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This year, I have really leaned into the indulgence of a professional blowout. I usually have Glamsquad* come by 2-3x a month, and then try to have the blowout last as long as possible. I’m an inch away from scheduling a recurring Monday morning blowout — just so divine to have your hair look great at the top of the week, and to not have to worry about styling / blow-drying for several days. I’ve picked up some tips a long the way — here are my top ones:
01. I brush and touch my hair as little as possible. I use these clips to keep my hair out of my face while applying makeup, and if I must tie my hair back, I use silk hair ties (BTW, these are identical to Slip but much less expensive) that leave less of a mark/kink in hair.
02. I exclusively use this Yves Durif vented brush (15% off!) if I need to. I love my Mason Pearson but I find it distributes the oil throughout my hair (making it look greasier sooner) and brushes out any curl / bend.
03. Once I need it, I spritz Divi dry shampoo (at time of writing, on sale here) throughout my hair and then brush on Crown Affair at the roots. These two products smell exceptional and REALLY work.
04. I also like to use this luxe hair perfume to give my hair a little freshness. Unnecessary but smells divine!
05. I ask the stylist to go light on product in my hair pre-blow-out! Maybe a primer and a little volumizer, but with a light hand.
06. I like to shampoo and condition with lighter-weight products before a blowout — no heavy conditioner / mask / etc. — because I think my hair looks fresher longer. I have been really loving Lolavie’s conditioner and Divi’s volumizing shampoo lately. Both work really well but don’t leave you hair feeling “coated” or “weighed down.”
07. My hair tends to lose its bend at the ends (I like them sort of bent under) by the second day. I will spritz the front parts of my hair with water using this misting bottle and then use my Dyson Air Wrap to restore the bend. I usually do this every morning after my initial blowout!
08. I really notice a difference in general in the glossiness / health of my hair when I’m disciplined about applying a cocktail of this rosemary oil and this hair strengthening oil once a week.
*$20 off for new users with code JenniferS and $15 off for repeat users with code JenniferS15
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Whether you are going skiing or just intending to lounge inside in a post-Christmas daze, sharing a roundup or chic and cozy outfits for right now. First, some visual inspo —
I own and adore several of the items in the collages below, but especially adore this puffer from Varley. I own it in red, and it’s very warm and has this fun velvet-like look to it (but is a typical puffer material). The chocolate brown is so good!
Finally, if you’ve not yet dabbled in Negative Underwear’s whipped line — you are missing out. I’ve gradually replaced all of my sleeping underwear with their whipped boyshorts. Divinely soft, don’t dig in anywhere, stretchy, breathable. Very $$ for a pair of underwear but I was always excited to get them out of the laundry and I thought, “you know what? I’m going to treat myself to a few more pairs.” Their whipped track pants and bralettes are also among my FAVORITE loungewear possessions.
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Ever since I asked you for your favorite parts of winter last year, I’ve been much more attentive to the narrow patchwork of sensations that spark joy in this dark season. Below, a choir of winter experiences that I love:
That magical no-smell and no-sound of snow
Ersatz tinsel
A single flame in a dark room
The way you thaw in a radiant wave when you come in from the cold, your nose the last to warm
The sweet heat of cinnamon
An outside glimpse of people gathered around a table inside — the silhouette of family
Choral voices echoing in a Church
The lean hardness of the season, and the way we assuage it with knitwear, and candles, and soup, as though to soften the blow
The feeling of wiggling cold toes in front of a fire after shedding your boots
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+SAYING GRACE: This poem by Charles Wright (professor emeritus at my own UVA!) stopped me in my tracks:
It made me think: there are many ways to “say grace,” or express gratitude. I was reminded immediately of Mary Oliver, who, in a poem titled “Praying,” wrote: “It doesn’t have to be / the blue iris, it could be / weeds in a vacant lot, or a few / small stones; just / pay attention, then patch / a few words together and don’t try / to make them elaborate, this isn’t / a contest but the doorway / into thanks, and a silence in which / another voice may speak.”
