My Latest Snag: A Bunch of Small House Purchases + Some Back to School Buys.
Nothing super exciting, but I’ve been slowly making my way through a lengthy list of small items I’ve wanted to buy for our house since moving in. I really like to take my time to research each item versus rushing to buy a bunch all at once, but this past week’s progress included…
KITCHEN RUGS (GOT THE LONGER ONE FOR IN FRONT OF OUR RANGE AND THE SMALLER ONE FOR IN FRONT OF OUR PRIMARY KITCHEN SINK)
*We now have the electric mower, edger, string trimmer, and leaf blower. These purchases have brought so much joy to my husband, I can’t even tell you. They are electric (work off rechargeable batteries) and SO quiet compared to gasoline-powered models. We have a lawn service, too, but Mr. Magpie just loves mowing the lawn — I don’t understand it, but it brings him pride/pleasure, so here we are. The leaf blower might be a good gift…
**We will be working with an interior designer on our kitchen/family room soon but we really, really wanted counter stools to use immediately. This set ($140 for 2) fit the bill and I love the design and the great blue color! Plus, they arrived in two days!
I also bought a bunch of fall items for the children this week — soccer shoes for micro; a few pairs of Cientas and blue Vejas for mini; a bunch of Gap basics (many of which are still marked down!); a raincoat for micro; new kick shorts (she wears these under her dresses every day), socks, and undies for mini; a sherpa fleece that matches my own; and mini’s first-day-of school outfit. I ended up going with this black watch tartan jumper and matching top instead of the La Coqueta (details on that and other back to school outfit ideas here) because it can still be very hot here in the D.C. area in September, and I didn’t want her in a thick long-sleeved dress. I figure the jumper could even work with a SS peter pan collar top if it’s hot the day of.
+Weird to get excited about floss, but this stuff is realllllly good.
Weekend Musings: Drags and Lifts.
Every now and then I write a post that follows me around for days, a shadow I cannot shake. Sometimes this “stickiness” is constructive: I tinker with a concept, go back and edit, work through my own thoughts, emerge on the other end at some new level of understanding or awareness. (“I write to know what I think,” etc.) I was hoping my post about some of the ups and downs of our lives in the past decade earlier this week might yield clarity along these lines, but I remain at an impasse. Relieved and starstruck and fulfilled by where I am now, but still sad — even bitter — about some of the things we lived through. How do I let those heartaches go? Do I want to let them go? In some ways, they productively shape my outlook and decision-making now. In other ways, they are nothing more than drag when I am in perennial search for lift. It’s likely the answer that I need to continue to think on them and work through them, not erase or ignore, as attractive as that sounds.
Anyhow, just some ambling post-scripts that have been nettling me at odd hours of the morning, noon, and night since publishing that post. While we’re in this “behind-the-scenes” and unplugged mode, I want to add a learning borne of the last ten years that did not fit neatly into my musings earlier this week and that I therefore excised, but that I have come to truly believe:
“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” — Thomas Jefferson
If you had shown me this quote a few years ago, I would have rolled my eyes. Often, especially in entrepreneurship but also in any complicated office environment, there are so many factors beyond your control — the movement of the markets, the trajectory of the industry, peers competing for positions, bosses with bad attitudes or inferiority complexes, the financial health of the organization, the existence of competitors, the arrival of COVID, poor workplace culture, lack of resources, timing of business idea, etc. Hard work is, frankly, only a part of the success-making equation in this context. And yet. I see now that persistence and industriousness over time — I mean long swathes of time, like decades of my life, across academic settings, multiple professional ones, and some entrepreneurial endeavors — have led me to this moment where I feel challenged and rewarded by what I am doing in measures beyond my wildest dreams. I don’t mean to be self-congratulatory; I mean to remind myself to always lean way in. Work ethic does pay off. It may not seem that way for you at the moment — you might be burning the midnight oil at a job you hate, or years away from the title you want, or starting over in a new career — but hard work is noticed, and rewarded, over time.
Post-Scripts: Work Outfits.
+Been getting a lot of requests for fall work outfits. First, pleaseeee check out Banana’s new arrivals. I got so many DMs from you about this chic launch and we are all losing our minds over it, especially this top in the khaki color and basically all the dresses. I didn’t even mention this wrap style but OH! SO good. One of you mentioned that a friend who has a closet full of Ulla Johnson showed up a lunch in it in the butterfly print! Another reader with an insider’s connection to the brand mentioned that they have a new CEO and that this is their first launch, with a bigger and very exciting launch coming in September! Wheee! GO, Banana!
