All of the sudden, both of my children HAVE sized out of their pajamas. I have been purchasing from some new brands, and I have to say that I adore our new pajamas from Nella Pima (seen above) — I bought mini the hearts and micro the stars and both prints remind me of high end linen company D. Porthault! They are sublimely soft and nicely cut — similar in cut and quality to TBBC, whose patterns I also adore.
For slippers, you know I love these bunnies, but I just ordered mini a pair of Minnetonka slippers for school because they are meant to wear “indoor slippers” there during the day. You can get the look for less with these from Target for $15! For home, I am eyeing these cozy slippers (also available in larger sizes) for both of my children for the winter. So snuggly! You can get the look for less with these. And for babies — these sweet crocheted ones from Tartine et Chocolat!
P.P.S. On muscling through a tough parenting period: “And what to do then but embrace the mercurialness? To squat at her side and tinker with toys, to brush the hair out of her eyes (but not insist on re-tying her hair — no, no, that would be too much and too precarious at this moment), to sigh inwardly, to study that perfect little face and peer into those expressive little eyes and wonder at what is going on inside and what measure of it belongs to my own skill as a parent.”
Q: Dress for a garden wedding at night in October.
A: My first thought was Agua Bendita — this navy one is spectacular, but this one could also work thanks to the long sleeves (doesn’t look TOO summery). This reasonably priced botanical dress would also be tres chic with a red lip and updo, and I love this SEA. More possibilities here.
Q: Activewear, especially leggings and sports bras for running.
A: My favorite sports bras for running — the ones I reach for morning after morning — are from Gap and Champion, both conveniently at or under $20/pop. For some reason I have hated nearly every higher-end sportswear brand for bras, including Lululemon, Alo, and Outdoor Voices. Gap and Champion are much stretchier, softer, and less restricting and I swear I’ve had styles from both Gap and Champion for at least six or seven years…? Definitely good value buys! I also love the Beyond Yoga racerback tanks (they have a built in shelf bra), and I do wear them running, but I am modestly endowed, so proceed with caution if you are differently built, as I don’t think they provide much support. But they are SO soft and SO flattering! I love the neckline and back. A few other chic sports bras I have been eyeing…
V MUCH INTO VICTORIA BECKHAM’S COLLAB WITH REEBOK…LOVE THE COLOR AND BACK OF THIS PAIRED WITH THE MATCHING LEGGINGS
For leggings/bottoms, check out Tracksmith. Some Magpies turned me onto this brand and the quality is incredible. I have found the brand runs pretty small and would advise sizing up!
Q: Outdoor dishes and silverware.
A: I love this well-priced beaded-trim set, which has a Juliska-esque vibe to it. Accordingly, upgrade pick would be Juliska’s Berry + Thread set in melamine! (Also love their matching acrylic cups.) I own and adore these botanical melamine plates and they would be a fun statement addition to the white beaded set. For outdoor cutlery, I love this reasonably priced bamboo set and Sabre’s gingham!
Q: Work shoes with good foot support.
A: This is definitely not my forte (I am forever drawn to uncomfortable and impractical, but very cute shoes), but I do have friends who swear by AllBirds when comfort/function is paramount. These flats are sleek and simple in black, and I also kind of like the Missoni vibes of the dusty pink pair.
Q: Entryway moment/furniture for space <24″ wide.
A: OKL makes a super-narrow upholstered console that could be just what you’re after. I would place a tall, thin lamp and a decorative bowl for keys on top! Alternately, forgo the furniture and splurge on a fabulous entryway light fixture like this and a bold runner (<<Missoni vibes for less). Annie Selke has the best bold patterned rugs at reasonable prices — also love this, which is similar to the one I had in mini’s nursery.
Q: Toddler girl book storage solutions. We have so many books!
