Have an inspiring weekend.

What are your plans for this weekend? We're flying to Chicago tonight (Toby is out of his mind excited for the plane) and are looking forward to hot dogs and ferris wheels. (And wouldn't these be cool at the beach?)

Next week, I'm thrilled to be featuring a second work/baby/life balance series. The first series was about mothers who work freelance, but now we'll focus on mothers who work full time in office jobs. The amazing women will share how they try to juggle everything, from babysitters and bedtimes to meetings and marriage. The interviews were fascinating, and I can't wait to discuss them with you.

Finally, this week's round-up is all about Nora Ephron (1941-2012), who was such a talent and inspiration. In her books and movies, she really captured the voice of a certain type of young woman--neurotic, imperfect, complex, loving. Everyone sees themselves in Nora, and she's the kind of person that you want as a best friend (and mentor). She will be missed...

"I have a theory that children remember two things—when you weren't there and when they threw up." –Nora Ephron.

What she will and won't miss.

Her most recent book, which I ordered immediately. (I loved her other books--Heartburn, I Feel Bad About My Neck...)

14 photos.

Funny wisdom.

Why you shouldn't be a lady.

“And then the dreams break into a million tiny pieces. The dream dies. Which leaves you with a choice: you can settle for reality, or you can go off, like a fool, and dream another dream.” –Nora Ephron.

Tom Hanks remembers Nora. (Love the last paragraph.)

Nora writes about her love affair with her Upper West Side apartment.

10 great movie lines.

How to live life to the fullest.

"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." –Nora Ephron.

(Photograph by Linda Nylind for the Guardian)

Wes Anderson movies

Our friends saw Wes Anderson's new movie Moonrise Kingdom this week and said it was wonderful. (It has also been getting rave reviews.) Have you seen it yet? But my favorite Wes Anderson film was...
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First Position

First Position is a new ballet documentary that follows six young dancers on their way to one of the world's most prestigious youth ballet competitions. The ballet world, although beautiful, can be so brutal. It's amazing how hard even the youngest children work! Have you ever danced? Will you see it?

P.S. More ballet, and documentaries...

HBO's new show: Girls

This Sunday, HBO will premiere the new show Girls, about four broke twentysomethings trying to make their way in New York. Written, directed and starred in by Lena Dunham, and produced by Judd Apatow, Girls is "is a much scruffier show" than Sex & the City, says USA Today. I love that frank, funny, real girls are given a voice here, and the critics have been going crazy for it. Here's the trailer... Will you be watching on Sunday?

Ballet dancers in super slow motion

Have you seen this video? Two dancers from Staatsballett Berlin are shown in slow motion at 1000 frames per second, to the song Radiohead's Everything in Its Right Place. I actually danced ballet in junior high and high school, and it's a super precise athletic endeavor that's a million times harder than it looks. (Plus, the teachers are terrifying!) Bravo, beautiful dancers! xoxo

(Via Swissmiss)

Funny movie

Have you seen the trailer for Jeff, Who Lives At Home? Looking forward to watching it, and maybe sneaking in a pizza or giant burrito. (What do you sneak into the movies? My friends take mini bottles of wine!)

Sh*t Liz Lemon Says

This video made me laugh out loud.

(My only question is, what about "nerds!")

Wine documentary

This soon-to-be-released documentary looks amazing: Somm is the story of four sommeliers attempting to pass the Master Sommelier exam, a grueling test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world. The exam covers literally anything having to do with wine, including history, geography and blind tastings. The four guys, who have been preparing for years, say that they're truly obsessed, and you can feel their athlete-like tension on the screen. What a fascinating peek into a competitive, high-brow world that most people never see. Would you watch this?

P.S. The 10 best documentaries, and the dos and don'ts of drinking wine.

(Thanks, Michelle)

Graduate save-the-date

My sister's friends Becky and Danny made this amazing save-the-date video for their wedding. It was inspired by the final scene of The Graduate. Aren't they geniuses?! I love their faces at the end.

(I posted this four years ago, but wanted to repost because it's so awesome.)

