Jumat, 30 Oktober 2009

Have a fun weekend.

My lovelies, what are you up to this weekend? Our friend Tasha (of gorgeous wedding fame) just opened a new restaurant, Tipsy Parson, in Chelsea, and we're really excited to try it out. (The menu includes mac n' cheese, deviled eggs and sweet potato beignets. Yum.) Have a wonderful weekend, and here are a few great posts from around the web...

Glitter pumpkins.

French brand Petit Bateau just released this adorable swimsuit. Too bad it's October!

A fabric resume, pine needle embroidery, and pretty stationery.

I'm so impressed by this DIY Audubon paperweight.

A plaid shirt for cyclists.

Pretty wedding photos (especially the couple wrapped up in a quilt!).

Alex and I get spooked in big houses. This little one would do just fine.

Ew, a meat hand!

Love the graphics in this Swedish house.

A documentary about WASP culture.

Knitting for British soldiers.

Nicole and Evan's new Parisian artwork.

Damn, Mike Perry can draw.

Have a great weekend! xoxo

Smile in Milan

The bangs + the bow = too cute.

(Photo by The Sartorialist)

Antique jewelry

Gorgeous antique jewelry at Erie Basin.

City vs. country

I love Manhattan, but sometimes the garbage trucks are too loud and the mice are too in-our-living-room. Emersonmade makes me want to move to the countryside and hang out on haystacks.

Are you a city girl or a country girl?

(Photos by Emersonmade)

What are you going to be for Halloween?

What are you going to be for Halloween this year? (This Oeuf animal costume kills me.)

P.S. We got engaged last year on Halloween!

Kamis, 29 Oktober 2009

Pretty photos

A few peaceful photos to finish off the day. xo

(Photos by Alice Beasley, Pia Jane Bijkerk and Maus.)

Thursday Giveaway!

My dolls, let's do a Thursday giveaway, as a little pick-me-up! Old Soul, New Heart is offering this Sparkle Sparkle Shake necklace from their new Holidate 2009 collection. Two brass chains are adorned with vintage charms, chandelier crystal and a shiny black sequin bow. Wouldn't it be fabulous to wear to holiday parties?

For a chance to win, visit Old Soul, New Heart, and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck! xo

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

Rosebuds

A pretty way to pull back your hair this fall.

Living In: Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary's Baby is one of my favorite movies. Have you seen it? The film is about a couple who moves into an Upper West Side apartment, meets odd neighbors, gets pregnant, and watches as their lives get stranger and stranger. Alex quotes it all the time ("It has an undertaste, a chalky undertaste..." he tells me, whenever we have dessert).

So I was thrilled to see Rosemary's Baby featured in Amy Merrick's Living In series, which reveals how to get the movie's amazing style. Check it out here.

Home Inspiration: London

What a bright and beautiful house in London. I'd love to move right in and start working on my British accent. (The giant Penguin book-cover-cum-artwork is fantastic, don't you think?)

(Via Bliss)

Friendly piglet

I felt weirdly sad last night, for no real reason. (Does that ever happen to you?) I couldn't figure out why. So, I'm going to post pretty things all day, starting with this cute little piglet, photographed by Sharon Montrose.

Rabu, 28 Oktober 2009

Belted dress

How pretty is this lovely Italian? Her red shoes are cute, her dress looks like lingerie, and her smile tops it all off. I wonder where she's headed.

P.S. Also like the idea of pinning long bangs to one side, don't you?

(Photo by The Sartorialist)

Man scent

The other day, Alex and I went on a walk and stopped by Freeman's, the downtown men's shop. While he was trying on corduroys, I began smelling all the shaving creams and soaps, and I fell instantly in love with Musgo Real. Apparently it's a mix of vetyver and patchouli (isn't that a classic college scent?) -- but whatever it is, it smells like Man.

What men's scents and colognes do you like? I'd love to hear...

Funny update: I just got an email from a Portuguese reader, who said, "I was delighted to see Musgo Real on your blog. Totally makes me think about my childhood. It's a major Grandpa cliché here." Ha, awesome!

