iPhone cases

Now that I have an iPhone, I'm looking for a cool case. Society6 has a bunch of rad ones...

Have a great weekend.

What are you doing this weekend? My dad's coming to visit from Michigan, and we're going out for pasta and to this rad exhibit. Toby will be showing off his new walking backwards skills, which he thinks is the same as doing the moonwalk. More or less! Have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few great posts from around the web...

Who wants coffee?

Raddest photos of fireflies.

Made me laugh.

Back to the Future comes to Broadway.

Rainbow nails.

Amsterdam is so cold right now that you can ice skate on the canals!

Double cuteness.

This gives me spring fever.

Toby and I are equally enamored with this great book.

Yes! Murray's Cheese has a tumblr!

Plus, I did two little interviews: for Leoffler Randall and DwellStudio.

Have a good one! xoxo

On authenticity: Tell us something true.

When I was a new mother, I went through something difficult. For a while, I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about it on the blog, but my mom, who has always been a huge champion of "authenticity," emailed me recently to say this...

"It seems to me that being authentic is being brave enough or just candid enough to be honest about what you are experiencing or who you are, whether it is popular are not. A person gives a gift to other people when they say, 'This is what happened to me or this is how I truly feel, no matter what the popular belief is about what I should feel.' Whenever you are honest, you are speaking for a thousand silent people who don't have the voice to say what they really feel or are really experiencing. So, if you ever talk about [the thing you went through], you will touch a million hearts. Because you are speaking for more than just yourself. You are never alone in what you are feeling. I love you."

So, I will share my little story on Monday, even though it gives me butterflies. I thought my mom's words were so beautiful, and I want to always remember them. xoxo

Would you want to share something true about yourself? Something little, something big? Something that makes you happy, something that worries you? Whatever you want, as long as it is true. :)

Here are a few of mine, in the meantime:
* I have old-lady undereye wrinkles.
* I'm scared of elevators.
* I don't know how to accessorize with belts.
* I'm sensitive to criticism.
* I always think I'm going to choke when I eat pears.
* I get super cranky when people talk too loudly.

Until Monday... xoxoxoxo

(Painting by Jessie Willcox Smith)

Bright pink lipstick

I usually wear red lipstick, but I'm really digging the hot pink lipstick that's popping up everywhere these days. I'm planning to try some at Sephora this weekend, and I've heard that best colors are NARS Carthage (if you want matte) or Stila Caprice (if you want shine). Would you wear it? Could pink be the new red?

(Photos by Luca Cannonieri for Diane von Furstenberg, People Magazine and Daymion Mardel)

Which European cities are good for family trips?

Which European cities do you think are kid-friendly? We're daydreaming about pinching our pennies and possibly taking Toby to Europe this summer (he'll be two!), and I'd love to find a city that would be great with a little rascal in tow.

Which cities in Europe would you recommend for a family trip? Yolanda wrote a brilliant guide to Paris with kids, and Louisa Kamps wrote a beautiful essay on a family trip to Amsterdam. Thank you SO much for any insights! xoxo

(Photo of Berlin by Travel & Leisure)

Socks in bed.

New York has been so chilly recently that I've been wearing hiking socks to bed. Hiking socks. It's super sexy, as you can imagine. This comic made me laugh out loud. Why are girls cold and guys hot as furnaces when they sleep? It's one of life's great mysteries.

A genius tip for packing for your honeymoon

My friend Susan Cernek (who also happens to be the Fashion Development Director at Glamour) shared the best tip with me the other day: Pack in a single color scheme. "For my two-week honeymoon around Italy, I packed all blue and white pieces," she told me. "That way, I could pack more efficiently, and mix and match."
A bonus tip? "Pack a red dress," she says. "Red always looks dramatic in photos, even if you're lost, like I was here."

(Via Conde Nast Traveler; and here's another romantic post)

Wednesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from High Street Market, one of my favorite online shops. Run by a Philadelphia-based husband and wife team, the shop brings together beautiful vintage and vintage-inspired home decor, lighting and furniture. My favorites are this brass basset hound, this rad pillow, these Eiffel Tower placeholders and these throw blankets.

Today they're offering one reader a whopping $300 gift certificate to perk up their house. For a chance to win, please visit High Street Market (and feel free to check out their Facebook page) and leave a comment below with your favorite items. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xo Update: TheMama23 is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.
Bonus for all readers: Get 15% off your order with the code CUPOFJO until Friday.

Toby becomes a New Yorker.

We were taking a cab across the Brooklyn Bridge the other night, and Alex and I were feeling winter blues-y. We looked at the Manhattan skyline, which usually inspires us, but instead we just jokingly sighed a Debbie-Downer-ish "Wah waah." One minute later...that's all Toby would say. Babies don't miss a thing.

