Friday, August 30, 2013

Too Cool For School


It's time to head back to school! Even the miniest among us want to look their best. I can vividly remember my childhood "fall shopping trip to New York City" and my desperate attempts to convince my mom that a corduroy jumper and my new wool sweater would be perfect for the first day of school despite the 80 degree early September weather. Thankfully Steven Alan has got your (kid's) back with prints and materials that transition from late summer to fall. The clothes are classic with that perfect amount of swagger. Classic Kids photographer Katie Farro did an exceptional job shooting these looks. Her laid back attitude and spacious studio made it a breeze to wrangle in these 5 little monkeys. All styles can be found either online or at Steven Alan's Greenwich and Westport stores. Happy shopping! 

{ESP No. 1 Denim Cardigan, Steven Alan Reverse Seam Shirt}


{Boy and Girl Henley, Oeuf I See You Sweater}

{Boy and Girl Stripe Top, Boy and Girl Denim Legging}




{Boy and Girl Drawstring Pants, Steven Alan Reverse Seam Shirt}

{Steven Alan Reverse Seam ShirtBoy and Girl Drawstring Pants}

{Little Lief Hoodie Sweater}

{Oeuf Lucien Sweater, Boy and Girl Henley}

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Lovely Little Links



This world wide web is quite a place. One link just leads to another. Page after page we go... Here are some of my favorite findings from this week. Happy reading! 

1) Dance is life. I like it when dance happens within life. Photographer Jordan Matter is spectacular. So are his "dancers"


2) It's no secret I am slightly obsessed with Instagram. Imagine if you could snap a little picty like this from your phone. Staggering work... 

3) Mmmmmmm cookies. Who knew? More flour, less butter. Less butter, more flour. 

4) Get a bag like this one. Make it your own. Oh, and check out Garance Doré. She's one Cool French Chick.

5) One more week of summer. Time to make one more pie.  

6) Au revoir les lèvres pink. Bonjour les lèvres berry

7) Loving the low bootie in this post. More fall styles to come later this month on The Sent! 

8) Hello foxy! Here is one of the niftiest photo projects I have seen yet. 

9) A Father's farewell to a son off to college. Thank goodness we are just facing pre-k! 

10) I always include a lunchbox note. Maybe it's time I upgrade my program. 

11) And with the click of a mouse I found my fall hair inspiration...

12) Hubby, could you build us one of these

13) Summer's over. Rock on into the fall. I'm digging Bleached. Give this song a try... 

Thursday, August 22, 2013

In the Absence of Fear


A friend recently asked me why I blog? The answer was easy. I blog so that I can share what inspires me. Case in point, Catherine Destivelle (pictured above). This French professional rock climber became famous in the 80s for free soloing intense peaks and rock facades without any safety harnesses. Watch the video below. Her confidence is palpable. Her hands seem to glide along the rock walls - knowing just were to latch on as her body precariously dangles 100s of feet above the Earth below. As I watched her climb the steepest cliff in Mali without ropes of any kind I caught myself holding my breath and gripping the edge of my desk. Her life was on the line. She stared fear in the face. She defied gravity and brings a whole new meaning to the moniker "Catherine the Great".


Do you notice as you watch Catherine in the video that failure seems an impossibility to her? She is fearless.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

August Musings

There's a slight chill in the air that tells me autumn is just around the corner. Lazy August days are dangling by a thread as I ponder what it will feel like to drop the girls off at their first day of school. Over the next few weeks we will desperately hold onto the best of what late summer has to offer - dining outdoors in light coats well into October. Summer, where have you gone? You, ever-the-rascal, seem to disappear before you've even begun...

{A Summer Eve - CT at Dusk}

We've slowed things down over at the Pless household. The girls and I have lounged around the house - still in our pjs - until 10am. We've lingered over lunch in the backyard with little to do but impromptu play dates at the beach and in the front yard. We've become much less rigid about bedtime, even having ice cream on a weeknight at our local ice cream shop well after bedtime. This article about not hurrying our children really had me thinking. How often do you say "Hurry up sweetheart!" with the best intentions of rushing your kids just enough to get somewhere on time? I hate being rushed. I would imagine my children do too. I promise I am going to rush them less in the future. 

