I have to share a recent Amazon impulse buy first — this $39 neoprene tote, which comes in tons of great colors. I seem to always be schlepping my laptop and a bunch of other gear around (dry cleaning, water bottle, return packages, etc) and I usually just toss them into my passenger seat unceremoniously after scurrying out of my home. I don’t want to throw them in a nicer bag; I think this tote will do the trick perfectly. I thought it might also make a great gym bag, or sports gear bag, or stroller bag when you’re navigating the playground circuit (i.e., not so pricey you’ll cry when a GoGo Squeez explodes on it).
A few other great everyday bag finds —
STRAW BAG WITH ORANGE HANDLES // WOVEN TOTE // SEA MARIE BLOCKPRINT COSMETICS BAGS // STRAW TOTE WITH BLUE HANDLES // AMANDA LINDROTH STRAW TOTE WITH PINK HANDLES // FLEABAGS PINK TOTE // ANTHROPOLOGIE CHECKERED STRIPE BAG // DITSY FLORAL POUCH // REVERSIBLE QUILTED BLOCKPRINT TOTE // MANGO STRIPED PINK, GREEN, BLUE SHOPPER // RED AND BLUE STRIPE CLARE VIVIER TOTE // KELLY WYNNE BEACH BAG // STRAW TOTE WITH CHERRIES // WIPEABLE FLORAL MONOGRAMMED TOTE // GINGHAM LOEFFLER RANDALL TOTE //
“Your writing makes me feel as though I am permitted to be myself.”
I have carried this sentiment around since, turning it over as though a small keepsake in my pocket. I am of course wildly floored to the point of red-faced at the compliment, but it’s the groundswell beneath that deserves attention here:
Where and for what do we seek permission?
As it turns out, in my estimation: nearly everything, including things I wish we wouldn’t, and from nearly everyone.
Elizabeth Gilbert wrote roundly on the subject of granting ourselves license to create. She observed that many do not feel “entitled” to paint, write, draw, etc: they feel as though they are not ordained artists until they have, for example, completed a certain degree. I have witnessed this myself, the knee-jerk denigration of pet projects as “amateur” or “hobby-level,” especially among women. When I listened to Gilbert’s chapter, I thought: “Hm. Funny. I’ve never felt the need for permission to write.”
But then —
The early encouragement of my parents, my grandfather, a few uncles and teachers? Taken together, a big, fat permission slip. My later pursuit of a “frivolous” degree in the liberal arts was anointed by my parents from a young age: “Study whatever you want,” my Dad would say, while he unabashedly maligned his own career as an attorney. “You don’t build anything in law,” he once told me, gravely. “Do something that lets you build.” It put the fear of God into me, and also authorized my ambling and roundabout flirtation with writing. Meanwhile, my mother signed me up for writing classes at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland and drove me to poetry readings across town and assiduously urged us to read, to read, to read, reinforcing these entreaties with the model of her own devoted readership. As children, we occasionally cringed at our parents’ bookishness: my Dad would carry tomes on Winston Churchill to our grade school awards ceremonies and my mother was never without her book in the carpool pickup line. But together they reinforced the sanctity and exigency of experiencing art. There was nothing flimsy or frolic-minded about literature in my home, and I learned to view it as a practice as sturdy as medicine. Clearance, again, granted.
So, too, with my entrepreneurial endeavors. Where did I come by the audacious belief that I could or should start a business on my own? I think it can in part be attributed to the largesse of the examples of other entrepreneurs in my family, and Mr. Magpie’s, too. My great-great grandfather founded the Baltimore Sun newspaper in 1837 and Mr. Magpie’s family owned the longest-running family-owned men’s clothing store in America, J. H. Shoop and Son based in Freeport, PA, founded in 1830 and sadly shuttered in 2005. (I guess the 1830s represented a Big Cosmic Moment for our little family pod.) Curious map-making: is it not kismet that I have publishing on one side and fashion on the other?
