My Stone Fox and Her Amazing Store

Molly and Sunny 

I think every girl grows up with that one friend who just sparkles and you simply long to be her in her orbit. She radiates energy and light and everything she does seems original and fascinating. For me that friend is Molly Guy. We grew up a block away from each other. I remember meeting her at a Halloween party in sixth grade and being instantly smitten. In the years that followed we shared our dreams, our angsty teen poems, late night walks with our dogs (and perhaps some forbidden cigarettes), clothes, unfortunate Rod Stewart haircuts, manic panic dyed rainbow colored tresses and everything else that it is possible to share with a friend. We were the only two girls in my high school group of friends who went to classic East Coast colleges. I would frequently drive three hours through quiet Connecticut towns just to get some Molly love while away at school, and she would cause a stir at Vassar whenever she visited me. She showed up with incredible hair extensions one year that only Molly could pull off and immediately started a hair trend. In New York in our twenties I climbed the corporate ladder at my chosen profession while Molly worked at various stylish magazines bringing home treasures from beauty closets and wild tales of celebrity interviews that I longed to crash. These days Molly has a couple of amazing new projects: her gorgeous family (husband Mike and newborn daughter Sunny) and her other baby - stonefoxbride. There is something wonderful about watching a talented friend blossom in a new way and find her footing in a job that she was born to do. Molly has found all that with this incredible store/lifestyle space she created in Manhattan. What is Stone Fox Bride? It's Molly's incredibly lovely and lush, and fascinating alternative to the world of traditional brides to be. Trust me she is killing it with this place. 

Stone Fox Bride

Molly and a model in a Stone Fox look

Molly did an interview recently where she explained why she opened up Stone Fox Bride: I founded Stone Fox Bride to liberate other women from the tyranny of the perfectly sanitized, storybook wedding.  From synthetic hair and flowers, hysterical bridesmaids, insane mother-in-laws and puff, fluff and phoniness. I don’t expect the world to be free of confusion, shades of gray or cellulite. I’m an imperfect person; you’re are imperfect person. Our imperfections is where our beauty and truth lies. I think few things in life are worse than sacrificing your personal style to please other people. I believe that love —  just like marriage — is beautiful, messy and complicated.  And that weddings are as raw, felt and real as any true art form.

inside Stone Fox Bride 

Inside her showroom you will find gorgeous custom dresses, veils and jewels unlike anything you've ever seen at a traditional bridal salon. She even has meditation and yoga instructors, hair and image consultants, sex therapists and more to help you through the process of not just a wedding day but a life together. Molly has explained that the term Stone Fox is something she has called her friends for years, "it’s an endearing term meant to encapsulate their beauty, style, humor, free-spirit, curiosity and overall je na sais quoi." 

Gowns in Stone Fox Bride 

I wish my lovely friend had found her calling long before I waltzed into Mohnique Lhulier in West Hollywood where a salesgirl made me cry in my effort to find the perfect dress. I encourage everyone to checkout Stone Fox Bride and recommend it to every bride to be who is searching for something a bit outside of the box for their wedding. And if you have a moment check out the store's pinterest. You will be inspired for days on end. 

Moccasins for summer

On Wednesday afternoons I take Hank to Parent and Me (not mommy and me!) at a local preschool where we might want to send him. So far it's been a really great experience for us. Hank was tentative at first but now he is pretty into having a snack, washing his hands, singing songs and playing with the parachute (well he isn't quite convinced of the parachute yet but hopefully we will get there.) There is one mom in the group who has the best style. For some reason it's always a bit of a relief to me to see parents that seem interesting and original. I don't know if this makes me shallow, it might but sometimes I worry that all of the thirty-something parenting somehow nullifies the interesting things you sought out in your twenties. I am constantly reminded that this isn't true of course. That there are all sorts of examples of interesting parents who manage to still have adventures, find time for culture and their spouse, and even put together a cute outfit (which for better or worse still means something to me). But I digress, back to the mom in my Parent and Me. She is always a style maven but this week she was wearing the moccasins above, along with cute jeans and this amazing Navajoesque big sweater. She told me the moccasins were this company manimals from Brooklyn. Unfortunately that cute style is sold out but I am obsessed by this site. I feel like a lot of the current styles would be cute for spring, a spring moccasin if you will. 

