FINDING PARKING
March 3rd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
My four-year-old is a little car crazy. Okay, A LOT car crazy. I am constantly finding Hot Wheels in his “special secret spots”, for example, my shoes, the laundry hamper, etc. I love this creative storage/display idea via Ohdeedoh.
CREW CUTS TRIBECA
February 16th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I’m supposed to be putting myself on a shopping moratorium. As I previously mentioned, there is no room left in my non-closet. My pre-pregnancy clothes are still living in storage waiting for a home. My cups runneth over (well, certain cups, definitely NOT others).
I love to shop. I love to shop for pretty much anything. I’m not a retail snob. I’ll get down n’ dirty at Lot Less just as easily as I will at Barney’s. So this self-imposed torture is really, well, torturous. As any addict will, I’ve become an expert at justifying a fix. So my excuses for entering the new Crew Cuts Tribeca are as follows:
1. Close proximity to the older boy’s school
2. My children need clothes on their backs, shoes on their feet, do they not?!
3. I wanted to get a closer look at the interior design
But really, you guessed it, I just really love to shop.
Not surprisingly the store is beautifully done (see my bad photos of awesome black & white drawn wallpaper with painted details and Confetti System’s installation below). The pint size prepster clothes are just the right mix of “I’m still a kid, but I’m also a hipster (forgive the phrase)in the works”.
Editor’s Note: In case you haven’t heard of Confetti System, you can read more here on Dwell’s blog. Their work (or self described, ‘party systems’) is/are absolutely delicious my photo does no justice.
FASHION WEEK’S NOT FOR PUSSIES…OR MOMMIES
February 14th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I’ve realized that there is a reason true fashion blogging is predominately the land of plucky young things. It is a hugely time consuming occupation and doesn’t allot time for such boring annoyances as feeding one’s children, etc. So needless to say, if anyone was hoping for up to the minute coverage this is not the door to be knocking on. I am however your gal if you are seeking such gourmet delicacies as a well done waffle cut into quarters with the butter spread uniformly and completely melted, or a peanut butter, no jelly ‘sandwich’, NOT ‘smacked together’ with the edges trimmed off.
I am still going to offer my thoughts on Fall 2011 NYFW here, but it will be a slow trickle. My only excuse is, ‘My kids ate my homework’.
SMALL TALK
January 20th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
from McSweeney’s
YOUR NEWBORN’S CRIES DECODED: A GUIDE FOR MANHATTANITES.
JAY WELCH
Neh = “I’m hungry.”
Wah = “I’m thirsty.”
Owh = “I’m physically uncomfortable.”
Eairh, or urh = “I need to be burped.”
Dih = “I need you to change my disposable jean diapers.”
Fah, or fah-fah = “These pureed carrots were not grown locally.”
Toh-lah = “My stroller just became painfully unstylish.”
Eb-bah = “The Wi-Fi signal is not currently reaching my crib.”
Ba-mah, or bamh = “I am having a crisis of faith in the President.”
Nee-nah, or nooo-ah = “I have to donate to NPR again.”
*and some additions from a Manhattan mommy (me):
Nin-Eee = “What? You’re not breast feeding? I hope you’re ready to pay for my future therapy sessions.”
Boo-jee = “These second-hand clothes from my brother are an identity crisis in the making.”
Twee-twee = “I want my own ipad to play angry birds”
SNOW BLIND
January 14th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
At first I thought I’d missed my big opportunity to post about NYC’s big holiday blizzard, but then on Wednesday we had another snow storm…
Let me just assure you, this image via Sartorialist NOT a representation of how I personally feel about all things winter. But I do love the enthusiasm. I grew up in Northern Vermont where things like waist high snow and below zero temperatures are part of winter’s everyday reality. When I see giant drifts of snow I don’t want to run and jump into them. I want to run and jump into bed. Or run and jump onto a plane heading South.
So on Wednesday when they announced that NYC public schools would not be closed, believe me, I was right there with my son in expressing my indignity. Luckily it’s only Pre-K so I thumbed my nose at the system and kept the boy home. In the end the storm wasn’t all that bad and I was stuck at home with a bored, wired four year old. It was enough to drive me outside for some peace of mind (or at the very least a break from playing Angry Birds on the ipad). While walking through the park I saw a bunch of kids joyfully rolling in the snow, cheeks all rosy and glowing and I thought, “Huh, what the heck is wrong with my kid?! Why doesn’t he want to be doing that?!” And then I realized…
Oh.
That’s what they mean when parenting involves taking all focus off yourself and thinking instead about what is best for your kids.
So next time it snows (shudder), I’ll muster every ounce of happy mommy-ness and head out to enjoy it with my son.
FASHION FOR AN ALTERNATE LIFE
December 7th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
When Balmain first walked this military look down the runway I, along with every fashion editor on the planet, did a collective swoon. Now it’s on sale at Net-a-Porter’s discount site the Outnet. Now, “on sale” is a relative term, 80% off of a $1400 distressed t-shirt is still way too much to pay for a holey piece of army green cotton. So there’s that issue.
And then there’s the cold hard reality. If price alone isn’t enough to dissuade me from pulling out my trusty credit card, then the fact that I would look really ridiculous marching to pick up my son from Pre-K in most of these pieces. Take the holy tee for instance, a little drafty, and frankly I don’t own a bra that I’d like to share with the entire PTA.
Shucks. Foiled again by real life. I HATE it when that happens.
CRAFTY GIFTS GONE WRONG…
December 7th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Just what every new parent needs! A baby cozy!
I get that this is as cute as all get-out and yes, that squishy little brand new face is totally swoon worthy. But c’mon…isn’t this just a jumbo sock, or a really long cap?! This is what would happen if Ann Geddes has taken over someone’s knitting 101 class. To be fair though, the colors are very pretty, and it really would make a nice slouchy hat.
via Whip Up
KISS IT CRAYOLA!
November 20th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Confession time. The reason we have more crayons, colored pencils, coloring books and art supplies than Lee’s Art Supplies is not because I am attempting to nurture my four year old’s artistic side. If given the choice he would definitely choose Legos and launching Hot Wheels off the bookshelf. No. We have an in-house art studio because mommy likes to color. And, as my son will tell you, in this house, Mama is the boss. So coloring it is! I’m always on the lookout for “grown up” coloring books and this one, via Core 77, definitely fits the bill.
Lovely Polar Bears and five shades of white (snowball white, polar white, frost white, igloo white, and Arctic white) to color with. Now just imagine the fun of explaining the concept of color variations to a four year old who’d rather be crashing things into walls!
Available online at Toronto Zoo.
Editors Note(s): For the kid who has everything? A Hermes coloring book of course! Puts a whole new level of mommy-neuroticism into play when little Dick or Jane wants to express themselves by coloring outside the lines in this $130 scribble pad!
And for your budding fashionista? The Kate Moss coloring book!
WEB SLINGER
October 31st, 2010 § Leave a Comment
For two years in a row my son has been spiderman for Halloween. This year we upgraded to the spidey costume with muscles. Apparently this allows for even more rambunctious web slinging and other super hero-like behaviors such as jumping from one piece of furniture to the next, running at full speed into walls, etc., Observing these super powers leads me to believe my son may break every bone in his body before next Halloween. But I have to admit, aside from the Silver Surfer, Spiderman is definitely the coolest hero out there.
image via the sartorialist
