Simple pleasures

This week has been really busy (as all weeks-after-vacations are), so let's talk about simple pleasures. What are a few of your favorite things? Mine are avocado toast, linen sheets, Alex Baldwin on 30 Rock, and reading magazines in bed. I would love to hear yours. xoxo

P.S. Awesome that this photo is named "hammock bum."

(Photos by Julia Stotz)

Berries

Just a pretty photo for you this morning. Don't these look delicious?

P.S. A guide to berry picking.

(Photo by Tracy Sue)

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 fianc '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

Have a playful weekend.

My darlings, what are you doing this weekend? Hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July, and here are a few great posts from around the web...

What would you give to jump in this pool?

This bride's vintage dress is gorgeous.

Love these red shorts.

Cute title.

What a sweet post about first steps.

Vintage mamas (including the Queen of England).

Photoshopping a swimsuit model.

Wouldn't it be sweet to hang this welcome sign outside a front door?

Anna Bond's new recipe boxes.

One family, thirty years.

Notebook paper tee.

Lego kitchen!

Just Woody Allen making movies. Just Hemingway kicking a can.

There are wonderful people out there.

Scouting models in Brazil.

(Photos by Philippe Halsman, via Hi + Low. Halsman said: "When you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping, and the mask falls, so that the real person appears.")

Max Wanger

Max Wanger (who took our wedding and engagement photos, luckily for us) just launched his new website and shop. They look fabulous and reminded me of the jaw-droppingly beautiful photos he always takes. Congrats, Max, we love you! xo

P.S. Cute.

Dunton Hot Springs wedding

Remember Dunton Hot Springs, the Colorado ghost town tucked into an alpine valley? Well, lucky couple Victoria and Sean just got married there! Check out the amazing photos of their wedding, complete with a pig roast, hot springs, wildflowers and s'mores. And those views are incredible!

(Photos by the amazing Max Wanger, of course)

Happy 60th birthday, Dad!

My dad turns 60 today! This is a photo of his family when he was growing up--he's the oldest of six kids, and you can see him at the top (in his rad roll-neck sweater).

Dad, we love you so much! You light up a room; you're always up for anything, from rainy bike rides to museum adventures to rousing games of Taboo; and, most of all, you make us all feel so safe and protected. (Maybe it's that whole James Bond thing.) I feel so lucky to be both your daughter and your friend.

Happy birthday, Dad! See you soon!!!

Have an adventurous weekend!

What are you up to this weekend, my darlings? We're heading to a rental house in the Poconos to celebrate my dad's birthday. (We have some tricks up our sleeves!) I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend with lots of treats and not too much rain! As my mom would say, take gentle care of yourselves. xoxo

Meanwhile, here are a few fun links from around the web this week...

A handy napkin for drunken evenings.

Pictogram movie posters.

A modern chicken coop.

Mad Men is officially delayed! Bummed!

Krisatomic wrote the funniest thing I've read all week.

Extraordinary skiing shots from the sky.

Love notes.

A gift complaint form for kids.

Cute Swedish tights.

Wedding save-the-dates printed on wood!

A few lovely readers asked where I got my Peter-Pan collar dress; I got it years ago at In God We Trust, but here are similar pretty dresses.

Plus, just for fun, some awesome business cards:
* plaid
* portrait
* dentist
* watercolor
* NYC's best

(Photo from Annie Hall)

Mother's Day gift

Mother's Day is less than three weeks away, so I wanted to share our gift (my mom is traveling so she won't see it!): We ordered her a framed photo from Pinhole Press, my friends' amazing company. You just upload a snapshot onto their website, and they print, frame and send it right to you or your mom. It's such an easy yet heartfelt gift. Thanks for inventing this, Pinhole! :)

Find more on Pinhole Press.

P.S. Photo notepads!

On relationships

My sweets, I LOVE doing Motherhood Mondays and talking openly about all things parenthood. Thank you so much for the fascinating discussions and eye-opening comments.

