Have a wonderful weekend.

My darlings, what are you up to this weekend? Alex is going to teach me a little bit of guitar. Can you play one? (My secret fantasy is to be like this banjo-strumming mama!) We're also hoping to visit Storm King to see the rad sculptures. Have a great one, my lovelies, and here are a few fun posts from around the web...

Whole Foods Parking Lot made me laugh out loud!

Love these shoes for the fall.

On chocolate cakes, swirled icing looks much yummier than smooth icing.

Speaking of proposals, check out this marriage proposal!!!

A pretty chambray shirt.

Funny cookie cutters.

These childhood photos make my heart swell.

Under the sea.

Damn, now THAT is a sexy skirt.

Mariah's year of cakes in progress.

What a beauty (and puppy).
(Top photo from the movie Breathless; bottom photo of the return of the Mona Lisa to the Louvre after the war, Paris, 1945, via Vic)

Fun wine labels

Alex and I had a few people over for wine and cheese last night, and, just as a twist, we made personal wine labels from Pinhole Press. I used a photo of Paris and the words, "Have a magical evening."

P.S. I'd also love to make this next time, haha :)

Candy bars

How many of these candy bars can you identify? (I can see Snickers and Payday, that's about it!) They look delicious.

(Via I'm Revolting, via TeenAngster)

Do or don't: Guys with beards

When Alex accidentally grew a beard three years ago (he had the flu), I told him he looked rugged and handsome. Surprised, he said I was the only women he'd ever known who actually liked beards. But doesn't everyone love a good scruff? I'm curious: Do you prefer guys with beards or definitely not?

Today Alex wrote an article about what it feels like for a guy to have a beard. It was funny to hear a man's perspective! Read it here, if you'd like.

P.S. Before and after.

Project Runway premiere

Project Runway's new season starts tonight! Yahoo, I can't wait. Are you going to watch it?

(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty)

Travel Fantasy: Lighthouse

Would you like to spend the night in a lighthouse? The Saugerties Lighthouse, a couple hours north of New York City, has two cozy guest rooms. You hike a half mile through the woods to reach it, and then you can sit on the water, relax and drink wine in the evening. The town of Saugerties also has great restaurants, so you could go out to dinner and then sneak back through the woods at night!

P.S. More travel fantasies...

(Thanks, Momfilter)

How to introduce people

Want to hear a fascinating little etiquette tip? When you're introducing someone, you should always say their name first and their relationship to you second.

Wrong: "This is my sister, Lucy."
Right: "This is Lucy, my sister."

That way, you spotlight the person--not their connection to you. It's a small thing, but it makes a lovely difference! I just learned this, and I'm doing it from now on.

What do you think? Great? Random? Who cares? xo

(Photo by the Sartorialist)

Looking for an editorial intern

My dears, I'm looking for a top-notch editorial intern for Cup of Jo this fall (to help with the juggle). Do you know anyone who might be interested?

Here are the details, below...
Read More >

Simplest marriage proposal

How sweet is this proposal video? This spontaneous moment feels just as romantic as a dramatic gesture.

Kelly, above, tells the story: "After dating for four years, we had just moved to Oregon. We drove out to take pictures in my favorite giant field, and Paul spontaneously asked me at sunset. He didn't have a ring or anything--he just suddenly felt like it was the right time and place. It's not the most glamorous proposal, but it was so heartfelt, and I can't imagine a sweeter way. We got married three months later."

How sweet is that? If you're married, what was your proposal story?

(Video by Kelly and Paul)

Eight cool backpacks

When I was in college, I wore a nerdy green backpack, but ten years later, backpacks are back! They're actually considered cool in New York right now (for real), and they're comfy and perfect for bike rides, laptops, weekend trips, and baby stuff. What do you think? Would you wear a backpack?

1. Farm rucksack, $160.
2. Canoe pack, $195. (More on amazon.)
3. Striped fleece backpack, $58.
4. Classic backpack, $85.
5. Leather backpack, $450.
6. Tie-dyed backpack, $58.
7. Laptop bag, $110. (Cool in Sweden.)
8. Heritage backpack, $55.

Thoughts? xo

(Graphic design by Jennifer Hagler for Cup of Jo)

Motherhood Mondays: Would you find out if you were having a boy or a girl, or keep it a surprise?

My darlings, if you were pregnant, would you want to find out if you were having a boy or a girl, or would you keep it a surprise?

