no-fuss celebrations

Eileen Fisher long cardigan, Paul Green metallic booties

When it comes to celebrating Mother’s Day, I’d mostly rather not. I don’t mean that in a bitter, cynical kind of way, but definitely prefer to skip the obligatory brunch at an over-crowded restaurant, and don’t expect flowers and gifts. My mother and mother-in-law have both been gone for several years now, and I’m the only “Mom” in the immediate family. Our son has never really recognized this or most other holidays, and with us still being in the 30-day transition period after his move to the group home, I felt more relieved and let off the hook than sad or disappointed. So le Monsieur and I celebrated a day early with a nice Saturday night dinner at our favorite local Indian restaurant, and then took a bike ride out to the beach on Sunday morning. No muss, no fuss, just the way I like it!

cocktails and appetizers
A lovely appetizer (sevpuri chaat) and a whiskey sour made with chai tea.

My no-fuss casual date night outfit included my favorite Covered Perfectly top (the pleated v-neck c/o Covered Perfectly), which is so soft, flattering and comfortable. I topped it off with my favorite linen maxi cardigan from Eileen Fisher, and jewelry from French Kande.

top | cardigan | necklace (c/o) | necklace | ring | bag | jeans | booties

layered silver medallion necklaces

silver medallion ring, leopard clutch bag

And I am loving these booties! This is another of those heel-looks-higher-than-it-feels styles, and the leather is SO soft!

metallic open toe booties

How did you celebrate Mother’s Day? Do you have a go-to date night outfit?

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53 Comments

  1. It seems our celebrations are different every year. This one was special because we had a gender reveal for a grandchild due in September and it is going to be our first grand daughter! So I liked this year a lot! And I love your French Kande jewelry…so fun!

  2. As usual, your accessories are superb– jewelry, bag, shoes. I also like your sweeping, duster-like cardigan for drama. Perfect for your restaurant caper.

    We unwittingly stole your idea and had Mother’s Day lunch on Saturday for the same reason! I also like the holiday as low-key as possible, and hubby and son ditto. Went to our favorite cafe and did a little antique browsing…

    Date night outfits? For some reason my husband likes me in some variation of pale blue, so I have a couple of baby blue sweaters and tops I like to reach for.

  3. Since my mom is no longer here, and the kids are all out-I of-State, I had an unusual Morhers Day. It was my first-ever one working in Retail Hell. It was depressing to observe so many people pick random gifts and last minute gifts for their mothers and wives. I won’t venture further! But it was nice for me.
    The kids sent flowers with lovely and touching messages. We all chatted a bit and when I returned home from the bowels of the mall, Bonaparte greeted me with an aperitif and amuse Buche! He also made a lovely dinner for me. It was all good!

  4. Your celebration sounded absolutely perfect, and the best part . . . you enjoyed yourself and that’s what a celebration should be.
    Love your long linen cardi, it’s so flattering. I do believe that’s an item I need to add to my wish list.
    As for my Mother’s Day celebration, well I through a fun tea party on Saturday afternoon with a group of friends, and the theme was “lady bug” because We’re the ladies of the house. It was just fun and whimsical and a great way to celebrate being women. On Sunday, all the men cooked dinner for our family gathering.

    As for a date night attire, I’m on the casual side and would seriously copy your outfit from head to toe. Love it

  5. I love that long duster! And it’s short enough not to get caught on your heels when you walk. Mother’s Day was hard–the first without my mom, and her birthday came a few days later.

  6. We learn many things as we age and recently I have come to realize not everyone enjoys Mother’s Day. In fact it could be one of the hardest days to get through. For some it is a day of reflection for loss of loved ones, for others loss of relationships. I admire your simplified celebration. In saying that, I must compliment you on the elegance of your outfit and the aura of grace. Strong yet soft. Just like Moms everywhere.

  7. Susan you look great! Love the outfit. I’m with you on Mother’s Day–it does feel obligatory! We usually stay at home and have a quiet day with a nice home cooked meal. My mother has been gone for YEARS and the rest of my family is quite spread out. My son is working hard all week and is 2 hours away by car. Sounds like you had a grand day.
    I love those EF linen sweaters!! XO

  8. This year, after grumbling about my mother-in-law’s Mother’s Day expectations, I sent my 4 adult children and their spouses a text absolving them of any future Mother’s Day obligations. And relieved is the perfect description for how I felt afterward. My children (in their 20’s and early 30’s) then proceeded, throughout the day, to banter back and forth by text, with me in the loop. I’m still laughing about the things they said and smiling (almost teary-eyed) at the bonds they’ve formed, as adults, with each other. Thank you for sharing, Susan. And I LOVE the maxi cardigan. I tried on 2 yesterday. I’m still on the hunt.

  9. I LOVE the shooties and the whole look! I have a maxi cardi that I wear throughout most of the year and it looks best with jeans. Great call!

