Several weeks ago, Mr. Magpie invited me to join a “Reminders” checklist titled: “Thanksgiving Run of Show.” He had broken down all of the preparations for our first Thanksgiving hosting both of our parents, my sister and her family, my aunt, and my sister’s mother-in-law into detailed to-dos, organized by day and time, right down to when to peel the carrots (for Daniel Boulud carrots, recipe linked here) and bake the cornbread (an ingredient in the outrageously delicious and time-consuming recipe shared here).
We’ve spent the last few days drawing out our Christmas decorations and arranging our home for the holidays: stockings now on the mantel, nativity set on the coffee table, mini’s tiny tree ornamented and star-topped in her bedroom. We now light the candle(s) of our Advent Wreath nightly, singing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” in watchful wait.
Yesterday, my mother took me to Balanchine’s Nutcracker ballet at The Kennedy Center. I’ve seen this version of the Nutcracker at The Kennedy Center many times before but something new struck me this go around: I was moved, this time, by the performativity of the dancers. I sometimes feel this way watching Olympians, too: an awareness that I am in the presence of greatness unfolding, of people performing at their absolute peak, at the highest of stakes. It is a wonder and also — a gift. It occurred to me yesterday that I was the beneficiary of hours of rehearsal on the heels of years of hard work, competition, and commitment.
Last night, our neighbors invited us to their home to celebrate Hanukkah. Our neighbor had arisen at 4 a.m. to smoke a brisket so that it would be finished in time for dinner, and his wife had fried latkes (no small feat!), prepared matzoh ball soup, and arranged cheese boards and dessert plates and everything in between. Over Zoom, an uncle of our neighbors told six wide-eyed children the story behind the celebration of Hanukkah with enthusiasm and patience, his words smooth and easy by virtue of repetition.
I am, today, overwhelmed by the generosities of these preparations. They have reminded me, in this new season of Advent, to prepare the room.
*****
Let every heart prepare Him room And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing
*******
Post-Scripts.
+Another moving memory born of the holidays — this time in Manhattan.
+This story-telling device for children is on our radar for mini’s upcoming birthday. Love that it is a “screen-free” technology and can imagine it would be special for mini to operate on her own!
+CB2 has a really chic menorah and a fabulous tree topper, too!
The most popular items on the blog this entire year, including the adorable $22 blouse mini is wearing above, which we own in several patterns. It is the easiest everyday outfit with leggings. Above, mini is playing in front of a flocked mini tree I found at Target last year (similar style available this year) and our metal holiday houses (also a Target find last year, but they have similar ones here, here, and here. If you have little ones around, I would strongly encourage avoiding the ceramic ones! These houses are irresistible to tiny hands! I also bought these houses for mini’s bedroom this year. Couldn’t help it!)
2 // MY DEVOTIONAL — HAD NEVER WORKED MY WAY THROUGH ONE BEFORE, BUT IT HAS INSPIRED A LOT OF THINKING…SOME PASSAGES ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS, BUT A LOVELY DAILY (SOMETIMES WEEKLY) HABIT
3 // CLARE VIVIER CROSSBODY — COMES IN A BUNCH OF COLORS/PATTERNS AND SUCH A GREAT EVERYDAY STAPLE BAG…I FIND MYSELF REACHING FOR CROSSBODIES ON A DAILY BASIS, WHETHER WALKING THE DOG, RUNNING AN ERRAND, OR CHASING MY CHILDREN AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
4 // STATEMENT COLLAR BLOUSE FOR UNDER $100 — SEA VIBES ON A BUDGET
5 // CHIC WRITING DESK — I GUESS A LOT OF US ARE ADJUSTING TO PERMANENT WFH SITUATIONS!
6 // REVERSIBLE QUILTED COAT (MORE TRANSITIONAL COATS ALONG THESE LINES HERE IF YOU’RE IN A MORE TEMPERATE REGION…AND STATEMENT WINTER TOPPERS HERE)
5 // REFLECTIONS ON LEAVING NYC AFTER LIVING IN BETHESDA FOR A FEW MONTHS — I KNOW THIS RESONATED WITH MANY FORMER NEW YORKERS! I STILL GET EMAILS ABOUT THIS ONE FREQUENTLY
6 // HONEST REVIEW OF WESTMAN ATELIER’S FOUNDATION STICK
I did a lot of shopping this past week, buying lots of gifts, occasion-wear, and a lot of children’s clothing with all of the fabulous deals (many of which are still on-going). A few stand-out buys this past week:
Not seen above but had to include: these lounge pants for men. Mr. Magpie’s favorite and a great gift. Select colors currently on sael.
Weekend Musings: Thoughts on Joy.
I was reading something about C.S. Lewis earlier this week and noted that his spiritual autobiography is titled Surprised by Joy. I immediately thought about Rabbi Heschel’s words on prayer I shared earlier this week, in which he observes: “Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living.” At the same time, I recollected a statement I came across earlier this week on Instagram, in which comedian/celebrity/influencer Tinx asserted: “Female joy is often ridiculed.”
