By: Jen Shoop

Sometimes it’s not the grand gesture, the dramatic sprint through the train terminal, the hand pulling you out of harm’s way.

Sometimes it’s your husband finding your knee beneath the table

and you thinking:

little does he know he’s holding the world together right now

Wild, how something as fibrous as the brush of fingertips, a knowing glance

can have enough tensile strength to carry you straight through the worst of it,

as though escaping Tartarus on Titan-back

Post-Scripts.

+Love is…a salad?

+Marriage is…a lot of things, including the most fun I ever had.

+”Love is a modest thing, never making a fuss about the furnishings. 

Shopping Break.

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

+This blazer, in the houndstooth, is giving Veronica Beard vibes but under $120. I would temper the formality of this look by layering over a polished white tee (<<ICYMI, this is the best $15 tee) and some barrel jeans (upgrade pick: also love these, which I own in a different wash).

BLAZER // JEANS // TEE // BAG (LOOK FOR LESS) // FLATS (LOOK FOR LESS)

+BTW, this Mansur Gavriel (seen above) has been a total MVP in my fall wardrobe. It’s so easy to wear and the color is so unexpected but still acts like a neutral to me? Can be worn with basically anything but I especially love it with my brown-heavy wardrobe. I noticed its also available in a really chic “biscuit” color.

+And speaking of barrel leg, these Everlane pants were restocked after selling out! Love.

+And! Speaking of Veronica Beard vibes, VB is offering 25% off some fab current season finds with code FAVES2024. I always go straight for the blazers: this, this, this.

+Chic fall phone sling option.

+Ordered my son this breton stripe tee. I also always buy him a few of these under-$12 striped tees from Zara each season. So cute with jeans.

+If you have small feet like me, it’s your lucky day — these Isabel Marant boots are perfection and over 50% off. A few other great Outnet scores: Veronica Beard fair isle, a cropped chocolate suede jacket, a fun paisley print Zimmermann dress, and an elegant tweed jacket (also available as a dress — very Jackie O.).

+Apparently this $199 camel knit coat is a perennial bestseller. Good value for a classic look!

+Lululemon vibes for under $20.

+If you like my VB brown wide-leg jeans, you might also consider these from Paige — almost $100 less.

+Pair either with this paisley print top.

+Just did a little shop for Mr. Magpie, and I bought him this overshirt, these cords, these trousers, and this button-down. I like a lot of the styling on Sezane for men – took some notes for him! I also got him these (under $200) suede loafers and these brown sneaks. Clearly on a brown kick!

+A cool way to leave your clothes smelling gorgeous.

+If you like my denim barn jacket (was restocked recently!) but want something a little less $$, try this — currently under $100.

+My daughter LOVES statement socks – they are sort of becoming a signature fashion of hers – and she went wild over this inexpensive set I picked up at Target.

+She’s soooo perfect.

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

CRAYON // PAPER AIRPLANE KIT // JOURNALS // PUFFY PENS // JEEP SET // BARBIE DREAM CAR

I hate the word “hack” (…there are no hacks in life?), but one of my greatest “simplify your life” discoveries has been picking one gift to give each season to my children’s friends. This means I can buy multiples in advance, or at least know precisely what to buy when the next birthday party invitation rolls in. Last season, I gave a lot of these Stanley water bottles personalized with these vinyl initial stickers and cute straw toppers. I also gifted a bunch of these pouches that can be customized with these cute patches — what woman doesn’t love a pouch?! (I made my life even easier by also buying a bunch of these “GWrap” bags from Joy Creative Shop — you just slide the water bottle/pouch right in and seal with a sticker that you can write the recipient’s name on. So easy — no tape, no tissue, no cutting — and looks adorable.)

This season, I purchased a bunch of Ooly products and these journals to bundle together. I have a whole stack of them in my gift closet! I love the idea of giving something that’s not just another toy to toss into a bin and might in fact be useful at a restaurant, on a trip, etc. Exactly what I bought below:

THESE ANIMAL NOTEPADS

CRAYON STICKS (BUY ONE GET ONE FREE WHEN YOU ADD TWO TO CART!)

SCENTED MARKERS

FORTUNE TELLER KIT (I GAVE MY DAUGHTER ONE OF THESE AND SHE WAS OBSESSED!!!)

PAPER AIRPLANE KIT

MAGIC PUFFY PENS

CLEVER FOX JOURNALS

GLITTER PENS

I also lost track of the number of kids we gave these Schleich helicopter sets to — my son LOVES this toy and every little boy who has received it has adored it, too. The rotor actually works and the little net is thrilling to them?! This Jeep set (by the same brand) is also a favorite — the front has a retractable cord that my son loves to use to drag things around his room. And we’ve also given a bunch of these Revell model kits, too. My son loves to work on these model projects with my husband!

