Jen Shoop, Author at Magpie by Jen Shoop

By: Jen Shoop

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

OMG, guys – the current extra 25% off Shopbop’s sale section is epic. I just added five items to my cart and need your help whittling it down. Here’s what’s in my cart:

01. Rag + Bone Sofie jeans. You know I am obsessed with my current pair (black) and I’m very tempted by the price on these — love the wash and the cuff.

02. Jenni Kayne Cooper cardigan in stripe. People LOVE this sweater and I LOVE a stripe.

03. Figue dress. I love a patterned shirtdress like this. I find so many occasions to wear pieces like this — family functions, school events, etc. Demure but interesting. And the shirtwaist style is infinitely flattering. The color on this one makes it feel seasonless. Pair with suede boots now and flat sandals later.

04. This Agua Bendita pareo skirt. I love the idea of layering this over a one-piece while in Florida in a few weeks, or pairing with a white tee and strappy sandals while exploring! (The pattern on the Agua skirt is pretty, too — also comes in a dress form worth a gander, which is also super discounted.)

05. By Adina Eden oversized silver studs. I’ve been really into the look of heavy silver earrings lately — just feels fresh and different. The price is right on these and I think the shape is fun.

If I didn’t already own this bag in a green leather, I’d definitely add this Mansur Gavriel Cabas tote to my cart. I loveeee mine. Perfect everyday shape, super-elegant, not-logo-forward. Quality is exceptional. It looks very expensive — Celine-like — IRL.

Some standout buys from this extra 25% off promotion below. Note that some of the inventory is super-limited, with only one or two units left…run!

JENNI KAYNE COOPER CARDIGAN // RAY BAN SUNGLASSES // RAG AND BONE SOFIE JEANS // HEAVEN MAYHEM BEAN EARRINGS // NILI LOTAN CABLEKNIT // ALTUZZARA BAG // ISABEL MARANT DUERTO BOOT (IF YOU FOLLOW ME REGULARLY, YOU KNOW THESE ARE MY MOST-WORN BOOT)

For dressier finds you can wear right now, this season — how great are the items below? The dresses in particular would be elegant for family portraits, post-partum, more conservative events at school, etc. Also, that Neous bag is SO chic and different.

CARA CARA DRESS // ANINE BING JACKET // FIGUE DRESS // NEOUS BAG // JENNIFER ZEUNER EARRINGS

If you’re heading somewhere warm soon — you’re in luck. Such chic finds at great prices. I’m especially into the idea of these patterned Zimmermann pants or this Agua Bendita skirt, which can be worn as cover-ups or also paired with a white tee/button-down for an everyday look. And everyone needs a Hunza G.

HUNZA G SWIMSUIT // LIZZIE FORTUNATO HEART EARRINGS // ELIOU CLAMSHELL NECKLACE // LESET TEE (NOT ON SALE) // AGUA BENDITA SKIRT // FREYA STRAW HAT // AGUA BENDITA MANZANILLA DRESS // ZIMMERMANN FLORAL PANTS // SHASHI SHELL EARRINGS // MANSUR GAVRIEL CABAS BAG // JENNI KAYNE SUEDE SANDALS

Last but not least — extra 25% off select Paravel! This is my favorite suitcase — so elegant and well-designed. Snag for $250! And the backpack ends up being like $16 with code. We actually used this as my son’s pre-school backpack for awhile because it weighs next to nothing. Great for travel, too.

PARAVEL SUITCASE // PARAVEL FOLD-UP BACKPACK

P.S. What does your job say about you?

P.P.S. Our linguine and clams recipe.

P.P.P.S. Ask your husband these questions…hilarious.

By: Jen Shoop

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

A few items I’ve picked up this month for my family —

01. Mini was in need of some new sweats; somehow we’d whittled down her supply to a single pair, and she’s often schlepping to/from sports and in need of extras. She selected these wide-legs and this butter yellow pair of joggers out of tons of options I presented her with. She also specifically requested “tank tops but with skinny straps and no bow or rose at the center” — !! I delivered with these.

