EASY KID-FRIENDLY RECIPES WITH SARGENTO

HARRISON HAS BEEN BACK TO SCHOOL since the end of last month, so I’ve been researching some meals for him for when he comes home from school for lunch. He’s a Montessori boy and very independent, so I like to find some go-to recipes he can help make, like a good melty grilled cheese sandwich that he can assemble all by himself before I put it on the cast iron to melt.

I’ve teamed up with Sargento Foods to put together this simple grilled cheese using their delicious melty Colby Jack slices (with Harrison’s choice of meat— hand-carved turkey, but you can customize with whatever your kid loves like bacon or avocado). Harrison loves their slices on their own as well, and I love that Sargento slices are real, natural cheese that is never processed. #RealCheesePeople #ad

GRILLED CHEESE WITH TURKEY

2 slices artisan bread (white or wheat)
hand-carved turkey breast (or choice of meat/veggies)
Sargento Colby Jack cheese slices (Harrison uses 2)
mustard and/or mayonnaise
butter for the pan/press

Harrison assembles the turkey, cheese, and mustard on the bread, and I prefer to use our cast iron skillet to melt the cheese and brown both sides of the bread with butter. The whole thing only takes about 5-10 minutes to prepare, and Harrison enjoys his sandwich with a glass of milk and some berries!

REDECORATING WITH ARTICLE

I’VE ALWAYS LOVED ARTICLE’S classic mid-century modern furniture, and have had multiple pieces from the online furniture shop in the past. You can read my past experience with them here.

I always love the selection at Article, but this time I went for some pieces that were a bit more subtly mid-century— or at least ones that would mix with furniture that wasn’t from the period. The Rus dining chairs in Light Oak were perfect for that because they’re still sleek and minimal but with a bit of a Shaker style, which I’m very into right now. They also went very well with my dining table and bench.

The online process was simple and convenient, and the delivery was easy as well; they even unpack and assemble everything for you, which was so helpful because the Crescent Floor Lamp is super heavy! I went against my usual color choice and opted for the black to offset our white couch and I love the way it turned out. Adding the soft baby alpaca Mollo Throw in a muted camel brown was the perfect final touch.

If you’re in the market for some high quality, beautiful pieces delivered straight to your door, you should definitely check out everything Article has to offer! I’m pretty certain these pieces will last us a lifetime.

ST. AGNI GIVEAWAY

FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, my friends at Australian-based label St. Agni have consistently been putting out amazing collections of shoes, clothing and bags. I’m loving everything in their newest collection, especially since a lot of it can be worn during my pregnancy and after— like the off the shoulder top, comfy Pool Slides, and Minni Dress styled here. So I’m excited to host a giveaway for them for $300AUD shop credit. 

To enter, head to my Instagram @melissasonico and like my post, follow both @stagnistudio and tag friends as usual in separate comments for each entry! Extra entry if you share the post on your stories. Ends Friday 2/8.

And to find out more about St. Agni from cofounder Lara, read on!

How did you get started with St. Agni? Was it always your chosen career path?

St. Agni had been manifesting for a while— my partner Matt and I had always wanted to start something up of our own. Both with a background in the retail industry, the concept of starting our own retail business seemed palpable and so we went for it. I had a genuine and unfulfilled desire for minimal, good quality pieces that I just couldn’t find. I’m perpetually looking for gaps in the market; it’s a habit of mine now! I just really love figuring out solutions for things, especially in a business nature.

What, if any, are your design inspirations? Any insight into your process?

With no formal design experience, I draw inspiration from various elements that are both tangible and in my imagination. I’m constantly taking pictures and screenshots of people, places, buildings, colours, textures and shapes. I think things that take form with fine lines and sense of nonchalance and nostalgia are what I am drawn to.

How does Australia influence your design aesthetic?

Byron Bay is a small costal town on the north coast of New South Wales, and it’s a rather influential place and has a profound impact on our overall design aesthetic. It’s a beautiful area where many likeminded individuals are drawn, generally those looking to escape the city and also a lot of entrepreneurial kinds. I think half of the reason we were able to really motivate ourselves to start St. Agni can be attributed to living here.

What is your mission statement for St. Agni?
To create timeless pieces, ensuring that less really is more whilst delivering comfort, quality and authentic design.

What other creative outlets do you have?
St. Agni is my main creative outlet; having our son Jude a year ago has left little room for more creative outlets at this stage. Most of my creative energy goes into constantly expanding St. Agni’s offerings and maturing as a label.

Describe a typical day at work and also a day off.
A typical day in the office begins with a coffee and emails. Depending on the what’s going on in the business at the time, I try to take time to check in with the team and assist and direct where I can. Still being a relatively small team means there are always things to get done so its always a busy day in the office.

A typical day at home starts with a walk to the local coffee shop with my son Jude, after that we would most likely go to the beach or go for a swim in the pool. 

What's next for St. Agni?

