know those mornings when you look in the mirror and start analyzing every flaw? Well, I heard a great trick a while back: Pretend you’re a friend instead. Suddenly, you look in the mirror and see yourself as others see you. You'll look much prettier and won't be nearly as critical. Now, instead of stressing about my old-lady under-eye wrinkles, I'll suddenly think, oh, she looks friendly, her hair is pretty nice, let's hang out!

Honestly, go try it and report back! I've been amazed by how well that little trick works in changing your perspective.

P.S. You're gorgeous. :)

(Illustration by Gemma Correll for Cup of Jo)

5 beautiful motherhood tips

During the baby shower, something amazing happened...
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An omelette-flipping dog

This two-and-a-half-minute short by Maddie Sharafian about a stressed-out guy and his foodie dog will make you smile (and want a dog of your own). That's all :)

P.S. Dog names.

Success

This success chart by Demetri Martin rings so true. Everyone seems to face unexpected obstacles and detours in their career path—those it's-always-darkest-before-the-dawn moments.

A few fun facts from a slideshow of 26 people who failed at first:
* Dr. Seuss's first book was rejected by 27 different publishers.
* Thomas Edison's teachers told him he was "too stupid to learn anything."
* Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he "had no good ideas."
* The first time Jerry Seinfeld went onstage, he was booed away by a jeering crowd.
* Oprah Winfrey was fired from her television reporting job because they told her she wasn't fit to be on screen.

What were your WTF moments on your path to success? Alex dropped out of college for a semester and lived with his parents. I went to law school for a year and was a mess. Elvis was initially a truck driver! It always feels like the end of the world when it's happening, but next time, just picture this chart:)

(Photo of Woody Allen by Philippe Halsman; illustration by Demetri Martin from This Is a Book)

Do you get jealous?

I usually don't get too jealous, but...
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A graphic novel for foodies

Do you guys ever read graphic novels? I first found out about Lucy Knisley when I read French Milk, her memoir about taking a six-week trip to Paris with her mom. She's a funny writer, so I was psyched to see that she just came out with a new book, Relish, which chronicles her food adventures, as the daughter of a chef, from New York to Mexico to Venice to Japan. I just ordered it from Amazon and am looking forward to devouring it this weekend.

P.S. Five best graphic novels.

(Photos by the Kitchn)

How to give a reflexology foot massage

A few years ago, a friend gave me a reflexology session as a gift, and I was looking forward to a good old foot rub. But I was surprised by how my entire body relaxed—more than during a full-body massage!—and how refreshed and revitalized I felt leaving the salon. According to reflexology practitioners, reflex points on your feet and hands correspond to your whole body, so stimulating those points helps release tension and gives you a feeling of overall well-being.

Why not try it at home? Could be a fun date night, right? My friend and illustrator Erin Jang and I put together this super basic, just-for-fun reflexology chart. Look up your partner's ailment—headache? stuffy nose?—and see if you can foot-massage it away:)

(Illustration by Erin Jang for Cup of Jo. Thanks, Erin!)

Any book recommendations?

After seeing Argo last week, I was inspired to reread the fantastic graphic novel Persepolis, which tells the story of the author's childhood in Iran during the Islamic revolution. Her neighbors' homes are bombed, and her relatives are imprisoned. Her father considers fleeing to America, but then asks his wife, "I can become a taxi driver and you a cleaning lady?" As she grows up, the girl's rebellious streak endangers her life. Her personal story is gripping, heartbreaking and surprisingly funny. I devoured it in three days, and now I'm really looking forward to reading the authors' other two books, Persepolis 2 (the sequel) and Embroideries (about her female relatives' sex lives!).

Have you read any good books recently? I'd love to get your recommendations...

P.S. Four other great graphic novels.

Funny aprons

English designer Nicola Rowlands makes these awesome aprons for her etsy shop. I could wear the cheese one all day, every day. Which suits your personality best?

(Via Sho & Tell)

Friendship bracelet tattoos

Tattly, the Brooklyn-based collection of temporary tattoos, just came out with friendship bracelets! Designed by Julia Rothman, each $5 pack comes with two: one for you and one for your buddy.

P.S. Thank you so much for your sweet comments yesterday. It was so fun to share the news with you:)

Have you ever fallen for someone's...bookcase?

Years ago, my sister invited her friend Paul over to her apartment. While she was in the kitchen making some snacks, he took a look at her bookcase. At that moment, he says, he knew he would fall in love with her. Her bookcase revealed all her passions—from Roald Dahl short stories and funny plays to mountain biking guides and How We Die. She had even tucked The Baby-Sitters Club next to a book on Linear Algebra.

Three years later, they were married.

It's funny how much your bookshelf can reveal about you. So I was PSYCHED to hear about the new book My Ideal Bookshelf, in which one hundred creative thinkers share their absolute favorite books. The book interviews writers (Michael Chabon, Mary Karr, Jonathan Lethem) and chefs (Alice Waters, David Chang) and Hollywood personalities (Judd Apatow, James Franco) and big thinkers (Malcolm Gladwell, Atul Gawande) and musicians (Patti Smith, Thurston Moore) about the particular books that made them who they are. My only small quibble is that I wish the people explained why they chose each book, but overall the collection is fantastic and makes you want to curl up under a blanket and read all day.
So now, of course, the big question is: What's on YOUR ideal bookshelf? Mine would include: The History of Love, Epilogue, Ghost World, Peter Pan, Private Lives, Operating Instructions, Sense and Sensibility, The BFG, Middlesex, the list goes on...

(Top photo of my sister and her husband by Max Wanger)

Hurricane Sandy Bake Sale

We're having a bake sale downtown this Sunday to raise money for the hurricane relief efforts. Please come say hello and enjoy delicious treats. Kids are warmly welcome to help bake and eat, too. It will be fun; hope to see you there! xoxo

P.S. If you'd like to donate baked goods, that would be amazing; please package them as 2-3 cookies/brownies and label what you're donating. Feel free to bring them by anytime during the sale. Thank you so much!

(Fliers designed by the amazingly talented Samantha Hahn and Erin Jang)Read More >

10 favorite wallpapers

Our Brooklyn apartment hunt is slowing down (since apparently most people don't list their apartments before the holidays), but I've still been daydreaming about decorating! Wouldn't it be lovely to wallpaper just one wall in a bedroom or living room? Here are ten beautiful ones...

1. Paris. 2. Forest3. Blue feathers4. London gents5. Grey waves6. Sailboats7. Bookcase8. Owls9. Morning in Manhattan10. Animals

Aren't these pretty? Which do you like best?

P.S. Remember Hudson's tiny nursery?

(Top photo features wallpaper by Josef Frank from Lisa Grue's home. Graphic design elements by Rachel for Cup of Jo)