Who was your first love?

The new French movie Goodbye, First Love looks heartbreakingly romantic and rings true--the 15-year-old protagonist takes her first relationship so seriously, without being guarded or jaded. It's raw and beautiful, and the film was a huge hit at film festivals. Really looking forward to seeing it.

Who was your first love? Where is he or she now?

Do or don't: Seeing movies alone

Do you ever go to movies alone? There's something really fun about going to the theatre, buying a ticket, riding up the eight zillion escalators, finding the perfect seat, eating the pizza you snuck in, and watching a movie all by yourself (surrounded by strangers). You can enjoy the movie without wondering what your friend is thinking; and after it's done, you can walk home mulling it all over. I love it. So, I'm curious: Do you like seeing movies alone, or do you prefer to go with friends?

The next movie I'd like to see solo is The Descendants with George Clooney. Critics have been flipping out. "To call The Descendants perfect would be a kind of insult," raved A.O. Scott in his New York Times review, "a betrayal of its commitment to, and celebration of, human imperfection."

I Believe I Can Fly

Have you guys seen this astounding trailer for I Believe I Can Fly, a 40-minute documentary about a group of insane French guys? They created "skylining," a new European sport that combines tightrope walking, slacklining and base jumping. They walk tightropes across skyscrapers in Paris, gorges in southern France and fjords in Norway. They do cartwheels right off mountains. They're caught by safety ropes or parachutes--although at the end, one guy does a spine-tingling "solo" without any safety equipment, just himself, balancing on a one-inch rope. YIKES!

P.S. Ten best documentaries.

Top 10 entertaining movies

My darlings, the fall weather is getting cooler, and it's time to cuddle up and watch movies! Just for fun, here are my top ten just-for-fun movies, those movies you watch when you just want to chill. What are yours?

Royal Tenenbaums
Annie Hall
Rosemary's Baby
When Harry Met Sally
Emma
Ghost World
Clueless
Harold & Maude
The Graduate
Bridget Jones Diary

(I also secretly like Knocked Up, which always seems to be on TV; how can you resist deep-voiced Seth Rogen?)
P.S. Mindy Kaling's funny article about romantic comedies, and more fun round-ups.

Do you have a dog?

Do you have a dog? Alex wants one badly. Alas, our current apartment is way too small, but Alex literally can't pass a dog on the street without saying, "Doggggggeeee! Doggggeeee! Oh, you're a dog, you're just a dog!" It's like a tic.

My friend Lina and I always say it would be funny to name your dog a very human name--like Kevin or Brad, or Jennifer or Kristen. For some reason, that really makes me laugh.

Do you have a dog? What's its name?

Elmo documentary

Every child I know has an joyous reaction to Elmo. My friend's baby's first word was "Elmo." Toby's all-time favorite book stars Elmo. My friend's two-year-old once sat in his stroller and just gazed at an Elmo cake in a bakery window. It's fascinating to see what a rock star (and best friend) Elmo is to children.

Being Elmo is a new, award-winning documentary about the puppeteer who created Elmo. The trailer made me tear up; "I knew that Elmo should represent love," Clash said.

Will you see it? Do your little ones adore Elmo, too?
P.S. 10 best documentaries.

Impossibly cool

You can get lost in the photos on A Conversation on Cool. (Ahh, Mick.)

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!)

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

The filming of Breathless

Last Friday, after I posted this smoochy photo from Breathless, I stumbled upon these amazing behind-the-scenes shots of the film, below. Have you seen the movie?
(The third photo above shows the cinematographer Raoul Coutard shooting a scene from a rooftop!)

A new documentary

Love, Etc. is a new documentary that follows five couples for one year in New York City: old, young, gay, straight, falling in love, getting married, having babies, breaking up. The film showed the complexities of romantic love--not just the happy stuff of Disney movies. I watched it this week and adored it. It was funny, heartbreaking and beautiful. Here's the trailer...

What do you think, my darlings? Would you want to see it? (Here are show times.)

P.S. 10 best documentaries.

(Via Glamour)