A couple of fabulous recent finds, all under $150! I am especially in love with this rainbow arc clutch (so fun, and only $60!) and this fabulous rash guard one piece. My girlfriend Inslee wore one of the suits frp, this brand in a different pattern to the pool last year and she looked ridiculously chic in it! Have not stopped thinking about the look since. Separately, earlier this year, Mr. Magpie and I started drying our wine glasses immediately after washing them using glass-drying cloths and — wow! Such a little detail but it’s so lovely to have perfectly-clear, water-spot-and-streak-free glasses! It’s the little things, truly. While we’re talking kitchen, Mr. Magpie accidentally dropped our mini food processor and it was an instant-repurchase for us. We use it more than the full-sized one! Perfect for a batch of hummus, little hunk of cheese, etc. And! We now have several of these mini spatulas — the PERFECT size and shape (especially the curved one) for scooping out condiments, blending items quickly, scraping something out of a bowl, etc. We use it ALL the time. (More fantastic kitchen gear here and here.)
An echo of the Nativity, or the Presentation, or some other joyful mystery,
Then watched my five year old mirror my movements:
Cradling him in her hands, still pudgy and toddler-like themselves,
Not flinching when her cousin explored her face with his uncoordinated fingers,
Just smiling, and cooing, and, once, tugging down the hem of his shirt,
In a movement belying her youth.
I watched, too, my daughter shriek with laughter across the Easter table at her older cousin’s whispered joke,
Almost breathless with glee,
And beamed when she proudly raced her way through the blessing before dinner:
“Bless o Lode in dees I gifs which bout to seeve from bounty through Cries our Lode –“
And my son yelled:
“AMEN.”
At Easter Mass that morning, I had felt snug in the embrace of a tradition I love, with my family flanking me, my son burying his face in my skirt, ensconced in the very parish in which I was Baptized 37 years ago,
Its wooden pews since serving as a homecoming,
Both from New York and adventures prior,
And from the long parch and parsimony of COVID.
Over brunch later that morning, I wiped away a tear when my father faltered in rare farklemptness while reading a family blessing that has come to be a rite in gratitude, and a spiritual right-sizing in the face of the profound gifts with which we have been bestowed.
This, all, my missa cantata —
The benedictions of a 37 year old woman acutely aware that life is rarely this good, but determined to hold it while I may:
Introíbo ad altáre Dei (I will go in unto the altar of God) Ad Deum, qui lætíficat iuventútem meam (To God who giveth joy to my youth.)
+The Company Store is offering up to 30% off sitewide (20% off all orders, 30% off orders $300+) and they have such fun comforters for kiddos! I love the star print for the guest room bunks.
+On the subject of bedding: love this affordable bed blanket from Target. Such great stripes!
+And on the subject of Target: ordering this blouse in the white. Reminds me of something from Doen or Sezane!
+I just added this white top and the matching white shorts to my cart but keep going back to switch for the blue color? Which do I want? Love the idea of this set as a cover-up for a beach day.
+These fisherman sandals are in my cart right now. I really want the Freda Salvador ones (or the Gabriela Hearst ones — swoon) but keep wondering if I am going to outgrow the trend in a matter of weeks, and worried it’s not worth the splurge? I feel like these will look so chic with a simple dress in white or black.
+Adore this easy throw-on-and-go dress in the indigo floral pattern.
I’ve had a number of requests for cute summer athletic wear in the golf and tennis categories. I just counseled my sister into buying this classic Tuckernuck skirt after some deliberation looking for a skirt she could wear both at a golf scramble and on the tennis skirt (20% off with code YOUROCK). We decided it was classic, timeless, and ultra-versatile.
Below, a roundup of this season’s best pieces to stay chic (and prepared) for endless rounds of tennis and golf.
Q: Chic work clothes for business casual — no jeans.
A: I love shirtdresses. You can dress down with leather sandals, espadrilles, or sneakers if the environment is more casual. I specifically love this navy style, this Mango with fun blouson sleeves, this versatile black from Brooks Brothers, this tiered Daphne Wilde, the fun patterned ones from Daydress, and anything by Evi Grintela for a splurge. I would pick a few solid colored ones and maybe one or two patterned ones. The solid ones you can really re-style a million ways — with fun scarves, statement headbands, bold jewelry, loud shoes, etc. Otherwise, look for pants that don’t feel uber corporate, like these linen trousers, this cropped pair in a fun peony pink, these stark white ones, or Spanx’s best-selling wide leg cropped pair. Any of these would look great with a cashmere tee or striped button down and statement flats.