+AUSTIN BUTLER READING TAYLOR SWIFT:Enjoyable. And I’m not even a Butler fangirl! Now if we could have had Captain Von Trapp reading Taylor Swift lyrics…
+A FRIDGE FULL OF LOVE: I absolutely loved this poem/graphic from Jennae Cecilia this week. This is exactly how I feel about my kitchen counter. Cluttered with cards, children’s artwork, boxes of cookies from friends and neighbors, homework, fresh fruit from the supermarket. It can drive you mad if you let it, but then there’s something so charming about this central space in our home, dotted with the paraphernalia of a very full and happy life.
+EYEING + BUYING: This week, I bought the aformentioned Varley sweater jacket, these birch colored Beyond Yoga leggings (ED. NOTE: just discovered these are on sale for $56 in a bunch of colors at Anthro!), and these Inuiki boots!* We don’t have any firm plans to go skiing yet but hoping we make a last minute decision to go to Wisp one weekend in January, and I’ll be ready for apres-ski in this look.
I’ve also been meaning to say that these Quince silk scrunchies are IDENTICAL to Slip but a fraction of the price. I live in them — work out in them, sleep in them, etc! And I’ve been playing around with this Gua Sha tool this week after watching lots of convincing TikTok videos. It does “sculpt” your face in a sense – I think by making it less puffy. I’m really impressed! It also feels vaguely therapeutic and relaxing. The other product that helps with depuffing is this Clarins mask. Holy crap, it is incredible. I always have one and a back-up one in my cabinet — it’s my most-used face mask. I also really like the cryo-flash one. It feels so refreshing (it feels like ice on your skin) and gives you a great glow. I use this more in the summer or when I am feeling foggy/droopy/tired. It makes me feel awake! But the Clarins one is my go-to before a night out or after a night out.
*Wanted to mention I found a small trove of Inuiki boots on super sale in smaller sizes here and here!
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Do you ever wander around Pinterest? I was playing around over there the other day and found myself drawn to all of these more-is-more visions of lace, embellishment, pink, etc —
This in turn led me to dream up a few roundups of truly show-stopping extravagances, with some fantastic looks for less noted alongside. A girl can dream…
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A few launches, discoveries, etc on my radar at the moment —
01. I have been swooning all week because one of my favorite designers, Emilia Wickstead, reached out to send me a dress from their new resort collection, and I picked this one. This is a brand I stalk on The Real Real and The Outnet — her pieces are feminine, perfectly tailored, and unique. I especially love the patterns and fabrics she uses, and the silhouettes…! They hug, nip, and glide at all the right places. She makes my ideal special occasion investment dress, perfect for brides-to-be, mothers-of-the-bride, special black tie occasions, vow renewals. I am going to cherish this dress forever. Our plans for NYE were to curl up at home with a movie, but now I might need to find a destination to wear this gown…I literally tore it out of the box and tried it on, hence my mismatched jewelry and haphazard shoe styling.
03. Winter footwear brand Inuikii is having a moment. Perfect apres-ski / true cold weather shoe. (Boston gals?). I feel like Farfetch has the best assortment as the best price. I think I’m going to buy a pair! I can’t decide between this olive, this neutral, and these sherpa-embellished chocolate ones. Which get your vote? I’m daydreaming about pairing with Varley sweats, knit pants, and sweaters for that cozy week between Christmas and NYE when no one knows the date, year, or time of day.
05. I mentioned this a few days ago, but I’m testing the Newa (promotes collagen production to reduce wrinkles), and I noticed it’s 20% off. Wanted to mention as I know a few of you had been eyeing. I have been testing this in conjunction with this red light mask and I feel like my skin looks great. The Newa does not hurt, sting, burn, etc — it feels warm. Afterwards, my skin feels like it’s slightly sensitive, but that dissipates quickly. I am encouraged by early results but a little worried I won’t be able to keep up with using both. The red light mask has been a bit easier to work into my routine (thanks for your recs) – I often do it first thing in the morning if Mr. Magpie is getting up with the kids, or just after I’ve exercised. I also think these Dr. Dennis Gross pads are largely responsible for the sudden glowiness of my skin — I’m so enthusiastic about these! More to come but I’m feeling happy with where we’re headed!
