The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation. Image via Mauviel.
Last week, I mentioned that we paired a bottle of Sophie James sparkling wine (*winner of wine subscription giveaway announced below!) with a miso-glazed cod dish we informally call “candy fish” in our home. I received multiple requests for the recipe! After begging Landon, he agreed to share. Below, find Landon’s version of a famous cod dish served at Nobu. He has developed this recipe over many years, referencing recipes from America’s Test Kitchen, a James Beard cookbook, Food and Wine, and one of our favorite fish cookbooks, Fish Forever. Note that you must marinate this dish for 24-48 hours. We often serve with good rice topped with seaweed salt and edamame or bok choy, but this most recent time, Mr. Magpie paired it with a sesame soba noodle salad. The sugar in the marinade, when broiled, caramelizes into the most gorgeous crust. It is outrageously delicious!
Ingredients
4 – 5oz skin on black cod fillets
¾ cup white miso
6 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp mirin
6 tbsp sake
2 tbsp soy
Process
Mix mirin, sake, and soy in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil to boil off the alcohol.
Off heat, add sugar to the sauce pan and whisk to dissolve the sugar.
Whisk in miso until the marinade is smooth.
Let fish marinate for 24 – 48 hours.
Place rack 8” – 12” from broiler. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.
Place a wire rack on a baking sheet, cover the rack with aluminum foil, and spray foil with a light coating of cooking oil.
Wipe off excess marinade from fish and place on a prepared baking sheet.
When ready to cook, turn on broiler to oven.
Cook until the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees F – about 8 minutes. Turn the pan half way through. Watch closely as the sugar in the marinade can burn easily. If the fish threatens to burn, return the temperature to 425 degrees.
+Some of our favorite kitchen gear here, here, and here.
Shopping Break.
+Nordies has some really good promos right now — this set of OSEA favorites (haven’t tried the lotion but can vouch for the oil — it’s lightweight and deeply hydrating), these Kyte footies (have gifted many times…ultra-soft and stretchy!), and this tangle teezer, which I sadly just paid full price for elsewhere.
+Sneaky way to get Varley on sale: Neiman’s is offering $50 off orders over $200 — you could pair this amazing fleece with their chic lounge pants and get $50 off the bundle. I go down one size in everything Varley except those pants (take my true size in those).
Tenured Magpie parents: what is your biggest piece of tactical advice to those of us with younger children? I’m looking less for philosophical wisdom and more for fine-grained tips along the lines of curfew policies and navigating how involved you should be in your child’s social network. I’m curious about this because, over the past year, I’ve picked up two pieces of advice from older parents who have been around the block that are already informing my perspective:
The first, from my neighbor who has grown children already out of the home: “Always offer to drive the group.” He was talking about ferrying his children and their friends to homecoming, school musicals, the mall, etc. He said he has learned so much about his children and their friends when playing chauffeur and becomes privy to things they might not otherwise offer up. It has also given him better visibility into the dynamics between the friends in his daughter’s group.
The second, from a friend: “When you volunteer at your child’s school, do it in a way that is visible to your child.” Of course, schools need all kinds of help and support, but if you are (like me) limited on time, you might think about helping with a field trip, recess duty, hot lunch, bake sale, class party, etc — any venue in which your child will see you in the school and appreciate your presence there.
The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.
+Bottega gloves look-for-less. I think I might treat myself to these! So chic!
+On the heels of my random commentary on skin gadgets, PMD offered to send me this at-home microderm tool. I’m going to test it, along with the Current Body red light mask, the Newa, and the gua sha and will report back with thoughts, probably in January after I’ve had time to figure them out and really test them for awhile. Based on my recon, all of these tools do different things (!!), which is probably why some of you have been sharing products that do multiple things at once / have different settings / etc. It’s a whole new world. In the meantime, a Magpie reader helpfully shared this Instagram account, which provides a research-oriented approach to skin gadgets. I thought this breakdown on the red light masks was interesting and made me feel excited to keep going with the Current Body one I received.
+Last minute, effortless holiday dressing: these pull-on velvet pants and a cableknit.