Q: Straw/raffia medium/large crossbody for Europe trip. Zipper for security preferred.
A: Enjoy your trip! Splurge: Marni or Loewe. Mid-priced: Clare Vivier (I would swap in a webbed bag strap like this or this). Budget: this green H&M steal!
Q: Something (not a bag) to mark a personal and professional milestone. $400ish.
A: Big woman on campus sunglasses: Celine. You’ll wear them forever and they’ll make a white tee and jeans look like a LOOK. Another idea: I carry a slim designer card case with just my essentials (credit card, license, medical insurance card) about 90% of the time instead of my full wallet. Easier to transfer from bag to bag regardless of size, and easier to maneuver in general! I love this Gucci one. Last but not least: I wear my pearl earrings close to daily. Lovely gift to yourself!
Q: Postpartum clothes.
A: Loose-fitting, easy-to-wear, nursing-friendly dresses! I recommend nap dresses, button-front caftans like this Xirena, this Amazon, and this H&M, Dondolo’s smocked styles, and this floral “sleep dress.” Shirtdresses are also a great option if you want more structure — consider this Gap or this Daphne Wilde. If it’s chillier where you are, leggings and a long white button down layered over nursing tanks (and often beneath a duster) were my March uniform just after mini was born! For lounge at home, you might consider these fun printed “husband shirt dresses” from Julia Amory.
Frances Hart also has some gorgeous pieces that work while pregnant and after, and I shared even more dresses that make this transition to postpartum as well here.
Q: Dress for auction at child’s school.
A: This Caroline Constas, this Sister Jane, this Agua Bendita, this La Ligne (the cut is SO flattering – I own this), or this chic citron Damaris Bailey. From what I’ve heard from friends, these affairs tend to be just shy of black tie and the equivalent of fashion shows! Don’t be afraid to go bold! If things look to be more cocktail party than black tie, can’t stop thinking about this Ulla!
Q: Commemorative/heirloom first birthday presents for my sweet boy.
A: Happy birthday, baby boy! Ginori baby dish set, a Baghera ride-on car (bought this for my boy at a year! — these look SO adorable just as styling in a child’s room), a silver race car coin bank (also bought this for my boy!), a personalized ceramic cross for his room, or a DeBuci Baby bear with his name stitched on the side (they used to offer a personalization option — you might email to ask).
Q: High rise dark wash denim and shoes to wear with them.
A: Are we talking flares? Love a flare or full on bell bottom. I had a pair from Miss Sixty when I was 20 that I absolutely treasured (and destroyed the hem of thanks to countless wears). I like how these look with a pointed toe heel (J. Crew also makes a great pair) or heeled clog. If you’re talking straight-leg, Khaite is cornering the market on fashion-forward denim. You could wear those with virtually any shoe, but I’m partial to a ballet flat from Chanel or Margaux.
Q: Pants for summer.
A: I’m eyeing this linen pair from Casa Raki, or this look-for-less style from J. Crew. Cute with a tank or layered over a bathing suit. Also like this pair from Faherty. For something more tailored, love this scalloped-hem pair and this wide-leg pair, too! For beach: this Missoni-esque crochet pair, on sale for $30. Utility chic: Nili Lotan or Apiece Apart! And if you’re a bold lady, Alemais has some truly fabulous printed pairs.
Q: Black tie gown appropriate for a reader at a Catholic wedding in Charlotte in July.
A: I love this Reformation — linen so not as hot as it looks! — and this under-$100 Asos. I’m also drawn to this Black Halo but the narrow skirt could make navigating steps to the lectern hard? Ha! My mom would insist you wear a scarf/shawl (Alice Walk makes some lovely ones, too) over bare shoulders in the Church, though I think this a practice increasingly less observed.
Q: Coffee table books that are not primarily images (good e.g., Hill House Living, Clover Farm).
A: I have and love this one from Lee Radziwill — full of interesting anecdotes — and then we have SO many gorgeous cookbooks that make lovely coffee table stacks as well, especially the ones from Thomas Keller (Ad Hoc and French Laundry) and Ottolenghi.
P.S. More of our favorite coffee table books here!
Q: Women’s tennis-inspired looks.