06. Could not love these disco ball flats more. I wore with jeans and a sweater and they kicked the look into festive mode. This is my second pair of Leonies and they are probably the most comfortable flat I’ve ever worn right out of the box. Meanwhile, how fab are these party shoes?!
07. I ordered Mr. Magpie one of these boxy, trend-forward sweatshirts from Yellow Label Co, and wasn’t sure he’d be into it. The cuffs are distressed and it boasts a casual dropped shoulder, and he’s usually on the more tailored side of dressing, but he’s been loving it! He wears it with his own spin, i.e., corduroys and sneakers. I told him that Justin Bieber wears these sweatshirts, so now he calls it his Bieber sweatshirt. (Image below via.)
08. After becoming hooked on The Outset’s now-sold-out lip treatment (you can sign up for restocks), I was curious about what else ScarJo’s beauty brand had to offer. Cannot wait to try this trio of skincare, which is apparently all Scarlett uses on her own porcelain skin.
09. Truly loving my Bose open earpods! Make running much safer and really stay in your ear without fear of flying out when things get sweaty.
10. Last thing – an admission, really. I feel like most runners have proper tights for running in winter, and I do have a really nice pair I love from Tracksmith that keep me warm, but if I’m honest, my favorite running leggings (my favorite everything leggings) are Beyond Yoga and I wear them constantly. They fit so perfectly, are super comfortable, and are incredibly well made. Is this a sin?!? They are not a performance material and are I think intended for lower impact exercise (or even casual wear) but I can’t stop myself. I reach for them 9/10 runs. I just ordered two new colors: this taupe and this classic gray. While I was ordering, I noticed Beyond Yoga came out with a cute cherry red puffer that’s less than half the price of my Varley!
A few of the cold weather accessories I’ve been getting a ton of wear out of lately:
01. These faux fur ear muffs (also love the sherpa style seen above; on sale in brown for under $50 here). I’m telling you, earmuffs are where it’s at. So kitschy/cozy and don’t ruin your hair. (Splurge pick: Max Mara.)
06. Faux fur mittens from Apparis (I own in black) — these are dramatic but SO fun if you pair with a more trim/tailored jacket.
07. La Double J wool patterned scarf. Ultra soft and the colors are magical — brown and black so can go with almost anything in your closet. A few of you mentioned you bought or are buying this for discerning MILs for Christmas and it’s absolutely perfect for that profile! A high end, luxe brand that’s a tad under the radar, and the pattern is divine!
A few other ultra chic cold weather accessories to contemplate —
One of my favorite conversation threads with you Magpies: what can we do now to take care of our future selves? I love the concept that we’re always raising future versions of us. In the past, you’ve shared fantastic practical gifts to our future selves, including drawing the shades and folding down the comforter so that when you get back for the evening, you’re ready for bed; prepping food in advance; buying gifts for little kid birthday parties in bulk. Below, a few additional ones:
Pouring a tall glass of water before leaving for a run;
Auditing your internal voice — the way you speak to yourself sets the tone for others;
Working out even when you’re short on time (i.e., when you need it the most);
Leaving five minutes early to reduce stress;
Dressing for the weather;
Setting hard boundaries;
Putting away dishes and laundry immediately;
Stretching before and after exercising;
Accepting earnest criticism and dismissing the rest as noise;
Letting go of grudges — resentment is like drinking a slow-release poison and waiting for the other person to die;
Moving mountains to be there for pick-up / bath-time / bedtime / dinner with your children;
Rounding up on the parking meter;
Spending intentional time with parents and grandparents;
+On the “stretching before and after exercising” front, I bought Mr. Magpie a theragun for Christmas and I fully intend to use it myself. Hehe.
+Also on the exercise front: thanks to a Magpie reader for recommending Lululemon Energy sports bras for running! I’ve been unsatisfied by the options in my closet and was hunting for a new one, and she sold me on these. Will report back with thoughts!
+If you read my post last week, I’m testing a couple of skincare gadgets, including a red light mask and the NEWA. I am just starting use and can’t share full thoughts yet but did want to mention that the NEWA is currently 20% off. It “uses clinical-grade radio frequency technology to help the skin renew its production of collagen and elastin.” I was sold on this by an ad I saw on Instagram. Wrinkle reduction, yes please.
