Say something nice.

This made me smile.

(Via Black Eiffel)

Two years ago

Two years ago, yesterday, Alex and I got married in a lovely building in downtown Manhattan. It seems like both one second ago, and a lifetime ago. True to form, for our anniversary present, I made Alex a book of our wedding photos...
(Cocktails, with a lion and fascinators...)
(I love this photo of our flower girl!)
...It now lives on our coffeetable, and we haven't stopped looking through it since.
I also made a framed photo for him (and me:) to put on our mantlepiece. It shows the thrilling moment we walked into our cocktail reception, announced as "husband and wife." Alex, I adore you. xoxo

(Book photos by Laura Ratliff; wedding photos by Max Wanger)

EmersonMade's fall collection

Emerson gets it just right every time.

Motherhood Mondays: 10 favorite bedtime stories

Let's talk about books! This past year, Toby and I read tons of bedtime stories, and he gravitated toward a handful of special favorites. (He's very opinionated!) Here are ten books we've love reading most...
Read More >

Gift for new mothers

Now and again, I’ll get a sweet email from a dad asking for gift ideas for his pregnant wife. I can't imagine a new mama who wouldn't adore this beautiful ring. It brings tears to my eyes!

P.S. 8 best gifts for new parents.

Have a lovely weekend.

What are your plans for the weekend? Since Hurricane Irene is heading toward New York (eeps!), we're planning to stay indoors most of the time. I'm envisioning drinking wine, eating chips and dip, and letting Toby take like 18 splashy baths. Hope you stay safe wherever you are, and in the meantime, here are a few great links from around the web...(P.S. Thanks for a really fun relationships week!)

Clever decorating.

Finally saw Bridesmaids--it was hilarious.

The sweetest post. Someone hire Sharon, she is the best! (Also hard-working with a great blog.)

Love these heart earrings.

And heart tights!

A breakfast banana split.

How to swim with all your stuff.

Rainbow hair. Would you do it?

The funniest Craigslist roommate ad--I want to live with this dude. :)

My summer favorites at Felt + Wire.

The Zagat History of my last relationship. (Funny if you know what Zagats is:)

Plus, for relationships week, here are five romantic posts from Cup of Jo:
* A sweet framed receipt.
* What people look like before bed.
* Big or small wedding kiss?
* Old-fashioned veil.
* A short video about true love that will break your heart.

(Photo by Anne Parker, via Melanie)

New York City Hall wedding

Our good friends Maz and Lee tied the knot at New York's City Hall. The following evening, they threw a big party in Brooklyn for our friends. The weekend was so relaxed, easygoing and full of love. These photos look straight out of a 1960's French film!

Would you ever consider getting married at City Hall?

(Photos by Stephen K. Schuster. Lee's dress was from Theory; her veil, jewelry and shoes were vintage.)

Travel fantasy: Maine cottages

How's this for a romantic travel fantasy: A weekend at the Cabot Cove cottages in Kennebunkport, Maine. You stay in a private cottage, and breakfast arrives at your door each morning. For the rest of the day, you hike to lighthouses, swim, sail, go whale-watching, drink wine in Adirondack chairs, and eat lobster for dinner. Wouldn't you love to go with your partner? :)

P.S. Maine-scented perfume.

(Via Momfilter)

What do you wear to bed?

My darlings, what do you wear to bed? A nightgown? Little shorts? Underwear? Do you sleep naked?
I usually wear a tank top and little shorts, but now and again, I'll shave my legs and wear something prettier. :) My favorite slip is the Eberjey Godiva chemise. I wore the pink one almost every night of our honeymoon.

What's your bedtime uniform?

(Top photo by Magdelena Fischer)

Thursday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Curator, a San-Francisco-based clothing line with sexy, comfy pieces you can wear everyday. They're offering one lucky winner $250 to spend on their line. (I'd go for this dress, this perfume and this adorable striped top.) Wouldn't you just live in their clothes?

For a chance to win, please visit Curator and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: Our winner is Jessi F. Thanks for playing.

Update: Curator would love to offer a 20% discount with the code CUPOFJO. (After selecting size and color, enter code, then add to cart.) Good until September 1st. (If you're having any trouble with the code, email info@she-bible.com and they'll be happy to help.)

DIY wedding hair: Pretzel braid

I'm excited to share another hair tutorial! My friend (and hair genius) Caroline adores this gorgeous pretzel braid, which she says is easy enough for brides to do themselves. So, we met at our favorite wedding shop, and Jamie Beck took photos. Doesn't her hair look breezy and romantic?

