“I live with my husband, Laurent Morisse, who is as French as he sounds. Our children are Louis, 5, and Sally, 3. Laurent is a wine distributor and an Ironman! Louis is gentle and sweet. He was born with low tone and a lot of sensory issues. He’s gotten therapy since he was just a baby and just graduated from his special needs preschool. He’s starting a special needs kindergarten program in the fall. Sally is fast-paced and typically developing, in every way. She’s a love and a handful, all at once! We are a bilingual house and the kids speak French as well as English.”

Cindy wears an embroidered denim shirt by Banjanan with Current/Elliot jeans.

“Light, textured, and a mix of old and new, high and low. As a prop and interior stylist (my career before I started CAP Beauty), I get to dabble in all types of aesthetics. One day we’re creating Parisian-Modern. Another day, Japanese high hippie. Minimalist, the next. There’s so much to love in all of these different styles and I’ve done my best to pull from them all. The challenge is to do so with a sense of harmony and spaciousness. So, it’s important to edit!”

“Only that I’ve eased up a lot on the drive for perfection. The messes happen. It seems like there’s a constant stream of things coming home—toys, birthday party trinkets, artwork, and gifts. I don’t have the time to stay on top of it all and maybe it doesn’t matter. There’s a time in life for perfect and a time for abandon.”

On Cindy's bookshelf.

Part deux.

“We live in New York City, so there aren’t a lot to choose from! Our living room is great. It’s huge with very high ceilings and a beautiful marble mantle. If only the fireplace worked!”

“If I love something, then it has to work. I don’t work in themes and love the challenge of making two very disparate objects work together. For me, the palette is a unifying force. I’ve always loved light, faded colors—whites, grays, and dirty pinks—with hits of metallic. I’m a sucker for pretty.”

“Living in New York City, the ‘idea’ is making it all fit. My kids share a room. Louis’ bed is an 18th Century Neoclassical daybed that I’ve had since my twenties. It’s skinnier than a twin, but perfect for a kid (and secretly everyone’s favorite bed). Sally just upgraded to a toddler bed. There are loads of animals in there, too. Lots of white, color, and artwork by some dear friends.”

“Sally is obsessed with her new duvet. She hides under it and pretends she’s a ghost. They both love the rug. It’s from South Africa and is covered in birds.”

“Of course, our social lives have changed. We are much more spur-of-the-moment when it comes to seeing friends, taking trips, everything.”

Cindy wears a print dress from À Detacher worn with Rachel Comey slides. Sally is wearing a cotton jumpsuit by Wovenplay and boots gifted from her grandfather.

“Children are so strong and resilient. I guess I always thought of them as a little more breakable. They learn and grow so quickly. They’re really hard workers.”

“You will reach a stage when your children can entertain each other, play together, and send each other into fits of laughter. Then you can relax a little, bask in it, cook dinner, or call a friend—and it will be amazing. There’s nothing better than seeing your kids support and love each other. They’ll fight, too, and that can be a lot to manage, but the great moments are everything.”

“My husband, Laurent, is Parisian, so it was important to us to find names that worked well in both languages. We both loved the name Louis from the start. It’s also somewhat of an homage to my mother, who was Mary Louise, but went by Weezie. His middle names (in my husband’s family they have two middle names) are also both family names. His full name is Louis Frank Albert Morisse. Laurent suggested the name Sally and oddly, I’ve always loved it, too. I was a bit remiss not to give her an amazing French name, so we went super-French with her middle names. She is Sally Clémence Eugénie Morisse.”

“They’re two completely different children. Louis is gentle, sweet, and works hard for every milestone. Sally is strong, strong-willed, and has a huge imagination. They are very good for each other and I get two very different kids.”

“Oh boy! Where do I start? Obviously, I’m a big believer in naturals, and not just because they’re healthier. I truly believe that these products that are so packed with life-giving nutrients. I’ve seen an incredible transformation in my own skin and in many of our customers. Picking my favorites is a bit like picking a favorite child, but some of the brands I love the most are: In Fiore, Vintner’s Daughter, May Lindstrom, and a cool line from Hawaii that we sell called Honey Girl. It’s affordable and is so high-vibe. We also just discovered an incredible new line called Phos—he puts Ozone in his eye serum! It’s a misconception that naturals lack real science. I love the sunscreen from Keys, Rahua Shampoo, and everything from Zoe Organics for the kids. My newest fragrance obsession is ‘Woodstock’ by Perfumera Curandera, and I’m a longtime fan of ‘Fair Verona’ by Strange Invisible.”

“Classic. A little bit sporty, but still pretty. I love beautiful textiles whether it’s an incredible print or some really well done lace or eyelet. I also love a good fit.”

“I used to wear more pretty dresses. But now, there are just too many messy hands, markers, and avocados in the mix. I’m definitely more into denim than ever before. That said, my denim of choice is white!”

“Simple cashmere and shetland crew neck sweaters (my go-to for this is A.P.C.), Current/Elliot jeans or white jeans from J. Crew. For shoes, I tend to lead towards a simple pointed stiletto—something with a little height but wearable everyday. They’re classic, but also a little bit punk. I also love a good vintage Mexican embroidered dress.”

