day four. are you tired of me yet?

you're probably asking yourself one of two questions:

either

"where was she yesterday? i missed her soooooo!"

or 

(more likely)

"when is she going to be done with this ridiculousness? i'm over the vlogs..."

well.

i was busy in the rain yesterday, sorry. 

i missed you, too.

also.

i'm not sure when i'm going to be done with the cleanse, but i will definitely try and break up the videos so you don't end up hating me and my eleventyzillion facial expressions. 

pinbinge wednesday action mañana. 

are you cleansing? 

are you dirty?

let me hear it.

and in case you were in need of a silly hat fix for the day... 

a few things to note:

*i'm learning to edit as i go along. don't hate.

honestly, i have like five minutes to put these up 

(in between having shoes thrown at my head by one kid, my pants tugged on by another kid asking for a snack, trying to schedule my life and use my pinterest app simultaneously. you dig?)

*"i feel like i could go forever without sugar..." i'm lying. 

*"balls of wonder". yup. i said it.

*finally, and most importantly:

i do realize this is not rocket science, and that there are much more important things going on in the world. 

as i write this, a friend's mother is fighting for her life in the hospital, and i pray she'll be alright. 

this just happens to be a medium that i really enjoy creating (hate watching myself afterward, but that's neither here nor there) and i really love and appreciate you watching!

i got a super rad surprise yesterday that i can't wait to share with you this weekend!!! 

i'm thinking of taking this act on the road; 

the mean streets of la, that is.

you wanna see me learn to surf? 

(insert riotous laughter here)

go shopping on melrose?

climb some awesome rocks?

(that can actually happen)

take a pure barre or trx class?

(again, with the laughter)

ride horses through the canyon at sunset?

take sailing lessons?

drink too much vino and completely embarrass myself on a winery tour? 

give me your honest thoughts and opinions.

really, i can take it!

(i know jenny will comment--TY, sisterwife!--but who else?!)

if you tell me to never make another video again, that's cool. 

but i won't listen. 

xo

what are you doing nye?

i hope you have a safe, fabulous evening, 

whatever your plans. 

i plan on having a sumptuous night in with david, 

some organic, grass-fed filet, delicious champagne, and romantic, classic movies. 

and maybe a little something sparkly.

cheers!

xo

why?...because i like you. and i'm exhausted.

hope you all are having a fabulous weekend!

yesterday we took the girls for their first-ever, 

remember-it-always trip to disneyland. 

it was epic.

(the only thing that could have made it better would have been these sweet, matching, vintage wool suits. am i right?) 

i am toast.

still coming down from the sugary, sparkly, sensory overload that is disneyland.

need to detox; i think a long, hot bath + good red wine 

+ a silent, black and white film (with people, not animation) 

is the perfect antidote. 

see ya tomorrow. 

sparkle kisses and glitter hugs!

xo

leatha weatha

last night i went out for wine with some new girlfriends.

it was delicious. 

we drank barbera (cantina tre serre), which is a totally affordable yet beautiful wine. 

definitely adding this to my regular rotation! 

we ate fried cauliflower (i know--it was ridiculously good!) 

and absolutely delicious crispy white polenta with wild mushrooms, a fried egg, & parmigiano-reggiano on top. insane.

much needed quality girl time was had by all, and while the menu and bar offerings had me salivating for more, it was one of my girlfriend's outfits that really had me hungry. 

thus, i give you, a case for leather leggings. 