+If you have a little one between the ages of 1-2, I loved these little sets for mini after bath! So soft and cozy. Perfect lounge for a tiny little lady.
I often apply a face mask while getting ready for an evening out. The four below are the ones I most often reach for —
Clarins Lift Affine V-Facial Intensive Wrap. I wrote a full review here, but my love for this mask has only deepened with time and use. I often do not even think I look particularly puffy or bloated, but this mask somehow depuffs and chisels my features with every use. It is unreal! I often use this from my cheeks/nose down to my neck (you are supposed to avoid the eye area) and a different mask on my forehead, which seems to me does not benefit as much from de-puffing action.
Origins Rose Clay Retexturizing Mask. I am in general drawn to masks that harden and then must be removed with warm water. I think anyone who came of age in the 90s remembers the Julep mask (which must have recently gotten rebranded — remember the OG bottle with green mint leaves on the front?), which was my first experience with a facial mask and I assume the same to be true of many of you. (Incidentally, this mask is still pretty good! I had occasion to test it a few years ago and was impressed!). Anyhow, ever since, the experience of leaving a clay-like substance to harden and then be wiped away with a warm washcloth = synonymous with self-care. I just love the feeling. The Origins formula is fantastic and leaves skin baby soft and slightly flushed, as I mentioned earlier this week. This is the mask I nearly always use on my forehead while Clarins is working its magic on the cheeks and below. BTW, you can score a 1 oz size to test for only $8 at OffFifth. (Toss in cart when buying a faux-diamond band for your next travel excursion.)
Fresh Umbrian Clay Purifying Mask. For the reasons outlined above, I love a clay mask, and this one is my second favorite (just behind Origins). I tend to use it when I want a deep and thorough clean feel, whereas the Origins mask just seems to smooth and soften skin in general. Fresh’s formula makes me feel as though my entire face has been totally scrubbed clean, pores and all.
Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Face Mask. Ladies, run. This has been SO hard to find (discontinued?) and I just found a cache of it at Zulily. This actually might be my favorite face mask of all time simply because I use it so frequently. I often wear it to bed when my skin is feeling dry and dull. It is super-gentle and super-effective. My favorite overnight treatment! It is ultra-hydrating and rejuvenating and it smells like heaven. I have given this as a gift to at least three or four women I love. I know many of you are also mega fans — RUN!
Kate Somerville Exfolikate. (Currently 20% off with code!). OK, this is not exactly a mask — it is described as “a two-minute facial” — but you can leave it on your face for up to two minutes and it’s a dream for breathing life back into dull skin. It is bracing, refreshing, toning. This is your best bet for a quick pick-me-up for a dinner date when short on time. For some reason, this brand and this product were all the rage maybe five years ago and it’s sort of gone quiet since. It is SO good though!
There are also a couple of face masks I want to try that have been sitting in my shopping cart for a long time —
Chantecaille Bio-Lifting Face Mask. At the very top of my lust-list, as it has been recommended the world over. It purports to solve for wrinkles and fine lines. I find this brand to be very expensive but very effective.
Malin + Goetz Detox Face Mask. This is one of those cult-favorite products I’ve heard mentioned countless times — apparently it fizzes slightly and leaves a squeaky-clean-to-the-pores feeling. I’m so intrigued!
Leah Lani Meli Glow. I’ve read about this now a few times — it apparently smells like a tropical smoothie and leaves skin impossibly glowing, illuminated, and hydrated. I also love that this is a female-founded small business.
REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask. This is more of a treatment than a mask, but apparently it really turns on the lights in your skin. I have been intrigued by this clean beauty brand for awhile — I know a few of my friends are huge devotees.
What about you? Any must-try face masks you want to throw into the ring here?
