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 fiancé'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

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Toby is here!

My loves! As you may have guessed from the radio silence, I went into labor on Monday night, and, on Tuesday at lunchtime, we welcomed Tobias Paul Goddard-Williams into the world! He weighed 5 pounds 15 ounces and has blue eyes and brown hair. He is tiny and wrinkly and just the sweetest thing in the world. We are beside ourselves and completely in love.

I'll be taking the next month off to dote on the little man, and some guest posters will be here (I'll pop in now and again with baby photos!). Then I'll be back on July 1st and am looking forward to sharing more baby photos, the birth story, and regular posts, too, of course. Thank you so much. xo

Sending a huge kiss to you...and the whole world!!!

Love, Joanna, Alex, and (now) Toby

Update: Our birth story.

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Sunday Suppers

Sunday Suppers is the amazing cooking class in Brooklyn, where photographer Karen Mordechai invites a guest chef into her home to teach a small group how to cook a delicious dinner from start to finish. When Martha Stewart Living decided to write an article about Sunday Suppers, Alex and I were lucky enough to be invited to the photo shoot. We were psyched...
I dressed up in a Gap maternity dress, stretched an apron over my belly and joined a group of lovely people (including Sarah from Saipua)...
Alex poured blood-orange liqueur over fruit to make Boozy Fruit...
And under the careful watch of the guest chef--Martha Stewart Living food editor, Shira--we all chopped, diced and stirred to prepare an Italian feast.
Here, Sarah shows off the herbed flatbread...
The meatballs were rich and fragrant, paired with a fresh tomato sauce...
And my favorite part of the meal, hands down, was the ridiculously delicious penne frittata with basil, ricotta and lots of pepper. I would highly recommend it (and definitely ate more than my fair share).
During dinner, we all chatted and drank Prosecco (well, water for me). Ben and Laura, the cute couple behind Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, told us about their wedding in Central Park, recent trip to Bali, and how pistachio is their most popular ice-cream flavor.
Weren't the flowers by Saipua wild and wonderful? Sunday Suppers classes are always styled beautifully.
For dessert, we had delicious cookies...
...and affogato, an Italian dessert of espresso poured over gelato.
The classes always end with a little favor, and, that day, we got to take home Frankies Spuntino olive oil, as well as a booklet with the recipes. It was such a great day. If you'd like, you can sign up for a Sunday Suppers class here -- they're amazing! And read the full Martha Stewart article here and find the recipes here. We were embarrassingly excited to appear in the magazine, and, needless to say, our moms flipped out. :) Thanks again for including us, Karen!

(Photos by Karen Mordechai)

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Have a goofy weekend.

My darlings, what are your plans for the weekend? Alex and I are squeezing in some final pre-parenthood socializing, including watching the sunset from our friends' roof deck and going out for cheap pastas. We're also putting the finishing touches on the nursery. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and, meanwhile, here are a few great posts from around the web...

This spring is for tomboys. And that includes beers.

Shit my kids ruined made me laugh (and hide the pens).

Love the idea of a TV cozy.

A Claire Huxtable paper doll!

Alyson's beautiful wedding invitations.

What a cute raincoat.

Random tip: I've been wearing the Nars Multiple stick lately and love it. (I have the Cannes color, and my friend swears by Orgasm.)

Build your own chocolate bar!

Chalkboard pendant light.

Sweet mama moment.

Vintage polka-dot dress.

I literally gasped when I saw the watercolor business cards that Jordan made. Aren't they fantastic?

Sheepskin rugs in nurseries.

These would be pretty beach cover-ups.

A reflective vest for bikers. And a cute bike poster.

Plus, five Cup of Jo posts you may have missed:
* Sea salt brownies.
* The Peter Pans of Broadway.
* Balloon canopy.
* Elle shoe diaries.
* Hot-air balloon ride.

(Photo by Sara)

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Airbnb

Alex and I often rent houses when we go on vacation. It's fun to meet the homeowners, you instantly feel like a local, and rentals are typically more budget-friendly than hotels. We usually find places through HomeAway or vrbo, but I just discovered the vacation rental website airbnb, and I'm officially obsessed. I've spent an embarrassing amount of time lately browsing through their listings and daydreaming about future trips. I'm especially loving the majestic homes in the Hudson Valley, maybe for a little family getaway this summer!

