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Q: Cardigan for fall.
A: This is my fav desk sweater (meaning, I keep it at my desk to throw on over everything I wear). Wear it belted or not; goes with everything; divinely soft. It’s a splurge but you’ll have it forever and wear it with everything. Many Magpies love this similar Jenni Kayne (look for less with this under-$50 find). A little less expensive but a great investment: this Alice Walk, which has sold out in some colors/sizes but will be restocked in September. I feel really confident about recommending all three of these brands as investment sweaters — you’ll have them forever, and reach for them constantly.
If you’re looking for something with less slouch / more structure, I also love the Alex Mill Nico (have in two colors), and this Gap is excellent. My mom has a few pieces from their CashSoft line and loves them. I’m so bummed I missed out on the red! Would have loved to have that this fall. Snag it if you can!
And for a hybrid between cardi and jacket — BA&SH’s Meredith (seen above) or Gaspard would go with everything.
Q: Need recommendations for formal wedding in Palm Desert late Oct. (with sleeves and I’m 71).
A: I’m obsessed with this in the chartreuse color, and this in the fig jam color. Bernadette’s gowns are spectacular and would fit the bill, too, and this La Double J is a TKO. This Zimmermann is a head-turning option, as is this Saloni (also on sale!). Finally, I think this hot pink number would be fun and unexpected with some great heels and big earrings.
Q: Congrats on your son’s big boy bed! I recently ordered six beds, in various sizes, including some from Pottery Barn, for our grandkids to use. I am stumped on what mattresses to get. I was going to buy them at a local Mattress Warehouse, but my husband thinks their inventory is of inferior quality . My daughter likes the ones from Pottery Barn. A neighbor suggests Saatva. Do you mind sharing what kind you’re getting for your son? Or any other thoughts? Thanks so much.
A: We agree with your neighbor — we bought my daughter a Saatva (<<this one) and will be buying one for my son, too! They are fantastic quality. We also use a Saatva in our primary bedroom (the Zenhaven) — my husband did a ton of research into mattresses when we moved (like, spreadsheets worth of research…!) and this one came up as the top pick time and time again. We have loved, loved, loved ours.
Q: Need help with my postpartum wardrobe. I am on the hunt for nursing friendly/loose fitting basics. I’m still wearing “postpartum” undergarments, so it has been a challenge to find pieces that are more modest. Also, looking for items I can move in, as I have started a routine of walking around our park in the mornings before the heat sets in. All the activewear I see is either cropped or too tight…
A: I can’t rave more about these Rory dresses from F&E. They are pricey but I believe SUMMER50 and/or ESCAPE get you $50 off. They are meant to be laundered (all of Frank & Eileen’s pieces are washing machine friendly), loose-fit and can be styled up or down, will work after nursing, and I think work for any age (from 20 year old to 90 year old). I would invest in one of those as a special treat for yourself. You could absolutely style with cute sneakers! (A slightly dressier take: Julia Amory’s breezy shirtdresses — so so soft and comfortable, and a very loose fit. Use code JEN-15 for 15% off.)
I also have personally been loving the look of a button-down (Sezane, Gap, Ayr) with a pair of inexpensive boxer-style shorts.
If you are wanting more active-wear/athleisure, have you considered Varley? I feel like they have looser fit but elegant sets, like this. Layer over a nursing tank, pair with great sneaks and huge sunglasses, and be on your way!
Q: Attire for a military promotion ceremony (daytime, brunch).
A: I would probably wear a classic, tailored sundress like this, this, this, or this with a wedge sandal like this (look for less with these).
Q: Best end of summer sale (especially dresses!)
A: Currently obsessing over two Tory Burches that are on sale — this patterned silk number and this khaki situation — both are in my cart and I reallllllly want to pull the trigger. This buy now, wear now HHH is so pretty and fresh – sure to get a few wears before the summer’s out. But Net-A-Porter is the real mother lode. Wowza. I have about 10000 tabs open, but here are a few favorites:
Q: Golden yellow or olive green bridesmaid dress. Forgiving for a growing bump. September in LA.
