*Image above via The Grace Tales. Wouldn’t it be dreamy to get yourself dolled up in that sunny spot every morning? Also — proof positive that a good mirror changes a space.
What are some of your daily skincare and cosmetics heroes?
I’m in a good spot with my current routine, in no small measure thanks to the input and suggestions from so many Magpie readers in comments over the past few months. Below, thought I’d share what’s been working for me…
Morning Skincare Regimen.
Wash with Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser — I am addicted to this citrus-scented scrubby cleanser. It leaves skin thoroughly cleansed and awake. One trick I have learned is to really apply the cleanser for a good minute before rinsing to get the most out of the scrub. A few of you have reached out in search of more affordable cleanser options and I always recommend Indie Lee’s Brightening Cleanser, which I use while traveling. It doesn’t have the Tata scrubbiness but it cleans and brightens.
Apply vitamin c serum. I place three drops of the serum directly onto my forehead and each cheek and then blend in. I’ve been using this instead of Vintner’s Daughter for the past few months and I absolutely love it and see a lot of the same effects.
Apply fluid sunscreen. I’ve used this for years now — glides right in, leaves no white cast, and does not pill or anything under additional layers of skincare/cosmetics.
Moisturize with Avene Eau Thermale Legere. I love this for summer — extremely lightweight, non-greasy, and yet hydrating. I will switch it out for La Mer and/or Belif The True Cream in the cooler months — I usually alternate between those two.
Apply undereye cream. I’m currently using Olay Eyes Ultimate Cream, which is richly hydrating and enjoyably gel-like in texture, and you can’t beat the price. I’m still not evangelical about it like so many of you are — I don’t know. I’ve never really met an eye cream that’s gotten me crazy excited.
*I keep all of these morning skincare products organized in these and these inside my medicine cabinet — they are both the perfect depth and help me keep everything tidy and organized.
Apply bronzer — I love this Guerlain stuff. It is so natural and — odd to say, but I never have the problem of the powder breaking/crumbling in the case, which tends to happen with a lot of other brands (ahem, NARS). I apply to cheeks and around my hairline.
Apply blush — I am into Tata Harper’s volumizing lip and cheek tint in the Very Popular color. A little goes a long way and you kind of have to learn how to do it, trial and error style. I apply small dabs with my fingers.
Swipe on Laura Mercier eye basics in flax. I apply with my finger and it brightens and evens out the eyelid. I usually don’t even wear eye shadow on top.
Slick on some eyeliner — this $7 pen is unbelievably good. It’s just like Stila’s formula but a fraction of the price.
Add mascara — will never go back from Giorgio Armani. The absolute best. So much gentler on my lashes than DiorShow (which I used for maybe a decade?) but just as dramatic and dark. Love a good dramatic lash.
Swipe on Hourglass Volumizing Eyebrow Gel. I am so indebted to the readers who recommended this product — it’s exactly what I was looking for. Easy to apply, it sort of covers up any sparse spots and keeps everything in shape. I love love love this and have turned several close friends onto it as well.
If I am feeling myself, I’ll dab a little bit of Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter on the tip of my nose, underneath my brow, on my cupid’s bow, and on my cheek bones. It adds the softest most beautiful glow. I think there are a lot of different approaches to applying this complexion booster, but this is my favorite way to use it — as a highlighter.
*When applying cosmetics like blush, eye shadow, etc, I use exclusively Laura Mercier brushes. I’ve slowly acquired a wide collection of them over time, but this would be a great starter set. I find good brushes have been well worth the investment — they absorb less product and apply it more evenly. I have been so bowled over by the Artis brush I have though, I think I may slowly swap LM out for Artis.
**For cosmetics storage — I’m currently short on space in my Manhattan bathroom, so I keep overflow cosmetics/skincare in these inexpensive clear cosmetics bags, organized by type (i.e., one bag for eye shadows/primers, one for blushes, one for lipsticks). I like that these are clear because they are easy to find. I keep all of these in a big bin underneath my sink (BTW, those white bins are amazing for organizing linen/utility closets — I use them also to stow bulky things like lightbulbs, dog stuff, etc, all labeled with my labelmaker). Then I keep all of the cosmetics outlined above — the ones I use every single day — in my leather cosmetics kits, which I nestle into one of my drawers. I find this makes everything I need easy-to-access, and — bonus — when I travel, everything’s already packed.
When I had more space, I kept my cosmetics organized in one of these acrylic cubes, which I also found very handy. I’ve since repurposed that cube for medicine/first aid in our linen closet, labeling each drawer with things like “Oral Care,” “Allergy,” “Pain Killers,” etc. It’s amazing because everyone knows where to find everything now! (More linen closet organization ideas here.)
Also — if you are on the hunt for cosmetics bags, these are similar to my Cuyana set but can be purchased separately if you’re only after one size, and I love these punchy blockprint ones (a steal — two for $32) which are lined (great news for cosmetics).