02. Mr. Magpie’s birthday is coming up soon! It’s always challenging to come up with fresh ideas so soon after Christmas (see what I got him for that holiday here), but I’ve managed to find a few. First: an expansion pack for our newest board game obsession, Wingspan. I know some of you have the bug, too — it is SO fun. A bit complex to learn and set up but once you’re over the hump, you’ll want to play as often as possible. There are a few expansion packs available, but Redditors claim this one is the best. Second: a set of Gray Kunz spoons. I read that Missy Robbins absolutely swears by these spoons in her kitchen — for testing, for plating, etc. I know he’ll love this “pro” equipment. Third: Beeswrap. Sort of oddball, but he has been talking a lot about wanting a better way to store our cheeses so that they don’t dry out as quickly (especially parm and pecorino), and Redditors suggested this is the way to go. Fourth: this Thule trunk organizer. We have one for our SUV and we’re both obsessed with it. I finally got him one for “his car,” which is a sedan. Fifth: this head-to-toe look from Sezane, complete with faded black tee (why is it so attractive on the model?), jeans, and hat. One of my secrets for styling Mr. Magpie is completely ripping off the styling on Sezane and Tom Snyder! Hehe. I know this is a bunch of smaller gifts; I am trying to think of one more item — maybe tickets to something, a gift card to a fun restaurant, a night away somewhere…help!

03. My son painted a gorgeous watercolor of a fox last week (truly, our avatar for 2025!), and I wanted to have it framed. I contemplated Framebridge…and then bought this $14 Amazon frame that comes with a mat for an 8.5×11 piece of paper. Done and done. He was so delighted!

04. We have been wanting to buy one additional large (checkable) suitcase for awhile. I have my beloved Paravel and was contemplating buying a second — but I had a site credit at Quince and decided to try one of theirs instead for less than half the price, and in a great forest green color. (You may recall we bought our kids the Quince children’s suitcases as a surprise for Christmas — inside, we tucked “tickets” to Disney!). I also ordered a few of the Quince brand luggage tags for our new suitcases.

05. Also at Quince: I picked up a set of their cotton gingham sheet sets for my son’s room in the blue color. Decent price, and I loved the color/pattern. Will report back on quality, but as you know, I’m sort of a Quince fangirl at this point.

06. I don’t know how this happened, but we used to have a set of 12 silver ramekins and now we only have three and we’re constantly using them. They’re perfect for mise en place, for ketchup/mustard/dipping sauces, little parcels of dessert for the kids (“you can have eight gummy bears for dessert”), etc. I picked up a new pack of twelve.

07. These bubble podz make bathtime more fun; just re-stocked. My kids love the watermelon scent. If you drop them in while the bath is filling up, they really generate a ton of bubbles!

08. New snow boots from Boden! And man have we needed them! They love the colors. I will say the pairs they just outgrew were these ones from Scandi brand Kuling which we really loved. I might go back to them next. They are $30 right now but super heavy duty, slip on (!), and lined with fleece. I love the little cinch thing so that you can really secure them on the foot / prevent water from getting in. I also picked up these snow bibs for mini. Again, she loves the colors. Previously, we had the ones from Northern Classics, which we also loved. Great design! We especially love the ski/snow mittens from Northern Classics — also really well designed. They keep all water/snow out with the cinch at the wrist, and they go up pretty high on the forearm, too. (Northern Classics is currently running a promo where if you spend $140, you get a free pair of their $44 mittens, FYI!)

By: Jen Shoop

I was moved by this recent post by Suleika Jaouad on paths not taken. In it, she shares some gleaming gems of lived wisdom:

“I’ve written before about how major life interruptions have ended up being some of the richest, most important times in my life. I think that’s because the plan is gone, and I’ve returned to what feels most natural, where there’s the most energy. So my advice to [college] first years…was not to box themselves in too soon.”

and

“I want to remember that nothing is ever wasted—like all those years I spent pursuing the double bass. By sixteen, I was spending six hours a day practicing the double bass, commuting to the city to attend Juilliard each week. I missed out on things like my high school prom in the name of becoming a professional musician. It’s sometimes tempting to think, “Oh, I wasted time on this thing that didn’t become anything.” But music informs every aspect of my life. It affects how I write: theme, rhythm, motif, and structure all come to bear on my prose. It brought me my husband, and now we have a home filled with music. If you’re open enough, flexible enough, and paying attention, you can see the poetry and the mystery in how things shake out.”