A: I really love the Ikea Kallax system for toddlers. You can put woven baskets in the bottom row of cubbies and then use the top row(s) for books, and everything is organized and reachable by little hands! Very Montessori. And you cannot beat that price! The cubbies are also deep enough to get away with two rows of books if you need to — I did this when we were short on space in Manhattan and would rotate books hidden with the ones in front every few weeks. C+B just came out with a similar style bookshelf that is probably even better quality. You can also add some of these cute acrylic shelves (or wood ones) to some of your walls for added book storage space. Finally, a caddy like this or a cart like this or this are small, layerable pieces of furniture you could, for example, nestle alongside an armchair or tuck at the foot of a bed if you’re short on space.
Q: Little boy nursery finds.
A: Congratulations! A few favorite recent finds for a little boy’s room:
Also — all of these toys are attractive enough to double as decor!
Q: Dining table and chairs.
A: I’m drawn at the moment to more formal/traditional in the dining room — I like this polished walnut table (tables with leaves are so wonderful when hosting bigger groups!) or this elegant style (you’d need a designer to help you get this one, but so chic!). For dining chairs, we have upholstered ones from RH and I love the look (get the style for less with these). I also like these similar square-backed ones.
A: This is SO chic and would make such a statement in a bedroom. You’d have to exercise restraint in what you keep on your bedside table, though! This caned style is also super interesting, and I like the simple/clean lines of this PB style.
Q: Pretty pajamas to wear in hospital after delivering baby girl in October.
A: I just saw that Petite Plume came out with beautiful hospital gowns, which are so practical and chic. Personally, I couldn’t wait to switch into my Gap nursing nightgowns, which I layered beneath a supersoft Eberjey robe. Both layers are ultra-soft and lightweight and made me feel like I was swaddled in comfort. I preferred a nightgown because I’d had a c-section and didn’t want anything like a waistband near my incision, but I also LOVED my Lake maternity pajamas those first few weeks and they’ve become my go-to gifts for new moms. You might also consider a Hill House nap dress (breastfeeding-friendly, and can be worn without bump!) — gorgeous!
Q: Classic pendant for a kitchen table. Trying to keep it under $500 if I can.
A: I love the look of this one (in medium size, right at $500), this one, and — on the “classic coastal” side, this one. More chic lighting picks here.
Q: Chic diaper bags or bags for moms with littles.
A: High end: Chanel Deauville or Goyard St. Louis — just use pouches to stay organized! I have used my Goyard St. Louis the most for everyday as a mom, but I also like the MZ Wallace quilted backpack when I need to be hands-free (i.e., taking both children to a museum, etc.). For bigger outings/day trips, I have been loving my Paravel tote (a gift from my mom, who had it hand-lettered with initials!) and MZ Wallace’s Medium Metro Tote is the best utility pick for air travel with littles because it is SO LIGHTWEIGHT, holds a TON, and zippers at the top (sometimes crucial when jamming under a seat).
For something less expensive, I LOVE boat bags. So practical, durable, and inexpensive. Minnow also has a roomy style with a cute floral lining and I also think these Courtland ones with the floral initial designed by the talented Riley Sheehey would be cute as a girl mom!
Let me pause with the fall inspo for a sec to say — it is HOT in these parts and though I am buying like it’s mid-November, I am living in peak summer. I have been living in this Maxwell and Geraldine dress (seen above) that was generously sent to me a few weeks ago. (I’m wearing it with this engraved heart necklace that so many of you also now own — I can’t believe it’s under $40!) It’s a gorgeously lightweight material, and I love the loose skirt that barely skims the body. So easy to wear in heat! A few other dresses in a similar vein that can really withstand high heat and humidity:
STILL GETTING A LOT OF WEAR OUT OF THIS SIMPLE MINI* IN WHITE — SIMILARLY, LOVE THIS CROCHET COLLAR MINI FOR A BOHO MOMENT — WHICH I PAIR WITH HERMES ORANS AND BIG SHADES
I OWN THIS IN YELLOW (ALSO LOVE IN THE LIGHT GREEN) AND FIND IT’S THE SIMPLEST THING TO THROW ON WHEN RUNNING AROUND BEHIND MY CHILDREN IN THE SPRINKLER — INEXPENSIVE, UNFUSSY, LIGHTWEIGHT, FUN! — BUT MUST ADD THAT THE LAST FEW TIMES I’VE WORN THIS, I’VE GOTTEN A TON OF COMPLIMENTS?! I THINK YELLOW IS AN UNDERREPRESENTED COLOR
WEAR THIS $34 DRESS ABOUT ONCE A WEEK AND NOW SO DOES MY MOTHER
*By the way, Everlane is currently running a sale and my favorite box cut tee is only $13 in a chic-for-fall taupe, and I am stocking up on these basic tees while they are only $10. (I mentioned last week that Everlane is one of my favorite sources for layering basics/tees.) I also absolutely live in this fleece in the winter (I have it in oat, but the pale sage turned my head) and it is somehow only $22?!
