We’ve long been fans of Mary Lawless Lee, whose taste we first took to via Instagram and her blog, Happily Grey. If you’re not familiar, expect a jolt of Mary’s spot-on style, plenty of layered neutrals — as the name suggests, plus a heavy dose of transparency, as we’ve come to expect more and more from top influencers.

In her new book, Happily Grey: Stories, Souvenirs, and Everyday Wonders from the Life In Between, Mary goes deeper into some of the personal stories and development tools she’s talked candidly about on her digital platforms. She also weaves her way through the kinds of insights and tip her following will adore, from recipes to advice based on her own life’s journey.

In celebration of the upcoming book launch, we asked Mary to share a bit of her day, her style and her outlook on life now with us…

Name: Mary Lawless Lee, founder of Happily Grey, Co-Founder of Nêmah

My work in a nutshell: My brain is half creative / half business, but always running full speed. My work always involves creating by some extension. On any given day, it’s concepting a shoot for a brand, curating products for my store, or designing the packaging of my vegan skincare brand for mothers.

How do you take your coffee? Oat milk latte, extra hot. Typically, I only end up drinking a quarter of it.

Daily breakfast: 1 egg, scrambled and ½ avocado. Probably a bite of whatever my kids are eating.

Dream breakfast: Avocado toast with an over easy egg and pumpkin seeds.

Uniform lately: Guest in Residence cozy cashmere of any form.

Trend/piece I’m excited about for fall: Oversized leather bombers.

Fave room at home lately? My bathroom, always. The bathtub is my quiet place to wind down after a long day.

How would you describe your style? My style has a range and it’s always based on my mood. Some days it is feminine with a French influence. Other days it’s structured and masculine with a street vibe.

At home with Mary Lawless Lee

3 staples always in my pantry: Peanut butter, some kind of seeded cracker, and the rest is filled with kids’ snacks.

Fitness focus lately: I’m always running, more for the mental benefit than the physical.

My strangest wellness habit: I used to religiously take garlic supplements for heart health, back when I was a nurse and worked with critical care patients.

My new book in brief: It’s part memoir, but also part coffee table book in that there are lots of pictures and design elements—even mood boards. It’s also far more intimate than I initially set out, but the writing was a very therapeutic and personal process.

What I hope people take away from the book… I hope that they feel seen, heard, understood, and that they finish it with a sense of hopefulness.

Best idea I hope people latch on to from the book: I write a lot about discovering that sense of childlike wonder. That’s something I now seek out, both as an adult and mom. There is something so pure and joyous and present about it.

Wellness philosophy in one sentence: Listen to your body and don’t forget it’s a balancing act. You are allowed some cheat days.

Fave 3 books lately: Finding Me, Viola Davis’ autobiography. Martha Beck’s The Way of Integrity. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.

Fave thing to make for friends: Gin gimlet. I include my recipe in the book.

If I could give just one piece of advice it would be… Get to know yourself, love yourself, and the rest will follow.

Personal mantra lately: Sometimes less than perfect is exactly right.