Ooo! Everlane is offering their popular wide-leg crop jeans today only for only $50/pair! This silhouette is major for spring. I like styling them a la Audrey Hepburn (or how I’d imagine her wearing these) — a trim, solid-colored crewneck and some classic ballet flats (or Hermes Orans, as shown above).
P.S. More spring deals.
P.P.S. Of all my pieces from Everlane, this boxy long-sleeved pocket tee is my favorite. I own it in multiple colors!
I couldn’t not. These are essentially my spirit, in shoe form. I lucked out and found my pair on sale for $130 at TheLine (!!!!), but more sizes are available here and here. These would be a perfect flat shoe for a bridelette! I know I’ll get a lot of questions about whether the satin bows drag on the ground (an issue with my beloved TB bow flats) and — they do, a bit. The bow isn’t as floppy and loose as the TB, but it’s an admittedly rocky proposition for navigating Manhattan streets. (When it comes to footwear, all practicality flies out the window for me…) You can also get the look (with less of a chance for dirtying the bow) with these Polly Plumes (this shoe is marked down in bubblegum pink to under $100 here!), or get the look for less with these.
*Shown above with my favorite Pam Munson tote and my faux Goyard pouch.
The most popular items on the blog this week:
+This leather coat, which I featured eons ago — but is currently marked down in a mid-season sale, and a lot of you are good bargain hunters like me 🙂
+A puff-shouldered blouse. So on-trend!
+The Celine crossbody bags, available gently used and marked down here in a number of colors. (Incidentally, so many incredible finds on The Real Real — I featured these ADORABLE Chanel espadrilles, in great condition and under $180, on my Instastories earlier this week….!!! And I own this exact pair of Chanel flats and wear them constantly in the summer.)
+My favorite everyday tee. Well-priced, with such a cool fit. Everlane just sent me a new one in the pretty rose color!
+A solid spring basic. Love the mildly puffed shoulder and the traditional stripes — suitable for work, but with a little added interest.
+Loving my new candle.
+My (cheap!) secret to moisturized skin.
+This little romper is BEYOND. Looks like Jacadi, costs $10.
Has anyone listened to Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road”? I came across this song earlier this week and found it super catchy. I was intrigued to learn that the song has caught some controversy, as it was originally ranked on the Billboard Country charts and then pulled, re-classified as rap rather than true country and therefore deemed ineligible for the category. Billboard’s decision has been characterized as racist, as Lil Nas X is black, and he himself characterizes the song as “country trap.”
The incident is premonitory — or perhaps indicative, as we’re in the midst of it now — of what I perceive to be one of the central themes of our generation: intersectionality. I found myself musing over why we need separate categories in Billboard or Apple Music or any music service for that matter. From a functional standpoint, they are useful when seeking new music and I’m in a particular mood: “I feel like rolling down the windows and hearing some twang on this road trip” or “I need something chill while writing.” But I began to wonder whether there is some financial subtext in the music industry that I don’t understand that fuels these categorizations, and whether the genre-fication (made-up word) of songs reinforces certain assumptions about the kinds of music we will like, the kinds of artists we will appreciate, and, well, who belongs where. Does trap music belong on a country music station? Why or why not? Who would it upset? Who would it please? Or would anyone care?
Odd, the lengths you can travel, after hearing the lyrics:
“Baby’s gotta have a diamond ring and Fendi sports bras. Riding down Rodeo with my Maserati sports car.”
Ha.
There is something handwritten about France. Re-reading this post made me excited to read Adam Gopnik’s memoir on relocating to Paris and raising his children there. (Could you do it?) It’s next on my list after several trusted Magpie readers urged me to take it in.
+This top sold out in the white and yellow but is available in the coolest print, and I ordered it. Is there anything more optimistic than a woman nearly nine months pregnant ordering this in anticipation of summer?! (More great H&M finds.)
+These earrings are fun (and under $50).
+This clutch gives me Gucci vibes.
+Loving this floral dress.
+This red plaid tie-shouldered dress would be perfect for the 4th of July. So chic paired with these in red.
+This reminds me of the Ganni leopard maxi I wore all winter long, but costs only $55. If leopard’s too loud for you, Ganni just released a black swiss dot style that looks super similar. (Note: my Ganni dress worked very well with a bump until recently!)
+Oscar earrings, 70% off!!!!
+I’m intrigued by this Chanel baume essentiel stick…
My second year of graduate school, I applied and was accepted to present a paper I’d written on “intertextual practice” in James Joyce’s Ulysses at a symposium dedicated to the author. I applied in part because I intended at the time to pursue a Ph.D. and felt that any published papers would enhance my application, in part because I occasionally — usually late at night — succumb to an over-surge in confidence and optimism and make rash decisions to apply to things (as was the case when I applied to an executive program in social entrepreneurship at Stanford and submitted my application without even telling Mr. Magpie), and in part because the conference was taking place in Rome, and I selfishly wanted to go abroad. Georgetown University generously offered to cover half of my travel expenses for the conference and my parents chipped in for the rest, adding — much to my surprise and satisfaction — that they would accompany me to hear me read.
