BEST wedding video

Oh. Lordy. Max and Margaux's wedding video (by Shark Pig) is the most joyous and beautifully edited wedding video I've ever seen. My heart is all aflutter. Amazing. (Love the dancing feet!)

(Via Once Wed)

Have a happy weekend (+ Bachelorette finale on Monday!)

My sweets, what are your plans for the weekend? Alex and I are having a date night tomorrow and riding bikes to Brooklyn for Mexican food. I'm looking forward to being out in the world with my husband again...but know I'll be texting the babysitter every five minutes. :)

So, the Bachelorette finale is on Monday!!! I'd LOVE to have "live commenting" on Cup of Jo. I'll put up a post on Monday, and then we can all chat and gossip by commenting on the post throughout the show (8-10 EST). It'll be like watching the episode with fifty girl friends. :) Are you in? I'm so excited.

Meanwhile, here are a few great posts from around the web...

Cute ensemble, especially for a 16-year-old!

I do like to be beside the seaside.

Porter got me into wearing comfy moccasins, especially while traveling. I like these.

Ruler stairs.

What a fun jump print.

There's a Bachelor video game?

Random tip: I'm loving Benetint lip balm this summer. It gives you that perfect just-ate-a-popsicle look.

Chris Rock's documentary -- Good Hair -- looks awesome.

Plus, three Cup of Jo posts you may have missed:
* A thank-you note every day
* Audrey Hepburn's pet deer
* Yummy cupcakes

(Fiat photo by The Cherry Blossom Girl)

Friday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Postcards + Love, a fabulous California-based jewelry shop. One lucky winner will receive this delicate bird bracelet. It would remind you of chirping birds all day. :)

For a chance to win, please visit Postcards + Love and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random on Monday. Good luck!

Update: Whimsy Being is our winner. Thanks for playing. xo

United States cheese boards

How cool are these United States cheese boards? (As a Michigan girl, I'm psyched that they made a separate piece for the Upper Peninsula!)

(Via I Heart You)

Toby's first giggle!

Toby giggled for the very first time yesterday! He was taking a bath, and I miraculously happened to be filming a video for my mom at the exact moment. I've now watched the video about 358,435 times.

Want to see? :)

Congratulations

We met the wonderful Max Wanger when he took our engagement and wedding photos. Well, Max recently got hitched himself to the beautiful Margaux. Don't you love her chic Morgane Le Fay skirt and top? Congratulations to the lovely couple!

(Photos by Our Labor of Love)

Chance

I'm really digging the new clothing line, Chance, by Julia Leach, the former creative director of Kate Spade. The whole collection was based around the striped T-shirt. (Be still my heart.)

P.S. The website is such fun to explore; check out her clever timeline of the striped tee!
P.P.S. She also has wonderful essentials.

Wednesday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Habitat, a shoe boutique run by a husband and wife. Their selection is exquisitely curated, and they even carry our favorite French Bensimon sneakers! Although shoes are their focus, they also have some adorable clothes and accessories (I love this).

They're offering one lucky reader a $100 gift certificate. For a chance to win, please visit Habitat and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xo

Update: Emma P. is our winner. Thanks for playing.

Fragment lights

These lamps are made with fragments found on the San Francisco shoreline, and they glow like candlelight. Love.

(Via Unruly Things)

Birth story

My dears, I promise our birth story is coming soon. I have been writing a bit each day, but with a teeny baby, everything takes way longer than expected! Here's a photo from right after Toby was born, which still makes me feel little weepy.

Update: Here's the birth story. xo

Question #13

A said... on Another Lauren Hairstyle


well, I am in many different sports, all I usually wear is a pony tail but I'm always looking for new ways to wear my hair, and I am in love with make it or break it, I've tried mocking her hair but it just doesn't work out! I am going to try this! does your hair have to be really long though?

No your hair doesn't have to be long to do Lauren's Styles.  In my opinion that is the best thing about her styles is you can do any length of hair because of the tight braids and rolls.

Napping adventures

As her maternity-leave hobby, new mom Adele photographs her baby daughter Mila napping. Oh, the adventures she has!

(Thanks, Liz)

Wedding menus

Chelsea (of Frolic fame) has the best DIY wedding ideas, which she has been sharing on Project Wedding. She just wrote about how to make your own wedding paper goods, using stamps and a white pen. How simple and pretty do these look? (I love that fork stamp!)

Make it or Break it Lauren Hair Version 2

I apologize for the lack of and quality of these pictures but we did this style while we were camping.

Since it was difficult to tell exactly how Lauren's hair was done during this episode this is our version #2.

Make the center poof as before.  Then french braid along the face line as the post before.  The difference with version 2 is that I continued the french braid back up toward the high ponytail.  If I was to do this again I would french braid a little bit further so you can't see all the elastics. 

The french braid is shown below.

Below is the poof and both french braids before I put them into the ponytail.

Celestial backpacks

I swore off backpacks after college (when I carried a dorky green one), but Brooklyn designer Shabd is now making these hand-dyed numbers, which look like night sky. Aren't they pretty?

P.S. Shabd's dresses and leggings.

Cute Girls Hairstyles - French Braid #1

I don't have anyone who can do videos for me while I style hair. So I have been in contact with the wonderful women from Adopt a Do Hairstyles. She has a video already put together on how to do a french braid.

Cute Girls Hairstyles - Waterfall French Braid

Once again the wonderful woman from Adopt a Do has allowed me to post what we call the Princess braid they call the Waterfall french Braid.  Check out her website for really cute hairstyles as well.