A: This Ulla is so gorgeous, but you might need to test with where the waist falls on you and your bump! Could be perfect…similar story with this one. The waist could fit above the bump, or could be annoying!
Q: Bride ceremony accessories – hair jewelry or special idea?
A: Congratulations!! First – I love the idea of having a label sewn into your outfit with a special phrase, the date, your initials, etc. Makes for a pretty photo day-of and such a special memento. You could even just frame it in a lucite frame if you don’t want it stitched in…
For hair jewelry / accessories, Jennifer Behr is queen. Statement pieces that look elegant and not costumey, whether a classic satin headband, a romantic ribbon, or a jeweled hair comb. I also personally love (!!) the look of a blusher, and really wanted one for my wedding but was wearing a century-old veil with a train that many of the women in my family have worn, and it just wouldn’t have worked. She has some super chic ones — city hall vibes!
Q: Fall family photos. Nothing too ruffled or poofy.
A: Cara Cara has some really gorgeous fall patterned dresses that would mix and match well with other fall prints on your family — this is gorgeous and would look chic with a brown suede flat or boot. Doen’s burgundy toile would also be very pretty, but not sure if that’s too frou frou for you. I own and love this gingham maxi, also Doen — effortless! For something more muted, try this Simkhai. So elegant – what I’d imagine Duchess Kate would wear. Would look sharp with boys in little navy blazers! And I super love this maxi shirt dress from Boden. Just interesting enough.
Q: September meet and greet cocktail party and coffee. Separate events.
A: For the cocktail party, I’d wear something like this or this with a brown suede sandal or wedge. For the coffee, I’d wear colored jeans (these, these, more options here) with a little blazer (look for less with this) or coatigan like this BA&SH, seen at top!
By: Jen Shoop
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I always love Gap’s well-timed Friends and Family sale — it arrives just in time for back-to-school and transition-to-fall, and is always full of well-priced, well-made basics. I’ve been a Gap girl forever, but I love the way the brand has returned to basics in the past few years in particular, and their merchandising team has really met the times with the way they style their pieces, too.
I’ve also been seeing a lot of trench coats in circulation as we head towards the fall. Trenches are iconic and never go out of style, but they seem to be popping up all over the place. This Gap one is a great price right now. Their outerwear is generally amazing – check out this on-trend, oversized denim jacket from the Doen x Gap collab (now 40% off) and this interesting twill style.
What if we had bought that apartment in NYC, and tethered ourselves to the turbulent and tremendous orbit of that city life for longer?
What if I’d taken that job in San Francisco, the one at that start-up that ended up shuttering a few years later?
What if we’d found a better realtor sooner, and sold our first house quicker, and not had to live with the crystalizing stress of owning a home while paying New York rent?
What if we’d listened to our fears, and shied away from starting our own business?
What if I’d walked away from that painful relationship sooner, the one that bled me near-dry?
What if we’d been practical about my blog, waiting for much longer before dedicating all my creative hours to it?
What if we’d left New York at the dawn of the pandemic, rather than two years in? Or stayed in DC in the first place, all those years ago?
What if I had gone to Duke instead of Virginia, and after we met that night in August and you put the moonlight in my eyes, I drove down to Durham, and into another man’s life?
I am at peace with all the things we didn’t do.
Twenty years of joint decisions have taught us discernment, focus. How to set the table, how to see with the soul. How to tell the certifiable from the charlatan. When to force a hand, when to acquiesce.
Even the things that present as missed opportunities, as mistakes: you must fail a few times to really live. Each loss is a learning, a new way to feel the sun.
You sit across from me at Moon Rabbit, and we play our favorite game:
“What would twenty year old Jen and Landon think of us now?”
And I call to mind all the things we’ve tried to do with our lives —
and how in the end, there is a stripped-down simplicity to it:
+Saw someone wearing this dress as a pool cover-up this week, with a big straw hat — SO CHIC. More chic things I’ve seen women wearing in D.C. this summer here.
