Wanderlust

Photos of Norway and Paris to add some wanderlust to your morning. Where would you like to go right now, if you could go anywhere?

P.S. Click on the top photo; it looks beautiful when it's blown up!

(Photo credits unknown)

Wednesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Pinhole Press, one of my favorite companies in the world. They offer beautiful photo gifts, including books, framed photos, notepads and cards. Today, they're offering one lucky reader a personalized guest book. Would it be lovely to have one at home for visiting friends and family to write in? (It feels straight out of a Diane Keaton movie:) You could also make one as a heartfelt wedding or hostess gift.

For a chance to win, please take a look around Pinhole Press and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xo Update: Bri B. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

Do or don't: Pale skin this summer

As summer approaches, I usually get a little shy about wearing shorts and exposing my so-white-they're-almost-blue legs. When I was in college, I even went fake tanning (yikes!) and slathered on orange self-tanner (not a good look).

But this summer, I've decided to embrace my pale skin and freckles. We've recently discovered a few great natural, chemical-free sunscreens: Badger, Dr. Robin and the Babo Botanicals stick (which is super easy to apply on babies!), and wear them everyday.

My darlings, this summer, will you rock the pale look? Would you prefer to get a tan? Have your feelings on tanning changed? What kind of sunscreen do you use? I'd love to hear...

(Photo by Garance Dore)

Two summer movies

This morning, I came across two amazing summer movie trailers: Our Idiot Brother (August 26th) and...
50/50 (September 30th). Don't they look great? Will you see them? xo

P.S. I have a secret crush on Seth Rogan.

Tuesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Rib & Hull, a beautiful bag shop based in Warsaw, Poland. The husband-and-wife team make gorgeous bags with organic linen, canvas and Italian leather. Aren't they lovely? Today they're offering one lucky winner her choice of canvas bag. (See them all here.) I'm in love with these red stripes!

For a chance to win, please visit Rib & Hull and leave a comment below telling us your favorite style of canvas bag. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: Britta D. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing. xo

Bonus for all readers: Receive 20% off your entire order with the code CUPOFJO. Good until July 8th.

Tattoo girls

Although I'm not a tattoo girl myself, I'm loving these clever and charming tattoos. What do you think?

P.S. Nine awesome tattoos...
P.P.S. New Yorkers, come join me at this bike ride this Thursday! xo

(Via Tattoologist)

Motherhood Mondays: 8 confessions of a new dad

For today's second Motherhood Monday post, I'd love to talk about new fatherhood. On the three-hour drive home from the beach this weekend, Alex and I started talking about parenthood, and he revealed a few funny and surprising thoughts on our first year with a baby. Here were his eight revelations, in his own words...

1. "I didn't bond with the baby right away."
The experience of fatherhood is thrilling, but so hard at the same time. I loved Toby from the second I saw him. But the first few months, to be honest, were pure adjustment. The baby is so helpless, and you're so clueless, and you don’t have that strong chemical, hormonal and emotional bond with the child, in the same way the mother does.

You spend the first six months of your baby's life cramming this giant rule book. You have to learn everything—how to hold the baby, how to swaddle, how to change a diaper. I had never played with dolls or even babysat, so it was totally, totally new.

I did enjoy it--it was a fascinating odyssey and deeply satisfying--but, secretly, at the same time, if Joanna had walked in and said, "My mom's going to take over for the next month," I would have been thrilled.

2. "Time alone with the baby was surprisingly profound."
Even though I felt so lost overall, I was surprised by how spending time alone with Toby felt natural and surprisingly not scary. I remember the very first night we had Toby at home. Joanna was in bed, and I had four hours alone with him. He was sleeping in the bassinet next to me, and started to stir. I realized that he had never heard music before and that I got to pick out the first song he'd ever hear. I felt like I had a hand in shaping his destiny. Choosing a song on iTunes suddenly felt profound! I decided on "Penny Lane" by The Beatles. It was bright and optimistic, like the first day of spring. It was a magical moment.

