YSE Women
Today with Laurel Pantin
Laurel Pantin, meet the YSE Edit.
YSE Edit… meet Laurel.
We suppose she’ll like it here. After all, she’s spent years writing for InStyle, Teen Vogue, Bazaar.com, et al. Words tend to suit her well, just as the chaotic nature of her everyday compliments her brighter-than-the-sun personality.
A Texas native, her New York move at eighteen was the real deal – enter career, enter love of her life, enter personal identity. That was, until the pandemic washed her to the west coast, where she and her husband relocated with their three-year-old boy and one-year-old girl. Here in LA, she's dropped her roots down, her minimalist style Brentwood bungalow accommodates her wildly refreshing family of four.
And in typical Overachiever fashion, there’s far too much on her plate. Two kids, two newsletters, freelance creative projects, one-off styling sessions – throw that in a pot with some LA traffic, and she’s already running late.
7am — Wakeup — …and there’s children crawling all over her. The comforter attempts to win the fight, but these kids are too focused on a morning bowl of oatmeal. So, she washes her face and throws her hair into a bun – chef Laurel is born. Though she doesn’t do breakfast personally, she sits at the kitchen table to chat them up between bites. Some spillage on a worksheet and a few curious questions later, and it's time for drop off.
9am — Errands Galore — While the kids are out, she moves like a mad woman. A dry cleaning run takes her straight into the gift store for a few outstanding items. She handles some thank you cards for her kids' teachers, and swings by Caffe Luxe for a flat white on the way home. It's at this time that she knocks out her visual needs for her newsletters, her room becoming a swirl of dreamed up outfits with boyish accessories. A few shots in the mirror later, and she's geared up for her next piece – if only it was generous enough to write itself.
11am — More Errands Galore — She’s due for coffee with a girlfriend. Everyday deserves a little Laurel time, even if it's in the form of social interaction. Time flies, and before her 1 o’clock call, there is a pantry restock on deck. A moment of self-indulgence strikes her in the parking lot, and she throws on her Overachiever patches for a midday pick-me-up. Her notes app makes an appearance mid cereal aisle so she can remember what exactly it was that Ellis was asking for, and on her way back, she schedules that appointment she's been avoiding. Check, check, check.
1:30pm — Head Down — Laurel takes a concept call for a Bazaar.com article she’s been asked to contribute to. Post chit-chat, she delves into the conception of her June editorial calendar. The cadence between her style newsletter, Earl Earl, and her parenting edit, Your Mom, caters to the spaces between her handful of freelance consultancies. And her suspiciously barren calendar for summer serves as a convenient reminder to sign up the kids for swim lessons. The rest of her alone time is dedicated to writing and knocking the rest off her list – she books a site meeting, answers emails, takes a walk around the block, and comes back to a full house.
4pm — Play Date — The afternoon is reserved for family time. Phoebe’s entrance involves the unprovoked removal of Mom’s eye patches by way of child hand, and the new snacks are unveiled. Phoebe plays house in her most certainly fabulous playtime corner, and Laurel accompanies Ellis while he colors on every piece of paper he can find. Perhaps a venture to the park as a family unit, just before walking to the Italian place down the street for dinner.
7pm — Closing Shift — Once the plates are cleared, the bill is paid – bath time commences. As the kids wind down, so does she, her nighttime skincare awaiting her participation. Arguably her favorite time of day, she puts the kids to sleep and assumes prime position with her kindle in her lap. Husband to her left, her body in a nightgown. The day is over at 9pm in Laurel’s house.
And with that, a weekday in the life of Laurel Pantin. A colorful day, albeit hectic, with just the right amount of action for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, she rinses and repeats, with the exception of a great new outfit.
Shop The Overachiever Eye Patches exclusively on www.ysebeauty.com.
Subscribe to Laurel's Substack on www.laurelpantin.substack.com.