The stars aligned this past Thursday afternoon and all four boys simultaneously fell peacefully asleep in their strollers and/or car seats while I also happened to be in an upscale American shopping mall in Virginia.  I was able to enjoy more than an hour of unfettered shopping, which was absolutely blissful.  I managed to stock up quickly on a bag full of anti-aging creams and serums at Saks (I don’t seem to be able to get 8 hours of consecutive sleep so I am now wholly dependent on the beauty industry to prevent my looking like a grandmother, rather than just a mother) and then headed to Pea in the Pod in the hopes of eyeing some pieces from Heidi Klum’s new maternity line, Lavish.

I have complained about Pea in the Pod before but really, what is up with that store?  First of all, the salespeople are always awful and never very knowledgeable.  And there I am in one of the most upscale malls in America and the Pea in the Pod store is an absolute disaster.  Half of the store was crammed full of sale items that were haphazardly shoved onto garment racks.  No organization, no signs regarding sizing, I could barely pull one of the items off the rack without toppling the entire thing over.  I felt like I had walked into a discount clothing outlet.  One corner of the store did have a few new Spring 2010 pieces, including some nice pieces from Splendid and one or two must-have pieces from Lilly Pulitzer maternity (I can’t stand Lilly Pullitzer, but this spring’s maternity tunics are cute for the beach). Unfortunately, Heidi’s new maternity line will not be available until February 12th.  Here’s hoping that the manager of the Tyson’s Corner Pea in the Pod manages to clean up her store before Heidi’s line shows up.  I don’t think the lovely Heidi Klum would want her clothing being sold in a store that reminded me of the sale section at Century 21.

Earlier this year, I had spotted one dress from Pea in the Pod’s Spring 2010 collection that I thought was very cute and versatile and I was able to try it on. I suggest ordering this dress online here, so you don’t have to actually venture into a Pea in the Pod store.  This navy blue poplin shirt dress is a nice basic for the spring and is office-appropriate as well as appropriate for a baby shower or everyday wear.  It looks a bit “shiny” in these photos, but does not appear that way once you actually have it in hand.  It is selling for USD $195 and is still available in all sizes at Pea in the Pod’s online boutique.

Besides the admittedly amazing denim collection offered by Pea in the Pod, I have not yet seen anything else from the store’s inhouse Spring 2010 Collection in which I am even remotely interested in purchasing.  That store makes me wish I had the time and energy and money to open my very own maternity boutique.  I’d make sure Heidi had a clean, fashionable, well-organized forum in which to launch her new line.  Sadly, at this point in my life, taking a shower every day remains my foremost personal goal, so starting my own business seems unlikely.  I am, however, very excited about Heidi’s new line so mark your calendars for Friday, February 12th.  She is also doing a second, lower-priced line for Motherhood Maternity called Loved. Let’s hope Heidi was a bit more inspired in designing maternity fashion than Nicole Richie was.