It has never felt obvious or arithmetic to me, this consent-granting. I have never had the conscious thought: “Well, Arunah Abell did it — I can, too!” But their very presence in the family annals surely accounts for no small measure of my gumption.
I have been profoundly, stupidly lucky in this sense. So many people in my life have sanctioned this — let’s call it “wool-gathering” — in which I find creative fulfillment.
I sit here and ponder (read: fret about) the permissions I am granting my own children. Am I authorizing their interests in art, play, math, sports enough? Am I unwittingly foreclosing on possibilities?
And I sit here and ponder (read: fret about) the permissions I am granting my readers. Am I giving you the space to think, to feel accepted, to push back when need be?
Aspirational talk for sure, so let me return myself to the small white flea market desk at which I sit and tend to my filigree prose, but not without saying this: I think it is possible, if you do not have permission granters in your immediate network, to find your flock. Elizabeth Gilbert is a good start. Classrooms can be another. And if you are in need of something more immediate, as you are searching for the nudge to to build something, to try something, to even simply “be yourself,” as that Magpie put it, permit me to pay it forward: let this post be your dispensation.
+Still can’t get over this gorgeous, generously-sized but well-priced rattan lamp. SO chic. Anthro has some low-key incredible lighting finds — I also love this scalloped lampshade, also at a reasonable price.
+I’ve shared this dress for several seasons — they keep releasing it in new hues — but finally ordered myself one in that perfect blue.
+I just ordered more pillowcases from Boll and Branch. I haven’t written about them in awhile but I still absolutely love our sheets from there — softer and easier to iron/launder than any other brand I’ve used. I was able to get 15% off the order using code VERONA15.
+OK, I’m doing it. Ordering one of these hyped Hunza G suits. I really love this variation on their classic style — it reminds me in color and neckline of Gwyneth at the Oscars!
+I am in LOVE with this top. Currently in my cart!
+These Burts Bees Easter jammies are super cute, inexpensive, and still available for delivery by Easter! Grace+James Easter jammies are also currently discounted 40% off with code EASTER40%. (More Easter jammies and basket fillers in this post!)
+Speaking of Easter, I am normally a major anticipator, ordering everything well in advance. This year I really deliberated on the table for too long but then it came together all at once. We’ll have the children eating with us so I decided this paper table setting kit would be the perfect unfussy option, and I’m going to run some boxwoods down the center of the table. (These are also a cute pair but the striped vases wouldn’t work.). I only wish I had a bunch of Bordallo Pinheira cabbage dishes to complete the look!
+STOP! Someone was just asking about cute spring outerwear and how perfect is this gingham mac from The Great?
+I feel like really cool, chic, artful people have these chairs on their patio. Like, I want to be friends with those people.
+This might be the cutest little dress I’ve ever seen for a baby girl.
+I love that Roger Vivier is suddenly a trend-forward fashion house! See ya stodgy shoes — they are turning out statements like this!
+Pretty $20 dress! I own this in a different color!
By: Jen Shoop
*Image above via J. Crew featuring their trend-forward scrunchie slide, currently 50% off. I would pair with a gauzey cover-up (more options here) for pool-side lounging or a breezy caftan like this for everyday errands.
J. Crew has reduced a ton of current-season finds and new arrivals anywhere from 30-50%! I am principally excited about this vintage-looking half-zip sweatshirt, which is serving up major Princess Di vibes for me. I can’t decide between white or that perfect faded blue, but I do know how I want to style it — layered over bike shorts with a trendy throwback cap from cult-following athleisure label Sporty + Rich and tube socks.
I’m also loving a bunch of their dresses, including this sunshine yellow tie-shouldered dress (which reminds me in shape of those gorgeous Casey Marks frocks) and this on-trend patchwork dress.
A: This scalloped jute! Adorable and durable — won’t show dirt the same way fabric ones do. If you want something patterned, check out Annie Selke. She has the most fun patterns that aren’t too pricey. I love prints like this and this.
Q: I need more jackets/sweaters for spring/summer. I don’t have any go-toS. Maybe classic ones I can wear year after year?