Also – a note that as of the time of writing this post, there are a few great holiday gifts for children included in Amazon’s big deal day (running through today). These are bigger items I would probably give my own children versus as a standard birthday gift! But they include the mini Yoto (my daughter loves hers!), an American Girl Welly Wisher, a big Lego set, a Barbie dream car, a huge set of Crayola markers, crayons, pencils, etc.

What are your go-to gifts for young children?

P.S. More gift ideas for young kids here. And toys you won’t mind leaving out here.

P.P.S. On maintaining wonder as a parent.

P.P.P.S. In case you need a reminder: you’re where you need to be today.

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

Last week, I stopped into Madewell to get my hands on a pair of their darted barrel jeans. These jeans have been so, so popular this season, selling out multiple times. I ordered a pair back in August and they never shipped! I finally canceled the order and went to the source. I fell in love with them in this cool washed black color, but the driftwood brown is so, so good too. I changed into them as soon as I got home! (Wearing above with these $130 mesh flats and my favorite linen tee. I styled with my favorite La Ligne sweater, but look for under $200 with this or this.) Go a size down in thee jeans — I actually could fit into two sizes down but wanted them to be a bit looser/baggier so went one size down instead. I am telling you, if you are into the barrel jean but not willing to invest in a designer pair, these are the ones you want. (N.B.: apparently men like this fit?! My husband, my best friend’s husband, and several Magpie husbands chimed in to say “yes, I like them.”) If you want the look for even less, go with Gap’s under-$80 pair.

While in the store, I also ogled a few other ultra-chic finds under $200: this perfect cashmere cardigan (I found it in on-trend espresso in store but seems to have sold out online — other colors are also gorgeous), these studded ballet flats, and this look-for-less option for the SoldOut NYC chocolate “everything shirt” I raved about a few days back. (The SoldOut NYC top is also under $200, though, and 15% off with JEN15.)

Anyhow, the visit to the mall led me to round up a bunch of other everyday outfit pieces — things I’d reach for and combine for daily wear — for under $200. See below!

J. CREW CARDIGAN // DAPHINE EARRINGS // GAP SLOUCHY BAG // MADEWELL BARREL JEANS // INTENTIONALLY BLANK LOAFERS

EVERLANE RANCH JACKET // KULE SWEATPANTS AND SWEATSHIRT (ALSO LOVE THE SETS FROM GAP) // INTENTIONALLY BLANK LOAFERS // RL BALLCAP

MANGO SWEATER // ZARA COAT // J. CREW CZ RIVIERE NECKLACE // J. CREW SLIP SKIRT // MADEWELL FLATS

SANDRO FAIR ISLE SWEATER (MORE FAIR ISLES FOR THE SEASON HERE) // VELVET BRYLIE PANTS // MADEWELL FLATS // GAP SLOUCHY BAG

URBAN REVIVO BLAZER // DAPHINE EARRINGS // PISTOLA JEANS // KULE TOTE // ADIDAS SAMBAS

P.S. My version of a fall capsule wardrobe.

P.P.S. On preparing to lose a pet.

P.P.P.S. That one summer I behaved very badly.

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

You need to know about the the Dyson AirWrap. It is the ultimate “regrettably worth it” item in my opinion. Worth every penny at full price and if you can get it at any kind of discount (occasionally you can find it 15% off at Blue Mercury; I also believe you can sign up for emails there to get it for 10% off), a bargain. I had wanted one for years but had major sticker shock — I felt some primal sense of justice in believing that a blow dryer should be under $200. But this one is different. This one will give you a salon-quality blow-out at home every day of the week, and will absolutely change the way you feel about your hair. I have not stopped singing its praises since I received, and am evangelical about it to anyone who will listen. My stick-straight, determined-to-be-boring hair actually holds a bend at the end — for days. I am now convinced that any woman with good hair owns one.

A few practical tips: 1) hair needs to be 90% dry before using the AirWrap attachment. I use the blow dryer attachment to rough dry first and then use the AirWrap to finish the ends. I watched many YouTube tutorials about using the AirWrap and the best advice someone gave: “hair needs to feel fluffy with a tiny bit of dampness to it, but cannot clump together at all.” This is accurate. 2) This is a powerful tool. It is quiet, but powerful. I strongly believe you need a heat protectant if you are using regularly — one of my girlfriends who has used hers religiously for years now insists you need to protect your hair or the ends dry out. I love this leave-in spray and then top with a few spritzes of this heat-activated “dream coat” product, which really gives you a glossy, polished finish. 3) I think “sealing” the curl in with the cold setting really prolongs the look.

A few other favorite finds below — these were a part of the Amazon Prime Big Deals going on in early October and they included a discounted Dyson AirWrap, but leaving this collage here anyhow, even though most are no longer on promotion. FWIW, I think all of these are worth buying at full price!

