There are a few benchmarks in your life that are like markers of adulthood. I remember when we first bought that round dining room table 7 years ago. We were still living on the top floor of the brownstone apartment we lived in when we first moved to this neighborhood. We lived without a table for years. We couldn’t fit one in the studio apartment we lived in on 12th Street in the East Village and even when we moved to that Brooklyn apartment with a dining room 12 years ago, we always opted to eat on the couch.

We bought this table when Mia was a few months old and immediately felt like grown ups. A baby AND a dining room table? The table wasn’t cheap for us at the time (and I’m sort of shocked to see just how much it did go up in price over the years at Design Within Reach), but we saved for it and it looked great in that space.

When we bought and moved to the apartment that we currently live in now, the table came along with us. It was great with a little toddler around. No sharp edges or corners. The table was solid. It worked for the 3 of us. Then we added another baby to our family and the girls started growing. One day, the round table felt too small. There wasn’t much room when we’d have friends or family over. The table started to become filled with homework, papers, drawings and markers. It wasn’t big enough when I needed to trim paper or do a project. We needed a bigger table. Luckily we had the space for one.

I think I started looking for a new table 2 years ago. It’s one of those big purchases that you need to be sure of. Depending on how much cash flow we had, the table search would intensify or die down in spurts over the years, but it was in full force in the Fall. I eventually put it off again after so many of my work projects got postponed and cash flow felt tight. Besides, I couldn’t find the right table and I was undecided on the chairs. In December, however, we decided that we were going to do it. Holiday sales were good so the search was on again. After having looked at SO MANY tables and even considering getting one custom made, I settled on this one that I kept going back to. I also bought 6 new chairs after much deliberation. These are Tolix reproductions, but they are pretty damn good reproductions and they were on sale. A few days later, the chairs shipped (you can see them stacked in that first photo), but I was told the table was on backorder. I can wait though, right?

But the table came today ahead of schedule and it’s here!

It’s a bit darker and the wood has more variation in color and grain that what appears in the photos, but it’s so beautiful and actually fits in with the apartment better than maybe a lighter table would. I think the chairs really work with the table too. The old dining set was too much of the same beech wood color and it was too close to our floors. This new set gives the space more texture and variation. It’s just rustic enough to work with our not so rustic looking apartment. The vintage George Nelson lamp works much better with this set up as well. The longer table also defines the kitchen area from the living area in the open floor plan so much better.
 

I don’t know…can a new dining table feel life-changing? Because I kind of feel like it does! And if our old dining table made us feel like adults then this table makes us feel like grown ups even more. I mean, we can have placemats! I have all these beautiful placemats that my friend from Dwell Studio gave me a few years back but we could never use them because they didn’t work with our round table. Oh, and centerpieces. Woah. This is like a whole new aspect of decorating that I have never even considered. A fruit bowl? Candle sticks? Maybe we need a candelabra! I’m thinking back to that epsiode of Ellen when she first came on the TV scene with that sitcom, remember? She was responsible for getting table decorations for Thanksgiving (or was it Christmas?) but she ended up dragging palm fronds from the street because nothing was open and the whole table was piled with palm fronds (does anyone remember this or did I just totally make that up?). I don’t know…the centerpiece and table setting possibilities are endless.
 
And so we are selling our beloved old table. Maybe you are interested? We have so many good memories so it’s a little bit sad, but since our apartment looks like a furniture showroom right now with 2 dining tables, we need to let it go. It’s been well loved – the table top has a few light scratches in it – but it’s still in great solid condition and it needs a new home because…new table NEW TABLE!
 

This is our last bundle of goodies from my friend Tami who owns and designs clothes through her company Ismodern. We’ve been very lucky to have Tami give the girls a set of clothes from each season since I met her back in 2005. It’s always a burst of color when we open the boxes and pull out each item of clothing…and thank god. If it were up to me, the girls would only wear solids and grays because that’s what I gravitate towards without even thinking, so Tami always provides a welcome punch of color and pattern to their wardrobe. Aside from the generous packages every season, I’ve been happy to have supported her business by purchasing clothes, gifts and referring anyone who asks where the girls get their clothes (Claudine’s fuzzy white poncho from the New Year’s Day post is from Tami and I just had to buy one for Mia because it is so very cozy).
 
But…this is Tami’s last collection and our last package as she is shutting down Ismodern as soon as she clears her inventory (so if you want to get shopping, now is the time). Sadly, the children’s clothing industry isn’t what it used to be like it was back in the mid-2000s, and the economy isn’t what it used to be either. We’ll miss these clothes when the girls outgrow them, but I’m excited to see what Tami does next!

