We met the mom version of a nancy meyers film
You know that effortless, timeless aesthetic in any and all Nancy Meyers movies we try to emulate in our own interiors? Krista Lavrusik is all that and more for fashion. Take any 90s or early 2000s iconic leading lady—Meg Ryan from You’ve Got Mail, Sandra Bullock in Practical Magic, Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give—she has transformed her modern life into iterations of all the classics, all through thrifting! She’s a mother to 4 sweet boys and living proof you can and should romanticize your life. She lives in the moment, actively seeks beauty in the mundane and fully celebrates the life she has now. And just like a Meyers film, she’s warm and inviting, full of that feel-good movie magic and without a doubt, the leading lady of her own life.
Meet Golden Girl // Krista Lavrusik
Tell us about your beautiful family of 6
My husband and I met in myrtle beach, South Carolina on a mission trip when we were 20 years old. We both went to college in Minnesota and got married right after we graduated. About a month after we were married we moved to New York, had our first son in Brooklyn and then moved out to the bay area when he was 6 months. Then we went on to have 3 more blondies in California. My boys are now 11, 9, 8 and 5, which is insane because we are both 26 still (ha!) We now live on the coast of Northern California—a quick 15 minute walk to the beach, a full circle, only different coast from where our love began.
Photography | Carolyn Stockman
It’s a special role, raising boys (we know! We’ve got 5 across the two of us!). As you raise your sweet little fellas into young men, what core values do you hope to instill in their character?
Kindness and confidence is what I pray for them to have more and more of every day.
The way you are your own hype girl is everything. You talk about romanticizing your life, seeing the beauty of it all, and empowering others to understand that we have the ability to change our outlook - whether simple or complex, be it as bold and crazy as we want. Can you tell us more about this philosophy?
I’m an enneagram 7 and I love Jesus, lol. With that combination I feel I have no choice but to see the joy and beauty in absolutely everything, because life is SUCH a gift, and it is so what you make it to be. We are only here for a short period of time, so why wouldn’t you romanticize every single part of every single season?! Especially now, 11 years into motherhood i’m at that stage where I’m realizing just how fleeting things are, so I lean hard into the romance and traditions because life is sooo much sweeter when you do.
Anyone that comes across your feed on instagram can’t help but feel the positivity you radiate. Your excitement is contagious - we find ourselves smiling the entire time we watch your posts. How are you off- camera? Can we expect the same energy if we met you in your day-day routine? If so, what are you putting in your coffee because we want some!
I absolutely LOVE bringing joy, on AND off camera ;) if you ran into me IRL i’m very much the same girlie, ESPECIALLY if we are doing or talking about things that bring us joy. I get GIDDY off those adventure and conversations. Though I’m not at that level all the time—I definitely have am a bit more chill on the regular, doing the mundane things, but the joy is absolutely still there.
and I don’t drink coffee! So not a thing! Hahaha
You talked about nostalgia and traditions being paramount when you think of giving your boys a solid upbringing. When your boys are grown up, how do you hope they feel when they think back on their childhood?
You are gonna make me cry! I want them to feel that MAGIC every time they look back on their childhood. That is my ultimate goal (especially every summer and holiday). I want them to remember how fun their mom was. The crazy adventures she took them on, the dancing in the kitchen, the Costco runs followed by the Costco dinners outside in our yard. I want them to remember the family traditions, our coordinated Halloween costumes and all the trips to incredible places we experience together. And how special it was to make these sweet memories with all of us together.
The most beautiful thing is, I’ve already been doing it, creating the magic I wish to see for their childhood. I can see they can already feel it.
Ok, Let’s talk thrifting! Afterall, you are the Thrifting Queen and have garnered quite an impressive following of folks eager to tune in to your latest “thrift hauls.” What is it about thrifting that you love? Have you always shopped this way?
I have ALWAYS loved a cheap thrill haha! I grew up garage-saling with my mom and grandma on the weekends in Minnesota so my thriftiness is absolutely genetic ;) The level at which I do it now and my “gift” has been a newer thing in the past, I’d say 3 years. I absolutely LOVE being inspired by Pinterest and social media and then taking those “pins” and ideas into the thrift store to challenge myself to find all the vibes for a fraction of the price. Again the cheap thrill is sooo life giving to me!
Tell us your ways! We want the tips! The neck trick is genius. How can we have this sort of success when walking into a Salvation Army?