+20% off lots of prestige, luxe beauty here. All my top picks here! A great time to invest in a Mason Pearson brush (they are truly the GOAT – I use mine daily and have for nearly ten years!), and stock up on our favorite scalp scrub and splurgey candles.
+OMG – this new cocktail dress from Tuckernuck’s house label!!! Very Agua Bendita, but under $300. Love the pattern and the OTS detail. More fall wedding guest dress ideas here.
+Eyeing a few things for my son from J. Crew kids: these cord shorts, this striped sweatshirt, these khaki jeans. Definitely want to get him a few rugby shirts for fall, too — eyeing this Gap, this RL, this La Coqueta, this Janie + Jack, and this Target.
+Rhone sent me some of these tanks, and I love them for working out right now. Look great with bike shorts — perfect silhouette IMO to have a tank that’s a bit looser but not too loose, a bit cropped but not too cropped.
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I’ve written a few times about colored denim as a micro-trend for fall 2024, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this pair of mocha-colored wide legs from Veronica Beard! They run generally TTS (a size up would have been enormous; a size down would have been way too small) but I must flag that the denim is very stiff/rigid, without much give, so that may factor into your ordering, and I always find my VB jeans gap a bit in the waist, at least on me! These run long but have a raw hem, so I just cut them myself at the hem. The color is absolutely perfect. I was delighted when a 65 degree morning earlier this week gave me the opportunity to break them in for the first time. I was headed to a meeting, and felt polished and on-trend at the same time.
I also wanted to style them in two other ways to spotlight their versatility. Brown in particular feels like a neutral to me — as easy to pair with other colors (navy, red, white, black, ecru!) as regular old jeans.
Love the idea of pairing them with a dressier button-down and cropped denim blazer (love the dark denim wash against the brown denim jeans!), and then balance with a more casual sandal. I am personally loving all of these more cropped button-downs, as I find them easier to tuck without a ton of bulk at the waist / when tucked in!
If you’re interested in a look for less, these Pistolas (under $200) are a great fit and now come in a chocolate brown wash. They have a much stretchier material than the VBs, too — take your true size!
Before we left for Deep Creek Lake to stay at Mr. Magpie’s aunt’s lake house, I asked Magpies on Instagram: What are some great hostess gift ideas?
I had already packed up some fancy chocolate and happy hour treats from The Organic Butcher, baked two lemon pound cakes, and wrapped up a new game (this one), as my husband’s family is big into games, and we often pass the afternoons playing them, but was curious what my thoughtful Magpies had up their sleeves.
The answers were brilliant — I had to share:
+”Local consumable pastry/jam/pickled goods/charcuterie.” [Ed. note: For D.C. area Magpies: Mr. Magpie and I love gifting items from the grocery/pantry sections of The Organic Butcher and Bread Furst.]
+”More of a house warming gift than a hostess gift, but for a few friends I have had return address stamps made with their family name and new address.” [Ed. note: I love these return address stickers, too! Etsy has tons of chic options for stamps.]
+”Wine/specialty liquor they might enjoy with a handwritten note on where it’s from / why you picked!”
+”Luxury candles, although scents can be very personal.” [Ed. note: I love to gift the ones from Hotel Lobby and Linnea. For a bigger splurge (longer stay?), the ones from Trudon are exceptional. Mr. Magpie usually gifts me one in my stocking at Christmas and they are just exquisite. I just noticed they’re 20% off here and I’ve never seen them on sale before!]
+”Love to schedule a food delivery to arrive the day after we leave. A favorite is Red Truck Bakery out of Marshall, VA.”
+”Dry pancake mix and dry muffin mix, with instructions.”
I like to wrap nearly any/all of these items up in cellophane (I usually use these wine bottle cello sleeves – they’re often the perfect size for any smaller item like this, and you can trim if too long!) and tie off with a big double-faced 1-2″ satin ribbon.
