Gifting Greatness

With Black Friday and other maddening marathon sales events out of the way, more leisurely holiday shopping can ensue. The list is short this year- many friends also celebrating their first holidays with little ones in tow understand the need to cut back. The selections may change, the colors vary, but the core gift gifting tenets remain in effect.

When decide just what to get for those who seem to have everything, sometimes its best to start with what not to get (or wear, Stacy and Clinton). Regardless of how desperately a wife says the household needs a new Bissel steam cleaning vacuum, do not purchase this as a holiday gift. Utility should not be a guiding principal when choosing a gift, nor should practicality. There will be sales in January and you can buy one then. Toning footwear (Sketchers Shape-ups, Reebok Easy Tone, etc) should also be crossed right of any list for consideration. We all want to get in shape, Christmas is not the time to validate our complaints about a firmer bottom.

Classics are always in style: brightly colored leather gloves, a balanced yet spicy cologne (Burberry does everything well), anything with a monogram (like these Brooks Brothers monogrammed pajamas), an elegant Diptyque candle in Coriander. (With scented candles, keep in mind what Miranda said to Carrie when Steve's new girlfriend gave her one from a flea market, 'scented candles replace women with cats as the new saddest thing'. This can be true so stick to well heeled brands that balance their scents and wont leave your home smelling like a buffet or a taxi cab.)

Tucker will get a Brooks Brothers teddy (wearing a classic silk tie) a few wooden keepsake toys, and a lot of clothing to fit his ever growing frame. Gift giving to an infant is more for parents joy than babies anyway, but then again so is most gifting. Happy shopping!

Holiday Dressing

Though the turkeys are not yet in the oven and the mercury hovers in the 50's, the holiday invites are beginning to collage the fridge and thus the season has arrived. For the first holiday season post-baby, I knew a closet overhaul (part 2) would be in order. The size 0 go-to LBD is no longer a good, dear friend, but rather an unflattering frenemy. Bridesmaids dresses lingering in the background are ready for their next home.

With a smaller budget than the usual holiday shopping spree would be allocated (Tucker is the proud owner of many new winter treats- Ralph Lauren classic cable sweater and overalls for thanksgiving, cashmere argyle vest with fine wale cords for Christmas) I have to re-imagine the party dress. I own a cream silk tank with black lace applique, that's probably even more on target now than last fall when I bought it at Scoop. That can pair with a fitted black silk tulip skirt that was a steal from Ann Taylor at $68 (reduced from $119)! Pants can do evening (love this skinny pair from Rachel Zoe at Intermix), if they have the right heels (a re-do of the classic black peep toe from Michael Kors) to support their night out. And an LBD doesn't have to be black at all-sapphire blue, grey and even red are good options (like this under $100 score from Loft).

The silver lining to the economic tumble is the steep discounts and routine promos you can count on each week, brand-wide. I haven't enjoyed such prices since my days as a buyer (which still make it difficult to fork over $150 for a J.Crew bauble bib necklace when the industry standard 75% IMU (mark up) lingers in my mind). I'm sure the black Friday deals will be epic, but I've never had the stomach for a buffet, let alone shopping in hoards (someone booked our nanny to be at their house at 4am to watch the little ones while they take to the malls. I'd rather wear polyester in the summer). Happy shopping!

Spillage

I shouldn't be surprised that it happened, given that 1) I was in a rush, 2) I was wearing dry-clean only Ralph Lauren light grey flannel trousers, 3) I had left all bibs and burp cloths in the kitchen and didn't pack any in Tucker's bag, and 4) I had an early meeting with a VIP. But nevertheless, one is still caught off guard by the projectile force with which pasty white Similac on its way back up catches the leg of a perfectly crafted wide-leg trouser pant.

With baby on hip, Marc Jacobs dangling from elbow, traveling coffee mug in left hand and key clenched between forefinger and mug, I lost another precious few seconds deciding how to react first. Baby can't be placed down on cement parking garage floor or roof of the car, so appendages had to go while baby was safely nestled into car seat. Luckily, I compulsively clean my car on weekends, so the backseat floor mat had to serve as both burp cloth and dry-clean device in a pinch. (Tucker of course found it all amusing, which helped buy my a few more minutes I really couldn't afford to begin with). Fellow parkers didn't miss the opportunity to stare (not offering a hand of course, we are not that far from the mean streets of Manhattan after all). The entire fiasco added 6 minutes to my clock, wear and tear to my pants, and perspiration to my face.

I won't say I learned my lesson when it comes to the pants- I own far too much cashmere, silk, wool and other washer-adverse material to forgo all such ensembles. But I won't be leaving the house without several burp cloths in the near future.

