Mom Blogger: Liz Stanley of Say Yes to Hoboken

The mega blogger talks personal style, moving around, and the summertime porch of her dreams

It’s not every day that motherhood actually heightens a woman’s style, but Liz Stanley, who started Say Yes to Hoboken following the birth of her son, makes a good case for it. “With my blog dedicating so much space to fashion, I might be even more clued into trends now than I was before my son was born,” she says. And though Stanley’s fashionista aesthetic (she’s very tall, very blonde, and prone to French braids and denim shirts) is hard to miss upon entering the site, what she really prides herself on is wearing multiple (equally well-made) hats. Just as her site segues seamlessly between its subcategories—“Stylish,” "Crafty,” “Pretty,” and “Tasty”—Stanley and her family are no strangers to migration, having lived everywhere from New York City to Hoboken to Salt Lake City. We talk to the now San Francisco-based mom about the perks of wandering around. —Lucie Alig 

Say Yes to Hoboken covers such a range. What would you say is your true love? 

I’ve never really had that one “thing;” I’ve always had my hands in everything. In high school, I remember wishing I had more of an identity: “Liz the ________.” When I first started my blog, everyone advised me to pick one thing to focus on, and I was uncomfortable with it. I kind of gave up and tried embracing all the different things I was interested in: crafts, fashion, cooking, DIY. It has actually opened up a lot more doors for me than I thought.

You and your family have moved around a lot—from NYC to the suburbs to San Francisco. How do all these places compare in terms of raising your son? 

I was pregnant with my son in New York and it was terrible (the subway stations were over 110 degrees that summer). I really can’t imagine being a good New York City mom like so many of my friends, but then again, maybe I would have surprised myself and risen to the challenge. Salt Lake City was beautiful and life was easy there with a child, but San Francisco is truly the best of both worlds. It’s a wonderful place to raise children—that is, if you can get them into good schools! There is so much to explore and so much culture and education. I love raising my son here. 

Where would be your ideal place to live? 

As much as I love San Francisco (confession: mostly for the food), I’m definitely feeling the need for more space and more privacy. A little house and a yard for my son to run around in, not to mention a well-stocked Target, would be nice. I could also imagine myself in a place like Charleston, South Carolina (confession: I’ve never actually been!), where I imagine I could buy a plantation colonial home for like $48 and sit on my huge, wide porch all summer long eating watermelons in my bathing suit and a floppy hat. Also, because I’m from New York, anywhere in New England seems ideal. If you’ve never been to New England in the fall, stop everything you’re doing right now and book a ticket.

You always look very fashion-forward, even now that you’re a mom! Has your style changed at all since having a son?

I love keeping up with current trends, and it’s important to me to still feel fashion-forward and hot as a mom! It’s amazing how much it affects your confidence when you’re feeling pulled together with red lipstick.

In your opinion, why has mommy blogging become so popular? 

Blogging is a fabulous way for women to connect to a larger community of women outside of their neighborhood—people they wouldn’t normally connect with. It’s also a way to work from home while still being with your children. It’s a bit of a smoke-and-mirrors situation, though, as nobody can really do everything perfectly! But to me, professional blogging is the best balance of work and motherhood that I’ve found.