I don’t have a tidy summation of what these adjacencies mean when taken together, but it’s given me latitude to ask: What is joy? To me, it seems like the exclamatory version of happiness, as if happiness has absorbed a quantum of energy. Happiness can be quiet, steady, honey-like — but joy is always in high-key, staccato, sudden. Lewis’s phrase is interesting in that it feels as though I am always surprised by joy — in fact, is joy ever anything but a surprise? Happiness can occasionally be anticipated, but joy catches me unaware. I think that when I now find myself in its company, I will prompt myself to remember Rabbi Heschel’s words and reach for prayer, the necessary response to the call of joy.
Wishing you joy this season, whatever shape it may take!
P.S. These musings reminded me of this post on what happiness is. The comments were so interesting!
Post-Scripts.
+Gap has some fantastic deals going — love these hot pink leggings (you know how I feel about hot pink ATM), these beanies ($12!!! buy one for each of your girlfriends! love the hot pink in particular again), and these ribbed turtlenecks ($20 — #uniformstaple).
+These nutcracker-inspired (Clara-inspired) nightgowns are back in stock! $30.
+People rave about these OSFA swimsuits — on rare sale at the moment. Works with bump!
+These holiday sticker sets came in handy on Thanksgiving morning. Occupied little hands for a long stretch while Mr. Magpie and I flitted around getting everything ready! Great weekend morning activity.
+This top is a great buy — perfect for pairing with wide-leg trousers or holiday skirts.
+I brought my flares out of retirement this season — so glad I hung onto them. They feel fresh again. This pair is close to identical to the ones I own.
+A great purse brush. I am weirdly obsessed with the style.
+Cutest dog tags — bought this for Tilly for Christmas.
+Speaking of dogs, this is the dog bed we have for Tilly — I occasionally get questions about it when it’s the background of an Instastory. Ours is a blue and gray plaid they no longer carry but the tweeds are beautiful! Tilly likes being able to lean up against pillows, so the “sofa” style is perfect for her.
+Pearl embellished beanies at a great price! Cute for a little one (or do a mommy and me moment!)
+Rattan desktop caddy! Perfect for mail, pens, the miscellany that inevitably builds up…
+I know I’m being repetitive here but I find myself wearing my Ellie nap dress with a turtleneck beneath and a statement cardigan on top at least once a week.
+Note: this tissue turtleneck in the hot pink color is only $13 with code.
+If you like the lug sole vibe but find it a bit intimidating, check out these chelsea-style rainboots. Sort of like a calmer version of the bigger deal.
+This wool-blend wrap coat feels like Burberry but costs much less.
+At J. Crew: fur trim mules (went with black — will be so fun with long holiday dresses), this gorgeous mockneck in the perfect pink, and tissue turtlenecks. Mentioned this earlier today, but I think the quality of this year’s batch surpasses that of last year’s. Super soft! Heather platinum is my favorite color out this year but I have a bunch of the others, including stripes, and I wear them constantly. I also already bought this tartan top earlier this season but c’est parfait for the days leading up to Christmas. I always find I’m short an outfit there and want something festive for baking cookies / watching holiday movies with the fam. The top is perfect for that mode with a pair of jeans!
+At Anthro, discount appears in cart: this sequined mini is $133 and your ticket to a happy NYE, and this bow-backed blouse is SO fun for the holiday season and under $70 in cart.
+At Shopbop, up to 50% off (discount varies by item, but many sale items are on sale!). I love…
A GREAT PAIR OF WINTER WHITE JEANS — THE SHAPE + COLOR ARE PERFECT
+At Minnow Swim, 25% off sitewide — I use this and their midsummer sale as a prompt to stock up for the season ahead. These swimsuits are spend-y but beyond adorable, and I love their shorts for boys, which are properly short (well above the knee). I am eyeing these trunks for micro and this rash guard for mini.
+At Reformation, 25% off sitewide — a great spot if you’re looking for an on-trend, sexy-leaning dress for a special occasion. This hot pink ditty is in my cart. I have nowhere to wear it but I simply love it, and can you imagine with my hot pink mules?! I also love this velvet maxi. Meanwhile, this velvet top packs a major punch for just north of $100 on the holiday party circuit. And you’ll be thrilled with yourself if you buy this linen dress in the surrey print and find yourself teed up for a special occasion next summer.
+At Hart Hagerty, 20% off sitewide — I just designed a custom gold link bracelet with the “Mama” heart charm. I love the way the link bracelet looks! It’s currently sitting in my cart and I keep telling myself I do not need a bracelet but I just love it. I would feel better if I were ordering this for my own mom or sister or something. Maybe will order one for an upcoming birthday, since I’m all set for Christmas. But so special and you can customize the charm, which is so fun and meaningful. (But do I need the mama bracelet?!)
+At Net-A-Porter, up to 50% off — don’t miss this gingham SEA top (so fun and easy with jeans), this Vampire’s Wife dress, and this cheery La Ligne sweater.
+At Everlane, up to 40% off — my mom loves to give sweaters/sweatshirts to all of us from here and this is such a good time to buy. I love these turtleneck sweatshirts and this waffle pocket cashmere sweater. This slightly-cropped, lightweight hoodie is also a stalwart in my closet. Great layering piece!
+At Matches and MyTheresa, I’m mildly overwhelmed by the assortment of designer deals but this Emilia Wickstead dress is an investment piece you’ll buy now and wear forever and ever. So ladylike and perfect for more conservative occasions — think baby showers, bridal luncheons, etc. — and would work just as well in your 20s as in your 80s! Meanwhile, this houndstooth envelope clutch is the perfect exclamation point on a fall look! I have been eyeing this brand for awhile. I also love their totes, also on sale!
