Have a fun weekend.

My darlings, what are your plans this weekend? I'm excited to be heading out on a trip for Yves Saint Laurent. To celebrate their new perfume Parisienne, we'll be scouting and blogging about how to experience the Parisian lifestyle in American cities (New York, Miami, LA and Chicago). It's one of those dream assignments that make all the late nights, tough projects and scary bosses worth it. I can't wait to tell you all about it, and if you have any favorite French restaurants in those cities, I'd love to hear! Have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few great posts from around the web...

Tights!

A kitchen makeover, and a bathroom makeover.

Hollister's advice on traveling in style.

What a sweet motherhood quote.

Modern family trees.

The Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tours look rad for everyone except claustrophobes (me).

Great simple design.

A vintage illustration website (including a rad section devoted to "people holding fish").

In Sweden, busses stop for moose!

Elly's cute new shop.

Plus, two videos:

Legendary street-style photographer Bill Cunningham talks about fashion in his NYTimes videos.

A beautiful video about Christopher Wheeldon's new ballet company.

(Photo by Elisabeth Dunker)

Childhood photos

Last night, I couldn't sleep, so I was going through old family photos. In the top photo, above, my twin sister Lucy and I are kicking it in France, where we lived when we were really little. (Can you tell who's who?) In the middle one, my mom, Lucy and I are on the ship that brought us to America. (That sounds so old-fashioned!) And the bottom one is me with a pink balloon (twenty-seven years before our engagement photos). xo

Update: I'm the baby on the left. The giant head gives it away.

Feeling Smitten...

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

Do you and your man watch different TV shows?

Do you ever want to eat a cute baby? (<--That looks weirder written down.)

One reader's most awkward sexual experience...

Yay! Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will co-host the next Academy Awards!

Racy poll: When's the last time you had sex?

Pretty wedding headbands.

What were the names of your past boyfriends? This guy is named Harry Potter...

What quirky things do you love that other people don't understand? (Me = drinking milk.)

Dating do or don't: Cruises.

Do you rub your man's neck in the car?

Baby question: Will you be disappointed if you don't have a girl? Or don't have a boy?

Flashback: Where did you go on your very first date?

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

(Photo from Jupiter Images)

Wine totes

These cotton wine totes would be great for bringing wine to dinner parties (or sneaking it on picnics).

(Via Lena Corwin)

Fab Over Fifty

When she started surfing the web, my friend (and mentor) Geri Brin found that most websites and blogs seemed to be geared toward younger women. So she's starting a new website, Fab Over Fifty, to bring together smart, stylish women over fifty. Amazing women are already part of it (including Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines, and author Suzy Welch), and the website will cover beauty, books, shops, home decor--everything. Isn't that a wonderful idea?

Fab Over Fifty will launch this January, but you (or your mothers!) can sign up for the mailing list here (and enter to win five nights in this Paris apartment). xo

(Photo by Garance Dore)

Bike rides

How cute are these photos of Kendra and Stella on an evening ride in upper Manhattan? They look like they could be in the country.

(Photos by Seth Smoot)

Wednesday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Alysia from Blue Hour Designs. She's offering a petit cognac amber ring to two lucky winners. How perfect for autumn; its gorgeous color matches the fall foliage!

For a chance to win, visit Blue Hour Designs and leave a comment below. Two winners will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck.

Update: Catherine and Mollie are our lucky winners. And all readers can get 15% discount TODAY by mentioning "Cup of Jo" in the notes to seller upon checkout. Thanks for playing. xo

Autumn style

Refinery 29 just put together a step-by-step guide on how to dress for fall. Great ideas, ladies!

(Photos by Altamira and Eddie Newton)

It's Complicated

Even though it doesn't come out until Christmas, I'm already excited to see It's Complicated, the romantic comedy starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. It's written and directed by Nancy Meyer, who also did Something's Gotta Give and What Women Want. I really love her strong, smart, funny, sexy older female characters. She makes me feel happy to be 30 and counting.

P.S. Another trailer, if you'd like to see a few more clips.

Red lipstick

This fall seems to be all about red lipstick. (I can't stop blogging about it!) Jenny went on a hunt for the perfect shade, and the winner was Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Red. Doesn't she look gorgeous?

New York skyline

Autistic artist Stephen Wiltshire took a twenty-minute helicopter ride over Manhattan. Then he sketched the entire skyline from memory. Every building was correct and drawn to scale! He's also done panoramic memory drawings of Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dubai, Jerusalem and London. How mindblowingly incredible.

Read more here.

(Photos via Stephen Wiltshire)

Cacio e pepe

Yesterday, Alex stayed home sick with a cold (the first time in three years!), and he was like a little boy all wrapped up in blankets with a pile of tissues. For dinner, I wanted to make him something warm and bolstering, so I cooked up a Roman dish we'd had on our honeymoon: Cacio e Pepe. You mix together whole-wheat spaghetti, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, a bit of the hot cooking water (to make it gooey), and tons and tons of black pepper. I also added a tiny bit of lemon juice, just 'cause. It was super easy, and I'd highly recommend it. xo

(Photo by Kahakai Kitchen)

Home Inspiration: Coziness

Marc and Sean's farmhouse in Walton, New York, is beautifully cozy. You can almost smell the bonfire. And don't you want to cuddle up in the bed nook, with its thick quilt and antique mirrors?

(Photos by Tom Cenicola/NYTimes)

Captain Hook and the crocodile

Peter Pan was my favorite story when I was growing up (I 100% believed that he'd arrive at my window one night), so these Halloween costumes made me smile. Brooke's son was the ticking crocodile and her daughter was Captain Hook (in inside-out pink pajama pants). Awesome!

Feet first

Tom Robinson, an English photographer, takes photos of his and his girlfriend's feet as they travel the world (from Mexican beaches to Chilean volcanos to New Zealand's thermal pools). Don't his photos make you want to take your feet somewhere fabulous?

(Thanks, Cozette)

Have a fun weekend.

My lovelies, what are you up to this weekend? Our friend Tasha (of gorgeous wedding fame) just opened a new restaurant, Tipsy Parson, in Chelsea, and we're really excited to try it out. (The menu includes mac n' cheese, deviled eggs and sweet potato beignets. Yum.) Have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few great posts from around the web...

Glitter pumpkins.

French brand Petit Bateau just released this adorable swimsuit. Too bad it's October!

A fabric resume, pine needle embroidery, and pretty stationery.

I'm so impressed by this DIY Audubon paperweight.

A plaid shirt for cyclists.

Pretty wedding photos (especially the couple wrapped up in a quilt!).

Alex and I get spooked in big houses. This little one would do just fine.

Ew, a meat hand!

Love the graphics in this Swedish house.

A documentary about WASP culture.

Knitting for British soldiers.

Nicole and Evan's new Parisian artwork.

Damn, Mike Perry can draw.

Have a great weekend! xoxo

Smile in Milan

The bangs + the bow = too cute.

(Photo by The Sartorialist)

Antique jewelry

Gorgeous antique jewelry at Erie Basin.