BEST NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES // THE DYSON AIR WRAP // LEAVE-IN CONDITIONING SPRAY // UNIVERSAL TRAVEL ADAPTER // CHIC HAND SANITIZING SPRAY // TRAVEL MIRROR // ORGANIZATIONAL CUBES // COCOFLOSS

Notes and a few other finds below…

A TRAVEL MIRROR WITH LIGHTING — ENSURES YOU WON’T LOOK LIKE A CLOWN NO MATTER WHAT THE BATHROOM LIGHTING SITUATION IS AT YOUR HOTEL

HAND SANITIZER — CHIC PACKAGING, GREAT SCENTS

UNIVERSAL TRAVEL ADAPTER — WE BOUGHT TWO OF THESE

THESE ARE THE BEST NOISE CANCELING HEADPHONES — MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH HAVE THESE AND I CHOSE THEM AFTER COMPARING WITH BOSE, APPLE, ETC — TRULY THE BEST

A few items for home: I love these storage cubes for organizing makeup (would also be great for toy or art supply organization), and you know my thoughts on Cocofloss. Addicted.

A few items for kids: the mini Yoto player! My sister gave my daughter one for Christmas and she loves it. Great for travel, too. Perfect Christmas gift. Also, this classic Lego set. My son lives for Lego! Finally, American Girl Welly Wisher! I’ve never seen these discounted before. My daughter loves her AG dolls.

All my top sale picks from the promotion are also in my Amazon store.

P.S. What goes into your “everything shower“?

P.P.S. On making everything important.

By: Jen Shoop

It’s a slow-release poison, to over-worry about what other people think. I would know; I’ve been queasy with its effects for too long. Since I was a child! Always big eyes and a quiet voice: don’t rock the boat. The time I interjected while my father was disciplining another sibling, and was told, crisply, to mind my own business. I was sick with my own comeuppance for weeks. I felt I’d misplayed my hand, revealed some horrible inner daemon, lost my seating as the responsible older sister. The time I shared a photo of my friend’s child without asking first, and upset him — the way I cried about this, the way I carried it like an albatross! I felt rotten, and still, ten years later, think about it too often when we’re together, prodding at how it’s reshaped his opinion of me. There are bigger things, too, of course, and smaller things, like the time I was trying to parallel park while an impatient driver raged and honked behind me in Lincoln Park. Eventually, he flew around into oncoming traffic to give me the finger and scream through my window. I nursed that for months, permitted his anger to make me wonder about my competency as a driver — I guess that spot had been too small, and I’d held up a lane of traffic for a few minutes…? For awhile, I avoided parking when other cars were close by.

There is accountability, and then there is…this. This tendency to gild the inelaborate. To see mistakes not as reparable via earnest apology, or opportunities to learn, but as markers of deficiency. It takes such strenuous work to give myself a soft landing; I am much more comfortable browbeating. Is this a Catholic thing, an oldest daughter thing, a me thing?

I’m posing the wrong question. Because the real one is: how do I move beyond this? I ask this acutely. I have been quietly struggling for years with the aftermath of putting up boundaries in a fraught relationship, and when I wake up in twisted bedsheets over it, I feel first a private pain, as sharp as a knife tip, and second, nearly as quickly, a low throb over how my actions disturbed the peace of others, and forever dented their perceptions of me. I hate the easy sorority of these sentiments. Can’t I please grow up and focus on the subject rather than its dubious predicate? I am taking care of myself, I am taking care of myself, I am taking care of myself, I whisper. But my soul cries back: and at the expense of whom? I feel then the ancient, inborn responsibility to keep the peace.

And whose peace am I keeping?

I am forty; I am exhausted with this routine. If I am honest, it makes me want to withdraw into the safest of scanned waters: the small ring of close family and friends who seem willing to accept me no matter my missteps. But really I know I must find a way to make like a duck: to let the water slick right off my back. Because I cannot hide in my own huddle forever.

I am writing my way through this, in private journal. Most of the time, instead of an answer, I find an apology. But nothing leaves until it has taught us what we need to learn. And something interesting is happening: I am finding the stitching ever so slightly looser. A little more room for myself. Yet again, life’s interruptions become a creative grist that sustains, and sometimes soothes.

Here, now, we are letting out the seams.

Post-Scripts.

+Overcoming a heartbreak.

+On writing as a daily practice.

+What are your favorite Substacks?

+More on soft landings — and something that felt a lot like grace. I am capable of those moments from time to time!

Shopping Break.

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

+My notebook in the snap above is by D.C.-based paper brand Appointed — I’m obsessed with them. I love that you can buy them blank, lined, or gridded (each with their own merits) and the linen effect top is so elegant. Nice quality paper, too, that doesn’t bleed through. (I believe the code MAGPIEBYJENSHOOP still gets you 15% off.) Lately, I’ve been using these ultra-fine-point pens for hand-drafting.

