Archive | November, 2011

Gifting — MOM!! byMollie

28 Nov
Everyone loves a cozy robe

Who wouldn't love you unconditionally if you gave this to her??

Oh it’s that time of year when we all sing “fa-la-la-la-la” and the spirit of the holidays has taken over!   This has always been my favorite season. I love the twinkling lights, the sounds of Christmas music playing non-stop, the snow, the smell of evergreen, the crackle of the fire burning the Yule log (whatever that is).

Unfortunately, there is also a lot to do in the weeks leading up to the big day! I find that as I am a little older and have more responsibilities and a lot more people to gift, that it can be a little overwhelming and exhausting. So between decorating my house and making sure I am making the rounds to all the parties in December, I’ve decided to give some ideas to you from the byLangley collection for the ones you love!

For MOM!!

Mere Hanna will be receiving this -- she adores HANRO!!

There are all sorts of moms out there and here are a few ideas. From Mere Hanna to Mollie Lang, here are some gifts that just might work for your Mama!

Who wouldn't love this... it is oh so flattering, such a great color, and has awesome dets!

For the Green Mama!

It's made from organic cotton and is long enough to cover her derriere!

This screams MOM! In a good way!

Wrap her in Love

I hope babyM gifts me with this!!

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Thank you + 25% off!

24 Nov

Wouldn't these be a great present for your babysitter?


Hi Loves,

Thank you so much for all of your support throughout the last year. byLangley is a success because of my great friends and family who have been promoting the site as well as continually supporting my vision. We are also eternally grateful to the awesome individuals who have helped to make the site come alive. Tom and I would especially like to thank Charles, Tracy, Liz, Lisa, Danielle, Katherine, the guys in India, Clara, Jon, and Kristin. Without your talents, byLangley would never have seen the light of day. We are definitely moving forward with an even bigger plan, so this is going to be another year full of wonderful challenges and the continued support of so many! THANK YOU!

Now as a special thanks to all of those who have visited the site and are ready to make a big holiday purchase — we are now 25% off to celebrate the season! The most loved items are going fast (sorry, Chris about the Soft Joie Arizona) which is why you should make that purchase now!! byLangley is all about finding gifts for you and for the ones you love — maybe the Brulee Vamp Cami for your self and the Brulee Classic Nightshirt for your mom? How about terrific Eberjey Gisele PJs or the JJJ NYC Jamie for your best friend and favorite babysitter respectively? Whatever you decide, have fun shopping!!

And this is perfect for you!

Now I have to go to work on my own Thanksgiving dinner!!

XOXO,
Mollie

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look of the day byMollie

22 Nov

Best Fleece EVER!!

 

 

Oh, I was over the moon to see my dear friend Gretta at Starbucks wearing the T Los Angeles Boyfriend Sweatshirt with Kangaroo Pocket. This is an all time favorite of mine. If I had an Ex boyfriend (please note, I’ve been with Tom for just about ever)  I imagine that I stole this fabulous pullover after a heated argument followed by a torrid make-out session.  As a defiant act of “forget you forever”, I would take this and never look back. Lucky for us all no such drama is needed to own this particular Pullover Wonder.


I like Gretta’s pop of color with the cobalt blue tank underneath and always fabulous leggings. The tee being a bit longer covers her tushy (not that her backside needs to be covered) but which is smart thing to do when in such form fitting bottoms.  I would suggest these tees from byLangley.

Only Hearts Organic Cotton Racerback Tank

Stripes are so Nice

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first retail outpost!! byMollie

21 Nov

So excited to announce that byLangley has about 1 square foot of space in my favorite spa in Pittsburgh, Miss B’s Beauty Lounge. Thanks Katie for giving me some space to show off our lounge & lingerie!!

how many pieces could we pack into a little space?

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small biz love byMollie

21 Nov

This Saturday, after “Black Friday” and before “Cyber Monday”, is a new retail holiday called “Small Business Saturday”.

I, for one,  love this idea!

When I’m out and about, I enjoy supporting local shops, mom and pop restaurants, and small boutiques with a more intimate point of view. The relationships that I’ve made with small business owners is honestly a founding principle for byLangley. It’s helping to create a world that is not so cookie cutter. The dialogues that I have with my fave small businesses, which have often grown into friendships, are what I hope to create with you in the future!

Here are a few of my favorite small businesses that I’ll be supporting on Saturday!