Nighttime Skincare Regimen.
At the end of the day, I remove all makeup using a Billie wipe. I’ve raved about this to the high heavens, but I absolutely love these.
Every other night, I pat my face with a glycolic acid pad. I know some of you have asked whether applying additional products/wipes/etc removes all of the efficacy of the serum-packed Billie wipe, but I see this step as just layering products on top of one another. I then finish with a few drops of Sunday Riley’s Luna Retinol Sleeping Oil.
No trick or treating. No little music group festivities or toddler parties with friends. And parents at our Montessori aren’t allowed into the school for the Halloween celebration, either. It’s going to be a strange Halloween for my little ones. One thing I’ve learned over the past few years of parenting little children is that balloons and colored pancakes can make a huge impact on impressionable little minds and can make even the most “rained out” of holidays exciting. Here are some ideas…
HANG BATS OR BALLOONS ON THE WINDOWS/WALLS WHILE THEY ARE SLEEPING
DECORATE HALLOWEEN CARDS FOR GRANDPARENTS AND COUSINS USING STICKERS AND GHOST CARDS
SURPRISE WITH A NEW BOOK — I’M ORDERING THIS ONE FOR MINI THIS YEAR, BUT THIS IS A CLASSIC MY MOM READ TO ME AND EMORY HAS LONG ADORED THIS ONE
DRESS UP YOUR DOG! — TILLY WOULD GO INSANE IF WE TRIED ANYTHING, BUT IF YOURS IS A TAMER POOCH…THIS IS HILARIOUS
If you’re still on the hunt for festive decor that is maybe not black bats in your window, these gingham pumpkins are so fun.
As for what I’ll be wearing — I have to be honest: I’m not huge into dressing up. I’m pretty bad at it. Instead, I wear “festive” clothes — usually these Aquazzura spider mules I bought two seasons ago that are perfect, and would look amazing with a dress like this or jeans and a blazer, but these in the gold/yellow velvet would be fun for the day along with all-black-everything else.
Remember when I waxed poetic about New York, and then we all clung to each other on the sad memorial of 9/11 and talked about this resilient and magnificent city?
…
…..
For every day like that, there is a day like today, where I saw a fist fight (second one on the street I’d seen in under a week — and I’d not witnessed physical violence like that ever prior), a cockroach the size of a chipmunk nearly walked across my shoe at the corner of Broadway and 86th, a man commented leeringly on my diamond ring on the subway in a way that left me immediately scanning the car for other kindly looking people who might intervene if something weird were to happen, and someone was clearly and scarily overdosing on something down at 23rd and 7th. (Thankfully, I overheard a guardian angel calling for emergency medical help on his cell phone, or else I’d be beleaguered with uncertainty as to what to do myself.)
New York has a dark underbelly, and what I saw this morning is barely a blip on the radar. A friend of mine asked me recently over text, in the course of exchanging notes about our children and recent pleasant dining experiences: “How does it feel to live in NY right now given the spike in crime?”
Um, gulp.
Just here today to keep it real: it’s not all glimmer and glamor in these parts. On optimistic days, I tell myself this…ahem, texture will make me tough, gritty, able to hold myself with composure in moments of strangeness and fear. On exhausted days, I come home, close the door, and ask Mr. Magpie, non-sarcastically: “Why do we live here?”
A girlfriend of mine showed me a clipping from The New Yorker just after I’d moved here, a kind of initiation into the order of urban-dwelling New Yorkers:
Safe to say New York won today. But I’ll be exacting a rematch tomorrow. It’s how we roll.
Post-Scripts.
+I’m in love with this fluffy fleece, which comes in a rainbow of fantastic colors and looks like just what I want to wear after a jog. I’m torn between the lavender color (to kind of go monochromatic with my new leggings in the “lavender smoke” color) or the fawn, which would look fantastic with denim or black. Decisions, decisions.
+Cutest little kitchen rug ($20!) as an update for fall/winter — just added this to my cart. This is the kind of thing I like to keep under the sink.
+My favorite running shoes are available in such good colors right now — love these in both lavender/plum colorways and these in the seafoam green color.
+These shades are SO chic. Love the color for fall, when I wear a lot of olive green.
KNIT ROMPER ($15!) — I DECIDED MICRO IS JUST TOO BIG AND BOYISH TO WEAR THESE NOW…SOB…TAKE MY ADVICE, MOMS TO TINY BABY BOYS: PUT THEM IN ALL THE KNIT ROMPERS AS LONG AS POSSIBLE
My favorite thing to layer under overalls have been these pima peter pan collar onesies, but he’s outgrown the largest size. I’ve eyeing white turtlenecks from Gap and maybe the striped turtlenecks from CPC. I did find him a past-season CPC kids long-sleeved striped polo NWT on Bagsy — similar here — but not sure if that goes with overalls? What say you, tenured boy moms? What else do you recommend for underneath overalls?