+Last minute treat-yourself outfits for holiday travel: the F&E sweat sets (I own multiple styles but this one is my favorite) and the Tuckernuck cashmere hoodie and wide leg sweatpants. You’ll feel pulled together but comfortable.
+Also wanted to mention that a Magpie reader raved about this F&E sweatsuit look for less. I think the code 47DBSYTP gets you 50% off but I could have read that wrong!
+Very limited sizes left in stock, but these Valentina sneakers (more sizes here) continue to be a favorite of mine. They are shearling-lined and slip-on!!! And I love that it adds an extra inch or two to my height. Vibe for less: these New Balances, currently on sale! Pair either of these sneaks with the cashmere sweatsuit or the F&E set and you’re golden for long plane/car travel for Christmas.
+Price drop on these incense smokers so many of you loved! A fun little gift.
+My children have two of these “magic playsets” — one is a library-themed one, the other is this NYC one — and they really love them. They have replica “forms” to fill out in both sets that make them feel very grown up. My son loves to take “orders” with the food cart order form in particular.
+Have you seen Emilia Wickstead’s latest resort collection?! Wow wow wow wow. It’s thrilling to me that labels like this still exist. Clothing for princesses.
Speaking of Veronica Beard, VB is also offering an extra 20% off sale with code FESTIVE20. Don’t miss my striped blazer — now somehow $255 (orig $798). Chanel vibes. Looks fab with black jeans. Meanwhile, these popular kick flares are somehow under $100 and fully stocked. Run TTS – have a good amount of stretch. And this dress was one of my favorite dresses I wore all summer long — now somehow around $200 flat. It is SO chic. Perfect for a country club fete.
Sephora is offering 20% off one order only with code HAVEITALL. You must be signed into your account for the code to work, and you can only use it once. Eek! This is better than the tiered sale they offer periodically throughout the year, as I’m not a VIB Rouge! Currently in my cart: this Makeup by Mario palette (which I mentioned in my Monday post on eye makeup, and this pick was corroborated by this post from Hilary Kerr — thanks to a Magpie reader for sharing that post, which I found very informative!) and this Gucci bronzer, which so many people have recommended over the years and I was just reminded of while deep in a Reddit beauty subthread.
I have a full list of my Sephora favorites saved here!
Last but not least, “it” belt brand Dehanche is still offering 30% off orders over $300. Their Hollyhock belt is MAJORLY trendy and I’d love to get my paws on one. This one is beyond gorgeous. (By the way, two similar styles for less: this B-Low the Belt and this Madewell.)
+Have you heard about the Fara Homidi cream-to-powder lip compact?! I think I first heard about this from Emese Gormley, who really knows her way around cosmetics. I’m so intrigued! I’m on a beauty buying bender if you can’t tell. Also intrigued by their lip pencil. The only lip pencil I use is the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk one and my only gripe with it is that I wish it glided on a little more easily. But the color is perfection.
+If you are panicking about what to buy a tween in your life, apparently these slippers are it. Every week, I wait in Starbucks while my daughter is in her 30 minute guitar lesson and dozens of girls from a nearby high school flock in and out, and 99% of them are wearing these and sweats. And on the sweats front, apparently every tween wants the ones from this brand. Three separate moms mentioned them this week.
+Rothy’s Clogs — I can’t stop wearing or talking about these. My daughter was just wearing them around the house this morning and she said, “I get what you mean, these do kind of massage your feet.” So comfortable.
+Utz Malt Vinegar Chips — just the best. These tie with the Siete Serrano and Vinegar chips. If you are a vinegar head, especially one from the Mid-Atlantic, these are for you.
+La Double J Herald Scarf. Somehow goes with everything in my closet — black, taupe, brown. The pop of pink is so fun, too! Super warm and soft — I’ve been wearing daily.
+Rag + Bone Sofie Jeans (seen below). I’ve written a lot about these lately but they are my current favorite pair of jeans. So flattering and comfortable, and I love the way they look with a slightly pointed boot/bootie. I’m in that phase of denim obsession where I have to actively deter myself from wearing them everyday.
