Have a fun weekend

My lovely readers, what are you doing this weekend? Alex and I are watching this chilling documentary and going free kayaking in the Hudson River. (It's awesome and not that scary.) Meanwhile, here are some great posts from around the web this week...

Vintage biology charts.

Oooh, fabulous wedding fans.

This photo is making me rethink long dresses.

What a lovely pregnancy portrait.

Love that Alan Dye's mac-n-cheese recipe calls for drinking Champagne while cooking.

Nice summer view.

A sweet mirror for your purse, and simple dresses.

Gorgeous business cards.

Floating camping. I don't get it...but I like it!

My summer wish list now includes everything in this ebay vintage shop.

Mmmm, this sandwich and this ice-cream.

Bloggers' book recommendations.

Splish splash, what a fun way to spend a weekend.

Thumbs up to silly happiness.

My favorite summer memory.

Also, three videos:

Funny People opens this weekend.

Mattress dominoes!

Humming along to this pretty song...

Have a great weekend, my darlings, and thank you for being so sweet, as always. xoxo

(Photos by Harpy)

Whoopie pies

Have you ever had a whoopie pie? At a party on Wednesday, my friend Allen walked up, held out an odd black-and-white cookie, and said, "Take a bite!" At first, I wasn't sure, but it turned out to be the most delicious, chocolate-y, marshmallow-y treat.

P.S. The NYTimes says whoopie pies are the new cupcake. Good to know!

Emerson Made

I'm loving Emerson Made's new handmade linen-and-cotton flower brooches. Aren't they gorgeous?

The Hovey sisters

Porter and Hollister Hovey are two of the most amazing people I've ever met. They're warm, funny and ooze style. Well, today the Hovey sisters' Williamsburg apartment is featured in the New York Times. Isn't it fabulous?! Congratulations, Hoveys!
(Photo by Michael Weschler/NYT)

Polite umbrella

In New York, today felt like the apocalypse--yellow skies, pouring rain, giant thunder claps! It would have been a good time to carry the Polite Umbrella, which folds up when you squeeze past people on the sidewalk.

Watch the adorable video here.

(Via Yellowgoat Design)

Ten seconds

Every morning, I get so busy and sucked into my computer that Alex made a new rule: I have to take ten seconds to say goodbye to him before he leaves for the office. So, he'll walk up, wearing a crisp shirt and smelling of musk, and say, "Ten seconds." We'll smooch and hug and say goodbye for the count of ten, and then I'll go back to work. I've come to love those ten seconds.

It's exactly a month until our wedding day, and I love you more than ever, Alex.

Whispered marriage proposal

Jake wanted to propose to his girlfriend Kristina, so he started a whisper chain through 59 people, a new world record. His message ("Kristina, will you marry me?") slowly passed from person to person, around the crowded room, until it finally reached the last person: Kristina herself. Shocked, she jumped, shrieked and accepted. How cute is that?

(By Jake, via Swiss-miss)

Porter on Mad Men

AMC is having a virtual casting call for a walk-on role on Mad Men, and my friend Porter is currently in second place! She oozes 1960's style (just look at her haircut!) and is insanely excited that she might win.

Please vote for Porter here by giving her five stars!!! xoxo

Home Inspiration: Airy bedrooms

The weather has been so strange this summer: Rain, hail and boiling hot sunshine. Right now, I'm daydreaming about napping in an airy bedroom, with a gentle breeze coming through sheer curtains. Don't you love all the natural light in these photos?

(Photos by Laura Resen, via TinyK)

Swimsuits

I'm searching for a new swimsuit for our honeymoon, and Anthropologie has a sweet selection, including this floral maillot. (I also love my white bikini from J. Crew.)

New York City hammock

Alex and I were riding bikes around town, when we passed this guy Philippe relaxing in a hammock. Intrigued, we pedaled over and asked him where he found it. "Eastern Mountain Sports for $20," he said and explained that he simply ties it to two trees anywhere around the city. "I've been called a lazy bum, but I love it." What a genius idea!

(Excuse the crappy photos; they're from Alex's phone)

A puppy photo

Just 'cause.

(Photo by Meredith Lou)

Have a great weekend

My dolls, what are you up to this weekend? Alex and I staying in tonight, and I'm going on a MoMA adventure with the beautiful Leigh tomorrow. I'm also secretly counting the days until Monday's Bachelorette finale. (I know.) Meanwhile, here are a few great posts from around the web this week...

A message in a bottle.

Beautiful soaps and beach beauties.

I didn't say she stole my money.

Teresa has such a cute haircut.

Planes! Eeps! (But don't worry too much, it was at an airshow.)

Can't wait for The Sartorialist's book. I'm already clearing a space on my coffee table.

Daily postcards.

One man's love of souvenirs.

Resolutions to remember.

Lost in space.

These rad bags are all the rage in Helsinki.

Pretty wedding hair and a smoking hot dress.

Sarah Palin's speech gets run through Vanity Fair's copy department.