 She also always rocks this Claire Vivier tote that I also have and love. She is way more chic though.

My Son Is Not a Luddite

Having a child definitely forces me to take a long, hard look at my addiction to my phone/blackberry, etc. I have always had a pretty good excuse for constantly checking my email and keeping my phone close at all times. I really do have a job that means I could get in trouble for not keeping up with everything. I swear.

But when my 16-month-old wanders around the house with the phone up to his ear jabbering away, and speaking with real force and almost anxiety I start to wonder is all of this healthy. Even worse he can completely work the Iphone. I know everyone has different opinions about kids and technology. Maybe you think screen time and technology are 100% evil or you think the educational apps are good for him. I think I am more of the screen time is evil variety despite my own terrible addiction to it all. No matter where you fall you can't deny that it's remarkable that he can turn on the Iphone and select an app by himself! And I must confess I have downloaded apps for him. Sometimes it's all that saves us from a meltdown, and it's cute watching him stare intently at the animals playing peekaboo or the wheels on the bus app, but not nearly as cute as he is when is running wild and free in our back yard. Every time I grab my phone these days I know I run the risk of tearing him away from what he is doing because he sees me and wants to use the Iphone.

This morning I found him with my Iphone using the camera application and jabbering away to his image. It was cute and heartbreaking at the same time. I definitely need to be better about how and when I chose to peer at my phone.

The photos he took are ridiculously cute though. Here are his self-portraits:

February Photo Challenge Update

Taking a photo a day is proving harder than I had figured. I have already missed two days but I blame illness and work travel. Here are the photos I've managed to take so far:

My "View" at my desk :

I missed "Words" so the next one I did was Hands. Shot my Mom and I getting a mani/pedi while she visited:

I missed a "Stranger" but I caught this shot of Hank around 10:00 am:

This Photo for "Dinner" (this photos reveals a lot about meal time these days....not so interested in food I'm afraid): 

I took this photo of my jacket for "button": 

This photo was for "Sun":

This photo was for "Door": 

And today's self portrait at my desk at work: 

So far I have taken most of the assignments. It is kind of nice to have something you have to capture each day. Glancing back on the photos so far it is obvious I can't deviate too far from my favorite subject - Hank. He is my muse I guess. I recommend trying this challenge out for a month if you haven't tried it. 

Heart Day is coming...

To be honest Valentine's Day is not my favorite holiday. It kind of feels silly and forced if you go out to dinner. I prefer to stay in and cook dinner (or if you're lucky maybe someone will cook dinner for you!). But these cards from Rifle Paper Company sure are cute and get me a little excited.   

Poufs

I have always been sort of on the fence about poufs. Lots of places sell various versions of them and they seem like a cute addition to any room, but they can also feel kind of played out? Then I spotted these guys on this blog. Pretty cute. West Elm has amazing stuff these days. They just opened a new store here in Los Angeles in West Hollywood and it does not disappoint.

This is genius!

I must confess that by the end of my pregnancy with Hank I was a total convert and never wanted to wear pants with zippers again. Why would you? Stretch maternity pants are kind of amazing but seem to be less so the longer you wear them post-baby? But let's face back in the beginning of my pregnancy I wanted to stay in my jeans for as long as possible. I tried the rubber band trick and those belly bands but I often just fell like my pants were going to fall off. If i were pregnant I would definitely consider this. Denim Therapy takes your favorite jeans, you know the ones you found after literally trying on ten other pairs, that make your butt look amazing. And they alter them with stretch so they will last through part of pregnancy and then after baby they will return them to their original state. Utter genius although perhaps realistically maybe more effort than I am willing to put in (yep I can be lazy about stuff like this).

Memory Lane

I was searching for photos of Hank yesterday with some of our favorite presents and I was struck by how different he looks these days. 

This is Hank in his baby bjorn bouncy seat. He loved this thing. I can't tell you how awesome this seat is. Mike used to call it his "throne." He loved bouncing away in it.