+I keep thinking about these Citizens jeans. The tuxedo stripe down the side is so interesting! I imagine pairing with a crisp white button-down. Gap has a good look for less pair.

+Oo la la, this red cardigan! Giving Jenni Kayne Cooper vibes but in a fun pop of red.

+It’s read-books-under-a-blanket season. These ones are the best. One of those things you’ve heard about forever but totally lives up to the hype.

+Speaking of “regrettably worth it” (RWI) items, these Skims tees have my attention. Several people have referred to Skims products as “the ultimate RWI.”

+The intrecciato look for under $75. (These remind me of the ones from Freda Salvador and Loeffler!)

+Ordered my son this shacket to match his Dad.

+Have seen these embellished boucle Chanel Mary Janes on a few chic peas — j’adore! Get the vibe for less with these Margaux (selling fast). And did you see the Margaux collab with Matilda Goad? These are fun! Such great colors.

+Speaking of footwear, I did order these flat Larroude boots. I’d been eyeing for so long! I was tempted to get brown but I feel like I’ve bought solely brown footwear this season. These will be a fun alternate when I feel like wearing black.

+Eyeing these faux leather pants.

+I’m way past the baby years but this changing table stopped me in my tracks! I would have LOVED this for my daughter’s nursery. The scalloping!

+Most polished sweatsuit. Something you can actually wear with ballet flats and look pulled together in! Try code APPLE for $50 off.

+A steamy fall romance.

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation. Image via.

01. Fancy snacks: my favorite microwave popcorn (butter, truffle) and Swedish candy. (This reminded me of my post from earlier this year on unfussy but elegant happy hour snacks.)

02. New pens, highlighters, or pencils.

03. Pouches to organize your children’s toys and other miscellany. I just reorganized a big tub of activities in my closet and used these to corral all stickers, sets of markers, little notepads, etc.

04. A restock of the best floss on the planet.

05. The best fashion item $15 can buy you. These are realllllly good — heavy weight cotton and look much more expensive than they are thanks to the wide collar.

06. This eye pencil is identical to the Anastasia one but $16. Its by a brand that basically produces the “generic version” of prestige beauty products — these are virtually indistinguishable from Bobbi Brown, and these are very similar to Rare Beauty.

07. Lots of other great beauty buys under $20 here.

08. Weighted sleep mask. Feels so incredible on.

09. Ice roller – I love this for headaches, bug bites, puffy eyes, etc. I actually use this a lot more than I thought I would. My kids love it when they injure themselves too.

10. A little spendier, but this dry shampoo is really as good as they say it is. I have found myself very sensitive to dry shampoo scents — they just make me feel gross / dirty?! This has a light, fresh, non-chemical scent, almost like a shampoo, and works kind of like the old baby powder trick (but actually invisible).

11. A new book (<< currently reading; a lot of you are listening to this on audiobook, and I just downloaded, too!)

12. Hand soap upgrade.

P.S. How do you fill your cup in under an hour?

P.P.S. Be on your own team.

P.P.P.S. How do you handle meal planning?

By: Jen Shoop

This morning, republishing an edited version of a post initially titled “A January Reminder.” Frankly, it’d be better titled “a daily reminder,” as I have thought back on this note from this Magpie so many times, and been chastised by its truth. Today, I am thinking of a friend going through a rough patch in her marriage. From the outside in, you’d never know. A reminder to go lightly, to go easy.

****

“After drop off today, I drove by the house of neighbor whose husband is getting a kidney tomorrow. I literally thought to myself: from the outside, with the snow and toddler toys, you would never know what they are going through and reminded myself it holds true for probably most people we meet.”

-A Magpie Reader

The world softens, as though a line run slack,

when I remember that many of us are privately nursing broken hearts and invisible griefs.

If I can look beyond the sunny Instagram posts and perfectly-packed Bento box lunches, or the de rigueur smile and wave from the neighbor, or the unexpected outburst from a stranger —

if I can see past the stipules, be they thorny or decorative,

I so often find a tender center.

Today I am challenging myself to ignore the guard petals,

and, equally, to be unafraid of looking sadness or hardship in its face.

Years ago, I plumbed for meaning: “what does it mean to be a woman of substance?” At the time, I doubted myself. Career transitions and a string of years that asked instead of answered had left me wraith-like with worry and insecurity. I was straining to sketch out a dress form I might eventually fill. If I could only identify its dimensions, perhaps I could model myself against it.

I now believe that a woman of substance is someone so at ease with herself, she can give herself to others without self-diminishment or self-projection. She can be happy for friends, and sad for them, too, without losing anything of herself. She can listen without interjecting her own story; she can marvel without battling jealousy; she can endure unkindnesses without questioning herself. She does not need the last word, the biggest laugh, the adulation, the apology: she is full without the feedback. She stands still in her center.