**Also: thanks to the Magpie who alerted me to Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty promotion, where they mark down select beauty products for 24 hours for 21 days in a row. Tomorrow, 9/1, my favorite face mask from Origins will be 50% off! I wrote all about it here! And on September 10, this fabulous facial cleanser from Indie Lee will also be 50% off. I love this gentle cleanser — I always travel with it. You can see the entire schedule of promotions here.
Spotting a high school-aged boy waiting at the bus stop whose posture — shoulders back, chest out, chin up, as if to establish something — reminds me of you at 19,
Or a new friend telling me, “it sounds like you and your husband are tight,”
Or glancing out the window to see you cheering on our four-and-a-half-year-old in her scooting pursuits, the pump of your fist an extension of a gesture from college football games, and late night dance parties to Benny Bennassi’s “Satisfaction,” and the way you raised your fist in glory as we ran down the aisle —
To remind me that we are still you and me as we’ve always been,
Kids stealing kisses behind Clark Hall, and holding hands by the railroad tracks along 15th street, and tracing secrets into one another’s palms on Route 29.
There is something about growing old with you
That continues to return me to my teenage years,
As if every trip around the sun is also a reclamation of things past,
+I’ve snagged Talbots Iona boots (also available in black) the last two years in a row and worn them thoroughly each winter season. I love the delicate kitten heel and pointed toe — perfect to wear with a polished winter maxi, and I’ve never been much of a round toe lover when it comes to boots anyhow. I swear these could pass for Alexandre Birman’s Kitty boot, which I also own. (In fact, my exact pair of AB Kitties is on sale for over 50% off. These are just the most fun evening boot — I always get compliments on these! I loved these especially in NYC because we’d often take the Subway one way to dinner and cab back, and these are easy to walk in but tres chic!)
+I’m wearing this dress apple picking in a few weeks! A few other cute gingham picks that are lightweight enough for early September but feel a bit more appropriate for fall-ish activities:
+Speaking of VB, currently waiting for a promo of some kind to snag these corduroy kick flares in the perfect fall camel hue, but in the meantime — I own this long vest in a different print (a navy herringbone) and have gotten use out of it for the last five years straight. It’s such a chic layering piece to throw on over trousers and a blouse, a dress, or even to wear with tights and a black turtleneck!
The Christmas card photo outfit recommendation requests are rolling in. I’m sharing a bunch of pieces that will play nicely together so you can pick and choose what jumps out at you. I wouldn’t be afraid of mixing plaids, especially if they are in different scales (i.e., a big check on you and a tiny check on her).
P.P.P.S. On working through some of the adjustments to our new life in Maryland.
By: Jen Shoop
My Latest Snag: Suede Manolo Lookalikes.
ICYMI in yesterday’s post, thanks to Caitlin, these Manolo Blahnik-inspired suede flats are en route to me. I bought them in navy but also love them in the brown or dusty pink. I am daydreaming of wearing with one of these capes or a belted overshirt.
You’re Soooo Popular: Kitchen Rug.
The most popular items on le blog this week:
+Chic, S&L-inspired kitchen rug. I bought this in two sizes for two sides of our island, but they now have only the 2×3 left — only $15!
