Introducing…Meredith!! She’s a reader-turned-contributor and we are so excited to welcome her to our ever-growing crew.
If you’ve spent any amount of time in our Facebook Insiders group, you’ll know that Meredith is kiiind of a celeb over there. After she coined the wildly-popular (and hilarious) term “Stupid Pants” and started our first-ever #MyHolidayEdit, we knew we had to share her with this entire community on the regular — the Insiders Group can’t have ALL the fun.
…or, can they?
Meredith, we are SO thrilled to have you and your fun, witty writing on the blog. I’m personally looking forward to the next “Stupid Pants” you’ll find (though I’m not sure we could ever truly replace them).
Keep an eye out for Meredith’s posts in our usual rotation, follow her on IG, check out her own blog (The Meredish), and read her full interview with us, below!
Let’s get the basics out of the way: where you live, how many kids, etc.,
I live in the DFW Metroplex (Dallas-Fort Worth) with my husband and 3 kids (regularly forget the third — sorry kid!). Daughters are 8 and 5, son is 8-months-old. My firstborn, Mimi, is an 11-year-old Min Pin (miniature pinscher).
Three words to describe your personal style. Go.
Accessible, occasionally outrageous, uncomplicated. (Yes that’s 4 words, I’m a rule breaker.)
Who are your style icons?
I’m a long-time fan of Blair Eadie (her looks are always so feminine and whimsical). Olivia Palermo, Cate Blanchett (elegance personified). I’m also trying to fill my feeds with BIPOC style icons who are focused on the intersection of politics, feminism, fashion as well as sustainability. Some of my new favorites are Dominique Drakeford, Samata, Aja Barber & Candice Tay.
How has your personal style changed since becoming a mom?
Once upon a time I had an hour in the morning to get ready, could wear short skirts without worrying about having to pick up discarded cheerios off the floor, and wore white with abandon. My style is much more functional than it used to be. But motherhood doesn’t have to be a loss of identity; through motherhood, you discover a new one. I’m more intentional when it comes to self-care and what I can wear depending on what season of life I’m in. It’s also a test in learning to love and accept my body.
What’s your most-worn piece? (If it’s sweatpants…we won’t tell.)
It is without a doubt “The Stupid Pants.” The Nike Palazzo Pants that I was NOT going to order…and ended up ordering after extreme FOMO. They are literal perfection. High-waisted, flared, pintuck detailing, fleece to keep you warm. They are The Sisterhood of the Stupid Traveling Pants. They work on virtually anyone and make you feel stylish even when you’re hunkered down at home. A close second this winter is this ridiculously cozy Faux Fur Leopard Print Coat from Anthropologie. I feel very Mob Wives meets RHONJ in it (and fabulous!).
Sometimes it’s hard to gauge height from an Instagram or blog post — SO…how tall are you?
5’7″ when I stand up straight.
What are your top three beauty products?
- Biossance Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil – This product taught me that all facial cleansers are not created equal. It leaves your skin feeling so fresh (…and so clean, clean).
- Colorproof Texture Charge Color Protect Texture + Finishing Spray: Holy moly does this stuff do the trick. Holds your hair in place without that helmet look (unless you’re into that). I always spray it before breaking up my curls to give more of a relaxed, I just came from the beach (even though I live hours away from a beach) look.
- Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20: Excellent coverage for when you want to look a little more put together without going full Picasso on your face (you know that foundation). Plus it has SPF (protect that skin!)
What drew you to blogging and when did you start?
Writing has always been a creative outlet, and I’ve blogged on and off for decades (did I just say decades? Wow). My first official blogger position was when I was a college sports writer for Experience (dot) com. (Fun fact: I originally went to college for Broadcast Journalism with the hope of becoming a sportscaster.)
What does a typical day look like? How do you manage time with kids vs. blogging (or work)?
I wake up at 4:30, work out for 90 minutes, shower, spend 10 minutes admiring my banging bod in the mir…JOKES! A typical day involves me acting as: a taxi driver, Master Chef, Event Coordinator, etc., for my three children. I manage my time with the help of a lovely part-time sitter, and assistance from my mom and stepdad. It really takes a village, and when I set aside time to work on something I have to focus and make the most of it. Although — to be honest — you can typically find me stirring something on the stove while jotting down a blog on the phone whilst tossing snacks in the direction of my feral children with my toes.
After the craziest, worst days we all find salvation in seeing our kids. What’s your favorite thing to do with them to decompress?
Hand them over to my husband so I can go listen to a podcast in an Epsom salt bath (Kidding! Kind of). I love doing arts & crafts with my kids (except Play-Doh. Never Play-Doh), baking with my daughters, reading The Baby-Sitters Club with my eldest, and watching our favorite show: Nailed It.
What did you dream of being when you were young?
I wanted to be a color commentary sportscaster for the MLB. Yes, a very specific dream, but I was enamored by Jerry Remy, longtime color commentator for the Boston Red Sox.
What’s one fashion risk you love to see on others but would NEVER take yourself?
Anything that requires a strapless bra. That might not sound risky, but if you’re over a certain age and/or have birthed children, trusting a piece of fabric to hold up your bosoms is scarier than a middle school trust fall. After multiple children I have understandable trust issues with undergarments. If it requires a special bra, I’m out. Wireless, full-coverage Bali bra for life!
Meredith, we are SO excited to have you on the team (though it feels like you’ve been a member of the TME family for quite some time now.) Let’s give Meredith the warmest TME welcome ever! Yay!
Xo,
Gwen
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Congrats Meredith!!! 👏👏👏 I’ve loved following you on the insiders groups – this is wonderful!