The first two days of the trip were lovely. I hadn’t spent much extended one-on-one time with my parents since I’d graduated from high school and they’d flown me to Paris in what would easily become the apex of my short-lived jet-setting career, and I relished the feeling of being looked-after. We stayed in a boutique hotel on a cobblestone street right by the Spanish Steps that felt like something out of a James Bond movie — deeply European, with an elegant lobby and quiet, discreet staff. If a black-tie casino evening had taken place in its formal dining room, or a suit-wearing gentleman with slicked-back hair and an unconcealed firearm had strode down my hall one afternoon, I wouldn’t have batted an eye. We passed several beautiful days exploring the city’s museums, Churches, and monuments, walking through the Borghese Gardens, and trying the local fare (including a squid ink pasta I still dream about). One night, on our way back from dinner, my father stopped in front of an elegant storefront and said, “This dress is beautiful. Do you want to try it on?” What he did not know was that we were standing in front of a Pucci store, and that the dress cost north of 2,000 Euros. He laughed when we he saw the price tag. “Maybe another trip,” he said. “Or another dad.”
The night before I was supposed to read my paper, I kissed my parents goodnight and walked calmly back to my room, feigning sangfroid. Once I’d closed my door, the levity of the foregoing days dissolved and I promptly broke out in a nervous sweat and practiced reading my paper fifteen times in a row, trying on various new intonations, pauses, and dramatic breaks for size.
“Why did I do this?” I thought angrily, to myself. I still — over a year in — got nervous while facilitating discussion as a teaching assistant. I felt my skin go prickly when the room fell quiet, or all eyes would turn to me, or I’d stumble over the reading of something or the prompting of a question. And here I was, all the way across the globe, with presenters far more established and intelligent than I, preparing to read a half-baked paper I’d cooked up in a desperate attempt to travel abroad and pad my resume. I read over the programme nervously, noting the impressive universities represented and the cluttering of jargon on the page. Even as an English major, and even as someone who took a shining to the precision of academic argot, I cowed before the agenda. I felt like a fraud. As I read what I had pompously written weeks earlier, the words transformed into childlike blather. It all felt juvenile, inane. I am just stating the obvious. What’s the point of this stupid paper anyway? This sentence is pathetically artsy.
Around 1 a.m., I retired to bed, sick to my stomach. I tossed and turned. At some point that evening, the residents of the room above me returned home and stomped around loudly, dragging or rearranging furniture (?) for what felt like hours. A baby (their baby? or was the sound emanating from a different room?) started to cry and went on wailing for the better part of the night. I tumbled through patches of fitful sleep, angry at the noise and angrier at myself for committing to the act of embarrassment awaiting me later that morning.
When my alarm went off at 8 a.m., I felt as though I’d fought a fever. Had there really been a baby crying? Or furniture dragged on the floor above me? Had those been figments of my imagination — distractors, threats that I conjured in the face of impending doom? I felt weak, febrile. I dragged myself out of bed and changed into a pencil skirt and blouse for the reading, my heart in my throat, my palms clammy.
The reading went terribly. I read so quickly that no one could understand what I was saying, least of all the native Italian-speaking literati who comprised about half of the audience. This was the gist, at least, of my parents’ tender but truthful feedback — and that of the old fart overseeing the symposium. “Take a deep breath next time,” he grumbled stinkily as he shook my hand with his calloused paw.
But it was over. And no one had batted an eye or booed me off the stage or otherwise betrayed any sentiment but bland, generic interest.
My parents seemed to forget about my foibles as a public speaker the minute we left the university hall, and we scarcely broached the topic again — not because they appeared embarrassed or disturbed by my lackluster recitation, but because we were in Rome, and there was much to see and marvel over anyway. I was grateful for the oblivion.
I reasoned that at least I could toss the experience onto my C.V., and that I could chalk it up as a victory in that sense. But there was, emerging from the contours of the unpleasant experience, much to think about, and much that I have chewed on in recent years.
There was, of course, the obvious manifestation of my burgeoning imposter syndrome: the sickening discovery, on the eve of my presentation, that I was a fraud and that I had no business presenting my ill-formed, idiotic observations on a text much greater than I was, in front of an audience far smarter than I was.
There was also the budding awareness of the eternal disequilibrium between the importance I placed on what I was doing and the actual importance of those doings within the broader context of my life and the people in it. My parents were unphased by my performance, and I’m confident have all but forgotten the shape of what they saw there. (Do they even recall the oddly crowded configuration of the lecture hall we piled into? The strange fact that I did not read while standing on a dais — but rather seated, at a long panel table, alongside other graduate students and academics, such that select members of the audience who lined the hallways actually towered over me, looking down on me?) No one at Georgetown seemed to care about the specifics of the conference, either. “Ah yes, intertextuality…Ulysses. Yes. How was it?” “Good.” That was about as far as I got in recountings of the experience once nestled back among the stone edifices of GU. And the audience in that lecture hall: at best, fleetingly absorbent of a concept or two from my paper that perhaps spurred a follow-on thought more germane to their own work; more realistically, wondering about the attractive young man on the Vespa seen en route to the university, or rehearsing their own papers in their own heads, or drawing up a grocery list.
