The jeans we can't stop wearing, bag charms, and a divisive parenting debate

Links we sent our friends #98 feat. Madeleine Cohen of Nelle Atelier

Happy Monday! Aliza and I both went out of town this weekend — I visited friends in Portland, Maine, where we ate oysters and sushi and giggled with their five-month-old, while Aliza bought an impromptu flight to New Orleans to hang with her family at Jazz Fest. Hope you had a nice weekend, too.

LA-based Madeleine Cohen is the author of Winging It and founder of Nelle Atelier, a game-changing denim brand for short women. Madeleine — who’s 5’1 — says the idea came to her when she was standing in front of her closet and realized… she hated all of her jeans. Her solution: denim designed specifically for women 5’4” and under, with adjusted rises, knee placement, and proper tapering. It’s a brilliant concept (and long overdue!)

Madeleine’s Links:

1. We’re in the process of moving, and I want my entire apartment to look like this.

2. I love to needlepoint, and canvases from Bad Bitch are at the top of my list.

3. I’m really into bag charms at the moment. I just bought this custom bead kit for a friend so she could make her own — so cute.

4. As a founder, I am trying to figure out how to use AI in ways that aren’t annoying. Loving Norby, an AI marketing analyst for Shopify that sends reports to my inbox weekly!!

Aja’s Links:

1. A few weeks ago, Madeleine sent us some jeans from Nelle’s latest collection. By the third time Aliza and I met up and saw we were both wearing our new pairs, we were cracking up. I got the Lily — “the perfect amount of barrel,” in Aliza’s words — and she got the Laura in a very summer-y white. If you’re petite, I couldn’t recommend more. (Aliza: Ditto!!!)

   

   Such good jeans.

2. How to get to know your neighbors.

3. I’m obsessed with this deodorant, which is a dead ringer for this iconic (and pricey!) perfume.

4. Would you go to a dinner with these rules?

5. The cutest summer socks.

6. I teared up watching this vulnerable and tender conversation between Stephen Colbert and Anderson Cooper about losing their loved ones. If you’re grieving anything right now, I think it’ll help.

Aliza’s Links:

1. Mother’s Day is coming up — so here’s a quick roundup of things I’d like: A classic tote in a pretty color, these additions to my necklace, or a drawing from my son in this classic tortoiseshell frame.

2. Treating your loved one to a mother’s day portrait session is also such a sweet idea. (h/t Claire Mazur from

   A Thing or Two
   .)

3. I’m fascinated by this parenting debate… and have had an unusually hard time deciding where I stand. What do you think? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.

4. Seriously considering replacing all of our outdoor seating to match these fun retro cushions.

5. I’m going live with Jewish Fertility Foundation this Wednesday (April 30) at 1 PM EST to talk about my experience with secondary infertility. JFF provides financial assistance, emotional support, and education to those struggling to build their families. Follow @jewishfertilityfoundation to tune in. (Aja: Proud of you.♥️)

Do you know your neighbors? Sam and I (Aja) had every intention of befriending them when we moved into this place… That was two years ago, and we’re still on smile-only basis with most people on the street. Oops.

On the bright side, lots of friends live in the general area, and so I run into people I know while I’m on a walk or doing errands at least once a week. It’s always fun.

Tell us about your neighborhood!

• 10 things to do on a date with your friends (that aren’t eating or drinking)

• “Carrie Bradshaw in the suburbs”

• The beginner’s guide to scoring great vintage finds online

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