My Latest Score: Moccasin Slippers
It’s That Time of Year: I buy a new pair of J. Crew moccasin slippers pretty much every year and wear them around the house constantly until they’re matted and gnarly (ew). The coziest.
You’re Sooooo Popular: The Belt Bag.
The most popular items on Le Blog this week:
+I must have struck a chord with some of you, because this has been ultra hot this week. (GO ON WITH YOUR BAD SELF, CHIC PEAS!!!)
+A good reminder to drink a lot of water.
+A must-have for those of us low on storage space. Make the most of every square inch, people!
+Probably one of my favorite beauty products…ever.
+Some of you are ready to PARTAYYYYY with these.
+Part cape, part scarf, 100% chic.
#Turbothot: Whining Whilma.
Reading through my posts over the past month disappointed me. I hope I haven’t lost too much of your respect in all the self-wallowing and angst I expressed in them. I feel as though I reached some sort of zen-like serenity during my pregnancy with mini — little ruffled my feathers, I had a good sense of perspective, and I spent a lot of time reflecting on myself, on who I wanted to be for my daughter, on what I imagined for myself, and for her. I think I was at my best during those anticipatory months. Several of you wrote to say you found my posts “inspirational” — inspirational! Me! Just me, figuring life out! I was floored (in a good way — can that word be used in a good way?) and humbled and felt like I’d reached some new apex in personal development.
This move, by contrast, has brought out the worst in me: I’ve been short-tempered, harried, over-anxious to just get settled in. I’ve been complaining about Murphy’s Law, about being exhausted, about my back hurting, about being off schedule, about all of the hoops we’ve had to jump through. I’ve been saying things like, “Of course they WOULD be doing repair work right outside the window of minimagpie’s nursery every morning at 10 am when she’s going down for her nap — WHY WOULDN’T THEY BE” in a very “oy vey, life is cruel” kind of way. I’ve lived entire days in an alien-to-me survival mode, just trying to get from point A in the morning to point Z in the evening. (“Deep breath: fight the crowds to find these 23 things at The Fairway.” “OK, in the next 10 minutes, while mini is busy with her toys, we need to find Tilly a vet by reading reviews and book her an appointment to get her vaccinations updated.” “OK, gird your loins, time to get on the phone with our real estate agent.”) I’m reminded of some of my thoughts about being in my 30s and not having it all sorted out (scroll down to the turbothot), and I’m ashamed to say I’ve clearly let the sentiment slip right through my fingers: I am sitting here, realizing that I need to recognize that THIS IS IT. These moments of chaos are part of the narrative, not a footnote to it. And if I don’t realize that, I’m going to wake up with an 18-year-old daughter and no idea what happened.
So shame on me.
Shame on me, too, for losing the forest for the trees. We are in a wonderful apartment right on Central Park in New York City. We are healthy. We are close to home and everyone we love. We are an intact, loving family. We are employed. God is good.
It took a trip to my bestie’s (now just a 15 minute journey, door-to-door, thanks to the miracle and madness of the New York Subway) and a scan through my recent posts to realize I’ve been a whining whilma, and ain’t nobody got time for her.
Putting it behind me, turning over a new leaf, and moving on.
#Shopaholic: The Holiday Statement Earrings
+These earrings are fabulous for the holidays — love the green! Imagine it with this dress!
+Stunning.
+More great footwear from Ann Taylor! These tuxedo-inspired loafers are everything!
+How great is the length and weight of this turtleneck? Great colors/stripes, too!
+Love this little stole, especially with all things moss green.
+A great little lace-y statement top.
+The coziest, in the blush color in particular!
+P.S. – Don’t forget to check out Le Shop! I’m always updating!
Fully agree with the comments here — you are more than entitled to share your feelings, both good and “bad”, and we appreciate the realness that you share in this space!
I want that Ulla dress for winter special occasions! Soooo good.
Thank you, MK 🙂
I agree with what Bunny said. I value your blog because you don’t do the fake “everything is always so good and easy for me! #blessed!” routine.
Also, I think you are being unfair on yourself. Pregnancy is nine months- that’s a lot of time to prepare! Your move seemed sudden AND you have a third, not-yet-helpful human to plan for. That’s tough!! It is okay to be off your A-game and whine (and wine!). Three months from now you’ll be completely settled, know the ins and outs of your new life, and feel like yourself.
If you feel up to it, a post on moving would be great. We bought our first house in Alexandria this week, and are moving next month. Tips, tricks, household upgrades you’ve made? I want them all! We upgraded some household things yesterday, like an OXO plunger and Simple Human bathroom trash can. Feeling like real adults. I love your posts on well researched household gear!
Oh my gosh – thank you so much for these sentiments, Kate, Claire, and Bunny. I think I will carry this with me for a long time: “an eyes-and-heart-wide-open human.” Something to aspire to! Thanks for making the space for me and cheering me on. xoxo
Totally totally agree with what Bunny said. So over blogs that are all fluff and not real. That is why your blog is so popular. Life is up and down for all of us. We all have our sorrows and thanks for trusting in us to vent. Love you
What a sweet post! If anything thank you for all those posts: they share a wholly-lived life. It’s ok that you were frustrated— it means you were paying attention. It means that you cared. And the fact that you shared that: it means you were honest. I am frankly a bit weary of these blogs who are all “oh my gosh, life is just so awesome, shucks! Let me show you my latest ‘obsession’”!!!! And that is the entirety of their content.
I (and I’m guessing a lot of others) read here because you are a eyes-and-heart-wide-open human, and you show all aspects of your lovely life and brain.
I applaud you for the perspective also. Everyone goes through the tough parts, and reading your perspective works for me too!