A: A lightweight utility style like this will stand the test of time. I have one from J. Crew in an olive green (similar to one linked) that I’ve worn for like a decade straight. Alternately, a quilted jacket from Barbour is a forever piece that feels a bit dressier. I also love a raincoat — in spring/summer, you never know when you’ll be caught! I’ve lusted after the ones from Sutterheim forever, but you can get the look for less with this or this. For spring/summer cardigans, I shared some favorite transitional knits here, but the short list would be this Alex Mill! A great weight and comes in versatile colors. For more of an investment knit, consider Le Lion, Loewe, or Kilte.
I will say that I am totally itching to buy one of these trendy patchwork jackets from SEA or The Great (more picks along these lines here). I don’t know if you will agree, but the last few times I’ve taken a risk on a statement coat, I’ve appreciated my chutzpah down the road. I have this great fur trim utility jacket from Harvey Faircloth (RIP) that I worried would last me a season or two but I’ve worn it for years and years and still get compliments on it. If you love it, you love it! And very few people take big risks on statement outerwear, so you really stand out!
Q: Nice-looking summer sandals for an 18 mo old boy? Would you say fisherman style is most classic look, or something else? Basically, what would Prince George wear?
A: Haha — WWPGW? Well, my son wore these little Sun Sans in the brown color (I also love them in red or navy for boys) and I thought he looked absolutely adorable in them with his jon jons and rompers. I think I devised this look based on old pics of JFK Jr! He wore something similar back when he was a toddler. The Sun Sans are great because they are waterproof and have a pretty sturdy sole. These aren’t sandals, but the other summer shoes micro wore a lot at that age when I wanted him to look a little dressy/polished were Cienta t-straps in navy blue. I know for a fact Prince George wore these, too (and in the navy)!
Q: Dress/outfit for three upcoming work events that can hide #2 bump between weeks 8-13.
A: Congratulations! I’m not sure how dressy/conservative these events are. If they’re more buttoned-up, I would go for a boxy shift that sort of skims the body. I wore these to a few investor pitches while early into my pregnancy with mini and fundraising and got no comments! This Theory is a forever piece (I would wear it in white) and if you do start to show early, you can throw a big, bold scarf around your neck so it kind of flutters around your waist area. This and this are a bit more casual but would disguise a small bump the same way. If you feel a pattern is OK, I love this, this or this. If you’re looking for something on the dressier side, I love this and this. If things are a bit more casual/artsy in your industry, loose-fitting maxi dresses like the ones from Thierry Colson, Mirth, and Julia Amory nip in just under the bust but totally float over the belly and would be a great disguise. This caftan would also be great! Alternately, a long shirt dress that you can sash just under the bust might be good, like this, this, or this.
Q: Graduate school graduation dress – postponed two years so must be extra fabulous.
A: I just wore this festive dress in Charleston and was stopped a few times with people commenting on it! It is so unusual, punchy, fun, festive. Frankly any of her dresses would be appropriate! For something short, I keep coming back to this Reformation in the butterfly print — gorgeous and apt for a moment of transition like yours! Also adore this punchy Farm Rio and this happy Mille. Last but not least, I am in love with some of the youthful, cheery dresses from Pink City Prints, like this and this. They feel on-trend but nostalgic and they just have a different, more unique feel.
A: Congratulations! If you want to wear white, a few I love are this, this, and this. (And P.S. – I shared more white dresses in this post.). I also think this simple linen mini is timeless, classy perfection — like something Jackie O. might have worn with leather sandals. If you are more flexible on color, I still love this En Saison dress. So pretty in that pale blue (“something blue”)! I wrote about this above, but I keep coming back to this pretty dress — would be gorgeous in the floral. (Plus, personally, I like to wear sleeves in photographs!)
Q: Plane outfits.
