BOUGHT THIS BUCKET OF CRAFT SUPPLIES AND THIS SPRING ART CRAFT PROJECT TO PULL OUT ON RAINY SATURDAYS OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS
LOVE THESE MELAMINE PLATES IN THE RADISH AND CARROT DESIGNS, AND THESE BLUSH GINGHAM ONES TOO!
THESE THROW PILLOWS REMIND ME OF A SET OF EMBROIDERED ONES WE HAVE FROM S&L
P.S. “Maybe there are seasons designed for fallowness. Maybe we learn important things there, in the quiet and bare. Maybe we needn’t cup our hands around the tender green blades we’ve coaxed into sprouting out of season, a rebours.” More here.
I have been loving the woven trend the past few seasons — such a great way to add texture and dimension to an outfit or a room while projecting a “vacation energy.” Below, a few favorites.
In addition to the girl’s swimsuit I’ve mentioned several times (seen above; reminds me of much more expensive styles from Minnow!) and the sweater I shared yesterday, H&M has some seriously great finds out there at the moment —
LAKE PAJAMAS-INSPIRED THREE PACK OF JAMMIES FOR A WEE MAN
ANOTHER DARLING QUILTED SPRING JACKET FOR A LITTLE
TERRY SUN SWEATSHIRT — TERRY IS HAVING A MOMENT IN CHILDREN’S FASHION (SEE: MINNOW!) + THE PATTERN REMINDS ME OF SOMETHING BY RYLEE + CRU OR BOBO CHOSES
P.P.S. Did you RSVP for a wedding this season?! I got you — here and here!
P.P.P.S. What does your internal voice sound like? (And speaking of voices, do you have a “boat voice“?)
By: Jen Shoop
I just added a few new spring knits to my closet, seeing as we are not even close to finding dress weather yet in these parts. My favorite find? This $30 style in the perfect sky blue (seen above). More finds below…
MADEWELL — LOVE THIS STYLE (!) — REMINDS ME OF THE PRICIER STYLES FROM ALICE WALK
And not seen above, but a few other fabulous springtime knits worth a look: this grass green Demylee (on sale) from Demylee, this Kilte, this slim-fit ribbed Everlane, hand-embroidered Fanm Mon, and this &OtherStories.
Spring Knits Under $125.
I wanted to call out all the styles under $125 because sometimes late in the season it’s hard to invest in something pricier…
Q: Black tie dress for a summer wedding and postpartum body.
A: Congrats, mama! I LOVE this dress, and it sort of skims the body versus hugs it. Personally, I find dresses that nip at the natural waist or just under bust and then have a fuller skirt do me favors, so I would also consider this, this, this, or this. If you’re not looking for a black dress, you might consider this Needle + Thread gown. The sleeves and cut are demure.
Q: Striped tee shirt dresses to wear with sneakers while chasing kids.
A: These are just what the doctor ordered. Love both colors! Kule also has some good ones!
Q: Kids’ masks.
A: I like the ones from Busy Bees — they have wire at the nose to help with contouring to the face and come in the cutest print — and Lele Sadoughi. I like these best because they launder nicely. I have a bunch of other ones from different brands that look permanently wrinkled and disastrous after tons of laundering. These KN95 ones from Evolve Together have come recommended but keep selling out, but I was also able to buy some of these from Well Before thanks to a comment from reader!
Q: Bridal shower/rehearsal dinner dresses!
A: Woohoo — congratulations, lady! I answered a few permutations of this in my last installment, but wanted to add a few other bride-to-be finds I’ve come across since last week:
A: I was just contemplating whether or not I would buy a second pair of Hermes Orans over the summer. I have them in the saddle brown leather (they call them “gold” on the site for some reason) but I’ve worn them close to daily for like six summers in a row, and I am wondering if a new pair in the metallic gold or silver would be nice for the upcoming summer. A few other pairs I love and have tagged for myself…
THIS SAFARI/JUNGLE THEME — I DID THIS THEME FOR MY DAUGHTER’S FIRST AND WAS SO FUN/EASY TO FIND ACCESSORIES…WE DRESSED HER ENORMOUS STUFFED GIRAFFE IN A PARTY HAT!
THIS STRAWBERRY ONE — SO CUTE, CAN DO STRAWBERRY SCONES/CUT STRAWBERRIES/STRAWBERRY CAKE!