+Pastel Bentgo boxes. (Note that a reader wrote in to say these are on the heavy side — so if you are concerned about weight of your little’s backpack, maybe go with these inexpensive and lightweight ones, which I also own and love!)
Mr. Magpie and I have the best memories of driving home from dinners out in Chicago with the music all the way up. Sometimes we’d even extend the ride home and just go driving, listening to music and loving on the city’s spectacular skyline at night. Last weekend, I drove home from a dinner with girlfriends and took the long way home, too, enjoying the long and largely untrafficked curves of Canal Road and Macarthur Boulevard at 10 P.M. I had the windows down and my “Cruise” playlist blasting: music that has flow and soul and tugs at all the right heart strings, and that you can occasionally find me singing at the top of my lungs:
HYPOTHETICALS X LAKE STREET DIVE
STAND BY YOUR MAN X TAMMY WYNETTE
DAYDREAMIN X ARIANA GRANDE
TINY DANCER X FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
TAKE YOUR TIME X AL GREEN FEAT CORRINE BAILEY RAE
STYLE X TAYLOR SWIFT
THERE’S YOUR TROUBLE X THE CHICKS
AIRSTREAM SONG X MIRANDA LAMBERT
CRAZY X WILLIE NELSON
(I LOVE YOU) FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS X NAT KING COLE
FLY ME TO THE MOON X BOBBY WOMACK
YOU GO DOWN SMOOTH X LAKE STREET DIVE
LOVE IS LOOKING FOR YOU X MIRANDA LAMBERT
I have a bunch of other playlists calibrated towards different moods — sometimes it feels good to blast “Whole Lotta Money” by BIA x Nicki Minaj. (I love the way she says “bodega” in that song.). And if you need a hype song — I mean, you’re dragging and you need a dance that is impossible not to dance to? — try “This Girl” by Kungs. YES.
+OK, River Island has some really great and on-trend scores ATM: this sculpted rib knit sweater in the forest green (!), this exaggerated collar style, and this embroidered flower pullover.
+Moda is offering an extra 20% off final sale items with code SALEX20, which has me lingering around this Brock skirt, which is sort of perfect for Thanksgiving!? Or maybe this skirt with this matching blouse!?!?!? Some of those pieces are like 85% off…eeeeee
+Speaking of Brock, I am drooling all over this dress. Weep.
+$20 lookalikes for those Ugg boots micro wore all last winter, available this year in lots more colors, including girly ones! We really liked these because they were super-warm (lined), easy to put on thanks to velcro, and pairable with everything from sweats to jeans to khakis.
+I meant to include this in my children’s book roundup, but mini received one of these books for her birthday and it is another HUGE hit. Each page illustrates a portion of a famous symphonic work — love! I think I’m going to give these to all the little ones on our Christmas shopping list this year.
HUNTER REFINED SHORT RAIN BOOTS — THESE ARE THE BEST FOR SHORT LADIES LIKE MYSELF (THE TALL ONES HIT MY LEG AT MID KNEE AND JUST LOOK WEIRD!) AND THEY ARE ON SALE IN TWO GREAT COLORS…LOVE THE SLEEK STYLING, LESS CLUNKY THAN THE CLASSIC
Last week, I took my children by my childhood home, a great stone house on the top of a hill in northwest D.C. The hedges and trees that encircle the property — many of which, in my youth, were new plantings at the hands of my father — have matured to the point that the home is nearly invisible behind their green embrace. I craned my neck; I drove around the block; I squinted, as though such maneuverings could brush back the branches and lay bare the edifice beyond.
“You can almost see–” I trailed off, tilting my head, and —
“This is the funniest thing…” I murmured, peering at the branches, audience only to my uninterested children. I eventually drove away empty-handed though not downcast, curiously finding myself captivated rather than frustrated by the obstruction. The foliage had consumed the stone.