About a year ago, I labored through the first third of Ulysses S. Grant’s autobiography before giving up. (It is long and tedious and I am not up to such aridity — my apologies to the many smart folk who have recommended it to me, my father included.) But there was one anecdote I pocketed and have trotted out on many occasions since:
A young Grant is traveling on horseback with members of a military outfit and they hear wolves ahead. He betrays his own trepidation at the sound and a fellow soldier asks (my words): “How many wolves do you think are out there?” Grant pauses, listening, and estimates a pack of dozens. As they approach the sound, he is surprised to find only a handful of mangy beasts. A trivial threat: his fears for naught.
Reading this conjured my maiden attempt at reading my paper in Rome, and the possibly imagined noises from the room upstairs the night before: I had estimated risks far worse than actually existed, the figment of the howling wolves augmented by my own anxieties, their volume and ferocity an outlandish rendering of the peril at hand.
All of this to say:
If you are grappling with the unknown //
If you are fretful about an impending meeting or presentation or professional milestone //
If you are agonizing over perceived criticisms //
If you are unable to think about anything but the unkind words of a passerby or a colleague or an acquaintance //
Think of the howling wolves. Know that we tend to overestimate the threats around us — and that the perception of their sound and fury nearly always outsizes their realities.
+If you’re looking for more reassurance along similar lines, consider this excellent essay by Patti Smith that spurred my post here.
+At the very top of my wishlist right now. Mr. Magpie, pleaseeee can I have this for my birthday?
+Apropos of my trip to Rome: this Italy-print dress. (Swoon.) Perfect with my new Newbark bow sandals.
+Loving this nautical striped sweater for spring/summer with white jeans or shorts.
+The kind of sleek, modern one-piece jumpsuit Gwyneth would rock. Can I pull it off, too? (Maybe with my Newbarks.)
+The “It” sweater from Ganni is now available at Outnet!
+Loving this billowy Staud dress.
+How adorable is this floral ladylike bag?
+Love these pink hobnail glasses.
+Musings on a different trip abroad with my beloved parents.
+This sweet floral dress is stunning — actually, a bunch of the pieces from this line look like Brock Collection to me, though everything is under $200. Do you also love this and this?!
+I love the timeless, Scandi appeal of wooden toys for children, like this configurable robot, this ice cream set, and this airplane box set.
+This gingham one-piece looks like Minnow Swim but costs $30. I think mini needs it!
*Photo above what I wish I would be looking like on Easter Sunday, decked out in Brock Collection. (Incidentally, this $80 blouse reminds me a lot of Brock Collection and I think I need it for summer.)
As a general proposition, I am hyper-organized — potentially to a fault. I am a prolific list-writer, a curfew-abider, and a wake-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-worrying-about-logistics-of-events-over-a-month-away type. Even as a student, I tended to complete assignments well before they were due. I am the opposite of a procrastinator — an anticipator, perhaps. Motherhood has exacerbated these tendencies. I had a mild heart attack when I realized I’d forgotten to pack mini’s sippy cup of water on a rainy day excursion a few months back. It was the first time I’d ever forgotten a cup for her in my two years of motherhood — gasp. Such an unimportant and in some ways overdue negligence (and, in New York at least, Duane Reades with overpriced sippy cups crop up every few blocks, so it was truly a non-issue), but I still occasionally, frustratingly, think about it. My sterling track record with regards to sippy-cup-bearing is not to suggest that I believe I am perfect, of course. I think that in many ways a proclivity towards planning and organization bespeak a neurotic discomfort with the spontaneous, a cloying will to control. I find it difficult to rally myself for last-minute plans. But — I didn’t have time to plan an outfit! But — the ingredients we have for a roast chicken dinner are waiting in the fridge! But — mini’s not wearing a coordinated bow! But, but, but –– Even I see these protestations as unbecoming. Life is messy; life will throw you curveballs. There’s elegance in accepting what floats my way, and threat in convincing myself that if I only plan for contingencies A-D, I will remain unflappable.
After my musings on muscling through a difficult time, a sweet reader wrote to share the following sentiment:
“God gives you the grace you need for the situation — not for your imagination.”
Wow. A powerful reminder of the futility of fretting over the unknown, and of leaning into faith in the moment.
All that said.
I have ticked off dozens and dozens of to-dos on my prep-for-baby list, including organizing a little gift bag of treats for mini to open when we are at the hospital:
+A Maileg little brother mouse to add to her collection.
+A few of her favorite activities: Melissa & Doug puffy sticker sets and a new coloring book.
+Books on becoming a new sister: this, this, this, and this. (These last two were thoughtful gifts from members of my book club, who all surprised me with new books for micro’s library at our last convening!)
+New “Little People” figurines including a new baby for her beloved dollhouse (she still spends a couple of hours playing with this every single day).
I know this is overkill. I can’t help myself.
