Have a cheeky weekend!

(This photo of Steve McQueen was taken by Ruth Ansel. Remember the photos of the leaning pictures this week? They were hers, and the photos were taken by James Danziger, of The Year in Pictures.)

Elisabeth's new Swedish magazine....

Elisabeth Dunker, of finelittleday, just debuted this new children's magazine, Petit. She handled the design, styling and photography. The cover is adorably enticing but not overly sweet, and the logo is just perfect. Congratulations, Elisabeth--I want to fly to Sweden to get one!

Deep Thoughts

I'm the typical brunette (neurotic, bookish), but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have striking blonde or red hairs. Is it true, do blondes (or redheads) really have more fun?
(P.S. This dude is cute. No other reason for posting:)
(Photos by Garance Dore, via Grey)

Home Inspiration: Exposed Bulbs

Don't you love the idea of having bulbs hanging from the ceiling? It's so industrial and lovely. The only catch is that maybe they would be bright or unflattering...What do you think? P.S. More here.

Breezy Wedding

Erica from Thoughtful Day and her adorable fiance (now husband!) Patrick just got married in Jamaica. Their stunning wedding photos were taken by the talented Anna Wolf. Also, I love love love her laid-back wedding dress and pretty ponytail. They look like they're having such a good time. (More photos here.)(Via Frolic)

Home Inspiration: Flowers, flowers, everywhere...

When the apartment is all set up, my bank account and I are going to try our best to have fresh flowers at all times. My main inspiration is Housemartin. Her arrangements are stunning, and I love how she wraps the leaves around the insides of the vases...Also, wouldn't it be soothing to be around flowers all day, like she is?
(via Black Eiffel)

Amy Walker has 24 different accents.

Since my family is British, people always ask me to fake an English accent. But it makes me shy to do it on command. Luckily, now I can just point people to this amazing YouTube video of Amy Walker speaking in 24 different accents from around the world. So impressive!
(Via Have Degree, Will Travel)

Home Inspiration: Nautical Touches

My favorite place in the world is Cornwall, England, where we spent our childhood summers climbing on the rocky cliffs, swimming in the cold ocean and eating salt and vinegar crisps. So, as an adult, I'm still drawn not only to chilly swims but also to nautical decor. It takes me back! Look at these gorgeous ocean-inspired touches...
(Top photo from Design Sponge; bottom photo from Cookie Magazine)

New York Drawings

Gallerist Jen Beckman has an online shop that sells artists' prints for just $20. Today's featured artist is Jason Polan, and instead of getting a standard print, you can get an ORIGINAL drawing of a person in New York! I love how you don't know which person you'll get until it arrives in your mailbox. What fun...

The Obsession Continues...

My heart is still pitter-pattering about Santoki Vintage. I just got these great boots, and look at the cute dresses in her shop today!

Home Inspiration: Framed Maps

Today's home inspiration: Don't you love maps on walls? I hadn't really noticed them until recently, but now I adore how they're both calming and inspiring. (Luckily, Alex has lots of framed maps. It's kismet!)
(Top photo via Desire to Inspire; bottom photo via Domino)

Enchanted

We watched the movie Enchanted last night, and it was adorable and perfectly cast. It makes you feel like a five-year-old--totally enthralled and enchanted. I'd highly recommend it for those who haven't seen it!

New Cup of Jo Feature: Home Inspiration Photos

Also, I'd like to introduce a new Cup-of-Jo feature, my dolls!

Since Alex is moving into my apartment, we'll be changing around the furniture, painting the living room (from green to cream), deciding where to hang our art, and getting a few new pieces. Exciting and so much to do!

Over the past few months, I've been putting together a folder with home photos I find inspirational, and I'll be posting a few each day until our house is ready to share with you. Here's the first set...Don't you love well-placed books and photographs, as well as frames that lean against the wall instead of being hung up?

(These photos of Ruth Ansel's picture hangings were taken by James Danziger.)

T-Shirts

I’m in foggy San Francisco and have a few hours before anything opens (I’m planning to go to the SFMoMA and then through the Domino City Guide), so I wanted to say hello! I hope you're all having lovely mornings.

Check out these funny T-shirts...
(Via Lost)

Have a smoochy weekend!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Next week, I'm going to San Francisco to visit my sister! If you're in a blogging mood, I highly recommend the fabulous blogs SwissMiss, Lost, Frolic and I Heart You. Good bye, my lovelies!

(Photo by Emilie Bjork)

Bathing Suits

Yahoo, Eric Wilson! He is an awesome NYTimes fashion writer, and he just penned a piece about how bathing suits are becoming "more vamp than Vegas," meaning that they have more coverage but are still sexy and gorgeous. That's right up our alley! How BEAUTIFUL is that first one?
(Photos by Peter Buckingham; via For Me-For You)

1960's flashcards

Babies were lucky in the 1960's. They got these rad flashcards! (There's even one with yarn for knitting-lovers.)

Vase Love

Thanks for the unusual vase ideas, my lovely readers! I especially loved the saucepan vase, above, from Belgian reader Itsasne Cases.

Also, this naughty number sent over by Subcontinental Giant. It looks normal, but...oh, wait. There it is.
(heehee)

Funny Travel Print

It's funny how quickly you can fall in love with something online and buy it up. For example, I bought this print tonight, just a moment after seeing it on Jordan's blog. If I were an advertiser, I would totally advertise on the web.