I work to be that woman.

What I mean to say to myself this October morning:

Find ease today — both in your dealings with others and yourself.

As always, onward —

Post-Scripts.

+On looking squarely at grief.

+Life somehow compensates for our losses.

+On giving myself a soft landing when I need it.

+Grace, in action.

Shopping Break.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

+Mentioned last week, but can’t stop raving about the fantastic cotton sweaters from Alice Walk – absolutely perfect for this in-between weather time. I own this in two colors and just snagged one of these, too. IMO the price is incredible relative to quality. They aren’t cheap but I feel like I’ve seen similar priced in the $300-$400, and these are superior.

+THE BEST inexpensive sleeping pillows. At the moment of writing this, 20% off!

+Sea has some great new arrivals – into this marble print dress and these wide-leg oxblood trousers.

+Speaking of oxblood, most sizes still available in this perfect fall top. Of course love the color – would be so chic with brown denim, brown leather, dark wash denim, ivory, moss green…!

+Love the fall colors in this dress. Under $250, great family portrait or fall work presentation dress.

+I’m always drawn to structured journals like these, with self-improvement / self-reflections prompts!

+Sambas in a perfect fall colorway.

+Look for less for my Sezane Emile sweater.

+A chic, logo-less look for less for the Metier tote (and like 1/20th the price).

+Underbed storage is a must if you live in a small space. These were essential for NY living.

+This chic skirt stopped me in my tracks. More fab skirts for the season here.

+Perfect ivory cardigan.

+If you’re already thinking ahead to Christmas outfits, two items I’ve found for children that I love: this fair isle sweater (heirloom quality — pass down to little brothers, cousins, etc; also can be unisex) and this tartan baby dress.

By: Jen Shoop

I wrote about Alan Jackson last weekend, and then I put him on. He shuttled me right back to my college days, to a time in which it seemed that the entire world spread out in front of me, waiting for me to choose it. When I think of college, I think first — and bizarrely, perhaps, as class wasn’t in session at the time — of slow Charlottesville summers, when the days dripped by, unhurried and hazy. Landon fixing things in my apartment, and me fixing drinks in his kitchen. Bare feet, still heat, the torpid call of cicadas. Alan Jackson and Tim McGraw, the familiar but unpeopled walk to The Corner holding hands, and Landon driving through grass to take me tubing on the James, where we drifted through a 95 degree afternoon, his hand occasionally reaching for mine to keep me close.

We were just standing in the middle of August, idle and happy. Nowhere to be but together.

Alan Jackson returned all of that to me in a rush. The slow limberness of that time, and the way “real life” lay just around the corner.

When I wasn’t lost in memory, I paused and paid attention to his song “Neon Rainbow,” which I’ve always sort of skip-sang my way through, unaware of the lyrics. This time, I listened to Jackson singing his success story: the way music and the stage have always called to him, despite the challenges of “making it.” And one stanza leapt out at me:

Daddy’s got a radio
He won it 30 years ago
He said, “Son I just know we’re going to hear you singing on it some day”
Well, I made it up to Music Row
Lordy, don’t the wheels turn slow?
Still, I wouldn’t trade a minute and I wouldn’t have it any other way

Lordy, don’t the wheels turn slow?

If you have ever built something from the ground up, or had a dream that takes at least a quarterlife to accomplish, you feel those words viscerally. Absolutely nothing worthwhile happens overnight, or by accident. Progress often feels like a long, slow start. I am still far from my own ambition — making my way through its foothills, perhaps — but I feel these words, and I see that I have picked up some speed, or rhythm, along the way. Or at least I know I am under sail.

Funny, how love can make you want to stop time, and ambition can make you want to skip it. Thinking about those twin imperatives today, and reminding myself to sit square in the middle. There is no need to rush!

****

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

A little Sunday shopping poetry…

EVERLANE BARN JACKET // DORSEY EARRINGS // ROTHY’S FLATS // DONNI CARDIGAN // DONNI PANTS // MERCI PARIS HAT // TOTEME BAG // MOTHER SCIENCE SERUM