WE DID PETER RABBIT FOR MINI’S THIRD BIRTHDAY, ANOTHER GREAT (AND EASY TO DECORATE) THEME
CANDLES — MORE GENERIC IF YOU ARE OVERWHELMED BY A THEME
Q; A long floral bridesmaid dress for a barn wedding in Vermont in June! Ideally in a cool tone.
A: I absolutely love this LSF style (more sizes here, but not on sale). This Reformation is spectacular but currently waitlist only…you might luck out with a restock! Reformation has some other long/midi florals worth a look, too — this is sweet with the shoulder ties. Splurge option that you will for sure re-wear: this Erdem. Not in a cool tone, but I personally adore this yellow beauty and this pink J. Crew is stunning!
Q: Maternity summer style.
A: Congratulations! I’m sorry you have to endure heat while pregnant! I would live in loose-fitting dresses and statement sandals. Luckily, smocking is still in (and I, personally, still love it), so there are tons of great pieces that will work with you growing bump. Something like this or this (or both) would be great starter purchases because you can accessorize with different colored accessories to create different looks. (Pair with a statement headband, or statement shoes, or statement earrings, or a statement shades, or a statement bag for totally new looks!) A few other bump-friendly dresses I love:
Q: Black tie wedding guest dress in LA in mid-April that can also be worn the following week to a fancy fundraiser.
A: Fun little string of events! I love this, this, and this. This one reminds me of something by Brock!
Q: Dress for semi-formal Hawaii wedding, early May, $650 max.
A: This dress! I am in loveee — trying to imagine an excuse for it. A Hawaii wedding in May would be perfect. I also love this and this.
Q: Classic black evening clutch.
A: This is actually so hard to find! I feel like they’re either super pricey or super cheap looking. I love this Anya — the kisslock detail is perfection — and this Roger Vivier is heirloom-quality (with a price to match).
Q: Formal dress to wear at end of February. Not bank breaker.
A: This is so elegant and looks like Zimmermann, but reasonably priced at $128. And this one has an understated 90s elegance to it — think Gwyneth/CBK. (Comes in other colors, too!). Pair either with big statement earrings and an updo or low bun. Chic chic!
Q: Brother’s rehearsal dinner dress — $200-ish, navy or burgundy or black.
A: This or this would be pretty — pair with big earrings! A bit dressier: this OPT!
By: Jen Shoop
I often receive questions about what to wear to and give for a Christening/Baptism! Sharing all my top picks for this special occasion.
What to Wear to a Christening: Mom.
A few demure options for the mother…
+I always love a classic white shirtdress, like this one, this one, or this one, paired with feminine shoes like this or this, or a simple sandal like this.
+A pretty spring-like floral print also feels appropriate — something like this, this, this, this, this, this.
+A long shirtdress with embellishment/a pretty pattern would also be perfect — something like this embroidered green shirt dress is equal parts sophisticated and youthful; you know I love these Julia Amory shirt dresses; I adore the ric rac trim on this Juliet Dunn; I own and live for this dress from Mille in a different fabric/color (brand runs big!); this wrap style is beyond; Zimmermann is always magic; or this $100 steal.
+If you prefer solid colors, this or this would be lovely for a spring morning.
+For something a bit more conservative/suit-like — this shift, this Giambattista Valli (!), this Sandro, this trench style (v Carrie Bradshaw), and another Sandro (I know several of you have worn this one to your children’s Baptisms!)
+I bought this for myself and think it would make a lovely christening dress. So elegant, demure, tailored.
+For me, PEAK sophistication for events like this is Emilia Wickstead — something like this or this.
+If you’re on the fashion forward side of things, this SEA is gorgeous.
+Pippa and Julie has a pretty, simple, traditional style.
+Feltman Brothers has super-traditional styles in the tiniest sizes.
+If you’re not into a gown, you could go with this crisp romper, this button-in, this smocked bubble, or this seersucker for a boy, and this special occasion set, this angel wing dress, or this showstopping dress for a girl. (You could later frame in a box like this.)
+For something far more casual, consider this monongrammable cotton bubble, this knit set from La Coqueta, or something from Pixie Lily. I love the handstitch detail.
+A knit baby blanket (or cashmere one) bundled with a felt “saintie” (use the child’s name to select a saint, or pick one of personal significance to you!).