+Lolavie Conditioner and Glossing Detangler. Candidly, I tried the detangler over the summer and was underwhelmed by it at the time, but I’ve now been using multiple Lolavie products for the past few weeks and am totally blown away by the conditioner and detangler in particular. I don’t know if maybe my hair is drier now or just responding differently, or if using the entire system helps, but WOW. My hair feels so silky and glossy! I’m obsessed.
+Evergreen Potpourri — my MIL gifted me this when we hosted Thanksgiving, and we put it out into a decorative bowl in the front living room. It smells incredible and looks festive — and you don’t need to be burning a candle all the time to achieve it! I love to burn candles in the evening but I will say there’s something luxe about walking through a room in the middle of the day and catching an unexpected whiff of Christmas magic. The other holiday scents I’m loving: Linnea’s Noel (burning in our family room) and Linnea’s Forest Fir (burning in our living room).
+Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pads. Have I been living under a rock?! THESE ARE INCREDIBLE. You must try them. I swear I had new skin in a few minutes. I was so excited I made Landon try it the very night I first used them! I’m so passionate about this, I want to send some to a Magpie reader — just drop a comment and I’ll randomly pick a winner to send some of these and maybe a few other beauty goodies!
+Cranberry French 75s and Mr. Magpie’s Egg Nog. I was so inspired by Katie posting about these (the recipe she used is here) that I literally drove straight to the store that very afternoon to buy the required provisions. So festive and fun. (Ed. note: I would personally advise rounding down in the recommended measurement of cranberry simple syrup in the recipe — I would prefer something closer to 1/2 oz so it’s a tad less sweet!). And we’ve been dipping into Mr. Magpie’s egg nog, which we’ve been aging for several weeks now! His recipe here. We’ve been enjoying both of these out of my favorite coupes.
+My New Balance running vest and Tracksmith running tees. I was just talking with a girlfriend this morning about running in cold weather, and I passed on advice another runner gave to me: it’s about minimizing the amount of skin exposed and keeping your core warm. I wear a hat, earmuffs, neckwarmer, socks, gloves. And I really think a breathable vest helps keep heat in without suffocating you. I have an old NB running vest they no longer make (only avail in one size here) that I wish they’d bring back. In general, every single NB running item I’ve ever purchased has lasted forever and been my favorite in its respective category. I love their heat tech line, and wish they’d come out with more models more consistently! It is SO GOOD. For this reason, I just ordered this half-zip with the same technology as the vest. I would also consider Lululemon’s vest if you’re in the market and can’t find the NB in your size — I like that it’s specifically designed for running, which has its own requirements (needs to be breathable, water-resistant, and insulating, with cleverly positioned pockets; also has to be fairly fitted and not add much bulk). I also love the Tracksmith Brighton tees. They are thin and stretchy but insulate beautifully — and they aren’t itchy despite the merino wool! Good running gear, and stuff that works in the weather, makes the run so much more pleasant. On the running front, I can’t yet vouch for these because I’ve not yet thoroughly tested but I am over the moon — Bose is sending me a set of their open earbuds. This was crazy timing as I was just complaining to Mr. Magpie that my old running headphones died, and I’ve been using my AirPods for awhile and now only one AirPod charges well, so half of my runs, I’m listening to music in only one ear. He was doing research and said the open earbuds are getting a lot of praise because they make running safer (you can hear cars, bikes, etc), and people love the cuff style fit. I cannot wait! Will report back.
+Chef’s Steps 24 Layer Lasagna. Mr. Magpie made this over the weekend and OMG. I’m ruined for all lasagnas. We were speaking in exclamation points about it all evening! Absolutely delicious. Side note: I have had so many people comment on my holiday kitchen towels while in my home. My children were also SO excited when I first pulled them out after Thanksgiving. They are Weezie and such a fun way to extend the holiday decor to the kitchen. The exact trio set I ordered is sadly sold out, but you can still get the wreaths (seen below) here.
