Fall wish list

Fall is just over a month away. What's on your back-to-school wishlist? Turtleneck sweaters? Wool tights? Pumpkins? Here are the two things I'm secretly eyeing...
Flare jeans. Super flattering cut; I'd love to wear these everyday.
Loafer pumps are a big trend this fall, and I love them. These are a splurge, but you could wear them for years. Thoughts?

What's on your fall wishlist? xo

(Top photos by Stephanie and Mav from 3191 Miles Apart)

Summer Uniform: Pretty tomboy

My friend Elizabeth Antonia doesn't take herself too seriously, yet she still manages to look fresh and tomboyishly sexy. So, I'm excited to share her summer uniform (and get some red jeans!)...

Here's Elizabeth's take:

We were taking a family bike ride to Gjelina for lunch for my husband's birthday. My bike is a old Raleigh that I've had for ten years. It's been with me in Seattle, Brooklyn and now Los Angeles--my old clunker that I can't bear to leave behind! For my hair, I love, love, love John Master's Organics Sea Mist--it makes my hair a tousled mess just how I like it.

Here's how to get the look:
White tee: James Perse, $50, or Target, $5!
Red skinny jeans: J Brand, $176.
Tote: Anya Hindmarch, varied prices on eBay.
Natural sunscreen: Badger, $14.
Beach-blown hair: John Master's Organics Sea Mist, $14.50.

P.S. Two more gorgeous summer uniforms.

Yellow rain jacket

Last night, Toby and I were walking around the neighborhood, when the skies opened up. Rain poured down on us, and I got completely drenched. Dripping like a wet dog, I realized that it was finally time to get a rain jacket. My favorite is this adorable yellow one, which I spotted in Lucky Magazine.

Do you have a rain jacket? Can you imagine actually staying dry in the rain? I can't believe I waited 32 years!

P.S. My rain boots.

Do or don't: Guys with beards

When Alex accidentally grew a beard three years ago (he had the flu), I told him he looked rugged and handsome. Surprised, he said I was the only women he'd ever known who actually liked beards. But doesn't everyone love a good scruff? I'm curious: Do you prefer guys with beards or definitely not?

Today Alex wrote an article about what it feels like for a guy to have a beard. It was funny to hear a man's perspective! Read it here, if you'd like.

P.S. Before and after.

Project Runway premiere

Project Runway's new season starts tonight! Yahoo, I can't wait. Are you going to watch it?

(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty)

Eight cool backpacks

When I was in college, I wore a nerdy green backpack, but ten years later, backpacks are back! They're actually considered cool in New York right now (for real), and they're comfy and perfect for bike rides, laptops, weekend trips, and baby stuff. What do you think? Would you wear a backpack?

1. Farm rucksack, $160.
2. Canoe pack, $195. (More on amazon.)
3. Striped fleece backpack, $58.
4. Classic backpack, $85.
5. Leather backpack, $450.
6. Tie-dyed backpack, $58.
7. Laptop bag, $110. (Cool in Sweden.)
8. Heritage backpack, $55.

Thoughts? xo

(Graphic design by Jennifer Hagler for Cup of Jo)

Yellow dress

How adorable is this yellow dress? (And it's only $40!) I'm thinking of getting it for weddings and date nights this summer.

Would you wear a caftan?

Would you wear this beautiful new hand-block-printed Indian caftan by EmersonMade? It would be effortlessly breezy to wear while reading books, curling up with friends or hosting a late-night dinner party. Reminds me of my mom when she was really young in the 70s.

Thoughts? Would you wear it?

Summer Uniform: Hamptons beauty

I always joke that my friend Susan Cernek is the nicest person in fashion. She has a mouthful of a title at Glamour, but she always looks drop-dead gorgeous and friendly, with a megawatt smile and easy laugh. So, I asked her to share her summer uniform with us (in hopes that we could copy ruthlessly:).

Here's Susan's take:

Here, my husband Rob and I are on grill duty at our dear friend's house in Southampton. I've worn these tortoise Ray-Ban Wayfarers since '06. I've tried on a zillion other pairs since then, but these are the only sunglasses that suit my face/don't make me look like a crazy person.