Totally frivolous post today and sorry to bore the guys who read the blog – you know, all 5 of you – but boots! I’m never that girl anymore who finds that deal or flea market steal, mostly because I don’t have the leisure time to browse anymore (wish I did!), but the family and I were visiting our friends who sell at the Hester Street Market in the Lower East Side the other week and I spotted these boots for sale at a booth selling vintage clothing. And hey! Size 7, just my size. That hardly ever happens to me anymore. From what I could tell, they had never been worn and now I have a new pair of $400 Swedish Hasbeens for nearly 85% off.

Also, do you wear Oxfords? Specifically gray wingtip ones? I don’t usually, but I picked these up on final clearance for really cheap. I don’t know…the verdict is still out…it feels a little 80s throwback here…too preppy for me…maybe the argyle socks don’t help…

There were quite a few of you who asked to either tag clothing posts or write more about style. I don’t really “have” a style other than I believe you should wear whatever makes you look and feel good, and since I don’t like being photographed, there’s not much to tag! But I did buy this dress the other day. I don’t really wear that many dresses, but this one’s pretty perfect, don’t you think? I got it at Madewell, but I don’t see it on their website so I don’t know what that’s all about. Also these sandals…they are knockoffs, I guess, of Swedish Hasbeens that I bought at Urban Outfitters over the winter for about a third of the price. I know I’ll be wearing them almost everyday this summer. And the baubles – the smoky topaz ring I’ve had for years, the jade ring my mom recently gave me (don’t know if it’s real jade, but I don’t really care much about that stuff), the leather studded bracelet that’s perfect because it actually fits my skinny wrists (I have a hard time finding any bracelet that fits) and the earrings, one of my Odette NY birthday treasures. This is what I’m wearing these days. What about you?

I first met Jennifer, jewelry designer and owner of Odette New York, at the very first Brooklyn Flea 3 years ago. We were both vendors. We had just started our business and that day was our first time selling our products to any customers. Jennifer had started her jewelry line 2 years before, but we all bonded as first time vendors at the opening day in early April, in the cold outdoors, shivering, but excited to be part of this new thing called the Flea. While her stint at the Flea didn’t go beyond the first year, we’ve kept in touch and it’s been a pleasure to see her business flourish over the years.

When asked what I wanted for my big birthday last year, I responded with earrings from Odette. I think Jennifer’s jewelry has a very distinct and special style. She hand draws all her designs first and translates them into wax before casting them in metals. For my birthday this year, I picked up 3 more pieces to add to my collection, including this stunning necklace that is yet to be available for sale (but soon!) so I feel super lucky that Jennifer made one for me. She also added 2 little surprise necklaces for the girls – a bunny and a bird – and the girls were thrilled when Mark also handed them gifts on my birthday.

I finally made it over to her studio last night, which is in and of itself an inspiring place, a collaborative set of studio spaces separated by a little courtyard that make you feel like you’re in Venice, California and not Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Brooklyn. We have a small business owners support group where we gather and eat and talk about the various issues that we face as small business owners. Jennifer hosted last night in her studio (the flower shots are from an adjoining floral studio). Love all these collaborative work spaces here in Brooklyn (including our kitchen!). It just kind of proves that despite the crazy cost of living here in the city, people are making it work. Every time we meet, we leave a little less alone and a lot more inspired.

Wow, thanks for all the cookie names. I like how some of you came back to make even more suggestions, ha! And amazing that with almost 200 entries so far, there are only a handful of repeat names. That’s crazy. Ok, so we have a lot of names to sift through, and you know what? I realized that we’re less than a week away from our blog anniversary and we always do a giveaway to celebrate, so we’re going to pick 2 winners as usual, 1 random and 1 name winner if we do in fact use a name out of the pool. You get to pick another pack of cookies of your choice to go with your booty, so we’re closing the contest a day earlier since Mark will be baking those cookies Friday and we want them to be fresh. Maybe we’ll throw something else in there as well.

Speaking of fun things in the mail, our friends Nichole and Evan picked up these treats for us on their last trip to Paris (not the candle, the candle is from Target, but Nichole has become my candle pimp. She keeps giving me candles every time we go over to their house). Included in the package was a bar of dark chocolate with pink peppercorns. It reminded her of our pink peppercorn cookies, but we wasted no time in eating that right away, so no photo.

Nicole and I have been trying to go to Paris together for a long weekend, but it doesn’t look like it will happen for Spring as we’d originally hoped. Maybe in the Fall, but the girls, Mark and I are getting really excited about our upcoming summer trips. We’ll go back to Seattle in August as usual, but we’re looping in a trip to San Francisco and Yosemite while we’re out West. At the end of May, we’ll spend 4-5 days in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. We haven’t been there before.