P.S. My other top recs for getting ready before a night out: Eberjey romper and Weezie SS robe — I hate the feeling of sweating while blowing my hair, and these two are my go-tos for staying cool. I love that the Weezie robe has short sleeves that don’t always get in the way while I’m blow-drying or washing my face. That said, this HHH robe has been sitting in my cart in that pretty trellis floral print as we head towards cooler weather…so fluffy and darling! I also swear by these DryBar hair clips for sectioning hair while drying, these for keeping hair out of face while applying makeup (do not cause any kinks/creases in hair!), and of course my Revlon One Step, which continues to be one of my favorite discoveries of the past five years. I literally HATED drying my hair and would often just give up and let it airdry and then feel unkempt, and this transformed all of that for me. Best $40 I’ve spent in a long, long time. I’ve mentioned this elsewhere but my only gripe is that I find it difficult to achieve volume with — I get a great smooth, straight blowout with it, but not much oomph. I’ve been playing around with these hot rollers over the last few weeks — after I blow dry, I section a couple of the areas right around the top of my head and wrap them in hot rollers for about ten minutes. I’m actually really impressed with what I’m able to do with the bangs part of my hair (i.e., the top section of my hair, right along the part) now with the hot rollers, but the rest is still a work in progress.
P.P.P.S. Remember my dilemma about what to do for counter stools in our new home? We decided we are going to wait to invest in something while working with our interior designer and bought these in the great stormy blue color as a stop-gap, as we really needed a place to perch at the end of the island, and they are inexpensive (2 for $140!) and arrive in two days. They’ll go great with the blue and white striped kitchen rug/runner set I bought (I bought the 2×3 size for in front of the sink and the 2×7 size for in front of the range/stove). You can’t beat the price for a little colorful face lift in the kitchen! Also, we did end up buying the Ume soap dispenser for our kitchen sink, which at first I thought might look a little modern, but Mr. Magpie loved the style and the fact that it won some design awards, and on second glance, I realized it did kind of work on top of our white farmhouse sink!
By: Jen Shoop
I just put out a call for this month’s “What Are You Shopping For” series on Instagram and there were tons of questions about what to wear to fall weddings! I thought I’d answer all of those questions here in one post…
SUPER LOVE THIS $218 DRESS IN THE BROWN/BLACK COMBO…CHIC!!!!
In case you are (like me) beginning to work on your fall wardrobe, I thought I’d share a couple of designer sweaters I love accompanied by looks for less. To be honest, I have made sparing investments in knitwear to date, often preferring to invest in denim and shoes. This way, I can lean into less expensive trends for tops/sweaters and wear the same shoes/denim season after season. This year, I’m trying more of a hybrid approach: investing in a few key sweaters (bonus when they are high-end but on sale!) that are more classic-leaning and then filling in the rest with looks for less. Below, a few favorites…
OK, I am blown away by several of the pieces from Banana Republic’s New Arrivals section —
+This Zimmermann-esque balloon sleeved mini! It’s linen and I love it in both the Zimmermann-esque print and the understated chic “dry mustard” color. Wow. Major! So chic with a lace-up sandal like these for an early fall wedding or social gathering.
+This dress in the black or marigold is so chic — wow! Perfect date night dress, or even wedding guest dress depending on the dress code. Makes me think of Ulla Johnson, but under $200.
+THIS TOP! Again, reminds me a little of Zimmermann, a little of Ulla Johnson, and — in the solid khaki color — a bit of some of Hunter Bell’s pieces. I love the prints but I’m majorly drawn to the dry mustard color!
+This blouse would be so perfect for back to work, either in the white or khaki. Straight-forward with a twist!
+Adore the way this duster sweater is styled on the site in both colorways — it literally gave me new ideas for how to dress this fall. First of all, love the look where she’s wearing ecru denim tucked into brown boots and with HOOPS! I mean, SO chic. Who is doing the styling at BR?! I’m blown away.
+Finally, speaking of shackets, this canvas one in the cream color is insanely chic.
BRAVO Banana Republic! My head is officially turned. Will be taking notes from their styling from here on out…
On a totally separate note, I found a treasure trove of Cienta shoes on sale for 40% off at Gilt in great colors — navy, red, blue — just in time for the school year!
The other day, I was driving on 495 (a topic for another day, but it’s been…an adjustment getting back behind the wheel after four years of never driving, and I am trying not to make my newborn fear of highway driving “a thing” but YIKES! How do people drive 495 and 270 daily?! Horrifying!) and Ariana Grande’s “One Last Time” came on the radio. I was immediately transported to summer in Chicago, circa 2015, zipping down Wacker with Mr. Magpie and our best friends, the windows down, the air warm and wild around us. We’d just finished one of those architectural boat tours of the city which are, in fact, a fantastic way to see Chicago and much less cheesy than you’d think. There was alchemy afoot between the girlishness of Ariana’s song and the carefree frivolity of the day and the feel of Chicago in the summertime and the windows down and the music up. I was young(er), and happy, and unencumbered. It felt natural to sing at the top of my lungs over the roar of the wind.
