Guest Post: A Few of My Favorite Things

+ Sun-kissed freckles. Not only are they adorable, they give me an excuse to go easy on the makeup all summer long.

+ Architectural salvage yards. I have this dream of living in a modern home, sprinkled with rustic details, like this sliding barn door.

+ Being feminine.

+ Big, thick, oversized glasses. I crush on a new pair every week.

+ Hats. My mom had me in all sorts of different styles from an early age. Right now I'm enamored of a classic fedora I picked during a trip to Sonoma, California.

+ Boy things, like flannel, hiking boots, oversized watches, broken-in jeans, and super soft T-shirts. I'm always stealing my fiancé's clothes!

+ Cats that do human things. Like this one.

+ Cheeky accessories. I'm a true nerd at heart, with a soft spot for dry humor. I love these playful mittens from Kate Spade. Gotta find a pair on eBay!

+ The best days start with two slices of avocado toast.

+ Designer Paul Rand. Get to know his work here.

-- By Kate from Wit + Delight

Toby is here!

My darlings! As you may have guessed from the radio silence, I went into labor on Monday night, and, on Tuesday at lunchtime, we welcomed Tobias Paul Goddard-Williams into the world! He weighed 5 pounds 15 ounces and has blue eyes and brown hair. He is tiny and wrinkly and just the sweetest thing in the world. We are beside ourselves and completely in love.

I'll be taking the next month off to dote on the little man, and some guest posters will be here (I'll pop in now and again with baby photos!). Then I'll be back on July 1st and am looking forward to sharing more baby photos, the birth story, and regular posts, too, of course. Thank you so much. xo

Sending a huge kiss to you...and the whole world!!!

Love, Joanna, Alex, and (now) Toby

Sponge Curlers

My new work schedule has changed a lot lately so our hairstyles have gotten really simple.  I bathed my daughter the other night and she asked for curlers put in her hair.  I use sponge curlers since I think they are easier to sleep in.

To get big curls I made large parts and wrapped them tightly around the curlers.

When she woke up the next morning I took a blow dryer to make sure all the hair was dry.

Shown below I took one curler out to show the large curls these made.

Take out all of the curlers

She asked for a ribbon headband.  Since we all know these don't stay in all day by themselves.  I took a small amount of hair just above each ear and singled it out.  Then place the ribbon behind that hair.  Pull the small amount of hair that was left out across the ribbon and take another small amount of hair on the opposite side of the ribbon and secure with an elastic. (SHOWN BELOW).

Take both sides of the hair and secure together at the base of her head.

Updo Fun for HOT Days!

I apologize for the lack of posts we have been out of town for the last week.  We played as a family all last week in the warm sun at the lake here is one of the hairstyles.  As I have mentioned before my daughter hates to have her hair down when its hot.

I started by making 2 french braids up her hair starting from the bottom of her head (as shown below)

Then I took a small amount of hair and pulled it just above her ear (this was to keep her bangs out of her face).  I left a small amount of hair just above her hair along the face line.  This will be used to cover the elastic. (see picture below.)

Pull all the remaining hair except the small amount of hair along the hair line into a ponytail.

Shown below is the hair left out of the ponytail temporarily.

Take the remaining hair and pull it across the elastic and secure it around the ponytail.

Then make a messy bun with all the hair. 

Sunday Suppers

Sunday Suppers is the amazing cooking class in Brooklyn, where photographer Karen Mordechai invites a guest chef into her home to teach a small group how to cook a delicious dinner from start to finish. When Martha Stewart Living decided to write an article about Sunday Suppers, Alex and I were lucky enough to be invited to the photo shoot. We were psyched...
I dressed up in a Gap maternity dress, stretched an apron over my belly and joined a group of lovely people (including Sarah from Saipua)...
Alex poured blood-orange liqueur over fruit to make Boozy Fruit...
And under the careful watch of the guest chef--Martha Stewart Living food editor, Shira--we all chopped, diced and stirred to prepare an Italian feast.
Here, Sarah shows off the herbed flatbread...
The meatballs were rich and fragrant, paired with a fresh tomato sauce...
And my favorite part of the meal, hands down, was the ridiculously delicious penne frittata with basil, ricotta and lots of pepper. I would highly recommend it (and definitely ate more than my fair share).
During dinner, we all chatted and drank Prosecco (well, water for me). Ben and Laura, the cute couple behind Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, told us about their wedding in Central Park, recent trip to Bali, and how pistachio is their most popular ice-cream flavor.
Weren't the flowers by Saipua wild and wonderful? Sunday Suppers classes are always styled beautifully.
For dessert, we had delicious cookies...
...and affogato, an Italian dessert of espresso poured over gelato.
The classes always end with a little favor, and, that day, we got to take home Frankies Spuntino olive oil, as well as a booklet with the recipes. It was such a great day. If you'd like, you can sign up for a Sunday Suppers class here -- they're amazing! And read the full Martha Stewart article here and find the recipes here. We were embarrassingly excited to appear in the magazine, and, needless to say, our moms flipped out. :) Thanks again for including us, Karen!