Is it summer yet?

You guys are all enablers. Get the camera! Get the camera! And I’ve decided that I will, but I’m just sort of letting the price tag simmer in my head so that it’s not quite such a shock when I get handed back the receipt. It’s the same price as my computer, a MacBook Pro, but it’s interesting that I perceive it differently. When I needed a new computer I rushed out to get one, no questions asked, but a new camera? Isn’t it just a tool, just like the computer, that I use everyday? Then why is it so hard to pull the trigger on the “buy” button?

Which brings me to this question. How do you say yes to a purchase that you’ve been on the fence for so long? I’m not talking everyday things, but big purchases. It could be a vacation, or a new shiny toy, or even a car. I know anything can be rationalized to death, but how to you pull that trigger?

It’s always been hard to make big purchases on a variable, self employed income, but through discipline and budgeting, we’ve managed to save up a nice little nest egg, aside from retirement and a bit of college savings for the girls over the past 8 years. Mark and I have always made modest to decent salaries, but we’ve made saving a priority so I’m really proud of what’s sitting in the bank. It’s a security blanket in case times are tough, but sometimes I wonder what we’re saving for.

I wasn’t taught to save when I was a kid. I wish I had been, but it wasn’t the way my parents grew up so they didn’t pass those values on to me and my brother. My parents were born into the Korean War and grew up poor. When they say stuff like “I used to walk miles and miles in cold, bitter winter weather with a thin pair of worn out shoes and a light jacket”, they really meant it. They came from large broken families and were often hungry. They didn’t own any possessions and there wasn’t any money to save so I don’t blame them for not teaching us the value of saving. The American dream is real for some people. It’s amazing how they, like other immigrants, have come here and made something from literally nothing. While they may not have taught us to save, we learned about survival, tenacity and determination, albeit from more privileged circumstances from their own childhoods. Still, the concept of saving and managing money was something my brother and I have had to learn entirely on our own.

So I can understand my hesitation for pulling the trigger. I can also totally justify the purchase as a business expense. I’m in the process of redesigning our website which I hope will launch in the Spring and I see the dire need to update our photos – most of those product shots were taken 3 years ago with a point and shoot! But the real reason I’m willing to take a chance on that purchase? I haven’t been inspired to take any photos in a few weeks. I haven’t felt any joy in it for quite some time. I think that is far scarier than the money spent.

Remember when I wrote that post about not being sure how to dress my age anymore? It is so freaking craaazay that the post is almost 2 years old because I feel like I just wrote it yesterday. It’s funny, but I haven’t thought much about the whole clothes situation since then. I think I’m figuring out what works for me and what doesn’t and I don’t stress about what’s age appropriate and what isn’t. As long as I don’t look too ridiculous, or feel uncomfortable or – and this is the absolute worst – look like I’m trying too hard to be hip and relevant (seriously, someone slap me if I look like I’m desperately trying to stay young), then it’s all good. I still shop at all those stores I’ve questioned before. I realize that the person standing next to me at checkout might very well be more than half my age. I could even be old enough to be their mother, yeah, uh huh. But it’s all about selective editing, preferably with a good dose of common sense.

Since those 2 years, I’ve fallen into a look that’s worked for me and I’ve realized a few things too. As much as I really really like the girly dresses and heels and florals and dainty pretty things, dude, that is so not me. I’ve tried. While I may look okay and can maybe pull it off, I feel ridiculous on the inside. Like I feel as uncomfortable as I would be if I were wearing a Jessica McClintock prom dress. Like I’m trying to be someone I’m not. There was a time when I didn’t own any dresses (I’d wear skirts though), but over the years I’ve amassed a small collection of them and I do wear them now, particularly in warmer weather, so I’m not saying that I don’t wear dresses. I’ve made a conscious effort to wear them since that post and it’s been ok, but it’s not what I’m most comfortable in.

I think it’s an interesting idea to pick a style muse as a reference for inspiration. I’ve always loved Francoise Hardy, always. Seriously, how chic is this woman? And if you’ve seen a recent photo of her, you’ll know that she’s still chic. So these days I’ve been wearing a lot of skinny jeans tucked into boots, school boy blazers with scarves, hats (I’m always into hats), tunic-length tops, stripes (god, what a blogger cliche. It almost makes me not want to wear stripes, but I just can’t quit the stripes), and long cardigans. When it starts getting warmer, I’ll start wearing more dresses (but unfussy dresses), ballet flats, wedge sandals, loose and long t-shirts over shorts with some great jewelry and belts – I still have an affinity for studded and grommet belts.