A: Layering is key! In the warmer months, I really love to wear nap dresses because they hit at the right length (not dragging on the floor but still long enough to cover your legs), wear like a nightgown, and look adorable. Just layer with a cute cardigan (also love this and this) and pair with closed-toe shoes — I usually wear my Chanel flats (love this pink colorway), but also love these by Margaux. I also always pack a wrap/throw just in case things get really cold on the plane. I have been eyeing these ones from Alice Walk recently! For colder months, comfortable jeans (you know I love this pair from Madewell) with Chanel flats or sneakers (lots of cute sneaks here), a white tee or striped tee, and a sweater, and still the wrap/throw just in case!
A: How adorable?! I would probably gravitate towards something yellow or pink in a bigger floral or solid color. This, this, or this could be really pretty if you’re more into yellow. If you’re leaning pink, I love this and this. Don’t be afraid to mix and match patterns! I have always been thrilled by the result! Last but not least, this could work perfectly. The scale is a bit more similar which is a bit more risky (sometimes that can just look very busy — I find mixing patterns in different scales is more fool-proof), but I think the colors might work so well together.
Q: A formal clutch bag that goes with a silver satin gown.
A: Get thee to Asha! If you want to make a bigger investment in a cool heirloom-level piece that will be the talk of every party for the rest of your life: Olympia Le Tan!
Q: Toddler boy short/tee pajama sets.
A: We have really loved the ones from Lila + Hayes — micro actually wears these year-round! They are super soft, launder nicely, and are cut a bit looser than a lot of other styles — more like boxers on the bottom — but they aren’t over-long (hit above knee) so they look adorable. Moon and Back, Kissy Kissy, and Lake also have cute shorts sets for boys!
By: Jen Shoop
*Image above courtesy of Anna Kosturova featuring their crocheted Farrah mini.
It seems like crochet knitwear has taken over fashion this season — sort of hand-in-hand with the vintage feel of the patchwork trend now that I think of it. Below, some of my favorite woven picks to elevate your warm weather wardrobe.
Two items not seen above I had to add — this just-a-hint-of-crochet shirtdress and these outrageously fun sandals, which would totally transform a simple LWD.
Driving down Tilden Street since moving back to the D.C. area has occasionally left me knee-buckled with memories. That particular corridor carries thousands of individual inflections for me, everything from trick or treating to accelerating wildly up the hill with my freshly minted learner’s permit in hand to feeling as though I was being pulled into a warm cocoon as I turned up my parents’ drive as an adrift college student. Since returning last summer, I have principally used that route in order to park my car at Peirce (sic) Mill and run through Rock Creek Park. On one such excursion, I caught unexpected sight of my father running towards me, on his own morning constitutional. I will now never round that bend without looking for him. And so I find myself in the midst of new emotional cartographies as I trace my steps through areas as familiar to me as the back of my hand.
How and under what conditions do overwrite the old maps? I know, for example, that a narrow neighborhood street in Mohican Hills will forever bear the recent marking of death: I was idling in my car there when I heard a colleague had died in a freak skiing accident. When I pass that street on my way to my nail salon, my stomach cinches in, reflexively. Sometimes this is because I am thinking of Nate with languid intention. Other times, it is an automatic flash-then-gone sensation, my heart telling me: “Avoid this place — something wicked this way comes” without my mind keeping pace of or dwelling on the signal. For my entire life, I have driven that stretch of Mass Ave with vacancy, or perhaps it is better to say the mildness of distant memories, as I was baptized at Little Flower and my childhood pediatrician was out that way, but now, suddenly: a treacly emotional heat lives there, waiting for me. It has scrawled over the rest.
Other parts of D.C. feel more nuanced, as though I have laid forty different maps on top of one another, and my mind toggles between and occasionally superimposes the layers upon one another. Navigating this pastiche, I will occasionally find the Cleveland Park Blockbuster Video we went to every Friday during the entirety of my childhood living alongside memories of dating Mr. Magpie, and I know they do not belong chronologically with one another, but they co-locate there, as though the paper’s worn thin between those particular feuilles.
