The Mom Edit - Just Wandering

We went to a family wedding over Memorial Day weekend on the East Coast, and it was the first time as a family of four that we had a truly chill-er flight.

We’ve started using a little magic trick to separate the kids: each one gets a window seat, one parent each, their own toys, movie, and food, so nobody can fight. Children and parents included :)

We take the two opposite windows in the same row, and it’s the one thing that has actually made longer flights so much better for everyone.

It was also their first wedding. And believe it or not, my almost-five-year-old refused to dance with me.

He was living his best life, ordering drinks at the bar (cranberry juice on the rocks), moving through the dessert buffet as he pleased, and returning to the dance floor, to jump up and down next to the bride and groom. Mom was officially out.

I was watching him not be my baby anymore, but a joyful and thriving young boy. And while it made me so happy to see his level of confidence and discover his dance moves I had never seen before, I am still emotionally recovering from it.

We’ve been working on this design with Irene Villar, founder of the beautiful brand Atelier Zuzu. It’s an embroidery inspired by a sketch from my notebooks reimagined to match the soft pastel palette of her spring collection.

It’s called “Bisou Papillon”: bring your face very close to someone you like and flutter your eyelashes against their cheek or face.

It’s available to shop on both our stores: Geewees and Atelier Zuzu

My perfect look for a fancy party this season is a long-sleeve butter silk dress, mule sandals, and the bag of the season, a tassel bag.

• The Tassel bag of my dreams

• A long-sleeve silk floral dress, or this one if you can find it second-hand. These dresses are on the pricier side, but they are a good starting point for inspiration to find a vintage version. And if you are feeling more animal this one in 100% silk is on my wishlist!

• Red leather mules or the most perfect sandals if you want the high heels.

For the day after:

• Really nice thick brown tee from COS

• 30$ jellies that have stars in them

• Denim Maryjanes or burgundy stripes

• A whimsical party dress

• Gemstone carving kit if your child is also in a gemstones phase.

• On the Other Side of the Rain by Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet: A beautifully illustrated kids’ book about a French immigrant little girl set in New York City.

My oldest is sitting in his chair eating silently and watching his sister tantruming on the floor over a piece of melon with a cheeky look on his face: “It’s not me this time!’

Yes, I know I will miss this age, I actually already do while living it, BUT If you ask me what has been the hardest age so far, I’d say between 3 to 4.5. And going through it for the second time, it feels just as wild as the first.

The difference is that now I know it will pass and I know it’s developmentally appropriate, so I try my best to let it slide and hold my boundary.

It’s still incredibly draining, though, because everything takes longer and involves some sorts of negotiation. And the hard part is when tantrums happen in the middle of the street and everyone is giving you that look, or even worse, comes up to you and asks, “How can I help?” - Oh no, she just likes to take her top off when she is angry, but don’t worry she is fine! And of course I come back home, always wondering if I’m doing everything wrong.

I don’t have many tips, just these reminders I come back to, to avoid the guilt loop:

• Kids are allowed to have big feelings in public, even if it makes other people uncomfortable.

• Validate feelings and empathize. They’re having a hard time and they actually need me. I am the adult.

• If I say something, I have to follow through. I’m in charge here.

• Talk about our feelings after the meltdown, when everyone is calm.

• It’s ok to loose patience sometimes, but repair is the most important.

• Positive reinforcement to reward good behavior really works.

• Make it a priority to regulate my nervous system so I can better hold their big feelings.

Good luck to me!

• Hand-marbled boxes to keep in all your treasures.

• A Hollywood 60’s glass lamp: inspired by a lamp I thrifted recently with stacked clear glass cubes. Look for Lucite stacked or Art Deco clear glass lamps.

• Vintage Pink Bathroom items and Vanity Items

• Two shows to watch when you need a break from the mental load: Margot’s got money trouble for the looks, the acting, the emotions and the importance of family even when it’s not perfect. And Vladimir, only because I love Rachel Weisz and because it’s quite funny.

  Both shows are about women who write, but in very different stages of their lives and with very different problems to deal with. A good mix of all the complexity of motherhood and womanhood.

• Reclaiming your mind might come down to reasserting your right to wonder what it’s for: A great article about distraction, over-optimization, and the need to let our minds to just be. The philosopher Raymond Geuss recalls a mentor sharing advice about becoming a visual artist: “Set aside half an hour or forty-five minutes a day,” to just draw, forget about everything you have learned so far. Instead of judging your drawing, look at it and say to yourself, “So, this is what I do on a day like this.”

• Podcast Second Life: Inspiring to hear these successful women who have made major career changes.

This is most probably my favorite thing to eat. And it might sound sophisticated to cook, but it’s actually easier than you think. Here is how I make it.

Ingredients serve 4:

• 3.5-pound clams. Sometimes I mix small and bigger ones

• 1 pound Spaghetti or linguine

• One cup of white wine

• Olive oil

• Garlic

• Lots of Italian Parsley

Recipe

• In a large bowl, mix cold water with a few tablespoons of sea salt. Add the clams and make sure they’re fully covered. Let them rest for 1 hour so they can release their sand and grit. Rinse well and set aside.

• Heat olive oil and garlic in a large skillet. Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Add the clams and some parsley, cover with a glass lid, and cook for about 10 minutes, until all the shells have opened.

• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente.

• Reserve a little pasta water before draining. Toss the pasta with the clams, their juices, the remaining parsley, and a splash of pasta water if needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and an optional squeeze of lemon.

Serve with a cold glass of Greco di Tufo, my favorite wine.

Next time I will have a guest on here a Parisian, an artist, a creative director and a mom!

Much Love,

xxx

Marina

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