Moms We Love: Lucy Wrubel

(image via Style Sheet)

Who she is: Lucy Wrubel – Insanely stylish DJ, gal about town, and mom to five-year-old Stella.

Why we love her: She’s smart, cool, curious, wickedly funny, and (best of all) kind. Oh and she spins records (so to speak, it is 2012 after all) in ways that will get even the most staid of peeps shaking their groove thang.

Herewith a peek into Lucy’s world…Enjoy!

(1. hair elastics/2. Celine wedges/3. mix of the month/4. Abe Lincoln by Anna Raff/5. LV travel mirror/ 6. Taverna/ 7. Tucker blouse)

Always in your handbag: Chapstick + sunscreen for stella and seriously five varying shades of PINK lipstick, several snag less hair elastics (because I’m a DryBar junkie and always show up there with my hair in a bun), oh and I have a little travel mirror from Louis Vuitton that is perhaps the finest purchase I’ve EVER made…

On heavy rotation: For real? That question is SO hard for me… I have nearly 35,000 songs in my library! I constantly build these playlists of music I’m wanting to understand better… (that’s my homework) and sometimes it’s what we eat dinner to…picture this: “pass the mac n’ cheese, and I really like the new Skrillex, do you honey?” But MOST of the time we select from a Mix of the Month playlist… Stella LOVES the reggae and bossa nova, Steve votes for Americana or the so-cal surfers mix, and I like them all.

On your nightstand: The Sunday NY times, US weekly and several children’s books on Abe Lincoln and Dinosaurs… I am lucky if I’m able to get a lengthy Vanity Fair article under my belt.

Your “uniform”: Ya know i am sucker for a Tucker silk shirt… I wear it with cut-offs and Celine wedges or skinny jeans. So much of my work is about fashion, and I LOVE nothing more than the hunt in a good vintage store. My best finds are ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS when I’m traveling.

Your go-to restaurant for family dinner/ for date night: We three Wrubels are big fans of Alberto Lombardi… We love Taverna and Penne Pomodoro and eat Sunday brunch REGULARLY at Toulouse (Stella’s picture is on the wall!) We can walk from home along the Katy Trail (I’m usually in shades and a dress with crazy hair from a job the night before). We Wrubels work so much at night that we LIVE for Sunday family hang day… Date nights are always at home, at our dining table, with stella as the chaperon.

Posted on July 5, 2012 by joslyn
Posted in Moms we love | 2 Comments

The Birthday Party Project

Self-proclaimed, “birthday enthusiast”, Paige Chenault is the genius behind The Birthday Party Project, whose goal is…

“for each homeless child in Dallas to experience a birthday party and have the opportunity on their special day to feel celebrated and “normal.” We want them to swell with excitement and pride as friends and family gather around to watch them blow out candles and dream of more. We want to make birthday wishes come true.”

(via The Birthday Party Project)

Beautiful, yes?

You’re going to need to watch the video above asap…it will blow your mind. Trust me.

Posted on July 3, 2012 by joslyn
Posted in Parties | 2 Comments

Mommy Chic

I love it when a blog lives up to its name. Like, say…Mommy Chic. The site is the brainchild of a Dallas mama who sports some serious maternity style. I can safely say I never (ever) looked remotely as pulled together (and yes, chic) as she does when I was pregnant with the girlies. (Evidence above and below…)

In fact, her spot-on style makes me (almost) want to get pregnant again…Well not really, but her sartorial prowess is really quite something, yes?

Posted on July 2, 2012 by joslyn
Posted in Fashion | 1 Comment

Some Blog Love: The Meaning of Pie


My friend Allison turned me on to the wholly awesome blog The Meaning of Pie yesterday, and I’m officially hooked. It’s written by Dallas mama Kelly Dean Yandell, and it’s chock full of foodie goodness. I’ve bookmarked no less than five recipes that I want to try my hand at this weekend. At the tippy top of my list though are Kelly’s glazed lemon and thyme cookies. Then again, I am on a six week “sugar fast”, which has resulted thus far in massive cravings for all manner of sweets. So in four weeks and three days from now, I am totally going to make those cookies.

But whose counting?

Posted on June 29, 2012 by joslyn
Posted in Eats, Recipes | 2 Comments

Cool Camp Spotlight: Stage West Summer Literacy Camps

Speaking of cool co-workers, there’s the matter of the events editor at D Magazine, Liz Johnstone. She sits in the row behind me and is cultured, witty, erudite… (She’s also extremely mellow and nice, which offsets any potential intimidation that might rise from the whole cultured/witty/erudite thing.)

So when I got an e-mail from her entitled, “A couple of kids summer camps I’d actually want to attend”, I took notice. If it’s good enough for Liz, then it’s good enough for my kiddos.

The camps in questions are Stage West’s summer literacy camps in Ft. Worth, which foster literacy and cultural education through theater, art, and Greek mythology. The whole enterprise looks incredibly cool (but of course it does…Liz sent it). You can get the full low-down here.

Posted on June 26, 2012 by joslyn
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The Quest for A Chic Bag…

I am in constant search of a big “schlepper” bag that still manages to look chic (without costing me more than my first car). It’s an elusive enterprise, but I’m not giving up. I am determined… I know it’s out there.

My holy grail is a big monogrammed (I am obsessed with the monogram) Goyard tote, à la Gwyneth’s number to the right… One of my very stylish co-workers carries a giant Emerald green one that manages to look cool even when it’s brimming with work files and pacifiers and baby gadgets (and given that said co-worker is also the mom of a toddler, it is usually is). The true mark of a bag’s chicness is, after all, its ability to stand-up against lovies and goldfish crackers and plastic toys, yes?

