As a Southern transplant to the Big Apple, I’ve learned there’s a few things you really just can’t live without — okay, wouldn’t want to live without == regardless of where you’ve planted your feet! From Boston to Nashville to Santa Barbara, here are six year-round “Essentials” for our hip Babiekins mamas!

01. Jesus Saves Bro Tshirt by Grey Thread | 02. Warmuffs by 7am Enfant | 03. Art by Liza Snyder | 04. Bonnet by The Beaufort Bonnet Company | 05. Women’s Italian Suede Oxfords by Zuzii | 06. Mug by Emily McDowell

{Q} Elizabeth asks Grey Thread: “What is YOUR favorite Grey Thread item?”
{A} My favorite item in the shop is the black/black Henley with He is Enough. This is my favorite because I love the simplicity of the shirt as well as the message.

{Q} Elizabeth asks Liza Snyder: “How would you describe your kids’ styles?”
{A} Artistic license reigns in our house! Maysie, our firstborn, began dressing herself around the age of three, and my other two children, Cobb and Ruthie, have followed her lead. They all have their own ideas of what looks “good,” often to my dismay. I’d like to think of our home as a safe place for the kids (and even their friends) to feel celebrated and loved for who they really are. Allowing them the responsibility to dress themselves gives them some creative expression, and it frees all of us up from needless bickering during our morning routine. I’ve been seeking ways to create “margin” in our lives so we have time to really be present with and play with one another…so giving the kids reign over their wardrobes has helped tremendously with that!

{Q} Elizabeth asks the Beaufort Bonnet Company: “What celebrity chid would rock a Beaufort Bonnet best?”
{A} If Princess Kate has a baby girl, she’ll be the quintessential Beaufort Bonnet baby!  We love Kate’s classic style and love the fashion influence she and Prince George have had on the world (aka. the Kate effect).

{Q} Elizabeth asks Zuzii: “Best sales purchase thus far this past holiday season? How about any regretful purchase?”
{A} Strangely we find most of our excitement in buying new shoe making equipment. We bought a new leather sewing machine for our new bags over the holidays and there is seriously nothing better than having the right tool for the job. We also purchased a Soling machine from the son of a retired cobbler. His son was so excited to pass it on to a family-owned footwear manufacturer that he personally delivered it to us from North Carolina. He brought along articles of his father standing by the machine!

{Q} Elizabeth asks Emily McDowell: “
{A} I mean, I’d probably SURVIVE without the “You Can Do It” mug, but now that it exists, I don’t want to.