Wednesday 17 July 2013

Wednesday giveaway

Today's giveaway is from Bridge & Burn, a clothing line based in Portland and inspired by life in the northwest. I love their laid-back, effortless pieces. Today they're letting one lucky reader choose her favorite item. Which would you choose? (I'd go for this or this.)

For a chance to win, please visit Bridge & Burn and leave a comment below telling us your favorite piece. Please be sure to leave a way for us to contact you. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck!

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

Have you seen Seinfeld's online comedy series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee? He invites funny people—David Letterman, Ricky Gervais, Chris Rock—to join him for a drive and cup of coffee. I've seen a few, and they've been okay—sometimes funny, but sometimes a little awkward. But! This one with Seth Meyers was great. It helps that Seth Meyers is totally adorable, and the fact that he seemed a little nervous around Seinfeld made him even cuter.

Watch it here, if you'd like (I loved the story about his parents):

P.S. Seinfeld posters and how to write a joke.

The Best Dutch Baby Pancakes

This mouthwatering recipe, by Stephanie of Girl Versus Dough, speaks for itself (and would be perfect for your next Saturday morning)...Read More >

Tuesday 16 July 2013

Tuesday giveaway

Today's giveaway is from Vine.com, the fantastic online store that curates all natural and organic products for beauty, bath, baby, snacks and household cleaning. We shop there regularly for our family, and they deliver to your door in two days!

Today Vine is offering a $300 gift certificate, so you can stock up on everything you need for the summer. For a chance to win, please visit Vine.com and leave a comment below with a couple of your favorite items. (Here are some good ideas, and I love everything by Method and Weleda.) A winner will be selected at random tomorrow. Good luck!

Bonus for all readers: Get 20% off your order with the code 20JOANNA, good through July 31st. Good for both new and return buyers. And Vine.com always offers free shipping for orders over $35.

(Products above: Toy car, lavender body oil, facial towelettes, water bottle, lip balm, shampoo, hand wash and bronzer).

Let's talk about fashion...

Food and fashion.
Krisatomic's post about what fashion week actually looks like made me laugh.
Toby and I went to the NARS store recently (it's dangerously located across the street from the playground) and I was psyched to get the beautiful red Vesuvio for the summer.
What to do when your kid is embarrassed by your fashion sense.
A summer trend: Knot your shirt!
This gold watch is at the top of my wishlist. Chic and timeless.
Summer hair idea: Teeny braids.
Part Nouveau is an amazing blog that reveals how current fashion photography is inspired by old paintings, art and movies.
Funny descriptions of what 13 people wore to interview with Anna Wintour. And have you seen The September Issue? The documentary takes a fascinating peek behind the scenes at Vogue. The takeaway: Anna Wintour is scary!

P.S. Tomboy style, and a tote bag for grammer lovers. Plus, 16 hair tutorials.

(Part Nouveau and knot shirts via Honestly...WTF; braid photo by Stockholm Style)

Monday 15 July 2013

10 Surprising Things About Parenting in Norway

For our Motherhood Around the World series, our first interview is with American photographer Rebecca Zeller, who lives in Oslo with her husband and three children. Here, she shares 10 things that have surprised her about raising kids in Norway...
Read More >

American mothers around the world

Since I’ll be spending the next few weeks focusing on Anton and Toby, I’ve prepared some posts ahead of time. I’m especially excited about a new weekly series called Motherhood Around the World. Every Monday, we’ll feature an American mother living abroad in a different country around the world with her family. (First up today: Norway!) Honestly, the interviews have been FASCINATING. While working on them, I kept running into the living room to tell Alex the surprising things these mothers were revealing. Thank you so much to all the incredible mothers who shared their stories.

We spoke to American mothers abroad–versus mothers who were born and bred in those countries—because we wanted to hear how motherhood around the world compared and contrasted with motherhood in America. It can be surprisingly hard to realize what's unique about your own country ("don't all kids eat snails?"), and it's much easier to identify differences as an outsider.