+At DPHue, 30% off sitewide: I have been eyeing their apple cider vinegar hair treatment products for awhile. ACV is supposed to be amazing for hair, especially color-treated hair. I used the promotion to purchase this leave-in therapy and their classic rinse. Will report back but the discount was too good not to try it!
+At Lake Pajamas, up to 50% off: this pair is currently in my cart for myself on Christmas morning. I’ve gifted these jammies to nearly all of the women in my life but I just realized another girlfriend of mine has not yet been initiated and ordered these for her. As mentioned before, they are my favorite style by this brand and I loved the blue colors.
+This is not a dedicated Black Friday deal, but this Story Orchestra book is only $12 (50% off cover price) and I love to gift these to children. They include sound bytes from classic symphonies and children can press the button to hear them while soaking up lovely illustrations. I bought two of this copy to give to children as gifts. Meanwhile, this sequined mini is somehow marked down from $1100 to $330.
By: Jen Shoop
My grandmother cut an elegant figure. She wore Chanel suits and Quelques Fleurs perfume and ladylike kisslock handbags and Ferragamo shoes and had her hair “done” at the salon. She was exquisitely formal. She did not tolerate uncouthness of any kind. When she entered a room, you felt her presence immediately, and you straightened your back and listened.
One summer afternoon when I was maybe twelve or thirteen, she took my mother and I out to play golf. Even her swing looked ladylike, as though somehow side-saddle. (I would later marvel over this particular accomplishment, as I eventually inherited her clubs and they were heavy, the old-fashioned kind that pre-dated all the lightweight technology we now have. I swear using her nine iron was like swinging a sledgehammer.) Despite the swampy heat of a D.C. summer, she was beautifully arranged, not a hair out of place, and as we drove the cart towards the ninth hole, she pulled a full-sized Snickers bar out of her purse. It was the most delightful surprise. “I always carry one with me,” she said, “In case I get hungry.”
Ha! A woman contains multitudes indeed.
I’m curious — do you have anything idiosyncratic you carry with you at all times?
I carry a gold cross that my great, great-aunt and namesake received on her Confirmation day. It is engraved with her name on the front and the date — June 10th, 1887 (!) — on the back. A talisman of sorts. Something to grab onto when needed, as was the case when I went into pre-term labor with my son and found myself speeding over to the East Side alone in a taxi, calling my mom in sobs. Sometimes I am groping for a lollipop or toy car to distract one of my children and my fingers brush against its shape and I am, to borrow from an earlier essay on prayer, “jarred, in a good way.” It is an article of faith and a relic of family. It always affords perspective, whether of the prayerful or historical kind. The fact that my great, great-aunt wore this same cross on a day of personal significance to her puts me in my place in some way, and also fills me with the warmth of belonging.
What about you? Do you have anything interesting you insist on carrying with you?
I’ll be sharing a handful of Black Friday sale finds later today, but in the meantime…
+This top is SO good in the rose gold color. It’s a variation on the style of this dress, which, as I mentioned recently, I keep coming back to. If I were attending a winter wedding, this would be the direction I’d head in, layered beneath a feathered bolero.
+I did pull the trigger on this sequinned beauty, the other dress I mentioned I kept coming back to. Of course it’s the one dress on the Internet not to be on sale this week, but I just couldn’t not and sizes were selling quickly. Every now and then a dress calls, loudly, to me, and I know I’ll wear this for holidays to come. I think I’ll wear it Christmas Eve but it would also work for NYE.
+Another top pick for a winter wedding or Christmas Eve look. J’adore j’adore.
+So excited I ordered myself this cookie book. I set it aside to to flip through it today with my morning coffee by the fire to pick out some new recipes to try this holiday season.
+Speaking of holiday baking: some of my favorite recipes here, and do I need this tartan apron for the season?!
+I have to say — I ordered a couple of additional J. Crew tissue turtlenecks this season (I feel like I add 1-2 new ones each season…they always have such great colors and these are far and away my most-worn base layers) and, against all odds, I feel as thought the quality of this specific product has IMPROVED this year vs. last. Doesn’t it always feel like things are going the other way, i.e., quality is degrading? Last year’s tissue tees were a tiny bit stiff, with less stretch. This year’s have been ultra-soft and more stretchy and I’m in love. I am specifically in love with this year’s heather platinum color — so, so chic and different from black/white/navy.
+I used Tuckernuck’s Black Friday promo code to buy Mr. Magpie more of these boxers. I always put a pair in his stocking — good underpinnings are underrated!
+PSA: the play kitchen I bought mini for Christmas is now on sale for 30% off, as is this craft library, which my children still love. Just this morning, I woke up and mini had spread all her gear at her table in her room and was making caterpillars using the popsicle sticks and pom poms!
+I ordered mini this $20 sherpa vest in the beige color and might go back for the blue. Mini loves that color and it’s such a fun add-on to any outfit — somehow makes it all look intentional!
+OK, WOW WOW. This Emilia Wickstead is beyond stunning — elegant a la my grandmother! — and is on sale, plus an extra 40%. It is expensive but I’m imagining it for a mother-of-the-bride or maybe a vow renewal or a Baptism or some other major ceremony or occasion. It could even work as a city hall bride option if you’re not wedded to white. The tailoring!