Poetry and mystery! A perfect casting of the dynamic formula I’ve been writing my way through in my recent, divergent, musings about how sometimes things just happen, and we can’t permit ourselves to attach too much meaning to them, or we begin to lose faith in the goodness of the world, and sometimes coincidences are calling out for inspection, and deserve a close reading. When to read into things? And when to accept them at their face value? A new kind of literacy for a new decade of life, I guess. I recently had a situation where someone did something callous, and I sat for a minute with my own hurt and then decided I didn’t need to assume the worst, and that I could instead assume the best, or maybe just the neutral: she didn’t mean anything by it. And I let it go. I mean, really let it go.

But today I’m interested in Suleika’s grappling with roads we didn’t take, and how those decisions have played out in our lives. What’s a path you’re happy you didn’t take, and why? (I am thinking this might be helpful for fellow Magpies vacillating between a few big options — they may choose differently than you did, but at least hearing how others’ decisions panned out can inform.)

A few paths I’m happy I didn’t take: going to Duke University (great school, but UVA is where I fell in love with my husband and “bloomed” into an adult version of myself; I think this decision would have entirely changed my life); moving to San Francisco for a job in online courseware development in my late 20s; going back to the corporate world after having my daughter. This last choice hurt for a long time in the sense that Landon and I forewent a second salary for awhile so I could build this blog from the ground up. It takes a long time to build a business. But my God am I glad we made that “investment” in me, in this space, in this community. I wonder sometimes — if I were presented with that choice now, at the more circumspect and settled age of 40, would I have the guts to do it?

Please share yours!

Post-Scripts.

+If you could go back to school tomorrow, what would you study?

+On being bad at endings.

+I’m a secretly bad book girl.

Shopping Break.

+My water-resistant suede boots from Freda Salvador are 20% off with code FREDAWINTER. These are such a great chelsea boot for inclement / wet / sludgy weather. I like them styled with a cropped hem so you can see the full shape of the boot / most of the shaft — I’ve worn with these and these.

+I’ve fallen in love with two pairs of glossy earrings from Jennybird: these hearts and these viral “non-stops” they can hardly keep in stock! Which should I order?

+This denim vest from VB…swoon! Look for less at Sezane, COS, or Madewell.

+I own this bag in a deep Atlantic green but how spectacular in the minimalist bone color?

+Another bag that is SO good, and this one under $140: this COS steal in gorgeous brown suede.

+Obsessed with these beautiful coasters. Remind me of De Gournay! In fact, Addison Ross has a bunch of chic pieces in this motif — frames (!!! I think I need it), trays, pepper grinders! The frame would be gorgeous with a photo of you and your mom for Mother’s Day.

+My MIL has the iconic Paloma Picasso for Tiffany cuff — it is SO chic — and I just found a good look for less here.

+Sweetest pointelle cardi.

+Another well-reviewed product for fellow Magpies with dark undereye circles.

+My favorite cashmere set, now in ice blue.

+Sweet leggings for your little one, on sale for like $13.

+This sherpa fleece with a sheep pattern is beyond adorable.

+Best way to stow out of season shoes. And a must for organizing closet shelves.

+Very attracted to this pen/writing implement organizer…

+Drawn to this gorgeous pink knit. Imagine paired with a pair of silky trousers…

+Cute cherry print dress for a little lady.

By: Jen Shoop

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

ADORABLE PJS // FESTIVE PLATES // HEART CABLE-KNIT SWEATER // DARLING PINK POINTELLE DRESS // SWEET TEDDY BEAR // STRIPED POLO SHIRT // HEART STUDS

I am sitting here debating which Valentines to send in with my children this year. My daughter loves these little mochi squishies (non-personalized option for less here) and she’s also a huge fan of popcorn, and so I kind of thought these would be fun? (Plus, nice to not have yet another piece of candy…) For my son, I’m kind of loving these yo-yo ones with a little yo-yo attached, but will probably get him these “friend-CHIP” stickers and attach to chips because my son absolutely loves Cheetohs. So much so that he requested Cheetohs from Santa Claus. (We don’t often actually get him Cheetohs so this was a big deal.) For more inspo: last year, we did Taylor Swift themed ones for her, and my son gave out these hatching dino egg ones.

If you’re looking for non-personalized ones that your children can address themselves, these are so sweet, as is this kit. I actually might buy the latter and have my kids send Valentines to family members / non-school friends with it.