A: I assume you mean pieces that have a preppy/country club vibe but aren’t actually athletic wear? A Lacoste polo dress, white linen shorts paired with a white tank, or this Kule sweatshirt layered over anything! If you’re talking tennis dresses that you wear for general athleisure purposes, people go crazy over Girlfriend Collective’s Paloma dress, which is sporty but not so sporty/tennis-court-specific that you will feel weird wearing it elsewhere. Same goes for this Tuckernuck and this Outdoor Voices.
Q: Sun shirts for women that aren’t hideous or a rash guard.
A: Coolibar makes a simple tee (love the stripe option) that would be perfect! For more casual, this style in white especially looks like it could be a fitness top from Lululemon to throw on with leggings.
Q: Outfit inspo for NYC. Dinner at the Polo Bar one night and Cabaret with Countess Luann the second.
A: FUN. Anything goes in NYC, although I learned the hard way to avoid maxis (navigating the Subway or streets of Manhattan with fabric grazing the floor is…not great). I would wear a cocktail dress like this, this, this, this, or this for either night. My read would be more cocktail-chic than sundress-cool at both venues.
Q: Spring cocktail party dress (husband’s work event). Thanks!
P.P.S. “I must sometimes remind myself to write in soft pencil. Not everything — in fact, only the scarce sacrosanct — deserves copperplate engraving.”
P.P.P.S. Are you the average of the five people you spent the most of your time with?
By: Jen Shoop
A theme in the Magpie comments over the past many years: women moving from an “either/or” mindset to a “both/and” one. That is:
I can be frustrated by my circumstances and grateful for them.
I am enough right now and I can continue to grow.
I can be fatigued as a mom and ecstatic to be a mom.
I can be cerebral and interested in lighter-weight pastimes.
I can exercise self-discipline and self-compassion.
(Etc.)
In short, a woman contains multitudes. She is many things at once, and often those “things” appear or feel ill-at-ease with one another. She is irreducible, a pairing of improbably high numerator and denominator.
I have two recent, skittering thoughts on this front:
First, many of the Magpie comments along these lines have encouraged an “abundance” mindset that has been personally generative for me. I recently chatted with a mother expecting her second child who shared fears that she would not be able to love her second the way she loved her first. I understood the anxiety acutely. However, both in my lived experience as a mother to two and in the received wisdom from Magpies in the comments section, I knew she had nothing to fear: there is no love economy. There is only more, and more, and more. I have been reflecting on this conversation, and on the concept of an “abundance mindset” since, applicable as it is to so many areas of interest and effort in my life: parenting, creativity, friendships, curiosity. It can be difficult to square the mindset with the push and pull of a very busy life, where there are real and constant negotiations with the limited hours each day presents. In fact, recently, I have been toying with a provocative question in a splashy article on teens and depression in The Atlantic: “What are teens displacing with the time spent on their phones?” The article has a lot of meat on the bone that merits its own separate conversation, and I recognize I am cherry-picking here for my own purposes, but I fixated on the notion of displacement. I have found myself asking: “What am I displacing by choosing to do X right now?” The very question flies in the face of an abundance mindset — and yet: I live by clock and calendar. The constraints are real. On further examination, though, perhaps the question is not so discordant with an abundance mindset: it asks me to think generatively about all the options in front of me and then to prioritize instead of acting by habit, or happenstance, or convenience. It is about surfacing and evaluating a breadth of opportunities rather than prematurely foreclosing on them.
Second, my devotional had an interesting essay in which the author, Cleere Reeves, writes: “Life is marked with immense and joy and intense suffering, and the presence of one does not diminish the existence of the other. Rather, it is the experience of both that helps us realize the difference. The depths of grief reveal the heights of joy. The paralysis of fear highlights the momentum of courage. The strength required for battle makes us yearn for the restful posture of peace.” I loved this line of thought, and especially the comment that “the presence of one does not diminish the existence of the other.” So well-put, and applicable also to the notion that I can feel and be many things at once.
Do you have any tactics, frameworks, or advice for accommodating “multiplicities” like these? How have you learned to hold different “states” simultaneously and lovingly?
+Fab $80 eyelet dress in a perfect misty blue color.
+It’s Pam Munson season! I live with my Isla Bahia tote all spring/summer long.
+I think I need this top in both colors for summer.
