“We live in Venice on the property my husband developed about 10 years ago. Funny enough, I met him as his tenant even though when I signed the lease, I didn’t know he was the landlord! I love where we live; it has such good vibes. I had no idea when I felt those vibes several years ago how life changing it would be for me.”

Meredith wears a Bassike tank, Ozma pants, Jenni Kayne shoes, and vintage Moroccan cuffs. Livia wears Gray Label overalls and a Lennon + Wolfe top.

“Our space is designed to be very clean and minimal, but is morphing into something slightly more colorful and expressive. We are actually in the process of remodeling a Spanish home, and we’re getting really into seeking out salvaged goods. We’re fortunate to live in L.A. for that. The vintage you can find here is just amazing. If it weren’t for resale considerations, we might just go over-the-top wacky.”

“Not intentionally, but it’s increasingly more eclectic. I personally like it that way. I like a home that feels lived in and loved, with art and things you’ve accumulated over time. If it’s too precious, you just end up feeling like you have to clean constantly. And, if anything is out of place, everything is out of place. That’s too stressful with a child.”

“Keep it simple, and only buy things you love. Also, book stacks everywhere.”

“The kitchen. It’s always my favorite room, and where I spend the most time. Our first floor is kind of all-in-one though, so I just love the ground floor. We have big sliders that open up to the outside, so it’s very indoor-outdoor.”

“My favorite piece is probably this large, expressive green gorilla painting that we bought from the artist William Attaway when we first moved in together. Attaway is a fairly well-known, old school Venice artist, and we would always walk by this paining on the way to the beach. One day, we made an offer. Cut to us carrying this huge piece of art all the way home. It’s really a focal point, and I love the memories it conjures up.”

“I’m trying to keep it corralled, but I don’t like spaces that feel too fussy. So, I like to keep her books and some things lying around with ours. We haven’t gone crazy on the toy buying or kid stuff, and I’m going to try to keep it that way.”

“I’ve really grown to love the rice cooker. When I’m low on time, if I can just remember to put some rice or quinoa on, I’ll throw that together with whatever greens and veggies we have, and hopefully some avocado and sauerkraut. Most of my quick dinners end up sounding fairly elaborate even if they weren’t originally.”

“I’d like to think that I’m pretty laid-back. The cards could be stacked a lot worse, so whatever worry I might have at this stage is a blessing. I already trust her. I know she’ll be a teenager eventually, a.k.a. annoying, but overall I believe in her to become a smart and good person.”

“I grew up in South Carolina. My dad passed away when I was 12, so I was raised by a single mother. The first ten or more years of my life were pretty intense with my dad’s illness, so I was forced to grow up pretty quickly. But, my mom, sister, and I ended up being super tight because of it; we still are. The three of us are very cozy together. My mom never went through any kind of wild child phase, so I think on some level, she was pretty naive about what teenagers are up to. But, at the same time, I think she just trusted that we would turn out well. With her, the emphasis was always on using your brain, reading a lot, and doing well in school.”

“The good just keeps getting better as we adjust more and more to having her in our loop, and she becomes more responsive—it’s just mind-blowing. We’re obsessed with her. She makes me giddy. I could go on. The bad is that being over 30, I never realized how much alone time I need to be creative and feel inspired. Having to be on constantly is pretty exhausting. I’m lucky in the support that I have, but most of that time, I need to be working, and I do miss some of that freeform downtime.”

“How lucky I am that she is our daughter. She’s already my little sidekick.”

“The same fear I have for all the people I love: something terrible happening. Honestly, I can’t even think like that.”

“Her room right now is a hybrid guest bedroom, and I honestly haven’t put too much thought into decorating it. We’re in the process of moving, and when we do, it will be more intentional. I have this mural idea for the wall in her new room, and my husband has said to me, ‘Why do all moms want to specifically paint their kids’ room?’ Apparently, he grew up with a rainbow stripe down the middle of his.”

“My husband bought her a framed Dallas Clayton poem for her first Christmas. It makes me want to cry every time I read it. We still need to hang it.”

“We toyed with the name Olivia, but it felt a little too popular. My aunt was in Rome a few weeks before her birth, and sent a picture of the bust of Livia Drusilla, the wife of Augustus Caesar and the first Empress of Rome. She was kind of a badass, and a strong woman, so it felt perfect. Her last name is Figone, which is super Italian. We wanted to make sure it all matched up without being a mouthful. Unfortunately, people don’t know that Livia is a real name, so she’ll be correcting people her whole life.”

“It starts with everyone being well-rested and staying in a good mood, getting some breakfast and coffee, and then just hanging out with both her and my husband. There’s lots of walking and exploring involved.”

“She’s awesome! And, I’m so biased, I don’t even think I’m biased. She’s seriously so sweet-spirited, smiley, and fun to be around. We call her magic.”