I had been dwelling, the previous few weeks, on a lost girlhood friendship. You see, I lost two close friends in my 20s, one to cancer and the other to — to —
I don’t know what. I have spent over a decade feeling my way around the bruise, hypothesizing about the cause of injury. Even though our breakup felt in some ways like a slow motion car crash, both of us bracing ourselves well before impact, shards and debris visibly gleaming with danger before the sluicing, I still could not tell you the exact sequence of events, or who hit whom, or exactly when or where the collision took place. Just that, all these years later, I still find myself tender to touch when her name materializes. Moving home has splintered planks and dislodged earth in the carefully erected fence between us, and, though she no longer lives here, I find her woven winningly into the near-physical memories waiting at every familiar corner and streetlight of my new-again home here in the D.C. area.
I think, perhaps, this is the way:
To let those branches, now dense and full with age and new growth, soften and screen the dense beyond.
Shopping Break.
+The lovely ladies at Maxwell + Geraldine just sent me one of their gorgeous Kate dresses in the classic blue-and-white stripe. I cannot WAIT to wear it!
+J. Crew has some fab new arrivals especially love this striped cashmere sweater (reminds me of some of the La Ligne ones we’ve all been loving — P.S., you can still find a bunch on sale here) and this plaid top.
+This Emerson-Fry-inspired caftan is restocked — you just can’t beat that price!
+Just bought mini these terry shorts to wear over her leotard after ballet!
+Another really good option for a fall wedding, and it’s under $250. Super sophisticated! More wedding guest dress ideas here.
+This under-$20 cleansing balm is a TikTok sensation and keeps selling out. (Read reviews — v intriguing.). It looks like a more affordable but just-as-effective variation on the Elemis makeup-melting balm I love.
+These architectural lamps are SO good and SO interesting.
+Little boy NB sneaks, on sale. More fall finds for boys here.
+This is my favorite dressing ever. It makes my mouth water just thinking of it. I used to be able to get it at Wegman’s in NYC, and I just realized it’s carried in my local Whole Foods (phew) but there was a time where my mom would actually carry bottles of it back in her suitcase from their home in Naples, FL!
+These napkins are already inspiring me to think ahead to Thanksgiving…gorgeous starting place for a tablescape!
+Emerald green is majorly trending — this top is tres chic. (More chic early fall finds in this hue here.)
+Buy these jellies now while they’re 70% off and save for next summer.
+TBBC just restocked lots of pieces in their popular Belle Mead Bow print — I was finally able to get my hands on one of their play dresses in this iconic print. One of my favorite pairs of jammies on mini in her infant days was their night night in this pattern! (Perfect bringing-home-from-hospital outfit!)
+Speaking of TBBC, if you waited until the last minute to pick a back-to-school outfit, you’re in luck: their entire back to school collection is 35% off with code SCHOOLDAYS through today, 8/25.
*Slippers above an amazing $12 Amazon score! Both of my children adore these, and I love the retro (almost “Christmas Story-esque”?) styling.
It’s been awhile since I updated my list of favorite children’s books (and also, our favorite toys — maybe will revisit that soon). I thought I’d share the ones my children are particularly captivated by at the moment. Many of the books from my initial list are still (!) getting a lot of reads in these parts, especially Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans for mini (she is fascinated by the injured soldier and has recently started asking questions about why Madeline doesn’t live with her father — interesting to see her gears turn! There’s actually quite a bit of meat on this sweet little book and it is such a poetic joy to read aloud) and Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom for micro, who simply loves the illustrations, especially the one where the father bear comes home while Jesse is on the swing.
Our other current favorites:
Wake Up Mr. B. by Penny Dale. Fabulous illustrations and a must-own for any fellow Airedale terrier parents! (It’s uncanny how much “Mr. B” looks like our own Tilly, including in how she’s drawn stretching, moving, etc.) This is a simple, illustration-centric book with sparse prose and therefore lots of opportunity to narrate what’s going on, which keeps it interesting as a parent! A sweet vignette on the friendship between a dog and a child.