+We’ve converted all of my recipes into recipe cards that you can download here!
By: Jen Shoop
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Above, wearing this Elleme bag (quality is spectacular – really looks like Bottega to me!); Veronica Beard Taylor jeans in a different wash (similar here); Leset tee; Veronica Beard blazer (similar here).
P.P.P.S. Fall on my mind in this recent “Ask Magpie.”
By: Jen Shoop
We’re back with possibly my favorite series on Magpie: icebreakers for you to answer at your leisure. I absolutely treasure reading your responses, which are always clever, thoughtful, and surprising. Here goes.
+Your SSB.*
+Your current hyper-fixation meal.
+Name something you secretly want to do. Why haven’t you done it yet?
+Your house catches fire. After ensuring all loved ones and pets are safe, you have time to safely save one final item. What is it?
+First time you remember getting in trouble.
+Food kink.
+First kiss?
+First thing that comes to mind: the smell of birthday candles.
+If you could anonymously email your boss right now, what would you say?
+Who would be the first celebrity guest if you had your own talk show?
*SSB = “Secret single behavior,” a term from Carrie Bradshaw referencing what she’d do when without her boyfriend. Hers was slathering saltines with grape jelly, arranging them in a stack, and eating them standing up in her kitchen while reading Vogue.
****
+Your SSB.* Watching truly bad (we’re talking D-grade, 10%-on-Rotten-Tomatoes) romantic comedies and permitting myself to scroll through my phone while doing it. When Mr. Magpie and I are together, we hold ourselves to higher standards: we follow the one-screen-at-a-time rule (and will put our phones in a separate room or behind us while watching TV) and are particular, and thoughtful, about what we watch. There is something delightfully luxuriant, almost wanton, about eschewing these standards when he’s out of town.
+Your current hyper-fixation meal. Green smoothies – kale, banana, avocado, orange juice. We’ve been drinking these all summer long in lieu of breakfast and I crave them each morning! Weirder: last spring, I was obsessed with this combo for breakfast.
+Name something you secretly want to do. Why haven’t you done it yet? Publish a novel and go hut-to-hut hiking somewhere. On the novel front: I am still developing my craft, and know there is a lot of wood to chop with finding an agent, pitching, etc. I have also been heads down focused on making this blog the best it can be, and am still learning. But I intend to explore fiction during this decade of my life. On hut-to-hut hiking: it all comes down to childcare for our kids, and the limited number of vacations we’ve had for ourselves. I hope we will do this in the next few years…!
+Your house catches fire. After ensuring all loved ones and pets are safe, you have time to safely save one final item. What is it? A piece of art my parents gave us. We call her “the green girl,” and I love her.
+First time you remember getting in trouble. I covered my father’s brand-new, leather-topped desk with those fuzzy pads you put beneath furniture feet. It was destroyed. I still contend that my sister lured me into doing this (I was such a rule follower; I cannot comprehend my own behavior!), but my father couldn’t speak to me for a full day. It was almost worse than being punished outright!
+Food kink. Vinegar. I cannot get enough of it – I could drink it. I also really like those bad canned black olives that most people pick out of their food.
+First kiss? A boy named Kyle in fifth grade — a truth or dare situation! This was particularly awkward because I had my first boyfriend at that time and had, up to that day, refused to kiss him because I was scared. He was furious! I think he took back the Starter jacket he’d lent me on the asphalt that morning because of this — ha.
+First thing that comes to mind: the smell of birthday candles. The good-bad edge frosting on ice cream cakes.
+If you could anonymously email your boss right now, what would you say? “Keep going.” (I am my own boss.)
+Who would be the first celebrity guest if you had your own talk show? I mean, it’d have to be Glen Powell at this moment, right?!? But I’m also very intrigued by John Mayer, Richard Linklater, and Celine Song for different reasons. And if authors count: Ann Patchett, all day!
Your turn! Please copy and paste the prompts (some or all!) into the comments and share your cleverness with the Magpie community!