A few other great finds for littles:

01. Sparkly hugs and kisses banner — my kids would love this on the mantel in the dining room.

02. Heart printed PJ’s for boys and girls! Also worth taking a look is this darling chéri amour set.

03. Festive plates for the littles’ Valentine’s treats.

04. These jeans! OMG!

05. Perfect girls’ Valentine’s Day getup.

06. This heart cable knit sweater is on sale right now and great for the remainder of the season.

07. My daughter is a huge fan of Pip Pop jewelry. These heart studs are hypoallergenic and simple. I love the screw-on backings for her.

08. For boys, this striped polo is excellent Valentine’s attire. Another option here.

09. How sweet is this baby pink pointelle dress?!

10. Pair these joggers with the matching sweatshirt. Adorable.

11. For fellow Magpies with squishmallow-obsessed littles.

12. More cherry pajamas for her!

13. Cutest book.

14. This teddy bear! I love the little heart.

15. Gemstones Valentines cards — 12 pack.

16. I adore this heart-pocket sherpa vest.

17. Sweet knits: heart printed fair isle or this cardigan.

18. Another book option.

19. DIY Valentine’s mailbox kit — such a fun and inexpensive craft.

20. This coat is a little’s dream! The heart patch pockets!

P.S. Other purchases I’ve made for my daughter.

P.P.S. What is your best tactical parenting advice?

P.P.P.S. Questions in motherhood.

By: Jen Shoop

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

A few months ago, I came across a hilarious post by a plastic surgeon: “Do you want to know the cheapest way to look ten years younger? Get rid of your no-show socks.” Gen Z and younger are all about visible socks; it took me awhile to get on board, but I’ve finally arrived. Sharing this and a few other youthful microtrends to test out, with plenty of visual inspo. All images discovered on Pinterest.

01. Visible socks! Per the note above — make sure socks are always visible. My favorite socks are these for casual-wear (6 pairs for $17 and they are really nice and plush!), these for anything slightly dressier (loafers, etc; 6 pairs for $9!; upgrade pick: Bombas), and these for working out.

02. Show the collar of your white tee! This is so niche and specific but I’ve noticed a lot of the younger ladies layering a white tee beneath a crewneck such that the collar and sometimes the hem are visible. The look is slightly undone in a fetching way. My favorite white layering tees are Donni (divinely soft, barely-there vibe that add no bulk to the look) and of course Sold Out, which are in my opinion the best all around white tee. They have a little more weight/bulk to them than Donni but work great beneath a chunkier knit, and have a more substantial/visible collar. I also love them because they’re opaque (Donni runs a tad sheerer, so you definitely need a nude / non-lace bra), are the perfect length for tucking, and have a slightly dramatic shape on the sleeve that looks incredible when tucked into jeans/pants.

This general look is epitomized by Jenni Kayne — try it out with one of her iconic slouchy sweaters, like this or this. Or get the look for less with Quince.

03. Try a baggy or wide leg jean. Hard at first but honestly so much more comfortable?! My favorite “gateway drug” jeans to a wider/looser fit are the Rag and Bone Sofies (20% off with JEN20). They’re still tailored and high-waisted, but they ease you into learning how to dress with a wider leg. You can get the look for less here or even less here. If you’re ready to go even baggier, try these Rag and Bones — they are so divinely soft and lightweight; almost like wearing pajamas. These Madewells, which I also own, are a very good look for less — also very soft and lightweight. Look for even less with these.

If you’re looking for a pair of gray wide-leg sweats similar to the ones seen below, you might try these and these. (I have one pair of wide-leg, full-length navy sweats from Rhone that I am loving and I’m currently inspired to try to style differently, per the inspo below! They are selling out left and right; grab them while you can.) Interesting note: my daughter needed new sweats and she begged me for wide-legs. So I can confirm that this silhouette is very in with the younger ones now. (She chose this pair in the heather color for herself.)

04. Layer an oversized wool coat over athleisure or sweats. Shared a few great coats yesterday, but ones perfect for this particular vibe: this ivory Frankie Shop, this Jenni Kayne, this Quince, this Aritzia. And if you’re look for gray sweats similar to the ones seen below: try these. (Look for less with these.)

*You may have noticed a lot of the chic peas above are wearing Adidas! Still love the look. Especially loving this just-released colorway and this brown (unisex sizing!)

P.S. Favorite boots for the season.

P.P.S. My favorite things: winter edition.

P.P.PS. You can start anything you want today, and with no one’s permission.