Maria Sharapova goes down to seventeen year old American Melanie Oudin

Maria-Sharapova1

Seventeen year old American rising tennis sensation, Melanie Oudin, ousted media darling and reigning tennis glamor queen, Maria Sharapova, from the 2009 US Open Tennis Champships. Cheered on by the excited crowd Oudin forced a third set after taking the second set from Sharapova who won the first 6 games to 4.
In her post match interview Sharapova was asked if she agrees with Jelana Jankovic’s assesent that Oudin doesn’t have many weapons and isn’t very impressive though she’s beating top-ranked players. Sharapova called Jankovic’s remarks shocking and said of Oudin’s play:

"I thought she played really well. I thought she has many weapons. You know, she certainly held her ground. I mean, you know, I still feel like I had my chances, even though it wasn’t my best day. You know, when you let those chances go, it’s just frustrating. But, I mean, got to hand it to her. She really stuck to her game plan. She played solid. She made me hit a lot of balls. She moved really well around the court, yeah."


Senin, 26 Oktober 2009

Maria Sharapova, New number 2!

Maria Sharapova hot

Maria Sharapova, continues to gain strength on tour and in our polling. Maria, after a slow start, generated 16% of 2nd Quarter voting, second only to Paula Creamer at 17%.

At the end of 2Q 2009, our highest vote total ever, Paul Creamer remains atop our hottest babe's list. Paula is extending her 2008 domination of our list midway through the 2009 season.

Current rankings for year to date performance:

2009 Rank Player Total 2008 Finish
1 Paula Creamer 27.81 1
2 Maria Sharapova 15.85 3
3 Ana Ivanovic 14.49 2
4 Natalie Gulbis 13.95 5
5 Maria Kirilenko 11.90 6
6 Maria Verchenova 10.89 10
7 Elena Dementieva 9.83 4
8 Cristie Kerr 9.18 7
9 Anna Kournikova 8.41 14
10 Daniela Hantuchova 5.16 11
11 Anna Rawson 3.99 9
12 Alona Bondarenko 3.50 12
13 Sophie Sandolo 2.74 15
14 Kim Hall 1.02 8
15 Ashley Harkleroad 0.91 13

Happy birthday, Alex!

Happy birthday, Alexei! I'll be taking a break from the blog today and tomorrow, so I can hang out with my handsome husband and buy him fish sandwiches and sea-salt fries. (He doesn't like cake.)

See you on Wednesday, my darlings -- have a wonderful day!!! xoxo

(Photo by Alex's mom)

Sharapova getting back to her best


TOKYO — Maria Sharapova says she is getting back to her best and enjoying herself after a long injury lay-off that forced her out of top 10 for the first time since July 2004.

"As far as being back onto the court and playing tennis and hitting a tennis ball with a tennis racket, I say, I went out of the tunnel," said Sharapova after regaining the Pan Pacific Open title on Saturday that she last won in 2005.

"Because that was taken away from me for a long period of time. It's a big part of your life and it was taken away.

"It's a strange feeling, but you've got to do everything you can to get out of the situation, to be back in life, enjoy what you love. I'm back on the court, I'm playing again, I'm competing," said the Russian.

In October last year, Sharapova had an operation on her right shoulder and then pulled out of the Australian Open in January with the same injury. She only returned to action in May.

On Saturday in the final against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, Sharapova found herself 0-40 down in the opening game, which she lost two points later, hitting a backhanded drop shot wide.

She then went 0-2 down before moving into top gear, hitting an array of power-packed strokes and aggressive service returns to take the following four games in a row.

Jankovic, who needed court-side treatment to her right arm in the semi-finals on Friday, took a medical time-out for the same injury at the beginning of the eighth game.

But Jankovic abandoned the match when she went down love-30.

It was Sharapova's fourth title in Tokyo out of her 20 singles titles worldwide. Tokyo is the place where she captured her first WTA singles and doubles titles at the 2003 Japan Open on the same centre court here.