{Two Cones worth lingering over.}

As we head into the fall I fear my inner perfectionist will once again rear her ugly head. Always watching, always judging, frequently reminding me to get it all done - and perfectly. Wouldn't it be liberating to realize that our childhood princess dreams of having "everything in place" are unrealistic and pretty unfun too? I really appreciated this tongue-in-cheek series of photos. Here are the perfect ladies of the stories from our youth. Alas, even the most perfect of princesses eventually succumb to imperfection.  

{Snow White After the Fall, by Dina Goldstein}

And then there was this moment this week. I was giddy like a child. I, MYSELF, researched, read, trouble shot, and toiled for hours to update this beloved site. I eventually added my very own "widget" buttons to the top right portion of the page. And now you can easily click the link to follow me on a multitude of social media sites. YAHOO! This is huge people. Not the "you following me part" (although that would be very much appreciated) but the "did it myself" part. Who would have thought that the girl who could barely use excel would some day be cutting and pasting html code onto her very own blog. Let the heavens open up. Let the pigs fly. It has been done. And John is very sick of hearing how proud I am of myself...

{My Widgets}

Last weekend we travelled down south and spent 3 full days with some of our dearest friends and their children. Our afternoon out on their boat was a highlight of the weekend. We smiled until our cheeks ached - letting the wind whip against our faces as we cruised along the water. The day ended with some water skiing on the flat waters of the bay. Our fearless leader, the man of the house, was first to go, getting up on one ski and making it look altogether easy. Then it was my turn. In my head I held fast to fond memories of myself in my early twenties, waterskiing with ease. I soon learned those memories were just that  - memories. Holy smokes is waterskiing harder than I remembered. I, like Bambi in his first uncertain moments on wobbly legs, was up and down three times in the least graceful manner. Groins were pulled, egos were bruised, and defeat seemed imminent. Thankfully the group convinced me to try one more time and on my fourth try I actually stood up on the skis and cruised around the bay. Next up was John - bringing respect back to our family name by getting up on his first try and even managing to go "one handed" for a bit as he waved to the girls from afar. And then the other mama onboard decided to give it a try. I had no expectations as I had never seen her waterski. After my mediocre attempt I was skeptical. She plunged into the water and put the skis on her feet. Up on her first try - all the minis on board were thoroughly impressed. Then, to all of our amazement, two minutes in she kicked off one of the skis and seamlessly transitioned to slalom skiing. She looked so badass out there cutting through the boat's wake on her mono-ski. My heart swelled with pride because you all know there is nothing I like more than having our children realize that we as parents (especially mamas) can still do it all. At least a little and sometimes on very wobbly legs...


{My "shit eating grin" says it all.}

Oh, by the way, I think I am going to give up bleach. I figure if something is strong enough to burn a whole in my new silky sheets (remember them from this post?) then it is probably best not to have my face snuggled up against said sheets while I sleep. Agreed?


{The Sheets Made Threadbare by Bleach}

Lastly - Paloma over at this blog said it best when she posted this quote. Let's all try and make some good choices during these last dog days of summer. And when I say good I mean easy. Isn't easy better than hard? I always used to gravitate towards hard. I'm ready for easy. Are you? 

{Words to Live By}

So there you have it. My August musings... Who knows what tomorrow holds. I'll be sure to let you know in a future post.


Sunday, August 11, 2013

Read all about it!


Reading keeps your mind sharp. It allows escape and encourages emotions. I love curling up in a cozy chair and tearing into a good book. Or digging my toes into the sand and sitting by the water's edge as I disappear into another world far away. Isn't that what the month of August is for? Enjoy these fabulous books that were hand-picked by a reader who I've been getting book recommendations from for more than 20 years. She knows good books. 