(Thanks, Yolanda)

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Car wedding invitation

What a cute wedding invitation! That's all. :)

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Exams outfit

Crikey. Here's what Annabel wore to finals. I was decidedly NOT that cool in college. I think I wore pajama pants. (I love how she rolled the striped sleeves up with the cardigan.)

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Thursday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Simone Richmond, a Vancouver-based jewelry designer. She's offering this adorable handcrafted bird necklace, which would be the perfect touch for spring and summer ensembles.

For a chance to win, please visit Simone's shop, and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck!

Update: Madeline is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing. xo

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Wedding tennis

I'm loving all the relaxed, low-key weddings these days. This bride and groom played tennis!

(Photo by Glen Allsop)

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Edward Mapplethorpe

How amazing are Edward Mapplethorpe's children's portraits? The New York photographer takes portraits of one-year-olds sitting up (he insists that the shoot happen right around their first birthday). Interestingly, instead of giving the parents a big selection to choose from, he shows only one or two frames from the shoot (pretty bold), but apparently the parents have always been thrilled. Not hard to see why. (That first little dude kills me.)

P.S. Ridiculously adorable baby profiles and newborns.

(Via The Year in Pictures. Thanks, Jenny)

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Wednesday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Pod, a Massachusetts-based boutique with a beautifully edited collection of goods for home, body and spirit. They're offering a set of four roli poli glasses, which are round, handblown and perfect for summer drinks. And don't they feel French? (P.S. Alex and I use stemless glasses and love them!)

For a chance to win, please visit Pod's online shop and leave a comment below. A winner will be be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xo

Update: Twin Yolks is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing.

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Tas-ka love

Holland-based shop Tas-ka has the prettiest fabrics. These duvet covers would make a bedroom instantly beautiful.

P.S. Also, their dish towels.

(Via Greedy Girl)

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Ten best documentaries

Do you guys ever watch documentaries? My friend Scott and I have a monthly documentary club, and I thought I'd share ten of my favorites that we've seen over the past couple years. I'd highly recommend them all...

Surfwise tells the story of the Paskowitz couple, who drops off the grid to drive their nine kids around in a camper and surf all day.
Food, Inc. examines the American food industry and corporate farms. Not for the squeamish! (P.S. We've bought only organic meat and dairy since watching this.)
My Kid Could Paint That looks at the runaway success of a four-year-old girl whose paintings are compared to Picasso. But is she the real artist?
Man on Wire is a documentary about a wild French tightrope walker and his jaw-dropping (illegal) stunts.
Mad Hot Ballroom follows an adorable group of New York City fifth graders taking a ballroom dance program.
Deep Water tells the gripping story of an amateur sailor who (insanely) enters a solo race around the world.
The Up Series is a series of incredibly compelling documentaries that have tracked the lives of fourteen English schoolchildren since 1964, when they were seven years old. Every seven years, the filmmaker releases a new documentary that checks in on their increasingly varied lives. (They're now 53!)
American Teen follows five high-school seniors--a jock, princess, heart-throb, geek and misfit--in a small Indiana town.
Autism: The Musical chronicles five autistic children as they rehearse for a musical production.
Stranded lets the survivors of the famous 1972 Andes plane crash tell their story of survival.

Have you seen any other good documentaries? I'd love to hear!

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Yummy sandwich

Alex is hanging out with a friend tonight, so I'm on my own for dinner. I spotted this aged cheddar and apple melt on She Eats Bears, and it looks great, especially on raisin bread. I think I'm going to try it out.

What do you make for yourself when you're eating alone?

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Thomas Paul plates

Loving these Thomas Paul plates (along with everything else in the great Maine-based shop Daytrip Society).

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Bike rush hour

My sister sent me this video of bike rush hour in the Netherlands, where more than a third of the people commute by bike! Awesome.