+Daphine Fran Earrings(seen below, alongside the La Double J scarf!). I’ve been reaching for these chunky but lightweight gold earrings a ton lately, especially for daytime wear. They look perfect — slightly modern / trendy — against a chunky knit or a slim turtleneck. I love the look, and they don’t weigh down the lobe.
+Dear Anabelle Gift Tags. My children and I spent a good chunk of Sunday afternoon wrapping gifts and I am absolutely smitten with these tags. The paper is thick and luxe, and the tag itself uses a combo of thermography and foil in the cheeriest red script. They are so special and instantly elevate the gift.
+Chip City Cookie Butter Cookie. (You can order them via GoldBelly here!) I stopped into the Bethesda Row Chip City on a total whim as I happened to be parked there and the cookie butter one is OUT of bounds. Mr. Magpie had some buddies over to play poker on Friday, and the second photo below was my sidecar while watching Netflix holiday movies in bed upstairs: glass of champagne and a Chip City sampler.
+The Outset Lip Oasis Treatment. These must have gone viral because they are now sold out EVERYWHERE, but you should put yourself on the notification list. This is definitely the best lip hydration product I’ve ever used. I had been really like the YSE lip mask but the Outset stuff lasts a lot longer / I don’t feel the constant need to reapply.
Not (yet) a favorite thing, but something on my radar at the moment — gadgets for skin. Who uses them, and what do you think? Nellie Diamond of porcelain, ageless skin was recently asked for her skin tips and she said: if you’re in NYC, go to my dermatologist; if you’re anywhere else, a red light mask. I’ve actually had a red light mask (mine is this brand) charging in my office and have not yet tried it, which I know is sinful. I keep finding it challenging to work into my routine — when do I use it? I feel like the best time would be in the morning, after cleansing and moisturizing, before makeup, but that window is SO short for me on schooldays. And then if I wait until after I work out, I’m always chomping at the bit to get to my desk and want to skip this step. Who uses these and how and when do you use? How often?! Help!
While we’re here, I’ve also been eyeing a few other technologies/gadgets for the skin. The first is the Newa, which reportedly helps with collagen production, and the second is the ZIIP, which helps with facial lifting/sculpting. Has anyone used any of these? Do you use multiple or does one override/obsolete the others? It seems like all three do different things. Help!
Last little gadget I did order and can’t wait to test — an inexpensuve gua sha tool. Do these work or was I “got” by a TikTok ad? Haha. Or are there other tools you love?
P.P.S. Widening the margins in my life. Ways I’ve brought this to bear this month: saying no to three holiday events; carving out time to exercise; and purposefully underscheduling us last weekend so we could trim the tree and wrap gifts without feeling time boxed. So glad we did that. It was such a restful and cozy weekend.
I’m all of the sudden very interested in eye shadow and eye liner. For years, I have sworn by Nyx eyeliner in black (ultra-fine-tipped; dries matte; inexpensive), a heavy hand of mascara (I have several favorites but the one I keep going back to is Tower28), and any cream shadow that can be applied with a finger. I have no idea why, but the thought of using a brush to apply a powder shadow feels like a bridge too far in my already-long makeup routine. My two favorite cream shadows / eye “bases” that I wear 90% of the time are Ilia (in the cork color — you’d think this would come out dark but it somehow just evens out the eyelid) and Laura Mercier in wheat or linen (brightens and evens eyelid). This liner-cream-shadow-mascara trio has given a very natural look — like me, but better? — and has been straight-forward to apply. All that said, I don’t know if it’s my winter pallor, overall fatigue, or age (40!) but I’m feeling like I need to turn up the volume a little bit on this scenario because I look in the mirror and see a tired and washed-out me, especially in the eye area. One thing I’ve noticed from having my makeup done every now and then by Glamsquad* is that whenever I think the makeup artist has done a good job, it’s usually because she’s spent a lot of time on my eyes, and they really look defined, contoured, accented. Help! I need to learn how!
I’ve been researching (TikTok videos) and am listing a few of the products that are on my radar below. I especially like the eye shadow sets that have a combo of matte and metallic colors — metallic feels too loud for day, and I always look for a palette that has a good nude/ivory/cream color to use as a base. I have also been obsessing over this bronzed eye liner I saw someone wearing on Instagram, hence the two listed below. Finally, Alix Earle did a video where she applied these Chanel powder shadows and I am dying to try them, too.