Saks currently has a very random and thrilling assortment of pieces marked way, way down. To the point that I’m wondering if their sales system was hacked and random items have been marked down willy nilly. Below, some absolutely insane scores:
P.S. Footmates sale at Zulily! Ordered these shoes for mini and micro.
By: Jen Shoop
We have been slowly shedding our outgrown baby gear, though I simply cannot bring myself to sell or donate the bassinet. I look at it in the corner of our master bedroom and think back to the endless wait in anticipation of mini’s arrival and how her little bassinet sat under our window for months before her expected due date. I can still remember what it felt like to glance over at it in the morning and wonder what she might be like. Sigh. I’m just not ready to let that go!
I have shared a full registry of all my favorite baby gear here, and a brief post on baby gear I really loved the second time around (and wish I’d known about earlier). Below, I thought I’d share some items I’ve discovered that I wish I’d had for my children when they were infants…
1 // Baby Bjorn Bouncer. Especially with a second child, having multiple places to “stow” the baby is essential. We made heavy use of our 4Moms Swing and Boppy lounger, but I wish we’d had one more spot to stow baby — I can imagine this being useful in the kitchen, or on the floor of the bathroom while I was showering, etc. I often have moms reach out to ask whether a swing and bouncer are necessary. The truth is — no. And some babies in fact hate the swing or the bouncer or vice versa or both. But I can speak from experience that any tool that gives you an extra stretch of hands-free time is probably worth the investment.
2 // Foam Play Tiles. Would have been so nice to set this up in mini’s room for micro to roll around on / enjoy tummy time on. I felt like I was forever repositioning quilts in our apartment and they don’t really provide that much padding. I like that you can just wipe these down, configure them to your room, and even add a raised railing to corral the little one in.
3 // Lovery Play Kits. People love this educational toy subscription service: they send you beautiful (mainly wooden / Montessori-style) age appropriate toys as your baby grows. I’ve seen several I wish I’d had for micro! Plus, takes some of the guesswork out of finding the right toys for the right age.
4 // Thule Double Running Stroller. Frankly, this would never work in our current living situation as we barely have enough space to park our Bugaboo in the foyer and we are resolute in our determination not to clutter the shared hallways with our baby gear — we don’t want to be inconsiderate of our neighbors, who are much older and well beyond baby years. But I did daydream about getting this top-of-the-line Thule running stroller to push the children in while getting back into shape after micro’s arrival.
5 // Trip Trapp High Chair. The design is polarizing, and I remember being a little put off by the price, but I really wish I’d made the investment. I love the style and love the way it invites baby to eat at the table from day one and how it grows with baby. Don’t go me wrong: I have nothing but positive things to say about the Phil & Ted we’ve used with both children, but I always wish I’d had the one I personally aesthetically preferred, especially since it has been a staple in our dining room for three years now. (P.S. – My only functional gripe with the Phil and Ted is that the legs splay out and are easy to trip over. Conversely, one of my unexpected favorite features of the Phil and Ted is that you can remove and break down the legs so it’s fairly easy to travel with, and we’ve needed it on multiple recent vacations.)
6 // Fisher Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat. A brilliant seat for babies that are able to hold their head up a bit more but not yet ready for an activity center (we lovedthe one by Skip Hop). Again, the more spots to contain (and entertain) your growing baby, the better.
8 // Artipoppe carrier. Totally extravagant and unnecessary, but I always wanted one of these ultra-chic carriers. I was too practical to invest in one, especially because I was absolutely in love with the Baby Bjorn mini for micro — it is seriously the easiest and most comfortable carrier ever.
What other new baby gear are you obsessing over? I know there are a lot of pregnant magpies reading the blog these days. Share your additions in the comments!
“Lower the volume,” Mrs. Branch used to say with an air of begrudging frustration, gesturing, desultorily, downward with her palms, when my third grade class was growing unruly. She was the teacher’s assistant, and she wore shockingly long and glamorous bright purple nails and a blinkingly blase face, and I could not grasp how those two details fit together. She would trail behind the neat line of my nineteen classmates and I with an air of apathy, but if one of the boys in my class started goofing around, she’d yank him by his shirt back into the line.
One morning, on the blacktop behind my parochial school, my classmate Justin was showing off with a kickball, punting it into clusters of classmates and swinging his legs too close to those around him. I can’t remember the specifics of my intervention, though I am sure it was graceless and flushed — only that he shoved me backwards, and as I tumbled into the hedge that lined the first floor of the school building, Mrs. Branch emerged from a creaky green metal door with more speed than I’d ever seen her use, and she plucked me out of the bushes by my shirtfront and stood me up in front of Justin and said:
“Don’t you ever — and I mean ever — hit a woman.” She was holding her pointer finger upright in Justin’s face, and his eyes were wild and animal-like, and I think I was just as scared as he was. We stood there, the three of us, in tense silence, a triangle of charged emotions and hurt.