Allison McGeary Floral & Event Design – Allison is a world class floral and event designer who uses her Masters in Architecture (from Columbia, no less) to design gorgeous structures of color and light using peonies, tulips, and orchids. I am always amazed by her team’s incredible aesthetic that makes each design unique and stunning. Her studio in Lawrenceville is also full of incredible pieces for your home that are as unique as Allison’s events. Thanks to the relationship we’ve built, I always know that friends will receive arrangements or gifts that feel as if I’ve helped design — http://www.mcgearycreative.com/.

From my wonderful husband..

The Picket Fence – Adorable boutique on Walnut Street in Pittsburgh. I love to find gifts here for the home or new babies. Practically, babyM’s entire wardrobe has come from here — http://www.picketfenceshadyside.com/.

babyM doesnt have this... yet

Create Studio Invites – My dear friend Jody Stein designs one of a kind invitations that are gifts to your guests. My baby shower invite was done by Jody and the word WOW is the only one to describe how special they were! http://createstudioinvites.com/index.php

Lady Lang

It dangles, like a mobile... get it?!

Nota Bene – This sweet little shop in Aspinwall, PA is where I buy all my stationery. I 100% believe in the handwritten note and Amy & Evvy are incredible at guiding you through personalized options. Now, if only I had time to write all the thank you notes that since babyM’s birth!

Now if only babyM could write some of these thank you notes...

Colangelo’s Bakery – Yum! My favorite Saturday morning activity is to go to the Strip District with Tom and babyM to pick up fresh produce, cheeses and meats (from Parma – also incredible). But we always start off with a coffee from La Prima and a croissant with cheese & ham or a slice of pizza from Colangelo’s. It’s just so good! http://www.colangelosbakery.com/


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sweatpant purgatory byMollie

17 Nov

Okay, so I’m watching my new favorite show (which is kind of the story of our life right now) Up All Night, and the phrase “sweatpants purgatory” was stated. I love it – finally it has a name! SWEATPANT PURGATORY/ def – the wardrobe of women after baby. My sister in law even said, a few weeks ago, isn’t lounge “mommy clothes”?

UGH! SCARY! NO!! Mom Jeans are Mommy Clothes!

In my eyes, this is the way I have been dressing since college. In fact, head to some of the top schools in the country and you will see on, on any given day, beautiful girls in leggings, awesome wraps layered over camis or tees. Better yet, just open any US Weekly and in the “Stars Their Just Like Us” section you will inevitably see any starlet or stunning A-Lister wearing some combination of knit pant and slouchy sweatshirt. This is the way we, as American women, dress. Casual, fresh faced, and relaxed.

Now, to make the look work doesn’t take much time and is always comfortable. A friend of mine recently sent an email to askMollie wanting to know how to replace her Stay At Home Mom wardrobe (SAHM) which consists of “old sweats and hoodies that go with dark circles and ponytails” with new fabulous but relaxed looks. Here are some looks that I would put together for this lounge look! Just add your own accessories — scarf, stacked leather bracelets, or a great pair of glasses (preferably from my favorite sitehttp://www.warbyparker.com/)  and you’ve got the look!
All American

Plush Fleece Stirrups -- So warm on those cold nights Soft Joie Duncan

The Girly Girl

A Fine Line Scarlett Lace HoodieAmulette Serenite Dress

The Glam Girl 

look of the day byRory

14 Nov

Hi All!
Today our Look of the Day  is brought to you by our new favorite guest editor, my niece Rory!! Besides being a talented singer, amazing fashionista, and all around incredible 3rd Grader she can now call herself BLOGGER EXTRAORDINAIRE! I am totally inspired by her laid back weekend style… Enjoy!

Workin' It!

Funky fashion inspires me but I have to wear a school uniform everyday. Also, I’m never allowed to change my clothes as often as I would like. This is because my nanny doesn’t like to do the laundry and my mom doesn’t like that I leave my change of clothes around.
My look took me from swimming lessons to animal exploration. I wore Justice cargo leggings with magenta and grey Splendid top that I layered over a white Gap tank. I also had light brown button Uggs. I was thinking about wearing my fur vest but it was warm in Pittsburgh.
I can move around all day. When I was wearing this I felt like a teenager.
Last week I went to Aunt Mollies and took care of babyM. I love to talk about clothes with Aunt Mollie. It’s important to be comfortable but also look good.