(its leatha weatha, after all.)

i'm discovering that in la, its harder than i had thought to dress appropriately. the weather goes from 50 to 90 in the course of a day, so layering is essential. i'm getting that part down.

but converting from east coast formalities in dressing to a more laid-back, casual yet still stylish wardrobe is something i have to work on. 

i've been admiring leather leggings from afar for at least two winters now, and i think this is the year i have to go for it. 

they're super versatile; its la after all , so i can wear them during the day with a floaty button down, oversized knit, or asymmetrical tee and my beat up biker boots. with my kid in tow. 

then i can dress them up for evening cocktails and pair them with a sexier top or a tuxedo or boyfriend jacket and stilettos, as my girlfriend did last night. 

chic and sexy, versatile enough 

to go wherever the night may take you. 

here are some options that have been floating around in my head all day:

via tumblr

via lauren conrad

via 9to5chic (those shoes! i die.)

via fashion salade

via refinery29

aerin lauder at her winter home in leather leggings.

via pinterest

not to be mistaken for my spring break circa 2001 leggings
--forever affectionately known as "plastic pants"--
this look is classy and chic, 
and i can't wait to get some!


do you have any? do you, too, love this look, or are you going to try and tell me i can't pull this look off as a mother of 2?


(just so you know, i won't listen if you do try and talk me out of it. i'm stubborn that way. and i have a small ass. but thanks.)


xo

new beginnings

(lily sweater, crewcuts dress, garnet hill backpack)

wednesday was bunny's first day of kindergarten.

still can't believe she's old enough...

but she was definitely ready! 

she she galloped all the way there.

(she's a horse, in case you didn't know.)

at drop off she was happy, with a quiet confidence, 

ready to take on the world. 

she was even making me feel better, which is just how she rolls. 

probably the most awesome person i know. 

so full of love, life, eagerness, kindness, generosity, fun, humor, silliness...all the delicious things that can make up a five and a half year old little girl. 

if you really want to know how i feel, perhaps you should read this again.

birdie was less than thrilled that her bestie was now going to be gone all day (she cried. it was so saddorable.)... 

but somehow this week, we've managed.

sno-cone as coping/celebratory device.

yum.

later that first night, this happened. numero dos. 

craziness! 

we just don't really do laid-back around these parts. 

go big or go home. 

the tooth fairy came; there was fairy dust everywhere!

 

after the tooth excitement, i figured she would enjoy relaxing as i often do: in a hot bath, complete with luxe bath products courtesy of bvlgari, candlelight, and tchaikovsky. 

she slept like a rock, and got through the week to rave reviews from her new teacher. whew!

oh. 

and. 

it appears as though i've been named "room mom" of bunny's class. 

holy crap, you guys!

i sincerely remember selling wrapping paper as a fundraiser at my elementary school; my mom was involved in pta like yesterday, right?!

the first day of school when i showed up with a 

teased-to-the-heavens topknot and platform wedges, complete with flourescent green laces and a manrepeller-worthy arm party, that little school didn't quite know what to make of me. 

and now i'm their "representative".

its going to be an interesting year. 

xo

back to school

a week from now my first-born baby girl will be starting kindergarten. 

(wait, wait. aren't i still 22? i was sure i was still 22.

how exactly can i be old enough to rent a car without a 
co-signer, let alone have a daughter beginning kindergarten?!)

i can hardly believe it, yet i'm ready. 

i think.

it breaks my heart, as i feel once school begins, 

i may as well begin planning her high school graduation party; time flies too quickly as it is. 

then again, i know she is just chomping at the bit to meet friends here, and school is (hopefully) the best place to make that happen. 

she's also totally brilliant, and i welcome the opportunity for more information to be soaked up on the daily by that 
spongey brain of hers.

i remember kindergarten, don't you?

the water table, the sand table, piles of books, playdoh that may or may not have made its way into my curious mouth 
from time to time. 
ewwww. i know. 

praying that my kid is smart enough not to eat the playdoh, not to pick her nose (in public, anyway; giver her a break), not to put up with mean girls (or boys), not to settle for less than excellence, and above all, to have fun! 

she's going to love school. 

and i'm going to love missing her. 

(remind me of this next week when i'm bawling my eyes out, k?)

back-to-school clothes shopping happened last weekend. 

a long-lived tradition among millions of us, am i right?