Sigh. I wish you would have hired a person of color.
Welcome, Meredith!!! 🎉🎉🎉
Perfect addition to the TME family of contributors!
Congratulations, Meredith!
I love seeing Meredith’s comments in the Facebook group and I have followed her Instagram for a couple of months, she is great and I had hoped you would eventually hire her. However, I’ve noticed that you haven’t hired any new Black writers in a long time, which is something I expected given the recent events in our country, instead the recent new writers have been much of the same, White. Black representation among your staff, and not just three writers (two who don’t contribute regularly anymore), might have prevented the debacle with the MLK “sale” post. You have the platform to provide opportunities to Black women, I hope you’ll exercise it soon.
I don’t disagree. I know you don’t know me yet, but I hope you’ll give me a chance & get to know me through TME. I try to be intentional and never want to take up space that could be for a POC. When I realized contributor positions were not finite, I applied and was accepted. Thanks and have a good day 🙂
Nice to see another new contributor. Still waiting for a slightly older mom/empty nester mom to join the club.
Congratulations, Meredith!!! I, for one, am looking forward to more of your fresh and witty perspective that we’ve all come to enjoy so much in the FB Insiders group, and am tickled pink that you’ve been chosen to join the TME team.
We all want to see folks that share aspects of our identities represented here, and I would imagine all of us that choose to spend time here welcome diversity (I personally especially enjoyed Tiarra’s posts and truly do miss her perspective, and I always love Julieta’s contributions and am happy that she is able to represent the Latin community here). That said, while I applaud requesting that TME includes among their contributors BIPOC or older moms, I hope we will all make Meredith feel welcome and give her a chance — as the choice was not hers, and certainly doesn’t preclude a BIPOC or other underrepresented contributor being featured, even in the near future. And while we wait and hope for that to occur, I am certain that Meredith will make an excellent contributor with a rather unique perspective. 🙂
“[M]otherhood doesn’t have to be a loss of identity; through motherhood, you discover a new one.”
Love this. I’m a mom of three and a parent for nearly 12 years, and agree with it beyond (but certainly including!) fashion identity. My life has massively changed with having kids – but it didn’t end, it’s simply different.
Laughed out loud about undergarment trust issues. Outside the bedroom, I don’t mess around with anything other than purely functional (and comfortable) bras. I gotta bend over in public with saggy 30DDDs. My bras aren’t messing around.
Especially with recent events here on TME and in the world its disappointing to see another young white woman who is maybe slightly bigger than Shanna but definitely not the in the size range that I was hoping for to include woman who aren’t a size 2 or a 22. I guess TME will keep with its middle to upper class skinny white woman program yet again. Disappointed but never surprised.
Congrats Meredith!! I don’t disagree that a diverse group of contributors is important. However I would like to think that TME chooses contributors as they come along. For instance Meredith happened to be a standout in the facebook insiders group and therefore caught the attention of the team……
I have loved reading Meredith’s funny posts on the TME Insiders group. And, at the same time, I’m disappointed to see that TME hasn’t hired a new contributor who would bring in more diversity to the current group of contributors — race, ethnicity, age, or size. I recognize that this is not a zero-sum game and that TME could hire a more diverse contributor tomorrow, but the proportion of white/30s/small contributors will still be shifted by this hire. Please live up to your values. Where your organization’s dollars go matters just as much as (or more than?) your rhetoric.
Good grief. I have absolute faith that TME has their eyes wide open for great contributors of all ages, colors, shapes, and sizes as they become available. This blog is one of the most inclusive places on the internet. Meredith, you have spectacular style inside and out, and you’ll be a valuable addition to the team, despite this rude reception. Congratulations!
LOVE this. ❤️
100% Maria- thank you for sharing. It IS possible that a non-white, or non-“young”, or non- (fill in the blank) didn’t even apply for this position folks. We don’t know- nor is it our business- who the applicants were, nor are we the boss of this blog making the final decision. As Maria stated, I also trust that TME absolutely values diversity in their contributors and is committed to celebrating and including all voices. The ‘recent events’ on TME, and in the world, does not preclude a qualified person- regardless of race/ethnicity/age/etc- from an opportunity to contribute.
And while everyone’s opinion is important, it’s actually rude and inconsiderate to post comments of that nature. Email the TME owner(s) directly to express your frustrations or concerns; not in the open comment forum where the new hire is going to read it. Not very welcoming.
Fun! I am always happy to see Meredith’s contributions to the Insiders group and look forward to seeing what she brings to the table. Just as an aside, recently TME has interviewed two really dynamic BIPOC women and there were two comments on each of them. It seems strange to me, that there are so many complaints here, yet no encouragement or celebration on those other posts. Anyway…congratulations and good luck, Meredith!
Meredith, this is great news. As a fellow Insider I’m glad to see you here. You will bring great insight and a different voice to the page. I know you will do a stellar job and bring smiles to many faces. Biggest congrats, my friend.
Hi Sarah – I know my size isn’t included in this post, but I wear between an 8-12 and Large most of the time. I’m pretty much in that average American woman size range. I consider myself an ally, but I definitely don’t make up for a BIPOC and wouldn’t have accepted the role if I thought I was taking up space that a BIPOC could have filled. I hope you’ll give me a chance and see what I have to write.
Welcome, Meredith! Love your wit and warmth, and can’t wait for more!
Welcome, Meredith! You had me at “If it requires a special bra, I’m out.” LOL!!!
Heather – that is so sweet of you to say. Thank you 🙂
You my people Maryanne 😂😂