A disclaimer: We wanted to hear from these individual mothers about their particular experiences, but of course everyone’s impressions, circumstances, social-economic levels and lifestyles are different, so these interviews are in no way meant to explain, describe or reduce entire cultures. (I can’t imagine if someone tried to explain America as a whole!) These interviews are more about women’s personal stories and observations. That’s probably a no-brainer, but I wanted to point that out regardless. We also chose women who were more or less from the same demographic so we could see what it was like within that similar demographic around the world. I'm curious to hear from people born and bred in each country as well, in terms of what you think rings true and what surprises you; and also from people from other countries who are living in the United States.

Anyway, I'm so excited to share these interviews every Monday and discuss parenting customs with you, and a huge thank you to my brilliant writer friend Lina Perl for helping put it together. Hope you enjoy it! xoxo

A few other Cup of Jo series, if you’re in the mood:
* Mothers talk about trying to find work/life/baby balance
* Guide to NYC
* Funny Dos and Don’ts
* 15 Hair Tutorials
* Delicious Recipes
* Home Tours
* More about Careers
* More about Weddings
* More about Motherhood
And, of course, please feel free to check out the archives at the top of the blog anytime.

Thank you so much!
(Top photos of my parents with us in France; bottom photo of a sweet boy in Madrid by The Sartorialist)

Friday 12 July 2013

Have a great weekend.

What are you up to this weekend? We're heading to our friend's house in the suburbs. They'll be out of town this weekend, so they're letting us escape from our tiny apartment and spread out at their house—with a backyard! We're taking these balloon rockets (which actually shoot above trees) and (overzealously) ordered a kiddie pool. Hope you have a good one, and here are a few fun links from around the web...

Just Jack laughing.

Smart tip: How to keep herbs fresh.

Parties we should have instead of weddings.

England now has a Colin Firth statue.

Science tells us how to build a better pie.

Sky art.

What a great shirt. I think it will be my first post-maternity purchase!

Lesson from Martha Stewart: Don't give a damn.

Clever jars.

Cute sandals under $50. Also, these.

Plus, three past posts you may have missed:
* Banana bites.
* Museum touch tours.
* Vintage ad sexism.

Have a good one!

Thursday 11 July 2013

Toby meets Anton for the first time

Thank you again for all the sweet notes about the new baby! I'd love to share a few photos of Toby meeting his brother for the first time...Read More >

Manhattanhenge

Twice a year, the sunset aligns perfectly with the east-west grid of New York City, and the golden rays shoot down the streets. This beautiful phenomenon has been nicknamed Manhattanhenge. Head's up: it happens this Friday and Saturday around 8:20pm, and you can see it from any crosstown street. xoxo

(Photo by Ashley)

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Wednesday giveaway

Today's giveaway is from ONA Bags, known for camera bags that are both gorgeous and functional. Today, they're offering the beautiful new Bowery bag ($229), handcrafted with soft Italian leather and detailed with antique brass accents. The bag can carry a camera, an extra lens and small personal items.

One lucky reader will get to choose between the dark truffle color and the antique cognac color. For a chance to win, please visit ONA's online shop, and leave a comment below telling us your favorite. Please be sure to leave a way for us to contact you, and the winner must have a mailing address in the continental USA. Good luck! Update: The winner has been emailed. Thanks for playing. xo

The Best Kale Chips (with a Secret Ingredient)

My friend Samantha often whips up some kale chips for playdates, and our toddler sons wolf them up. It's so gratifying to see three-year-olds eat kale! Kale chips are delicious and addictive, so I was excited when Linda of The Tart Tart agreed to share a recipe with a twist...Read More >

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Three flavored waters

Since we'll be spending the next few weeks doting on the new baby, I've scheduled daily regular posts and guest posts, which I hope you enjoy. Of course, I'd love to pop in now and again to share family photos and our birth story, as well!

First up: Do you ever make flavored water? It's easy and refreshing, and it's beautiful to serve when entertaining friends (or just reading a book outside). Plus, regular water gets boring! Below are three great variations we tried out...Read More >

Monday 8 July 2013

The baby is here!