+Another option in the “puffy sandal trend.” On reviewer described these as “standing on clouds”!
+My favorite melamine plates (20% off with code YOUROCK).
+Adorable gingham jammies for littles to wear this summer — these look like Petite Plume but cost around $16!
+LOVE this punchy caftan for summer — the price is reasonable, too! — as well as this rainbow-striped one.
+Recently bought myself this $36 bag, which reminds me of something by Mark Cross, after my Instagram friend Jessie wore it and looked adorable with it!
*Image above via Paravel, featuring their gorgeous safari green aviator carry-on suitcase — made from 15 post-consumer plastic bottles.
After a lengthy pandemic-induced hiatus from air travel, we have had several occasions to book tickets in the past few weeks. It feels good to be exploring and visiting friends again. Below, I have compiled a list of travel essentials for chic, comfortable, and organized transit while away from home.
CHUNKY KNIT CARDIGAN IN IVORY — A CHIC, COZY LAYERING PIECE
CUSTOMIZABLE VEGAN LEATHER LUGGAGE TAG…IN JUST ABOUT EVERY COLOR OF THE RAINBOW
HANDMADE BABY ALPACA THROW BLANKET WITH FRINGE — THIS SOFT BLANKET COULD DOUBLE AS A WRAP IN A PINCH
Back when I managed a team and was also occasionally in a position to “manage up,” I used to repeat the phrase: “Focus is your scarcest resource.” To my direct reports, this was a mildly gentler way of saying: “Eye on the ball” and discouraging meandering side pursuits and the kind of perfectionism that impedes progress. To my own boss, this was a means of requesting clear priorities, i.e., “We can do this, or we can do this — which matters most to us right now?” I leaned on this phrase so much that I included it in employee onboardings and quarterly reviews and pinned the letters FIYSR up in front of my desk.
I was reflecting recently on how this concept has both shaped and occasionally worked against my life outside the workplace. If I find myself with a pocket of unclaimed time, what do I fill it with? I am a master of checklists and so I will often slot in a quick to-do (“make an appointment,” “order shoes for micro,” “iron dress for tomorrow,” etc) when I find myself with, for example, twenty minutes before a call — not enough time to start writing, but not so little time it makes sense to just fritter it away on my phone, which can be distressingly easy to do. This is, of course, during stretches of time while the children are at school or in the care of our nanny, because when I am with them, those slices of unclaimed time are even skinnier and scarcer, and I must then face the dilemma of whether “getting something done” (laundry, dishes, dinner) outweighs “doing something meaningful with my children.”
Today I sit here and think: there are times and seasons and places for everything. Perhaps the urgency with which I conducted myself in the office was called for. I worked almost exclusively for small, nimble, under-funded start-ups working to solve substantive social problems. A clipped pace felt not only necessary but ethical. But perhaps there are other realms and times of life where we can live a bit more free-form and footloose. I keep thinking about a phrase one of my Magpies introduced to me a few months ago: “toxic productivity culture.” And I continue to have a nearly allergic reaction to the optimization talk in James Clear’s book. And so I posit: maybe I could stand to do a little less. Maybe it’s OK to get to those “to-dos” tomorrow. Maybe every minute doesn’t need to be accounted for. Maybe it is gratifying to tinker, or linger, or take the long way home. More importantly: maybe, too, some of my most meaningful work as a mother is not easy to capture in tick-list form: hugs, encouragement for mini’s persistent attempts at somersaulting, whispering nonsensical “Woody and Buzz stories” in the hush of my son’s room at night, identifying the small bird flying just outside our window as two pairs of curious eyes peer outward. None of those feel like progress, or focus, exactly, but my God — they are the stuff of parenting, and absolutely essential.
Then again —
Life with small children rarely feels “free-form and footloose” in the sense I want it to (i.e., chasing bubbles through the park or deciding to run out for milk shakes on a Tuesday), and we all know what happens when we push a “mom to-do” back and suddenly your child arrives at pajama day at school without pajamas and the inevitable mom guilt ensues. Oy. I often feel that there is little give in my day, as though my mornings, noons, and nights are wearing non-stretch denim. I’ve recently started scheduling “solo dates” with my children on my calendar, because otherwise, life will wash over us and weeks will have gone by without those trips to the ice cream shop and moments at the museum I’ve always imagined.