+Poppy Bows on Etsy is one of my favorite small businesses — I have bought bows from her for years. (If I don’t buy from her, I almost always buy Wee Ones off Amazon.) She does such great colors.
+Tartine et Chocolat is a gorgeous, traditional, and highly-expensive children’s brand that I’ve never purchased from but always admired. A few of their pieces totally took my breath away this season, including this gingham bubble and this tiny faux fur coat (the poms!).
+This 2-cardigan set is $24 for the pair and SO sweet/classic.
+If you are going somewhere warm this winter, one of my fool-proof formulas for a chic seasonal wardrobe is to invest in some statement shoes like these Pucci sandals and then pick up inexpensive little white dresses — even something like this $30 white tee dress! Instantly elevated and polished.
+Some great children’s finds on sale this week here.
Reflecting on these words this morning, in equal measure beautiful and profound:
“To pray is to regain a sense of the mystery that animates all beings, the divine margin in all attainments. Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living. It is all we can offer in return. Who is worthy to be present at the constant unfolding of time? Here we are admist the meditation of the land, the songs of the water, the humility of the flowers, flowers wiser than all alphabets – Suddenly we feel embarrassed, ashamed of our complaints and clashes in the face of tacit glory. How strange we are in the world! Only one response can maintain us: gratefulness for the gift of our unearned chance to serve, to wonder, to love life and each other. It is gratefulness which makes our small souls great.”
–Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Happy Thanksgiving. I am grateful for you!
P.S. An incredible prayer that still brings tears to my eyes — my father will be reading it at the Thanksgiving table later today. So special to celebrate with him, in person.
P.P.S. Another moving memory of my father reading a prayer on an important day, plus thoughts on “being bad at prayer.”
I think because so many of us spent the past holiday season apart and isolated under pandemic conditions, this season feels extra extra. I didn’t even hear grumbling from the usual quarters about how we’ve start celebrating Christmas too early. Everyone is leaning way in and showing up with bells on. Think Truman Capote’s black and white ball. Heck, I bet you could even get away with wearing a Venetian mask to your next affair!
Below, a few of my favorite festive outfit finds under $150…
P.P.S. A cocktail to make things even MORE festive.
By: Jen Shoop
When you were young, what superpower did you want most of all?
A reader (hi, Beth!) sent along this stirring mini-film Burberry produced and it immediately brought to mind my youthful musings on the matter. I was always torn between wanting to fly or be invisible. I presume these aspirations to be fairly common for children, as both hint at freedom from authority, and isn’t that the crux of childhood/adolescence for many of us? Nowadays, I am close to allergic to the idea of flight in both the metaphorical and real-world senses. If anything, I have sought out terra firma these past few years, and I have a horrible fear of heights to boot. Mr. Magpie and I used to take guests up to the Willis Tower when we lived in Chicago and the first time we reached the skydeck, I simultaneously burst into tears and let out a hiccuping laugh. It was the strangest thing — it was as if my body could not figure out how to respond to the horrifying stimuli and so it flailed into multiple modes of expression at once. Suffice to say, I could not wait to retreat to ground level. As far as invisibility, a few years ago at a dinner party, Mr. Magpie and I got into a long conversation on this exact subject (our shared childhood obsession with superpowers) and the consensus was that invisibility is only useful to “bad guys,” as people on the straight-and-narrow never have anything to hide. I remember my brother-in-law saying: “I mean, really — what would you do if you were invisible for a day? What possible help could it offer unless you’re doing shady things?” And we all realized that there were no practical or convenient applications. (By the way, the conversation sprang from my daughter’s Table Topics set, which is a funny prompt for dinner time chatter, whether with children or not, though they also have adult versions.)
All of this to say — what superpower would you want now?
I think I would want to manipulate time in some way — to be able to time travel, or teleport, or simply slow down those golden moments to savor them more fully. But on second thought, I’m not so sure. The evanescence of a golden moment only adds to its allure. And while I have on occasion thought of transit time as “lost time,” I also think that driving in my car affords me important processing time, and invites me to call my loved ones and friends with more regularity than I might otherwise muster. I know that many of my friends were shocked to discover, while working from home in the face of this pandemic, that they missed their commutes. “I needed that time to transition from Work Me to Mom me,” one of my friends said. And so maybe transit time is a natural way of affording us pockets of freedom, and tampering with that mix does not promise to be therapeutic. Can I even imagine a vacation without the journey? If I were able to push a button and instantly disembark on a sandy beach, would I be erasing a critical part of what it means to “get away”? Surely part of the psychology of escape is the process of anticipating, navigating to, and then arriving at, the destination. (There was a hilarious and apt article on the closure of National Airport’s Gate 35x, “cursed portal to the rest of America,” in the Washington Post earlier this year that has forever imprinted itself on my understanding of how physical spaces transform experiences, and especially the very physical process of air travel.)
So, what then?
When I think about abilities that would be most helpful to me at this time in my life, I assemble the stodgiest line-up of candidates: patience, cheerfulness, agility in the face of changed or failed plans, gentleness. That is, they take the shape of small virtues rather than majestic faculties.
But perhaps they are superpowers all the same.
What about you? What capabilities do you consider “superpowers” nowadays?
+These cashmere gloves look like heaven and would be the perfect accompaniment to the oat/white stripe La Ligne sweater (<<still a few left, and on sale for $115!) so many of us own. Gorge.