“Yes, Mrs. Branch,” Justin said — and he said it loud, like he meant it, like she had scared the bejesus out of him, discarding the standard-issue performative mumbling I tended to hear from the chastised eight-year-old boys in my class. She lingered there, with her purple lacquered nail in his face, for another beat, and I remember finally working my eyes up to the steely set of Mrs. Branch’s face and feeling like I was seeing something I shouldn’t have, because just as she relaxed her hand, I saw her look down at the ground and shake her head in what I took to be a private gesture towards her own adult experiences, and I had a sense for what that meant and it made me feel sick and scared.
She rested her hand on my shoulder and didn’t say anything else — didn’t coddle, didn’t ask after possible injuries, didn’t fill the void with explanations. She just left her hand on my shoulder for a full and excruciating minute before she turned and retreated into the building.
I could have sworn that Mrs. Branch winked at me every now and then in the following months, though her affect was so deadpan it was hard to tell. Mainly, I was intimidated by her, and I was terrified of the private story she had conjured looking down at the asphalt that morning, and I couldn’t see her wave her fancy purple nails without thinking about it all.
My sophomore or junior year of high school, I caught word that Mrs. Branch had passed away, and I wondered about her and thought, fleetingly, about tracking down the details of her funeral — but I was self-absorbed and immature and such effort seemed beyond my ken, and so, selfishly, I did nothing. I don’t know why she crossed through my mind the other day for the first time in perhaps a decade, but there she was, her tarrying gait and her purple nails and her breathless, immediate intervention on my behalf and on behalf of women everywhere, for that matter.
Every now and then, my adult life has intersected with a person of serious backbone, and I have left these interactions enriched and humbled and doubled-down in my own convictions. But when you are young, you see only the shape of severity. You shy away from that person, feeling uncomfortable with the unusual-for-the-grown-ups-you-know breadth of her expressiveness. At the same time, you draw careful lines around the subject at hand. You whisper about it when it comes up again: “I think he tried to hit a girl” — with your eyes are wide as saucers and your face screwed up in horror at the fact that a serious transgression — an adult-sized one — has been made.
Only with the passage of time have I wondered about Mrs. Branch, have I wanted to go back and thank her, my callow fear of her having given way to a kind of understanding only age can afford. I am probably not that much younger than Mrs. Branch was when she looked after me in third grade, and I wonder about her, and I think that she might have been one of those women planting trees under whose shade she had no time to sit.
In memoriam.
And in honor of the many guardian angels that take the shape of teachers and teaching assistants.
+Custom vinyl labels — eat your heart out, fellow organization-obsessed Type As.
+As you know, I am obsessed with my collection of Kule striped tees. I just saw they also have turtlenecks in their signature stripes and may have to order this.
+People absolutely love these insulated coffee mugs. As a mother who frequently drinks her coffee on the tepid side, I can see why.
+Yoga mat cleaner! I just dusted my old yoga mat off so that I can do crunches/push-ups post-run (slowly and modestly adding to my fitness regimen) and this will do the trick.
+Love these tees for layering, lounge, and sleeping — they are tagless and so soft. I also like the look of a simple white tee under a fun tweed blazer like this.
I recently asked on Instastories — “What are you shopping for? Let me help.” I got so many fascinating requests that I’ve split this post in two and will answer half here and the rest in an upcoming post, but the TL;DR: a lot of us are shopping for fall coats, sweaters, and boots. Also know you can always send me your shopping requests at jennifer@thefashionmagpie.com!
Casual dresses I can teach in and then go out in. The idea of people planning to go out after work made me so optimistic and happy. Thank you for that vision. Bless you for your work! I’d say this dress, this one, or this one. I like that all of them would work with a range of footwear (booties, flats, sandals, dressy sneakers like Vejas.)
Machine washable tops.Kule tees! I live in them. Well-made and adorable with jeans. It’s my fall lather-rinse-repeat look paired with white denim.
Work-appropriate fall dresses. (I’m back to the office this week and don’t know what to wear!). Love a classic striped shirtdress like this or a dark denim dress like this. Equally polished with flats, leather sandals, and pumps, depending on the dress code at your office. I also would have readily worn with this black booties back in my day, but I worked in a start-up environment, so non-traditional was OK.
My husband’s 37th birthday. HBD! Great gifts for dudes here. If you want to earn cool points and your husband is a gamer, see if you can track down a sold-out-nearly-everywhere Nintendo Switch. My husband also just treated himself to a subscription to WSJ, which I think would be a very respectable gift for a 37-year-old gent!
