Readers, meet Chelsee. We all go wayyy back (as in, the good old blogging conference days of 2017), and thanks to Instagram, we’ve been able to keep in touch. And by “keep in touch,” I mean she quickly became one of our favorite Instagram follows.
Shana and I would often ooooh and ahhhh over everything Chelsee would share. From her taste for home design to her personal style to, more recently, her gorgeous wedding.
Reader Interview: Personal Style, Baby Gifts & New Mom Life
True to her aesthetic, Chelsee is a creative consultant, and she has worked with some of the very best in the industry. We’ve had her on our wish list of features for quite some time now, and we’re thrilled to finally share this interview on the blog.
And the best part? During our interview process, Chelsee was kind enough to give us a glimpse into her life as a new mom. She welcomed her first baby in December! (Cue even more Instagram cuteness for me & S to swoon over.)
Creative Consultant Chelsee Leigh Adams Miller Answers 14 Questions
Here, Chelsee shares her favorite brands and products, her most-loved space at home, and the best gift for new moms.
1. Describe Yourself In One Sentence
Born + raised in Massachusetts → living in Fort Worth, Texas, with my husband, Matt; rescue puppy, Pearl; and our new baby boy, Maxwell → former food and lifestyle blogger → creative consultant → known for trying to make every moment cozy.
2. Can You Give Our Readers A Little Rundown On What You Do, How You Spend Your Time?
I had my first baby at the end of December so these days my time is generally spent staring at him, taking photos of him sleeping, and wrapping my head around the fact that this beautiful human is ours.
For work, I’m a creative consultant and help brands with marketing, creative, and editorial strategy—I’ve worked with companies of all sizes from early phase LTK and Pier 1, to Meta and Laude the Label, an impact-driven sustainable fashion brand.
My spare time is usually spent with my husband tinkering around our house and backyard, antiquing and visiting nearby estate sales, perusing our neighborhood garden shop, or bookmarking recipes in the NYT cooking app (we’re constantly plotting our next meal).
My dear friend Rachael of Studio Foray recently redesigned my website—I’ve been collecting clips of inspo and photos I’ve captured and wanted a centralized location for all of my memories and ideas to live—(when I get my act together) it will essentially be a digital journal for me to look back on and a way to encourage some intentionality especially now that I’m a new mom and everything can feel like a blur.
3. Best gift for new moms? (Even if it’s the gift of help with laundry / dropping off a meal.)
One of our friends sent us a Venmo gift card for dinner, which I didn’t even know was a thing! It was such a pleasant surprise and it gave us the flexibility to order whatever we were in the mood for that week, which I loved since it was difficult to know what we’d be craving days/weeks in advance. Also having a new baby can definitely put you in a bubble so just the simplicity of “normal” moments like a friend texting to catch up or stopping by to visit (but also knowing when to leave, haha) is priceless.
4. What’s one thing you wished you had put on your baby registry, but didn’t?
Thankfully, we had registry help from my sister-in-law who has two under 2.5 and is a research extraordinaire so we really didn’t miss out on much. She’s also been giving us gadgets as her kiddos outgrow them which is so helpful in every way imaginable.
My son is 99% in height and weight. So we didn’t account for his rapid growth during these first couple of months. We’ve recently been buying a lot of larger sizes (most things we registered for were 0-3 months which he’s already about outgrown). So, if I had to go back, I probably would have registered for more sizes he can grow into instead of so many tiny things.
5. Describe Your Personal Style In Three Words.
Creative, comfortable, versatile.
6. What Outfit(s) Do You Wear On Repeat?
I’m a Kule loyalist through and through (I very proudly have a section of my closet dedicated to my Kule collection) so I’m typically living in one of their shirts, dresses, or sweaters. Their pieces are timeless, so easy to layer, and wear really well over time. I also love an oversized cotton or linen shirt dress with the sleeves cuffed/rolled and a light sweater tossed over my shoulders with comfy sneakers. I’m really all about comfort, functionality, and cost per wear these days—I love taking one piece and styling it in a variety of ways over time. I can also justify the purchase of mostly any article of clothing so if you’re ever on the fence about a piece you’ve been eyeing just hit me up and I’ll workshop numerous ways you can wear it, haha.
7. How has motherhood changed your personal style, if at all?
I really don’t think it has changed. Even while pregnant, I just wore larger sizes of what I’d typically wear. My main goal at all times is to be comfortable, even if that means sizing up for the time being, and to purchase pieces I can have for years to come that work throughout a variety of seasons.
8. Favorite Pair Of Jeans (If You Wear Jeans)?
Between being pregnant and working from home, I haven’t worn jeans in almost a year! But before I got pregnant I was living in a pair of Curvy 90s Cheeky jeans in washed black from Everlane. For jean shorts, AGOLDE Parker Long Loose Vintage Shorts are tried and true.
9. You’re Heading To Paris. What Footwear Do You Pack?
My husband got me a pair of New Balance Niobium Concept 2 sneakers the last time we were in LA and I feel like 98% of the time, they’re on my feet. They’re the most comfortable footwear I own and are perfect for travel. Like, maybe slightly ugly, but kind of chic, and for sure functional. Whenever I wear them, I get stopped by people of all ages curious to know more about them.
10. What are your go-to brands for cute baby clothes?
There’s a boutique in Austin called Alexa James that I fell in love with—a friend bought a few of their pieces for our baby that I thought were adorable so I went in for a visit. I about blacked out when I walked into the shop—it’s the most perfectly curated kids’ store I’ve ever seen. They carry a variety of brands and have a really lovely boys’ section—fun, playful, and unique pieces that aren’t really “babyish.” For basics and little layering pieces (haha), we’ve been sticking to the usual hitters: H&M, Zara, Gap, Target.
11. Your Most-Loved Space In Your Home & Why?
We have this sitting room right off our entryway that I adore. We have two sofas facing each other—one dark green velvet and the other cognac leather—that are arranged in front of a large picture window. The velvet one was mine and the leather one was my husband’s. It’s the perfect marriage of combined styles and makes it a really lovely ‘his + hers’ moment. We recently went to Morocco where we purchased a beautiful travertine coffee table that sits between the sofas. The space is typically used to play games or simply sit around and chat with company while enjoying snacks. Our dog also spends each day on the green sofa looking out the window, so really, it’s her room now. My philosophy is that when you walk into someone’s home, it should tell their story—where they’ve been, who they are, what moves them—and this space does that all so well.
12. Top Three Beauty Products. Go...
My beauty routine is wildly simple but what I use nearly daily is:
13. Three Books You’d Recommend?
14. What Motivates You?
Seeing the world through a different lens, which usually happens when I travel or explore my surroundings beyond just a day-to-day routine. I love not having an agenda and simply seeing where a day takes me—it leaves space for creativity and curiosity and it’s when the most inspiring things happen. Seeing how other people live and experience their own spaces and communities motivates me in all kinds of ways. There’s so much kindness and patience required when escaping our little bubbles and it moves me to be a better, kinder, more creative human.
Chelsee, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us for this special interview. (Especially with your new little guy at home!!) We absolutely loved working with you on this one. And readers, be sure to check out Chelsee’s beautiful website if you had as much fun reading this interview as we had pulling it together.
Xo,
Gwen