“How obsessed with her I am and how bad labor hurts! Although, neither of these things should have come as a surprise.”

“Let go. I think that’s probably the secret to getting pregnant, and to not driving yourself crazy though all of it.”

“My own mom, for sure. I’m also constantly inspired by the other mothers in my life. I’m fortunate to have several really close mom friends that I relate to on many different levels. Funny enough, some of my favorite new mom friends are people that I’ve sort of been set up with. Being a mom isn’t easy at all, and raising a child isn’t easy—period. It just blows my mind how many people do it. I really admire all the moms who are making it happen, and loving their children as much as they can!”

Meredith wears an Ozma crop top and RTH skirt. Livia wears a Rylee + Cru dress.

“I only read two: Expecting Better by Emily Oster and Bringing up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman. I liked both of these. I was also gifted First Bite: How We Learn to Eat by Bee Wilson, which is a great book on the psychology of taste.”

“I don’t know if anyone officially said it, but ‘go with the flow’ seems like the best advice. And, to trust yourself and your maternal instinct.”

“We’re on the fence. She’s so awesome, and I actually really enjoyed being pregnant. But, the world is so chaotic, and raising a child in Los Angeles is so expensive. Sometimes just saying 'one and done' feels like the best option.”

“Minimal with a flair for the slightly avant-garde or eclectic. I do really love fashion, but my lifestyle doesn’t really need much. I like to invest in things I will wear a lot, but have an appreciation for more artful and expressive pieces.”

“Yes and no. It’s probably become more causal, and heels are pretty much nonexistent at this point, but I certainly haven’t set out to start ‘dressing like a mom’. Although, I guess that concept has changed a bit, and dressing like a mom can be kind of hot.”

“The Australian brand Bassike makes amazing tank tops that I wear all the time. I’d look like a complete schlub without them. Also, RTH harem pants, Simon Miller jeans, and black on black Arizona Birkenstocks.”

“I think there are a lot of pretty cool designers out there right now, especially the ones working towards sustainable fashion. Historically though, I love Ann Demeulemeester, Maison Margiela, and Yohji Yamamoto. For higher fashion, I definitely like a slightly goth-punk vibe. I also really love the Japanese brand Kapital. My husband brought back a few of their indigo pieces when he was in Tokyo, and they are awesome.”

“Bring back the ‘90s forever. Also, the return of the choker has me intrigued.”

“I’m pretty strategic. I’ll actually think a lot about a piece before I buy it, and kind of play it out in my mind. Currently, my favorite store in L.A. is RTH. My husband and I go there, and we can share items. It has a cool, unisex vibe. In Venice, I also love Heist and Guild.”

“I want more silk. As a breastfeeding mom, this probably isn’t my silk moment, but I’ve been loving the designer Awaveawake’s plant-died silk. I love her wrap tops and slip dresses; they’re so chic. You could even dress them down with a white t-shirt and vans, and it feels very Cruel Intentions. Also, maybe a Lemaire ribbed sweater for fall. And, Lauren Manoogian sweaters, too. I’m looking forward to my daughter growing into some of the items I just bought from the Australian designer Millk. I love their stuff, but must report that it runs big!”

“It’s too minimal at the moment. I’m in need of some grooming. I pretty much use my product, Nucifera The Balm, for everything. Then, I’ll mix in products that I’m testing or curious about. I’ve also been loving all the Marie Veronique serums.”

“As someone who has made wellness a focus in my life, I’ll go back to that earlier question about letting go. Ironically, pregnancy made me feel a lot more laid-back about certain things. I try to just stay balanced, and in order to do that, I go by how I feel. I can get just as excited about a green juice as I can about a biodynamic wine or delicious cup of coffee. My routine includes plenty of water, plenty of walking, lots of raw veggies, kraut, and seaweed, an iron supplement, glutathione, and probiotics. The author Tom Robbins coined my favorite quote on wellness: ‘Breathe properly, stay curious, and eat your beets.’”

“Right now, the most me time I get is with a nice, long bath and a book—that’s really my favorite thing to do. I love bathing with epsom salts and essential oils like ylang ylang, patchouli, and rose. I’ll do a face mask with The Balm and May Lindstrom’s The Clean Dirt.”

“I handmake and sell my product, Nucifera Body The Balm. Right now, I do absolutely everything from making the product to hand labeling jars and fulfilling orders. We are in many retailers across the country, as well as in over 100 Anthropologie stores. Everything is still handmade, and I want to keep it that way as long as possible.”

“That I work for myself, and create my own schedule.”