+Just added this just-released book of essays by Ann Patchett to my tsundoku pile. I absolutely loved (loved!) her novel The Dutch House. It’s one of my favorite audiobooks, too.
+Shrimps continues to slay it in the statement earring department. These are just SO good.
+You can get a similar Shrimps vibe for less with these, and honestly I’ve fallen in love with the entire boutique — how amazing are these clover drop earrings and this clover necklace lariat? The shop also sells some fabulous home furnishings/holiday accessories, including these clip-on candle lights for your tree that you can control with a remote, this reclaimed wood console, and this stone guardian angel statue for a garden.
+Talbots generously sent me this vest, which felt like next-level wizardry because I literally mentioned debating between it and another puffer vest in this post, and it showed up the next day. I have been layering it over everything. Super love. It’s shockingly warm, too!
+This bunny romper looks so similar to the much more expensive one I bought my new nephew from Livly (<<though it, too, is on sale ATM!).
+OMG. I can’t believe Longchamp is still making this style of bag. Seeing it was a major throwback. I bought this exact bag while traveling abroad without giving any thought to the fact it had no shoulder strap and, as a young college student traveling nearly every weekend around Europe, I would often be on the hook for lugging it around airports, down narrow Italian city streets, etc. Still, I thought it was impossibly chic and well-designed, which it still is after all these years. Brilliant to be able to unzip the middle panel and earn a couple extra inches of solid packing space. Just would not recommend it for backpacking-esque travel in your college years. But GREAT for car travel! Love the colors it comes in, too.
+While on this subject, two absolute workhorses for travel: this MZ Wallace (ON SALE FOR 50% OFF — RUN! — and I recommend buying it in the medium size; it fits a TON, has a zipper, can be wedged under an airplane seat, and weighs next to nothing on its own) and this Paravel, which is kind of my favorite thing for the inevitable “extra random stuff” that you have nowhere to put, which for me is almost always an extra pair of shoes, a curling iron/my Revlon One-Step, and a bulky bag of cosmetics/skincare. I almost always end up with those items just hanging out on top of my suitcase looking for a home. The Paravel has become my favorite for that miscellany, and it holds a TON. It’s also great for a day trip with children.
+BTW, the MZ Wallace medium metro (again, 50% off!!!) is a great diaper bag. The biggest complaint is that the shoulder straps tend to slip off your shoulder if you’re carrying it for any meaningful amount of time. You can twist the straps under one another to prevent the slippage, but TBH I rarely have carried this for long stretches. I usually hook it onto my stroller/put it in the basket or, if I will be walking a lot, use my MZ Wallace backpack. Anyhow, a full review of the tote here.
+But really, my secret to diaper bags is internal organization via pouches.
+If you want *just a sip* of sequins for the holiday season, these under-$30 earrings are so fun.
+This rainbow of chopsticks is so fun. I bought Mr. Magpie something similar earlier this year, and it brings so much joy to our table!
+I added this faux mini Weber kettle grill to micro’s holiday gift pile. So cute. Mr. Magpie is a charcoal grilling enthusiast and I love that he’ll be able to emulate his dad!
+More great holiday gifts for young children here.
+Jasmine-scented shower gel in the prettiest packaging.
+This turtleneck tunic sweater has been v popular this season.
By: Jen Shoop
*Mini’s LaCoqueta dress is 25% off and you can get her personalized hair bow for 10% off with code magpie10.
I just picked up some amazing steals from Bellabliss, Ellifox, and La Coqueta, all discounted! Sharing favorites below and notes beneath…
Bellabliss is offering 40% off some amazing pieces. I love this brand because I feel like they do a good job of walking the line between being tailored/classic while also being playful/not fussy. I find this brand runs a tiny bit small, so would size up if in question. A few items you might consider —
THIS STRIPED POPOVER DRESS — SUCH AN EASY FORMULA FOR EVERYDAY DRESSING PAIRED WITH INEXPENSIVE OLD NAVY LEGGINGS AND A BIG NAVY BOW
THIS BLOUSE — MY OTHER NO-EFFORT FORMULA FOR DRESSING MINI IS PAIRING A STATEMENT BLOUSE LIKE THIS WITH LEGGINGS, A CARDIGAN (<<ALSO ON SALE AND THE HEATHERED PERI IS SUCH A GOOD COLOR THAT MINI WEARS ALL THE TIME), AND A BIG BOW
PRINTED PIMA TURTLENECK — PERFECT FOR LAYERING BENEATH OVERALLS (<<ALSO ON SALE WITH CODE BFCM25…NOTE THAT THIS STYLE RUNS NARROW; I WOULD ADVISE SIZING UP)
THIS FOOTBALL CARDIGAN…I AM BEGINNING TO REALIZE THE WINDOW OF TIME WHERE MICRO WILL TOLERATE THESE SWEET PRINTS IS QUICKLY CLOSING
PATTERNED LEGGINGS — I USUALLY BUY SOLID LEGGINGS BUT LIKED THESE AND AM CONTEMPLATING PAIRING WITH THIS FUN CARDIGAN
If you’re an anticipator like myself, you might want to consider snapping up one of their classic first-day-of-school pieces. They release many of the same pieces (or variations on them) each year, so this is an opportunity to get a classic piece at a discount. Mini wore this dress to her first day of school two years ago, and I also love this shortall for a little boy and this matching dress for big sis for the occasion.