Poll: Do You Have Ideas for Unusual Vases?

My darlings, I promise I'll stop asking random questions once this no-good-very-bad week is over, but for now, I am wondering:

Do you have any ideas for unusual vases for flowers?
Like soup cans or shoeboxes...the weirder, the better!

Please let me know. I love you, readers.

(Photo via Apartment Therapy)

Smell like a library.

I'm really, really bad at picking out perfume. I can't tell what smells good and what doesn't, and when I'm drawn to something, Lina usually tells me it smells like a grandma.

So I was thrilled to discover the I Hate Perfume collection, where the scents recall real experiences, versus a random mix of flowers and musks. They're not only beautifully designed (look at that typography!) but also surprisingly nutty. Yahoo!

For example, In the Library smells like "a signed first edition of a favorite novel, Russian and Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish." Winter smells like "a field of untouched new fallen snow, hand-knit woolen mittens covered with frost, a hint of frozen forest and sleeping earth." And To See a Flower smells like "spring flowers (hyacinth, daffodils, jonquils & crocuses), green shoots, wet dirt and a bit of moss."
(Via Miss Jane)

Over on Bloesem...

Thank you to Irene from Bloesem for including me in her awesome around-the-world series. I talk about my favorite New York store here and my favorite photographers here. Thank you, Irene!

Question for my smart and savvy readers....

For my and Alex's apartment together, I would LOVE one of these old industrial file cabinets. But where are they to be found? Please let me know if you have any ideas of how to track one down! Ebay? An antiques shop? A school? An office-supply company?

Stranger Photos

This is so sweet: A guy in Atlanta tied a disposable camera to a bench, along with a note saying, "Good afternoon, I attached this camera to the bench so you could take pictures. Seriously. So have fun. I'll be back later this evening to pick it up. Love, Jay / The Plug." When he returned that night, the camera was there, and the entire roll of film had been shot. Here are some of the photos....
See the rest here. After my terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad day yesterday, my faith in humanity is slowly being restored.
(via Lost)

I need a hug.

Headache. Busy. Tired. Frustrated. I am not having an awesome day.

At least it cheers me up to think: There are homemade cookies in my freezer. The Bachelor finale is tonight. I saw a dude with a super rad moustache at a party last night.

Sigh.
(Photo by Michikokusaki)

Leather Slippers

Mmmm...don't these leather slippers from Bird look soft and comfy? A nice alternative to ballet flats, they'd be great to slip into at the end of a long day (like today).

Stoop sales make me sleepy.

The stoop sale was really fun. We sold tons of stuff (enough to pay for our movers!) and met some lovely people. The one con: Alex made me wear a SUPER dorky red baseball cap to protect my face from the sun. It was sweet of him but embarrassing for me because I am vain. Also, we were amazingly tired afterwards. Stoop sales take a lot out of you!

Thanks so much to everyone who came by, and I hope you all had fabulous weekends.
(Photo by Emilie Bjork)

Mother's Day

There are so many cute mother's day photos on blogs today, like this one from Melissa. Happy Mother's Day to all you fabulous mamas out there!

Happy Mother's Day, Mama.

Happy Mother's Day, Mama. You are lovely and wonderful.

Have a lovely weekend.

Ignore the rain and have a wonderful weekend. P.S. Hope to see you at the stoop sale!
(Photo by Slim Aarons, via Amy Nation)

New York Waterfalls!

This summer, New York is getting four waterfalls!!! Super rad Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson will design and install them, and they'll be up from mid-July to mid-October. The Circle Line will be giving tours! Oh my God, I am so excited that I can't think of anything more to write and must instead concentrate on breathing. More here and here.
(Via Swiss Miss)

Siggi's Icelandic Yogurt

Recently I've been paying a small fortune for Siggi's new Icelandic-style yogurt. It's thick, creamy, not too sweet and all natural. Have you tried it? Yummy! P.S. This new spoon would be good for it...
(Spoon via swissmiss)

We're Having a Stoop Sale!

This Saturday, Alex and I are having a stoop sale, complete with books, home decor, vintage clothes, artwork, just great stuff that we sadly have to sell since we're moving.

Please come say hello! It would be nice to meet you. Also, we'll give you a cookie.
5th Street, between 8th Avenue and Prospect Park West
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Hope to see you, my dolls!
(Photos by Michikokusaki and Abby Trys Again)

Etsy Wednesday: Santoko Vintage

Here's a new shop for you, my dears! Introducing: Santoki Vintage, a Houston-based etsy shop featuring adorable dresses, sweaters and tons and tons of boots. Check it out and buy it up.

Grow Your Family Tree

Don't you love this family tree display?? See more here.

Stuffed Frogs and Such

These little dudes are so funny. Wouldn't you love for one to live on your sofa? P.S. The top one is named Jerome. Isn't that perfect? (Via Marie)

New Cookie home tour

Today's house tour is in Buffalo, New York, so I'm going to rent a van, drive up there, and steal all her vintage chairs in the middle of the night. Check it out here. (Originally from Poppytalk)

Calling Cards

Great news: Sesame Letterpress and Moontree Letterpress have teamed up to start Brooklyn Social Cards, a design company that will create lovely personalized calling cards for not-too-much-money. You can choose from fifteen designs, as well as a bunch of images, including a bike, telephone and scissors. Aren't they pretty?