If you’re newer to the thrifting game, going in with a plan is muy importante. Getting on Pinterest and creating a board for the vibes that are “speaking to you” at the moment is suuuuper helpful! Then, once you’re inside the thrift store I ALWAYS begin in the men’s section. Why? It’s usually a lot smaller than the women’s section, so less overwhelming, and there’s just something about the quality of men’s clothing that is chef’s kiss. Men’s denim, men’s button downs, men’s sweaters. Absolute perfection. For men’s denim I look 2-3 sizes bigger than my usual size because I find they run similar in vintage sizing. Then, once I find them in “my size” I do the neck trick! The neck trick is to take a pair of pants and wrap the waist around your neck. If it fits around your neck, it fits around the hips! I have been SO blessed by the thrift gods in the men’s section. For men’s button-downs, I feel every single one and look for them in cotton or linen (non-iron) in size 15 15 ½ which I find runs similar to a men’s medium/large—the perfect oversized fit for me. As for men’s sweaters, mediums and larges even sometimes XL (if vintage) because who doesn’t love an oversized sweater this time of year?!
When I move on to the women’s section, I go to the season I am in. So right now would be sweaters and jackets and long sleeves. Then I move on to women’s denim/pants, non seasonal, and onto shoes and dresses. In other words, go in order of importance to you.
Lastly, if you have time, DO NOT forget the kids section. You just never know what treasures people try to hide in there to buy later, or workers misplace items, not realizing the pieces are not kids. OR if you have kids, shop for your kids!!! I’d say 75% of my kids wardrobes are thrifted, and they look pretty darn cute.
“The neck trick: take a pair of pants and wrap the waist around your neck. If it fits around your neck, it fits around the hips!”
Thrift Bundles! What are they? And how do we get our hands on one?!
I like to call it your gateway to transforming your wardrobe! 333 Look Books are a series of e-books I’ve created to unveil the secrets to creating a chic, minimalist wardrobe on a budget. It’s not just a style guide, but a journey through the art of creating a versatile and eco-friendly wardrobe with styled looks and a variety of wardrobe combos. Each page bursts with inspiration, showcasing my handpicked thrifted outfits. FYI they open the 1st of every month!
Ok, back to the kiddos - You talked about embracing this season of life - now that all four of your boys are in school. We commiserated as to just how quickly that 2 o’clock hour rolls around. What’s most important to you in this new season of motherhood and how are you embracing this new-found alone time?
IT GOES BY SO QUICKLYYYY, its actually insane. Most important to me in this new season is developing a good rhythm for ME. Early mornings as often as I can to workout and make lunches before they wake up. And if I can squeeze in a shower before I get them off to school, I feel like a ROCKSTAR and it’s not even 8 am, Ha! I’m trying to be better at prioritizing things that are harder to do when my kids are around and do those things in the 6 hours I have. Every day is different. I’m still learning. But i’m LOVING this new found freedom and me time.
What is the style of your home? Are there any special pieces within your home that instantly bring you joy?
She’s a classic colonial on the outside—White House with blue shutters, Notebook and Home Alone kinda vibes. On the inside, I’d call her coastal Scandinavian. Minimal, cozy, peaceful—an extension of all the ways the ocean makes you feel :)
I absolutely love our fireplace. The ambiance and warmth instantly brings joy every time we have a fire going, which this time of year is almost every night if I have anything to say about it:)
Favorite places to hang with your crew at your home…
Our kitchen/living/dining room are all open concept, so we absolutely spend most of our time there—for meals, family movie nights, homework, fire snuggles, etc :)
What would be your Dream Thrift-Find…
The iconic Ralph Lauren sweater. Either with the bear or the American flag. I dream of both hahaha
Favorite place to shop for home interiors …
I don’t thrift home stuff much actually, besides kitchen things. Most of our home stuff is Ikea, Amazon, Castelry or Target!
What’s for dinner and who’s cooking?
Husband is cooking and I eat whatever he’s making! Sunday’s he makes a BIG dinner which usually lasts us through Wednesday. We rarely eat out during the week.
Favorite place to shop for your boys’ clothes?…
Their entire wardrobe is either thrifted or from Zara. For shoes, I love new balances and Adidas Sambas.
Products or rituals make you feel your best in motherhood…
A great fitting pair of jeans, a fresh face of non makeup makeup, zhuzhing my bangs, washing my face and doing my skincare at night.
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