Ellifox, one of my favorite children’s boutiques, is offering 30% off some fantastic brands. They carry many of my favorite styles from Little English, so though LE is also offering 25% off sitewide with code BFCM25, you can get them for a tiny bit less at Ellifox (30% off). Worth a look (I bought almost all of these items, but a few were sold out in my children’s sizes!):
I BOUGHT MINI TWO OF THESE LILA + HAYES SETS (ALSO GOT THIS WREATH SET) — I FEEL LIKE THE WHITE TOP THAT COMES WITH THE FIRST AND THE BLUE LEGGINGS THAT COME WITH THE SECOND WILL BE GREAT TO PAIR WITH LOTS OF OUTFITS, AND THE DUCK PRINT LEGGINGS ARE FUN FOR FALL!
TRULY SHOWSTOPPING SAL E PIMENTA DRESS — I JUST LOVE THE DETAILS
LITTLE ENGLISH JAMMIES (SIZE UP A SIZE) — LOVE THESE ANTIQUE CARS AND THESE CANDY CANES (<<BOUGHT THESE FOR MICRO AND MINI)
LaCoqueta is offering 25% off sitewide. I’ve been eyeing their gorgeous dress coats for my daughter for ages and might take the plunge by ordering a size up and hoping it will stretch this season and next. (I do find they run small.). Mini’s Thanksgiving dress is also on sale and it could totally work for a holiday dress, too — I also love it in the dark pattern — and these perfect velvet shoes are also discounted. Finally, if you have a little lady around 2 years of age, I have to say these diaper sets are a surprisingly good investment. I bought a few in a size 2 and mini first wore them as dresses and then wore them as tops with leggings when she was 3. I also think they make patterns (especially the pink one linked) that can work across seasons. The pink could be wore with a cableknit sweater and tights in winter, white leggings in spring, and gray knee socks in fall.
Finally, if it’s pajamas you’re after, you are in luck…a few favorite styles on sale now:
P.P.P.S. Sending some love to all the moms-to-be and new moms out there.
By: Jen Shoop
Did you read The Other Bennett Sister? This is one of the four books that eased me out of my reading rut earlier this fall. The novel imagines the untold story of Mary, sister of Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice, and, for obvious reasons, is a delicious escape for those of us who consider ourselves Austenites. The book has its flaws — I found the beginning terribly slow and the self-denigration of the protagonist heavy-handed to the point of irritating. I also found the novel’s initial asynchrony with contemporary mores startling. This is a book that attempts to fully occupy the mind of a Regency Era woman, with prudeness and temerity in spades, and not the faintest glimmer of modernity until perhaps the final fourth of the book, when we are led to believe that Mary suddenly discovers her sense of self, sexuality, etc. On the one hand, the arc is not atypical from a bildungsroman perspective, but it felt as though — overnight, while traveling to Scafell — Mary begins to flex muscles I did not even believe capable within the construct of the novel. That turbulence aside —
This book is a delight to be enjoyed hearthside this holiday week, should you find yourself with time on your hands. And there are lovely stretches of self-awareness that ring deeply true. Frankly, I needed to hear this passage, when a suitor asks Mary’s opinion on a subject in front of the bullying Miss Bingley:
“Mary considered. Whatever comment she made would provoke a sneer from Miss Bingley. She supposed she could say nothing at all, or confine herself to the blandest possible observations, hoping not to excite that lady’s contempt; but to her surprise, she felt herself disinclined to be cowed. She would say what she thought, and Miss Bingley could make of it what she liked.”
Last year, I began to accept the fact that I cannot control how other people react to situations. The notion unlocked something for me. While I continue to be (I hope!) a fairly deliberate person, considering how my behavior or comments might be perceived or might impact those around me, it has been freeing to realize that my efforts to accommodate others can only go so far. At the end of the day, I must let people be themselves. And I must also let myself be me. I do not want to play a dilute version of myself, dull as dishwater on account of agreeableness. This means accepting that my perspectives and objectives will not always dovetail with those of others.
My father recently forwarded me an email from an elegant friend of his who disagreed with him on a matter of military history (I guess this is the stuff of epistolarity between two highly educated men?) and, at the end of his polite rebuttal, added: “One aspect of civilized people is that we can agree to disagree.”
On the heels of that note, a friend of mine wrote me a very thoughtful analysis of Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You? in which he noted:
“There are numerous examples I could cite that are quite simply beautiful. But there are two images in particular that are burned into my memory. They are the image of loneliness as symbolized by “the single fork and plate on the draining board” after Simon has finished a meal alone in his apartment, versus the image of hope, companionship, and promise symbolized by the “two empty bowls [that] had been left in the sink, two spoons, an empty water glass with a faint print of clear lip balm on the rim” after he and Eileen have made love and subsequently enjoyed a bowl of ice cream. Is there a more poignant image of the young Millennial professional, who lives his/her life in quiet loneliness, than the “single fork and plate” left after a meal? The juxtaposition of a single utensil versus utensils in twos is both affecting and effective. I could also write a very, very long email–one that would put you to sleep!–about how beautifully she demonstrates the need for patience and humility when communicating with one another.”