Love,
Rory

being mommie byMollie

13 Nov

babyM can't wait to go back to daycare and away from her crazy mom!

Last week, after a lunch meeting with my amazing advisors (thank goodness for them or my head would definitely have exploded off of my body the last few weeks) I was walking back to our second office (aka Charles’ house) and ran into a really lovely woman that I have known for a million years. She is a sweet girl and is an awesome mom to a baby about 4 months older than babyM. Every time I see her, I am so impressed with how great a mom she is and I do like to hang out with her and her beautiful daughter when babyM and I are free. So, the following conversation was a little weird:

Me: Hi, J! How are you?

J: Great! Where’s the baby?
Me: Oh, she’s with the babysitter so that I can work. Seeing you with the baby makes me miss babyM!

J: Well, that’s your choice.

Whoa, really? I don’t think that this girl was being intentionally malicious because I just don’t think that it is her nature. She really is a really nice person.  And the whole conversation could have been seen through her eyes a different way – with me being like, “While you’re out having fun, I work so obviously, she’s with a babysitter stupid!”

There is likely sensitivity on both sides of this terrible divide but the bottom line is that it did bring up that huge, terrible feeling that I am faced with everyday… Am I doing the right thing by not staying at home and being a full time mom?
Now, let’s get something totally accurate. It isn’t actually my choice to stay home. Tom is wonderful and is off to a very successful start in his career but I would have to work in order to provide for all of the things that I want my child to experience. I know what you’re thinking, the experience of being with me all of the time is actually extremely valuable (for those of you who know me personally, you might be asking, or is it?). Secondly, I chose to start my own company, which is a ton of work right now but will hopefully yield more time with the babes in the future. My hope is that I don’t have to be chained to a job where I am working 12 hour days for the man. The third reason I’m working and possibly the most selfish is the fact that for my own personal well being, I have to try this business out or else I may end up with personal regrets.  The flip side of that statement is that although life can be full of regrets for me, the one absolute is that babyM not resent me in the long run.

Being a mom is the most rewarding and challenging job imaginable and I have so much respect for every kind of mom out there! The responsibility is incredible and falls squarely on our shoulders – whether you are home or away. I hear every minor sound that comes from babyM’s room at night (Tom took the monitor away because he was concerned I really wasn’t sleeping) and just realized that I sleep with one eye open now.  The change that occurs when you have a child is that you literally do live for your child in a way that is completely unimaginable before he or she arrives!

I just don’t know how to juggle my internal feelings about not being with her all of the time in order to succeed in a business that she will hopefully be proud of, and even possibly run, in the future – if she’s not a supreme court justice or something else incredibly noble. I don’t have any answers to these ponderings, so I guess it will just continue to eat away at me until I feel more confident as a mother and as a business owner. Both incredibly daunting but aspects that make me the person and Mommie I am.

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look of the day rewind byMollie

10 Nov

Hi All (and particularly Dana),

There has been a lot of positive chatter across facebook regarding the Monrow Gold Zipper Vintage Sweats. I didn’t write a blog post about them but did post it as my look du jour a few days ago.

 

Yes, these bottoms really are amazing. Firstly, they should not be considered sweats because they go above and beyond that. My cousin Annie is actually trying to figure out a way to wear these to work. Besides being oh so comfortable, these Monrow bottoms are also incredibly flattering. Now, this pic of moi is not the best —  I mean, I really need a new photog, better lighting, and a better location  – but these pants really garner wonderful compliments from all over: my sisters, my babysitter, my aunt, my hair dresser, my husband… the list goes on and on! We carry these in Black and Federal Blue but if they are sold out (which might be the case very soon) then I would also suggest these other winners from Monrow.

Monrow Inside Out Pocket Sweats: Pockets are always a nice to have and these bottoms offer great deep ones (more so than the Gold Zipper version). The Zipper detail is also really different as it’s painted.

New Arrival + Awesome

 

Monrow Vintage Sweats — Same great style sans the zippers.

Pretty cute in Navy or Heather Grey

 

Monrow Trouser Sweats — A little less old school but still very cool. You will seriously never want to remove from your body!

You're New Go Tos

 

Monrow Vintage Fleece Dress: Finally, for those of you who just don’t know about sweat pants, I suggest the adorable Monrow Fleece Zipper Dress.

It's so warm inside, but so stylish outside

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