Sunday Favorites: Mersea, Kansas City, and the Reason I Do This

I just got back from the Mersea grand opening in Kansas City, and what’s stayed with me isn’t the gorgeous travel-ready pieces , it’s something I didn’t fully expect: meeting so many of you in person.

A handful of readers made the trip to come say hello, and honestly, it stopped me in my tracks a little. For years, you’re just names in the comments or faces on Instagram, and then suddenly there’s a real person standing in front of you, telling you which post made them rethink their closet, or laugh out loud, or finally book the trip to France they’d been putting off. It’s humbling, and so special.

Why this matters more than it might sound like it should

I started this blog in 2012, and if you’d told me back then that the best part ,fourteen years later, would be the women I’ve met because of it (not the brands, not the trips, not even the clothes). I’m not sure I would have believed you. But here we are.

photos Madison Musto Media

There’s something special about connections between women in this decade of life. We’re past the performance of it all. Nobody’s there to impress anyone. We’re just genuinely curious about each other, what we’re reading, where we’re traveling, how we’re handling the parts of getting older that nobody warns us about. Kansas City reminded me that this whole “Collected Wardrobe” thing I keep talking about isn’t really about clothes at all. It’s about building a circle of women, person by person.

Thank you to all of you who came by. These are the only two pictures I managed to salvage in the shuffle.

The Mersea Celebration

What struck me most, walking into that fabulous new Kansas City space, was the story behind it. Mersea was started by two friends, women who built this brand together from the ground up). You can get a sense of that friendship woven into everything, from the easy, travel-friendly pieces to the warmth of the celebration itself.

And here’s what I loved: this isn’t a brand chasing one narrow idea of who gets to wear beautiful, easy clothes you can pack and go in. Women of every age were in that room, all wearing Mersea, all looking and feeling great in it. No one was aging out of anything. That’s increasingly rare, and it’s exactly the kind of brand I want to shout about. A brand that is built by women, for women, at every stage of life.

One of the loveliest surprises of the day was Selma Blair, who was there celebrating her pajama collaboration with Mersea. She’s been open about her MS journey, and her support dog, “Scout”, was right by her the whole time. What struck me wasn’t her star power, it was how warm and present she was with everyone who came up to talk to her. Gracious, genuinely engaged, no rush to move on to the next person. It’s the kind of grace that sticks with you.

A few favorites from the week

Pieces I loved in Person at Mersea

I was gifted this sweater and wore it going and coming on the airplane. I like it so much I am ordering it in white too. This top in watermelon and bluebell or the crisp cafe stripe. One of you readers purchased it! This boyfriend shirt (read the back) that so many people came wearing, and the entire Selma Blair line. The owner’s kindly gave all of us an allowance, and I accidentally left this shirt at the store. Of course the items I chose to wear, this skirt, this shirt, this dress, these bandanas, and this fabulous fold up bag.

Freddies Orzo Salad

Our lovely neighbors invited us over for dinner last night and Freddie served this wonderful Orzo Salad over her homegrown arugula, topped with arugula pesto (delicious) made by a friend (Freddie has many I might add).

Print Pin

Freddie’s Summer Orzo Salad

Servings 6 6-8 people

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
• 3-4 cups chopped grilled chicken breast strips or rotisserie chicken with skin removed
• 1-1/2 cups arugula trimmed
• 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
• 1 cup edamame out of the shell
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano chopped
• Dressing
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice plus more as needed
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar plus more as needed
• 5 tablespoons white miso
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 6 garlic cloves thinly sliced or chopped
• 1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly slice or chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeño stemmed, seeded and sliced (if desired)
• 1/2 cup neutral oil
• Kosher salt
• Toppings
• 3-4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 1 cup pine nuts toasted
• 1 tablespoon homemade or store bought pesto of your choice per serving
• Freddie served it with homemade aurgula pesto

Instructions

• For the Salad
• Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat, drain well. Put in large bowl and fluff so it doesn’t stick together.
• Add the chicken and the next 7 ingredients to the bowl. Toss well. Add dressing and toppings.
• For the Dressing
• In a liquid measuring cup or wide-mouth jar, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, miso , honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and chile. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. With the immersion blender running, add the neutral oil in a thin stream, or you can use a countertop blender. Taste and adjust with salt, lemon juice and vinegar as needed.

Female Friendships Are the Unsung Secret to Longevity

This article on the importance of female friendships and longevity caught my attention this week.

Father’s Day Faves for Steve

Steve would wear his pj’s out in public if I allowed him to! I picked up a great shirt and pair of shorts at the wonderful Banana Republic in Kansas City. He approved so I am on a roll to spiff up his wardrobe! You can find my father’s day (Steve approved) favorites here.

If there’s one thing I want you to walk away with, it’s this: showing up absolutely matters. Whether that’s showing up at an event in a city you’ve never been to, showing up at a party filled with people you have never met, showing up in the comments, or just hitting reply on a newsletter, these small acts of connection are what make all of this worth doing. So thank you. Truly. If I met you in Kansas City, I’m so glad you came. If I didn’t, I hope our paths cross sooner rather than later. You guys are the best! I am so lucky to count you all as friends.

Thank you so much for reading Sunday Favorites: Mersea, Kansas City, and the Reason I Do This, and being here each and every week. I so appreicate all of you! Wear your own monogram, ladies. Age confidently, age vibrantly, age fashionably, and keep showing up for each other. You won’t regret it. I promise….

Let’s pop over and visit Annie and Mary Ann for their Sunday favorites!

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