Daydreaming

My lovelies, our babysitter called in sick today, so Toby and I are hanging out but I wanted to say hello! Hope you have a lovely afternoon and see you tomorrow. xoxo

P.S. Five daydreamy posts for a rainy afternoon: Paris, canoeing, Iceland, the ocean, smooches.

(Photo by Aya Brackett)

Fabric hair tie

Since Toby arrived on the scene, I've worn a ponytail almost every day. So, in an effort to jazz things up, I was happy to come across this idea of using a piece of fabric instead of a hair tie. Simple and pretty, don't you think?

Giant clothes pin

What a rad installation in Belgium!

(Via The Debonaire, via Milk)

Have a cozy weekend.

My lovelies, what are you up to this weekend? Alex had to work today (drag!), but tonight we're having a few friends over, and tomorrow we're going sweater shopping. Most of all, I'm really excited for this coming week, when I'll be kicking off my holiday gift guide! Have a good weekend, my sweets, and enjoy the leftovers. xoxoxo

Sweet and simple birth announcement.

What a pretty idea to dress up chairs.

I forgot how good Nerd Boyfriend is. (Thanks for the reminder, Mary)

I'm loving the new Beatles ads.

10 perfect party dresses...

...and what to wear underneath.

This dessert table takes the cake.

Thumbs up for polar bear wallpaper.

Thanks for the amazing cookies, Amanda! We ate them in record time.

And, lastly, one of my sponsors, Merrymakers, is offering a 20% discount with the code CUPOFJO. They make funny dolls, including an awesome Abe Lincoln. And don't forget to order your holiday cards!

Have a good one. xoxo

(Photo by Rose & Crown)

Toddler Braid to Sides up

As most of you who have toddlers know how hard it is for them to sit still.  So with that being said this is the only picture we got after sitting for a french braid. 

Make a small french braid down the center of her head.  Then pull the sides up on top of the braid as shown above.  Then secure all of them together with an elastic.  This is such a cute style.

Friday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Simone Perele, a gorgeous lingerie company founded sixty years ago in Paris. They're offering one lucky winner a $200 gift certificate to splurge on pretty lacy things. They have great basics (such as strapless bras to wear under party dresses), as well as more romantic pieces to wear all on their own. (I have the Nina bra and love it.)

For a chance to win, please visit Simone Perele (and consider signing up or their newsletter), and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random on Monday. Good luck!

Update: Kay B. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing. xo 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, my sweet readers! Have a wonderful break. We're going to our friends' house in Brooklyn; they have a fireplace and a backyard with a koi pond, which I'm excited to show Toby. And, just for fun, here are Gourmet Magazine's pumpkin recipes, since pumpkin is The Most Delicious Ingredient Ever. Have a delicious holiday! xoxoxo

P.S. On a similar note, loose pants.

Mini street style

Aww, what a little cutie! It's not always easy being a fashionista. :) Still, I'm going to taking a tip from her and roll my jeans today.

(Photo by Stockholm Street Style, via Pinterest)

Side French Braid

This is one of those really quick and easy styles.

I put her bangs back into a poof and secured it with an elastic.

 Then I made a single french braid down the left side of her head and braided all the way to the ends of her hair.

                                                                     Side view below

Toddler Pony's

 This fun and easy hairstyle is simply just 2 ponytails.  You can get as creative as you want. 

We started with a small ponytail that angles to her left ear as shown below.

                                      Then make a parallel ponytail behind the first as shown below.

                                         Below is a side view.  I put a small curling iron through her ponytails to give the ringlet look



Locket love

Artist Alyson Fox and jewelry studio Verabel have collaborated to make these a-maz-ing lockets. Aren't they beautiful?

(Via Lola is Beauty)

Side Braid to Bun

 Start by making a french braid on the top left side of her head continue the french braid on until it goes across her head to the opposite ear.

                                                  Now make a messy bun .

Saturday morning

Toby had a bit of a tummy ache on Saturday, so we spent the morning lounging around. It was really fun to lie around doing nothing except playing with his bird toy and giving raspberries.