How to make the 110-year-old carriage house in Connecticut we just bought the chic New England home of my dreams. OMG. Congratulations! Honestly? Go slow. Wait and make do with what you have until you’ve lived there for a few weeks and understand how you use the space — where do you drop your keys? Where do you want to spend most of your time? Etc. I promise patience will pay off and prevent you from over-spending in the wrong places. If you’re urgently on the hunt, recent home finds here.
Sconces and flush mounts. I always get questions about these sconces in our living room. These are also amazing (and affordable) for a farmhouse vibe and I’ve been eyeing these for my daughter’s nursery (she has the electricity for sconces already in the wall!) Flush mounts: love and love.
Postpartum wardrobe must-haves. Congratulations, mama! Three words: stretchy granny panties (these were my favorite because of the high waist, which did not interfere with my incision). Ha! But also, a bunch of chic nursing-friendly clothes here and maybe one dress that is pretty and boasts a loose fit for when you are first able to sneak out for a glass of wine — I like this and this.
Flat/low-heeled booties or boots that work with dresses. I always look ridiculous. Some of my favorite fall boots here, but to your specific question, I can’t rave enough about these kitten heeled booties, which I wore all last season and just snagged again for this season. The style is so much more “me” than a lot the chunkier styles that have been trendy for the past few years. These are best with midi or maxi IMHO. For a shorter hemline, I like these and — if you’re a high heel gal — these.
A baby high chair. We have and love the Phil + Ted (review here). I am actually writing about this later this week in a post on baby gear I wish I’d bought but if I could do it over, I’d probably splurge on the Tripp Trapp. It’s controversial in style (some people hate it) but I love its Scandi-chic vibe and did not fully consider that a high chair would be a permanent fixture in our living room for years and years. In other words, this is one area (like the stroller) that is worth the investment based on lifespan/longevity of use. I also like that it invites baby to eat at the family table from day one and it comes in great colors.
Fall/winter clothes for a 1-year-old wearing size 2T. I shared some cute toddler girl finds here and boys here. More in the latter category coming this week!
New baby gifts. Yay new baby!! Some ideas for baby and mama here. My fallbacks, especially for first-time moms, are always Kissy Kissy pajamas (so soft and you truly can never have enough) and Sleep to Dream swaddles (always handy to have a few spare on hand) because I know they’ll be used!
Christmas gifts. I love that you’re thinking ahead. Some gift ideas here and here. I plan on giving my female friends/loved ones Artis brushes and Billie wipes this year…I’m full-on evangelical about both.
Fall easy outfits. My basic plan? Find jeans that make me feel confident and pair with an on-trend statement sweater. Some other favorite fall finds (at affordable pricepoints) here.
Dress for my son’s late-October (private) Baptism. Thinking tights and boots are right. If you are trend-forward, I am so in love with this dress, which you could definitely rock with tights and booties, though I’d probably finish with pumps. I don’t know why, but I wore white/ivory to my children’s Baptisms, and so I’d eye something elegant and Charlotte York-esque like this, this (I think the Duchess wore this label to one of her children’s Baptisms), or this. Mainly, though, I’d advise picking something you love and that makes you feel confident, and work the rest out (i.e., you can tone down something “loud” by pairing with prim pearls and pointed-toe pumps). This Vampire’s Wife dress is so RIGHT NOW that I’d seriously consider it for the occasion.
Affordable bed for guest room. One Kings Lane always has such fun upholstered headboards for good prices — I love this and this. Either would be the focal point of an otherwise simple room.
Affordable paintings for above large bench in entryway. Consider framing an enormous vintage map of a place with personal meaning for you, like this. Etsy is full of them! I framed an authentic vintage map of San Sebastian (a special vacation destination for Mr. Magpie and I) that I found on Etsy for like $20. More art ideas here.
Toys, entertainment, and activity contraptions to keep my five month old busy. Oh yes. We got a lot of mileage out of our 4moms swing around that age, and I wish I’d bought this — the perfect transitional tool for babies just starting to be able to hold themselves up/sit up before they can plop into an activity center. Hill and Emory loved this hideous “gym” from ages 2 months – 6 months or so and still play with the dangling toys, to be honest. For toys: crinkly paper books, this moving bee toy (which I swear taught both of my children how to crawl/scoot), and this Baby Einstein toy.
December wedding in Florida outfit ideas! Hello to my sweet COVID brides! I had a few of wedding dress/wedding festivity-related requests for town hall weddings, small backyard ceremonies, etc. There are several pretty and non-traditional (often slightly more casual) dresses for brides in this post, but specific to you — I am desperate to know if this could be worn as a dress?! (It’s listed as a night dress but SWOON for warm weather/beach wedding?). This is similar. And this is crazy chic. Please know that your ceremony will be just as meaningful as it would be under different (non-COVID) circumstances.
Dupes of Rachel Comey Lyss dress.This is very similar and on sale!
Oversized cotton sweaters — I’m allergic to wool and acrylic. Love this one from Everlane — great price and great colors, too. I also love the look of a classic fisherman’s sweater like this (on sale) — I would just size up one or two sizes to get the oversized look you want. Would look amazing with white skinnies.