P.S. More recent rounds of icebreakers here, here, here.
Shopping Break.
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+Speaking of bright red: my cherry red shorts set was just restocked — top here; bottom here. I have found myself wearing them more as separates than together because I’m petite and the top is voluminous and the shorts are pretty long on me. You can see me styling with a swimsuit here! (15% off Sold Out with code JEN15.). The button-down top in white is a total wardrobe staple. I almost can’t believe she’s under $200 because the quality is insane (the silkiest, most luxurious handfeel) and the shape feels so high end (oversized, larger cuffs). Looks like a million bucks with jeans.
+Similar quiet luxury vibes: this under-$100 dress. So romantic. Could be good for a bride-to-be but would also look elegant on anyone with some simple brown leather sandals.
+Shared a few times already, but Z Supply has some great La Ligne-inspired striped knits for under-$100: this and this!
+Have had some inquiries lately from women in their 50s, 60s, 70s asking for everyday dresses. This RL (more sizes here) is spectacular and so perfect for fall in that rich chocolate hue.
+Absolutely love these biker shorts for my Heather Robertson fitness days, and they just came out in a fun raspberry color.
+Colored jeans, and especially brown ones, are trending for fall — love these in a rich dark chocolate hue.
+I’ve gone through 2 bottles of my beloved Osea cleanser and loveeee it, but am going to try this one next (recently won a few awards). I always like trying new beauty/skincare!
+This caftan dress is so interesting and different for a late-summer gathering. (I’d pair with a strappy sandal like this.) Mille’s Daisy dress is similar in shape, but less expensive (plus 15% off with JEN15).
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I wrote a little bit about this recently, but I’m in the mood for a new handbag this fall, and am contemplating making a designer purchase. I keep losing the plot when I dig into whether I should be buying a tote or crossbody — I think I’d get more daily use out of a tote, as I’m still in that phase of life where I might need snacks and distractions for the children, and am routinely schlepping items around — but my heart always wants something less practical.
Below, all my favorite bags for the upcoming season…
02. Similar in size and vibe, Longchamp’s cosmetics bag has been trending. Very chic, and reasonable at $100.
03. This Parker Thatch (seen above) is unlike anything else I’ve seen carried in DC recently. Bound to generate lots of “where’d you get that?” inquiries. Available in other great color combos. This is high on my list as an under-$1K contender for an everyday bag. I think it would fit everything you’d need but not be too big? I love the way it was styled here.
04. Another top contender (currently sitting in my cart; I might just order it!): this woven Elleme. It reminds me of the Bottega Sardine bags I saw and swooned over in Aspen! I love the hardware handle (have been noticing a lot of heavy gold hardware in jewelry, footwear, and handbags lately) and think it would be such a fabulous exclamation point for any outfit. I like that it could be worn for daytime (think jeans and a blazer) with the crossbody, and then worn with a cocktail dress in the evening, too, sans strap. I love all the styling notes / overall vibe of the brand’s Instagram account — it really makes the bag look much higher end (could it be Bottega?!)
06. Little Liffner is a new name to know — gorgeous details and interesting shapes. I included their mini bucket bag amongst my chocolate brown favorites this season.
07. Savette’s East-West pochette has been on my radar for two seasons now. Uber-elegant, and spectacular in that navy suede. I can’t decide if I think the shape is absurdly impractical for me — but it would be a perfect date night bag…
08. I spotted Toteme’s T-Lock on so many chic peas last fall and winter — a better price point than many other designers. Also love their tote — but is it too summery as a fall investment?
09. While talking totes, this Bottega is divine. Nicole Cassidy always looks so chic with hers.
10. For something a little more under the radar in a similar shape, Metier’s Cabas is droolworthy. I love the ones with the linen on top and leather on bottom.
