Meredith Kahn is the genius behind highly-coveted jewelry and handbag line,
Made Her Think. Her long list of devoted fans flock to her collection for a dose of hard-edged femininity (think double-knuckle rings made of rose gold and diamonds). The designer, four-months pregnant with her second child, invites us into her light-filled Brooklyn apartment, while daughter Grayson plays hostess. The bilingual three-year-old shows us her ballet moves, while helping mom prepare heart-shaped eggs.
Grayson, three, January 2011
1. "I developed a love for perfume once I had my daughter. I'd worn Egyptian musk oil since I was 12 and was never ever into perfume—now I'm obsessed!
2. Fresh flowers remind me that I’m an adult, amidst all of the toys.
3. Find a great scarf and wear it so it's handy while you’re nursing or even to tie your baby up in a sling. When you're a new mom, you’re kind of like a nomad when you leave the house.
4. Buy a small purse to keep all of your personal items in, and use a cute cotton tote for the baby’s needs. Totes work great for men, too.
5. I try to take the time I get to myself and use it well. On the weekends, I take an extra long bath."
Drapey Tops: “I love Raquel Allegra because her tops allow for a lot of room to grow but sort of form to your body so you look like you still have a shape. I’ll be wearing more and more of this sort of thing in the coming months."
Super Low Rise Jeans with a Button-Fly: “Just button the bottom ones and use a hairband to thread through the top button hole and catch the button. Your jeans should get you through your fifth month at least, then just size up. Most women don't go right back to their original body right after their baby is born so these will definitely come in handy. My favorites are by Rick Owens."
"I started a whole new skincare regimen once I became a mother. Eye cream, and great day and night cream. I realized I needed to reel it in and start behaving a little more like an adult. I love Melvita’s Bio Excellence day and night cream.
Use your natural glow to your advantage and reduce the amount of make-up you wear while pregnant. The most radiant you will ever be is during pregnancy so don't waste your time covering it with make-up. When you become a mommy, make-up becomes last on your list; the quick application of foundation and under eye concealer is key. Then, all you need is basic blush, lip moisturizer, and mascara.
I like Laura Mercier mascara because it goes a long way. You won't find the time to shop for make-up like you used to so get the good stuff that lasts."
Leather Pants: “I took the skinny waistband off of these Les Chiffonieres leggings and replaced it with a wider band to make them into maternity pants. If leather pants are your style, and you’re afraid you can’t do it anymore once you get pregnant and become a mom, just adjust them. It’s what I do all the time. The leather kind of holds you in a little."
Show Off Your Belly and Your Boobs!: “It's OK once you're into your second trimester to really work the curves. I love old vintage band T-shirts that run a little small. A hint of cleavage is really sexy on a pregnant woman. Try to get into the earth mother look—it doesn't last so enjoy it while it does."
Sexy Bras with Great Straps: “If you're like me and you jumped numerous bra sizes overnight, you will have to buy new bras. Don't buy the maternity ones yet, you will wear those plenty if you nurse. Find ones with good support and pretty straps that still make you feel sexy."
“The great thing about a scarf when you’re pregnant or when you have the baby is that they’re multifunctional – you can use it as a cover-up when you’re breast-feeding and it can also be used as a sling.”
“I clean her room but it doesn’t really last. Cleaning a child’s room is almost ridiculous. It lasts for a second – you turn around and you’re like, ‘what?!’”
Pottery Barn Kids bed
Ikea storage unit
“The scarf [middle] was a gift from a designer friend of mine—it quickly became my go-to for Grayson. In the spring, it was the perfect weight and size. Everywhere we would go, people would ask about it. It’s kind of funny to have a scarf for a child, but it really comes in handy.”
“The best piece of advice I was given as a first time mom was, always do what’s in your gut—no one else knows what you or your child need better than you.”
“Her dad reads and speaks to her in Russian.”
“I went back to work right away after she was born. Separating from her was almost immediate. For me, it was a little bit of a relief going into the office because I had a little me time, but it was also incredibly difficult to be away from her all day. You don’t realize how much you miss your kid until you spend more time with them over the weekend or on vacation. And then you go back to work—it’s hard."
“She found this duster at Ikea and asked if she could have it. She has her own spray bottle of water under the sink and she walks around and sprays things clean. Every time I clean the house she’s always like ‘let me help you!’”
“You always put yourself last when you have kids, especially in the beginning. I was redoing her room, embellishing her wardrobe, thinking about her shoes. And then I’d walk into my room and feel so ‘ugh’. You need those special moments for yourself because they’re few and far between.”
The moon on Grayson's wall lights-up according to the eight phases
Glow in the dark stars on Grayson's ceiling
“Grayson goes to school five days a week (she started at 18 months). Before that, it was a mix of me, my husband, my mother, and my step-mother watching her, though now we’re going to have to think about a nanny."
“Most photographs of us are with me in big combat boots and Grayson in pink ballet slippers.”
“The clothing that’s out there for kids is so ridiculously good. My mother-in-law is European and she buys Grayson these beautiful French and Italian pieces. There’s a consignment shop down the street from here called
The Flying Squirrel where I buy a lot of her
Petit Bateau stuff, new with tags. There’s also this great store called
Sweet William. I became friendly with the owner, Bronaugh—she has amazing taste.”
“She still naps, which is probably why she goes to sleep at 10 o’clock at night."
“A few of the things that keep me sane are my beautiful and cozy king size bed (makes me feel like a princess), a home for my keys and metro card, a comfortable pair of boots, sheepskin slippers, my favorite cozy at-home clothes, and my leather leggings—you don't have to think about what to wear, just pull them on and you’re done.”
“Getting a new bed was huge for us. I put a lot of energy into the bed, the mattress, the linens. When you have a kid, at the end of the day, you want that little special feeling for yourself. Full time job, full time mom—you want that little bit extra when you can. The bed represents that for me.”
Restoration Hardware bed
Hand-me-down apron
“I try to use our time together to do fun things, even when I’m so tired I can't see straight. I create fun rituals that Grayson and I will look forward to. We do quick meals together with easy clean up."
“We always make eggs in a basket; you take a piece of bread, cut a whole in it, and put a fried egg in the middle.”
“My husband and I try to have a night out. For our anniversary, we went out to dinner and I booked us a room at the Standard Hotel after. It was so nice just to have a nap, wake up, watch a movie. It’s difficult, though because it gets really expensive. You think about it—babysitter, transportation (if I’m wearing heels, we’re taking a car service), and the cost of dinner. If you’re going to go out, you’re going to really go out and get appetizers, drinks, and dessert—it’s a $400 night. So we’re like, ‘let’s just stay in and get a movie and relax.’”
“The most surprising thing about being a mother (that no one tells you) is that it’s harder than it looks—it will change you forever.”
"We love brunch but we always go right when the restaurant opens. We are always right there with all the other families, which makes it less stressful and you never have to worry if your kid is bothering the next table."
“She likes to be in the mix and help me out in the kitchen. I love to cook, but when I do it, I really get into it. The process is very therapeutic for me."
“It’s kind of the joke in my family – I can’t eat food unless it looks nice. I even prepare things to look nice in the refrigerator. I think it drives my husband crazy sometimes because it takes me forever."
Meredith's recipe for 30-minute tilapia