I got the shirtdress at Zara last year for our honeymoon, and it's now my summer go-to. The special twist is that it looks like a man's dress shirt since it scoops up a bit on the sides--making it a bit risque to wear to work but flirty and sexy for weekends. [Here's a similar dress.] A word of caution: Never use the fabric belt that shirt dresses come with. Fabric belts can look floppy--not exactly a description you want anywhere near your midsection. You need structure to flatter your waist, so go with a thin leather belt.

For beauty, I stay light. I love Diptyque bath oil; I dab it on after the shower for a light scent, instead of a heavy perfume. And my go-to lip "marker"--Revlon's Just Bitten in Flame--gives you a cheery, pretty hint of color, like you just ate a popsicle from the Mister Softee truck.

Here's how to get the look:
Wayfarer sunglasses: Ray-Ban, $194.
Shirtdress: L.L. Bean Signature, $79.
Belt: 7 Hills, $36.
Thong sandals: L.L. Bean Signature, $69.
Lipstain: Revlon, $8.99.
Messy French bun.

P.S. Another lovely summer uniform.

Sexy eyebrows (yes, eyebrows)

Oh my goodness, how gorgeous are these dramatic eyebrows? When I saw these stunning photos of Oscar de la Renta's recent runway show, my jaw dropped. Makeup artists often insist that eyebrows are the most important part of your look, since they frame your face and can make your eyes look bigger and make your face look younger. Wouldn't you love to recreate these sexy bold brows for a night out?

Happily, my make-up artist friend Suzy Gerstein shared the two steps to getting the look: "The secret to a gorgeous full brow is to layer products. First, sketch in any sparse areas with hairlike flicks of a brow pencil. Use the skinniest, pointiest pencil you can find, so your drawn-in 'hairs' will look natural. My favorite is the Kevyn Aucoin Precision Brow Pencil. Then layer a powder color over the pencil. Two colors that work well for brows: MAC eye shadow in Brun (for brunettes) and Concrete (for blondes)."

What do you think, my lovelies? Would you dare? xoxo

(Photos by Jamie Beck. A similar red lipstick is Rouge Dior in Red Muse)

Riding bikes while wearing skirts

Did you hear this crazy story: In late May, a NYC cop allegedly pulled over a Dutch tourist, pictured below, and reprimanded her for riding a bike while wearing a skirt. He said she was distracting cars! At first, she thought he was kidding, but quickly realized he wasn't when he asked for her ID. How insane is that?! So, as a lighthearted protest, a bunch of girls (and a few guys) came together for a skirt bike ride yesterday evening. My friend Shannen took a few photos...
It was a great night!! Thanks to those who organized, and high five to all ladies who ride in skirts or otherwise! :) xoxo

(Photos by the fabulous Shannen Norman for Cup of Jo. And you might recognize my friend Caroline, above, from the hair tutorials:) And thanks to HUB Bikes and the New Amsterdam Bike Show for organizing.)

Do or don't: Pale skin this summer

As summer approaches, I usually get a little shy about wearing shorts and exposing my so-white-they're-almost-blue legs. When I was in college, I even went fake tanning (yikes!) and slathered on orange self-tanner (not a good look).

But this summer, I've decided to embrace my pale skin and freckles. We've recently discovered two great natural, chemical-free sunscreens: Badger and the Babo Botanicals stick (which is super easy to apply on babies!), and wear them everyday.

My darlings, this summer, will you rock the pale look? Would you prefer to get a tan? Have your feelings on tanning changed? What kind of sunscreen do you use? I'd love to hear...

(Photo by Garance Dore)

Tattoo girls

Although I'm not a tattoo girl myself, I'm loving these clever and charming tattoos. What do you think?

P.S. Nine awesome tattoos...
P.P.S. New Yorkers, come join me at this bike ride this Thursday! xo

(Via Tattoologist)

Salt-Water sandals

My darlings, another Motherhood Monday post is coming up (about husbands!), but in the meantime, I wanted to share these sandals for little dudes. Every child in our neighborhood wears Salt-Water sandals, which are adorable, comfy and tough enough for city streets, grass parks, sandy beaches, and, of course, salty water. Toby just got his first little pair, and we're loving them already.