3. “My wife acted a little like she was on drugs.”
Up until you have a baby, whatever happens, you and your wife pretty much respond the same way. You're on the same wavelength. But once the baby arrives, every thing that happens, your wife has a 90-degree different take.

Joanna's highs were higher, and her lows were lower. Her general joyfulness was so high; she was starry-eyed and blissed out. On the flip side, she was more anxious. She was more inclined to take any negative thing to heart—such as Toby fussing while we changed his diaper. I figured his fussing was a small, unfortunate but inevitable thing, but it felt incredibly urgent to Joanna. She got really upset by his crying—for her, it was like an alarm clock was going off inside her. She had an extreme surge of anxiety at any possible sign of disturbance to Toby, whereas I would address his crying but it wouldn't bother me on an emotional level. I just thought, Oh, all babies cry, he'll be ok.

It's like being with someone on drugs. You're on a different plane. You look at your wife, and you have to imagine, 'What exactly are you feeling? How does the world look to you right now?' Then you have to figure out how to respond the way she would want.

Everything does come back down to earth again. Your wife no longer feels those extreme surges at both ends of the emotional spectrum and becomes more like her old self (which is a relief to her, too), and you get more acclimated and feel like your old self. By about month nine, we found ourselves settling back into our old rhythms and feeling like ourselves again (see below:).

4. "I was nervous that my wife would like the baby better."
Maybe it sounds crazy, but a great fear I always had about having children was that my future wife might like them better. In many of my friends’ families growing up, the husband was basically replaced by the kids. There's nothing more primal than the love between mother and infant. I was absolutely worried about being dropped a notch.

Once Joanna was putting Toby to bed and I heard her tell him, "You're my favorite person in the whole world, do you know that?" and I was thinking, 'Really? What about me?' It sounds ridiculous, but it was an adjustment not to be the only man in her life. But in the end, I saw that our marriage could never be replaced by a baby—it's such a different thing. That realization was a huge relief.

5. “Children's books are boring.”
I love spending time with Toby, especially when we go on walks or play the guitar. But some baby activities are s-l-o-w. Many women seem to have a tremendous capacity to step outside themselves and see things through the baby's eyes, like reading children's books. But to me, children's books are fundamentally boring. Like, mind-numbing. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is tough sledding.

6. “Everything turned a corner at nine months."
I once heard a theory that babies are inside the womb for nine months, but that they're remain in the gestational period outside the womb for the next nine months.

Everything changed when Toby was nine months old. One day, Toby didn't seem to know who I was (or care!). But the next evening, I got home from work, and Toby was eating dinner in the high chair, and he looked up at me and smiled and shrieked and did jazz hands. He recognized me! It was amazing. I felt like we had truly connected. Honestly, for the first time, he didn't only feel like my baby, but like my son.

7. “I daydream about the future with Toby.”
I often daydream about Toby growing up: listening to music, taking him on boats, teaching him how to cook a great omelet, telling stories about "the old days." I always picture us on hikes for some reason—even though I don't really go on many hikes. My father and I used to sit around for hours some nights and plan my future, and I love the idea of being on the other side of that conversation. I also look forward to imparting lessons that my dad didn't give me—like how to ask out women.

8. “I'm ready for another.”
With your first baby, it's really tough. Every day is a surprise. But now I know that I can do it. Raising a child for the first 12 months of their life is a skill I now have. Having a second baby? Believe it or not, I can't wait. :)

Thank you, Alexei! My lovelies, do you think own dads had to adjust to having children? Fellow mamas, did your husbands immediately take to new parenthood, or did they find the transition tricky? Have they said anything about the experience? If you're a guy, what are your thoughts on fatherhood? I would love to hear... xoxo

Salt-Water sandals

My darlings, another Motherhood Monday post is coming up (about husbands!), but in the meantime, I wanted to share these sandals for little dudes. Every child in our neighborhood wears Salt-Water sandals, which are adorable, comfy and tough enough for city streets, grass parks, sandy beaches, and, of course, salty water. Toby just got his first little pair, and we're loving them already.