On the implement front, I bought this Laura Mercier eye shadow brush years ago (all of their brushes are incredible) and it is still the ONLY ONE I will ever use despite the fact that I have an entire arsenal now. It’s the perfect shape and size.
I feel like I’m set in the brows category — I still love Kosas AirBrow and the eye brow pencil and eye brow pen from BDB. The latter are SO GOOD and about 2/3 or 1/2 of the price of other products that are identical (e.g., the brow pencil is indistinguishable from Anastasia). Feel really good about that trio!
And for undereye — I did cave and order the DRMTLGY undereye corrector so many of you raved about while it was on sale during Black Friday promotions. I plan to layer this beneath my current favorite concealer, Iris + Romeo’s Best Skin Days treatment concealer, which is SO GOOD, especially when applied by this Hourglass brush, which is MEANT for undereye concealer. The Iris and Romeo concealer is what I thought Nars’ radiant concealer would be like based on all the hype, but Nars just never did it for me — it looked cakey and matte and at the same time didn’t provide good coverage? I don’t know, I did NOT get that product. Iris and Romeo’s has a great lightweight consistency but offers solid coverage and is easy to blend.
Finally, I do think that applying a good eye cream and letting it absorb for five or ten minutes before applying eye makeup is critical. I use either UBeauty’s The Return Eye Concentrate (great hydration, silky smooth absorption — my sis was just asking for my rec and I turned her onto this; use code JENSHOOP for 20% off) or this under-$20 caffeine eye cream that works REALLY well on puffy eyes. I will say that Liz Adams was just talking about how she feels like her eyelids are looking really wrinkly and saggy and that all of her followers were raving about this Avene product. I’m intrigued…
But my major secret to bright, happy eyes: these eye patches from Jillian Dempsey. I know I’m a broken record here but they really astound me each time I apply. (Do I need to apply more often?!) They are the only eye product I’ve ever used that leaves my skin visibly brighter. It’s like you’ve just slept a full 24 hours. Your undereye is luminous, moisturized, happy. Someone on Instagram described it as “undereye botox.” Use code JENSHOOP for a discount.
Your turn – please share all your eye makeup tricks and suggestions! Help!
*Reminder that my codes still work at Glamsquad! $20 off for new users with code JenniferS and $15 off for repeat users with code JenniferS15.
The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.
Ed. note: Today, republishing an essay from the archives, originally published in 2021. I was thinking about this post the other day because Landon and I stayed up way too late having what he calls “dream talks” last week — meandering conversations about our hopes for what might come next. When we were younger — in our 20s, fresh-eyed and ambitious — we used to have these talks into the wee hours of the morning, plotting out where we might move, the businesses we might start, the children we might have. It’s wild to now realize that some of those plans — some of that stardust — have been made manifest in our lives. And it is good to sit and look at how far we’ve come, how much we’ve changed. Still, in so many ways, he remains the boy I fell in love with at 18. I see him that way no matter what life throws at us. Just kids stealing kisses behind Clark Hall.
****
Sometimes it takes the smallest thing —
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,
+Ordered these glitzy flats for the holiday season. I have these shoes in a raffia for summer and they are truly the most comfortable shoe right out of the box. I like that you can wear them with jeans and a tee or pair with a holiday dress! Just the right balance of glam and edgy.
+So many of you recommended this bike bell, so I ordered two for the kids’ stockings!
+Ordered this tartan skirt from the Maria del Orden collab with Sezane and got Mr. Magpie this tartan flannel too.
+Apparently this lip product from Scarlett Johansson’s beauty brand has gone viral — it sold out on the site itself but you can still buy at Nordstrom. I got my hands on a tube and am loving it. Give me all the lip products during these dry months!
+Noticed that there are still a few of my tartan shirtdress back in stock at Ann Mashburn!
+Love these chic portable speakers. We have one from a different brand that we use constantly — any time we’re sitting outside, at the lake house, at the beach, in a hotel room or rental house, etc.
