Swing art installation

I'm a huge fan of interactive art exhibits (like the Grand Central secret and the New Museum playground), so my jaw dropped when I heard about the current Ann Hamilton show in Manhattan. Her installation features 42 swings, which, in turn, move an enormous billowy curtain. "When the swings are in action, the curtain, made of a lightweight silk twill, rises and dips, and the air is stirred, causing further billowing and fluttering," writes the New York Times, "Pigeons and an actress provide a soundtrack." Some people glide on the swings, some lie on the ground under the curtain and some sit on benches to take it all in. The show runs through January 6th at the Armory. I can't wait to take Toby!

(Photos by Philip Greenberg for the New York Times)

Fall Challenge #2

Our family used to drive six hours to visit our cousins for the holidays, and to help pass the time, my mom and I would nerd out and memorize poems. The first one we chose was this picker-upper from Emily Dickinson. I still remember every word.

So, for the second fall challenge, let's each memorize a favorite poem by next Thursday. How amazing to have beautiful words bouncing around your head. What do you think? Are you in?

P.S. Rudyard Kipling's If and Mary Oliver's Wild Geese are both beautiful...

(Photo by the wonderful Kari Herer; graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo)

Paris daydreaming

Who's daydreaming of Paris this fall? The city feels extra dreamy when everyone's bundled up in wool scarves, ducking into cafes for thick hot chocolate. Well, here are seven pretty pieces to inspire some romance at home...

1. Eiffel Tower plush, $68.
2. Paris print, $30.
3. John Derian plate, $48.
4. Saint James shirt, made in Normandy since 1850, $90. (See one on a model here.)
5. Metallic flats, $125.
6. Tea candies, $14.
7. Map tote, $20.

(Graphic design by Rachel for Cup of Jo)

Deer beds

Remember the deer bed photograph from my friend Abbey's beautiful home?

As I wrote years ago (when I first fell in love with these photos), photographer Katherine Wolkoff followed deer trails in Block Island to photograph deer beds. Apparently, deer press down the vegetation to make a sleeping place where predators won't see them. They never use the same bed twice, but the imprints can last for a few days. Katherine found the experience incredibly emotional, and she chose to make her prints 40x50 inches, almost life size. How moving.

Well, after I featured Abbey's house tour last week, so many readers wrote in about her deer bed photograph that the Sasha Wolf Gallery decided to offer Cup of Jo readers 15% off any of Katherine Wolkoff's photographs until September 30. (This is major!)

Thank you again, Sasha and Katherine!
(Top four photos by Katherine Wolfkoff, bottom photo by Seth Smoot for Cup of Jo)

Motherhood Mondays: Sculpture

Many people probably turned off their computers for Labor Day, but I can't help sharing a couple things! First up, isn't this sculpture gorgeous? The sculpture, called Survival of Serena, has been installed in downtown Manhattan for the summer. It portrays a swimmer taking a break, and passersby have been wowed by its hyper-realism—so much so that one day when it rained, people didn't know which drops were real.

But, to me, this sculpture looks strikingly similar to a woman having a home birth and laboring in a tub. (Like this photo of my friend Leigh!) The same athleticism, the same quiet concentration. It's sort of amazing that the artist didn't intend that!

(Photos by Jenna Fain and Andrea Swalec)

Bill Murray coloring book

For cool kids (and grown-ups), this Bill Murray coloring book hit bookstores today. There are 24 different illustrations by artists that you get to color in. Ha, love that dude!

P.S. Remember this?

Our bathroom makeover

Thank you so much for helping us choose a paint color for our bathroom! Here are the before-and-after photos, if you'd like to see...
Read More >

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)