+Any of the above would be lovely bundled with a baby prayer book, book set, or Bible. You could also give a Bible with a meaningful letter enclosed or written in the front.
+An acrylic dove ornament — I love the idea that this keepsake will be seen every year at Christmas. Especially lovely if Christening happens to take place in the winter.
+Frame a special prayer in an acrylic frame like this. You could either write the prayer yourself or have a calligrapher on Etsy write it for you.
P.S. A prayer with special meaning. I know many of you have adopted this prayer in your own families — I love its brevity, simplicity, and power. It’s appropriate at mealtimes, at Thanksgiving, at really any gathering!
P.P.P.S. The Bible Verse I repeated to myself during my son’s birth.
By: Jen Shoop
In the last call for shopping queries, a Magpie reader requested “Everyday items and experiences that bring joy to combat long hours of working from home.” I thought to myself, “This is my person.” This is the raison d’etre for Magpie, I think: to find the poetry in the everyday.
There is a fantastic poem by Marge Piercey called “To be of use” that runs me across a knife’s edge when I read it. It is, for me, a tonic against lethargy and the shrugging accumulation of junk and things-done-hastily and “that will just have to do.” It is yeoman-like, galvanizing talk that crescendos into taking artistic pride in one’s every exertion. She writes:
“But the thing worth doing well done has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.”
Today, then: how can I make my everyday poetic? How can I fashion the quotidian spaces and schedules in which I live with an eye for “shape that satisfies”?
Post-Scripts.
+I drew similar conclusions on recognizing everything I do in my daily life — including the chores, the errands! — as part of the architecture of my day here.
+Thoughts on reimagining times of day that bring us trouble.
+Personalized phone case. Fun to put a number of special significance, or your initials!
+This Rachel Cusk book is towards the top of my tsundoku pile. She is a serious, inventive writer you should know about. I read her first novel two years ago and it really took me places. It made me angry, curious, frustrated, impressed — all responses that indicate the quality of her art.
+Valet trays — the set for $20! A great way to corral pocket change, keys, etc.
+Richard Ginori mug. Morning coffee never looked chicer.
+Fluted vase (only $30!) — and there is this circular style in the same vein.
+Amy Heitman note card. Somehow a pretty card heightens the meaning of a handwritten letter.
+Colorblocked coupes. By no means necessary, but beautiful glassware makes happy hour a lot more fun. I also love these reasonably-priced high balls for Tom Collinses and those strawberry drinks I was into during year one of this pandemic.
Not seen above, but a few other honorable mentions:
+A few years ago I randomly surprised Mr. Magpie with a bouquet of colorful chopsticks like these. We use them weekly (we eat a lot of Asian food in our home, especially for lunch) and they never fail to spark joy.
+A $30 scalloped bowl for — well, anything! Citrus! Candy! Nothing at all!
+Have been eyeing these Jono Pandolfi pasta bowls. They are spectacular! I just recently bought Mr. Magpie some of these gorgeous ones from Haand, too.
*Image above via Naghedi featuring one of their woven totes. If you’re vacation-bound, some great getaway resortwear finds here and here; my favorite swimwear here; and some fabulous beach reads here.
Below, some amazing statement bags that are guaranteed to turn heads and beg the question, “Where did you get that?”
P.S. On watching my daughter learn about her Finnish great-great-grandparents from my father: “There is an old proverb: “A tree with strong roots laughs at storms.” I don’t think anyone is laughing at the 2020 tempest, but I couldn’t help but think, as I looked at the stern set of my great-grandmother Susana’s countenance, that her sisu might be part of the reason we are still afloat in these parts.” More on sisu here.
My Latest Snag: A Pretty Pink Dress for Spring, A Birthday Dress for Mini, + Activities for the Children.
I wrote about this a lot this week, but I am so excited for my new spring dress to arrive! Hoping it has arrived by the time this post goes live so I can wear to a mother-daughter Valentine’s tea tomorrow. (Mini will be wearing this — gorgeous even well beyond Valentine’s Day.)
I also picked up this dress for mini’s fifth birthday party. The theme is “superhero” so I might pair with these loud sparkly sneaks, but will probably go traditional with glitter mary janes like these, these, or these!
I also bought a couple of activities for the children for upcoming weekends…
P.S. Loads of indoor activities for children here.