P.S. You know when you were a little kid and your parents were your safe haven? It's strange/amazing to be that for someone now. Sometime I think, wait, I can't be a mom, I'm just a random person, I don't know all the answers! But I guess our moms were the same way? I still sort of think my mom knows everything.

Have a cozy weekend

My lovelies, what are you up to this weekend? Toby had a tummy ache today, so we spent most of the morning cuddling with him in our bed. Thankfully now he's feeling better and sleeping peacefully (whew!), so Alex and I are going to make dinner and watch 30 Rock. Hope you have a great one, and here are a few great links from around the web...

A few sweet readers asked where I got these jeans; they're from Anthropologie. (I love them and highly recommend them.)

My other favorite pair of pants.

He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.

Very exciting about Will and Kate!

If you're in a laugh-y mood, this video is hilarious.

A peek at J. Crew's spring collection. (Via The Senses Five)

A great argument for living in Boise.

Baby legwarmers!

The genius of modern art.

What pretty vintage shoes.

An impressive pancake. Yes, pancake.

Excited for Matchbook Magazine!

Have a great rest-of-the-weekend. xoxo

(Photo by Stephany Alves, via Most Beautiful Darling)

Home inspiration: Brooklyn brownstone

My friends Mike and Emma shared photos of their Brooklyn brownstone on Design*Sponge this week, and it's as quirky and fun as they are. The coolest part? They have an actual Alex Katz painting in their living room. They found it on eBay for a deal, since it had a small tear in the corner. ("I could care less," Emma says.) Incredible.

And on their perfect paint color: "When we bought the house, the walls were orange—sherbet orange—it was very Santa Fe," says Emma. "We knew we had to get rid of the orange. We spent a lot of time thinking about blues and greys, and this is Wedgewood Blue."

P.S. Their awesome Manhattan wedding.

(Photos by David Land)

Thursday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Attiser, a collection of beautiful linens made with handmade block-printed Indian textiles. (My sister's husband's family is from India, and ever since their wedding--with all the stunning saris--I've been enamored with Indian prints.) The shop is offering their amethyst amore quilt, which would work beautifully as a cozy bedspread or picnic blanket.

For a chance to win, please visit Attiser and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xoUpdate: Jillian from Chicago is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

Toddler Ringlets

My Toddler is going through the I want only 1 elastic if I get 2 in its a miracle so we have been doing a lot of the same styles.  So here is a fun simple hairstyle for toddlers who want plain hair.

We made ringlets in her hair and pulled the bangs back with a Rockin Bobbie Pin

A study in brown

A romper. Tomboy pajamas are so sexy.
A tote bag filled with delicious foods = fabulous and easy holiday gift. (New York Magazine has four yummy suggestions.)
A wooden mobile. This would look great in a grown-up room, too.

Toby rides a bike

Alex, Toby and I went on a walk last weekend, and we couldn't help posing Toby on a rad Bianchi road bike. We just wanted to plant the seed. :)

P.S. Note the hilarious disproportion of his upper body and lower body. I love babies!!!

FrenchBraid Bands to Low Side Pony

This was fun simple and very quick. I started by making a small french braid along the right side of her head.  Braid it all the way down.

      Make another small french braid along the other side of her head braid all the way to the ends.

                                                        Pull all the hair into a low side ponytail.

                                          I then wrapped her hair around the elastic to hide it.



Natural nursery

Textile designer Lena Corwin is putting together the loveliest nursery for her little boy. She pays great attention to natural materials (which she talks about on her wonderful new baby blog.) What a lucky little man!

P.S. The crib sheet is from Garnet Hill; the blue blanket is from Pendleton, and the fish mobile is by Flensted.

5 Braids Fun

I made a very small french braid above her ear.  Then make a parallel braid above the first.  The top braid goes from the center of her head straight back.  Do the same on the other side of her head.  There will be 5 braids all together.

Once the braids are done put all the hair into a ponytail.

I didn't pull the hair all the way through on the last round through the elastic.

Ban.do shoe clips

My dressy shoes are pretty ho-hum (black heels, black flats, pink heels), so I was excited to discover ban.do's new shoe clips. They'd be perfect for holiday parties!