This is Hank last christmas. He is in awe of my brother and sister-in-law's dog Howard. Can't say I blame him. Howard it pretty cute.

Here is Hank in his bumbo seat or as Mike calls it for some reason his "bimbo." He only sort of loved this thing when he was little but these days he likes to carry it around and try and sit in it. He always looks really proud after he successfully smushed himself into it, and he is always very serious when he is carrying it around. I need to take some photos of the bumbo these days I guess.

Hank's grandpa is a doctor so we thought this shirt was hysterical when he got it. My son has always been on the beefier side so unfortunately I think he only wore this once or twice but it is pretty funny. He looks excited to make the rounds.

This was last year over President's day weekend. We rented a house in Palm Springs with a bunch of friends and their kids. So fun. Hank is definitely a water baby. We've since taken some swim classes so he loves the water even more these days. Some days it's hard to believe so much time has passed because the days can feel so long when you are in the midst of them, and other days it's feels like things are going way too fast. What happened to this cute chubster? When did my baby become a little toddler?

Baby Boom

Perhaps something is in the air but I feel like every week or so I learn about the birth of a friend's baby or that someone I know is pregnant. All of these babies and babies to be make me think back to our preparations and also all of the incredible gifts we received when Hank was born. I thought I would highlight some of my favorite gifts. I know this is the time of year that most people are thinking about holiday gifts but I thought I would buck the trend and think about the best baby presents. I am steering clear mostly of practical stuff here and going for what is fun.

These leggings are super cute. I never actually received these guys but I've seen them a bunch and I just ordered them for a pregnant friend and they are just as cute in person.

A good friend got me one of these classic LL Bean totes  with Hank's name on it and I can't tell you how great it has been. We've taken it to the beach, on vacation, and just back and forth to the baby-sitter's. I think this is a great little gift and I definitely want more. 

When I was pregnant we received a ton of these Aden and Anais muslin swaddle blankets and they are amazing. They are a bit big in the beginning to use for swaddles but they are great for just about everything. Since Hank was born they've come out with a bamboo version that's even softer than the original. 

A good friend sent me a blabla doll from New York. They are really great and soft and make awesome loves. We have since received one more from my sister-in-law and it's awesome too. Hank loves them both. This company also makes awesome clothes, bags and even mobiles. 

I heart rifle paper company. I first discovered the amazing Anna Bond's work when I was engaged and we wanted to have her design our invitations. We didn't end up doing it and now she is everywhere. Her stuff is so cute and since we didn't end up having her design our invites I figured the next best thing would be to have something of hers in Hank's room. And she makes adorable kid stuff. This was something I gifted myself but it would make a great gift for any mom/dad to be. Also she has a ton of other cute prints and stuff for kids. 

The Glow

Have you seen the glow? I am guessing at this point you probably have. I obsessively check this website. They don't update it all that often. It features a different mom every week or so and they always are shot with light pouring in behind them cuddling with their gorgeous kids. Each mom mentions a bit of advice, beauty routines, favorite toys and distractions for their children and maybe a delicious recipe. The latest installment is David Schwimmer's wife who had a home birth and seems awfully cool. Who knew? Anyway, they always seem to have a gorgeous home and lovely little ones. I even found this delicious recipe for a fall salad on the page and I have made it a bunch. It's seriously amazing Sometimes I wonder if I would love this website as much if I wasn't a mom. When I was a bride to be I religiously read every great wedding blog and now I enjoy an occasional glance or two but really can't be bothered. Somehow I think this one is appealing to non-moms too.

Fifties Coed

It has been downright chilly in Los Angeles, but I have been loving it mostly because I just got myself this guy

I am not sure the photo does it justice. It is really cute and I feel like a fifties coed straight out of "Dead Poets Society" or "Flirting" but since I couldn't find an image of those movies that captured the feel of what I am talking about. This is what I found:

I am not even sure if I ever saw "Mona Lisa Smile" but I am pretty sure it captures the vibe of my new fall coat perfectly. I am Julia Roberts in case that wasn't painfully obvious. I guess my next buy might have to be a beret. Just kidding I would look like a member of the Griswold family visiting the Eiffel Tower in a beret.