(Photos by Karen Mordechai)

Have a goofy weekend.

My darlings, what are your plans for the weekend? Alex and I are squeezing in some final pre-parenthood socializing, including watching the sunset from our friends' roof deck and going out for cheap pastas. We're also putting the finishing touches on the nursery. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and, meanwhile, here are a few great posts from around the web...

This spring is for tomboys. And that includes beers.

Shit my kids ruined made me laugh (and hide the pens).

Love the idea of a TV cozy.

A Claire Huxtable paper doll!

Alyson's beautiful wedding invitations.

What a cute raincoat.

Random tip: I've been wearing the Nars Multiple stick lately and love it. (I have the Cannes color, and my friend swears by Orgasm.)

Build your own chocolate bar!

Chalkboard pendant light.

Sweet mama moment.

Vintage polka-dot dress.

I literally gasped when I saw the watercolor business cards that Jordan made. Aren't they fantastic?

Sheepskin rugs in nurseries.

These would be pretty beach cover-ups.

A reflective vest for bikers. And a cute bike poster.

Plus, five Cup of Jo posts you may have missed:
* Sea salt brownies.
* The Peter Pans of Broadway.
* Balloon canopy.
* Elle shoe diaries.
* Hot-air balloon ride.

(Photo by Sara)

Airbnb

Alex and I often rent houses when we go on vacation. It's fun to meet the homeowners, you instantly feel like a local, and rentals are typically more budget-friendly than hotels. We usually find places through HomeAway or vrbo, but I just discovered the vacation rental website airbnb, and I'm officially obsessed. I've spent an embarrassing amount of time lately browsing through their listings and daydreaming about future trips. I'm especially loving the majestic homes in the Hudson Valley, maybe for a little family getaway this summer!

(Thanks, Yolanda)

Car wedding invitation

What a cute wedding invitation! That's all. :)

Exams outfit

Crikey. Here's what Annabel wore to finals. I was decidedly NOT that cool in college. I think I wore pajama pants. (I love how she rolled the striped sleeves up with the cardigan.)

Thursday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Simone Richmond, a Vancouver-based jewelry designer. She's offering this adorable handcrafted bird necklace, which would be the perfect touch for spring and summer ensembles.

For a chance to win, please visit Simone's shop, and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck!

Update: Madeline is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing. xo

Wedding tennis

I'm loving all the relaxed, low-key weddings these days. This bride and groom played tennis!

(Photo by Glen Allsop)

Edward Mapplethorpe

How amazing are Edward Mapplethorpe's children's portraits? The New York photographer takes portraits of one-year-olds sitting up (he insists that the shoot happen right around their first birthday). Interestingly, instead of giving the parents a big selection to choose from, he shows only one or two frames from the shoot (pretty bold), but apparently the parents have always been thrilled. Not hard to see why. (That first little dude kills me.)

P.S. Ridiculously adorable baby profiles and newborns.

(Via The Year in Pictures. Thanks, Jenny)

Wednesday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Pod, a Massachusetts-based boutique with a beautifully edited collection of goods for home, body and spirit. They're offering a set of four roli poli glasses, which are round, handblown and perfect for summer drinks. And don't they feel French? (P.S. Alex and I use stemless glasses and love them!)

For a chance to win, please visit Pod's online shop and leave a comment below. A winner will be be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xo

Update: Twin Yolks is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

Tas-ka love

Holland-based shop Tas-ka has the prettiest fabrics. These duvet covers would make a bedroom instantly beautiful.

P.S. Also, their dish towels.

(Via Greedy Girl)

PigTails

To give a little history on the pigtails.  I actually dislike the look of pigtails.  My mom will always put my daughters hair in pigtails when she has her because I won't.  My daughter loves them so this is my version of the pigtails.

I started by pulling her bangs  to the side ( her bangs are still growing out)  I gave them a side swoop 

Then make your center part.

Here is were I added a little flair.  I pulled a small amount of hair and secured it with an elastic (as shown below)  I made a pull thru twist in it. and then pulled the all the remaining hair into a ponytail.

The back view below

Then I curled her pigtails into ringlets.