Maternity clothes when we’re unsure if we’ll be able to actually go anywhere. I hear you — plus, we’re heading into cold weather and pregnancy will probably make you want to stay at home anyway. Actually most of my maternity finds here would work for casual/every day. My top advice is to invest in really good maternity leggings (my favorite) and jeans (these were my go-tos) because you can wear them basically every day and they show no wear and tear, and then some inexpensive tees (I think I owned every color and stripe of Gap’s v-neck pure body maternity tees and would have bought this in every color too) to layer under duster cardigans like this or this and finish it all off by investing in statement shoes you LOVE and that make you happy, whether its whimsical Golden Goose sneakers or pearl-detailed Nicholas Kirkwoods. Trust me, they will make any maternity outfit feel that much more fun and chic and you’ll get so much use and enjoyment out of them when you are on day 239238 of the same maternity leggings and top rotation. And on-trend accessories really helped me, too — stuff like these sunglasses and this fun headband.
Over the knee boots that aren’t a fortune.These look an awful lot like my Stuart Weitzmans and are under $100.
Civil ceremony dress (with sleeves please — it will be in upstate NY in April) before a bigger celebration in Italy. Congratulations! I wrote some notes for all COVID brides above, but specific to your civil ceremony question: this gives me Audrey Hepburn vibes, and the covered buttons on this Saloni read bridal but with restraint. I also love this elegant thing, which feels vintage (Carrie Bradshaw?).
A chic autumnal/wintry belt bag under $150. I love the one I have from State Bags — the leather quality is great (and it’s on sale). Cuyana also does a cool circular belt style. And this one — a little over budget — is so on-trend. Definitely reads like something from a high end label.
A rug that looks like sisal/jute to layer under an oriental rug. Ideally outdoor/stain resistant. Love these!
Dark boot cut denim. Can I suggest this style? It feels on-trend but still gets the boot cut vibe.
Bookcases.Crate & Barrel just brought back their amazing leaning bookcases, which I wrote about recently but which we have two of in our living room and they are AMAZING for the price, especially in small spaces where you don’t want to block out light. They almost look built-in!
Table linens for fall. I love a simple tablecloth like this in the flax color and then add dimension/color with fun/bold colored napkins (imagine if you did a boxwood tablescape with that pairing!) I also always love a muted check like this or a hemstitch style like this.
A fun, affordable statement coat for fall. I shared a few great transitional coats (all at reasonable prices) in the first query in this post, but this leopard puffer is crazy chic (and ridiculously discounted) and I’m in love with this belted plaid style ($60!) And if you’re a size 0, RUN to get this $54 shearling steal.
Fall decor that can go through Thanksgiving, isn’t cutesy, and not too pricey. I love these wicker pumpkins, which feel right for “early fall,” “Halloween,” and “harvest/Thanksgiving.” I don’t do much seasonal decorating beyond that, adding a seasonal wreath to the door (I love a boxwood or magnolia!) and changing up the table linens (see my answer to the question two above this one).
New baby and nursing clothes for the winter. Help! Some chic nursing-friendly finds here (and you can always throw a duster over your button-downs) and lots of cozy soft cotton footies for the baby to layer under a heavier snowsuit/coverall. (For super cold weather, you can’t beat the quality and longevity of Polarn O Pyret. For milder weather, Gap also always makes cute ones, this bunny coverall is probably one of my favorite things I ever put on Hill, and I love the look of these ultra soft sherpa ones.)
Sweatpants/joggers that don’t get slouchy in the knees. I honestly do not know, but I’m leaving this in here in case readers have recs! I rarely wear sweats/joggers — my favorites have been the sleep pant from Recliner (currently sold out) and my ones from Monrow and I haven’t noticed a slouchy knee with either but maybe don’t wear them often enough to notice?
Go-to white t-shirts — not v-neck! (Too low on Zoom). I don’t like cropped. I love these inexpensive and unfussy ones from J. Crew. I always reach for them over more expensive designer styles. They are super soft and I like the length of the sleeve.
Oversized sweatshirt and cute active wear. Obsessed with these ones from Alo — love the slightly collared neckline. In addition to the activewear finds here, I am also looking for more breathable long-sleeved and loose-fit jogging tees. Currently eyeing this, this $30 steal (love the colors, especially the fern) and this.
Baby’s first winter — do I need a snowsuit or just a puffy coat? We live in CT. Yes to snowsuit. I had Hill in his snowsuit most times we’d leave the house between December and March. It is cold in these parts! These Polarn O Pyrets are my favorite and are weirdly discounted on Amazon — pounce now. I loved it so much I bought Hill two different sizes so he could wear all fall and winter. They run big but I had to eventually size up. I love that they have these little coverings that go over baby’s hands since gloves never ever stay on their little fingers AND it’s footed so no fuss/muss over boots/booties. It is so soft on the inside, and the double zipper makes it a cinch to put on/off.