By: Jen Shoop

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

One of my favorite looks this winter season has been this Quince slip dress (TTS) layered beneath this Quince cashmere turtleneck (go up a size for a slouchier fit), finished with my brown suede Veronica Beard Dash Bag and chocolate suede tall boots. So comfortable and so chic! (Sorry the lighting wasn’t better – you can get a better look at the dress/sweater styled a bit differently in daylight here.)

This is a color palette that’s speaking to me this season —

VERONICA BEARD NAYA TOP // HEAVEN MAYHEM WATCH // HEAVEN MAYHEM EARRINGS // BA&SH JACKET // SLVRLAKE JEANS // STEVE MADDEN FLATS // ANYA HINDMARCH BAG // GIANVITO ROSSI SNEAKERS // AGOLDE JEANS

ISABEL MARANT VEST // S MAX MARA COAT // CELINE HAT // ADIDAS SNEAKERS // BEYOND YOGA LEGGINGS // MADEWELL BUCKET BAG // PERFECT WHITE TEE SWEATS // INUIKII BOOTS // FERRAGAMO CLUTCH (ON SUPER SALE) // CELINE TRIOMPHE 01 OVAL SUNGLASSES // QUINCE WOVEN FLATS // LOULOU STUDIO PANTS

DORSEY CRAWFORD EARRINGS // TALLER MARMO DRESS (LOOK FOR LESS HERE) // AQUAZZURA HEELS // BOTTEGA CLUTCH (LOOK FOR LESS HERE) // MERIT FLUSH BALM IN POSTMODERN // MANGO VELVET HEELS // SAVETTE POCHETTE // FAUX FUR STOLE // ZARA VELVET CORSET // ZARA SLIP SKIRT // DORSEY RIVIERE NECKLACE // ZADIG AND VOLTAIRE FAUX FUR COAT

P.S. A woman contains multitudes.

P.P.S. A solid reminder for today.

P.P.P.S. You are enough.

By: Jen Shoop

Image via.

“Sometimes it is necessary / to reteach a thing its loveliness / to put a hand on its brow / of the flower / and retell it in words and in touch / it is lovely / until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing”

-Galway Kinnell

I read those words and thought of my unraveling a few years ago. It was a strenuous time in a difficult relationship in which I forgot myself, or rather, trusted the warped image of myself created by another and handed back to me. I was looking in the funhouse mirror; it was me, wasn’t it? Rough where I thought I was soft, with my heart shrunken to a lead button. It took a long time to come back. To look in the right kinds of windows and mirrors. No one tells you how long this takes, actually. It’s years; it’s forever. It’s an ongoing practice of saying, “No, that’s not me; no, that’s not for me,” and of tottering around on fawn legs as you re-learn how to see the good inside. Embarrassing, maybe, but in those early days, I found myself clinging to two memories as though a storm-tossed sailor wrapped around a cracked mast: the first, in my sister’s tiny 81st street apartment, sitting on the floor. I was maybe twenty-six, and she was saying to my future brother-in-law: “Oh Jen could never do that – she’s a good person.” And another, via email, from my sister-in-law: “Jen, you are a good person. Read that back to yourself.” Together, the click train that helped me echolocate myself when I was lost.

Which is to say, “sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness.” No one ever suffered from an extra word of encouragement, a bonus “look at you; you’re lovely.”

A woman commented on my “10 I Love Yous” post: “You could also say “I love you.” So many times people do all of those things but that.” I can’t stop thinking of this. Yes, you can wring “I love yous” from deed and gesture, but sometimes you need to hear the words, too.

Stop for a minute, Jen: run downstairs to tell Landon just how good and smart and kind he is. How I saw the way he spoke to his aunt’s boyfriend at the funeral: tender, earnest. “Hang in there, buddy.” Take the children into your arms when they return from school, clothing stained with paint and peanut butter, dirt under their nails: “You are every good thing. You are exactly what this family needs. You are loved just as you are.”

Post-Scripts.

+I cannot believe the LA wildfires continue to burn. It is devastating. Many good people are doing good things to help — one small operation that spoke to me today was this Altadena Girls group. You can send supplies (skincare, school gear, grooming tools) to teenage girls impacted or displaced by the wildfires via Amazon. Address here; wishlist here.

+Love is…a big salad?

+Things I know for certain. (Turns out, not a lot.)

Shopping Break.

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

+Into this new denim silhouette from J. Crew.

+Most comfortable flats in the the most gorgeous chocolate brown suede.

+Cool oversized long-sleeved tee to throw on with leggings. I also love my AYR Early Mornings tee for this.