Mamas, have you ever tried them? What other children's shoes do you swear by? xo

P.S. Funnily enough, the sandals are also becoming cool for grown-ups. We spotted some chicer-than-chic women wearing them in the Hamptons!
(Bottom photo by Fashion is Spinach)

Have a fun weekend!

My darlings, what are you up to this weekend? We're heading to East Hampton! I've never been before, but apparently it's beautiful and sceney and fun. We're staying with some friends in a house in the woods. I'm looking forward to grilling burgers and dipping my toes in the waves but not going in too far because I'm a wuss. :) Hope you have a wonderful weekend, and in the meantime, here are a few great posts from around the web... xo

What gorgeous business cards.

The perfect summer earrings: pretty stars.

This Manhattan apt has a POOL in the living room.

A groom's cake that looks like the groom.

This Fourth of July cake is so clever.

An iPhone app that lets your baby choose its name by kicking!

Do or don't: A candle that smells like the New York Times.

Tina Fey reads the book-on-tape version of her book herself! Wouldn't it be awesome to listen to her tell her hilarious story?

Fascinating NYTimes article on breast milk.

Whoa! Cup of Jo was named one of the Top 100 Websites for Women by ForbesWoman Magazine. I'm so flattered and thrilled!

Last but not least, I'm excited to announce that I'll be co-hosting BLOGSHOP, a Photoshop workshop specifically for bloggers, with Bri Emery, in New York this September 24th-25th. Want to join? It will be really fun, and I would love to meet you! xo
(Photos by The Morning Train; illustration by CICLE)

Just 'cause.

DIY wedding hair: Gibson roll

My dears, I'm excited to share our second wedding hair tutorial! My friend (and hair genius) Caroline adores this elegant twisted roll--and swears it's easy enough for brides to do themselves. So, we met at my favorite West Village wedding shop, and the wonderful Jamie Beck took photographs. Doesn't her hair look straight from the 1940's? So romantic.

Here are Caroline's steps, if you'd like to try it out...
This hairstyle is perfect for a black-tie wedding or to show off a pretty neckline--and it's great for girls with curly hair. It's super easy; I promise with the teensiest bit of practice, you'll be able to do it in less than five minutes!

1. Gather your hair into a low ponytail and secure with a rubber band. You want the ponytail to be pretty tight.

2. Next, slide the rubber band down the ponytail a little, so there's space between the rubber band and your scalp.

3. Create a little "hole" in the area above the rubber band. Make sure not to poke all the way through; you just want to make a little "nest" in your hair (which you'll use in step 5).

4. Twist the length of your ponytail, like you would if you were making a bun.

5. Begin tucking your ponytail down into the little nest you made for it. (To make mine a little different, I tucked the hair off center, so it was slightly asymmetric.)

6 and 7. Keep tucking and rolling your ponytail into the nest...

8. Once you have all your hair hidden and tucked away, pin it in place with bobby pins. Don't forget to pin the sides of the hairstyle as well. Then spray your hair with some hairspray, and take along extra bobby pins for touch-ups!

Voila! Isn't it beautiful? Would you consider this wedding look? If you're already married, how did you wear your hair at your wedding? xo

P.S. The lovely Caroline is offering Cup of Jo readers 20% off her jewelry line, Brvtvs. Enter the code CUPOFJO, good until July 7th.

P.P.S. More pretty hair tutorials...

(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 bridal boutique in the West Village. The hair piece is by Untamed Petals, available at Lovely, as well.Her jewelry is from her own line, Brvtvs, and her lip color is NARS lipstick in Manhunt--appropriately!:)

Swedish optical illusion

Swedish artist Erik Johansson created this incredible optical illusion in a Stockholm city square. The ravine looks so real, it gives me goosebumps!

(Via the brilliant NYMag)

EmersonMade giveaway!