11. Tod’s slouchy shopping bag also turned my head. On sale for nearly 50% off in select colors. This looks like a highly practical everyday bag — as does Cuyana’s understate chic “system” bag, which is a fraction of the price. I’ve seen this IRL and she’s gorgeous and practical. More similar in shape to the Tod’s, check out this gorgeous Banana Republic bag — love the surprise braiding on the handle.
12. Rue de Verneuil’s new denim options are beyond chic. Imagine with a gorgeous brown suede coat.
Earlier this summer, I shared a quote: “It is not necessary to react to everything we notice.” This has both inbound and outbound benefits. On the former: we conserve our energy for the things that matter to us; on the latter: sometimes (often times?) our loosely-offered opinions are uninvited, superfluous, even unintentionally wounding.
I’ve noticed something as I’ve called on this quote over the past few weeks. Oftentimes, my reaction to something wanes in intensity, changes course, or renders itself moot over a short period of time, and I regret the fervency of my immediate response. Why did I care so much? Why did I come out in bold all-caps?
Write in soft pencil, I remind myself. Not everything — in fact, only the scarce sacrosanct — deserves copperplate engraving.
This is not to say I cannot feel intensely and authentically, but that I must take care to when translating.
Because it is OK — likely — that I will change my mind, and I’d prefer the latitude to erase and try again, to write over my own penmanship without the stain of ink.
It is OK to not feel firmly about everything. Multiple things can be true at once.
There are situations that call for permanent ink, and others for pliable lead.
Post-Script.
+”Who are the five women you’d like to be the average of?”
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+Seriously eyeing a few items from AYR — their mail catalog just arrived last week and was so good, and included a code for 10% off with TAKEOFF! Have been eyeing the Early Mornings tee forever (sort of a hybrid between a tee and sweatshirt – love the lived-in look!) and might need it in that brown/white stripe. Also, their Secret Sauce jeans apparently sell out every launch…love them in the black?
+THE BEST day planner. I’ve used this for years now. Cheap, provides a ton of space to write out what you need to do each day, etc! Can’t recommend more. I’m also now hooked on these gel pens.
+My mom recently texted me asking for an undereye cream rec. I am still using Beyou’s $20 caffeine eye cream a lot of the time. My eyes were puffy earlier this summer – I think from allergies and poor sleep? – and this was so helpful. I had my makeup done a few weeks back and my artist asked: “who does your undereye botox?” !! It was not botox, it was this cream! So, I use that or UBeauty’s Return Eye Concentrate (20% off with code JENSHOOP). It’s much more expensive, but I find it more hydrating than Beyou. I basically alternate between the two depending on what my skin needs. If I’m looking puffy, it’s the Beyou; if I need hydration, it’s Ubeauty.
+We are about to buy my son a big boy bed! I’ve narrowed it down to Room & Board’s Parson bed, possibly in a fun color like red?, and PB’s Hamptons bed, probably in the brushed fog color. I also love C&B’s spindle bed, but we thought he might find it too babyish in a few years?
+I’m just beginning to look for his bedding — I absolutely love this duvet cover but the price is giving me pause (he’s five; this will be stained), so might do this striped duvet (about 1/2 the price) and pair with fun contrasting sheets like these stars, this space set, or these boats.
+Speaking of kids bedding – OMG. I’m dying over Roller Rabbit’s collab with PB Teen — these sheets! This backpack/lunchbox set! This shower caddy / laundry bag!
+Manolo recently released their iconic Maysales in delicious velvet colors. I’ve wanted a pair of these for years and years now. You can scratch the itch with these Larroudes (come in fun colors/fabrics) or these Amazons for even less. Really love the vibe of this shoe silhouette with the Colby pants.
+Hill House released a pre-fall collection last week — did my HHH girlies get anything? I love the tie shoulders on this dress.
+Niche, but – we’ve lost power a few times this summer, and my husband researched the best flashlights/lanterns/lamps, and this brand Sofirn came up over and over again. We bought a bunch of their lanterns and lamps and they are incredible! When our power went out during storm Debbie, a single one of these could light an entire room (and then some).