+Today only, take 20% off VB’s holiday dressing suite with code PARTY2024. You will wear this iconic black velvet blazer year after year. Would be perfect paired with tartan or satin for Christmas, and basically anything for NYE!
+Precious cashmere baby blanket for under $80. Such a luxe gift! Landon often asks me to send baby gifts to colleagues of his and I think this will be my new go to. I also love to gift sweet RL pieces like these baby cardigans.
What were you biggest learnings and accomplishments this year? Taking a minute to reflect on mine —
+Grieving Tilly. Perhaps strange to list this as a learning, or an accomplishment, but I mean it both in the sense that we made it through the acutely tender days just after she’d passed, when the entire house echoed with her absence, and that I was proud of the way I cared for myself through her loss. I remember one morning sitting down on the floor of my bedroom and just breathing slowly in and out for a long time. I would not have known to do this even a decade ago — to take care of myself as though sick. Do you ever have those moments where you see just how far you’ve come, how much you’ve grown? I think in some ways my 30s were, among many other things (including lots of good ones), a coming to terms with the untreated grief of losing my friend Elizabeth at 26, and then losing a pregnancy at 30. I let those losses eat at me, unwilling to look them in the eye, and then I grew up a little and taught myself how to go about it differently in the next decade. We knew we were losing Tilly, and we walked straight towards it, eyes wide open. We showed her all of our love in the two weeks before she passed. We were holding her in our arms when she died. It was almost unbearable at that moment, and in the tender days after, but I kept thinking: It’s going to hurt; it’s going to have to. Grief is a permutation of love. And I made a space for that, and I remembered her, and I cried, and I taught my children that it was OK to be sad, and also OK to keep on living. It was deeply important to me that I model the acceptance of all these things for them, because I don’t want to them to have to learn it too late, in their 30s, the way I did, after years of repression. We still talk often about her; we have our little shrines. And we also keep going.
+Parting ways with our caregiver. An up front caveat: I am very much “pro” seeking help and finding childcare support. I don’t think you are proving anything to anyone by doing it all yourself when it is impossible to do so. We are still big on date nights and prioritizing time for just the two of us — increasingly in the form of travel and mini-getaways, just us. But this year, we parted amicable ways with our caregiver. We only needed her support between the hours of three (sometimes four, depending on extracurriculars) and six, and we decided we were going to see if we could make it work ourselves. It’s been one of the best decisions we’ve made in a long time. I find my days better-balanced, and I know I will never regret the handful of years I shortened my workday by a couple of hours in order to pick them up from school and spend time with them at home. I feel more integrated into their lives — I learn so much in the car ride home, just listening. I know this is not a possibility for many working women and so I understand this to be a tremendous privilege, and I also think there are ample ways to connect when you have less time, or can’t do pick-up, etc. We have a unique set of circumstances where I run my own business and control my own hours, and our children’s school is nearby, so my husband and I can take turns making the quick pickup circuit. It has required some reshuffling on my end: less time to write; changes to the way I produce content. But necessity is the mother of invention, and I’ve found my way through. Mainly, I love the feeling of home being just the four of us in the afternoons and evenings. We are a tight little pod. There are of course days where I long to be able to write roundly from 9 until 6, breaking only for lunch, and days where I am run thin by my children’s demands and noisiness when I am trying to finish one final thing and they are laying at my feet in my studio, but — everything is a flowing. There will be other seasons with wider margins. For now, I am leaning into the gift of our current arrangement, and I have been surprised by how satisfying and fluid it’s felt.
+Feeling strong at 40. I approached my 40th birthday in June with one goal: to feel strong and fit. And I did it. I used a combination of running four times a week and daily Heather Robertson videos, and sometimes stacking the two together. I felt powerful, toned, capable. I remember thinking “I don’t look that different…?” But now I look back at the photos and can see how much more muscle tone I had, and besides — I just felt good, and solid, from the inside out. For my 40th birthday, we went away to Charlottesville with a few of my best friends, and they indulged me by going on a hike in the Appalachians. Partway through, one of my guy friends (a seasoned runner) suggested we run the last third, and we did, and I was exhilarated and a little shocked by my own stamina. I was charging up the trail at a good pace! I’m still basking in the after glow of that accomplishment. I have not kept up with the commitment this fall, but in the past two weeks, I’ve clipped back in, and you know what’s helped me with this? Remembering how I felt the day I turned 40, and knowing I can get there again.