Sadly, the Goyard is decidedly out of my price range, but the replicating my beloved monogram *might* just be doable.

I snapped up that exact roomy camel leather tote below from Banana Republic last year, and it’s proved a perfectly good bag — it’s functional; it sports buttery leather; it’s ideal for schlepping — but otherwise it’s a pretty basic enterprise. There’s nothing especially chic about it.

Enter operation “paint my own Goyard-esque monogram”. (I know, I know, that’s an awfully long name for an operation.)

I spotted a tutorial for adding a stripe and monogram to an existing bag here, and it’s possible that (with a little help from my artistic husband) I might actually be able to pull this off. A chic, schlepping tote could very well be in my future.

I’m headed to Michaels for leather paint this weekend…I’ll let you know how it goes!

Posted on June 25, 2012 by joslyn
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Moms We Love: Sharon Blumberg

{image via Shana Anderson Photography}

Who she is: Sharon Blumberg, artist, volunteer, yoga enthusiast, founder of CHOOZE shoes, and mom of three.

Why we love her: She parlayed her background as an artist and her passion for encouraging kids to be extraordinary, unique, and compassionate into a line of whimsical shoes that make a difference in the world. As a Good Returns company, each time someone snaps up a pair of her vegan, environmentally conscious (and totally cool) kicks, a portion of the profits goes toward providing training, support, education, and loans to women trying to better their lives.

Herewith a peek into Sharon’s world…Enjoy!

{Images clockwise from top: Peel Me a Grape/J. Crew/Graphic Image}

 

On Heavy Rotation — My musical choices change with my moods – I am loving Rodrigo Y Gabriela right now.

On Your Nightstand — I’m about to start a home renovation so I spend a lot of my reading time these days looking for inspiration on houzz.com.

Always in Your Handbag — lip gloss, my iphone, and a notebook/sketchbook to jot down ideas.

Your “Uniform” – In the summertime, I love any black cotton, sleeveless dress. I can dress it up or down and it keeps me cool.

Go-to Restaurant — My new favorite place with kids is Company Cafe on the Katy Trail. For a date with my husband, I love any place where I can find a great vegetarian option and a delicious chocolate dessert!

Posted on June 19, 2012 by joslyn
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Into The Weekend…

We’ve got some craft making, art viewing, and some shopping (just a little bit) on the agenda for the weekend… Tonight (pending the rain holds out) we’re headed to the Summer Block Party in the Arts District for late night at the Nasher, Crow and DMA. Given Millie’s current obsession with all things Japanese, we’re planning on making a beeline for the paper kimono making craft at the Crow. That whole enterprise will likely make her entire month.

Tomorrow (for less crafts, more art) there’s the East Dallas Gallery Day from 12-9 in Deep Ellum and Expo Park. Area galleries will be open to the public for perusing while food trucks will be serving up the yummy grub. I’m thinking this might be the perfect mother/daughter date for me and Audrey.

(Image via Berlin + Opsal Residence)

And last but not least, there’s the summer sale going down at Baby Bliss and Mini Me at their Snider Plaza and Southlake locations. The cute mod baby and kiddo goods are buy 1 item and get the 2nd at 50% off.  Can’t beat that.

Have a splendid weekend friends!

Posted on June 15, 2012 by joslyn
Posted in Galleries, Outdoors, Shops | Leave a comment

The Goodness that is Chicken Scratch

Millie and I teamed up with some buddies for our inaugural visit to Chicken Scratch last Saturday, and I am officially (extremely) smitten with the joint. Now judging from the crowd, I think most people are in on Oak Cliff’s latest low-key eatery, but in the off chance that you’ve not yet experienced its wide-open, mellow Austiny vibe or its crazy addictive rotisserie chicken, sweet and salty fries, and handmade popsicles, then I urge you to make a pilgrimage, stat.

Here’s the deal… This place is massively kid friendly, with its space for roaming (and hopscotching and twistering and bean bag throwing and just general merry making), but it’s also 100% adult friendly too. There’s a bar next door for purchasing libations, the food is interesting and tasty, and the crowd is fun. But perhaps the best part is how all those aforementioned diversions for the kiddos make it possible to actually have an adult conversation while partaking in your G&T and chicken.

The only downside was the heat (and we went on one of last week’s mild days)…I can’t imagine what it will be like in the scotch of August. Oh and there were quite a few flies* to bat away. But nothing some fan action couldn’t help resolve.

Otherwise, it was perfection in every way.

(*Note to Chicken Scratch: You might consider investing in some fans for summer and perhaps a few of those hanging plastic bags of water with the pennies inside. I’m not sure how the heck those bad boys work, but I’ve seen a lot of dining establishments use them to great effect, so it’s worth a try…)

Posted on June 13, 2012 by joslyn
Posted in Eats, Restaurants, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

More Photo Booth Madness

Only this time, the madness belongs to my crew…

I posted about my friend Kristin and her girlies’ photo booth proclivities a couple of weeks ago, but, truth be told, my own family is pretty addicted to the photo booth situation.

We jump in any and every booth we come across (sadly, few and far between in Dallas) and, as such, have amassed quite the little collection. Over the weekend, I decided to group all the strips together on our pantry doors. Now as we’re reaching in for the granola, we can check out our collective mugs (in all their vampy, silly, crazy splendor) over the years.

It’s good stuff.

Posted on June 11, 2012 by joslyn
Posted in DIY | 1 Comment