Memory is a slippery thing. I do not know that I trust it. I resent the absence of so many of Elizabeth’s details, for example. Perhaps this is why I write so much: to staunch the inevitable erosion. I wish I had taken the time to write her down, to fasten her in language. I am, though, encouraged by the new dimensions this old geography has opened me up to: I drive down Macomb Street and remember the summer I nannied there, taking my charge to the now-rebuilt playground just above Reno. It was a cicada summer when I nannied, and it was a cicada summer when we moved back this year, and the symmetry cheers my poetic-mindedness. Now we have good friends that live on that street, and there are new memories that mingle with the old in a pleasant way: it is now my children I push on the swing there, and there is a sense of intactness in this full circuitry. So, too, when I drive down 35th and see the girls in their green kilts and Elizabeth is with me more fully than she’s been in years.
I am grateful for these returns, even as I find the smudges of new cartographies underway.
+Ordered mini these $20 pajamas. Absolutely adorable floral prints!
+While away for the weekend in Charleston, I packed a sample size of this body lotion from Molton Brown and OMG. I’m in love. I ordered the full size on the spot. I have been a longtime devotee of Fresh’s body lotion (which I still love and will for sure return to at some point) but I’m in heaven!
+Speaking of lotion, my friend Grace raved about this inexpensive foot cream and I ordered immediately. You may recall my devastation when LRP stopped making its magical foot cream — I’ve been on the hunt for two years now for anything that compares remotely. Will report back!
+I saw a chic young mom wearing this sweater to Church two weekends ago and haven’t stopped thinking about it. So fun and unexpected and I loved its slightly slouchy fit paired with cropped flare denim (as this gal wore them!)
+Speaking of Staud, I cannot stop thinking about this tunic. I think I must have it.
+This undated planning pad is fantastic for mapping out particularly busy weeks when you have a lot going on — for example, in the lead-up to a birthday party or celebration of some kind where you want to spread out the activities/errands carefully across a week!
This one goes out to my lovely Magpie brides — or anyone who loves white and blue! So many of these pieces are not specific to brides and can be worked into any well-heeled lady’s wardrobe. I did want to mention that this personalized jewelry case would make a darling gift for a newly engaged lady (with her new initials — someone once told me it was “bad luck” to gift a bride-to-be her new initials before her wedding day and to that I say: smeh!), as would this beautiful Smythson notebook for all her wedding planning notes!
I also wanted to note that I know there are often many events for brides to attend — engagement parties! bridal showers! bridal luncheons! bachelorettes! rehearsal dinner! — and that buying six or seven white dresses can add up. A few adorable white dresses that will not break the bank (all $250 and under): this white H&M, this linen mini, this Aqua, this cut out style, And then one perfect piece that is more expensive but not over the top for a rehearsal dinner or engagement — this Loeffler Randall!! WOW! Finally — cutest/sexiest getaway dress, no!?
POSSE LINEN DRESS // CAROLINA HERRERA TOP // MONOGRAMMED WEDDING HANDKERCHIEF // ANITA BERISHA NECKLACE // ANDRES OTALORA TOP // FEATHERED D’ORSAY HEELS // TAILORED SHORTS // BATSHEVA BRODERIE ANGLAISE DRESS // NICOLA BATHIE EARRINGS // SILVIA TCHERASSI SKIRT // SMYTHSON NOTEBOOK // SHRIMPS EARRINGS // CINQ A SEPT TOP // ASHA CLUTCH // FRAME TROUSERS // SIMONE ROCHA HAIR SLIDES // ANTONIO MELANI MULES // MARA HOFFMAN STRAPLESS DRESS // PERSONALIZED JEWELRY CASE // ACLER TOP // LE MONDE BERYL MARY JANES // REBECCA DE RAVENEL EARRINGS // THIRD FORM SLIP DRESS // AQUAZZURA HEELS
Last week on Instagram, I asked Magpies to answer the following prompt: “If you could visit with your twenty-year-old self, what would you tell her?”
I was moved by the fact that the loud majority of responses replied:
“Do not worry so much.”
Exactly what I would tell myself at twenty, along with the chaser: “Everything in its own time.”