Summer 2013 Favorites
“Not too heavy, nor painfully light. This list includes a range of beach reads to period pieces that promise to make you enjoy your August. My apologies now if “Me Before you” makes you stay up all night and weep!”

1. “Me Before You” by Jojo Meyes (The Sent says: As I read - each chapter pecked away at my heart. A beautiful story about a truly unique relationship that will haunt you long after you've finished the book.)

2. “A Hundred Summers” by Beatriz Williams

3. “Family Pictures” by Jane Green

4. “Interestings” by Meg Wolitzer

5. “The Widow Waltz” by Sally Koslow

6. “The Light Between Oceans” by M.L. Stedman

7. “Truth in Advertising” by John Kenney

8. “The Chaperone” by Laura Moriarity

9. “Fairyland” by Alysia Abbott

10. “You Are One of Them” by Elliot Holt



In Case you missed these last summer…. 
“Favorites from last summer in case you were in the fog of having a newborn or not quite on the reading train. Below is a list of a few good ones that can help carry you into the back to school reading cycle.” 

1. “Rules of Civility” by Amor Towles (The Sent says: Fast, fun, heart-breaking and wickedly witty.)

2. “Tigers in Red Weather” Liza Klaussman 

3. “Seating Arrangements” by Maggie Shipstead 

4. “Between the Beautiful Forevers” by Katherine Bo 

5. “A Hologram for the King” by Dave Eggers 

6. “Billy Lynn’s Long Half-Time Walk” by Ben Fountain


Great Summer Classics: 
“In case you are looking for something a tad deeper and more challenging, these classics are perfect for this or any summer reading list.”

1. “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin

2. “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand (The Sent says: Protagonist Howard Roark was my first literary crush. Rand is a spectacular writer.)

3. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain

4. “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

5. “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

6. “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee


**Click on the book titles for a link to buy them on Amazon.  

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Hopeless Wanderer

Oh Friday... Here you are again. A weekend lies ahead. Relaxation is needed. Laughter is mandatory. Watch this music video and you are on your way.

Hopeless Wanderer - Mumford & Sons

Come on now? Admit it. You laughed while watching. Director Sam Jones, you and I must become friends. And the actors? Ed Helms, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Will Forte - you are worthy of awards. Very good awards.

I was really digging this band before. Now I love them even more. Happy weekend. 



Monday, August 5, 2013

Bonfire and Vanity

By the Bonfire

By the Bonfire by lindleypless featuring birkenstock sandals

{Birkenstock Sandal $89.95H&M Top $17.95Rag & Bone Jeans $306LL Bean Hunter Tote $25Vineyard Vines Belt $37.99Rick Owens Scarf $410Sweet Romance Charm Bracelet $98} 


It's BONFIRE season people. A time to drag your beach chair down to the shore and light up a big flame. While roasting marshmallows have you ever seen one of those people in a wholly inappropriate beach outfit? For me, closed-toe shoes and wedges scream "I am SO not used to having sand between my toes." To look the part you've got to become one with your environment. I'm talking about going outdoorsy people. Way outdoorsy. Crunchy outdoorsy. Birkenstock outdoorsy. Yup, we're doing this thing. My Birkenstock Gizehs have been in hiding up at our house in VT for the last year. In June I busted them back out and they've been in rotation ever since. The best part? They are COM-FOR-TABLE!! John didn't like them when I bought them 8 years ago and he doesn't like them now. Meh, who says we have to dress for men anyway? The distressed jeans and slouchy gray t-shirt (H&M is now online!) ain't too shabby either. And that L.L. Bean Tote? It's pretty rad too - especially in camo.   

And the inspiration...


Selma Blair

Heidi Klum


Ashley Olsen


Harper's Bazaar

Julianne Moore

Kate Moss


Miranda Kerr for Harper's Bazaar UK

Arty Filles

** Rumor has it that Birkenstocks and socks are big this fall in the world of editorial fashion. I can't say I'll be taking it that far but I have learned to never say never...