+Finding a signature scent. Discovered while in Colorado this summer, Ex Nihilo’s Lust in Paradise scent. I’m completely obsessed with this scent and wear it daily. I had been hunting for a true signature scent for a long, long time and this is it.
+Taking risks in writing. I stretched myself creatively this year by chasing some fiction. I even went away on a mini retreat, holing up in a hotel and writing for nearly 24 hours straight. I’ve felt challenged, and frustrated, and vulnerable. There is this great quote by Ira Glass: “All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit….you just gotta fight your way through.” I don’t know if I have good taste or not, but I do know what looks and sounds good to me, and sometimes I read my own work and feel distraught over the distance between the words on my page and where I want them to be. Still, I have stuck with it. I am nothing if not determined.
+Setting boundaries in a relationship that was hurting me. You would think this would come first in the list, but I’m ranking it last because it wasn’t accomplished with grace. More like agony and hot tears. If you’re in a similar situation, I see you. Sometimes you have to disappoint people in order to take care of yourself.
Things I’d like to work on in 2025:
+Being present. This is my true white whale. I’m forever aspiring to a baggier life, where I can just sit and soak it all up.
+Beginning to query agents for my manuscript.
+Sticking with a fitness routine. I am old enough now that I know there will be a few stretches each year in which I will clip out of my fitness routine. This is a feature, not a bug, of my overall program. I mean, sometimes sickness, or travel, or other things take precedence. That’s OK. But I’d really like to make those gaps few and far between.
+Listening. I consider myself a pretty good listener, but lately I’ve been auditing my conversations with friends new and old and I still think I could do a better job of asking more questions, and letting other people hold the mic. I am channeling my words on being a woman of substance: “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.”
What about you? Any big learnings and achievements in 2024? Any fledgling goals for the next year?
+Obsessing over the fit of these jeans with a smart cropped blazer. (How I’d style/accessorize here.)
+Really enjoying our Sakara delivery this week! We had a gingersnap parfait breakfast and a black garlic kale salad for lunch today — delicious and, as I mentioned, such a luxury to not have to think about what we’re eating this busy week. Reminder that JENSHOOP gets you 20% off.
+You all have been loving the Ugg slippers – these and these have been best sellers this season. These are still on sale!
+Dreamy lounge set at a great price to pair the slippers with…
+I just went running with these Bose open ear airpods yesterday and am in love. They are supposed to be safer because you can still hear cars, people, etc. The first time a car drove by, it scared me — I wasn’t expecting to hear it so clearly! — which I guess means it worked well! They’re also very comfortable and don’t feel as loose/precarious as Apple Airpods. I’m very pro.
+If you’re going somewhere warm this winter: OMG, this lace caftan. Pair with this one-piece — one of the most flattering suits I own! Sweet, a little saucy, full coverage in the rear, a great stretchy material.
+What’s your favorite running sports bra? I’m not loving the ones I have. Some are too constricting and the other offer little support. Help! I was just eyeing a few things from Vuori (super sad I missed out on their brand new red leggings, which sold out in my size in a second) and wondering about theirs.
+Love this inexpensive set of bud vases. One of my biggest “tricks” for entertaining is to put out a bunch of low, tight arrangements scattered down the middle of the table versus one big one. Easier for people to talk over! I typically use these julep cups as vases.
+I misspoke yesterday! Found the Pink Chicken jacket I wanted for my daughter at Tuckernuck. Now that I’ve vetted a few options, going to let her pick when she gets home from school today.
+Dedcool sells dryer sheets! I’m OBSESSED with this fancy detergent. Smells divine. I use for towels and bedding!
Finally, I think this is such a chic monochromatic look at a great price: one of the fishermen turtlenecks (go up a size for this slouchier fit) and this maxi slip dress layered beneath.