The other day, I was fretting about what my children would be doing all summer long. I have enrolled mini in a couple week-long day camps; we have some summer travel and out-of-town guests on calendar; and we will have our full-time nanny for the entirety to supervise them in the sprinkler and at the playground and while making popsicle stick creations, but someone benignly asked “what are your kids doing this summer?” and I froze, caught in that all-too-familiar mom panic. Should I be arranging more for them? Is everyone else sending their children to summer-long enrichment programs? I’m sure I’ve already missed all the deadlines! (Yikes!). At the same time, I was aware of how unusual my particular circumstances are: I do work full-time, but the hours can be flexible, and so I can accommodate various permutations of childcare coverage, especially since we have a nanny at home. I realize that for many parents, camp, daycare, or some enrichment program must happen. And so perhaps, I thought, I have a unique opportunity to pave a custom path for my children that incorporates a mix of long days in the backyard and structured activities with peers.
I thought for a minute about my own youth. My first recollection: my four siblings and I did not “do” much over the summer as children. We participated in a couple of day camps here and there, but mainly I remember long days at the pool, running around the backyard in bare feet, and month-long trips to Colorado, during which we would go hiking, horseback-riding, and play a lot of Barbies and board games. My mother — who stayed at home with us and is present in all of these memories — would occasionally take us on “adventures” to pools and theme parks (can you even imagine one woman taking five young children to King’s Dominion? I shudder at the thought) and arrange day dates with family friends, during which we’d play sardines and kickball for hours on end. Now that I think on it, she would also designate each night of the week with a different theme: Monday – board games; Tuesday – family walk; Wednesday – movie night; etc. So, perhaps it is unfair to say “we didn’t do much.” In fact, on further examination, though we did not participate in many organized camps or enrichment programs, we did more than enough to keep busy and there were still lots of long stretches for reading Nancy Drew and eating popsicles on the asphalt of our front drive and sneaking cold watermelon right out of the fridge.
A girlfriend forwarded me a lovely newsletter from the blog “Montessori in Real Life” and it helped me re-conceptualize —
“As is true for many of you with young children, this winter has been full of starts and stops. For a while there, it felt a bit like a real life game of red light, green light. Just when we would get in the flow of things, an email came in from the kids’ school and we were called to a halt again. Although these interruptions became somewhat expected, they never got easier or more “normal” for me. Yet I look at the kids and how seamlessly they have adjusted and accepted these changes over the past two years.
On days we’ve had school, they are happy to go and eager to spend time with their friends. They are excited for our weekly outings to the pool or play gym. On days when we have been stuck at home, they are…also happy. They play for hours with dirt and water outside and seem to find the most joy filling grocery bags with all their belongings! They snuggle up and ask me to read story after story until I lose my voice (or these days, fall asleep). Their life doesn’t feel like it’s full of starts and stops – it’s just a continuation of play and adventure, sometimes in one place and other times in another.”
The post reminded me to let go a little bit. My children will be busy, dirty, barefoot, occasionally bored, and always loved this summer. There may be long weeks of water play and popsicles in the backyard, and that’s just fine. They do not need much to feel as though life is a grand adventure.
Onward!
Shopping Break.
+This affordable pillow sham is SO chic. It reminds me of a pattern by Sister Parrish! Imagine them with Jenny Lind beds, these side tables, and these sconces!
+Obsessed with this dress. Lowkey sophisticated chic.
+This dress is also super fun, but a lot louder on the details.
+Carrie Forbes vibes! These remind me of these $40 Etsy sandals so many of you loved last spring! Dead ringer for Carrie Forbes.
+AND — in a similar vein — THESE RAFFIA MULES! Wow!!! Such a great price. I feel like these were made to go with Julia Amory shirtdresses as we head towards spring (this one is on sale).
+Another great pair of shorts for a little man this spring. (More boy finds here!)
+This striped blouse is on sale for 70% off. Love the length, the sleeves, everything!
*Image above via Mrs. Alice. How precious are these little bunnies?! BTW, she has the most charming tabletop finds for Easter Sunday!
This one goes out to my fellow “anticipator” mamas! This year, I am really drawn to the Julia Amory smocked dresses and matching shorts for little brother (paired with loafers and a sweater). If your little man is younger, they also have a sibling match in bubble or jon jon form! (That said, I did buy mini this dress for her birthday so I might be going overkill on J.A.! I just love the details and patterns!). I also have to say I love both these Gap Mary Janes and these H&M ones as less-expensive footwear options for the occasion!