When I was pregnant with Toby, I was on pins and needles; I would never have had the willpower to wait to find out the baby's sex. I'm a huge gossip by nature (never tell me a secret!), and I wouldn't have been able to wait patiently for nine whole months for the gender reveal. (Funnily enough, though, if we have another baby, I think I would want to wait, just to try it both ways! Can you imagine how exciting it would be while you were in labor?)

Here's a cute video of a couple finding out their baby's sex. They asked their doctor to write down "boy" or "girl," and without looking, they gave the piece of paper to a baker. Then the baker made a cake—with either blue cake for a boy, or pink cake for a girl—covered with white icing. Finally, that night, the couple invited friends and family over while they cut the cake...and revealed the cake color!

What about you, my lovelies? Would you prefer to wait, or would want to find out? If you have kids, did you know their sexes ahead of time? I'm so curious...

P.S. Do you secretly hope for either a boy or a girl? (I did!)

(Photo by Lazareva Valeria; video by Tupelo Honey)

Motherhood Mondays: The sweetest book

Have you seen My Quotable Kid? The book gives you a place to write down the funny, sweet things your child says and save them forever. What a brilliant idea.

P.S. I just bought one for Toby and am excited for him to get talking :)

(Via Unruly Little Things)

Have an adventurous weekend.

My sweets, what are your plans for this weekend? This afternoon I'm getting a massage! It was my Mother's Day present, and I'm finally going. I'm soooo excited. (Have you ever tried one of these?) Hope you guys have a great weekend, and here are a few fun posts from around the web...

What a stunning Indian wedding. The details are mind-blowing.

Pretty earrings.

Grass globe illusion in Paris.

Love this wedding print.

Street-style jumps!

Sweet new stationery.

Rad rooftop playground in Copenhagen (of course).

Two pretty tops for date nights: blue and polka-dot.

The steepest rollercoaster! (Watch the video at 1:35, eeeeeeeks!)

Great birthday cake.

I wish this sailor dress came in grown-up sizes.

This made me laugh.

Wonderful advice about what to say to someone who's sick.

Have a good one, my darlings! xoxo (P.S. For any early readers, sorry about the original post that went up, it was definitely a draft!:)

Vacation photos: Cornwall, England

I'd love to share a few photos from our vacation in England, if you'd like to see...

Our grandmother lives in a teeny tiny fishing village called Polruan. Our first evening there, we had a drinks party on her terrace. She invited her friends of all ages, and we ate smoked salmon and potato chips.
Toby loves a good party...
We toasted my cousin and her husband, who were celebrating their first wedding anniversary. (Aren't they cute?)
And this is the view! Crikey! It was so much fun.
During this trip, Toby met his new "cousins" (they are my cousins' daughters) for the first time ever. It was ridiculously endearing to see them all play together. My British aunts referred to them as "the littles," which I loved.
We had a few rainy days (not pictured:), but on a particularly sunny afternoon, we took a spectacular boat ride to Lantic Bay, a beach nearby. (That's when we took this family photo, too.)
My cousin's husband Nick brought along a bottle of Cornish scrumpy, which is a strong alcoholic cider that tastes just like apple juice.
Toby drank too much and passed out. (Kidding.)
The English ocean water was freeeeezing but my cousins are brave.
One day, we all hiked to visit my grandfather's grave, which is in a lovely countryside church overlooking fields of sheep. My grandmother always brings whiskey (his favorite) to sprinkle over his grave.
My awesome sister Lucy carried Toby all the way (uphill). Yay for aunts!
Have you ever had a Cornish pasty? It's dough filled with beef, potatoes, carrots, onions and lots of pepper, and you can eat them with one hand. (Originally, they were developed for miners and sailors.) Delish...
As with all great vacations, we ate way too much.
In the evenings, the yellow light is gorgeous, and we sometimes take walks and chat with sweet old ladies on the street.
At the end of each day, we'd just hang out, cook dinner, gossip, play games and drink gin & tonics. I remember how my grandfather used to sometimes call out, in his booming British voice, "Noise level too high!"
One evening, my brother made the mistake of dozing off in a chair, so naturally we decided to see how many items we could stack on him before he woke up. (I thought the bottle on his head was especially impressive:)
Our final morning, we got up early to leave. We were sad to go but the bright side was seeing the view from the terrace. The morning fog looked foggy and magical--right out of Peter Pan. Polruan, we miss you already! Thank you for having us, Milly! xoxo

P.S. English wedding hats, and ten tips for traveling with a baby...