Then again —
The ice cream shop and moments at the museum are lovely, but I must not let those exclamation points stand in for the quiet, unremarked labors of love that fill my days and form the fibers of my motherhood. The trips are exciting but I am certain that it will be the feel of my arms during a midnight terror and the sound of my voice reading “Goodnight, Moon” that my children will remember when they think of me. Mini often tells me: “You smell like mama.” I know already the impressions I have made will have little to do with whether or not I bought her a scoop of mint chip.
I suppose what I’m saying is that I’m stuck somewhere between clinging to ruthless prioritization (born of habit, necessity, and the vague sense of “hygienic correctness”), kicking myself for being so disciplined, and not celebrating enough the trivial-but-not activities of motherhood. Because motherhood does not feel like focus to me. It feels like a blurring. Yes, it requires focus and intention, but so much of it is impossible to capture: it is the smoothing of hair, and the repeating of “you can do hard things,” and the application of bandaids and ointments, and the “wow!” you issue for the trillionth time when your boy yells, “Hey mama, look!” and he is clinging to the kitchen counter in an imitation of SpiderMan he has been performing every couple of minutes for the past week straight. It is whispers and kisses and concerned looks and time-outs and it all fades into the mist of day, and you find yourself flopping onto a couch and asking: What did I even accomplish today?
Maybe, just maybe — more than I think. Maybe I have done the hard work of motherhood and not even realized it because I tend to mistake “progress” for “folded laundry” and “a completed to-do list” rather than the hundred tiny and un-notable interactions of love that go into parenting every single day.
A good friend often tells me: “life happens between the drumbeats.” Am I missing things because I’m so hellbent on keeping those drum beats on tempo? Or am I focused on the wrong percussion entirely, in that, if I look at the music from the eyes of my children, they see the warm and consistent pattern of bedtime stories, breakfast plates with segmented fruit, prayer before dinner together at the table, shoes deposited neatly in the shoe bin–and what on earth deserves my focus besides the constancy of those utterances of love?
+OMG, Mark Sikes’ Anthro collection! Love this patterned Parsons table! And how fun is this botanical lampshade?!
+Stocked up on this mineral spray sunscreen for the warm weather months. It is the best for the entire family (Mr. Magpie and I use it too). A lot of mineral sunscreens are difficult to blend in, but this one sprays on easily and has a nice liquid-y texture that makes it easy to apply on wriggling, impatient children. I use the little stick sunscreen for the children’s faces.
Mother’s Day is under a month away! Sharing a few items I would personally love to receive (ahem, the Lake patio dress and this matching one for mini! — use code NICOLAXLAKE for 10% off) or that strike me as perfect gifts for the mamas in my life. Note: I want to put my full-body endorsement behind these oven mitts (truly, the best — those WS ones last about a year before they are burned and threadbare! these last an eternity! seems like a boring gift but she will thank you!) and this Emile Henry butter pot, which Mr. Magpie gave me for Christmas and we have LOVED. It keeps the butter at room temperature. You fill the base with a tiny bit of water that creates a seal and keeps the butter fresh. SO nice to have on hand so you aren’t digging cold pats of butter into your morning toast!
P.P.P.S. This post on some of our favorite kitchen gear might be another good source for practical but delightful gifts for someone adept in the kitchen.
I think like many of you, I purchased these Parker long shorts this week (more sizes here). So many of you Magpies have raved about the denim shorts from Agolde — a bit longer with more of a perspective. I will report back on length as I am short! I like the idea of pairing these with a crisp white blouse like this or a statement top like this.
P.S. More spring/summer shorts for men and women here.
LARGE NEOPRENE TOTE IN CORAL — PERFECT FOR BEACH DAYS!
Weekend Musings: Just as the Calendar Begins to Say Summer.
There is a poem by Mary Oliver called “Just as the Calendar Begins to Say Summer” in which she presents the relief and “unlearning” she enjoyed during summer breaks from school as a child, when she could forget “two times two, and diligence, and so forth” and instead dial in on the beatitudes of nature:
“the way the river kept rolling its pebbles,
the way the wild wrens sang though they hadn’t a penny in the bank,
the way the flowers were dressed in nothing but light.”
(That last line, though — !!)
I feel differently from Oliver about school, and have never considered “nature” and “the classroom” as antonyms, but find myself increasingly interested in the natural world: the birds in our yard, the fox that trotted up my driveway (and scared the bejesus out of me to be honest), the types and densities of trees and flowers in our neighborhood. I am aware of the way the screen of branches outside my writing studio shapes and soothes my thoughts. I feel increasingly that — well — there are truths in the trees.