Here, Toby reenacts his skills the following evening:

The Best Egg Sandwich You'll Ever Have

Confession: I'm a terrible cook. Long recipes freak me out, and I only flip through cookbooks to admire the photos. When everyone else was learning to cook, I was...I don't know what I was doing! Watching TV? But, as a 33-year-old (with a child no less), I would like to be able to whip up a few great classic meals. My plan to try to master--really master--the classic recipes: scrambled eggs, mac n' cheese, tomato soup, chocolate chip cookies, that kind of thing. So, I've asked my favorite food bloggers to reveal how to make basic everyday dishes that knock your socks off, and I'm excited to post one slam-dunk recipe every Wednesday. Hope you enjoy it (and maybe learn something, too!).

First up: Deb from Smitten Kitchen reveals the world's best egg sandwich--or as she put it, "how to, like, win at egg sandwiches"...
Read more »

The Venus Project

In her Venus project, Italian artist Anna Utopia Giordano gives the goddess of love a Photoshop makeover. She takes famous paintings of Venus and slims bellies (and increases busts) to fit today's standards of beauty. Fascinating, don't you think? These images make me appreciate the sensuality of curvy hips.
(Via Flavorwire)

Happy Valentine's Day.

Five years ago today, I had a grim Valentine's Day. There was a huge blizzard in New York, and I was trudging home from work in the dark, with soggy shoes and a lonely heart. As I dodged slush puddles, I wondered if I'd ever meet my soulmate. Didn't seem likely. Little did I know that two weeks later (just two weeks!) I would find the love of my life. As I've said before, it goes to show that you never know what's around the corner.

What are you doing today? Remember how lovely and wonderful you always are. xoxo

(Illustration by Ellen Van Engelen)

How to raise kids like a French woman

Have you heard these rules of French parenting? I'm dying to discuss...
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Roald Dahl stamps

British author Roald Dahl wrote the nuttiest, wackiest, most magical children's stories, and The Royal Mail just released this rad set of stamps to celebrate him. What's your favorite Roald Dahl book? (Mine's The BFG.)

Have a great weekend.

What are you doing this weekend? Alex and I are taking Toby to ride a miniature train and then going to a romantic dinner on Saturday night (no babies allowed:) I've already perused the menu and am going to get the lamb meatballs! Hope you have a relaxing weekend, and here are a few fun links from around the web...

City silhouettes.

Four clever nail polish ideas.

This door sign made me laugh.

Chevron earrings?! Love.

This makes me want to go jogging.

Yummy easy dinner.

A nursery inspired by Steve McQueen.

On finding a career you love.

Marble chocolate bars.

A new issue of Domino Magazine on April 17th!!!!

Heart earrings and a love necklace.

What a beautiful description of laundry.

Dogs barking the Star Wars theme.

Lauren Fleishman's photo series features New York couples that have been together more than 50 years. Inspiring. xoxo

(Photo by Sage Tails)

Valentine's Day flowers in NYC

Instead of grabbing a bunch of flowers at a deli, check out these two Valentine's pop-up flower shops in NYC: one in Nolita, one in the West Village. What a brilliant idea from three talented flower stylists. Bouquets range from $25 to $75 for pick-up. I'd love to get a bouquet just for our house! xoxo

How to feel gorgeous on a date

With Valentine's Day (and mating season:) fast approaching, let's chat about our beauty secrets when going on dates! Here's my little routine...
First, Bare Escentuals foundation with SPF has changed my life. It makes your skin look clean, pretty and glowing. Honestly, I've felt a little self-conscious about my skin as I've gotten older, but this foundation is a miracle. It covers everything beautifully, without looking like you're wearing makeup. It's my holy grail foundation, and I highly recommend it.
Second, I wear this Fresh Sugar Passion lip treatment when I'm on a dinner date or bike ride with Alex. The hint of bee-stung color brightens up your face, while the hydrating treatment makes your lips soft for kissing.

What makes you feel naturally beautiful? Please share your secrets...

(Photo of Gemma Arterton by Elle Magazine, via W&D)

A funny bedroom tip for Valentine's Day...

A while back, I had dinner with friends, including an acupuncturist. We started talking about dating, and she revealed something surprising...
Read more »

Made me laugh.

Hilarious. I felt like this for most of my twenties.

(Via W&D)

Wednesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Lookmatic, a fantastic, affordable online glasses store (formerly called Spex Club). Every pair of glasses is $88 or less, including prescription lenses. Wouldn't it be fun to pick out a cute new pair? Glasses really transform your overall look. (I got my own glasses here and love them.)

In honor of Valentine's Day, they're giving the winner TWO pairs of glasses--one for you and one for a loved one. (If you want, try on glasses with their virtual mirror.) For a chance to win, please visit Lookmatic and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! Update: Katelyn B. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.
(Photos from the Sartorialist and StyleMePretty)