There is I believe an important thread here, one that strings together primum non nocere (“do no harm”) on the one end and carpe diem (“seize the day”) on the other. I am chastened to remember, as my friend put it, “patience and humility when communicating with others” and emboldened to recall that, as my father’s friend put it, “one aspect of civilized people is that we can agree to disagree.” Now to find the right balance…
+ICYMI, I absolutely love Rooney. I am now realizing I am overdue for a review of her most recent novel but frankly my friend’s notes above far exceed my own analysis!
Shopping Break.
+On the recommendation of a new friend, I’m going to read Donna Tartt’s Secret History next. I know people love this author but have never read her work.
+I can’t stop thinking about two dresses: this Ulla and this HVN. Spectacular!!! The latter has been sitting in my cart since I first laid eyes on it last week and I keep thinking I need it for Christmas Eve? Even though I had a different outfit picked out? (I already ordered this plaid La Ligne, which is now sold out in the navy plaid, but OMG THE FIT OF THIS DRESS IS SO SO GOOD. I will for sure wear it somewhere else this season. We have a holiday brunch, a holiday tea, a holiday cocktail party already on the books so I’ll slot it in somewhere! Anyhow, frankly I would buy it in the black or gray plaid if you can find it in your size. The fit is so flattering and dramatic. Sometimes you can just tell the quality of the clothes by the fit and this feels like something tailored to my body!)
+If you like the La Ligne dress but not the price, check out this J. Crew.
+If it’s sequins we’re after: this Ann Taylor dress is drop-dead gorgeous (!!! and 30% off ATM) and I also think I need to have this $30 top.
+Obsessed (!!!) with this belted “coatigan.” I love it in the blue color but black is also versatile and why do I also think I need the red?
+I know many of you are Dudley Stephens lovers and just discovered that their entire site is 25% off with code GIVECOZY. I ordered one of their Park Slope fleeces over the summer when I found it on sale at Tuckernuck and I have to be honest: I like mine but don’t fully understand the hype? Like, it is a nice weight and very warm but I would not put above any of my other fleece/sweatshirt-type pieces? I think it’s possibly that it feels a bit more structured/elevated than your run-of-the-mill athleisure top and I get that appeal. But — just my two cents. I would not say it’s intrinsically superior to other items I own in that category, but I have reached for it, especially cold weekend mornings when walking Tilly. I like that it can layer beneath a puffer when really cold without being really bulky.
+This cardigan has been a best-seller all season and is now on sale!
+Just ordered one of these “heat tech” turtlenecks for layering — just a brilliant idea! Thin enough to layer under a nap dress but insulated!
+This blazer is haunting me, too. With black velvet trousers?! Or my black watch tartan high-waist trousers?! (Mine are sold out — past-season Ralph Lauren — but you can get a similar vibe with these or — not sure of quality but the cut looks chic — these. YOWZA.
+And speaking of tartan pants, Talbots generously sent me a pair of their Soho leggings in tartan and I can’t wait to pair them with my metallic Chanel captoes and a cape situation. (More tunics/capes/ponchos in this post.)
+I keep some “emergency” activities in my gift closet for slow weekends — just bought this “shrink art” kit, this felt ornament kit, and these holiday-themed puffy stickers to keep my little ones busy.
+These mini bottle brush trees would also be a fun sensory play add-on, especially with some of these arctic animals. More sensory play ideas here and more indoor activities for toddlers here.
+LOVE this necklace as a layering piece. More heart necklaces here, including this $35 statement necklace I’ve been layering with a lot of my ivory sweaters/blouses this winter. Currently 20% off with code BLACKFRIDAY20.
+I love this plaid throw blanket. It makes me want to curl up and read or do some Black Friday damage from my phone in front of a fireplace.
+Rifle Paper is offering 30% off nearly everything with code VIP30. They make the most gorgeous gift wrap — I just ordered a few rolls of holiday paper (this and this — with code, it ends up being $1 more than most of the Target styles!) and a few of my favorite children’s gift wrap for birthday parties. I love having it on hand!
+Mr. Magpie’s favorite sweats/lounge pants are 50% off in the merlot color. Trust me – pick up a pair as an add-on gift for your man and he will be very happy with you.
+30% off at Nicola Bathie with code blackfriday. I’m especially loving her emerald pieces, like these studs and these drops.
+20% (or more — spend more, save more) the must-have feather trim Sleeper pajamas here.
+30% off Laundress products with code JOLLY. I absolutely love their products, as I recently shared. Treat yourself to beautifully scented sheets and towels with one of their fabulous scented formulas (my personal indulgence — I launder all our clothes in Tide, which I find the best on stains, but it is heaven climbing into bed!) and snap up their wool/cashmere shampoo, which has honestly saved me a fortune on dry cleaning. Throw in one or two of these brushes — my secret weapon for stains!
+Everyone’s favorite Lake Pajamas has an excellent sale section. This is my favorite style they have, but I just added this poplin pair to my cart. So classic! Love the green stripe. And a bunch of their children’s styles are discounted, too!
+No blanket code, but some fantastic markdowns at Intermix and Shopbop, including this SEA blouse, cable knit cardigan, and Clare Vivier tote.
+Sunhouse Children is offering 40% off sitewide with code GRATEFUL. I had been eyeing this suit for mini and was able to snag it at a steep discount for next summer.
+25% off at 1212 with code BF25 — they make the softest onesies for babies (my favorite for my children when babies — love the stretchy head opening and the fact that they have two snaps to close versus the standard three…) and the cutest printed pajamas.
