Four Pretty & Lovely Things
I met Joslyn Taylor of Simple Lovely last year in New York City at an event to benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, and was thrilled to reconnect with her awesomeness at Altitude Design Summit this year. Joslyn is so elegant and has wonderful (seemingly effortless!) style, so for today's four favorites guest post, I asked Joslyn to share four pretty and lovely things to help moms forget the giant mess that home has turned into (when I asked Joslyn to guest post I envisioned being surrounded by soiled burp cloths, breast pump supplies, and take out containers...).
From Joslyn:
When I brought our second daughter, Millie, home from the hospital a little over four years ago, the scene was decidedly different than what had played out a few years earlier when we toted home her older sister Audrey. Let's just say the second time around was far more, well...mellow. There was no abject fear; we pretty much knew the ropes, making it easier to succumb to the inevitable chaos and mess and sleeplessness and just go with the moment.
However, there were a few things that made that time feel a bit more "refined" (and this despite the fact that "new baby" and "refined" are two words diametrically opposed in almost every possible way). It was all about honing in on the little things that made me feel like more than just a round-the-clock milk machine.
First and foremost I loaded up the iPod with good tunes, as rocking your new babe to the stylings of Phoenix is far more uplifting that the chatter of the television, but beyond that, I relied heavily on the following four little luxuries to keep me feeling somewhat sane during those early first weeks:
1. Some lovely art. Michelle Armas' paintings (shown above) are pretty much instant shots of happy, as she has an amazing way with color. One of her small paintings perched on the wall could inject some fabulousness into even the most neglected room.
2. Something to read (sort of). The massive case of "baby brain" I experienced after both of my girlies had me setting aside the heavy reading in favor of flipping through magazines, but why, I reasoned, can't the magazine you're flipping through be a beautiful little work of art? I love the entire Lines & Shapes collection...pure visual perfection.
3. An at-home spa (sort of). When you have a newborn, a long shower can feel as luxurious as a day at a swanky spa. That uninterrupted ten minutes under a stream of hot water is pure bliss. Throw in some good face wash and a mask and you could throw in a full facial too.
4. A little bauble. To pretty up the third consecutive day of yoga pants/wrap top, I had a stash of fun necklaces on hand (at least until the baby was old enough to start pulling them off my neck). I'm awfully partial to these colorful French enameled lockets.
How lovely is Joslyn? If you're not yet reading Simple Lovely, you'll find a lot of happiness and beauty in her writing and photography. You can also follow Joslyn on Twitter at @joslyntaylor.