New York City Hall wedding

Our good friends Maz and Lee tied the knot at New York's City Hall. The following evening, they threw a big party in Brooklyn for our friends. The weekend was so relaxed, easygoing and full of love. These photos look straight out of a 1960's French film!

Would you ever consider getting married at City Hall?

(Photos by Stephen K. Schuster. Lee's dress was from Theory; her veil, jewelry and shoes were vintage.)

Travel fantasy: Maine cottages

How's this for a romantic travel fantasy: A weekend at the Cabot Cove cottages in Kennebunkport, Maine. You stay in a private cottage, and breakfast arrives at your door each morning. For the rest of the day, you hike to lighthouses, swim, sail, go whale-watching, drink wine in Adirondack chairs, and eat lobster for dinner. Wouldn't you love to go with your partner? :)

P.S. Maine-scented perfume.

(Via Momfilter)

What do you wear to bed?

My darlings, what do you wear to bed? A nightgown? Little shorts? Underwear? Do you sleep naked?
I usually wear a tank top and little shorts, but now and again, I'll shave my legs and wear something prettier. :) My favorite slip is the Eberjey Godiva chemise. I wore the pink one almost every night of our honeymoon.

What's your bedtime uniform?

(Top photo by Magdelena Fischer)

DIY wedding hair: Pretzel braid

I'm excited to share another hair tutorial! My friend (and hair genius) Caroline adores this gorgeous pretzel braid, which she says is easy enough for brides to do themselves. So, we met at our favorite wedding shop, and Jamie Beck took photos. Doesn't her hair look breezy and romantic?

Here are Caroline's steps, if you'd like to try it out...
"I have a friend who was an Irish dancer, and she would always wear her hair in amazing elaborate braids. This one is not-too-fussy (my favorite way to wear my hair) and would look so pretty for an evening wedding or outdoor summer party."--Caroline

1. Start by making two pigtails, using rubber bands. Make them a bit higher up on your head.

2. Braid both pigtails...

3. ...and secure ends with a rubber band.

4-6. Remove the top rubber bands from the pigtails.

7. Cross one braid over the other.

8. Starting with the braid that's now on top, create a sort of "C" shape and pin. It doesn't have to be precise; you just want to have a nice curved shape from the braid.

9. Make the same curved shape with the other braid and pin. Curve it up and over the top of the braid you just pinned down.

10. Ultimately, you want to get a nice sort of pretzel or knot shape from the two braids. Tuck the ends of both braids behind the knot and pin them down securely.
Voila! Isn't it gorgeous? Would you wear it to your wedding (or a summer party)? This is one of my favorite hair tutorials of all time! Please ask any questions in the comments below; the instructions are a little tricky...

P.S. Seven genius hair ideas.

(Photos by Jamie Beck for Cup of Jo. In the step-by-step photos, Caroline is wearing an Eberjey robe. In the wedding photos, Caroline's wedding dress is by Ivy & Aster from Lovely, a gorgeous bridal boutique in the West Village. Her jewelry is from her own line, Brvtvs, and her lip color is lipstick is NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned.

Would you date older?

Have you ever dated an older man or woman? I had never dated an older man before, but Alex is a whopping 13 years older than I am. At first I thought his age might be a deal breaker, but it's worked out (old movies, cooking skills, doesn't mind my under-eye wrinkles:).

Have you ever heard this funny trick? "Divide the older person's age in half, then add seven, and that's the biggest age difference you can have. So if you're 30, the youngest you can date is 22." It's actually a pretty good rule of thumb!

So, I'm curious: Have you ever dated an older man or woman? Much older? Would you rather date older or younger? How old would you go? Is your current partner older than you? I'd love to hear your thoughts...
(P.S. Btw, George Clooney is 50, so he's fair game for any of you older than 32 1/2!)

Which fall outfit would you wear on a date?

Picture this: Your handsome crush asked you out to dinner on a beautiful fall evening. He picked out a neighborhood Italian restaurant, and you have butterflies in your stomach. He just texted, "I can't wait." Now, the big question is: What will you wear?!