P.P.S. “I have attended Mass for most of the Sundays of my life, in places as disparate as the Vatican and Corning, New York and in venues as varied as grand Cathedrals and parish gyms. I have heard Mass in Italian, and French, and Spanish, and once, by accident, in Ukrainian. But there, in that beautiful little chapel at daybreak, I thought the exact same thing I’d thought at the age of twelve: that it was easier to feel God here than anywhere else in the world.” More here.
I referenced earlier this week an interview with Toni Morrison in which she talked about some of the difficulties of writing. The entirety of the interview is well worth a read, and there are many wisdoms to pocket and turn over. Among them are details of her creative process. She says: “I realized that for me this ritual comprises my preparation to enter a space that I can only call nonsecular . . . Writers all devise ways to approach that place where they expect to make the contact, where they become the conduit, or where they engage in this mysterious process.”
I am always drawn to learning about the rituals of writers, artists, and creatives, perhaps because I feel I have very little in the way of pre-writing observances. Candidly, I can’t tell whether this means I have not yet hit my creative stride, I need to spend more time reflecting on the optimal conditions for ascending to a personal Mount Helicon, or I have, for better or worse, learned with age to be pragmatic – I nearly want to say “unfussy” – about the circumstances in which I put pen to paper.
In graduate school, I was particular about my work habits, especially when I was staring down an essay prompt. I had to wake before seven — before the light fully saturated the basement apartment I lived in on R Street in Georgetown — and work on an empty stomach. I would begin with a gridded notepad or plain white computer paper and write by hand waif-like filaments of thought. I would draft in loopy, sloppy cursive even though I have tidy, minuscule, highly-recognizable penmanship that I take some pride in when writing in literally any other forum. It felt to me that writing in my usual hand would impinge on the speed of my thought. These threads would gradually coagulate into full sentences, connected by circle and arrow and caret, and I would build in momentum until either hunger pangs or a complete first paragraph materialized, at which point I would begin to write on my laptop or break for lunch. Often, these two happenings occurred in curious synchrony with one another, and my work for the day would be done. I could then move through my afternoon coursework and errands with something like accomplishment.
The shape of my writing nowadays could not be further from that disciplined liturgy. I write in the car, while running, over the head of the small child nestled in my lap, on napkins, in margins of receipts, during my nightly stroll with Tilly. I write around and between appointments and errands, just before I squeeze in a run or just after being interrupted for the twentieth time by my dog barking at the mailman, my daughter barging in asking me to unwrap her granola bar, or an impromptu stand-up with Mr. Magpie on the logistics for the week. I publish with virtually no revision. I am sure the writing has suffered, but the inspiration has not. I feel I am now more permanently dispositioned to absorb and connect with the phenomena that for me must precede writing. I find myself consciously cultivating my own susceptibility to these curiosities: a well-turned phrase, a candid glimpse into someone else’s life, a happenstance run-in with nature, the way my son’s matriculation to pre-school stirred something primal in me. Perhaps, being generous to myself, the “place where I expect to make the contact” (as Morrison put it) has become less about the physical and ritualistic conditions in which I write, but the degree to which I remain prone to the sensations around me as I move through my life. But I sit here and wonder today whether I should spend more time in the revision rooms in which I dwelt during graduate school? In some ways, I feel I’ve become a disciplined observer but a lax writer. Perhaps some day I will learn to bring the two roles in parity with one another: sharp eye, sharp prose. For now, my writing moves across experience like a procumbent branch. And that will have to do.
+If you’re interested in this topic, you might enjoy this little book on the creative habits of many celebrated artists and authors. I used to give it as a gift to members of my team. My point was that it’s helpful to reflect on when you’re at your creative best.
+I love overalls — this is a cute and flattering slim-cut pair. I like to layer over tops like this or this.
+Another fabulous swimsuit. So many great ones out right now — more here. My Maygel Coronel arrived and it is GORGEOUS IRL.
+Just came across this reasonably-priced, chic sunhat!
+Brooke and Lou is running a fabulous home sale — consider these darling children’s chairs, these melamine plates, or the exact bathroom accessory set I have in our powder room!
+This cute nap-dress-inspired mini is on sale for under $60! Everyone’s favorite Ulla-esque top is also on sale ATM!