+Rose-scented counter spray in chic packaging.

+CUTE cropped red puffer on sale for $50 at the time of writing this. Reminds me in general ethos of my red Varley puffer, which I have basically been wearing exclusively for the past few cold snowy weeks! (Gap also has a vest version!)

+This Zara cape is SO good. It’s not as oversized as the styles from Toteme but feels adjacent in vibe.

+Love this dramatic trench. Also like J. Crew’s new $148 raincoat!

+Chic acrylic laptop stand and a wide leather-effect desktop pad/blotter to upgrade your desk-scape!

+Butter yellow (and other pastels) trending for spring. Love this with a light-wash denim.

+Fun statement fleece, nearly sold out. A few more sizes available here and here.

+Laundry upgrade.

+Ultra chic apres ski.

+A Magpie reader wrote enthusiastically about this Jones Road eyeshadow — going to test! Lately, I’ve been loving this palette by Makeup by Mario when I have the time to really apply, and when I’m in a rush, I just swipe on a dab of this Jillian Dempsey lid tint in the taupe color.

+A few of the items above would be SO chic altogether —

ZARA CAPE // HEAVEN MAYHEM EARRINGS // J. CREW JEANS // BOTTEGA BAG (LOOK FOR LESS HERE, HERE, HERE) // LOEFFLER RANDALL LEONIE FLATS

By: Jen Shoop

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

TAILORED MANGO COAT // PLAID FLANNEL OVERSIZED COAT // PINK COAT // LEATHER COAT // FAUX FUR

The perfect coat can transform a look; it is the ultimate power piece in a wardrobe. You might remember Veronica Beard sent me an ivory wool coat last year (exact style here; available in more sizes in gray here; similar current season option here) — every time I wear her, I feel instantly polished. (See above and below – me on Christmas Eve!)

Some styling notes:

01. Think about silhouette — if the coat is baggy/slouchy, it can be harder to pull off a baggy/slouchy pant; I feel sort of sloppy and overwhelmed by it. I’d prefer to pair a big topcoat with a straight leg.

02. Experiment with colors and patterns — I feel like most women gravitate towards a black coat because “it goes with everything,” but colors and patterns on a top layer are more wearable than you think, and can more or less be the entire outfit. Let it do its thing. I’m imagining a faux fur for a date night or a bubblegum pink wool for a Galentines brunch with girlfriends.

03. Texture is key. Layer with materials that afford a bit of contrast — mix silks with wool, wool with cotton, fur with denim, etc. This gives a sense of depth and dimension.

Sharing some inspo below styled with a tried and true base layer of jeans and a white tee.

LESET MARGO TEE // AGOLDE 90s PINCH WAIST DENIM // MANGO TAILORED COAT (FABULOUS AND REASONABLY PRICED) // FATHOM FLATS(ON-TREND AND REASONABLY PRICED) // TOTEME BELTED LEATHER TOTE

LESET MARGO TEE // AGOLDE 90s PINCH WAIST DENIM // PLAID FLANNEL OVERSIZED WOOL COAT (60% OFF!) // MADEWELL DIMES STILETTO HEEL BOOTIE // BERKELEY BUCKET BAG // AIRE APHELION SUNGLASSES (UNDER $50!)

LESET MARGO TEE // AGOLDE 90s PINCH WAIST DENIM // STAUD SANZA COAT // LEATHER NINA FLATS // LOEWE PEBBLED LEATHER BUCKET BAG (LOOK FOR LESS HERE) // FERRAGAMO CAT EYE SUNGLASSES (LOOK FOR LESS HERE)

LESET MARGO TEE // AGOLDE 90s PINCH WAIST DENIM // WHIPSTITCH SCARF COAT (LOOK FOR LESS HERE) // GANNI BOU BAG // STEVIE ANKLE BOOTS

LESET MARGO TEE // AGOLDE 90s PINCH WAIST DENIM // LONG FAUX FUR COAT (LOOK FOR LESS HERE) // STEVIE ANKLE BOOTS // TOTEME BELTED LEATHER TOTE

LESET MARGO TEE // AGOLDE 90s PINCH WAIST DENIM // ARITZIA CONSTANT COAT – WOOL AND CASHMERE // LEATHER NINA FLATS // LOEWE PEBBLED LEATHER BUCKET BAG

LESET MARGO TEE // AGOLDE 90s PINCH WAIST DENIM // TABLOID TRENCH COAT- UNREAL LEATHER // FATHOM FLATS (ON-TREND AND REASONABLY PRICED) // TOTEME BELTED LEATHER TOTE

P.S. More “scoat” options in this post.

