NYC Date Night: Fire Escape Drinks

Alex and I are always lamenting the fact that we don't have a garden or balcony or any outdoor space. Once Toby goes to bed, we're pretty much stuck inside for the night. But then! We had a lightbulb moment...
We could hang out on our fire escape. So we've started a little ritual of climbing out there on random warm evenings, and last night, we decided to snap some photos. First, we dress up to make it feel more like a real date. (I usually wear jeans and a T-shirt at home...or, let's be honest...pajamas:)
Then we climb out our bedroom window. (Whoot, whoot! Nice legs!)
We sip and chat, three stories up. We can hear the street noise (cars honking), the trees (leaves rustling), and a restaurant garden nearby (people murmuring, glasses clinking)...
Do you ever drink rose? Sometimes it gets a bad rap, but it's the perfect refreshing drink for a warm evening. And I love the bright pink hue; it just feels like summer. (Side note: You can spot the restaurant garden below us, to the left of Alex.)
Our fire escape looks across a courtyard onto another apartment building, just like Rear Window.
We love our little outdoor drinks, and I'm glad, after six years of living here, that we finally thought of it!

Do you have a fire escape? Or a balcony? Or (gasp) an actual garden? Be still my heart.

(Update: I'm wearing this silk polka-dot skirt and these Swedish Hasbeen sandals.)

Motherhood Mondays: Nursery in a closet

Our friends Ashley and Aron live in a 500-square-foot studio apartment in the East Village. When they found out they were expecting a baby boy, they rolled up their sleeves and transformed their walk-in closet into a six-square-foot nursery...
I interviewed Ashley on Martha Stewart Living's new blog, if you'd like to hear how she once army-crawled past his crib to get to the bathroom. And isn't the wallpaper a great touch?

P.S. More nursery inspiration...

(Photos by Ashley and Aron of Hither and Thither)

Pinterest love

Like everyone else in the world, I've gotten totally into Pinterest (or, as my mom calls it, "Pin-interest":), so I thought I'd share a few favorite pins from this week. Above: Ombre serving spoons from etsy...
Leather pockets.
Cat nail polish.
Anchor tattoos.
Nautical bathroom.

Find me here on Pinterest, if you'd like.

(Striped dress photo by Stockholm Street Style; bathroom photo by Seth Smoot)

Do or Don't: A house registry

The website Hatch My House lets you create a wedding registry to save up for your dream home. Your guests give you parts of the house--two bedroom windows or a front door, for example. Thoughts? Kind of brilliant, but would you do it? Now we've seen everything!

P.S. More dos and don'ts...

(Thanks, Karaugh. Boots photo by Stephanie)

High dive

How breathtaking is this framed triptych photograph of U.S. diver Patricia McCormick doing a springboard high dive at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics? (She won the gold.) Can you imagine this hanging in a home? Beautiful.

(Via Lonny)

Motherhood Mondays: Wallpaper

Now that we're (vaguely) househunting, we're also daydreaming about decorating. Wouldn't Ferm Living's graphic wallpaper look fantastic in a small space, like a bathroom or foyer? xo

Motherhood Mondays: Brooklyn househunting

The other day, Alex and I saw the raddest apartment in Brooklyn...
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Do you ever get freaked out at night?

We've talked about living alone and seeing movies alone, but what about sleeping alone...
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Glow-in-the-dark driveway

How beautiful is this driveway? It's actually doable: It's made of glowstones mixed with gravel. Imagine driving home after a long day at work--awesome.

(Via Pinterest)

Motherhood Mondays: Scrapboxes

Last year, for his first birthday, Toby got a toy bus as a gift, and since then, he played with it so much that we lost the passengers inside, and then the wheels fell off, and then the whole bottom fell off. In the end, it was just a yellow shell. We ended up throwing it away this past weekend, which was surprisingly heartbreaking for Alex and me. (As a parent, you become so sentimental!)

So, these scrapboxes by Darcy Miller, below, really appeal to me. You frame a photo and an actual item. We could have framed this photo of Toby along with part of his beloved bus. This kind of thing could come off as cheesy, but Darcy handles them so beautifully. How sweet to have a photo of your child's birthday with the actual candle she blew out, or a newborn photo along with that sweet striped hospital cap. (And they could be great for grown-ups, too. Think: a vacation photo with seashells, or a wedding photo with a dried flower from your bouquet.)

Thoughts? How sweet are these? I'm turning into such a sap!
P.S. Remember this couple's idea?

(Photo of Toby by our wonderful photographer friend Kelsey Foster)

Rosemary in jam jars

We don't have a backyard, but I love the idea of a home that smells like greenery. How cool would it be to place jars around the house filled with rosemary? The lovely strong scent would make you feel like you were walking through a garden. (Afterward you could put the rosemary in roast chicken or potatoes.)

