Acting SHELLFish

Eh, eh? Nudge, nudge? The pun in the title of this post?! {So proud of myself.} But seriously. This post is all about my very, very favorite crustacean: THE MARYLAND BLUE CRAB. The season is upon us: it’s high time for crab cookouts. And if you’re local to the DC area, you probably know of Clarence down on Maine Ave — the king of Chesapeake blue. Mr. Magpie and his family have gone there for so long that Clarence knows ’em by name whenever they head down for a bushel, as they did yesterday in preparation for the inaugural summer crab feast we had last night.

{uh, yum}

Mr. Magpie and his parents subscribe to a creed of crab-eating purism unlike any other: the only items on their crab feast tabletop are the crabs, malt vinegar, and Old Bay. {And lots of newspaper and paper towels. They don’t even use the hammers/crackers — experts know that you can get the meat out more carefully using your fingers.} And they don’t “do” sides. Just all you can eat steamed crabs and all you can drink brewskis. I at first thought this was odd — where were the hush puppies / fries? What about some steamed corn? But now I’m a convert. My stomach is literally grumbling at the thought of that delicious sweet crab dunked into malty vinegar and Old Bay. And — lucky lil me — I foresee lots of additional crab feasts coming up in the next few weeks, including one {potentially} while enjoying my birthday getaway in Annapolis, MD. {Ironically enough, the CRAB is the symbol of the Cancer, which is my sign of the Zodiac! – – you can snap up hand-drawn, framed sign for your own birthday month like the one shown below for $98 at Serena and Lilly.}

Can’t wait for my trip to seafood central {aka Annapolis} — Mr. Magpie has sweetly arranged an overnight trip for myself and 15 of my besties that involves a cruise aboard the Woodwind schooner, seen in Wedding Crashers, and a delicious dinner of some sort, hopefully prominently featuring my favorite crab.

I know I’ve run a lot of nautical posts, so I’ll dispense of the usual stripes, boat shoes, and nantucket reds {if I may be so bold} and instead show you exactly what I’ll be packing for the weekend: first, I’ll load up my classic L.L. Bean monogrammed tote ($17-$32, L.L. Bean) for the car ride. Mr. Magpie has a curious habit of needing me to pack him snacks/drinks for the trip — he’ll protest this until he’s blue in the face, but if I’m not prepared, he gets grumpy without a snack. I usually pack him home-made chex mix {always add extra seasoning, and mix in whatever munchies you have on hand — and I’d spice it with Old Bay seasoning in honor of the weekend, and keep it in an eye-catching tupperware like this style — $32 for 3, French Bull}, our shared secret passion {Coke Zero}, and our iPod hookup {we tend to listen to country or old soul music on our road trips via our iPods/iPhones — our hookup is this Giffin model, $99, Apple}:

I’d wear an easy-on denim shirt ($20, H&M), white skinnies, these amazing t-straps (love the coral-on-brown — $39, Nordstrom) — and — HEY!, you know I subscribe to the Ranjana Khan school of maximalist jewelry styling {i.e. “people should be able to see your jewelry from across the room}, so I’d add a big ol’ necklace ($122, Janna Conner):

— finished with a roomy, luxe-looking tote {still obsessed with this Zara tote — $149, Zara} and, of course, a BRIGHT red manicure {these days, I’m wearing Essie’s tangerine {much brighter in person — it’s almost neon orangey-red, and it’s just delightful}:

After arriving in Annapolis, settling into the hotel, and grabbing lunch, I’d probably switch into a cute sundress to maximize tanning opportunities aboard the Woodwind. I’m awfully tempted to go ahead and snag this Milly dress ($310, Shopbop) with its cute sailboat print {too literal? — it’s OK, it’s my birthday!}:

I’d finish with neutral t-straps ($78, J. Crew) and a little box clutch ($295, Endless):

And keep my jewels to a minimum (the print is already busy enough) with some LRR gold studs ($40, Jenny-Bird) —

And maybe an anchor charm on a simple chain necklace ($500, Jennifer Fisher):

Alternately, an easy-on striped t-dress ($226, Steven Alan) sounds appealing, especially with a be-ribboned statement necklace ($185, Lauren Elan — cannot get enough of her collection!)

I’d finish the look with unexpected pops o’ flame red/orange in the form of these K. Jacques t-straps ($225, Net-A-Porter) and this happy little clutch (Comme Des Garcons, $135, Opening Ceremony):

A summer camp cool set of “friendship bracelets” {I literally think these are made of “gimp” — was anyone else obsessed with that in grade school?! I must have made a million and one useless key chains…what a throwback! — $25/pop, NoirJewelry) and a glossy gold nautical watch finish the look (Michael Kors, $275, Macy’s):

And perhaps some retro shades (all the rage in the 80s, apparently — $28, ISki)?

After showering up, I’d dig into my hole of a duffel bag (I cannot keep things organized in there) — I own a Louis Vuitton duffel hot-stamped with my initials, but this Ame & Lulu style ($128 — plus a bit more for personalization) would be the perfect overnighter for a birthday celebration in Annapolis:

Now, I have two “birthday girl outfits” in mind, and I’ll probably do the usual thing: pack both outfits and decide at the last minute. The first: a BRIGHT maxi. I had originally ordered this bold Parker maxi for the occasion (looove), but when it arrived, it just didn’t work on me. The print was too busy, and — though it would have been easy to fix the fact that it was 34 feet too long with a quick hem job — the top portion would have needed too many alterations, and would have run the risk of losing the sex appeal of the dress. So — back to square one. I’m thinking this bold strapless number ($170, Reiss) with some dramatic sparkly earrings ($235, Alexis Bittar):

I might add a touch of bling with some rose gold sparkly bangles ($58 for 3, Nordstrom) and these OOC flats ($375, Edit NY):

Alternately, I might pull out this nude lace mini I’ve had for awhile — it’s sort of like this $345 Imitation dress, but hemmed above the knee, as shown below (or this Shoshanna style), with a white blazer (collar flipped up! — $450, Rag & Bone):

I’d wear it with my new favorite accessory (which I bought last week and have already worn THRICE — $78, J. Crew) and a dove-gray oversized clutch (love the structure on this badboy — Alexander Wang, $540, Net-A-Porter):

I think I’d wear my get-up with these amazing gray YSL sandal pumps I scored at Cusp last year — but something like these Anya Hindmarch tootsies would work well (you need to balance the frou frou of the lace with something a bit sturdier — $970, Anya Hindmarch), or perhaps these fantastic Zanotti t-straps if you’re not afraid of a serious platform ($580, Net-A-Porter):

I’m also thinking these uber-cool Kors platforms ($225) would work excellently with this look — or just some simple nude peep-toes (like these Pour La Victoires — $250). After a night of partying, I’d tuck in with these classic striped pajamas ($145, Chance Co)

For morning-after brunch / the trip home, I’ve been seriously lusting after these J. Brand skinny jeans ($172, Shopbop), which I’d pair with an embroidered-dot top ($135, Madewell) and a fringe necklace ($95, Nordstrom — it’s not even my style, but I’ve been seriously lusting after one of these dramatic statement pieces, which I’ve seen all.over.the.place in various incarnations!)