BTS1 by mollymarler featuring hermes bangle

BTS2 by mollymarler on Polyvore.com

BTS3 by mollymarler featuring bags

BTS4 by mollymarler on Polyvore.com

bts5 by mollymarler on Polyvore.com

i love this time of year. 

its going to be different out here in california, but i can still imagine the crisp, fall air; leaves changing color & falling from the trees; the smell of autumn.
or i suppose i could just drive a couple hours north and experience a west coast fall. 
(kinda loving it out here, can you tell? :)

tomorrow i'll share with you our chic school supply haul; but today, its all about the clothes!

xo

ps! i'm guest posting for my gal jenny today 

while she's on vaycay. 

hippity hop on over there and check out more of my brilliance. 


better hurry... don't want to be late for class. 

wise words

for whatever reason,
(i'm sure there is one. there always is.)

lately i've been running into lots of wonderful quotations by

elisabeth kubler-ross.

in reading about her, i have found what an incredible gift she was to us; she was a psychiatrist, author (on death and dying), & activist who received 20 honorary degrees in her lifetime, and created psychiatric models we still use to this day.

at her core, though, she truly just wanted to help people.

to navigate the unknown in regards to death, and to help those of us left in this world to work through our pain 

after a loved one passes on. 

she passed away in 2004, but

some of her quotes are really hitting home with me lately.

i've been feeling so grateful for finally being here in california as a whole family (my husband was living here for 5 months before we were able to join...it was tough!), and absolutely loving spending our days discovering the outdoor beauty that surrounds us. 

inevitably, though, this feeling of utter happiness and peace is often accompanied by a doubtful anxiety; "just when is the other shoe going to drop?"

i don't mean to sound sullen, its not my nature; having kids has just made me ever more aware of my own mortality, and helped me focus on living my best life every day while i'm here.  

so.

here's to pulling an oprah and "living our best lives". 

because they're the only ones we've got!

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within."

hope you have a beautiful day.

i'm taking the fam to meet up with some friends for foodtruck night in santa monica. last week was deliciously fun; i'll be sure to post pics! 

xo

(all photos via pinterest)

feel the love?

right now i have a loved one going through an exceptionally tough time; we all occasionally do, no?

my mama calls them "FGO's"... 

or "f*cking growth opportunities". 

i don't know 'bout you, but i've been through my share, 

and whenever i'm lost in the woods, its my gorgeous 

family and friends who get me through.

and god, of course.

anyway, for you, my very special friend; 

you know who you are. 

and for any of you going through 

an FGO of your own...

hang in there.

know that you're in this season of your life for a reason, 

that you are strong as hell, and you will get through it, 

and you will be wiser for it. 

blah blah blah, i know. 

i've been there, too; i really don't mean to sound condescending. 

when you're over all the "supportive talk", 

sometimes its best to laugh. or even just smile. 

know this. more than anything else. 

 

there is still so much color in your life. 

look around, seek it out, soak it in. 

 i get butterflies thinking about your unique, specific gifts; 

no one else in the world is you. 

you are more special than you know.

laughter is crucial. 

always. 

until your very last breath. 

hold fast to courage, make the tough choices, and don't look back.

play your own song. 

even if you're the only one who likes it.

even if it sounds like me playing the recorder in fifth grade.

...and possibly makes the neighbor's ears bleed.

...and perhaps anyone within a five mile radius.

play on.

at first you might feel timid, but just GO for it.

its always better to regret things you've done, 

than things you haven't.

you are beautiful. no matter what sex, color, religion, size, shape, age, ability... you are beautiful.

especially if you look like this.

