Mien Muse | Audrey Lowe

Audrey is one of our many friends we love photographing. Mama to a sweet girl, Callan - who is also a natural in front of the camera - Audrey, like us, is busy juggling work, parenting, and all the other demands of modern life. We last photographed her in the fall/winter collection in her beautiful, kid-friendly, and stylish home last November. We brought snacks, played with Cal, and it was wonderful to wrap up the last photoshoot of our year with them. Her warmth and kind personality comes through in her photos and we feel fortunate to have met her through mutual friends so now we can count her as a part of the Mien family. 

Get to know our friend and one of our models, Audrey Lowe. We interviewed her before the stay-at-home order in California. 

xxLisa

What would you do if you were home with your family and the internet went out all day?

That’s easy! We would get our creative juices flowin’ and the craft projects goin’!
We are big believers in saving cardboard boxes and toilet paper rolls, etc. so we can turn them into fun art projects. We have just about used up all our cardboard these past weeks though with spending so much time inside lately but something else we would do is make really good food, and break out the board games! I can’t tell you how many rounds of the memory matching game Callan can play!

Modern women live busy lives and it is hard for us to stick to routines but having a routine is important to maintain a balanced life.  What is your favorite routine and why?

I agree! Keeping a schedule is key, especially during the week when you have school, sports, etc. What works best for us during the week is something like this…

-Wake up, get dressed, and watch a little cartoons while we have breakfast
-Go to school/work
-Come home, have a snack and relax for a bit
-Head to practice
-Come home, get dinner started (pack lunch for the next day) while Callan showers
-Sit down for dinner together
-Finish getting Callan ready for bed
-Read a bedtime story
-Then the grown ups get to relax and spend some time together before bed

Weekends are more much more relaxed though, same bedtime routine (maybe swap the book for a movie though because it's the weekend baby!)

Any advice for working moms on how to balance the day to day challenges?

Do something today that you will thank yourself for tomorrow. Honestly, just packing the lunches the night before, or picking out outfits before bed, makes the morning so much smoother and everyone can get out the door on time.

What is your go to meal for a weeknight dinner?

I'm a big believer in easy one pan dinners! I repeat, ONE pan! I found this delicious one pan chicken pesto with vegetables recipe on Pinterest a while back from unbound wellness and kind of change it a bit with different veggies and stuff. The best part is its Whole 30, Paleo, and Anti-Inflammatory!

Ingredients

For the sheet pan:

• 1.5–2 lb chicken breast, bone in (sub thigh)
• 2 carrots, chopped into thin circles
• 2 zucchinis, sliced
• 1 yellow squash, sliced
• Broccoli florets-however much you prefer
• 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)

For the Basil Pesto:

• 1.5–2 lb chicken breast (I like boneless-don't forget to tenderize)
• 2 carrots, chopped into thin circles
• 2 zucchinis, sliced
• 1 yellow squash, sliced
• 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)

Directions:

• Combine the pesto ingredients in a blender until thoroughly combined and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
• Place all of the sheet pan ingredients on the pan. Evenly coat the chicken and vegetables with the pesto, reserving about 1-2 tbsp of the pesto on the side for later topping if desired.
• Place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
• Remove from the oven and top with additional pesto if desired before serving.

Voila! Dinner is served! This one was such a hit that the first time I made it, Callan asked if we could have it every night!

What was the last book you read?

The last book I read was Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Its a very beautiful yet sad coming of age, murder mystery book about a girl that grows up alone in a Marsh. It goes through her life and how her childhood had shaped her into the women she became. It takes place in North Carolina and they speak in a southern accent so once I got used to reading it like how they would say it, it was a quick read. It's getting made into a movie soon too, so I highly recommend reading it before you go see it!

How would you describe your sense of style?

What is your favorite Mien outfit?

Hmm that's hard, they are all so comfortable! If I had to choose one, I would have to say the Haven Dolman Sleeve Jacket. It's so cozy and can be styled for a casual look or for a more dressy outfit paired with some cute boots and some nice earrings. I do love the Painter’s Button Jacket and the Lakeside Wide Leg Jumpsuit too though, those are all very close runner ups!