Braids, Beautiful Dresses, and Brunch

Someone was PSYCHED for brunch.

Isola restaurant at The Mondrian

Baby's first braid bar

The finished "Elsa braid"

Flower-crown making

"Mommy, I can't stop looking at myself!"

Me and my girl

Just before the holidays, my daughter and I were invited to a brunch to celebrate the new website for the (gorgeous!) children's clothing line, Pippa & Julie. My daughter was SO excited to go--for weeks prior, she couldn't stop telling everyone from her friends to her preschool teacher about it. And I was excited, too--very much looking forward to spending a fun winter's morning with her doing something other than sitting in our playroom playing Barbies.

The event was held at Isola, the Mondrian Soho's beautiful, airy restaurant, and there were lots of fun activities. We made a flower crown together (well, I made it while she art directed), and then hit the braid bar where she asked for (of course) "an Elsa braid." 

After she was properly side-fishtailed, we headed over to check out some of Pippa & Julie's beautiful dresses. Each one was exquisite, but my girl made a beeline for this hot pink, sequined dress that kind of looks like a birthday cake come to life (in the best way possible). 

She held it up against her sweater and jeans and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. And looked. And looked and looked. Finally, she said: "Mommy, I can't stop looking at myself! I look so beautiful!" 

And you know what? She did. 

(Spoiler alert: We went home with the dress.)

It was such a fun morning. And it was also a rare one. Now that we're a two-kid family, it's actually doesn't happen too often that my daughter and I get mommy-and-daughter alone time. So that was pretty awesome. I can't wait for more brunches--and definitely more dress-shopping!--in the years to come.

(By the way, I just noticed that the dress is now on MAJOR sale, if you've got a little girly girl, too!)


Thank you to Pippa & Julie for a wonderful morning--and for gifting us with the pink dress my daughter fell in love with!