Make it or Break it Toddler Hair

I just received a post from Hair for the Mini Diva who also did Lauren's Hairstyle from Make it or Break it I wanted to share it for those who have toddlers.  My toddlers hair is too thin for this style.

Here is the link http://tinydiva.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-lauren-mibi-hair-for-short-hair.html

Travel fantasy: Treehotel

Treehotel is a brand new design hotel in northern Sweden, less than an hour from the Arctic Circle. The Mirrorcube room, above, has a double bed and roof deck, and you access it by rope bridge. I can't believe how beautiful it is! Wouldn't you die to stay there?

P.S. More travel fantasies.

(Via Black Eiffel)

Have a happy weekend.

My lovelies, how was your week? Toby was sweet but oh-so-cranky today, so I didn't get much done other than rocking him, singing to him and playing Raffi on my computer in a desperate attempt to keep him happy. Whew! Now that he has mellowed out, we're heading to buy my brother a birthday beer. (Happy birthday, Nick!) Have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few great posts from around the web...

Damn, Nikole has a beautiful home.

What a cute photo-booth strip.

Impressive staircases.

NYC wedding invitation. (I want to go.)

This Beatles song played on a ukulele is so beautiful.

Polka dots!

More pretty bubbles.

J. Crew always has the cutest models. (Hello, girl crush.)

And a big thank you to Project Wedding for featuring our wedding photos.

(Photos by Richard Heeks. I posted them last summer but couldn't help reposting.)

Hudson Valley trip

Last week, we took our first family vacation to the Hudson Valley, two hours north of New York City. I'd love to share a few photos, if you'd like to see. We rented a charming colonial cottage in the town of Red Hook...
Alex liked drinking beers in the wooden Adirondack chairs...
...and I loved the swing hanging from an enormous tree.
There was a gorgeous screened-in porch...
...which overlooked a meadow (with butterflies in the morning and fireflies at night).
Seven-week-old Toby approved of the comfy porch furniture. (He even gave us a few toothless grins, which were totally endearing.) And a delicious bonus: The owners of the house left us eggs from their own chickens and buttermilk pancake mix.
Mornings were pretty slow-paced with the baby, but each afternoon, we'd pack everything up and go exploring. One day, we toured the ridiculously fancy Vanderbilt Mansion. We even saw the servants' quarters--the women lived on the fifth floor, and the men in the basement, so as to prevent any hanky panky. Alex and I found it fascinating, but Toby was less impressed and slept the whole time.
We also took Toby on his first boat ride, which motored down the Hudson River past two lighthouses.We sat on the covered upper deck and enjoyed the breezes...
...and did double-takes when we saw this girl's tattoo. :)
In the evenings, we'd explore the charming little towns, and we became addicted to the fish tacos at Sante Fe in Tivoli. (We went three nights in a row.) The trip was wonderful, and, although it was chaotic sometimes with nursing, diapers, the car seat, and the staggering amount of baby gear that we had to bring along, it was really lovely to travel with the little man. I'm so glad we did it. Looking forward to going back. :)

A few tips, if you're heading up to the Hudson Valley...
Where to stay: The Hudson Valley is peppered with adorable small towns, such as Rhinebeck, Rhinecliff, Tivoli, Saugerties, Hudson, Hyde Park and Kingston. We rented one of the gorgeous homes in the area (you can find rentals on homeaway.com, airbnb.com, or vrbo.com), but we also LOVE the Villa at Saugerties (pictured above; we've stayed there in the past; it will re-open again as a bed & breakfast soon). Also, the Saugerties Lighthouse would be a fun and quirky place to stay, and the Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck looks pretty swanky.


What to do: Explore the towns and shops (our favorite was the design store Tivoli Mercantile); take a relaxing boat trip from Kingston; go on a sail from Tivoli or Saugerties; walk to the Saugerties lighthouse (it's really lovely); hike through the woods (this walk looks great); admire a 150-acre Chinese-inspired garden in Millbrook; pick your own fruits and vegetables in Red Hook; tour estates and mansions in Hyde Park, Rhinebeck and Hudson; see a drive-in movie in Hyde Park; go antiquing; and watch an airplane show and fly in an open-cockpit bi-plane in Rhinebeck (we did this once! It was awesome!).


Where to eat: The Hudson Valley boasts tons of amazing restaurants, but we especially loved the crispy fish tacos at Sante Fe in Tivoli, the fresh seasonal food at Miss Lucy's Kitchen in Saugerties, and the burgers and beers at New World in Saugerties. I'd love to try Le Petit Bistro in Rhinebeck, too, which critics swear is the best French restaurant in the Hudson Valley. If you're going on a picnic, Gigi's Market serves great prepared foods (quiche, veggie salads, brownies), and Bread Alone in Rhinebeck has delicious sandwiches. People also rave about the five student-run restaurants at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park; we've never been but I'd like to go sometime.

Have you ever been? I'd love to hear any other tips you might have! xoxo

Make it or Break it Version 1 Lauren's Braids

This style was taken from Make it or Break last weeks episode.  This is one version we are going to do another version very similar. 

Start by making a front poof.

Then make a part parallel to her face.  This is where your braid will be.  Part shown below.

French braid from the poof down towards her ear braid all the way to the end of her hair as shown below.

Do the exact same down the other side.

Next take all her hair and pull it into a high ponytail. Once the ponytail is in place take the braids and pull them up and secure with an elastic. I took the remaining hair and wrapped it around they ponytail elastic.

The other side below.