Marilynn had never worked in an editorial landscape before, which had been a requirement of the Associate Editor position for which she was interviewing, but it couldn’t have mattered less as soon as I met her. She has such a lovely and calm demeanor and presents ideas in a truly compelling manner. Plus she’s effortlessly stylish and passionate about food, two (unwritten) requirements of the job. – Emily
When I met Marilynn through a mutual friend two years ago (right around the time I started here!), I clicked with her instantly, not to mention was blown away by her effortless, polished style. Over the next two years, our busy schedules kept us from seeing the other too often, but we ran into each other at parties and always stayed in touch. When she reached out about the Associate Editor position, I knew she’d be the perfect addition to our team. Though she doesn’t come from an editorial background (more on that below!), she’s been a reader for years, has an incredible knack for writing, and a super-natural eye for fashion and interior design—we’re so lucky to have her! She’s already done so much behind-the-scenes over the past month (you may recognize her already from Stories on the Shop Instagram!), and I’m so excited for you all to get to know her as she contributes to the blog! – Leslie
I was an architectural designer. My background is mainly in restaurant and hotel design which I loved because I adore eating out and traveling, and seeing people enjoy a great meal or vacation at places I’ve had my hand in designing. Some of my favorite spots that I’ve worked on include: Babettes, Settebello (Newport Beach), MiDiCi, and Hotel Carmel. [Note from Leslie: It’s pretty much the coolest thing ever when we walk into a beautiful restaurant and Marilynn says as nonchalantly as possible, “Oh my team designed this!”]
I’ve wanted to work for Cupcakes and Cashmere for years—to me, it’s been much more than a blog to read but also a positive community. When I met up with Leslie at a concert and found out this position was open, the timing just seemed right. For a few months I had a feeling I was going to enter a new season of life in more ways than one (precipitated by the fact that I had my first child earlier last year), so a change in career seemed natural albeit slightly terrifying as well!
I grew up in Tempe, Arizona—home of huge, air-conditioned shopping malls and a mile-long street grid (making it very easy to learn how to drive and navigate…I simply counted the number of street lights I had to pass to get to my grandma’s house). I lived in New Haven, Connecticut for four years for college (boolah, boolah!), and then promptly moved to L.A. after I graduated because it’s where I met my now-husband 5 years prior (I did a one-year stint at USC for college).
I was a bona fide stalker always trying to analyze and anticipate the company’s next move. One of my favorite things about the brand is that it’s constantly changing, and now that I get to be on the inside of that I can spend all day doing what I already loved.
I’m going to cheat and say two things. First, it goes without saying that I love the team. Most of my colleagues were older men at my most recent job so I wasn’t sure what to expect about working with a bunch of women (plus G!). Now, not a day goes by where I don’t think about how fun and inspiring it is to work with such talented and supportive women.
My previous world of architectural design is definitely creative but there’s often a huge time gap between the creation of an idea and the ultimate result (think many months if not multiple years). I love the fact that we can brainstorm something as a team and generate and share new content with our readers in a matter of days. The fast pace is invigorating!
How multifaceted it is! I knew that being an Associate Editor would mean more than just writing posts, but I’m truly in awe of how much everyone on our team does on a day-to-day basis.
Ah, this question. There’s truly no single right way to do it, and I think balance is just an ideal not necessarily a reality. One of the things that’s worked well for me is waiting until I really knew myself—and what makes me feel strong and capable—before having a child. So even with a baby girl in the mix, I make sure to ask my husband to watch her so I have time to do things I need and love like cook a homemade meal, workout, take time to journal, grab coffee with a friend…
Both! Hah, my husband calls me the Energizer Bunny. I wake up with eyes wide open and leap out of bed and usually stay up late reading or planning our next party. But I have to say that I particularly like mornings since it sets the tone for the rest of the day. That usually means sitting down for a freshly made breakfast sandwich and coffee with my daughter and husband.
I’ve experienced far too many “blowouts” (if you’re not a parent yet, don’t worry about it) to leave the house without extra diapers and wipes.
I live for a good party so I would host all my friends at a beach house complete with a sushi chef, live music (maybe Justin Timberlake?), surfboards galore, and a babysitter to watch all the kids (gotta dream big!).
Favorite food: Burger and fries.
Favorite item of clothing or jewelry: Custom necklace my husband made with his and Kaia’s initials.
Savory or sweet: Sweet! I eat dessert after every meal and at regularly scheduled snack times.
Beach or mountains: Beach – I love a good tan and the sound of waves.
Most-used app on your phone: Instagram.
Thing you could do for hours and never get sick of: Hang out with friends and family with good food and wine.
One word friends would use to describe you: Ebullient.
What did you go to school for and where: I studied architecture (with a side obsession with languages) at Yale.
Go-to drink order: Cadillac margarita – basically the top shelf version of a margarita.
What do you like to read and watch: I read and watch the same genres: psychological thrillers and historical period dramas.
In 2018, you’re most excited for: This new job and chapter in life!
P.S., For those of you interested in learning more about Marilynn we just introduced her on Insta-Live, available for the next 24 hours, on @ShopCupcakesandCashmere!