Or at least that’s how I remember that time but I am certain there were heavinesses on my mind and heart at that age, or if not heavinesses, questions and everyday stressors. A lot happened to us in Chicago. Not all of it bad and none of it so unique or trying that it sets me apart from any other woman in her late 20s. There were losses and embarrassments. It was mainly a coming of age. We arrived wide-eyed newlyweds and we left somewhat burnt out, but wiser and scrappier and with the tremendous blessing of our beloved daughter. Still, it took until a magical meal a year into living in Manhattan for us to fully emerge from that headspace. Then came Hill, a true and thorough joy — but also the dawn of a sustained period of exhaustion that in turn drew us straight into COVID, and, well, the first few months of the pandemic were pretty dark. Though it bears noting that the sun still rises everyday, and that we made it, and that there are so many families that have been through hell and worse and sometimes not back during this same time period. Soy bendecida, soy bendecida, soy bendecida.
Anyhow, Ariana’s song feels emblematic of those early, halcyon days in Chicago — pre-children, pre-entrepreneurship, pre-COVID. Still laboring under the apprehension that the world was our oyster. I’m sure this algebra will change as I age, but at the moment, I see my life drawn into four segments along an x axis, and some of these segments overlap: 1) pre-Landon, 2) with Landon, 3) with children, 4) with the pain and insights that came of closing our business. What I mean by #4 is that at some point in 2017, we closed a business we had built together, which is a lot less straight-forward than it sounds. Closing that business together was painfully drawn out, sort of like removing ten thousand porcupine quills from your skin one-by-one and very slowly. There were the early rumblings that it might be something we should consider. Not-so-frank, then-very-frank conversations with our funders. The trimming back of plans, the loss of staff. The million little, impossibly excruciating details — contracts to consider, accounts to close, people to tell, associations to quit. And behind all of those logistics laid bare a gaping wound with no doctor to treat it. Oh. Those were hard days. I write that and I feel compelled to qualify: but we ended up fine! we learned so much! we landed on our feet! I wouldn’t be here without being there! we were lucky to have the space to start that business together! at least we had the companionship of each other! this is all small potatoes compared to the travails of so many others! However, I still look back and absolutely freeze. I have the sense that when I look back at this x axis, I will forever consider the end of our business a turning point in my life, a phase somehow on par with other major shifts, like puberty, and matrescence, and becoming a wife. It was identity-changing: a collision of outlandish expectations with gut-wrenching realities.
Oof. A bit heavy there, but perhaps the broader tableau explains why I have a profound affection for that Ariana song, which is really not that great (though some of her other early songs were!), and whose lyrics mean virtually nothing to me (“baby come back,” in so many words). It is breezy and catchy and the opening chimes bring to mind steel drums and island time and the uniquely spectacular and old-timey joy of summer in Chicago. Maybe I am giving the song short shrift, though — there is something in the rise of her voice in the chorus that feels perfectly synchronized with the way I felt in 2015: in hopeful ascent. Which is not to say that the past many years have been a downslope, nor that I would change anything, nor that I would like to go back to that time. (I need my babies around me.) I have come to a place where I am “perplexed and awed / by how every little thing / added up and brought / [me] somewhere wonderful — or /where [I] always wanted to be.”
Still, that song. It draws me to a good place.
What song do you secretly love? Or rather — what unexpected song holds special meaning for you?
+Y’all are loving this smocked top for fall, and I think it will be perfect with jeans but also layered underneath some of the nap dresses I’ve been seeing on preview from Hill House! I saw one that is very similar to this Emilia Wickstead style (<<only one size left here) I have been dreaming of for years now.
+Recently read that this Chanel lipstick in the “Boy” color is a fantastic nude on many skin tones. Intrigued…have definitely been in the mood to play around with cosmetics now that we are seeing more friends and have more on our social calendar.
+It’s interesting — this post didn’t get that many comments, but I received so many emails and messages of solidarity around “the witching hour” from you lovely fellow mamas.
+We searched high and low for a Haws watering can a few weeks back and couldn’t find one anywhere! I just found some in stock here in the 1-gal size. FYI! You can also get the look for a little less with this under-$30 one — love the green and copper combo.