A postcard-perfect Italian wardrobe.

Sylvia Plath's copy of The Great Gatsby.

Marilyn gets cheeky.

Weekend yumminess.

Plus, four videos:

Will Arnett talks to God.

When the bride is a designer and the groom is an animator, the save-the-date is guaranteed to be cute. (Thanks, Lana)

Seth Rogan is funny. I like his raspy voice.

This lovely girl Shelley has a great voice, too. (Remember that song from The Jerk?)

Finally, I watched Away from Her this week. Have you seen it? Such a sad, amazing movie about an older couple dealing with Alheimer's. Their relationship felt so authentic and slow-paced; I adored it. xoxo

New Zealand posters

Have you seen these replicas of the hilariously bad New Zealand tourism posters seen in Murray's office on Flight of the Conchords? Total genius.

(By Tim Denee, via House of Milk)

Feeling Smitten...

My dears, here's a weekly round-up from Smitten, my Glamour Magazine relationships blog...

Nathan and Katie's sweet wedding. (Remember his romantic proposal in a forest?)

Would you go on a silent date?

If you could have any accent, which would you choose?

Found! The sexiest swimsuit ever.

What's your dating status? Single? Dating? Living together? Married?

Poll: Would you kiss a guy on a first date?

True reader confession: "When I give birth, I'm taking my stuffed animal to the hospital."

Reader's dilemma: "My boyfriend is a bad kisser."

Wedding question: Who will walk you down the aisle? Your dad? Mom? Both? Someone else?

Four pretty summer outfits.

Reader's dilemma: "Help! My boyfriend is 14 inches taller than I am."

Poll: Do you sleep better or worse when someone else is in the bed?

As always, find much more on Smitten. Thank you! xo

(Photos of Nathan and Katie)

Would you like to advertise on Cup of Jo?

Would you like to advertise on Cup of Jo? I'm accepting ads for the rest of July and August. I have lots of lovely readers who shop online regularly, and my rates are created with small businesses in mind.

Please email me for details at joanna_goddard (at) yahoo (dot) com. Thank you so much!

(Layout by Ez)

Thursday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Jenny Lu of Albeit Jewelry, who designs gold pendant necklaces with letters and numbers. The lucky winner will get to choose her favorite necklace.

For a chance to win, please visit Albeit Jewelry and tell us which letter, number or symbol you'd like. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck!

Update: Robin is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

(Thanks, Mint)

Happy birthday, Nick!

Happy birthday to Nick, the best little brother ever. He'll tell you jokes ("What's brown and sticky?" "A stick!"), take you on evening biking adventures and bring you cashews when you're sad. I love you, Nick, and I'm excited to hang tonight!

Dancing wedding entrance

What a genius wedding entrance. The guests must have been dying!

(Thanks, Stephanie)

Home Inspiration: Ship Paintings

This fall, we're planning to give our apartment a much-needed makeover, so I've been flagging inspirational home photos. For example, don't you love this ship painting? The water imagery is so calming. (The deer seems to like it, too.)

(Photo from Apt Therapy, via Auburn & Ivory)

Looking into the past

A clever series by Jason Powell.

(Via Mustard & Sage)

Summer reading

What are you reading this summer? I'm in the middle of The Memory Keeper's Daughterand I'm loving it. It's all about a complicated family and the secrets they keep. It's not only suspenseful and compelling but also beautifully written, and I look forward to reading it all day. What are you reading this summer? Any recommendations? xo

Sex & the City debate

For the Sex & the City sequel, costume designer Patricia Field and Sarah Jessica Parker are debating whether Carrie and the girls' wardrobes should reflect the struggling economy.

Patricia Field says no. ("I don't use the recession as a reference for my creativity.") SJP says yes. ("Carrie will have been affected, and she's not an idiot.")

What do you think?

(Via Lola)

Amsterdam street style

This new Amsterdam street-style blog shows cute faces + legs. (Doesn't it looks like a super hip version of the game Memory?)

P.S. I've always wanted to go to Amsterdam, haven't you?

Matchstick bermuda shorts

Every summer, don't you find that you have one piece of comfy clothing that you keep coming back to? My go-to shorts this summer are these J. Crew matchstick bermudas. I hope Alex likes them because I pretty much wear them every day (including while I'm typing this).

Just married bikes

After our wedding, Alex and I are hoping to ride our bikes instead of driving a getaway car, so I was thrilled to see this awesome elopement. "We rode to the Brooklyn Bridge Park and had a secret ceremony under the shade of a willow tree," says the bride Kortney. Behind their bikes, the happy couple tied Lone Star and Old Style beer cans, since they hail from Texas and Chicago. Adorable all around!

(Photos by Jonty Hampson, via Green Wedding Shoes)

Sky play

Let's play hooky today and do SKYplay. Aren't these photos clever? Below, he's doing a cloud jigsaw puzzle... :)
(All photos by Horst, via Double Takes)