P.P.S. Music for household chores.

P.P.P.S. Mamas: how do you handle sibling bickering?

By: Jen Shoop

A propos of “sometimes bad things just happen,”

and “not everything resolves to a fine point,”

and the happier circumstances in which the same unknowable essence of life reveals itself —

say, waking up with the first lines of an essay at the tip of your tongue,

or smiling at a stranger out of the blue,

or hitting every green light on the way to work,

or any of the other dozens of tiny windfalls that happen to us every single day with no seeming rhyme or reason —

maybe part of life is knowing when to back off from logic and let the unexpected wash over you,

lest we find ourselves shoehorning the magic into the wrong shape.

Mary Oliver has words on this that resonated:

Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous
to be understood.

How grass can be nourishing in the
mouths of the lambs.
How rivers and stones are forever
in allegiance with gravity
while we ourselves dream of rising.
How two hands touch and the bonds will
never be broken.
How people come, from delight or the
scars of damage,
to the comfort of a poem.

Let me keep my distance, always, from those
who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say
“Look!” and laugh in astonishment,
and bow their heads.

by Mary Oliver

Post-Scripts.

+Let joy sneak up on you.

+The only marg recipe you’ll ever need. (We made these with tacos on Friday.)

+On taking your own joy seriously.

Shopping Break.

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

+Reminder that Veronica Beard’s sale section is insane right now. A lot of you smartly bought this striped sundress last week — $149 and sooo good! I wore this to many special occasions last summer!

+Been doing a good job with my fitness regimen so far this month. I haven’t been able to run much thanks to snow and cold temps (if it’s less than 20 degrees outside, I just find it miserable). I’m now trying some of the Physique57 videos — have you tried? God they are hard, but I love the pace — it’s like you blink and you’re done. Anyway, constantly hunting for new fitness outfits: love this Alo tee, this $34 activewear jacket in the ice blue, and this Beyond Yoga featherweight top. I got the latter one — it’s so soft!

+My best friend always has fancy European breath mints on her, and I always pilfer from her supply when we’re together. Going to surprise her with my own (peach and pepper!) next time we are together!

+This butter yellow jacket…! I’m telling you, these retro pastels are it for spring. This Prada scarf is so gorgeous and would be a great seasonal accessory. Style with a white tee, a baby blue sweater…

+New stick lamp for my walk-in closet!

+Fun skirt for vacation.

+I had the occasion to sit down (virtually) with some of the team at Vintner’s Daughter last week and they reminded me why I absolutely love their serum. Everything they do is so intentional, thoughtful, artisanal, and — most importantly — really works. Their serum is incredibly hydrating, and the quality is unmistakable. A true “fewer better” mentality: they only have three products and each takes 3-5 weeks to produce, which is unheard of in the beauty industry. I’m eager to try their essence and cleanser next. I’m currently using the three-part Outset cleanser-serum-moisturizer trio and I love that — it’s very light, gentle, delicate. Will be curious to see how the Vinter lineup compares after using something a little more minimalist / lowkey.

+I’m going to write a full review with all thoughts on my red light mask next month — I want to have been using it routinely for at least six weeks prior to publishing anything final — but I have to say one thing I’ve noticed this past week is that breakouts / abrasions / etc resolve themselves so much more quickly with regular use of the LED mask. I had a blemish on my chin that literally disappeared in two days. I think this is because it stimulates collagen production. I mean, I am astounded! (JEN10 gets you 10% off the mask I have.)

+This heart patterned sweater for Valentine’s Day! (And beyond!). So delightfully kitschy. (Look for less here; look for your little love here.). I actually have these heart-embroidered jeans that I am planning to wear or I’d probably snag that sweater from The Great!

+If you’re more of a sweatshirt girl, how cute is this heart style from Sezane or this Je T’aime motif one from Z Supply? I’m not usually much of a words or icons on my clothing gal but every now and then it’s fun to throw a surprise in there.

+The fancy cheese slicer I need.

+OK this striped coatigan for your mini me?!

+I bought Mr. Magpie a theragun mini for Christmas and he’s obsessed with it! He uses before and after using the stationary bike and before bed most nights. It comes with an app with all these different routines for you to follow – he loves them! Great gift if I don’t say so myself.