"I just have really good memories from playing on this court. It was a different tournament, but the same arena. It's very exciting. This is a place very close to my heart and I always want to come back," said Sharapova.

The 22-year-old Russian, the winner of the 2004 Wimbledon, the 2006 US Open and the 2008 Australian Open, is already looking forward to the next season in which she believes she can do better than before.

"I have one more tournament left in Beijing. During the off-season, I'll be training and working on my game. It's going to be really a good time for me to create a good base," said Sharapova.

"Actually I have a good enough time to prepare for the next year. I'm really looking forward to the period.

"Certainly I worked hard to play tennis. That's what I tried, because I know I can be better, making it better than I've done before. And the fact that I'm back and that I'm hungry, that's something I proved," she added.

Jumat, 23 Oktober 2009

Maria Sharapova shines at Pan Pacific Open

Maria Sharapova overwhelmed Samantha Stosur of Australia in a swift 6-0, 6-1 victory on Tuesday at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
The former world No 1 fired seven aces and hit a first-serve percentage of 71, in addition to a barrage of sizzling shots that ended the match in 57 minutes at the Ariake Colosseum.

However, Sharapova admits she may no longer be feared.

The Russian said she was grateful for her "second career" after a nightmare injury lay-off and insisted she had the tools to return to the top of the women's game.

"In some way I wish I could say I was vacationing for 10 months and then all of a sudden I kind of wanted to play again," Sharapova said.

"But every single day I was trying to find a way to get back out there. It's hard when something is taken away from you. For me it was about three or four months where I really didn't pick up a racket.

"That was the first time in my life I've had to do that since I started playing tennis. It was really strange waking up and knowing you're not going to go out on the court."

Sharapova has climbed to 25th in the world since returning to action in May after shoulder surgery.

The three-times grand slam singles champion said she had reached a different stage in her career.

"It's obviously like a second career in a way when you're almost out of the rankings and you're working your way up and you're not feared anymore," she said.

Sharapova's victory over Stosur propelled the former Tokyo champion into the last 16.

Yet to add to her 19 career singles titles since her return, Sharapova insisted she would be a major force again.

"Grand slams are still the focus," the 22 year-old said. "I know if I do well and perform at a certain level which I know I can then those goals will be met."

Have a lovely weekend.

My darlings, what are you up to this weekend? Alex's birthday is on Monday, so I'm rolling up my sleeves to prepare a worthy celebration! Hope you have a relaxing few days, and meanwhile, here are a few great posts from around the web...

A clever way to photograph jewelry.

Winter layering.

A nicer take on unemployment.

Fascinating article about football and dogfighting. (And a funny photo of the author!)

Loving Shabd's universe scarves.

Pretty art by college students.

Thank goodness for swiss cheese makers.

Vintage-inspired lingerie. Ooh la la.

These home sprays smell like an Afternoon at Versailles and a British Topiary. (Via Ruby Press)

I'm coming to the realization that people who spray paint things red are geniuses.

Lucky Little Dot is an amazing etsy shop.

Cute notecards.

Our girl Winona wrote a book. Congrats!

Have a wonderful weekend. xoxo

(Photo by Krisatomic, from her new portfolio site)

Feeling Smitten...

My dears, here's a weekly round-up of Smitten, my Glamour Magazine relationships blog...

Do you feel like you were born to be a mother? Or definitely not?

Wedding question: Would you wear your hair up or down?

This dude left the WORST voicemails ever!!!

Do people ever call you ma'am? ('Cause I'm setting records over here.)

What funny things are you neurotic about?

Do or don't: Guys with long hair.

Feeling stressed or sad? Here's my mom's brilliant advice...

What's your dating status?

When you're on a first date, who pays for dinner?

Our thoughts on Jake as the new Bachelor...

True reader confession: "I never want to have kids. Deal with it."

Are you affectionate? How about your man?

A cute mug.

If you could marry any celebrity, who would you pick?

Three adorable date outfits.

Who do you talk to when you're sad?

Do you fall in love quickly or does it take you a while to warm up?

