Q & A with Shana Draugelis of The Mom Edit
About a year ago, when BURU was still a tiny infant (now a teetering toddler), our traffic spiked out of nowhere. I became obsessed with the source of this boost, and when I stumbled across the website linking to us...I fell in love with it. Shana, creator of The MOM Edit, was the first person (with whom we had no mutual friends or connections) to write about BURU. And, she didn't just "write" about us - she nailed it. She even quoted some of our product descriptions regarding easy access to explain to her readers what we are all about. She gave me hope that our concept could catch on, and for that - I will be forever grateful.
In fact, Shana actually emits hope. With a life full of unexpected twists and turns, she handles it all with courage and style. You are going to love getting to know this amazing mama in our exclusive Q&A.
We are thrilled to feature her #momstyle and offer her BURU favorites on sale this week. (Through 3.11.15)
Shop her Tastemaker Sale HERE
BR: What do you love most about being a mom?
SD: Gosh, that’s hard. I love everything about being a mom. I even loved the late nights (and goodness knows we had more than our fair share). But I guess if I had to pick one thing....it’s that for the first time in my life I understand - in a real, tangible way - what it means to unconditionally love someone. And that understanding has strengthened all of my relationships - including the one with my husband. I think the experience of being a mother has made me a better person, in a major, fundamental way.
BR: What is the number one way in which motherhood has changed you?
SD: Those early days of new motherhood were so hard (and I had a terrible birth with Raines, ended up in the ICU, months of recovery, etc)...but when times are tough all of the...bullshit is stripped away, and I was able to - through the experience of becoming a mother - discover who I really was. It allowed me to see what really made me happy, what really made our family happy. We were able to strip away preconceived notions and expectations and decide - in an intentional way - how we wanted our lives to look. It was very freeing.
BR: Did you breast-feed? If so, how did it affect your wardrobe choices?
SD: I breastfed for a combined total of almost 5 years. (Just to be clear - two kids, a little over two years each.) Breastfeeding rocked my wardrobe world. With my first, I had gone up so many cup sizes (I was literally a AA before kids) that nothing fit. I remember I had, like, two shirts I could wear, and splurged on one beautiful nursing bra that saved my sanity. I only wore v-neck cotton tees or tanks for the first two years. The second time around I was more comfortable with everything, so I branched out into strapless bras and nicer tops (all machine washable, of course!) I remember thinking, “why did I make this so hard the first time?” Ha!
BR: Has your personal style changed since motherhood? How would you describe your #momstyle? Do you have a #momstyle icon? What are your favorite BURU items, and why do they work for your #momstyle?
SD: My style is constantly evolving...is it fair to blame motherhood? :) Perhaps not, but the one major difference pre-and-post baby is the height of my heels. I went from wearing high, HIGH heels all-day, everyday (even while pregnant) to...flats. (Sneakers if I’m being completely honest.)
I would describe my #momstyle as Tall California French (I really can’t believe I’m only 5’2”).
My #momstyle icons include French Vogue editor Emmanuelle Alt, Kate Moss, and Michele Williams.
Noelle White Fleece Crop- interesting twists on white tees are totally my jam.
Sachin + Babi Penelope Pant- This print makes my heart beat fast. I'd wear it with a simple tee and stripy flats.
Amash Split Scarf in Silver Stripe- Scarf: How I wear tees and sweats out of the house
Lucy Paris Tuesday Polka Dot Pea Coat- Can't get enough mod little peacoats
LemLem Abara Long Shorts- I have high hopes for these- love the long, slim look. I'd wear with a boxy cropped top, or a long, drapey tank (half-tucked)
David Lerner Coated Lizard Short- Gold Joggers=easiest way to rock my nike frees and a t-shirt.
Ace and Jig Dockside Top- I would pair this boxy crop with high rise jeans, or layer over a tank.
Cake Lingerie Black Lace Nursing Bra- A beautiful nursing bra was THE most important item in my closet as a new mama. I could wear tank tops and v-necks without fear.
Gold Sign High Rise Skinny Denim- I love a high-rise jean (especially for post-c section support - it felt SOOO good), and Goldsign has some of the best washes (and fit!)
10 Crosby by Derek Lam Long Sleeve Drape Front Tee- Something this good would literally get worn with everything.
Sam and Lavi Billie T-Shirt- I love the skinny shoulders and drapey body - I'd half-tuck this into a pair of shorts, add cool flats (I'm obsessed with criss-crossed straps right now) and call it a day.
David Lerner Skinny Track Pant- I live in skinny sweatpants!
Mothers en Vogue Art Greco Drape Front Dress- Slouchy-chic dresses are my summer go-tos.
Shop her full Tastemaker Sale HERE
BR: To our BURU brunch you wore a graphic T with the word Brave blazoned across it. That word defines you in our eyes. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey with breast cancer and how it has shaped you as a mother?