So, I had an idea! I'd like to start a new series: Relationship Thursdays. (Is there a catchier name?:) I keep thinking of relationship-y things that I'd love to discuss, but so far, there hasn't really been a place on the blog for that. So, now, we can talk in honest and fun ways about everything from first dates and break-ups to weddings and spouses, as well as other relationships, like those with friends, parents and siblings.

What do you think? I'm excited. Let me know if you have anything in particular that you'd want to talk about! xoxoxo

(Top photo by Corey Arnold; bottom photo of the sweet Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward)

My parents

A few weeks ago, I linked to this hilarious ad for Canadian whisky...

Shortly afterward, my mom sent me this photo of my parents in college in Virginia. They had been dating for a year. It's basically the same photo! (Did everyone sit like that in 1972?) It's so funny to see your parents when they were young, before a bunch of rowdy kids came along. My dad had a thick English accent and my mom was from Alabama.

P.S. My Parents Were Awesome and Dads Are the Original Hipsters.

Do or Don't: Leopard print flats

I've always been hesitant when it comes to leopard print (too Mrs. Robinson), but recently I've spotted a few gorgeous women wearing leopard-print flats. They seem like a perfect subtle way to work a bit of sexiness into your ensemble. I'd love to wear them with regular jeans and sweaters this spring, and feel instantly womanly and alluring.

What do you think? Would you wear them? Here are five cute ones: Lola, Daniblack, Loeffler Randall, Cole Haan and French Sole.

(Photos by Mr. Newton, GastroChic and Leigh)

Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

What are your Thanksgiving plans? Are you traveling or staying home? We're heading to Brooklyn to have dinner with friends, and I'm psyched to sit around their fireplace. Hope you have a delicious day with lots of pumpkin pie and loose pants. Meanwhile, here are some fun posts from around the web...

A song for your weekend.

Can't wait for this movie.

10 leftover turkey recipes.

Pretty colorblock dress.

How to get a North Pole postmark.

A ski lodge in NYC? But that's impossible!

David Letterman kissed Amy Poehler (on the lips).

Five tiny NYC apartments.

This moving gift guide is insane!

I'll be wearing these guys all weekend.

Ira Glass, I love you.

Red suede shoes.

This new book looks intriguing.

And thank you again for all the heartfelt comments on the post about people deciding not to have kids. It was a fascinating discussion.

(Photos of us from last summer)

Have a great weekend.

What are you doing this weekend? As I mentioned earlier, we're taking a quick trip to Amsterdam! The weather reports predict rain every single day (that's why it's off season:), but Alex got us rain pants, and I'm bringing these rain boots, so hopefully we'll be able to stay dry with the Dutch. Have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few great posts from around the web...

Good news! If you want to watch the new show Girls, but don't have HBO, you can see the full episode on Youtube.

Cheese paintings.

Paris in color.

Thoughtful response to the controversial Vogue article about the mom who put her seven-year-old daughter on a diet.

Avocado + egg = breakfast pizza.

This tote made me laugh.

What a beautiful room.

Would you wear a pink wedding dress? Or blue?

Have you seen the British documentary series Up? The next one is coming out...

Orange ginger fizz would hit the spot.

Stalagmites, stalactites.

1950s pin-up girls: before and after.

Did you read this book when you were little?

Hope to see you at this bike show next weekend! xo

Lemonade-stand season

A few years ago, for New York Magazine, I interviewed kids about having lemonade stands in New York City. They were so hilarious and crafty! Their tricks to increase sales included purposefully misspelling "lemonade" on their signs and telling people's fortunes. One brother-sister team made $240! Read the story here, if you'd like.

And these photos by photographer Joanna Ebenstein made me laugh. She passed two boys in Park Slope, Brooklyn, selling bacon panini, of all things! And at $3 a pop. Haha, only in NYC.

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