Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy (almost) New Year! This was a light week on the blog, but next week we'll be back to our regular scheduled programming. Do you have any fun plans for tomorrow night? Alex and I will be heading to our friends' apartment for blinis and Champagne, while Toby will sleep in his travel crib in their bedroom. Quiet New Year's Eves are my favorite. Have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few fun posts from around the web...

The world's best new affordable hotels.

A sweet take on a bedtime story.

Fun shoe clips to jazz up black flats.

Fashion from a book.

Three years.

The world according to Michigan. (Fellow Michiganders will chuckle:)

Inspiring tomboy style.

How to host house guests.

Did you see this insane pie in Oprah magazine?

Louis C.K. makes me laugh.

Remember A Very Young Dancer?

Plus, three Cup of Jo posts you may have missed:
* Winter bicyclists.
* Chop onions without crying.
* Adorable families.

(Photo of Hitchcock as a grandpa)

Who was your first love?

The new French movie Goodbye, First Love looks heartbreakingly romantic and rings true--the 15-year-old protagonist takes her first relationship so seriously, without being guarded or jaded. It's raw and beautiful, and the film was a huge hit at film festivals. Really looking forward to seeing it.

Who was your first love? Where is he or she now?

City shower curtains

How fabulous are these shower curtains? Above are Paris, Venice, the Brooklyn Bridge and London. What a way to start the day!

P.S. Another cool one.

Trader Joe's chocolate lava cakes

Hope you're having a wonderful holiday! Looking forward to sharing photos of our trip (and hearing about yours), but first up: My dad made dinner on Christmas Eve, and afterward, he busted out individual chocolate lava cakes for everyone. His secret? Trader Joe's! You buy them frozen and then just heat them up in the microwave. They were insanely good.

Have you ever tried them?

P.S. My other favorite Trader Joe's dessert, and an ode to Trader Joe's.

(Photo via)

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a wonderful weekend to you all!!! Hope you have a relaxing time with friends and family, and sending you lots of love. (I'll be eating cookies and filling people's wine glasses:) If you're in a blog-reading mood, here are a few fun links from around the web...

Dressing up in the great outdoors.

What a sweet letter to Santa.

The world's weirdest hotels.

Soap rocks.

Pretty shirt (on my wish list).

Funny confession.

White lights vs. colored Christmas lights = hot debate.

Erin's adorable new calendar.

Christmas around the world.

We were photographed for Downtown from Behind. Thank you, Bridget!

Finally, regarding wine etiquette, Laura left the smart comment: You should "never ask a guest if they'd like MORE wine, even if its his fifth glass. It's better to say 'Would you like SOME wine,' as if you're filling his glass for the first time." Good to know!

xoxo Lots of love! Have a great weekend, and see you next Tuesday.

(Photo by Jennifer)

Black leggings

When I was pregnant, I would wear a black tee and black leggings, and Alex would call me Marcel Marceau. Since then, I've missed wearing leggings. They're chic, comfy, slimming and make you feel like Audrey Hepburn. So I just ordered this fun bag o' black leggings, which I plan to wear all year. Do you ever wear them? xoxo