P.S. How to buy houseplants, and four amazing backyards.

(Photo by Apples & Onions)

Have you ever lived alone? Thumbs up or down?

We've talked about seeing movies alone and cooking dinner alone, but now let's talk about living alone...

Have you ever lived alone? Do you now? Almost half of households in major American cities are occupied by a single person--that's a lot!

Funnily enough, I've actually never lived by myself: I grew up with my family in Michigan, went to college with roommates, lived with many different roommates (and cats) in New York, and then Alex and I moved in together.

But TONS of my friends--both guys and girls--adore living alone. They say it's both liberating and peaceful; they're free to decorate however they want (no wagon-wheel coffee tables), talk or not talk, cook whatever they want, and do whatever they feel like. And you definitely don't have to pee with the door closed:)

When you live alone, you can also be as goofy as you want (think: drinking Champagne in the shower and jogging in place during TV commercials); there was even a New York Times article called "One is the Quirkiest Number." Writer Kate Bolick, who lives by herself, even has a home-alone outfit. "I have this pair of white flax bloomers that go down to my knee. They're like pantaloons. They're so weird," she said. "If someone comes over, I change out of them."
And what if you're married? The fascinating Elle article "Divide and Conquer" profiled couples who live separately and swear it's the best thing for their mariage. And remember this New York Times article about a Vermont couple who lived in two different houses, joined by a bridge? They say it's bliss.

So, I'm really curious: Do you live alone? Do you like it? Do you ever get lonely? Do you ever get freaked out sleeping in a place by yourself at night? Could you live apart from your spouse? I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts! xoxo

P.S. A funny video about what it's like to live alone:

(Bridge photo by Trevor Tondro for the New York Times. Video via Michelle)

Fridge Makeover: Photo magnets

Our apartment has a plain old white fridge. So, to jazz it up a bit, I made some Pinhole Press photo magnets. I used snapshots of Toby, as well as some photos I found online of my favorite old-school celebs (including Mick Jagger, obviously). Our gallery display makes our whole kitchen feel so much cozier, and Toby loves pointing himself out. For Mother's Day, I'm going to send my mom a package of Toby magnets:)

What's on your fridge? Aren't personal magnets awesome? Which photos would you put on magnets? xo

Bathroom beauty

I once read that if someone stops by unannounced and you only have a few minutes to tidy up, focus on the bathroom. It's the only room where a guest will spend time alone, and consequently they'll pay more attention to their surroundings. A guest may not notice the vintage vases on your bookshelf, but they'll definitely see the hand soap by the bathroom sink. Here are seven favorite picks for that clean and pretty bathroom. -- By Rachel from Elephantine

1. Bird House Bath Tissue Holder, $12.99.
2. Robin's Egg Soaps, $24.
3. Wooden Toothbrush Set, $12.50. (See how the toothbrushes say "guest?")
4. Fog Linen Towels, $27 to $70.
5. Recycled Glass Canister, $29.
6. Sailor's Soap Dish, $20.
7. Ombre Bath Mat, $29.

P.S. More round ups...

(Post by Rachel from Elephantine, a new Cup of Jo contributor, who will be posting every couple weeks. Thank you, Rachel!)

Backyards: Do you have one?

Our teeny NYC apartment doesn't have outdoor space (except a rusty fire escape), but Alex and I often daydream about having a backyard. These garden photos are so inspiring. Can you imagine having a glass of wine and playing Scrabble out there in the evenings?

Plus, a Manhattan penthouse garden below...
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Our bedroom makeover

This fall, Alex and I were in desperate need of a bedroom makeover. Since I work from home, I spend approximately a gazillion hours a week in our bedroom, and it was feeling a little drab. We were nervous about heading into a cold, dark New York winter with a dreary room, so we asked our dear friend Jenny Komenda--the genius interior decorator from Little Green Notebook--to help us make our bedroom bright and cheery, on a budget. Here are the before-and-after photos, taken by Oh Darling Photography, if you'd like to see...
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Christmas at Our House

Last year we had been homeowners for only two months, and Henry was just a month old, so decorating for Christmas wasn't high on our list of priorities. This year however we've had a ton of fun decking the halls and making new traditions. Every year look forward to picking out new ornaments and collecting unique items to add to our Christmas collection. Nothing is better than the holidays with a little one, and I think I am most excited for all of the fun and memories Henry will make as the years go by!  I can still remember all of the holiday decorations my Mom would put up every year and it's so neat to think about what a special and magical time it was growing up.

Here's a peek around our home at some of our Christmas decor! Happy Christmas Eve, everyone!
















p.s.  Target coupon codes are always available for decorations.