Boys Play

I realize that the holidays are still quite a few weeks off, but when it comes to dressing for occasions, its never too early to prepare. I was fortunate enough to receive a few samples of one of the most irresistible children's lines around, Tom & Drew. Though 2T is the smallest size, it wont be long before Tucker is rivaling his dad for best dressed (especially given he weighs nearly 20 pounds and is 2 weeks shy of 6 months old). The company also donates a portion of proceeds to bulldog rescue, how could you resist? (Take a peek at some looks on facebook, or shop the collection at Shopbelle.)

The grey gold button blazer will probably have to wait until the pureed foods have become a thing of the past (or risk the same fate as my ill destined silk theory shirt), but it will be worth the wait. In the meantime, holiday shopping for baby and and birthday browsing for daddy is underway (and since the latter will be bidding farewell to his 20's, the perfect present is a necessity). What to get the man that (since we began dating 5 years ago) has everything (and if he gets too much more, will be encroaching into my closet)?

photo credit to Tom and Drew's Facebook page

9-5 Grind, and then Some

A typical day was ahead- up by 5, drop Tucker at daycare, at work by 7:45, 2 meetings, pick Tucker up, wait for Hubs to return from work, head back to work for Board meeting, no dinner, home by 10. The evening addition to the usual menu required an extra touch of 'professional' to the otherwise business casual ensemble.

The walk-in closet was once my best friend. But like so many 20-something girlfriends find each other, it has become more of a frenemy. Its not size (I have resigned myself to the fact that the 0-petite pants won't fit comfortably again since nearly 9 pound Tucker made his debut, so I've purged and replaced them with the next size). Dry clean only seems impractical, 3 inch Prada pumps carry fear of falling with precious baby on hip, crisp white Thomas Pink shirt wrinkles under baby's weight on shoulder, black Theory pants collect lint from carpeting while sitting and playing on activity mat with aforementioned baby in the morning. What to do? After the 5 hours of sleep I managed the night before, patience are slightly short, and sounds from the nursery signal my time to decide on an outfit is near its end. The 80% closet purge I find necessary to go on is not in the cards this month, so I'm forced to work with what I have.

Grey merino boatneck with elbow sleeves and black sateen Ann Taylor pants it is. Jcrew statement necklace thrown in purse to be put on after daycare drop-off (ever seen a 5 month old baby and an expensive piece of not-so-expensively-made costume jewelry? Not good). Sounds getting louder, rushing required. Overly practical Enzo flats will have to do. 16 hours later I'll be home to change!

Wearing White

Wearing my white after labor day proudly (boyfriend cut jeans, rolled at the ankle) is a routine for me. So post baby, I wanted to adhere to my usual fall fashion habits as much as possible. Excited with my new discounted pair of Sevens (discounted because apparently, not everyone realizes you can in fact wear white jeans all year long) I found a great light weight cashmere top to pair them with.

I should mention that at 4 months old, Tucker now eats pureed veggies. It just so happens that every 'first veggie' is orange in color (sweet potatoes, carrots, squash). After a great day in my white jeans, I ran to pick the prince up from daycare and rushed home for dinner time. Organic carrots and flexible Skip Hop spoon in hand, we began our meal. Practicing his new skill of blowing bubbles with his saliva at every chance he gets, Tucker blew the contents of the spoon all over the table, and more sadly, my white jeans. Not even Tide to go could help my poor pants, for orange is an impossible color to remove from fabrics.

I think that perhaps first veggies should be a more appropriate hue, like beige. Can white potatoes make a comeback?

Grab Bag

A woman's purse is always a variable treasure trove of wonders, but on this day my bag was even more full than usual. With 4 month old baby on hip, bottles stowed in monogrammed infant lunch tote, prada makeup case tucked into outer pocket, phone safely away from water bottle in middle pouch, I was ready to go.

Daycare drop off was done in record time (which always includes at least 10 minutes where I stand smiling at Tucker and making faces while he squeals in delight in daycare worker's arms before I can rip myself away, and the mandatory taking off and putting back on of Michael Kors wedges). Next stop Starbucks for my one indulgence of the day (iced triple espresso with half and half- yes, half and half, and plenty of it). While reaching into my trusty Gucci extra large hobo for Louis Damier wallet, the first thing I retrieved was not the wallet at all, but rather dirty poop diaper packaged in a ziplock, ready to be dropped off at the doctor to test that little man is not allergic to newly introduced first foods (mmm rice cereal). The cashier did not miss the incident, as I stood there for at least 20 seconds holding the Pampers in my right hand. I smiled, tucked the diaper back into Gucci, and found sought after wallet. Adventures in parenting and working full time.