SWEET HOME

As the founder of mega-popular lifestyle website Cupcakes and Cashmere, Emily Schuman is one of the original fashion bloggers that turned a hobby into an empire. The LA mom has since penned books and launched product lines (her shoe collection debuted in March!), but there’s no place she’d rather be than home with her four-year-old daughter, Sloan.

MINI | How would you describe your home— the design, the feel?

EMILY SCHUMAN | Relaxed California.

MINI | Do you have a favorite room in your home?

EMILY SCHUMAN | The kitchen. It’s my favorite space since it’s light and airy and the area that my husband and I changed to our exact liking when we moved in. It’s also where the heart of our house is— where our friends and family gather when we’re entertaining and where we spend a lot of time each week cooking.

MINI | What is your take on kids gear taking over the house? How did you approach this?

EMILY SCHUMAN | It’s unrealistic to think that you won’t have any kid stuff out, but I think there’s a way to do it so it doesn’t feel like it’s overflowing into your entire space. Sloan has a miniature chair next to the couch, her play kitchen, and then a chic little basket where we kind of use as a catch-all at the end of the day when we clean up. It strikes a balance of feeling both stylized and intentional, but also kid-friendly.

MINI | How did you decide on your daughter’s name?

EMILY SCHUMAN | We went through a bunch of different names and we actually had called her “Baby Grey” all throughout my pregnancy. But towards the end, it just didn’t feel right anymore and as soon as we considered Sloan, we knew it was the one. The funny thing, I still have the notes where I scribbled it spelled out with an ‘e’ at the end and without and we went without. It looked better with our last name (Fuller) and also felt like a small nod to my mom, whose name is Fay, which is typically spelled with an ‘e,’ but since hers isn’t, we liked the idea of modeling Sloan’s after hers.

MINI | We know schedules can be hectic— so tell us about yours! What does a typical day look like right now?

EMILY SCHUMAN | Sloan acts as our alarm clock and usually gets up between 6 and 6:30 each morning. We get up, make her breakfast— usually it’s reheated homemade pancakes that I make with chia and flax seeds to add a bit more nutritional value and a glass of milk. We then make our coffee. My husband, Geoffrey (aka G) and I each only have one cup per day, so we make sure it’s a really good one and use a pour-over method using Ethiopian beans from Go Get Em Tiger in L.A. I make Sloan’s lunch, have her get ready (one of the nice things is that she can now dress herself), throw on some yoga clothes, and walk her to school. It’s a way for her to get outside for a bit and to spend some extra time together before the day begins— and also assures that I get in an hour, roundtrip walk. At work, it changes from day to day, whether we’re brainstorming ideas for an upcoming e-commerce shoot, designing for our clothing or shoe line, having marketing meetings, or writing blog posts. I get home each day at around 6 PM and while G starts dinner, I give Sloan a bath and put her to bed. Once she’s down, we’ll eat—usually in front of the TV—and watch a movie or show before going to bed, where I’ll read and do a crossword puzzle before falling asleep at around 10 PM.

MINI | How do you keep the plates spinning with your career and motherhood?

EMILY SCHUMAN | I remind myself that it’s rarely going to feel like I’m doing everything well. Some days I’m going to do a better job at being a mom and not get to everything on my to-do list from work. Other times, I’ll have a fantastic day at the office and feel like I’m impatient with Sloan once I get home. Somewhere along the line, it became this sort of unspoken idea that mothers who have a career should be able to balance it all. That’s just not realistic, but compartmentalizing things—focusing on work when I’m at the office, and being present with my daughter when I’m with her—certainly helps. And being nice to myself. That’s often the hardest thing of all.

MINI | What do you think is the greatest challenge of being a working mom?

EMILY SCHUMAN | Rarely feeling like you’re doing everything well. And not having enough time in a day to get to it all.

MINI | What are your thoughts on the concept of ‘having it all?’