J. CREW CARDIGAN WORN AS A DRESS (!!!!) — STYLING GETS A 10/10 HERE

My denim barn jacket was just restocked at Everlane! I love her. I took a size down as it looked really big. I’d say take your true size if you want a boxier fit or plan to wear over chunky knits; I wanted something a touch more tailored. // I’m telling you, these earrings make every outfit. I love to pair them with more casual pieces (jeans and a tee!) to pack a punch. // A perfect fall bag. // Mille’s third fall drop is out — this top with the velvet bow trim is so chic, and I feel like this smocked LBD would fill a gap in my wardrobe. (15% off with JEN15). // Love this longline cardigan – on sale, and intrigued by the styling on the site (in khaki and navy colors) as a dress with a belt. // Drawn to this ribbed knit set (sweater here) from Donni. Love its lowkey sexiness. I guess my gray cashmere sweatsuit was a gateway drug. // Cool denim hat no one else you know will have. // Jane Win is offering 20% off sitewide — they rarely run sales; this is a great time to get one of their classic coin necklaces (lots of different motifs available), which also make a great milestone gift for a mother/sister/bestie. (E.g., when your mom becomes a grandmother, when your friend completes a round of chemo, etc.) // Rothy’s sent me a pair of their Mary Janes and I get the hype now. Ridiculously comfortable. // The Goop x CB2 collab! OMG. Love the vases. // I’ve been trying all kinds of products targeting dark spot reduction and I think I’ve finally found something that works. Have you heard about this Mother Science Molecular Serum?! I’ve been using for a few weeks now and I almost can’t believe my eyes. It has this anti-oxidant in it that I’d not heard of before, Malassezin. It really brightens and evens skin — I’m very bullish on this. //

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation. Image via.

+A DIAMOND AS BIG AS THE RITZ: I re-read this classic Fitzgerald novella twice this week thanks to the University of South Florida. What a masterpiece! Delightfully strange, with fascinating commentary on wealth and the perception of wealth, but what really spoke to me was the way Fitz wrote the romance. The writing toggles between coy, elliptical and direct in the most satisfying way. I’ve read no better romantic introduction than:

“John rounded a soft corner where the massed rosebushes filled the air with heavy scent, and struck off across a park toward a patch of moss under some trees. He had never lain upon moss, and he wanted to see whether it was really soft enough to justify the use of its name as an adjective. Then he saw a girl coming toward him over the grass. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

She was dressed in a white little gown that came just below her knees, and a wreath of mignonettes clasped with blue slices of sapphire bound up her hair. Her pink bare feet scattered the dew before them as she came. She was younger than John—not more than sixteen.
“Hallo,” she cried softly, “I’m Kismine.”
She was much more than that to John already.”

She was much more than that to John already. And the name Kismine! Whew! Later, this gem of a passage:

She bent toward him—then hesitated.
“Did you say ‘Kismine’?” she asked softly, “or—”
She had wanted to be sure. She thought she might have misunderstood.
Neither of them had ever kissed before, but in the course of an hour it seemed to make little difference.

Wowza – I love it all. The mis-hearing of the name, the phrase “in the course of an hour it seemed to make little difference.” Wow, wow!

+SPEAKING OF ROMANCE…The Internet is alight with excitement about the rom com series “Nobody Wants This” featuring Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. I polled Magpies on Instagram and there was a universal “I LOVED IT!” energy, with a lot of oohing and ahhing over Brody, whom you might remember from the O.C., but all grown up. Caroline Chambers summed this aspect of the show up here, and apparently it’s been her most viral TikTok video ever. I am planning to watch tonight and cannot wait.

+FALL SPF: I am good about wearing SPF in the summer, but I am determined to persist through the fall. No sun damage on my face ever again pls and thank you. I just restocked a few of my favorite daily SPFS — my beloved glowscreen, Iris & Romeo Weekend Skin, and RMSBeauty SuperSerum — which I alternate between depending on what I’m going for. I love glowscreen or Iris & Romeo’s Weekend Skin if I’m just throwing something on without a full face of makeup for drop off / exercise. The SuperSerum is my favorite as a primer beneath makeup. While I was ordering them, I noticed Supergoop has a new (to me) SPF tinted skin tint that intrigued me. I think I’ll order to give a try, too.

+A NEW STYLING IDEA: I got my hands on one of the new SoldOut NYC Everything Shirts in of-the-season chocolate brown (see me styling it for Italy here — tried on a few outfits for my trip this week! The theme is fifty shades of brown) and it is so gorgeous. If you’ve not yet purchased one of these…girl! You’re going to love it. Start with white and then add to the collection (I now have three colors). These shirts are top-top-top quality with a gorgeous satin-y finish and oversized, high-fashion shape. You will love her with jeans! Instant elegance / elevation. (My code, JEN15, still gets you 15% off, FYI.). Anyhow, I LOVE the way they styled the shirt on their site, layered over a white turtleneck! I’d never have thought to do that and am absolutely going to copy with this. (BTW, while you’re at J. Crew, you might also consider this featherweight cashmere polo sweater. The colors are spectacular. My mom got the cardinal red and I bought the navy. I also picked a few other items I LOVE from J. Crew and styled them here.)

+IT’S ALREADY YOURS? I came across this quote from Karin Hadadan on Instagram and it really made me stop and think: “What if I told you that the reason why you want certain things so deeply is because it’s already yours at some point on the timeline? Your future self is whispering to you through intuitive feelings, dreams planted within…they’re previews of what’s already yours.” It feels a little hokey but then again I’m a big believer that the first step in achieving a dream is saying it out loud. You can’t drive somewhere without the destination mapped, you know? What do you think?