We have a really exciting year at St. Agni... We have partnered with some incredible new stockists in the US (stay tuned) as well as working on an exclusive collaboration with the Dreslyn.
We are also opening a new store - I can't wait to see this come to life!!

GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE GIVEAWAY! 

I’ve been a fan of my friends over at Girfriend Collective since practically the beginning, so I’m excited to be hosting a giveaway for them finally. I’m in love with every style and color they offer, and their mission of sustainability is amazing and inspirational. Their leggings and sports bras and bodysuits  are made from recycled plastic bottles, sourced and produced ethically. I’ve even been wearing them while pregnant (I’m in my second trimester) but just found out they’ll be releasing maternity leggings!

To enter to win the activewear set in the style and shade of your choice (bra top and leggings), just do the following:

1. Comment below with your email and which set you’d choose

2. Go to my giveaway post on Instagram, like the post, follow both @girlfriend and @melissasonico, and tag friends in separate comments.

That’s it! Ends Friday 2/1. Good luck!

make sure to read on to learn more about Girlfriend Collective in the interview below with cofounder Ellie Dinh.

 How did you get started in designing activewear?

My only experience with activewear was originally from a consumer side. I had a pretty regular workout routine with some friends, and even though athleisure was at its peak, nothing particularly excited me in the activewear space. In parallel to that, Quang (our GM) and I started researching sustainable clothing manufacturing and stumbled upon a few eco-friendly gems, including our recycled polyester. Everything really fell into place after that.

Quang has a background in fashion, but because there are so many technicalities to activewear apparel, we worked with a former lululemon designer and Acne Studios designer for our first collection to make sure everything was perfect. As we’ve evolved, our design process has become much more collaborative, and we do all of the designs in-house with our team.

 What, if any, are your design inspirations? Any insight into your process?

Our process is extremely collaborative so our entire team contributes and tests everything we make. We’re also an office full of perfectionists, so we take our time with each idea, and sometimes it takes a year or more until a final piece sees the light of day.

I find we’re the most inspired by everyday apparel and then try our best to translate that into activewear, so our clothes lean less sporty and feel more universal.

I’m personally a huge fan of brands like Paloma Wool, MNZ, and Mansur Gavriel. I love the beautiful colorways they use! We typically focus on keeping our silhouettes minimal, feminine, and functional, and then have more fun with the color palettes we choose.

How does the place you live in influence your design aesthetic?

Seattle is a very very outdoorsy city! You’ll see the majority of people wearing leggings or REI gear on their way to work or go out for dinner. One thing about living here that’s really influenced our design aesthetic is making sure every piece is extremely functional. I’ve found most Seattleites value function over fashion, and while I tend to lean more towards the latter, it’s one of the reasons we take so long in our design process — we want our pieces to not just look great but actually stand up against the most intense workouts and consistent use.

What is your mission statement for Girlfriend Collective?

Our goal is to make sustainable activewear for people who care — care about other people, care about how their clothes are made, and care about making an impact through their purchasing power. Through ethically manufactured activewear, recycled materials, and our ever-growing community, we hope to help people lead more sustainable lives and rethink the activewear industry’s role in saving the earth.

What other creative outlets do you have?

I feel like Girlfriend is the ultimate creative outlet for me — I get to wear different hats and be part of so many amazing campaigns and projects, it’s really the most fulfilling career path I’ve been on so far. At the moment though I’m attempting to learn sewing and pattern-making on the side because I’m fascinated by that process and would love to learn something more tactile.

Describe a typical day at work and also a day off.

Most of my days at work are spent planning/moodboarding content and collections, designing emails, and drinking a lot of coffee. There are a lot of collaborative meetings, and also a lot of me sitting at my computer for hours on end, moodboarding and piecing together concepts and ideas for the months ahead. I’ll also hop on Instagram to scroll through messages and comments every day to see what people are engaging with and commenting on, and squeeze in as many email responses as I can!

When I’m off work, I spend the entirety of my time hanging out with my 1-year-old and navigating this crazy journey of motherhood. We go on a ton of walks around the city, and I generally just do my best to live in the present and enjoy time with friends and family.

What's next for Girlfriend?

So many things! We’re continually working to expand our size range and we have even more inclusive sizing dropping soon, more styles, more colors, and some very exciting sustainable technology that we can’t wait to release. Stay tuned!

 

  

YOUR HOMESTEAD

I’M SO EXCITED TO BE HOSTING A GIVEAWAY for Your Homestead organic bed sheets. I’ve been in need of some good quality sheets for a while and I love the feel of these sateen sheets. I normally have linen but I like the silkiness to these, and the glacier gray shade is perfect. They’re also Harrison-approved as you can tell from the photos.

To enter, all you have to do is go on my Instagram feed and like the post, comment tagging friends, and follow both @melissasonico and @yourhomestead. For more entries, comment below with your favorite thing about bedtime and the color of sheets you would choose, along with your email address. Ends Friday 9/7.