Mamas, have you ever tried them? What other children's shoes do you swear by? xo

P.S. Funnily enough, the sandals are also becoming cool for grown-ups. We spotted some chicer-than-chic women wearing them in the Hamptons!
(Bottom photo by Fashion is Spinach)

EmersonMade giveaway!

Yahoo, the last EmersonMade giveaway was so well received that we decided to do it again! EmersonMade, the husband-and-wife clothing line based in New Hampshire, is offering a $1000 shopping spree to one lucky winner. They make lovely pieces, including dresses and bags; and their whole countryside life looks so dreamy that it makes me want to move to a farm, wear a flower brooch and raise chickens. Oh, just think how beautiful you'll look all summer. xo

For a chance to win, visit EmersonMade's shop (and consider signing up for their Facebook and twitter), and leave a comment below telling us your favorite pieces. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck. xo

Update: Erica M. is our lucky winner. Thanks for playing--and for all the comments!

Do or don't: Bell bottoms

This San Francisco cutie looks adorable in her bell bottoms. I would never have thought to wear bell bottoms, but they're so flattering and make her look like 1970's tomboy. Now I'm itching for a dark-wash pair. Would you wear them?

(Photo by SF Style)

Lilac polish

Toby and I went on a walk early this morning and spotted this beautiful lilac nail polish on two different gorgeous women. (Maybe it's the new "it" color?) It looked so light and lovely, and was a nice change from red and pink. I'm going to pick up a bottle today and plan to wear it all summer. What do you think? xo

P.S. I never used to be that into nail polish, but the colors are so amazing this year.

(Photo by Sparkles and Bows)

Wayfarer sunglasses

Our babysitter Sophie left her sunglasses at our house the other day. So I did the natural thing: Wore them until she came back again! They were classic Wayfarers (think Tom Cruise in Risky Business), and it made me want to get a pair right away. What kind of sunglasses do you have?
(Top photo by Garance Dore)

Garnet Hill, is that you?

I've never really shopped at Garnet Hill (have you?), but I stumbled on their site today and was really surprised. How pretty is this trench coat ($138) and blue dot dress ($138)? I'd love to wear both of them on a seaside vacation this summer.

Update: Garnet Hill just contact me and wants to offer 20% off to all Cup of Jo readers with the code E1W140B until June 17th. Let's go for it! :) Thanks, Garnet Hill!

DIY wedding hair: Chestnut bun

When I got married, I never would have thought of doing my own wedding hair, but my friend (and hair genius) Caroline swore this beautiful chestnut bun was simple enough for brides to do themselves. So, I invited her to a West Village wedding shop to explain the steps (and play dress up), and the wonderful Jamie Beck took photographs. Doesn't the elegant bun look like something Grace Kelly would wear? Would you wear it?

Here are Caroline's steps, if you'd like to try it out...
1. Gather your hair into a high ponytail and secure it with a rubber band. You want the band to be pretty tight (otherwise the sides of the ponytail will droop after you do step three).

2. Next, slide your rubber band down a little so it's no longer tight against your scalp.

3. Create a little "hole" in the loosened part of your hair (between your scalp and the rubber band).

4. Pull your ponytail through the hole you just created.

5. Note: Be sure to pull the ponytail UP through the hole (instead of DOWN through the hole, like the topsy-tail we used to do in the 80s:)

6. Pull the ponytail all the way through so it hangs over the top of the rubber band. You may have to fan out the ponytail a little to create an even shape.

7. Next, loop the end of the ponytail under, towards the rubber band. If your hair is super long, you may have to wrap the ends of the ponytail around your hand a few times before you tuck it under. (I did!)

8. Pin the ends that you just tucked using a few bobby pins. Make sure it's pinned very securely. Then keep pinning the sides and bottom of the bun until it feels secure. You can spray with hairspray for extra hold, and feel free to bring some extra bobby pins for touch-ups throughout the night.
Voila, that's it! What do you think, my dears? Would you do your own wedding hair? Isn't this surprisingly simple? xo Thank you, Jamie and Caroline! And most of all, congratulations to all you brides-to-be out there!
P.S. More hair tutorials...

(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 adorable wedding dress is by Ivy & Aster from Lovely, a bridal boutique in the West Village. Her jewelry is from her own line, Brvtvs, and her red lipstick is Rouge Dior Lipcolor in Red Muse.)