+EYEING + BUYING: A few items turned my head this week: the chicest chartreuse cardigan (see on Katie Holmes layered beneath a wool coat of the same color; use code JEN20 for 20% off); Dorsey’s newest dazzler; and this fabulous pair of party pants (look closely — the pattern is clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades!). Soru sent me these cute dome earrings (15% off with JEN15) this week and I LOVE the way they look mixed in with my everyday wardrobe. I specifically wore them with the SoldOut NYC top mentioned above and some ecru barrel jeans (seen here) and loved the polish they added.

ALIGNE CARDIGAN (JEN20 FOR 20% OFF) // LOUISE NY PANTS // DORSEY NECKLACE // CHIC STAPLER // SAVETTE BAG // SORU EARRINGS (15% OFF with JEN15)

+LAKE HOLIDAY COLLECTION (SPONSORED MENTION): Lake Pajamas launched its holiday collection this week and I’m not batting an eye about sharing them here because several of you wrote asking for Christmas outfit ideas already. Magpies are so strategic — we are anticipators! I love this woodland pattern for the kids because it has a slightly longer season than just Christmas — could be worn all winter! — and this long-long set in cheery poinsettia floral as well as this kimono set for me. I absolutely love those kimono sets. They are so flattering and would be easy to wear with holiday house guests in the morning. A perfect Christmas morning outfit, too — hello Mrs. Claus!

+BESTSELLERS: These Gap joggers! My favorite vintage-style, no-frills sweats — they have a fashion sense to them, though. The perfect fit and such good colors.

01. GAP JOGGERS // 02. J. CREW CROPPED WOOL COAT // 03. MY FAUX SUEDE SKIRT // 04. PAISLEY PRINT BLOUSE // 05. TISSUE TURTLENECK // 06. INNBEAUTY SKIN FIRMING TRIO // 07. GAP BARREL JEANS // 08. OXBLOOD BLOUSE // 09. WIDE-LEG CORDS // 10. PLAID SKIRT // 11. HALLOWEEN STICKER BOOK // 12. OOLY FORTUNE TELLER KIT

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

STANDARD WORK / MOM / ERRAND LIFE: QUINCE SWEATER (UPGRADE PICK: JENNI KAYNE; LOOK FOR LESS: FEW MODA) // ELLEME BAG (SWAPPED OUT FOR MY PARKER THATCH IN SECOND PHOTO) // GAP JEANS (OLD, SIMILAR HERE) // JULIA AMORY TOP (15% OFF WITH JEN-15) // DAPHINE EARRINGS // MARGAUX FLATS

SATURDAY WITH NO SPORTS: GUEST IN RESIDENCE JACKET // SLVRLAKE JEANS // PARKER THATCH BAG WITH RED BAG STRAP // DAPHINE EARRINGS // DOLCE VITA MESH FLATS // SOLD OUT NYC TEE

WORK DAY WITH LUNCH DATE IN THE MIDDLE: SEZANE BUTTON DOWN // QUINCE CASHMERE SWEATSHIRT // DAPHINE EARRINGS // PISTOLA CORDS // MANSUR GAVRIEL BAG // DOLCE VITA MESH FLATS

MEETING: VERONICA BEARD MABEL BLAZER (LOOK FOR LESS OPTIONS HERE) // JOE’S JEANS CLEO PANTS // MANSUR GAVRIEL BAG // DORSEY EARRINGS // UNIQLO TEE // MARGAUX FLATS

STANDARD WORKDAY: TALBOTS BLAZER // SOLDOUT NYC EVERYTHING SHIRT IN CHOCOLATE (USE CODE JEN15) // SORU EARRINGS // MOTHER HALF PIPE JEANS // MARGAUX FLATS

RAINY EVENING WITH A TOM COLLINGS: ALICE WALK COTTON WEEKENDER SWEATER // DORSEY HEART ID NECKLACE // DORSEY CLEMENCE NECKLACE // AGOLDE RILEY CROP JEANS // DONNI TEE

SUNDAY MASS + DONUTS: VERONICA BEARD BLAZER (OLD, SIMILAR HERE; LOOK FOR LESS HERE AND HERE) // VERONICA BEARD JEANS // UNIQLO TEE // VERONICA BEARD BAG // DOLCE VITA MESH FLATS

SUNDAY AT HOME: DUDLEY STEPHENS FLEECE (25% OFF WITH JENNIFER25) // AGOLDE RILEY CROP JEANS // DAPHINE EARRINGS // NOT SEEN BUT OBSESSED: ROTHY CLOGS

P.S. The whole sky is yours.

P.P.S. More of my coupon codes here.

P.P.P.S. What is the best beer?

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation. Image via.