Baby boy fall clothes. Shared some amazing under-$22 finds here, but will be doing a full post on this topic Wednesday!
Casual Thanksgiving outfits. Help! I like the idea of a statement sweater — this is so classy but interesting — or a chic fall top like this or this with jeans and some smart shoes like these (look for less with these). Or you could jazz just about any neutral (black/white/beige/tan/ivory) up with this perfect headband.
Will get to the rest soon!
By: Jen Shoop
A great time to stock up on Lilly dresses for your little ones for next season. The Mid-Atlantic prepster in me just can’t resist dolling mini up in Lilly’s signature bold prints at least a few times a season (you can see her above rocking a print when she was a little less than two).
One bonus to Lilly’s slightly boxy fit (and the fact that their itty bitty sizes come with bloomers) is that I find mini has been able to wear hers for multiple seasons, which makes them (in my opinion) a good deal, especially when on sale. Mini has several of the classic shift style and they will definitely fit next year, possibly even stretch into the year following. I’m also eyeing this cute little short/tunic top set.
I absolutely adore the tiny croc Jacquemus bag above, alongside the requisite fall 2020 accessory: a face mask. It is defiantly impractical in the most delicious of ways: heavy on form and light on function, exists purely for aesthetic enjoyment. To which I say: cheers. We all need a little frivolity this year. (You can get a similar whimsical top-handled croc find here for less).
More of my top picks for the best bags for fall 2020 here:
LE SPLURGE // At the top of my personal bag lust list? A Bottega Veneta Cassette bag. I’ve seen a few in NYC and they are crazy chic. They’re downtown-elegant-cool in the way Alexander Wang bags were maybe a decade ago — remember all the studs and hardware, and we were all kind of scared and entranced by them? Ha. Anyhow, I think I’d be a whole new woman carrying that BV bag. Wowza.
LE EVERYDAY WORKHORSE (COULD BE DIAPER BAG!) // On the more reasonably-priced front, I love the new shape/shoulder strap of the updated Naghedi tote in inky navy blue. This is a fantastic everyday bag that could work as a diaper bag for those of you with small children. And it has a kind of Bottega Veneta-esque quality thanks to the woven styling. It’s the kind of bag that will make people wonder “what is that bag?!” And, just on the heels: “I need one, too.” I know because I saw a mom carrying one a year or two ago and I thought the same thing.
LE ALTERNATE EVERYDAY WORKHORSE // also still love my MZ Wallace medium metro tote for schlepping around with the children. It’s durable, incredibly lightweight, and chic. A lot of you mamas refer to this as your “winter diaper bag” and opt for something more summery in the warm months — now might be a good time to invest if you’ve been eyeing it for awhile. I wrote a full review here.
If you like the MZ Wallace bag but feel that they’re becoming too ubiquitous and therefore want something different (I, too, am an erstwhile philistine), consider this slightly sportier variation from Vee Collective.
LE CHICEST SHOULDER BAG // I am drooling over this polished knot-tie snakeskin-embossed bag. It is just the kind of understated elegance of a Carolyn Bassette Kennedy-type. The lady who wears this bag is sharp, practical, and understated chic.
LE BOLD TOTE // Have eyed this timeless Clare Vivier forever. Love the punchy tangerine color and sporty handles.
LE DOUBLE TAKE TOTE // This roomy All Saints canvas bag is amazing. It looks like it could be something by Balenciaga, Loewe, or St. Laurent. LOVE the trapeze shape.
LE CROSSBODY // I have seen a ton of moms wearing simple crossbody bags when picking up their children. It makes so much sense — hands-free, and the perfect shape for stowing sanitizer, mask, phone, and wallet. I see a lot of Gucci logo and Chanel crossbodies on the streets these days, but I also think this timeless Celine trio would be an amazingly chic pick, as would this green croc St. Laurent (wow wow wow). On the more reasonably priced end of the spectrum, I love this simple style from J. Crew with this snakeskin-embossed strap swapped in!
I used to love back-to-school shopping at Staples, selecting my pens and composition notebooks and binders with care. I loved the ritual of it. (Did anyone else look forward to covering her textbooks in contact paper or kraft paper?). Nowadays, I still get a thrill out of desk accessories. Below, my desktop favorites:
I USE THESE INEXPENSIVE PENCIL BOXES TO STOW ALL OTHER OFFICE SUPPLIES (TAPE, PAPER CLIPS, PENS, ETC) IN MY DESK CHAIR, WHOSE SEAT CAN BE REMOVED TO REVEAL STORAGE (GENIUS) — THE CHAIR IS FROM BALLARD’S AND IS SIMILAR TO THIS BUT THEY NO LONGER MAKE WITH STORAGE BENEATH SEAT
I am hoping to one day soon upgrade my desk (which I’ve had since college and is, frankly, on its last legs), and I would cherish one of the gorgeous custom ones from CEH. A few others I love at slightly more attractive pricepoints:
For a child or teen’s room, I love this leaning Sawyer desk from C&B. It’s so reasonably priced and so practical in a small space! You can even add leaning bookcases to flank each side and achieve a cool built-in effect for under $500. I’m a HUGE fan of the Sawyer collection, which they seem to have just relaunched because they were not available for a few months; we use their larger bookcases in our living room and always get questions about them. You cannot beat that price!