(he's all kinds of special, and he is owning it.)

its true. 

and that's a lot. 

a whole lot.

remember i love you. and i'm always, always here. 

even though i'm here

not there.

have a wonderful weekend.

sparkley, gropey hugs & glitter puppy kisses, 

xo

no shame in my game

my friend scott posted this video on fb a few days ago, and to be honest, i saw the title and thought 

"no time for that right now. not interested."

but you know how often times when we seek something, if we put the intention out there, we find it? or it finds us? 

yeah. 

i was looking for something on fb just now

--i don't even remember what--

and came across this video. again.

it was glaring at me in the face, nudging me to push play. 

so i watched it. instead of taking a nap. 

it may not be worth much around 3pm, when i'm finding myself in need of a latte to get through the day, but hey. 

it pushes me a little further along on my journey toward discovering myself, and that is always a welcome thing.

making the decision to take this leap of faith to move out west, to a house i hadn't seen, and to really GO for this acting thing, much less just to be *authentically* myself every day...

it takes courage. 

and the ability to be vulnerable, and be ok with it. 

i'm embracing my vulnerability, my authenticity, my uniqueness...cause there's only one me. 

and there is only one you. 

so watch the video. 

its 20 minutes out of your life.

tell me what you think. how it made you feel. and then, decide. 

decide to know that you are worthy. 

of being loved, of truly loving others, of happiness, success, 

of true connection, of all the beauty in life.

because when it comes to worthiness, while i may 

not even know you, i can tell you this: 

you most certainly, absotively, without a doubt ARE. 

xo

boxes, boxes, everywhere

we're there, man.

holy crap you guys.

its been way too long.

my apologies for the lack of post.

i've missed you!

but wow, what a week i've had! 
saying goodbye to my east coast loved ones, 

flying across the country with my two girls and my dog

--yes, he flew in the cabin with us as one of my carry-ons, 

and yes, he was heavily xanax'ed--

(and yes, i had a bloody mary. or two. it was a 4+hr flight, and i'm glad i did, because otherwise we may not have had a cocktail napkin to capture this magic moment...

YOU try a cross country flight with these carry-ons and tell me you won't want a drink!) 

...then arriving to check out our new home which i hadn't 

even seen in person yet, 

(which we're loving, btw--brekkie in the garden has quickly become part of our new routine)

...having a visit from the tooth fairy herself
(bunny made a fairy house in the backyard as soon as we got here so that the TF would have a place to rest after flying all night...so sweet! i'm such a sucker for magic moments like this, and have been waiting to celebrate this one for a long time! there was glitter everywhere & apparently inflation has affected us all. or maybe daddy only had a $5 and a $10, and he thought the creepy drawings on the fiver were too much. so yeah. i'll be pulling my molars later in hopes to raise enough dough for some new loubs.)

...moving in and getting unpacked, 

not to mention living with my husband again 

for the first time in five months; 

its been a whirlwind! 

my head is still spinning, 

and i feel like i'm drowning in cardboard boxes, 

but, i must say, i'm elated. 

and so are my girls. 

having my little family together again, 

being in beautiful southern california, 

its incredible.

my whole life i've wanted to live in los angeles, 

and now i do. 

(flowers in the garden, oranges from a neighbor, 

& a santa monica sunset making it easy to love it here)

discovering this enormous city is proving to be such fun!

(sightseeing around town, including a stop at the jonathan adler store on melrose. so fun.)

i'm a complete mess with a map; lets just say i'm

"directionally challenged".

thank God for my iphone and google maps!

blogs are also proving a wonderful resource for things to do, insider tips, and local picks.

i look forward to sharing some of my new discoveries with you soon!
*up next: the museums of la, the rose bowl flea 
(DUH. been waiting to go to this for years. years.),
 the varnish (just for you, a!), and of course, drybar. 




after this article, how could i not?!

hang in there with me as i get back on schedule, and introduce you to some new features here on ye olde blog.

tomorrow i'm excited to share with you an interview with ladybadass tanya ryno.

(via vimeo)
she is a triple threat: producer, director, writer. 

one of THE rockstars behind SNL's TV Funhouse, 
among other award-winning projects, 
she was gracious enough to answer my questions in regards to her personal and professional life, share some sage words of advice, and even a favorite recipe.

trust me. she's legit. 

come back tomorrow and see why i have a major ladycrush going on.

i'm going to surf through the corrugated sea 

to find my bed now...

after all, it is already tomorrow on the east coast. 

xo