+Madewell is offering 30% off everything with code OHJOY. Don’t miss this cute dress, this wear-with-everything cardigan, and everyone’s favorite jeans — they truly are the best. Mine arrived and I haven’t taken them off in three days. They are contemporary-feeling but not too “out there” or trend-y. A modern classic.
+Petite Plume pajamas are 15-20% off at Maisonette!
+Elemis is offering 30% off everything. I really love this makeup-melting balm. It smells like heaven and leaves skin so soft, cleansed, and hydrated. I gave it to my mom for her birthday!
+Carter’s has marked down a ton of their pieces and is offering free ship as well. I just picked up this coverall for micro — it is SO cute and only $8 (shipped!) I love the waffle fabric! I also love this evergreen pair but it was sold out in micro’s size.
+There are some good deals at Etsy, including 20% off these darling cardigans, these name puzzles, and these bow sandals for littles; 20% off these fun earrings in red or sequin for the holidays; and 20% off this dog collar (perfect for a holiday photo).
I’ll be sharing some additional sale finds later this week — I have it on good authority that two other favorite brands of mine, Everlane and Cleobella, will be launching sales later this week that are worth a visit. Everlane has such great sweaters/fleeces — my mom often buys all of us matching sweaters from there for the holidays!
A peer of mine, Sarah of the blog “Fewer and Better,” recently asked to profile me as a part of her “What’s In Your Closet” series. She’ll be publishing it on her blog in a few weeks, but one of the questions she asked was about the five most special items in my wardrobe. Most of the pieces that sprang to mind were gifts or inheritances from my mother and grandmother, but the first item on my list? The hot pink Louboutins seen above. I’ve written about these elsewhere, but —
These are shoes that know how to have a good time.
These are shoes that wink, that want to dance, that splash a little champagne over the rim of the coupe as they make the rounds at a cocktail party — but with an elegance that makes you forgive the oversight.
If she were a car, she’d be a convertible with white leather interior. She’s impractical but so style-conscious you overlook it. She’s coquettish like Marilyn but doe-eyed like Audrey. She might be seen taking a roast out of the oven, but she’ll also enjoy a gin martini in the corner booth.
These shoes invite imagination. Sometimes clothes just do that to you — they conjure a mood so powerfully that you can’t help but fall under their spell. I feel that way about many of the pieces from Ralph Lauren in particular. As an example, I look at the fair isle knit skirt and sweater I shared here and I am flung into a montage of fall moments on the back roads of Connecticut, surrounded by leaves and wood-burning fires and a lot of people wearing things like tweed and driving gloves. And I think: “Oo, am I that woman?”
Yes. Fashion can invite you to be that woman, and also the movie starlet wearing hot pink heels to a Hollywood party, and also the ski bunny wearing mukluks and a sherpa vest, and also, and also, and also —
A woman contains multitudes. Fashion often reminds me of that truth, in turn urging me not to hem myself in. I can wear sneakers one day and knee-high boots the next, just as I can be a mother and a lover of pop music and a Catholic and a chick-lit reader and a serious student of poetry and a dutiful daughter and an embarrassingly competitive Scrabble player and a bug-hater and a nature-lover and a reluctant cook and an avid baker and and and and and and
+Two fabulous pairs of shoes that evoke similar sentiments to the above: these Birmans (swoon) and these Aquazzuras (I can’t EVEN with the bow). Those girls want to DANCE.
+Also hoping that by the time this post is live, these moire and feather mules will have been discounted as a part of a Black Friday promo. I need them! Can’t decide if I need them more in black or pink…
+While we’re talking pretty, glitzy things, Rotate has some really fabulous sequined pink pieces that I can’t stop thinking about. I love this dress and this skirt. Get the look for less with this $128 steal, which would be so chic with an ivory crewneck cashmere sweater.
+We’ve been entertaining a lot more recently — I am considering buying this to keep tabs on all of our guests and menus for both practical and sentimental reasons. (Sometimes it’s easier to pull out a menu that worked well!)
+Contemplating ordering this wreath for our front door. Love the dried citrus! Would add a velvet or grosgrain bow.
+Pretty $14 bow for you to wear this holiday season.
+I saw these oyster shell Christmas trees in a boutique in St. Michael’s — how cute?!
+I mention this all the time, but I live for pouches, especially clear ones. I like to use these inexpensive ones for stowing overflow cosmetics and samples under my sink. I have separate ones for different categories (i.e., hair care, skin care, cosmetics, etc).
+Another great utility buy: these round makeup removing pads. These are so helpful on nights I can’t be bothered to scrub my face or when I want to remove all makeup to reapply before going out for the evening. Wet with water and everything comes off!
+How fun are these cocktail stirrers? Imagine tied off with a green grosgrain bow as a hostess gift! (And maybe mix up a batch of these and bring along with you!)
+This velvet maxi skirt comes in two fab colors and is only $30. I’m drawn to the champagne with a ladylike blouse!
+I love Gathre mats with children — these changing mats wipe clean and are fold up really small in a diaper bag, and I still use our large size allll the time when my children are doing sensory play or having a picnic in the living room or even coloring with markers — but found this brand is very similar and has great patterns!
+Pretty little key ring (can be personalized) — sweet gift for a new homeowner or teen whose just gotten her license!