Fall is upon us. I mentioned this last week, but on recent fall item I ordered that has just now arrived is this $25 collared sweatshirt, which I intend to wear with white skinnies as we ease into cooler temperatures.
P.S. More exaggerated collars here and my favorite puff-sleeved sweatshirt from last season was restocked in all colors here.
We have had a couple of major toddler meltdowns in these parts in the past few weeks — once on our way to the dentist and a couple of times during drop off and pick up at school. I’d been steeling myself for them. School is a lot for a three year old after six months at home with only us and a daily trip to Central Park. School presents new rules, new people, new routines, new sights, new commutes, new activities, new experiences, new face shields and the shocking newness of not being an arm’s reach from mom and dad at all times. Poor little thing. I waver between worry and the semi-hollow repetition of the same mantra parents are repeating to themselves daily across the globe in the face of this pandemic: “Children are resilient.”
Earlier this week, I had to take mini to a doctor’s appointment before school. I had a knot in my stomach the day beforehand, worried about a repeat of the dentist debacle and fretting over the careful timetable I’d charted for us that I knew would implode the intricate morning routine to which has she has grown accustomed. Instead of leaving at 8:20 a.m., we had to be out the door by 7 a.m.: somehow, we’d need to compress the usual ambling stretch of morning activities from two hours and twenty minutes (she routinely wakes at six) to one hour, and I’d need to get her to a doctor, and did I mention it was a torrential downpour outside that morning? — oh joy.
To my flabbergasted surprise, when I told her we were going to get dressed early and take a taxi cab to see the doctor — “just mommy and Emory” — she complied with a spring her in step. I was careful not to hurry her along, only offering an enticing: “It’s raining out, so we’ll need to jump in all the puddles” to expedite. When she tarried in her bedroom for a second, I reminded her of our matching rainboots and she grinned, running to the closet. “We’re going to the doctor!” she exclaimed to Mr. Magpie when he emerged from the kitchen moments later, “and we’re going to splash in all the puddles.” We exchanged suspicious looks over her head.
But the morning routine, despite its dramatic compression, went off without a hitch, and she more or less danced out the door. She was a dream in the taxi, haughtily informing the driver: “You’re going the wrong way!” which was in fact mind-bogglingly astute, as we usually take a left out of our building and we were gliding off to the right. In the cab, she asked about cockroaches (…) and where the sea lions at the Central Park Zoo sleep when it’s raining (?) and held my hand and told me, gleefully, as we drove down Fifth Ave: “I see New York!” She was easy as pie at the doctor’s office and thrilled with the tiny unicorn toy she was awarded upon departure. We had over an hour to kill before school and so I let her jump through every puddle on Fifth Avenue and then select whatever she wanted from the glass case of a bakery (the biggest chocolate croissant they had) and as I stood under an enormous umbrella close to Madison Square Park, the city anointed in rain around us, I watched my three-and-a-half-year-old joyously sprint through the onslaught, open and close her umbrella, hop from one circle to another, chase sparrows, and it dawned on me that the one thing I had given her this morning was the impression of free time.
It is so hard — so hard! — to maintain that aura of unhurried adventure when you are a working parent and you have fifty five things on your agenda and there are deadlines and appointments to keep and you know that if you are even five minutes late for your staggered drop-off window at school, you will need to wait an extra thirty minutes to get your daughter in. But that morning, I worked hard to extricate our movements from the logistical web of adulthood. I tried to erase it, or obscure it, under the guise of “special time with mommy” and much to my surprise, it worked.
I will need to remember this the next time I am straining my way through a heavily scheduled day with my girl in tow: it’s my job to wordlessly do the worrying and planning and her job to run through the puddles.
+Take it from someone who spent way too much time and money tracking down a Proper Peony birthday dress for mini’s third birthday: when you see it, buy it.
+People absolutely love this rain jacket, currently on sale for 40% off. I do not need a new raincoat, but I have to say I am awfully tempted by this Stutterheim, which I’ve been eyeing forever (whenever my current rain coat dies, this will be my next), and it is currently 40% off in the sand color.
+Lots of denim-on-denim situations trending for fall — this top is perfection, and this dress would take fashion conviction but wowww. I’d keep the rest of the look super classic, i.e. pair with black suede pointed toe pumps and a black Chanel.
