Lately…

A couple of snapshots from life lately, starting with me, in my Petersyn blouse above, loving on minimagpie.  (Also note her little hand reaching for mine — she loves to burrow into me and grab onto me when I hold her now, and I just DIE.)  Those who know how much care I put into minimagpie’s wardrobe (one of my chief, admittedly shallow, joys in life is dressing her) will note that this was after her second or third outfit change of the day (is anyone else struggling with keeping their toddlers/babies clean during mealtime?  Mini smears everything everywhere! — and then there’s the issue of her water-chugging; I find her shirt sopping wet multiple times a day!), when I resort to whatever leggings and onesies I can grab and easily wrangle her into — but I love this age so much.  She’s interactive, opinionated, dynamic.  We talk to each other.  She accompanies me everywhere, waves at strangers on the subway, laughs uncontrollably after throwing her balls at Tilly, and rocks back and forth when she hears music.  I adore this spunky little soul.  I’m wearing this Petersyn blouse (available in vertical stripes here; you can also see me wearing it here) and these earrings, and mini is wearing these leggings and this coordinating onesie.  (Also, note that my hair is DONE, y’all!  And here’s how you can get a seriously good blowout at home, too.)

And here my little love is before heading down to the West Village for a playdate with Inslee (FYI – for my fellow New Yorkers: she’s hosting art classes on the UES!  You should go – – Inslee is so lovely and hilarious and talented!) and her precious son and some other friends. I left this playdate feeling so good about myself — sometimes you need to spend time with other non-judgmental moms to realize you’re actually doing a good job: they praised me for navigating the subway on my own (my new hack: take baby out of stroller and fold it up at the top of the subway steps and just hold her while in the actual subway system — there are too many steps and turnstiles to deal with and having to take her into and out of the stroller twenty times just to make it onto and off the subway is soul-crushing), for having mini’s hair cut and brushed, for trimming her nails tidily (an increasingly challenging chore) — all small and simple tasks, but ones that require effort only another mother can appreciate.

In the snap above, mini’s wearing a top by Marco & Lizzy (you can find a bunch of their darling stuff here — how sweet is this?!), leggings from Primary, mocs from Sweet N Swag, and — of course — a bow from PoppyBows (she wears 4″ bows).  Also present: the uber chic accessory of the season, this Miracle 360 cup, the first drinking vesicle she actually used!  (We’d tried like five others before and she didn’t get them.)

I brought my first bottle of rose of the season to the playdate and it made me very very excited about things to come.  This little snap of one of the bookcases in my home brings me so much joy — it’s a poorly-lit, blurry picture, but it contains so many of my favorite things: a brass plant mister I bought from Jayson Home (a stunning furniture/home decor store in Chicago) back when I lived just a short walk from it in Lincoln Park; a happy little boxwood; and many of our favorite, well-worn, dog-eared and oil-splatted cookbooks.

Meanwhile, I wore this beautiful new linen Everlane shirt along with these jeans, Rockstud flats (I don’t care if they’re a bit passe — I still love these shoes), and floral studs that look nearly identical to these beauties.  Everlane generously sent me this shirt, and I was so excited that I wore it the same day it arrived.  It’s perfect for my lifestyle right now — loose and comfortable and easy to move in, but also chic with skinnies and some statement accessories.

I can’t believe it, but mini is about to start walking.  I think a lot of babies are already walking by her age, but I’m not worried — she took her time learning to crawl, too.  Right now, she’s “creeping” — moving from couch to coffee table to edge of the TV stand, pulling herself along, and she’s pushing her little walker everywhere, too.  I’ve caught her standing without holding on to anything a few times, too.  For summer, I picked up a pair of these glossy pink Native sneakers — they’ll be good for days in Central Park, as they’re breathable and waterproof — and also a pair of these, after one of you lovely readers raved about the quality of Jacadi’s sneakers.  (More amazing Jacadi sale finds here!)

I attended the opening of the St. Frank store in the West Village on Wednesday and OMG — I was so inspired by the store’s styling and textiles (you can buy your own here).  The company’s founder, Christina Bryant, is such a beautiful, talented, bright star — I profiled her as a woman of substance a couple months back, and I am so impressed with what she’s built there.

I’ve mentioned this a few times on le blog, but I’m smitten with this new linen spray from Noodle + Boo — I use their shampoo/bodywash for mini at bath time as well, and I prefer it to Mustela because it suds up much better and a bottle lasts a very, very long time.  The scent is heavenly.  I use the linen spray on mini’s stroller and other upholstered baby gear that is difficult to clean.

Post-Script: On My Radar.

+Inslee just bought these beauties from Jennifer Behr (similar to the studs I mentioned I own above), and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them since…

+I am thinking about buying a pair of these jams for the summer.  They look SO comfortable, and I love the colors.  I have so many pajama sets for wintertime, but very few for warmer weather.

+Love this sweet, feminine top from J. Crew’s latest arrivals.  I’d wear it with my favorite white distressed jeans in the summer.

+I’d use this cosmetic bag as a clutch — love that rope handle.

+Timeless summer staples I’m re-upping on in anticipation of this season: a classic white polo, oversized tortoise shades (only $60!) and navy Supergas.

+These have a fantastic Chanel vibe, but cost $80!

+OK, these is so, so cute.  I know what you’re probably thinking — what the hell?  Why are you dressing up like a hipster railroad engineer? — but I can totally imagine wearing these in a different way: with Supergas or my Hermes Oran sanadals, enormous sunglasses, and an iced coffee in hand, walking through Central Park on a sunny Saturday.  Yes.  It’s going to happen.

P.S.  Don’t forget about Shopbop’s amazing sale.  I literally cannot make up my mind on whether or not to pull the trigger on the Saloni.

P.P.S.  I’m still wallowing in all of the smart and provocative comments on this post — and have gotten several emails and DMs on the topic, too!  Please keep the convo going 🙂

P.P.P.S.  What are you reading?