+OMG Veronica Beard. I want everything they make but now I keep thinking about this denim vest.
The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.
Miscellaneous snapshots and dispatches from my week:
My kids were watching a Christmas movie in the basement on Saturday morning, and I did something I literally never do: I climbed back into bed and put on a Christmas movie myself. (This was the new Lindsay Lohan’s — smeh but she does look incredible! We love a rebound story!) Delightful and indulgent to grant myself this permission. Just a little nudge if you need it to slow down and enjoy something small like this.
Puzzle season! I’ve mentioned this many times but my son is full-on obsessed with them. His open-mouth concentration! We’re currently doing this skating scene for the second time this season. It’s cute — the puzzle itself is in the shape of snow globe.
All things Christmas. Would not recommend the holiday nog cookies but the peppermint milano slices are delightful. Also, if you notice that my wooden coffee table looks smeared and dinged up…it is. My kids use this to work on arts and crafts, draw, have snacks. It used to drive me crazy (and I do still spend a lot of time cleaning it) but sometimes I think about how one day I’ll miss this clutter, and the errant pom pom on the ground, and the glue smudge on the table, and the persistent spray of crayons and markers all over my living room. It doesn’t always dissolve my fatigue at constantly cleaning this space, but it does talk back to my frustration. A good mental shift any time I look in my kitchen and living room and think “a bomb has gone off in here.” It’s lucky, really, to have kids happily using this space. And ICYMI, our incense smoker is from Schoolhouse but old; you can find similar here. I bought this for Mr. Magpie two years ago and it’s one of our favorite parts of the season. We light it in the morning and in the evening and it dispenses this gorgeous smoky scent that frankly draws me back to standing in the freezing hallways of my parochial school’s Church rehearsing the Christmas Pageant.
Morning sustenance — your diet is more than what you eat! I love this book — more poetry than exposition. I’m always drawn to genre-benders.
Decor around the house went up this week! My kids were at an excitement level of 11/10 during this process.
I bought the live cedar garland from American Plant here in Bethesda and then added this orange garland — incredibly good price and just recently restocked! I know many of you bought this and have written to let me know how impressed you are with quality. I might order a second so that I can have the oranges running all the way down the garland, to the floor.
A really special moment last week — my son read the entirety of Serious Goose by Jimmy Kimmel (one of his favorite books!) to my mother. She was a Montessori school teacher before she married my father and is passionate about early literacy and also the absolute most patient person in the world — she sat there and let him sound out each and every word. He was deeply proud of himself. I’ll never forget the way he was beaming!
Ice skating! The kids have lessons every Saturday (and the skating aid he’s using above is not permitted during them, but my boy loves to whip around the ice with them when outside of class) and it’s becoming such a part of our weekend routine. I think I mentioned this recently, but I really love these Reima parkas for winter sports. Ultra warm, water-resistant, hooded, incredible quality. I just intuitively trust the Finnish with this.
Organic wine company Sophie James sent me a gift box of their wines this past week (!!!) and I couldn’t wait to try. We paired the sparkling rose with miso-glazed cod and a sesame soba noodle salad this week and it was perfect. Mr. Magpie broils the cod so that the sugar-miso coating caramelizes into this delicious syrupy sweet crust, and the sparkling wine — which has a good amount of acidity to it — was the perfect complement and contrast. We love drinking sparkling with anything rich or heavy. I mentioned this earlier this week, but they are gifting one lucky Magpie a year’s subscription to their wine club (and there is normally a multi-month wait list)! Just add your name to this list. They are going to pick a winner this week!
Another cool female-founded small business: Charmspring sent us their activity/chore charts for kids. My children loved setting these up, and it was interesting and eye opening to supervise their sequencing. It made me realize that my son especially is still developing the executive function to map out all the things he has to do, and in the proper order. We have a little bit of trouble in the morning with having him get through all the discrete tasks he must before running out the door to school — I feel like I’m constantly expediting him, reminding him to get dressed, brush teeth, brush hair, etc. Watching him lay out this sequence using the board made me realize he’s not dilly-dallying necessarily — maybe he truly does need the guard rails. Anyway, a clever concept. Do take note of the size of the board you order (there are multiple styles / sizes) — ours are quite large, FYI. They gave us a code: $20 off with JEN20!