EMILY SCHUMAN | That it’s an unfair expectation that’s only placed on mothers. You don’t hear people asking that question of men that happen to be dads, how they “balance it all” when they’re at work. I think it’s unfortunate that today, mainly due to the influx of social media, that we’re constantly inundated with images of other moms that appear to have it all. But it’s rarely showing the entire story. I might show a cute picture of Sloan and me while we’re outside, lying down watching butterflies, but I didn’t share how that morning, when the toilet had clogged, that I was furiously plunging it, while half-naked and half-asleep.

MINI | What has been your proudest career moment to date?

EMILY SCHUMAN | Launching my bag with Coach. Though I’ve had arguably “bigger” moments, like writing best-selling books or launching my own clothing line, it was more or less the pivotal point in my career and will always be the most special.

MINI | What has surprised you most about motherhood?

EMILY SCHUMAN | Just how rewarding and simultaneously challenging it is. There are no greater highs than spending time with Sloan and hearing her ideas, watching her play, and seeing her grow. But those fantastic moments can come crashing down so quickly with a tantrum, which is quite humbling. Motherhood keeps you on your toes and it's the hardest, best role of my life.

ously challenging it is. There are no greater highs that spending time with Sloan and hearing her ideas, watching her play, and seeing her grow. But those fantastic moments can come crashing down so quickly with a tantrum, which is quite humbling. Motherhood keeps you on your toes and it’s the hardest, best role of my life.MINI | What is your greatest parenting worry?

EMILY SCHUMAN | That Sloan’s anxiety will hold her back. Like I was (and am), Sloan’s shown signs of anxiety since she was an infant and while there are times when I feel a lot of guilt, I now try to think of it differently and how I’m actually the best equipped person to help her navigate life. By giving her tools for understanding those times when she’s worrying about something unnecessary, hopefully it will be something that’s merely a part of her life and not something that overwhelms it.

MINI | What is most important to you in raising your daughter?

EMILY SCHUMAN | Giving her a good sense of self, treat people kindly, work hard, and not worry too much.

MINI | Has your style changed at all since becoming a mom?

EMILY SCHUMAN | It hasn’t changed all that much! While I certainly will choose more casual pieces and fabrics when I’m with Sloan (since you’ll inevitably end up with paint, food, or juice on you), my day to day is more or less the same. Motherhood is such a huge part of my identity, but not all of it, so I’m glad that I still find joy in dressing up.

MINI | How would you describe your style?

EMILY SCHUMAN | Classic, feminine, with a vintage twist.

MINI | What are you looking forward to about raising your daughter in LA?

EMILY SCHUMAN | SO many things! Each and every holiday, reading her Harry Potter, watching the movies together that I loved as a kid, showing her the world. I suppose it’s not exactly LA-based, but I’d be just as excited to do those things regardless of where we were.

MINI | Favorite places to go in LA with kids? We’d love to hear a few of yours!

EMILY SCHUMAN | Mercado, Barrone’s, Quality (Sloan and my favorite spot for brunch).

FAST FACTS

BEFORE KIDS, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD

Spend so much time looking through pictures of my child, immediately after putting her to bed.

IDEAL DATE NIGHT

Dinner at Sushi Park with G.

TYPICAL COFFEE ORDER

Flat white.

ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE

Cheese.

SIGNATURE SCENT

Byredo Inflorescence.

ADVICE FOR MY DAUGHTER

Love and believe in yourself, always.

FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT

Jon and Vinny’s or Son of a Gun.

FAVORITE KIDS MOVIE

The Lion King.

CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO

The Hours soundtrack while at work. Avett Brothers when I’m not.

FAVORITE LOCAL SHOP

Mohawk General Store.

ULTIMATE GETAWAY

Mexico.

ON MY NIGHTSTAND

My iPad, a tray that holds Lanolips 101 Ointment that I put on my lips, a Saje peppermint roll-on stick to alleviate tension, and a scrunchie.