+It’s nearly nap dress summer season! I have to say that I briefly felt tired of nap dresses after absolutely LIVING in my winter tartans (layered over turtlenecks), and when I packed for Charleston, I decided against including one in my suitcase. But then. I can’t explain it — the turn in weather? The sighting of a gal wearing a nap dress when I was sitting outside enjoying wine with girlfriends in Alexandria this week? The pic of this chic pea wearing a nap dress while taking her children around Disney? Suddenly I’m reminded of all the virtues of the nap dress and wanting a new Ellie in a spring print, and this navy shirtdress is SO my vibe, too.
+Some great finds at Outnet: this Ulla top and this Ulla dress, which would be perfect (!) for a Baptism or summer wedding or garden party!
+I cannot believe this top is from Banana Republic. Looks like something from Alexis!
+This dress reminds me of Zimmermann, but is under $150.
+Ordering a few more shorts for micro — these are billed as swim trunks but I think could double as a “play in the park / backyard just in case we get wet” type situation and this fun ice cream print pair. More shorts for little ones here.
*Image above via Rafe New York, featuring one of their gorgeous floral clutches.
A couple of pieces that have totally captured my attention…
1 // I cannot stop thinking about two pieces from Loretta Caponi’s latest collection: this dramatic stripe skirt and this gorgeous button-front blouse. Worn together or separately, they are high tailoring at its best. I love this brand’s old-world sensibility.
2 // Hunter Blake nailed it with these beautiful flower earrings. I love the unexpected color and pairing of enamel with stone. Would look fresh with a white dress.
3 // This embroidered Rafe clutch is beyond beautiful. In love.
4 // Violette Boum Boum Milk. “We’ve formulated the efficacy and elegance of French pharmacy skin care into a single spray that acts as your toner, serum, and moisturizer all in one. The soft milky formula offers instant hydration and soothing (and under makeup, c’est parfait!), but our clinical studies show long term results in tone, texture, and firmness, too.” Sold!
5 // GLDN X Layered and Long personalized ring. I have one of these exact rings with mini’s initials on the top part and her birthdate in roman numerals on the bottom and think I have finally convinced myself I need to buy another for micro!
6 // Lack of Color woven bucket hat. My friends have never let me live down my obsession with bucket hats in the early oughts, and, well? They’re back in baby! I am intrigued by these woven styles.
7 // Frank and Eileen beach sweater. This is the kind of thing you buy and then have no idea how you lived without it. It will be a desk sweater, a travel sweater, a chilly-evening-night sweater, a throw-on-when-cold-around-the-house sweater. Love it in the bright white with the perfect length, too!
8 // Marysia one-piece — ON SALE FOR $64?!?!?!? In such a great, bold color!
9 // My new Agua Bendita dress. I love the patterns and feminine shapes that have become synonymous with this brand. Remember you can get 20% off anything (I believe?) with code YOUROCK, including sale pieces like this fabulous Rhode top, Dudley Stephens’ fleeces, and Agolde’s perennially popular Riley jeans.
10 // Gabriella Hearst fisherman-style sandals. I can’t stop thinking about this style of shoe. I’m seeing it everywhere now and I want to dip my toe in the trend, but, of course, am drawn to the highest end pair. Ahh! Freda Salvador has a pair in a pretty lilac suede that caught my eye, too, and you can get the look for less with J. Crew.
11 // Tarragonia desk mat. I love this bold desk mat! Perfect eye candy for beneath a keyboard.
12 // Capulette furlanes. I just LOVE the shape of this shoe so much. As you know, I own several pairs by Vibi Venezia, but this ikat is to die for!
13 // Embroidered cotton cap. Yes to being a part of the “make things happen club.” I have long lived with — as my husband put it — “a bias for action.” I want things done yesterday!
14 // Gap linen-blend shorts. I can’t get over the reasonable price tag and high-end look. I would probably pair with a black tank for a polished look but I also kind of dig the all-linen matchy look, pairing with a button-down like this in white as well.
15 // Meadows botanical embroidered sweater. Love everything about this sweater.
16 // Agolde Parker shorts. Can’t wait for mine to arrive.