Here are Caroline's steps, if you'd like to try it out...
"I have a friend who was an Irish dancer, and she would always wear her hair in amazing elaborate braids. This one is not-too-fussy (my favorite way to wear my hair) and would look so pretty for an evening wedding or outdoor summer party."--Caroline

1. Start by making two pigtails, using rubber bands. Make them a bit higher up on your head.

2. Braid both pigtails...

3. ...and secure ends with a rubber band.

4-6. Remove the top rubber bands from the pigtails.

7. Cross one braid over the other.

8. Starting with the braid that's now on top, create a sort of "C" shape and pin. It doesn't have to be precise; you just want to have a nice curved shape from the braid.

9. Make the same curved shape with the other braid and pin. Curve it up and over the top of the braid you just pinned down.

10. Ultimately, you want to get a nice sort of pretzel or knot shape from the two braids. Tuck the ends of both braids behind the knot and pin them down securely.
Voila! Isn't it gorgeous? Would you wear it to your wedding (or a summer party)? This is one of my favorite hair tutorials of all time! Please ask any questions in the comments below; the instructions are a little tricky...

P.S. Seven genius hair ideas.

(Photos by Jamie Beck for Cup of Jo. In the step-by-step photos, Caroline is wearing an Eberjey robe. In the wedding photos, Caroline's wedding dress is by Ivy & Aster from Lovely, a gorgeous bridal boutique in the West Village. Her jewelry is from her own line, Brvtvs, and her lip color is lipstick is NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned.)

Would you date older?

Have you ever dated an older man or woman? I had never dated an older man before, but Alex is a whopping 13 years older than I am. At first I thought his age might be a deal breaker, but it's worked out (old movies, cooking skills, doesn't mind my under-eye wrinkles:).

Have you ever heard this funny trick? "Divide the older person's age in half, then add seven, and that's the biggest age difference you can have. So if you're 30, the youngest you can date is 22." It's actually a pretty good rule of thumb!

So, I'm curious: Have you ever dated an older man or woman? Much older? Would you rather date older or younger? How old would you go? Is your current partner older than you? I'd love to hear your thoughts...
(P.S. Btw, George Clooney is 50, so he's fair game for any of you older than 32 1/2!)

Wednesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Pinhole Press, one of my favorite companies in the world. They offer simple and beautiful photo gifts, including notepads, stationery and framed photos. Today, they're offering one lucky reader a personal photo book. You could make one with your vacation photos, wedding photos, baby photos, daily snapshots--whatever you'd like!

For a chance to win, please visit Pinhole Press and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: Pamela G is our winner. Thanks for playing. xo

Which fall outfit would you wear on a date?

Picture this: Your handsome crush asked you out to dinner on a beautiful fall evening. He picked out a neighborhood Italian restaurant, and you have butterflies in your stomach. He just texted, "I can't wait." Now, the big question is: What will you wear?!

Above, a cozy knit sweater with flattering jeans.
A chic belted dress.
A feminine silk dress with tiny flowers.
A simple yet sexy henley top. (I actually wore a shirt just like this on my first date with Alex.)
A 1970's-inspired red dress.

Which of these pretty outfits would you wear on a first date? Which suits your personality best? (I'd LOVE to get the sweater and dresses for the fall!)

Wedding idea: Burgers!

Abby and her fiance wanted a relaxed wedding, so they invited their friends and family over for burgers! "We celebrated at my parents' house in Maine," says Abby. "We ate burgers, sweet-potato fries and salad. For dessert, we served Maine blueberry pie." Isn't that sweet? Would you rather have a casual or formal wedding? I love this idea!

(Via Smitten)

Tuesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Coatt, the beautiful collection of Morse Code necklaces. The designer Rebecca is offering a name necklace, which would spell your loved one's name in Morse code. Whose name would you choose--your crush, sister, baby, dog? Wouldn't it be pretty to wear with sweaters this fall?

For a chance to win, please visit Coatt (she has so many beautiful necklaces!) and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: Kelsey F. is our lucky winner. Thank you! xoxo

Found! The perfect wedding nail polish

I finally found the perfect pink. You know how pink polishes can end up looking grey, which makes your nails look dull? Instead, I wanted something bright, clean and pretty--finally, when my friend Elizabeth came to visit this month, she told me about Fiji, and it's beautiful. Honestly, this sounds ridiculous, but every time I look down at my toes, I feel a little thrill.

Now I wear it everyday, and if I were getting married all over again, I would wear this in a heartbeat! I'd highly recommend it, ladies. :)