SD: One of the toughest parts of breast cancer was how it affected my ability to mother. I mean...it was a long road (roughly a year) and most of the time we were OK, we got through it OK, but there were also times I was so...sick, so in pain, that I literally had nothing to give my kids. Nothing. One of my lowest points was when my youngest was crying, “up Mommy up!” for a hug and I looked at my husband and said, “you gotta get him away from me.” It’s hard to imagine being at that point where you turn away from your three year old’s hugs. Cancer is ugly. But what we learned - what we ALL learned (even my little guys) is that we are all so very resilient, and that this bond we have, it’s strong. It can weather through the ugly. The boys were so much more understanding and capable and forgiving than I ever expected. So a big part of what I learned on this cancer journey is to trust them, trust our connection, trust our bond. Even my three year old! They need me, yes, but they’re also strong. We got through it together.
BR: Your site, The MOM edit, offers real life inspiration to real moms who want to step up their game (on many fronts) – how do you go about selecting trends for moms to follow (or abandon)?
SD: The perfect trend to be featured on The MOM Edit has three main components:
1. The trend is hardworking - it’s something that can stand up to actual, real- life with kiddos
2. There exists a (relatively) uncomplicated way to wear the trend
3. Several versions of the trend are available at varying price points
I don’t always hit all three, but I try. For example, slip-on sneakers is an easy one that comes to mind.
BR: What does a typical day look like for you and your 2 little guys?
SD: My kids get up insanely early. Mike and Pax (my youngest) bring me coffee in bed almost every morning. (I know!!) Then the kids play for a while - I try to set up some sort of art project the night before, but they’re getting to the age where they just do their own thing (art, legos, whatever). I get up and make lunches, breakfast, etc. At some point I realize that it’s almost time for school and we all freak out - searching for socks, shoes, mittens, lunches, papers and the zillion other things that I am terrible at remembering. Once the kiddos are in school, I start working. I also have a nanny in the afternoon three days a week, and she works late one of those nights so Mike and I can do some photo-shoots for the blog. But most nights we eat around the bar as a family. Bedtime is an insanely long affair, Mike and I have pretty much just accepted our fate. But it’s actually quite sweet: we all get into PJs and snuggle up and talk about our days. Mike and the boys will often wrestle at some point. There’s lots of smooches and hugs and we discuss “high points” and “low points” in our days, and then we’ll read a chapter in our latest book (right now it’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians book 3) while Mike falls asleep.
BR: How do you find a balance between your husband, the kiddos, and The MOM Edit? Any special tips you can share?
SD: Gah! This is an area we’re really struggling with right now. One thing we’ve started doing is apps-at-the-bar instead of a sit-down dinner. So instead of sitting down to a home-cooked family meal at the table (it was taking us WAY too long to prepare and clean up), we’ve started eating all together at our bar counter. We’ll put out veggie starters (fresh baby carrots, salad or we’ll microwave frozen peas - something easy) for the boys while Mike and I come up with dinner. Some nights it’s just soup and salad, other nights are surprise tacos (anything in the fridge is fair game), or, my personal favorite, Stuff You Can Put On Crackers (closely related to Stuff You Can Scoop Up With Chips). This could involve an assortment of salsas, guacamole, bean dips, random veggies or meats, etc. We call it “party night” and the boys love it.
BR: In one word how would you describe yourself in all the roles you play.
SD:mother: evolving
wife: supportive
BR: Your boys are too cute (future heartbreakers I presume!) If you wouldn’t mind sharing, please tell us a few of your favorite mommy moments
SD:
Bedtime Story: My kids are now into chapter books. Introducing them to some truly delicious fiction has been one of my life’s joys. But when they were a bit younger....Maurice Sendak’s Night Kitchen is top on our list. “I’m not milk and the milk’s not me! I’m Mickey!”
Lullaby: Raines was a horrible sleeper, and I once sang “You Are My Sunshine” 64 times in a row. The fact that I counted tells you my state of mind at the time. #nuthouse
Vacation Spot: Mike and I have yet to take the kids on a vacation! All of our vacation time has been spent back home in Michigan visiting our families. (Don’t feel sorry for us, though. Michigan beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world. This is not a hardship.) But we’re headed to Puerto Rico for Spring Break this year - we all have high hopes.
Restaurant: There are so many we love - especially in Philly (the food scene here is insane). But one of the places we find ourselves at quite a bit is Zama for sushi. The Bronzizzle roll is my fav. With kids? Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House. The kids beg for this stuff.
Children’s Brand: Oh gosh - we’re all about the quirky tshirts over here. Geofox apparel, TribeisAlive, Hello Apparel. And Appaman pants. For some reason, they are the only darn pants Raines will wear.
BR: What’s the one thing you wish you would’ve known before becoming a mother?
SD: I wish I had known that my fears about “losing myself” were completely unfounded. And that part of the sheer, sweet joy of new motherhood is getting lost in your baby. And that you will eventually find yourself again, but it will be a much better self. And that it’s totally OK to follow your own unique path as a mother - in fact, you (your baby AND your partner) will be happier for it.