Oddly, amidst all of this planning, and even though I did order her Easter outfit, I more or less forgot about mini’s easter basket until now. Below, some last minute finds if you’re in my boat:
+Individually-wrapped fun-flavored marshmallows.
+Wind-up bunny and chick. (A classic.)
+This egg set was a big hit last year.
+Carrot teether for itty bitties.
Also, a couple of last-minute finds for your mini Easter outfit: a bunny-embroidered sleeper for a newborn, this vintage sleepsack from RealReal (swoon!!!),a classic smocked one-piece for a baby boy, a gingham romper for a baby girl, and for a traditional but not too Easter-y Easter look for a brother and sister: this for a boy, this for a girl.
I am essentially the shape of a bowling ball right now, and I ended up buying this blue gingham maternity dress (actually impressed with the linen-esque quality of the fabric), which I’ll wear with my Pam Munson tote. Do I need these to finish the look? (Yes.)
I recently shared a few of my favorite beauty discoveries thus far in 2019 and also updated my Best of Everything: Beauty guide to showcase products I have been using for months now and will never be able to live without. In the midst of crafting these posts, I found myself creating yet another list: cosmetics and skincare products I am dying to try. Below, a round-up of my top lust list items, many of which rack up insane reviews or have been personally recommended by people I trust. Click on images below to access product details or see my notes below!
+Aquis Lisse Luxe Microfiber Hair Towel. My mother has been insisting that a good microfiber hair towel is the key to a shorter blow-dry session for years. (And you know how much I hate blow-drying my hair. Almost enough to make me want to buy the Dyson blow dryer, which people go insane over. But $400? Worth it?) This one gets really good reviews.
+Glow Recipe Ultra-Fine Watermelon Mist. I’ll admit that something about the packaging/marketing of this product is doing a number on me. I already have a few mists I love — but this looks like the perfect summer vacation accoutrement to tuck into my beach bag, n’est-ce pas? Also, read the reviews! Very strong — stronger, in fact, that the reviews on my current favorite skin mist, Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir. Intriguing.
+Ouai Smooth Shampoo. I have been a huge fan of all of the Ouai products I’ve tested thus far. I love the scent and they actually do what they purport to do. Going to give this a try when my current batch of Bumble & Bumble shampoo is out!
+Clear PVC Pouches. I already have a set of these inexpensive pouches. They were the perfect solution for the messy tumble of beauty samples / travel minis I have accrued over time. I separate products by category: hair, skincare, body, etc., and then when I am heading on a trip, I can easily find what I need.
+Nars Orgasm Blush. Though I have come to the perspective that Nars’ formulas are sub-par (I find that their bronzers/blushes break/crumble easily and run out very quickly), I am hooked on their colors. I think I might revisit this classic color from years past for that early-summer glow. A classic is a classic for a reason.
+LoveShackFancy Scrunchies. Still loving these for throwing my hair back and feeling a little more ladylike/polished/trendy than I normally do. They’re also a pretty accessory for your vanity, atop a monogrammed tray.
+Monogrammed Jewelry Round. I mentioned these last week, but I can’t get over them — they look just like the far pricier Leontine Linens jewelry rounds! I love the scale of the monogram and the colors of the rounds themselves. A great spot to stow your everyday jewelry while cleansing your face at the end of the day.
+Safavieh Rug. I also mentioned this last week, but I just love this pretty and inexpensive pink burnout-style rug. A great way to brighten up your bathroom.
+Tan Luxe The Gradual. I haven’t used self-tanner since my early 20s, but think it’s time to revisit now that I’m more radical about applying sunscreen (as I should have been all along). A dear girlfriend just had to have a melanoma removed from her shin and it was a wake-up call to take good care of my skin. I think I’ll need a tanner in this process.
+Eberjey Teddy. My secret to getting ready in comfort — no towels to contend with! I have a couple of pairs of Eberjey teddies and adore them all. This one is on sale for $55! (Bonus: nursing friendly.)
+Supergoop Illuminating SPF Eye Shadow. This line continues to expand into exciting new categories! This is apparently the first (?) eye shadow formulated specifically to protect the delicate skin of your eye area from the effects of sun. The colors are also pretty in a natural glow kind of way. I must try!
+Artis Oval Brush. OK, I’m sold on this after a few readers urged me to give it a try. Apparently it’s the key to a smooth application of foundation/tinted moisturizer, and it does not waste any product! (Does this fact in turn justify the price? I think so.)
+Target Trash Bin. This $20 bin looks like something you’d buy at Serena & Lily. Sold.
+Guerlain Bronzer. This already made my list of The Best Beauty Products, but I had to include it here again. I just ran out and immediately re-ordered. It’s a no-brainer and a staple of my daily routine — especially in the summer.
+Augustinus Bader Rich Cream. I wrote about this cream and the correlated hype around it. It feels like everyone and her mother is raving about it, but it wasn’t until my girlfriend called me to specifically mention that it had changed the quality of her skin that I paused and contemplated. Very much dying to try this one. Maybe I’ll swap this in for La Mer next time I’m re-upping?
+Aerin for WS Scalloped Towels. These are very similar to my beloved Matouk Cairo towels, but I love the subtle scalloping of the trim.