Last but not least: if you’re still shopping for holiday / Christmas eve jammies, these two are adorable. The Lake ones are still fully in stock (go up a size or two) in all sizes, and the Burts Bees are somehow on sale for $13.50/set! The latter would be cute for cousin matching without a huge price tag!
*****
A little Sunday shopping poetry…
OMG, did you know Quince makes adorable kids suitcases? I ordered my kids these! I think I will tuck their Disney “tickets” inside — I had these printed with details of the trip! Another Magpie recommended these beautiful handmade Minnie ears in case you’re hunting for another way to announce a Disney trip. // A bit risky as I’ve never tried them, but I just ordered a few tins and one of the packs of three “ballotin” boxes of these French style chocolate truffles from NYC-based chocolatier No Chewing Allowed to give as gifts. // Quickly becoming an Ann Mashburn loyalist — how fab is this red dress?! // Two other great holiday finds this week: these Larroude mules and this tartan Sezane skirt. // Trying these .04mm felt pens from Sharpie!
Image via. The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.
+ASKING + ANSWERING QUESTIONS IN MOTHERHOOD: This piece by Alice White moved me. The phrase “I try to keep the car tethered / to the earth” — wow. The way motherhood asks us to keep the train on the tracks even when we are facing heartbreak, unknowns, stress. A narrow example, but I have found myself harboring intense anxiety before my daughter’s six month eye check ups for her amblyopia. I am holding my breath; I am waiting to hear she will need a surgery, or her vision has worsened, or her eye has atrophied. And at the same time I am wearing a bright smile and offering distractive conversation and playing Spot It in the waiting room as if this were the most normal and pleasant experience I could imagine. I can’t think of how much harder it is for parents with children with more severe or serious ailments, disabilities, conditions — my heart is forever opened to them (you).
Another thing I’d add to this is that you almost never feel “ready” to create. Start before you’re ready. Start when you’re angry, or confused, or groping in the dark. Start when you’re tired, start at 10 p.m., start on a Sunday night. Start on a scrap of paper, start in the middle of a sentence, start with a single word. There is no right time. Or rather, the only time is now.
+EYEING + BUYING: I’m totally hooked on this Dr. Dennis Gross Blur + Repair Cream. I still love the InnBeauty for everyday, but this winter my skin has been so dry and I’ve been doubling up. I love to layer this on at night before bed and again after washing and serum-ing in the morning. On a related beauty note: I saw someone on Instagram wearing this Hermes bronzed eye pencil in the Mordore (#15) color and it looked SO chic. I think I want to try.
Meanwhile, Frank and Eileen released their fabulous Tuscany set in VELVET. You might remember that I lived in the white linen set this past summer — my attempt at channeling a Nancy Meyers protagonist. This set is SO comfortable and I can’t imagine how fab in the velvet with a black pump or glitzy platform.
Also on the fashion front: this is currently my most-worn sweater, and it’s on sale. It’s super soft and super warm and the colors make it easy to pair with anything from ecru to black to gray to denim. And I’m loving this boxy sherpa tote for schlepping the kids gear back and forth. Such a fun texture! Finally, I can’t stop thinking about these cozy Prada mules. How fab?! I’d live in them. Look for less with these or these.
Last but not least, I was surprised by how much interest our German incense smoker garnered! I shared some options here. This $50 Amazon one comes highly reviewed — a few different styles available.
+FAIR ISLE FOR GIRLS: J. Crew Factory has the cutest fair isle sweaters for girls! I just got mini this one and think I might go back for this one.
+BESTSELLERS:My favorite AYR Early Mornings tee and this brushed cashmere sweater from J. Crew were the top-sellers. The AYR is a perfect hybrid between a t-shirt and a sweatshirt, and we’re all loving the brushed cashmere vibe this season — more of my picks for this trend here.