Yahoo, the last EmersonMade giveaway was so well received that we decided to do it again! EmersonMade, the husband-and-wife clothing line based in New Hampshire, is offering a $1000 shopping spree to one lucky winner. They make lovely pieces, including dresses and bags; and their whole countryside life looks so dreamy that it makes me want to move to a farm, wear a flower brooch and raise chickens. Oh, just think how beautiful you'll look all summer. xo

For a chance to win, visit EmersonMade's shop (and consider signing up for their Facebook and twitter), and leave a comment below telling us your favorite pieces. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck. xo

Update: Erica M. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing--and for all the comments!

Deep dish cookies

Ooooh, yes please.

(Thanks, Kathryn)

What are your favorite books?

Recently I've been hunting for a new great book. Happily, I just stumbled upon the new website, What should I read next? You type in a book you like, and then it gives you recommendations of similar books.

My favorite book of all time is The History of Love, a novel about an old man remembering his love affair. It's so heartbreakingly beautiful that I underlined entire passages so I'd never forget them. At one point, I literally hugged the book as I read. What books do you love?

(Photo by Barca)

Pilsner cravings

What happens when you don't let Toby try a sip of beer at the Brooklyn beer hall.

Random beauty tip

I used to be so sleepy at the end of the night that I'd skip washing my face and just tumble into bed. But then a friend recommended these cucumber towelettes, and, I have to say, they've totally improved my bedtime routine. You just wipe your face (no water required), and they remove makeup, moisturize skin, smell amazing, and make you feel fresh and revitalized.

Have you ever used them? What's your bedtime beauty routine?

First day of summer

My lovelies, today is the first official day of summer! Do you have any fun plans for the season? Or anything you're wishing for?

P.S. More inspiring summer photos.

(Photos by Harley Haskett, Lauris Love and Satie)

Fountain bench

My mind is brimming with things to share today! But first: Does anyone know where to find this amazing fountain bench in New York City?! Wouldn't you love to be sitting there right now? xoxo

Update: Answer in the comments!

(Via Tina's instagram)

Motherhood Mondays: Has your style changed since having a baby?

My lovelies, for today's Motherhood Monday post, let's talk about style. I've always had a pretty low-key look (cardigans, flats), but after Toby arrived, my style became even more relaxed (read: worse!). I didn't have time to do much for my own look, and I sort of forgot about myself in that way. My focus was so much on sweet Toby. But now that Toby's a year old--and we feel much more comfortable and confident as parents--I'm excited to take some time for myself and reestablish my style. Here are the pieces that are getting me started:

* Red lipstick. Red lips make you feel glamorous and feminine, even when you're driving trucks in the sandbox or changing a diaper.

* Striped shirts. Along with everyone else in the (blog) world, I adore French-style striped shirts, which make you feel like a modern-day Jean Seberg.

* Dark jeans. Around a baby, you run a 100% risk of getting covered in banana, yogurt, sand, spit-up, snot, pee, or something strange-smelling and unidentifiable. Dark denim is the way to go! Spills just magically absorb until you have time to do laundry. :)

* Big bags. Instead of an actual diaper bag, I like carrying big regular bags and throwing everything in. I love this leather bag from Banana Republic. Bonus: It has a magnetic clasp, so it's easy to open and close while juggling a baby.

* Ring slings. I tried a Sakura Bloom ring sling for the first time recently and fell in love. Not only are they super cozy (Toby sleeps so well in it!) and surprisingly easy to put on, but they look beautiful. Instead of wearing a strappy carrier or pushing around a stroller, you wrap yourself and your baby in silk. It's a fashion statement as much as a baby carrier. Also, don't you love how you can see the shape of their big diaper butts? Heartbreakingly sweet. :)

So, I'd love to ask: What are your go-to pieces? How would you describe your style? If you're a mother, how has your style changed since having a baby? Do you ever wear your baby in a sling or carrier? xoxo

P.S. This post is part of the Sakura Bloom Styleathon, hosted by my friend Leigh. Read more here, if you'd like. I'm honored to be a part of it!
(Striped shirt from Chance; layering tank c/o Lilla P; jeans from Emersonmade; sling c/o Sakura Bloom; sunglasses c/o Selima Optique; heels from Michael Kors; bag from Banana Republic)