+Curaprox Toothbrushes. I’ve written about these in the past, but these are our absolute favorite toothbrushes. I love the hectagonal stem (helpful for angling the brush) and the fact that these brushes have like 10x the normal number of bristles (and therefore really get into all the nooks and crannies). Beyond that, my dentist insists you should only use a soft bristled brush.
P.S. The best affordable beauty products (all under $50 — make sure you check out the comments, too!)
P.P.S. Very curious about and intrigued by the strong reviews on this jewelry cleaner. Has anyone used it??
P.P.P.S. Speaking of self-care/self-love, feeling all the feels re-reading this post on body image. Remember this: “It’s not a body’s job to be perfect. It’s to keep you alive. I love your body for keeping my favorite person alive. Please, don’t hide it from me.”
Psst — Shopbop is launching one of its epic promotions and you can get early access now. 20% off orders under $500 and 25% off orders over $500 with code EVENT19.
What I love:
THIS STUNNING STAUD GOWN (!!!!! — SHOWN ABOVE)
THIS BROCK-COLLECTION-ESQUE FLORAL TOP (GREAT PRICE!)
MY CURRENT FAVORITE SPRING TOTE
A FANTASTIC STATEMENT SANDAL FOR SPRING
COMFORTABLE LOUNGE LOOK (AROUND $40 WITH PROMO…!)
MY NEW ROBE (I HAVE THE ROSE/CLAY COLOR)
GORGEOUS SUMMER DRESS (UNDER $100 ALREADY)
My greatest fear in life is losing my loved ones to illness or accident. I occasionally lay in bed and fret about my most recent conversations with them. What did I say? Did I tell them how much I loved them? Did we conclude our interaction on a positive note? On the heels of that morbidity, I also worry about dying young myself, probably owing to the early death of my dear friend E and my continued grappling with it. These concerns have only escalated in recent years with the exigencies of motherhood, the advancing age of my parents, and the unthinkable passing away of a child in our family several years ago.
This is dark, macabre speak. It probably doesn’t belong here, on this (generally) mirthful blog. But it feels better to write about it.
At night, after we have said our prayers together, I sit in the dark of mini’s nursery, her long body laying across my knees, her head cradled in the crook of my arm, and I smooth down her hair and repeat the same fistful of affirmations:
“You are my smart, beautiful, brave, kind little girl, and I love you more than anything.”
The saying of this has become so routine that occasionally the words fly out of my mouth without thought. The cadence is engrained; it has the shape of an incantation. I could say it in my sleep.
I have said these words to her for nearly every night of her two years with us first because they are true and earned, but also because I want desperately for her to see who she is and how loved she is every single day of her life. In my more morbid moments, I want to always know that these are the words I have said most frequently — most consistently — to her over the course of her life.
A week ago, Mr. Magpie, observing mini in the midst of some activity, commented: “You are so smart and brave!” Mini’s head popped up, and she looked at me, and she said: “Go to bed?”
I knew, in a flash, the connection she had forged: the repetition of the words “smart and brave” from my nightly affirmation, its normal positioning just before I place her in her crib. And she was looking straight at me. Those are mommy’s words to me, she was saying.
The brief interaction both took the wind out of me (I had to compose myself, quietly) and left me deeply reassured. I realized that she has internalized my affirmations — that she connects them to me, to my view of her. That we have already established a baseline of love and affection and admiration that I hope she will carry with her forever.
Later that week — on the day I thought micro had flipped to breech (which turned out to be true) — Mr. Magpie and I were recounting our days while mini played on the carpet in front of us and I mentioned, with wobbling voice, my discomfort and disappointment at the prospect of micro’s positioning. A tear slipped down my cheek. I hate crying in front of mini, but there it was. Mr. Magpie came over and put his arms around me. Mini paused, mid-play, and looked over at us with concern.
“Mommy needs a hug,” Mr. Magpie explained. Mini wordlessly climbed onto the couch and laid her head on my shoulder, patting my back with her little palm. Her curious eyes searched mine. I smiled at her, smoothed her hair.
“Thank you, my sweet girl!” I said, in as cheery a voice as I could muster. She slid back off the couch to return to her toys. It was the first time I had thought of her as my own emotional support, a member of my own personal cheering committee. I was astonished at the way she’d comported herself, knowing just what to do and how to do it: the consoling pat on the back, the quiet concern on her face. She was mirroring the hundreds and hundreds of comforting sessions we’ve afforded her.
When I drift into distress at night, worrying about the health of my loved ones, I find peace in thinking through these two interactions. They remind me that our loved ones know we love them, and that grandiose letters and proclamations (though kind and welcome!) pale in comparison to the quotidian expressions of affection and solicitude that emerge naturally, day after day: the tender words we say, the offhanded texts checking in, the deference to my preference in ice cream flavors, the unmeditated compliments and gestures of thoughtfulness that highlight our weeks. These musings transform my crepuscular gloom and doom into something else entirely — something life-filling, life-affirming — and I lay there and think, drowsily, calmly, of mini’s appropriately placed rejoinder: “Go to bed.”