We are so thrilled to introduce our sweet sweet little boy, Anton James Goddard-Williams. He was born on Friday morning at 4:30am after an exciting and quick labor. Can't wait to share more over the next week or two. He has the loveliest demeanor and looks like an 80-year-old man. We are over the moon and exhausted, as to be expected:) Lots of love and thank you again for all the well wishes! xoxo

Thursday 4 July 2013

Happy Fourth of July!

Thank you for all the sweet notes and comments about the baby. My due date came and went, and we're still waiting for this little one to arrive. Cross your fingers for us this weekend! Hope you have a great holiday with lots of ice cream and hot dogs. If you're in a blog-reading mood, here are some fun posts from around the web...

A beautiful essay about waiting for a baby.

And this funny website is coming in handy.

Not your typical Paris apartment.

Made me laugh.

How to fold a shirt in less than 2 seconds. (Worth watching.)

Prince William and Kate Middleton look-a-likes!

Smart tips for choosing the right rug.

Sweetest tiny earrings.

How to make whipped feta.

This sunscreen slideshow made me smile. Been there.

Germans are now using this rude English word.

20 pies for the summer.

This funny book looks surprisingly reassuring.

Wearing this nail color this weekend.

Study: People with lots of self-control are happier.

Love you back.

Have a good one! xo

(Flag cake from Smitten Kitchen. "Love you back" via Swissmiss)

Wednesday 3 July 2013

Summer movie

On August 10th, HBO will premiere Clear History, a new comedy directed by Greg Mottola (of Superbad fame) and starring Larry David and Jon Hamm. What a dream team. Larry David's face alone makes me laugh when I see it, and Jon Hamm was hilarious in 30 Rock. Doesn't the trailer look great? Will you watch it?
P.S. The 101 best written TV series, and Sh*t Liz Lemon Says.

The Best (French) Picnic Dish

What do you usually pack for picnics? We bring cheddar and crackers and grapes, but sometimes we're in the mood for something more inspired. Well, Rachel of The Little Paris Kitchen agreed to share her delicious recipe for fresh French cheese, which would be a great twist on a summer day. Here goes...
Read More >

Tuesday 2 July 2013

Wednesday giveaway

Today's giveaway is from Bario Neal, a handcrafted jewelry studio in Philadelphia that uses reclaimed precious metals, ethically-sourced stones and environmentally conscious practices. They have beautiful engagement rings and wedding bands, as well as necklaces, earrings and bracelets. And good news for brides-to-be: They just opened a new showroom in downtown Manhattan. (To make an appointment, you can contact them here.)

Today they're offering one lucky winner their bronze twig barrette. Isn't it beautiful? I'd love to wear it on breezy days this summer. For a chance to win, please visit Bario Neal's online shop and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: The winner has been emailed. Thanks for playing.

Let's talk about summer...

Fake tattoos.
Wine sippy cups for sneaking on picnics.
Double wine tote, if you’re going the bottle route.
Picnic bag that unfolds into a blanket. Plus, 101 picnic dishes you can make in 20 minutes.
9 clever ways to top a sausage.
If you're looking for a summer uniform, ASOS has been killing it lately! (Above: grey tee, lace detail dress, embroidered tank, colorblock dress, sexy blank tank, floral midi skirt.)
Aviators are the most flattering sunglasses. Even Woody Allen looks cool in them.
If you can't play private ping pong at the Chateau Marmont, here's a fun tabletop alternative.
The proper way to make a Ben & Jerry's ice-cream sandwich. Awesome.
Three-tiered drink dispenser for summer entertaining.
A sweet book to read to your child.
And my good friend Gemma just published a book about five girls in Brooklyn. It's a hilarious and uplifting summer read. Congrats, Gemma!

P.S. My favorite summer sandals and sneakers.

(Ping pong table photo by David Swanson; wine sippy cups via Swissmiss)