    I dislike the whole idea of anyone feeling obligated to show me any honor/affection because I know how taxing it is on myself to do the same. However, I did make a nice frittata brunch for my mother in law (who we can only take in small doses) and my mom. We changed plans from cooking dinner to brunch so we could have the rest of our day. I had taken my 81 year old mom shoe shopping and to lunch the previous day so we had quality time… searching for the holy grail, as it were, (finding shoes to fit an 81 year old foot!).

    After Mothers’ Day toasts were finishing and guests left, I proceeded to gather the tools to clean my windows which I have been obsessing over for the past few months. They hadn’t been cleaned in probably 3 years and with us gone to our cabin most every weekend, this was kinda like no time like the present. So I gave myself clean windows for mothers day. I ended up with some flowers that I wasn’t counting on which was nice. With a wayward son in Portland, OR (I’m in Birmingham, AL) Mothers Day has never ever been about me.

  10. Although I think Mother’s Day is a Hallmark invention, my daughter and I have taken a step back to agree that it is a charming little day to just take a moment and appreciate and remember the moms no longer with us, the thankful feeling for our mother-daughter bond, and the beautiful relationship between my daughter and her little daughter (my gorgeous granddaughter). We all went to our country club for brunch and I received thoughtful gifts from my daughter and son in law not to mention a card from my husband.
    My brother came too and we remembered our mom.
    It was a lovely part of a day and the older I get the more appreciative I am.
    Susan…you look lovely…your smile is the best accessory. For all…go grab some Eileen Fisher Iris and/or Glance peep toe sandals….like a dream!

  11. You look great ~ nice change without the earrings, a bit more casual and effortless. Life is already so full of necessary obligations, why should a holiday be saddled with them too?

  12. This look with the cardigan and booties to me reflects your relief and lightness. I’m so glad you were able to just do what pleases you and take a big breath and a big gulp of a lovely drink for a celebration. And the bike ride sounds like a perfect finishing touch. I’m not a mother so the day here was sunny and calm.

  13. Impressive look – tall, long and lean!! One of your best IMO. Also, those shoes are a great addition for you – and so in harmony with your beautiful coloring.

  14. Lovely post and happy mother’s day!

    I was wondering if you had any luck with changing your format at all? The full posts are still not showing up in my reader (Feedly). I have to click through any time I want to read past the first few lines.

    1. Hi Kate, I think it should be fixed as of the next post that goes out. Took me a little while to track down the correct setting.

  15. Mother’s Day is not my favorite day – I guess it stems back to a very difficult relationship with my own mother. And I feel so much sympathy for those who have sadness in their lives about motherhood. I struggled with infertility for years, and although I am now lucky to be a parent, I know it is a challenging day for so many. So I don’t really like much fuss. My one teenager still at home had lots of homework so my husband and I went to the movies and saw “Keanu”, which was fantastic. I love your outfit. Lately I am veering away from hip length sweaters to much shorter ones and I am thinking that I have moved in the wrong direction and should actually go longer!

  16. We have never been big on all these “holidays.” The one time, many years ago, that the three of us went out for lunch it was awful. Terrible. Hours of waiting, awful food and just no fun at all. Husband does not really like to celebrate holidays in general and, although at first it bothered me, now I’m so relieved! The one wonderful thing I always get is a card from my daughter. She writes from the heart, we are very close, and I save them all….even though she cannot be here with me, somehow this is almost better!

  17. Susan, I love your toenail polish! It looks like a nice slightly coral pink. What is it? Thanks!

  18. We don’t celebrate Mother’s Day in France until the last Sunday in May and in the UK it’s always in March, so we haven’t done anything yet! But even with five children all at home we like to keep it simple. I am not one for going overboard. The children will usually make me breakfast in the kitchen with a beautifully laid table and flowers from the garden (they know I hate breakfast in bed!). They will also usually make homemade cards and these are what I treasure. I have their cards going back for over a decade, our eldest is now 19 and I have every note any of them have ever given me. I love their spelling mistakes, their little drawings, it can just be on a scrap of paper, it’s the thought that counts. So that’s it, our simple Mothers Day, just the way I like!

  19. I am a mom and join you in the “not that into Mother’s Day” feeling. It took about 15 years of obligatory brunches to honestly admit that I like to spend a quiet no-pressure day. I now get sincere and lovely letters from my children rather than cards and we go to a casual dinner and not brunch. My daughter (also a woman I respect who I happened to give birth too) also feels, as I do, that too much FB declaring of love and public “evidence” of happy times dilutes this and other days. I used to feel we needed that perfect photo as evidence of the day. But once I let that go, I am enjoying Mother’s Day more than ever. Thanks for the lovely post and your outfit was perfection. I am so happy your son is in his new living situation.

  20. I had phone calls(well, actually a text followed by a promised call two days later by one son) from each of my three, scattered here and there. I don’t like the crowds, so I told my husband to get us a good pizza from Old Chicago and we ate while watching our usual Sunday night PBS shows. Relaxing and perfect for a mom of grown children with no grandbabies.

  21. Loving your hair more with every post. And those heels? I’m checking them out ASAP! Happy to hear that you met Ari and others!