“Ulla Johnson and Sea are great for tops and dresses. A bit hippie and romantic, but still modern. Vanessa Bruno is another designer I love—just enough embellishment and classic, well-made shapes. Phoebe Philo is a real hero. I love Celine, but let's say I admire it from afar. Ditto to Valentino and Dries Van Noten.”

“I love Warm boutique in NYC. She stocks my favorite brands and the store is so gorgeous and inspiring, like a cross between Paris and Kauai. I like to pop in there for a special piece or two. In LA, I love to visit Jenni Kayne and online, I find Net-a-Porter very useful! For the kids, I rely heavily on Zara, J.Crew (on sale!), and Old Navy. I splurge on some special pieces from Flora and Henri, Makie, and my new favorite line, Boy + Girl. They’re out of Venice and make organic kids clothes that are pretty rad.”

“Since having kids, I have less time to shop, so I tend to do one or two bigger shopping trips instead of constantly searching. I also shop online a lot more. Shopping is a job that needs to get done, not a leisurely activity, like it used to be.”

“I’d love a Ryan Roche sweater for myself. That dusty pale pink is like my spirit color. For the kids, new bikes! Another mom just told me about a shop called Larry’s Freewheeling. He makes custom bikes for kids with special needs. We will definitely be paying him a visit.”

“The kids would sleep in! We make breakfast at home, then I’d take them to the Greenmarket and the playground in Union Square while my husband works out. A yoga class for me, a nap or some reading with the kids, a bike ride in the park, or a walk on The High Line. Then dinner at home with friends.”

Louis is wearing a t-shirt from Mollusk and trunk shorts from Boy+Girl.

“Yes! I do try, it’s so important. So does Laurent. Louis was born with very low tone and a lot of sensory issues, so he’s always had a lot of therapy and extra help. I spend a lot of time with him doing homework and giving him the support he needs. I have to be careful to give equal time to Sally. One-on-one time lets me dive into their little worlds. I think it really helps them understand how deeply we love them.”

“Louis has the most incredible sense of humor, he has since he was a baby. Sally has the most incredible imagination. She is almost always playing out a little scene in her head.”

“Expect to make mistakes. Forgive yourself and move on.”

“I’m sure it’s different for every couple, but remember, you are partners. It may feel like mom is the boss at home, but dad’s instincts are important to honor. And make time for each other.”

“I hope that I’m similar. I aim to have her patience and presence. She didn’t work, so motherhood was full-time. I enjoy the balance of kids and work, though, I wish I had more time for both. I also share her love for cooking and board games!”

“All of the moms I know through the special needs community. We all face different challenges but we’ve learned to band together, share resources, and laugh together.”

“Definitely not! Though, I think if I had started younger, we’d have more. Maybe three.”

“I do love New York, but, like any real New Yorker, I imagine life in other cities, too. We’ve thought about moving just north of the city, and we also think about LA. I think the key is to find the positives and travel as much as possible."

“We like to get up and go out early on the weekends, have fun around town, and come home for some quiet time as the city gets busy. Usually, we go out again in the evening for some playtime. Bikes, scooters, and the playground again. We go out to lunch, go to Chelsea Piers for gymnastics, and maybe go to a birthday party. Louis also loves grocery shopping and helping me in the kitchen.”

“I’m the Co-Founder and Creative Director at CAP Beauty, an all natural beauty store and wellness center in the West Village, NYC. We launched our website last year and just opened on Valentine’s Day. Before starting CAP Beauty, I worked as a prop and interiors stylist. I worked on creating the images for magazines, advertising, and catalogues. It was hectic work that required lots of travel and a very unsteady schedule. I traded that in for a company that’s all about self-care!”

“When I first moved to New York, I assisted a production designer. It was a busy job with lots of shopping, sourcing, and finding inspirational images. I loved the work, but didn’t love working in TV and film. I made the switch to still photography and really found my home there. I became a Style Editor at Martha Stewart Living. It was my dream job. I learned so much there and loved it. I also met Kerrilynn, my future partner at CAP Beauty. After leaving Martha Stewart Living, I worked as a freelance stylist. Kerrilynn left to open Castor & Pollux, a clothing boutique in the West Village. We met weekly in a Mastermind group to share business ideas and support each other. One day, Kerrilynn came to me with the concept for CAP Beauty and it was clear that it was something we had to do. When an idea is right, it seems that everything falls into place. Don’t get me wrong, we do work hard, but it's never a struggle.”

“I love that we are inspiring people with healthy, vibrant products that make them look and feel their best. We’ve been able to work with a whole community of innovative brands who are creating a shift, helping us move towards better health and more radiant beauty. Our customers leave feeling great.”

“There’s so much we’re about to roll out. We’re developing our first product, a deodorant, and working on lots more. We’re also doing a gorgeous line of robes and our lead therapist is developing a CAP Beauty Cleanse."

Cindy wears a white blouse from The Podolls, a raw silk and suede skirt from Chloé, and black Christian Louboutin heels.

“Work should be enriching. It should be worth the time we’re spending away from our families.”

The Captivator Energy Mist—smells amazing!

“I’m not sure that I do! I am constantly striving to get my work done during the day so I can log off in the evenings and be purely present for my kids. However, I do run a start-up and when I’m styling, there are two businesses to look after. Laurent is such an incredibly attentive and intuitive dad. We give different things to our kids, but I know that when I’m working late or on the weekend, they are getting no end of love and attention.”