+This chic dress from Tory Burch just went on sale. I’m obsessed – wish it hadn’t sold out in my size.
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A few months ago, someone told me something that was difficult to hear – a sharp criticism that left me stammering, with heated cheeks. I could barely get my glass of water down to the table. I can’t recall what I said in immediate reply — it felt as though my ears and mouth had swollen closed. (Later, Mr. Magpie informed me I had nodded wanly and let the moment quietly go by.) I passed through the remainder of the afternoon as though submerged in water, with questions reaching me slowly, and with thick distortion. “Did you want another slice?” someone had asked, twice.
Later, two heads on a pillow, Mr. Magpie and I unpacked the damage, and gingerly, after I’d cried into his shirt. I told him that all afternoon, I’d felt an unkind desire to return the barb — or at least to point out how my critic was herself guilty of the same thing she found so unpleasant in me. I’d been lawyerly, crafting elaborate, airtight responses, dialing in on the errors and inconsistencies of her argument. But as I laid in bed, I told him that I also saw in my litigiousness a thin veil for the truth: that I was hurt, and sad. That I had not known she’d seen me that way, and was disappointed that someone could. And I knew that saying something sharp and cutting in response would do nothing–or worse.
We laid in bed with these thoughts. I considered myself, painfully, from new angles. I wondered what to say, or if I had to say anything. I asked why the comment had mattered so much to me: was it a people pleasing thing, or had she touched on some hypogean insecurity? I posited that there was some truth in the criticism. I examined the possibility that the comment was also a projection, or trigger response, on the part of the speaker. Mr. Magpie ran his hand up and down my leg as I rambled through these difficult explorations, occasionally interjecting with knowing looks or “but, Jen–” or, just, “I love you, Jennie.” Slowly, my umbrage gave way to tenderness. I dropped my crudely-formed defenses, and then my hurt, too, until I felt like the softest part of my pillow.
I learned something important that day. I would reflect on and learn from the actual criticism for some time, but this learning was agnostic to the specifics of that afternoon’s interaction. That day, I discovered how to be loving with myself even while experiencing conflict, and hurt. Too often in my life these moments have been shrouded with shame, the automatic assumption of fault, and subsequent self-torment, but that day, I was gentle with myself even as I explored the less-than-pleasant possibility that my critic was correct. I let myself be soft instead of hard.
Incredible, how much there is to learn, even at forty years old. I am still becoming myself after all.
***
Also this week —
Made Ina Garten’s Lemon Pound cake — absolutely delicious for breakfast with coffee, or as a citrus kiss after dinner.
Treated myself to an at-home blowout the day before we went out of town — new unlock! Such a luxury not to have to think about doing your hair for the first few days of a trip. I used Glamsquad — reminder: $20 off for new users with code JenniferS and $15 off for repeat users with code JenniferS15.
Diaries of a chronic overpacker // mini at the Garrett County Fair by Deep Creek Lake.
Back patio morning hanging at Deep Creek Lake
Dock stuff // boat stuff
Morning lawn baseball at Deep Creek Lake
Managed to read one book and start a second while traveling — new level of parenthood reached! // Back home, a moody hydrangea morning run during Storm Debbie
Stretched out our anniversary week (14 years!) by enjoying a bottle of champagne we’d been saving on Tuesday, cutting into a caramel cake from Caroline’s Cakes (DELICIOUS – will be sending these as gifts for Christmas!), and going out to dinner on Friday.
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Shopping poetry: Tis the season of the denim dress. Just added this to my closet. // New UBeauty lip plasma colors. They just sent me the Idol and it’s such a great late summer hue! 20% off for new and returning customers with code JENSHOOP. // Ciao Lucia’s new collection is full of vintage-inspired pieces – obsessed with this little black ditty. // A lookalike for my Veronica Beard jacket I wore all last fall, but under $200. // Speaking of, no one does fall like Veronica Beard. I love their latest arrivals – all my top picks here. // Labels for your kids’ school gear! // Even though I wrote about back to school a few weeks ago, I dilly-dallied and was shocked to find very few navy walking shorts available for my son! (I’d also misread the uniform code – sounds like pull-on/drawstring shorts are a no-no now. Oops.) Gap and J. Crew Factory were sold out in the walking shorts! I managed to snag the last two of these in a size 5 and ordered a few less expensive pairs on Amazon – these, these – to test! Yikes!