+More things to do when you can’t fall asleep.
+Two really cute finds for itty bitty boys: these seersucker shorts and these canvas sneakers. Also: Saks has placed a bunch of its darling Florence Eiseman shortalls on sale; love these.
+A $15 cardigan you probably need. This is the kind of workhorse item I buy begrudgingly (“do I need a solid-colored cardigan? It’s so much more fun to buy impractical footwear!”) and then wear to threads. Perfect for throwing on at home, over athletic gear, etc. Especially convenient for a pregnant or nursing mother.
+Speaking of impractical footwear, these shoes were essentially made for me. I need them.
+Oh man. I love (!!!) this voluminous, high-fashion dress.
+This jewelry round would make such an elegant gift — it looks like one of the (far pricier) Leontine Linens ones!
+Don’t miss out on these $25 ultra-chic woven mules! I LOVE.
+Eberjey jammies, 50% off — I own this exact cut/set in a different print and LOVE IT. So soft.
I’ve featured this Gul Hurgel fruit-print dress in the past (seen above on the ultra-chic Rebecca de Ravenel — and PSST, you can coordinate with your mini!), but I still marvel over it. The other day, I was walking by a Brooks Brothers and I stopped and admired a cherry-print dress I saw in their window display. I simply love the shirtdress cut — so flattering, so timeless. You can make it feel younger by pairing it with Supergas or chic slides or even a contrasting print mule, but it would also look sophisticated and sweet for a more formal or conservative affair with heels or mules.
Setting aside Gul Hurgel and the Brooks Brothers shirt-dress, I’ve been seeing a lot of fruit prints this season, so I thought I’d share a couple of my favorite finds:
THIS CHA CHA CHA ORANGE-PRINT DRESS (SO FUN FOR A NIGHT OUT WITH THE GIRLS)
THESE SPLASHY STRAWBERRY OR CHERRY EARRINGS
THIS SWEET HVN (I COVET THIS LABEL SOMETHING FIERCE)
THIS CHIC WRAP DRESS (LOOKS LIKE AN HVN, COSTS FAR LESS!)
THIS SHOW-STOPPING REBECCA DE RAVENEL
THIS FLOATY MANGO-AND-BUTTERFLY-PRINT DRESS
THIS BREEZY GANNI (ACTUALLY A FLORAL PRINT BUT LOOKS LIKE ORANGES TO ME — ON SALE!!!)
For your minis:
THESE STRAWBERRY-PRINT LEGGINGS
THIS ORANGE-PRINT SWIMSUIT (SUCH A GOOD PRICE! — AND LITTLE SIS CAN COORDINATE IN THIS LEMON-PRINT ONE)
P.S. What are your daily reads? and What makes you laugh?
P.P.S. Five spring trends to try.
I shared some of my favorite sources for traditional baby shoes a week or two back and then invested in a few new pairs for mini’s wardrobe just this week, especially with Easter and a lighter palette for her wardrobe right around the corner. I went with a classic pair of white Elephantito Mary Janes (heads up: these were surprisingly challenging to track down in mini’s size — they seem to be low in stock everywhere), these velcro Supergas in the pretty pink/lavender color (also low in stock), and these linen bow shoes (heads up: in select sizes, you can find this exact pair for nearly $15 less on Amazon). Between these three pairs, I feel like we’ll have casual, dressy, and in-between moments covered for the vast majority of spring outings. Three other pairs I am eyeing seriously but trying to hold off on snagging until a little later in the season (I have a hunch mini will outgrow her current size by mid-summer): these Cientas in the washed denim or the pink (I like the way these look with sundresses and more casual outfits, too) and these blue toile espadrilles (ZOMG).
I also have in my cart a pair of Baypod pram shoes and some Elephanito mocs (somehow marked down to $15?!) for micro’s first “dressy” shoes!
The most popular items on the blog this week:
+I referred back to a post on the best bags for everyday adventures and a bunch of you cottoned to the Celine Trio crossbody, which you can still find (gently used) at The Real Real. An incredible snag for everyday. I would love to own one of these elegant classics, preferably in this gorgeous powder blue color.
+An on-trend smocked and puffed-sleeved blouse for the romantic at heart.
+A gorgeous lace midi at a reasonable price — perfect wedding guest or Easter Sunday attire. (And it looks like Self Portrait.)
+A smart solution for bedside cord management.
+A stunning ladylike dress for a Baptism or shower or springtime garden wedding.
+The pointelle sweater you’ve been dreaming of.
+A perfect everyday, every-occasion flat.
+A gorgeous, artful pillow cover to spruce up your home for spring.
+A chic hat for summer adventures (love the pink band).
+Precious (and inexpensive) Easter baskets for your minis.