Above, a cozy knit sweater with flattering jeans.
A chic belted dress.
A feminine silk dress with tiny flowers.
A simple yet sexy henley top. (I actually wore a shirt just like this on my first date with Alex.)
A 1970's-inspired red dress.

Which of these pretty outfits would you wear on a first date? Which suits your personality best? (I'd LOVE to get the sweater and dresses for the fall!)

Wedding idea: Burgers!

Abby and her fiance wanted a relaxed wedding, so they invited their friends and family over for burgers! "We celebrated at my parents' house in Maine," says Abby. "We ate burgers, sweet-potato fries and salad. For dessert, we served Maine blueberry pie." Isn't that sweet? Would you rather have a casual or formal wedding? I love this idea!

(Via Smitten)

Found! The perfect wedding nail polish

I finally found the perfect pink. You know how pink polishes can end up looking grey, which makes your nails look dull? Instead, I wanted something bright, clean and pretty--finally, when my friend Elizabeth came to visit this month, she told me about Fiji, and it's beautiful. Honestly, this sounds ridiculous, but every time I look down at my toes, I feel a little thrill.

Now I wear it everyday, and if I were getting married all over again, I would wear this in a heartbeat! I'd highly recommend it, ladies. :)

Do you ever worry that you won't meet your soulmate?

Remember that episode of Seinfeld when Jerry says that only 5 percent of the population is date-able? Elaine asks, "Then how are the other 95 percent getting together?" Jerry's response? "Alcohol."

When I was single, I felt the same way. I was meeting lots of people--but no one I really wanted to date. And the guys I did like already had girlfriends (or just weren't interested, sad). My mom kept telling me that I would definitely end up with someone fabulous and that I shouldn't worry so much. She said she was 100% sure and that it was normal to worry but that I didn't need to. But it was easy for her to say--she was already blissfully married! And I was 28 (which felt old to me at the time). Plus, New York seemed like the roughest place to date: You're always surrounded by models (honest-to-goodness perfect-skinned, long-legged, 6-foot-tall Ukrainian models), and the guys you meet seem to either be married or a little nuts.

Once I met Alex, I realized that I was silly to have worried so much. We're all such smart, funny and wonderful people, and so many people would be lucky to have us. Why does it often take a relationship to realize that? Plus, as my mom says, "It only takes one person to have met the love of your life!" A while ago, I heard another great quote: "If you knew you were going to meet the love of your life in one year, how different would that year be?" That awesome quote reveals how much we sometimes worry about our dating lives when we could be relaxing and enjoying other parts of our lives.

What's your relationship status? What are your dating woes? Do you ever worry that you're never going to find your soulmate? Do you think your city plays into it? If you're in a relationship, how do you feel now? I would love to hear... xoxo

Motherhood Mondays: Alex's side of the birth story

Now that it's been more than a year since Toby's birth, and our second wedding anniversary is around the corner, I thought I'd finally ask Alex to share his side of our birth story. I'm always really curious about what it's like for dads, whether they're coaching breathing, getting their hands tightly squeezed or pacing the waiting room. So, below, Alex shares his thoughts... :)
Read more »

Have a relaxing weekend.

My lovelies, what are you up to this weekend? Alex and my second wedding anniversary is coming up, so I'm excited to announce that next week's posts will be all about relationships--first dates, breakups, proposals, weddings and all things smoochy. (Just thought it might be fun!) Meanwhile, have a great weekend, and here are a few great posts from around the web...

LOVE this quote.

Beautiful (not-too-expensive) boots for the fall.

Jenna Lyons is a genius.

These family panoramas are amazing! (Look closely!)

A shirt that a French girl would wear.

Star gazing.

Send this link to your crush.

Fascinating article about quitting your job to follow your dreams (written by Alex, yay:)

Yes, you can probably find a piece of pizza in NYC.

The 10 hilarious laws of parenting.

Cute yellow sweater for fall.

How much do you look like your relatives?

Have a good one! xo

(My favorite photo of Toby and me at the beach earlier this summer; sunhat from Amazon for the sweet readers who asked; it was a present from Alex for our honeymoon!)