Bonapart Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler. I bought this for mini last Halloween (pro tip: order now before it sells out in the pre-Halloween rush, as it did last year) and she insists on reading it year-round. I love the general premise of trying multiple different tacks to solve a problem. Clever!
Hug by Jez Alborough. Admittedly, this one is not my favorite — there is only one word in the book (“Hug”) and you have to read it over and over in various intonations, but this is one of my son’s absolute favorites. He loves to point out the animals and he grows increasingly concerned about the tiny gorilla looking for his mother. The end of the book is sweet — mama and baby are reunited! — and micro absolutely rent my soul from my chest when he pointed at the mother gorilla and said: “You, mama” and then at the baby gorilla, “Me, Hill.”
The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee. A super clever book that introduces the concept of meta-fiction to tiny readers — absolutely brilliant. Mini loves this book at the moment, and there are some humorous images and set-ups that truly tickled me as an adult. Great illustrations and great at suspense-building.
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. A continuous mainstay in our reading repertoire.
Truck by Donald Crews. Both of my children were fascinated by this wordless book, especially when we lived in NYC and were doing some driving to/from Manhattan — I think the tunnel depicted in the first portion of the book is meant to be one of the tunnels out of NYC, and the entire vignette looks familiar to them. This book interestingly led to the first time Hill said the word “rain,” out of the blue! (There is a page where the truck drives through rain.). It’s funny how sometimes these wordless books can draw out great opportunities for practicing words.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. A classic. I love the way this book broaches the related concepts of permanence, time, repetition, age.
Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Long. It mildly offends me that this book is “recommended” alongside that “Dragons Eat Tacos” books, which is (unpopular opinion!) one of my least favorite children’s books! Grumpy Monkey is all about making space for one’s own emotions — not pushing them aside or attempting to imitate the mood of others. It does so with a light touch, and there’s a great ending vignette that is both heart-warming and hilarious. (It involves a gorilla with bandaids all over his rear end. I’ll let you guess how many four year olds love that premise…!)
The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler. Oh my gosh, this book. A simply though movingly illustrated book about a digger who tries to protect flowers from being uprooted in a building project and eventually replants the seeds elsewhere. My son is SO upset by the scene in which the flowers are torn from the ground — the illustrations are evocative! This is a great pick if you have a truck-loving little one and can’t stand reading “Goodnight Construction Site” again.
The Cyclops of Central Park by Madelyn Rosenberg. Oh I love (!) this book! It’s a whimsically illustrated tale about valuing the safety of home and the adventure of the outside world. Lots of New York haunts featured in it, too.
Goodnight, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. My daughter laughed hysterically the first few times she read this book. This is another one of those simple, illustration-driven books with minimal prose, but the premise is pretty funny: a gorilla unlocks the cages to all of the animals in the zoo and then they all pile into the zookeeper’s home. Not a particularly resonant message, but stimulating to young children, even tiny ones, who will enjoy pointing out the animals.
We’re Different, We’re the Same by Sesame Street. This one gets a lot of play in our home — mini is of course drawn to the Sesame Street characters, but it’s a thoughtfully illustrated book with lots to look at and, sometimes, a sort of “Where’s Waldo” vibe that sends mini searching for various characters. The broader premise is lovely, too — celebrating differences and at the same time calling out similarities.
The Napping House by Don Wood. This was one of my childhood favorites — I can remember my mother’s voice reading this with clarity. It has a great poetic sequencing, and the illustrations are evocative.
Wild Baby by Cori Doerrfeld. One of my son’s favorites — he loves pointing out the jaguar/cheetah that threatens the wild baby on every page and saying “oh no!!!” A sweet rhyming book about the limitless love between a mom and her baby.
What are your children’s favorite books at the moment?
P.P.S. My favorite audiobooks (comments are a treasure trove!), though I haven’t been listening regularly to anything in awhile. I’m finding it difficult to find a space in my day for that at the moment. I now prefer to walk Tilly without listening to anything but the serenity of my suburban neighborhood (!) and simply find myself walking by foot far less. This reminds me of an old prompt: how do you find time to read?