I was so moved and inspired by the many thoughtful comments, emails, and direct messages I received after sharing an update on this pregnancy earlier this week. Thank you times a million. I heard from several moms who have had multiple c-sections and many of them mentioned that the second recovery was easier — maybe because we know what to expect? Or our bodies recognize the recovery path? Or we are simply too distracted by our children to be able to dwell much on the recovery aspect? (I also personally feel as though motherhood has reconditioned me with regards to my squeamishness around medical and physical issues. You’re wiping butts and cleaning spit-up for a living: you’ve got to adopt a shrugging attitude towards the many emissions of the body.) Whatever it is — I found that remark heavily reassuring. Amidst the many words of encouragement, this stood out to me from one reader:
“In the moment it can all feel so scary. Take it one day at a time and don’t get too far ahead of yourself.”
I have opened up my phone to re-read this note about fifteen times this week. Upon each re-reading, a wave of serenity washes over me. I am reminded of something I told myself in the days leading up to mini’s birth: “you can do anything for an hour.” (I had been told a c-section would last around an hour.) Then, as I lay on the operating table, I found myself thinking: “you can do anything for ten minutes. Just make it through the next ten minutes.” Then: “You can do anything for a minute. Just make it through the next minute.” Then, I finally broke it down into Hail Marys: “Come on, Jennie. You can make it through a Hail Mary.” One day at a time, one minute at a time, one word at a time. It all becomes so much more manageable on those terms.
What a gorgeous reminder of two things: first, to set realistic goals (read: small, measurable ones — which in turn reminded me of my mother’s “one per day” rule) and second, to live in the moment. These are two exceptionally difficult charges during pregnancy, which can occasionally feel like a long and unwieldy sit in a waiting room, spiked with unrealistic expectations, but are more broadly applicable to any particularly fraught or frenetic stage of life.
Sharing this lovely reader’s entreaty in the hopes it might find companionship with one or many of you on this spring Saturday, whether you’re lumbering through the final weeks of your own pregnancy, grappling with a break-up, grieving a loss, or struggling with any personal woe, be it big or small. (There’s no hierarchy of pain on this blog.)
How do you muscle through a tough time?
From “Firsts and Lasts“:
“It feels like yesterday that I woke every morning to the sight of minimagpie’s empty bassinet, its vacancy engendering the deepest sensation of longing and anticipation. Mini had not yet entered the world, but there it stood–open-armed, waiting, a visual reminder of what was to come. (As if I needed the cue–my belly growing by the day, her kicks so forceful they sent electric shocks through me multiple times a day.)
These days, I wake to the sight of her empty bassinet, but feel something entirely different. Most mornings, my eyes travel over it thoughtlessly, so accustomed am I to seeing it there, her existence and all of her paraphernalia so deeply incorporated into the quotidian activities of my life that I barely give it a second thought. I’m too distracted by her cry, or too tired to think much of anything. Other mornings, I wake and look at it and fight the urge to cry. I thumb through pictures of her in it from just a few months ago, her limbs scrawny and her face red and squished and my recollection of this time continues to soften and float, suspended, in a haze of tenderness.
Did I adequately cherish those moments? Those mornings and noons and nights with her snoozing in it by my bedside?”
+I think mini needs this whimsical printed raincoat for spring. Love!
+If you are attending a horse race with your littles in tow (we went to Foxfield in VA for many years and then the Kentucky Derby a few years back), this is the PERFECT outfit for a mini.
+Dying over this gingham flat!!! (Should have included it in my roundup of spring trends — gingham was one of them.)
+Love this $30 floral/smocked jumpsuit for an easy spring everyday look.
+I’ve worn bare legs a handful of times and am truly astonished by how colorless I’ve become over the winter. Should I try this?
+OMG: in love with this minimalist slide. How chic?! Very MK + Ashley Olson?
+OK. OK. OK. We need to talk about the book Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. A few of you recommended it to me over the course of the last few months and then my sister said she could not put it down. I am blown away by the portraiture. I’ve never met a female protagonist quite like Frances, or a love interest quite like Nick, and the book’s simultaneous sangfroid and candor are remarkable and fresh and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Be warned: there are a lot of explicit sex scenes in it and I would not recommend it to most people for that reason. But the writing is absolutely incredible, I have to say. I’m shook.
+Loving these wood toys from a Russian Etsy shop: keys for an infant and a lace-up activity for toddlers.
Magpies! There are a couple of really good deals running right now on items that rarely dip low in price:
+Saks is running 25% off thousands of items in its Friends & Family sale. A great time to stock up on Kissy Kissy jammies for minis and micros. I also noticed that all of their Noodle & Boo products (I use all of this line’s products for mini and especially love their conditioning polish spray for hair) as well as Laundress products are 25% off — cheaper than Amazon has ever gotten on these linen closet staples!
+Bloomingdale’s is also running a Friends & Family event. A compelling offer to snag more of my favorite fluffy white towels, Stasher bags, Eberjey jammies (or my new robe — ahhh, should have waited!), and Livly jammies for little ones (<<obsessed with this brand).
+Petite Plume is offering 20% off its darling pajamas with code EASTER20. I bought mini this nightgown and this bunny eye mask for the occasion, but now I’m swooning over this toile set, too.