+Had to get these socks for mini. Love the retro styling!
+Running out in and out of the backyard all the time makes me realize how handy clogs will be this fall. Just slip on and go!
I’ve been sharing a lot of children’s clothing posts over the last few weeks because, after slowly and opportunistically filling out their summer wardrobes over the past many months, I am suddenly shuttled into buying for fall! There are some amazing fall finds for girls here and boys here, but you must know about Gap’s 40% off promotion, which ends tonight! I just did a big haul and here were my favorite finds:
I also picked up a few items from Old Navy since they will let you combine a cart and shop from both spots at once. I got a bunch of pairs of these everyday leggings in white and navy, this puffer vest in the dusty red, and this striped rugby tee.
I am struggling to find simple, not-exorbitantly-priced LS tops for mini for this fall. She’s sized out of the toddler basic LS tees at Old Navy, which is what I used to go with, and so many other places are either $42/top or emblazoned with graphics. J. Crew is a good option but I find the shirts run really narrow/long and they just don’t fit mini properly. Will keep hunting and report back!
Oh – and if you’re shopping for yourself instead of the LOs, a few good Gap snags:
Speaking of Amazon finds, I did end up ordering micro this rain coat in that great mid-blue color and was surprised to find it’s basically back-ordered in that color until October run. So, run! I also snagged mini the child version of my favorite Amazon fleece for a twin moment this fall.
Currently hoping for a Janie + Jack promo so I can snag a few other pieces for micro sooner than later!
P.P.S. A reader asked what I’m doing to get ready for the back-to-school routine (BTW, some cute back to school outfit inspo here). We still have a little while to go — mini’s first day is until after Labor Day — but last year, we worked hard the week prior to school’s start to make sure everyone was fed, dressed, ready to go by the time we’d need to leave for school. That way, it was much less jarring on the first day — we already had a week of practice under our belts. Our school had also suggested making some sort of visual countdown available to children, as they have no sense for time. (What’s a week to a toddler?!). There are all kinds of ways to do this — I’ve seen tear off calendars (tear off a page each day until you get to 0) and even homemade chain links using construction paper that you hang from some part of the child’s room. Each day that passes, you remove one link, until there are none left, and that’s the first day of school! We just used a wall calendar, which has been very helpful in general with mini. She does not like surprises, and, on the flipside, it helps her get excited about upcoming celebrations, activities, special occasions, etc. We got her this Peanuts one since she loves Snoopy, and it came with lots of little stickers for things like play dates, doctor’s visits, etc. She has fun putting the stickers on the right day, and part of our bedtime routine is letting her cross off today and discussing what’s coming up tomorrow. Anyhow, we’ll use the calendar to continuously point out the start of school.
I basically overhauled most of my skincare regimen at the start of 2021 — one of my new year’s goals was to take better care of my skin — and so I have been testing and reporting back on tons of new products over the past nine months. However, there are a few hero items I have used for years and years and years that I will never abandon in favor of the new new, and I think the longevity of my commitment to them speaks volumes. These are products that have stood the test of time, whose quality and effectiveness are consistent and impressive. I have used many of these for over a decade — some since my teen years!
PANTENE PRO-V (IT’S THIS OR ORIBE — NOTHING ELSE…I’VE BEEN TESTING THE OLAPLEX AFTER SO MANY GREAT REVIEWS AND I PERSONALLY THINK PANTENE IS STILL BETTER)*
GOODY HAIR TIES — NOTHING FANCY, BUT I’M NEVER WITHOUT A FISTFUL OF THESE IN ALL MY BAGS/DRAWERS
What are your ride-or-die beauty products you’ll never abandon?
*I wrote about this hi-lo dichotomy on hair care in this post. So interesting to read about where other women splurge/save, too. Also: hats off to the reader who mentioned you can often score Oribe on sale at TJ Maxx!
**Will eventually share full reviews of all my latest beauty discoveries (it’s been a minute since my last installment), but I do have to put out a little plug for this $10 brush now, which I bought for mini. She has a children’s Mason Pearson brush upstairs and one of these downstairs, as I often do her hair while she’s finishing up breakfast. I honestly think it’s slightly better for detangling than the MP for a little one. It grabs fine hair really nicely and works through snarls and snags (ahem, yogurt/syrup in hair) wonderfully. I have been wanting to try Yves Durif’s expensive detangling brush (currently sold out) but may honestly just buy a second one of these for myself for post-shower!
