Have a great weekend.

My darlings, what are you doing this weekend? My twin sister is coming to visit to celebrate our birthday. I already got cheap Champagne from Whole Foods, and I'm excited to chat with her and catch up and do nerdy sisterly things like pluck our eyebrows (we've already planned it:). Have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few fun posts from around the web...

Slam-dunk bathroom makeover.

Would you get married at home?

After getting sick last week, this card made me laugh out loud.

How to make your ankles sexy. (Love this.)

Alex wrote a fascinating article about defriending.

Striped doormat.

Funny tip about baby names.

Beautiful business cards.

Hidden in paint.

Watchin' Downton Abbey.

Toby has watched this video about 8,000 times.

An intriguing concept.

Fashion lovers, don't forget this! xoxo

(Photo from The Godfather)

10 Valentine's Day gifts for men

The Sisters Brothers. All my guy friends are obsessed with this page-turning thriller, which is described as a Coen Brothers film in novel form. Spooky. $16.
A John Derian tray for his desk, for keys, change and reminding him how lucky he is, $66.
In this 9-minute film, Rendezvous, a man gets into a sports car and drives at terrifying speeds around Paris. He actually runs red lights, dodges pedestrians and screeches around corners, then finally stops the car and meets a beautiful woman. The 1970s film is taken from the driver's viewpoint and was shot illegally early one morning; the director Claude Lelouch was rumored to have been arrested when it first aired. Trust me, you will be the coolest girlfriend ever if you give him this gift. $29.95.
If he's a foodie, get him something crazy obscure and awesome from Gilt Taste, like beer sausages, basil-fed snails or scotch and stout truffles.
A stinky cheese class for you to take together. New York or San Francisco, $75/person.
Artwork for your bedroom, to make him laugh, or smile. $20 to $60.
I Could Eat a Horse pasta measuring tool, plus a homemade pasta feast. $15.
Silver frame with a photo of when you first started dating, so you'll both remember falling in love and getting butterflies. (You can upload a photo and get the frame here.)
Temporary tattoos to wear on your shoulder when you go out to dinner that evening. $5/each.
A sweet love note and a kiss.

P.S. 10 Valentine's Day gifts for women, and many more gifts for guys.

(Car in Paris photo via Yanidel)

10 Valentine's Day gifts for women

The Miraculous Push-Up Bra, for obvious reasons. $58. (This is sexy, too.)
Cool heart hoops by Marc Jacobs, $48.
A gift certificate for a foot massage. Have you ever gotten one? Pressure points on your feet correspond to other parts of your body (your head, your arms, your back) so you leave feeling relaxed and floppy all over. Amazing and such a treat. $115 for an hour.
Flowers, and here's the kicker: Send them to her office. It's so much fun to get flowers at work! Her heart will secretly skip a beat when the delivery guy walks in and calls her name, and they'll look gorgeous on her desk for a week. (P.S. Skip the traditional dozen red roses and mix it up a little or a lot; and be sure the bouquet includes a vase. Call up a local florist, or Teleflora and Proflowers are great, too. xoxo)
Ampersand necklace to show your sweet connection. (The font was inspired by the alphabet magnets on everyone's fridges growing up!) $124.
Etta James CD, with classic songs to make her starry-eyed. $4.99.
Giant heart balloons to have waiting in the bathroom, bedroom, hallway and living room when she wakes up.
A notepad with your favorite schmoopy photo, $12.99.
A brownie of the month club. (This exists!!!) $65 for three months.
A good old-fashioned love letter, since that's all she really wants anyway.

What kinds of gifts do you like to get (or give) for Valentine's Day? I'd love to hear more ideas...

P.S. A men's gift guide coming up tomorrow! And past gift guides...

Valentine's Day card

Sweet. :)

What's your relationship status these days? Single? Dating? New relationship? Old relationship? xoxo

J.Crew preview sale

Exciting news: J.Crew is offering a one-day private online shopping event of their spring and summer collection to Cup of Jo readers! It starts in five days. Sign up here, if you'd like. xoxo

Ombre balloons

Our mom is turning sixty this year (!), so we're starting to brainstorm ideas for a family party. These ombre balloons are great, don't you think? You just blow up six balloons each of slightly different colors, that's it!

(Photo by Jenny)

Paris vs. New York

Graphic designer Vahram Muratyan founded the rad website Paris vs. New York, where he compares the two cities in a cheeky way. Well, this week he came out with a book! I'd love to see all 100 illustrations.

Whose side are you on--Paris or New York? :)

Rainboots for everyday adventures (and traveling)

Two weeks ago, we talked about the five best shoes for traveling. But! A few readers pointed out that Hunter boots are tough squeeze into a suitcase (true). Happily, I was able to find two easy-to-wear-pack boots, which I love...
Leoffler Randall makes the chicest rain boots. (I always spot gorgeous women wearing these around downtown Manhattan.) The bonus is, they look like cool booties even when it's not raining. So you don't have to switch your shoes when you get to dinner or work. They're a splurge, but you could keep them your whole life! I'm saving my pennies for these:)
Redfoot makes foldable rain boots! How genius is that?! You could just pop them in your suitcase. They're lightweight and waterproof, and have a fleece lining for warmth.

Which would you choose? Which suits your personality best? xoxo

Happy birthday, Lucy!

Happy birthday to my twin sister Lucy, who's coming to visit this weekend! You have been the best to grow up with.

P.S. For her birthday, I got her this new book. Did you ever read this magical book growing up?! It was the inspiration.

Under the weather

This weekend Toby and I came down with a 24-hour flu of some sort, and it was not pretty. I could barely move or speak and at one point literally thought I might be dying. Poor Alex spent the weekend tending to us, and instead of the romantic candlelit birthday dinner he had planned, he made me dry toast and read my book out loud until I fell asleep (which was romantic in its own way:)

The happy news is that...we survived! Anyway, still recouping, and I'll see you guys tomorrow. xoxo Hope you're all feeling well.

Have a great weekend.

What are you doing this weekend? My birthday is coming up soon (eeks!) so we're having a cozy dinner at home on Saturday. I'm also getting a haircut today, and can't wait to get my hair washed. (I always half fall asleep:) Hope you have a good one, and here are a few fun posts from around the web...

A cabin in Brooklyn!

Lace earrings.

Humblebrag is the funniest thing I've seen in ages.

How to create a smoky eye in 2 steps.

For when you're really, really hungry...

Homemade Skor bars.

NYC door knockers.

What a cute book--and reassuring!

Jenny is revealing her DIYs for our bedroom makeover. (She's a genius.)

Would love to try this restaurant.

Photo pillows.

How to throw yourself a pity party.

Now that's a tattoo.

Movies in a different era.

(Photo by Sharon Montrose)

Sh*t Liz Lemon Says

This video made me laugh out loud.

(My only question is, what about "nerds!")