By: Jen Shoop
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+GLENERGY: Glen Powell is everywhere all of the sudden. One of my guy friends said he was going to see “Twisters” in theater “because, Glen Powell,” as if that were a full explanation. At first, I didn’t understand his appeal (he seemed to me somehow a CGI version of a movie star? Clearly handsome but somehow manufactured?), but this sharp essay by cultural analyst Anne Helen Petersen piqued my interest, and I’ve since watched both “Hitman” and “Anyone But You,” — and, I get it now. The man has undeniable magnetism on the screen. I was fascinated by Petersen’s commentary around actors who seem to “like women” (versus not) and how this shapes part of Powell’s appeal. (And the way he performs the scene in “Anyone but You” in which he blows into Sydney Sweeney’s mouth to cool it off makes it difficult to read him any other way, IMO.) I now find myself applying this litmus to other screen actors, and it’s shaped several fascinating conversations with men and women alike. One of my biggest pet peeves is men who only speak to other men in social settings — Mr. Magpie and I have observed this many times over the years and find it a big turnoff, even if Mr. Magpie would otherwise be friends with the man in question. (I should add that this does also happen the other way — women who won’t engage with or speak to Landon, or who seem to only direct conversation toward the other women.) Anyhow, I might just need to go see “Twisters” this week…and P.S., if you’re a Glen girl, you will appreciate the way I absolutely sprinted to the comments section of this post, and it did not disappoint: “It should be illegal to let Glen Powell wear a backwards hat.” Dead.
+THE PARKER THATCH CHARLIE BAG: Ever since seeing this little mirror selfie, I couldn’t get this chic suede Charlie bag out of my head. It’s so unlike anything else I’ve seen, and I think it’s the perfect size. Also, not that it’s original to this fall, but suede seems to be a dominant texture in this fall’s assortment.
+THERE COMES MY HEART: This poem was just right as a morning read for my 14-year wedding anniversary this week. We celebrated with a bottle of champagne and dinner at Rabbit Moon, and talked about how lucky we are to have been in one another’s lives for more than half of our time on this earth.
+STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK LOVE: I’ve been laughing at all of the memes about American gymnast and pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik: “This is possibly the greatest moment for glasses in Olympic history”; “Gymnastics guy took off his glasses and turned into game 6 LeBron.” There was also a hilarious comment I can no longer find about how Nedoroscik’s stuck landing was “the sound of hundreds of romance novelists creating a story about a bespectacled nerd-turned-superhero-gymnast.” I love the way we are reading that moment as a text, as a culture.
+WEEZER LIVE SPOTIFY PERFORMANCE: Mr. Magpie was so into this recent live performance by Weezer in Spotify’s studios to celebrate the thirtieth (!) anniversary of their Blue Album’s release. Worth a watch if you were/are a fan — his editorializing between tracks spotlights his tremendous gift and creativity as a musician, and the allusiveness of his sound.
+READING: I started reading My Brilliant Friend, per your rec! (Many of you love this book so much you repeat it! More of our favorite books to repeat here. A lot of Austen with a side of The Idea of You — ha!) I had been warned it would be slow to start, but it’s been moving apace, and I find her stripped-down writing exceptional. She captures the shard-like, imprecise way kids internalize information so accurately. Will share full thoughts soon – please read along with me so we can talk!
+BESTSELLERS: Lots of you invested in this chic fall blazer this past week. (It’s also in my fall wardrobe! Everything in my fall closet already here.) A brilliant buy, I must say – perfect with white jeans or shorts now; transition to pairing with full length denim and over dresses and blouses come fall.