As always, find much more on Smitten. xoxo

(Photo by Maple Syrup Only)

Hot air balloon ride

Would you love to take a hot air balloon ride this fall? According to Celine, you take off at dawn, and float above farms, rivers and barking dogs. After the ride, you land in a field, and farmer's children run up to you in their pajamas, while you pop open a bottle of Champs. Up up and away!

(Photos by Celine, via You Are My Fave)

Kamis, 22 Oktober 2009

Winter hat

This wool hat looks like something a pixie would wear. Love.

Paris bikes

The Sartorialist took this street-style photo of two cuties riding bikes in Paris, but isn't that Adrian Grenier? (The Sartorialist's 333 comments seemed to think so.) My mom loves Entourage and always says Vince is "unflappable."

Pumpkin proposal

Last weekend, John took his girlfriend Ariel on a fall-foliage drive up Mount Sugarloaf in Massachusetts. Suddenly Ariel spotted a thousand pumpkins in a field below, spelling out "Ari, Please Marry Me." She started crying (naturally) and said yes! How sweet is that? (Read more of the cute story here.)

(Via Cut Paste Repeat)

Rabu, 21 Oktober 2009

Wednesday Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is from Marais USA, the adorable shoe collection. They're offering these white oxfords, which would be perfect for chilly walks and dinners with friends this fall. (The winner can choose her size, of course.)

For a chance to win, visit Marais USA (so many cute shoes!), and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck!

Update: Bailey is our lucky winner. Bonus: For the next week (10/22 to 10/29), all readers can get a 25% discount on all BOOTS by entering the discount code CUPOFJO25. Marais USA will also be hosting a holiday trunk show in Brooklyn in November. Hope to see you there! xo

Home inspiration: Bedroom makeover

Alex and I are fixing up our place a little this fall, and I find this bedroom makeover hugely inspiring. How gorgeous is the "after" photo? It's hard to believe it's the same space. The charcoal paint was a bold call but it totally works.

(See the rest of the house here.)

Dog + baby

Oh, just the cutest photo ever to sweeten up your Wednesday. :)

(Via Emily)

Selasa, 20 Oktober 2009

Bicycle notecards

Loving these bicycle notecards from etsy shop Farouche.

(Funny fact: Farouche is French for "sullen," "shy," or "socially inept.")

(Via Double Takes)

Senin, 19 Oktober 2009

Sharapova faces strong field in Tokyo


TOKYO — Crowd favourite Maria Sharapova returns to Tokyo where she won her first career WTA title six years ago to face a strong field at the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament.

Twenty five out of the top 30 players in the world will take part in the two-million-dollar event, which gets under way on Sunday on the outdoor hard courts at the Ariake Coliseum.

Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Serena Williams withdrew with knee and toe injuries, joining Amelie Mauresmo of France with a stomach pain and Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia with a side injury.

Sharapova, the Russian former world number one who won the 2003 Japan Open singles and doubles titles for her first titles on the centre court here, suffered a right shoulder injury that saw her withdraw from the Australian Open.

Sharapova, currently ranked 25th this week, came back in action in May and reached the quarter-finals at the French Open, the semi-finals at Los Angeles and the final at Toronto.

It will be her first appearance on court since her surprise third-round defeat to up-and-coming American Melanie Oudin.

Sharapova, also the winner here in 2005, will play Francesca Schiavone of Italy in the first round, while the top eight women, led by defending champion Dinara Safina of Russia, will receive the first-round byes.

Sharapova was drawn in the same quarter with top-seeded Safina, another Russian Vera Zvonareva, Virginie Razzano of France and Australia's Samantha Stosur.

Also in the upper half were French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and Nadia Petrova of Russia.

Second seed Venus Williams will lead the bottom half, which includes Beijing Olympic champion Elena Dementieva of Russia, former number one Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Serbian Ana Ivanovic, China's Li Na, Marion Bartoli of France and Italy's Flavia Pennetta will challenge the top four players in the bottom half.

It will be the last tournament for former world doubles number one Ai Sugiyama of Japan, who has announced her retirement. Sugiyama will play 13th seed Petrova in the first round.