+Finally — I saw that the ultra-chic Caitlin Fisher of Daily Cup of Couture snagged a pair of satin Newbark bow slides (seen above) and was surprised to find that The Real Real has a number of gently-used pairs on offer for well under $70! If only I was a size 7…(and don’t they remind you in the cutest way of those darling VEB baby shoes I wrote about?!)
P.S. More great spring deals and the best affordable beauty products (everything under $50!).
P.P.S. I want to be that kind of parent.
So far this year, my favorite new belongings:
The lovely Pamela Munson (a Magpie woman of substance!) generously sent me this gorgeous straw tote with white leather handles (seen above as styled by the ultra-chic Daily Cup of Couture). I have been wearing it everywhere despite inauspicious temperatures and questionable seasonality; we’ve still been lingering in the 40s many mornings. Aside from its beach-y but feminine style, I love that it stands up on its own (can’t say the same for 90% of my other bags), that its handles are the perfect length (easy to wear over the shoulder), and that it goes with literally everything. Runner up: this plaid tote I bought from her spring collection. Love the shape, color, and coated fabric!
My skin was crazy dry all winter — until I started using this inexpensive oil after showering. Finally, relief! I had been so uncomfortable after bathing; this did the trick, and for a fraction of the price of other interventions I had considered and tested.
I bought this tinted moisturizer on a whim during a Blue Mercury promotion and will never go back! I have written extensively about this product already (and even updated my Best of Everything: Beauty post to replace it as my top pick for foundation/tinted moisturizer).
These Rhodia gridded notepads changed my life. Dramatic statement? Yes. But they’ve gotten me into the habit of a practice known as “bullet journaling” — one I more affectionately and privately title “list therapy.” I find myself creating lists of all kinds, from the mundane (“What We Need at Eataly”) to the meaty (“Experiences I Want for My Children” and “Things to Unlearn“). I love these notepads because they are oversized and “seamed” along the top. I’m a leftie, so not having to contend with a spiral is a gift.
I am so into these waxed Spanx maternity leggings. I have been desperately trying to make do with what I have despite an urge to buy new things (I’m so sick of my rotation of boxy sweaters and maternity tees), but I’m glad I sprang for these. They’ve added a welcome little edge to my wardrobe and make me feel more pulled together than when I’m sporting my standard-issue cotton leggings. I’ve also been stopped by several expecting mothers asking where I’d found them!
It’s the little things, my friends. As I was organizing my diaper bag essentials in anticipation of baby two, I decided to buy a generously-sized pouch for my own essentials: my Kindle, a mini Rhodia notebook (yes, I’m that obsessed), nursing pads, my favorite ballpoint pen. (I already keep my other medicinal/self-care must-haves, like my favorite lipstick in the Bourbon Rose color, eye drops, Advil, bandaids, hair-ties, etc in a small Truffle pouch.)
A treat yourself moment. I have two robes that are a little worse for the wear and anticipated I’d be spending a lot of time in my favorite nursing nightgowns after the baby is born and/or attempting to relax in my favorite maternity pajamas in anticipation of baby’s arrival. This pretty lace-trimmed robe was just the ticket (and on sale in select sizes here!!!)
I wrote all about this wunderproduct a few weeks ago here, but trust me: it’s worth the hype. I am convinced it’s been the key to clear, even skin.
Mr. Magpie and I are in a stand-off about this purchase. I like that it’s an intentional space for drying the various (read: many) hand-washed pots, pans, and implements we go through every day, as we cook nearly every night. It’s thick and absorbent. I personally like the style. But Mr. Magpie insists it was an unnecessary acquisition — “that’s what we have dish towels for,” he’s grumbled. Personally, it brings me joy to keep clutter contained and organized. You decide!
My favorite recent discovery: this soba tea tastes like delicious toasted rice water and is the perfect substitute for a post-prandial cocktail or dessert. So funky and delicious.
P.S. Currently in my shopping cart for April: these floral print canvas mules, this SZ Blockprints caftan, these YSL shades, this striped puff-sleeve blouse, this smocked top, and this romantic midi. Also dying for a pair of cropped white wide-leg pants, but feeling like I must wait a few months post-partem to properly size.
P.P.S. My favorite purchases from 2018, 10 life-changing baby products (read the comments, too!), and several products I was obsessing over (and still am) earlier this year.
H&M is on a roll right now. My favorite finds for me:
THIS SMOCKED, PUFFED-SLEEVED TOP (SO CHIC WITH A PLEATED SKIRT!)
THIS BOHO BLOUSE (PERFECT WITH WHITE JEANS)
If you are looking for more deals on spring trends, consider these picks or check out this roundup of transition-to-spring sweaters (most are well under $100).
And now: my favorite H&M finds for minis and micros:
THIS NAUTICAL-STRIPED SWEATSHIRT
THIS LINEN-BLEND DRESS (TIMELESS WITH A BIG WHITE HAIR BOW)
THIS LADYBUG PRINT SUNSUIT (DARLING — LOOKS LIKE JACADI!)
P.S. These are a good dupe for my favorite Elephantito pram shoes for a baby girl — but cost far less. (More of my favorite footwear sources for minis and micros.)
P.P.S. Another great tip for ferreting out discounted baby clothing.