“My career started off in the plant-based food world. I worked for a restaurant group for many years where I did everything from menu writing and curated wine lists, to assisting in interior design. It was pretty much a lot of different things, and everything in between. I’ve written and co-authored several books all in the raw, vegan food genre. I’ve studied both wine and raw food, and am very passionate about plant-based cuisine. I love wining and dining, and bringing that together with healthy cuisine. My last book, Coconut Kitchen, was what really inspired me to dig deeper into the uses of coconut oil. I was using it a lot in my personal care, and started noticing that it did much more than moisturize. It was lightening age spots, and evening my skin tone. Since my mid-20s, I’ve had severely dry skin, and have always tinkered with making my own skin products. I’ve always known that what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in. While writing the book, I developed a skin balm that I was really happy with, and started using all the time. My husband was the one who encouraged me to brand and start selling it. He did the branding, and when I started giving it to my friends and having them try it, it was really their vote of confidence that gave me the confidence to put it out there. Cut to putting up a website to start selling, and finding out I was pregnant all in one month. Last year was our first in business, and we’ve been so fortunate in the acceptance that we’ve had. I’m really looking forward to getting it out there more and more. My goal for The Balm is to make it the next Rosebud Salve, minus the petroleum. We’ve created a clean, multipurpose, and unisex product that is good for all!”

Meredith wears a vintage French workwear shirt, vintage Levi cutoffs, and vintage shoes.

“About two months after I had my daughter, I had a mini meltdown and told my husband I wanted a nine-to-five job. Seeing women with paid maternity leave and some kind of job security made me kind of jealous. Working for yourself is nerve-wracking in that you don’t really have a set schedule. Especially as a new mom, there are days that I can get absolutely nothing done. As someone who is used to being productive, it can be really frustrating. I’m at the place now, though, where I see my business and the motivation of making it work come from my daughter. I want to give her as much as I can, and create a business that she is proud of.”

Livia wears a Gray Label top and Bonheur du Jour pants.

“I have my days that I have help, so I can work. The rest of the time, I surrender. Sometimes, she naps and I’m able to get stuff done, but I make no work commitments on those days. If you email me after Wednesday evening, you may or may not hear from me until the following Monday, and that’s just the best I can do. I hate to email from my phone. I do have to keep up with customer service and order fulfillment, but as far as engaging creatively, I have to do it on days where I can focus.”

“Digging deeper into my business plan and growing my company. I have lots of ideas and collaborations in the works. The story behind what beauty means is changing, and I think that it’s a really exciting time to be a part of the movement. We are so overstimulated, clutter is becoming less tolerable. As a woman, how many things do you hit yourself with before you walk out the door that are just part of a marketing hype? How stimulating is that to your nervous system? I think truly feeling and looking good is just as much about releasing the excess as it is seeking out things to ‘fix’ your problems, whether it be skincare or some other means of consumption.”

“Go with the flow. I think overthinking it is what gets me in trouble. If I just do, and try to be present, then I’m the best version of myself in all of the above.”

“Yes, I love L.A.—the weather, the people, the culture. I think it feels like a much smaller and more comfortable place than someone might think coming from the outside.”

“Absolutely. I probably live in the mecca of support for mothering entrepreneurs.”

Meredith wears a vintage military jacket, a Baserange top, and pants from RTH. Livia wears a Zara top, Malu Organic pants, and shoes from Freshly Picked.

“The diversity that she’ll be exposed to, and the opportunities for creativity. I think one of the most amazing things about L.A. is the support it gives to creatives. You can pretty much be whatever you want to be here, for both the good and the bad.”

“We talk about getting more off-the-grid sometimes, but who knows. Eventually, I could see us moving to a more rural area that is centralized around nature. We love wine, so we fantasize about moving to wine country.”

“Walk. Coffee. Walk. Coffee. Lunch. Walk. Seriously though, walking around, just browsing shops, and hanging out is our favorite thing to do. Somedays, I’ll look at my phone (I just learned that iPhone automatically calculates milage), and I’ll have walked six miles completely unintentionally. Livia loves being occupied, so it is also much easier for me to just strap her in the stroller, and cruise around.”

“We’re lucky in that a lot of what we do is kid-friendly. The beach, museums, shops, and restaurants all support a stroller and the gear. Wherever I go, she goes. I’m kind of bad in that I haven’t really sought out any of the kid stuff there is to do here, like swimming and music lessons and all of that. One of the best things to do is sit in my front yard with a bottle of wine and a few blankets with my friends with kids, and let them go to town.”

“Restaurants past 6 p.m. As someone who has been fairly up on the where to go and what to eat side of things, being a parent is not good for going to restaurants at night. I used to scoff at people who ate dinner before 8 p.m. Now, we’re there at 5:30. The good news is you don’t need a reservation, but I still like going out with my husband minus babe.”

For more on Meredith, her family, and Nucifera, find her here, here, and here.