I haven’t bought any piece of clothing in a few months, but see those black boots up there? I’ve been looking for another pair of black boots with a bit of a heel all season and I found these vintage pair on ebay for $50. They’re exactly what I wanted. But hands down the best purchase of the season were these Frye engineer boots (see below). Frye’s aren’t cheap, but it’s the best $200 I spent all year. I wear them almost every day and even I’m surprised about that. I wasn’t sure about them at first and waffled about it for a month, but I wanted some big, short boots to stomp around in and they literally go with everything, including dresses (no really, I swear).

So I really like clothes. I always have. It’s important that I wear stuff I like, but more importantly, stuff that looks good on me right now. What anybody else thinks doesn’t really matter. The only oddball equation in all of this is that I just can’t seem to resist anything shiny, sequined or beaded. Not that I’ll necessarily buy or wear it, but get me in a store and I swear I’ll make a beeline for the shiniest, most blinged out item in the store, hold it up and admire it, and maybe even carry it around with me in the store. What is that about? It’s like I was a drag queen in a past life. Step slowly away from the sequins, seriously.

Thank god for Tami from Ismodern. Because if it wasn’t for her generosity of sending the girls samples over the past few years, the girls would be dressed in mostly solids, neutral grays and navy blues. Tami brings the color, pop and bold patterns into their wardrobe. These photos were from the shoot that I took of her Fall collection earlier this year, but we just received boxes of the actual clothes on Friday. The girls were beyond thrilled because the clothes are so fun and Mia was especially happy to see the reappearance of the gold dress. Now, I don’t know what occasion she’ll have to wear a gold dress, but it’s already been borrowed out to a friend over the weekend who needed something fancy to wear as a last minute flower girl at a wedding. A gold dress!

Lots of people assume (and I know because they have told me) that I must spend a lot of time and money shopping for clothes, but I swear I don’t. The most popular question I get asked from readers, aside from which camera I use, is where I shop for the girls (by the way, all of these are answered in the FAQs in the sidebar). While it’s true that we’ve been extremely lucky to get sent this bounty of clothes once in while from Ismodern and some dresses from another designer friend in the neighborhood, I shop where most of you shop and I buy everything on sale. You can usually do quite well stocking up in bigger sizes at the end of season clearance sales and I can usually stretch a single item of clothing over 4 years between the 2 of them, although Claudine is catching up and they can actually share clothes now (that kid is huge).

Lately my go-to places have been the J Crew sales section online (but only when they announce the additional 20-30% off sale) or in outlet stores, Zara kids, the Mini Social (for Gilt.com like deals) and the Gap and Old Navy for jeans and sweaters (but always when they have a sale, which seems to be like every week now??). If I’m in the shopping mood I’ll check to see what’s on sale at some of the online boutiques like smallconcept.com and yes, Ismodern (I like to support my friends too, I’m not a freeloader, I swear!). I don’t feel like I spend too much money on the girls because I plan ahead, stock up on big sizes and take advantage of sales when I see them.

Now, can we talk about shoes? Shoes often can’t be handed down (though I try, lord I try). Mia’s feet didn’t seem to grow for a year, but Claudine’s been outgrowing everything and I just had to buy 7 pairs of shoes in the last 2 weeks because we discovered that we needed everything for the 2 of them for the winter – rain boots, snow boots, everyday boots and sneakers. But I think I spent a total of $180 for 7 pairs of shoes. That’s not bad, right?

By the way, I’m totally buying that rope necklace that Claudine is wearing in the photos for myself. I fell in love with it at the shoot. I want it for me….and maybe that fabulous feather headband (not for me, I don’t think it would fit).

ps. A few people brought it to my attention that babble.com named my former blog, Babygadet, #1 in their 50 Best Design Blogs for Moms. Gee, and look…a HUGE photo of me and Mia from our trip to Cannon Beach, urgh. Some people got confused when they saw that photo tied with Babyg and thought it was a misprint, and rightly so. Because even though I started the blog 6 years ago, I haven’t been involved at all in well over a year. Real congrats should go to my writers who keep that blog up: the ever prolific, Myfawny Nixon and Justine Hand. Hats off to you, ladies, especially Myf.

The farmers markets around the city are starting to become amazing…more stuff available and it’s only going to get better from here on out. Although these were bought from the Union Square Farmers Market in Manhattan, we are pretty lucky that the one across the street from our house is getting better and bigger each year. This is what Mark brought home: heirloom tomatoes, sorrel (my fave), artichokes, dinosaur plums (not pictured) and squash flower blossoms. We’ll post how we ate them tomorrow.

What are you buying from your local farmers markets?