I spent far too much of my 20s racing to the next thing — graduation, graduate school, engagement, marriage, this job, that job. There were countless pockets of time I whiled away in blithe ignorance of their roundness and ease. I still worry too much, but I think my anxieties hang on the worthwhile these days: the health of my family; the happiness of my children. Still, why did I make myself physically ill with worry earlier this year when I drummed up the courage to let my daughter’s Montessori know we would be transferring her to a Catholic parochial school this fall? I have a profound fear of disappointing others that I cannot move around. I would do well to heed my own advice: Worry less. Everything in its own time.
While about half of the messages ran along similar lines — “worry less; it all turns out OK; you’re not late; it won’t go as planned but it will all turn out fine” — I wanted to share a few of the other messages to our twenty-year-old selves because, well, they are poetry, these missives to women we used to know and still love:
“Do the things you want to do — don’t worry about finding The One.”
“It gets better. You will find life-changing medication!”
“You can kill confidence, but you can’t kill drive. Remember to cheer yourself on.”
“Don’t be scared to be yourself.”
“Be kinder to yourself.”
“You are enough.”
“Strong female friendships will be one of your greatest blessings.”
“Do exactly what you love to do and nothing else.”
“It goes so fast — savor each stage and season.”
“Trust your gut — you have plenty of time.”
“Perfect is a myth. You’re doing great, keep going, it turns out OK.”
“You’re the strongest person I know! Hang in there!”
“You will be OK.”
Man, I want to be friends with you all — such beautiful cheerleading.
*Image above via La Double J featuring their Scarlett dress. That dress just wants to dance and drink aperol spritzes, doesn’t she?!
One thing that has struck me across a number of recent wedding guest dress style requests: “please nothing pastel.” I get it! I am loving all of the bold, saturated, happy hues out this season after a long stretch of pastel and ditsy prints! Below, dresses and accessories that are guaranteed to wow and that pack a ton of color, and also — I did want to mention that I found some pieces similar to the Cult Gaia pearl clutch so many of us love at more affordable prices, including this one from Lulu’s and this one from Etsy.
MARA HOFFMANN DRESS // COLUMBIA NATIVE CRAFT EARRINGS (RESTOCKED!) // LOEFFLER RANDALL PLATFORMS // FARM RIO SMOCKED MIDI // ULLA JOHNSON KEYHOLE DRESS // CELIA B TIERED SCALLOPED DRESS // LE MONDE BERYL SATIN SLIDES // LA DOUBLE J OFF THE SHOULDER DRESS // HUNTER BELL BLUE DAISY EARRINGS // SEAGRASS CRESCENT CLUTCH // REBECCA DE RAVENEL EARRINGS // ACRYLIC BOX CLUTCH // ASHA EARRINGS // MAGALI PASCAL DRESS // AGUA BENDITA DRESS // SCHUTZ NUDE SANDALS // ODLR BABY’S BREATH EARRINGS // DEREK LAM YELLOW DRESS // PAIGE WOVEN MULES
Even more below…
P.S. What are you watching these days? There were some interesting leads the last time I asked. We are watching a mix of “Bridgerton,” “Peaky Blinders,” “Gilded Age,” and “Winning Time.” The first three I’m “smeh” on. The last is really well-done — high production value, quick pace, fast wit, inventive filmography (the footage “feels” old but has a distinctive modern feel).
My Latest Snags: Mr. Magpie’s Spring Wardrobe + My New Fleet of Spring Dresses.
This week, I bought a ton for Mr. Magpie’s spring wardrobe, much of which was detailed in this post. I am particularly proud of the rainbow of Lacostes I found him on sale here! As for myself, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of three dresses I ordered for my spring wardrobe: this Mille, this Doen, and this Cartolina Nantucket, which are all in permutations of transit!
I’ve written in the past about the concept of being kind to my future self, usually within the context of taking care of little tasks now so I don’t have to worry about them later, when I might be harried or tired. I think of this often in the evenings when I don’t feel like packing lunch for my children, but know that my future self will be grateful for one less thing to do during the frenetic crunch of activity that is the pre-school morning hour in our home.