P.P.S. This section of my blog has a complete list of all my favorite beauty finds at the moment, including more recent discoveries than the items above.
Each morning, Mr. Magpie descends to his tiered garden beds, the August heat already swollen around him, the sun startlingly unremitting. I observe him nudging vines and tugging at weeds in quiet appraisal. Sometimes I capture him in an unaffected posture of reflection, a few paces back from the soil, his head cocked to the side. He will later divulge his assessments: “I think I’m going to move the basil plant” or “I’m contemplating getting rid of that raspberry bush” or even the daybreak beginnings of broader conversations about life, as though digging into the earth in mid-August heat invites these first yarns on the warp. But I hear of those lambent musings later. That sliver of golden morning sun is his. His separate peace. His centering before returning to the rush of air conditioning and clatter of breakfast plates and the tug of small hands at the hem of his shirt, when he presents me with his morning harvest: a palmful of delicate raspberries, an eggplant to cook for dinner, three or four squat tomatoes.
It dawned on me the other day, while watching him return from his morning errand, that there are many permutations of prayer. Or if “prayer” is too broad a reach for those who are practicing Christians — of mindfulness. C.S. Lewis wrote this:
“The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing.”
I see in my husband’s tender morning ministrations to the soil a man “letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing.” His ritual is, for me, a sunup call to prayer and a reminder of the spectacular multivalence of the physical world. I immediately think of Seamus Heaney, who, in his celebrated poem “Digging,” draws fibrous connections between what he would later call “the head’s center and its circumference” — that is, what is seen or heard on the outside and what is felt on the inside, and the reverberations between — while also reminding us of the gorgeous wideness of interpretation.
“Under my window, a clean rasping sound When the spade sinks into gravelly ground: My father, digging. I look down
Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds Bends low, comes up twenty years away Stooping in rhythm through potato drills Where he was digging.
[…]
The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge Through living roots awaken in my head. But I’ve no spade to follow men like them.
Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests. I’ll dig with it.”
I read this and I watch my husband in his garden and I reflect on C.S. Lewis and I strain towards a more prayerful morning posture — and I see two souls oriented differently digging towards the same center.
Post-Scripts.
+If you haven’t listened to Seamus Heaney read this poem, you must (<<there is a link to his reading here). I love so many of the inflections and intonations, but especially the resolve in the final line. I hadn’t interpreted that line as a reclamation, but it is, in his voice.
+I actually gasped when I saw this $228 bow-front dress in the brown/black combo — talk about a perfect fall wedding guest dress! SO CHIC. The color combo! Also love the red/pink.
+Chic, tailored fleece topper. Although don’t sleep on this $30 sherpa zip-up, which is still one of my favorite things ever. I love throwing it on after working out. So soft and warm! I have it in the teddy brown color.
A two-part digest of pieces I have been loving lately…part one: mainly muted pastels, blues, and greens.
CABBAGE PLATES. Have long loved the look of Bordallo Pinheiro’s cabbage plates, especially when used as dessert places or chargers. If you’re not ready to commit to a set of plates, you could start with a platter in the design. Also love these plates as wall decor, as demonstrated to profoundly chic effect above. Terrain also sells a similar cabbage style individually, and in even more colors.
POLKA DOT DRESS. I’ll never forget a Magpie reader commenting that “all men love a polka dot.” Can’t unhear that and couldn’t agree more — this lovely silk dress in the prettiest shade of blue has my heart eyes. I love (!) the cinching detail at the waist, which is very Brock Collection-esque.
ENAMEL PENDANTS. Cannot get over the shape and color of these beautiful pendant lights, which could totally transform a room. More chic lighting ideas here.
SEA THANDIE DRESS. Love everything about this style from the color to the embroidery to the cut.
ETIENNE WRITING DESK. Just the most gorgeous style for a ladylike office. I feel like I’d be busy with “correspondence” at a desk like this. Ha. It looks vintage! A lot of you loved the simple lines of this unfussy writing desk from Pottery Barn I shared a week or two back.
P.P.S. “And this was maybe why I tended to do well on tests at school: I was self-diminishingly vigilant and obsequious to others, and academics was one way to shine brightly while observing silence and harming no one. It was an aggressive sport with no obvious victim, and I was viciously competitive in its play.” More on me in high school here.