17 // Syrenia Sorrento t-straps. These are handmade in Italy and cost around $100! Beautiful and will go with everything in your closet.
18 // Stitch Golf bag. My sister and I plan to pick up where we left off in our childhood by getting back out on the course (or at least the driving range) this summer, and I inherited a basically unusable golf bag from my grandmother. It has no stand and is top-heavy, so the clubs nearly always tip forward while you’re carrying over your shoulder — ha! I think I will need to invest in some new gear at some point. This is an attractive style that caught my eye!
19 // Prince x Sporty and Rich sweatshirt. Are you tired of me talking about this collab? I just love the throwback feel and athletic green color.
20 // AmLactin foot cream. I’m happy to report I’ve finally found a replacement for the La Roche Posay foot cream we all loved so much, and it’s less expensive. Grace was not lying when she raved about this and specifically extolled the virtues of its skincare-grade ingredients (i.e., lactic acid). This is THE BEST FOOT CREAM I’VE EVER TRIED. Period.
P.S. My most recent installment of honest beauty reviews.
I recently read a poem by Frances Richey titled “Letters.” I suffered a nearly enzymatic response, my eyes immediately filling and then pouring with tears as I read, breathlessly and nearly without thought, straight to the bottom, where I slumped in a tangle of heartstrings.
In the poem, a woman waits for a Mother’s Day package from her son, who is deployed at war. There are threats of death throughout, and an ominous moment in which the mother stares at her reflection in the window of a florist, “my face among the tulips,” conjuring in my mind (perhaps idiosyncratically, perhaps not) the 100,000 tulips sent by Holland in remembrance of the dead after WWII. Despite the suspense, by the end of the poem, we know her son is alive: a package has been delivered. But it is her concluding words that brace like tonic:
“I didn’t care about the gift.
It was the note I wanted,
the salt from his hand,
the words.”
I of course know nothing of the pain of a mother with a child away at war. It is nearly unthinkable. But there was something so viscerally familiar, so echoingly true about the way Richey wrote the mother-son relationship in this poem that knocked me out. How many times have I absent-mindedly stood in door-frames and windows while fretting over something related to my son? I saw myself, plainly, in the near-physical need to grasp “the salt from his hand, the words” at the end. And I was bowled over by the resonance of this couplet: “I feel for my keys / hear his voice.” I, too, feel the imprinting of my boy’s tiny voice onto my palm, my cheek, my heart: his phrases, his cries always in my pocket, as familiar to me in shape as the cut of my housekey.
This is sterling, writerly stuff. Elsewhere, I described it as “the hazy romanticism I often feel when an author manages to evoke something precise, something I have felt but maybe forgotten, with just the right turn of phrase…I nod; I know what the author means by feel rather than intellect.”
There are many reasons to read. There are even more outcomes to the practice. The other day, I sat down to read the Richey poem unaware that I would be holding a looking glass to myself as a mother.
It is a wonder to find ourselves in language left by others, the salt from their hands a gift.
+Intrigued by this pair of white denim after seeing them on the ever-chic Bradley. (Currently on sale for $102!)
+Found a chic Marysia one-piece on sale for $64 (?!?!). Almost the same price as Mango’s lookalike!
+This “beach cardigan” would be a total workhorse — perfect for throwing on over anything on a chilly evening spring/summer night, packing for travel, and (duh) wearing on the beach when windy.
+I shared earlier this week that I bought this dress (extra 20% off using code YOUROCK) for my sister’s deferred wedding nuptials and have since turned my shopping focus to another wedding later this summer. I think I might spring for this Caroline Constas I’ve been eyeing all season — on sale and again an extra 20% off with code YOUROCK! (!)
+Love this chic button-down to pair with shorts this summer.
+One of my favorite fitness shirts. The shape is so flattering for some reason — covers the rear, hugs the arm in the right places.
+A great $30 everyday dress. Drawn to it in the black for some reason.
+I wear this watch nearly every single day. I regret buying the smooth leather band — wish I’d gone with the pebbled leather. At the time, the salesclerk told me it would “develop a beautiful patina,” which it has, but I’m not sure I love the patina? Would rather it just look fresh and clean. I might buy a second watch band this summer, maybe in a fun color?
+I have this skirt in a different floral and every time I wear it, I am overwhelmed with inquiries about it! It is SUCH a big statement and the seamstress work is impeccable on it. Details are insane!