The other day, though, someone on Instagram posed the prompt: “What question would you most like to ask your future self?” I was struck by the exercise because it drew out the core question(s) and desire(s) and challenge(s) with which I am currently entangled, generating a heat map across my mind and heart. I found myself mainly asking vocation-oriented questions: “Where do you end up taking your writing?” and “Do you ever publish a book?” On the one hand, the fact that these craft-type questions were top of mind was a reassurance. Their very nature made me realize how blessed I am to have so many other uncertainties around which many women (and former versions of myself!) strain — Will I have children? Will I find a partner? Will I end up leaving New York? Will I resolve x issue with y person? Will I ever feel confident at work? Will I ever feel confident in my own skin?
At the same time, I had to wonder whether my profession-oriented queries were top of mind because I have been reading so much about creativity and craft lately (Gilbert laid the bait!) and have been stretching myself to write in genres that feel new and less comfortable, like the fiction I published earlier this week and the essay-poems I put out here and here.
Regardless, the prompt afforded me insight into what feels weightiest to me at this moment in time. And that in turn felt like a big “Giddy up!”
What questions surfaced for you? Were they relationship-oriented, career-directed, or something else? Did they shed any light for you?
Shopping Break.
+Oo! I just love this Loretta-Caponi-esque sundress. (But at a fraction of the price of Loretta.)
+These airport code embroidered hats are cute — would be a nice way to commemorate a favorite vacation destination, or a hometown!
+You all LOVED this pair of scalloped, woven picture frames and they keep selling out everywhere — just found them at Shopbop of all places!
+Who doesn’t love a good embroidered tunic top with white jeans?!
+Stunning scalloped pillows. These look much more expensive than they are.
+I usually stick with all-white socks for my children (so you aren’t constantly with one mismatched sock), but micro LOVES these car/plane patterned ones. These are my favorites for when he’s wearing his Vejas or putzing around in socks at home (they have grippies and a nice snug fit).
+The tailored high waist shorts are SO elegant. A different vibe from the more casual ones I featured last week. You could wear this with a silky button-down top and heels out to dinner!
+Also love these under-$100 scalloped eyelet ones!
+A perfect dress for a mother of a bride at her daughter’s rehearsal dinner or engagement party.
+These slim crop pants come in some great colors for spring.
By: Jen Shoop
PSA: A special collab between Stoney Clover and Target launches tomorrow morning (April 2nd) at 3 a.m. EST and I’m sharing this just a few hours before hand because these limited-edition launches tend to sell out quickly. I’m not above setting an alarm for these launches…ha! The thrill of the chase! This is a fantastic opportunity to snag a cheerful backpack, duffel, tote, mini pouch, small pouch, or large terry pouch at a fraction of the usual Stoney Clover price, and to adorn it with your own patches (monogram/initials!), or use some of their pre-fabbed patch phrases, like TRAVEL or BEACH.
I am personally loving the tote with mini’s initials on it for her summer camp, this clear TSA-friendly pouch, and this gingham-lined pouch (cute as a pen case or little essentials pouch for mini)! We will see if I can snag any of these when the rush starts!
Weezie recently generously sent us these adorable personalized children’s cover-ups (seen above alongside Minnow swim trunks) — I had been eyeing them for weeks in preparation for a summer of backyard shenanigans, swim lessons, beach trips, etc! They come in the cutest prints and are a nice thick towel weight, so they will actually dry the child.
If you have been dreaming of a warm-weather family getaway as much as I have, a roundup of my favorite children’s pieces for sun and sand activities —
CORAL GINGHAM KID’S COVER-UP — CAN BE MONOGRAMMED TOO!
MELISSA & DOUG SAND ICE CREAM PLAY SET — IN ADORABLE ICE CREAM THEME…MY CHILDREN LOVE (!!!) THIS SET AND USED TO USE THEM IN THE SPLASH PADS OF CENTRAL PARK!