Q: A structured chocolate brown suede crossbody bag.

A: My top rec is this Neous (more here; seen above in smooth leather). Drooool. Love everything about it – color, shape, size, elegant gold hardware! Not chocolate brown, but this Cult Gaia comes in a great olive green or tan suede and nails the Neous look for less than 1/2 the price. I also love this Demellier, this J. McLaughlin, this Tom Ford, and this Paris64!

Q: Pre-school fall fundraiser, celebrating 100 years, cocktail attire, under $300.

A: I feel like a broken record, but Tuckernuck has such great options around this pricepoint (try codes YOUROCK or YOURULE for 20% off). I love this, this, this. Farm Rio also has some fun options, like this, and I can’t stop with this dress! Pair with a suede heel.

Q: I’m on the hunt for a dress (and outfit if you have ideas for what to put with it) to wear for our family photos. They will be used for our Christmas card/birth announcement. The kids are going to wear pale blue but I don’t want to be too matchy matchy, just look cohesive. Something ideally less than $400 or so! Thank you!!

A: This or this would be perfect tie-ins with the pale blue! Alternately, you might try a pale blue fair isle with high-waist trousers/jeans.

Q: My cousin is getting married in Morocco this November. Can’t find a dress to wear. It’ll be 65-75 during the day and 40-50 at night. In Marrakech so desert vibes. Help!

A: I’d wear something like this (more sizes here) or this!

Q: Affordable embroidered tops.

A: Love this Madewell. Would be so chic tucked into black leather kick flares or black jeans!

Q: Wedding guest dress for late October in Chicago with sleeves. Ideally under $150.

A: Love this dress! Not sleeves per se but this is also a major, chic statement for $130.

Q: Mother of the bride dress for a November wedding. And something for rehearsal!

A: Congratulations! I love these asymmetrical gowns from Rhea (confirm with your daughter on the color!) for the wedding. Black Halo has some great look for less options — this, this. If you’re open to a bolder pattern, I’m obsessed with this. If the bows on the sleeves feel too dramatic, I’m sure you can have a seamstress remove them. For the rehearsal, love this or this, or maybe something festive and unexpected like this (Tuckernuck has some look for less options). Don’t be afraid of color! It’s a celebration! My mom wore this as MOB a few years ago and looked so gorgeous in it.

Q: Pink dress for baby shower – 36 week bump.

A: Congratulations!! How exciting! I immediately thought of Thierry Colson – this, this – but they are a big splurge. This pink floral has a Thierry vibe but under $200. Also love this sweet pink floral, but think you’d need a size or two up to accommodate third trimester bump. Same with this solid pink — I’d go a size or two up.

Q: Adorable girl’s hoodie.

A: Love this one with the wildflower motif, and then Bobo Choses always has really fun whimsical unisex prints, like this one.

Q: Jackets for husbands.

A: This is more of a shacket, but I have this in my cart for Lan right now. Sezane has such great outerwear options in general. Also like this parka and I LOVE a man in a bomber jacket like this. I was also just showing Mr. Magpie these Baracuta bombers – love. So handsome, and something a little different from the ubiquitous Barbour. Buck Mason also has handsome shapes — like this and this.

Q: Dress for my daughter (age 3) to wear in her black and white heirloom portrait.

A: I love something timeless like this (timeless) or this (if you’re going for something more formal).

Q: Presenting at a big conference — need a dress, will be 6 months pregnant. Would love non-maternity.

A: You can’t go wrong with this in black with a great heel. I think you could belt above the bump.

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation. Image via Pinterest.

DOOR MAT // LANTERNS // SPOOKY WREATH // WOVEN PUMPKIN // THROW BLANKET // CANDY JAR // VELVET PUMPKINS

01. This velvet pumpkin would look so lovely on a tablescape.

02. Love these personalized gift tags — could even be used if giving out candy bags to trick-or-treaters/classmates or as party favors!

03. Perfect lantern for a front porch ornament — or back patio to entertain guests.

04. This door mat is classic and a good price right now too.

05. A few fun decorative pumpkins here, here, and here.

06. For candy: this jar would be perfect or this bowl — love the curved design!

07. I’ve been contemplating a fun door wreath for the past few years…maybe this one — I think the bats are fun — or this all black raven wreath! My kids would love the spooky factor.

08. I included these “lit ghosts” in another recent post. They bring fun to the decorating this year.

09. Love branches like these and these on top of a front hall console. Console look for less here.

10. I haven’t seen anything like this for Halloween! Would fit right in with my other rattan decor but still seasonal.

11. I love these candlesticks.

12. This throw is the perfect fall color.

P.S. As September draws to a close, I reminisce on the B-Side of the month.

P.P.S. A brief “styling loafers” discussion in this Ask Magpie.

P.P.P.S. On marriage.

Categories
Pages

Newsletter

Stay Up To Date