(Top photo by Garance Dore)

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Short wedding dress

Thumbs up to this short wedding dress! The bride found it at BCBG (it's just a regular white dress).

(Photos, slightly cropped, by Olivia Leigh Weddings)

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Gingham underwear

These would be cute for bedtime with a white tank top.

P.S. I hate the word "panties." :)

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Belly shots

This weekend, Alex and I took a few belly shots at a picnic with friends. At 8.5 months, I'm feeling ready to POP! We're so excited, and Alex has been my hero during this whole pregnancy--cooking pastas and burgers for dinner, massaging my lower back every night, telling me I look beautiful on those days when I'm swollen and bloated and highly doubting it, practicing guitar so he can teach the baby, and being incredibly understanding every step (and bump) of the way. Most baby books bizarrely treat dads like they're babies themselves (giving them only the most basic tips and comparing everything to baseball, groan), but Alex has been such an insightful, gentle, funny, loving partner. A huge, huge thank you, Alexei, and a hat tip to all you dads and dads-to-be out there! xoxo

(Thanks for taking the photos, Abbey:)

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Have a yummy weekend.

My darling readers, what are you doing this weekend? Alex and I having a few friends over for games and chili, made from our favorite recipe. I'm also secretly getting psyched for The Bachelorette, which premieres a week from Monday. (I know.) Have a wonderful weekend, my lovelies, and meanwhile, here are a few great posts from around the web...

Indoor swings.

Your own airplane suite? Little kids would love this.

Homemade Snickers bar.

Pretty whale mobile. (Thanks, Elizabeth)

Geometric goodness.

Wish list: Yellow sandals.

Gorgeous handkerchief save-the-date.

These chocolate letters would be perfect for typography nuts (or a dinner party surprise).

What a sweet Mother's day morning.

100% wildflower seed bombs grow anywhere.

A good argument for thick black eyeliner.

These are embroidered? Crikey.

The new Apartment Therapy book is sooo good.

Do cute sweatpants exist? Yes, they're called track pants.

On that note, I'm loving these J. Crew "easy pants."

Remember Gemma and Andy's wedding? Here's their awesome house.

I was honored to do a little interview for Let's Go Ride a Bike. xo

Attention, fashionistas: My friends are giving away these amazing shoes! Enter here.

Plus, five Cup of Jo posts you may have missed:
* American style inspiration.
* NYC rooftop houses.
* Cute families.
* Rain blanket.
* My parents were awesome.

(Photo by Carl Monus)

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Daydreaming

My sweets, today has become unexpectedly busy, but I wanted to say hello! Wishing we could all be hanging out on a boat, reading books and wearing oversized glasses right about now.

(Photo via Little Reminders of Love)

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Thursday giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Pistachio Press, a letterpress shop based in Rochester, New York. They're offering two prints: First, the portraits print, which is an awesome collaboration with artist Samantha Cotterill. (Don't the faces look charmingly British?) Second, the whimsical Daylight Dreamers, a letterpress collaboration with Jacqueline Bos. Wouldn't the prints look darling in a bedroom or above a desk?

For a chance to win, please visit Pistachio Press and leave a comment below. Two winners will be chosen at random tomorrow (one for each print). Good luck!

Update: Lee and A. Penn are our lucky winners. Thanks for playing. xo

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Home Inspiration: Dog portrait

Isn't this dog portrait awesome? He looks hilariously regal! What a playful and surprising touch in a home.

P.S. Happy Menocal paints pet portraits.
P. P.S. Two more cute portraits.

(Photo from Living Etc, via Design is Mine)

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Bangs love

Bangs don't suit me, but this photo of a pretty girl in Berlin -- named Claude! -- makes me want to grab the closest pair of scissors.

(Photo by the Sartorialist)

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Wednesday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from My Sparrow, a nature-inspired home decor shop. They're offering this sailor's knot doorstop, which I absolutely adore! It would look gorgeous in a living room or bedroom (and was featured a million times in Domino:). (Also, be sure to check out the rest of My Sparrow, including these beautiful bird paperweights.)

For a chance to win, please visit My Sparrow and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Best of luck! xo

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

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