By: Jen Shoop

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Earlier this week, someone on Instagram shared this prophetic paragraph from Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem —

“It is hard for people who have not lived in Los Angeles to realize how radically the Santa Ana figures in the local imagination. The city burning is Los Angeles’s deepest image of itself; Nathanael West perceived that, in The Day of the Locust; and at the time of the 1965 Watts riots what struck the imagination most indelibly were the fires. For days one could drive the Harbor Freeway and see the city on fire, just as we had always known it would be in the end. Los Angeles weather is the weather of catastrophe, of apocalypse, and, just as the reliably long and bitter winters of New England determine the way life is lived there, so the violence and the unpredictability of the Santa Ana affect the entire quality of life in Los Angeles, accentuate its impermanence, its unreliability. The wind shows us how close to the edge we are.”

The words are a smarting on tender skin this week.

I had already been reflecting a lot on place, and permanence, and possession, and dispossession, but Didion’s words made me think about the ways in which the environment, and especially the weather that governs it, shapes our experience of home. Per Didion: what is your hometown’s “deepest image of itself”? And how does the environment and its weather affect the quality of life where you live?

I don’t mean to transfer this week’s tragedy into an intellectual exercise; I think these questions are as critical and non-trivial now as ever. How do we embrace the things we love about our hometowns in the imperfect now? How do we steel against their vicissitudes?

I have lived in Chicago, and I have lived in New York, and Charlottesville, and briefly Lyon, France, but home has always been Washington, D.C., and specific corners of it carry disproportionate weight in my casting of it. It’s like a caricaturist’s sketch: North Georgetown, Rock Creek Park, and now a specific corridor of Bethesda are the gargantuan nose, eyes, and ears in my drawing of the metropolis. And if you have lived in any of those corridors, you know how densely green they are, how lush and overgrown, even in manicured Georgetown. On R St (where I lived in graduate school), and 35th St (where I attended high school), and Dent Place (where I nannied), and 32nd Street (where I both interned in high school and lived after grad school), and 37th Street (where I attended grad school), it is as though brick is at constant war with ivy, and grass is lobbying an aggressive campaign to overtake the pavers, and trees want to extend through windows and walls. In the spring, cherry blossom petals lay like snow, obscuring the manmade. And the Potomac glitters just at the feet of Georgetown, drawing the mind out to the Atlantic, and its impossible expanse. (Above: me at Dumbarton Oaks in summertime — in some ways, the apotheosis of Georgetown’s aesthetic.)

Meanwhile, Rock Creek Park, a stone’s throw from my childhood home, is not the demure green belt of Central Park. It is thick and forested and, in its own way, wild. As a child, this gave me the impression of a porous line between home and greenspace. My Dad has always loved fly fishing, has always made time to visit with the woods and mountains, and sometimes I felt this odd because I already felt that our backyard was a kind of Walden, that Rock Creek Park down the street was a proper woodland, and that none of it was governed by anything but wildlife and clear pebbles of rain and the oppressive heat of August. In the summers, D.C. screams with cicadas. Every seven years, their hatches are Biblical, and this, too, made me feel my own proximity to the uncontrollable urges of the natural world. D.C., and the way it lays so obviously on the land, unable to obscure its wilds, has always given me the impression of my own smallness, the way we are forever neighboring with other, probably more important, universes.

If you are a journaling mood this Sunday, take a minute to write about your hometown, and to try to answer: what is your hometown’s deepest image of itself?

P.S. Georgetown is where many versions of myself run into each other.

P.P.S. New York was magical too.

P.P.P.S. More on D.C and its “parochial wild.”

Sunday Shopping Poetry.

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

Rag&Bone saw how many of us are buying and loving their Sofie jeans (truly my most-worn pair ATM) and offered us a custom 20% off code sitewide with JEN20. // Alice Walk launched a new style of cotton sweater — I love her! (You might remember I am a huge fan of their weekender style — I own in two colors. So soft.) // Julia Amory is offering an extra 30% off sale items with code HAPPYNEWYEAR, including my favorite summer caftan (such an interesting color!), their fun Babe pants (I own in a brown pattern – so cute with a white tee and simple leather sandals), and elegant Jane dress (just throw on a big statement necklace and you’re done). // Wow – Rent the Runway is giving us 45% off any resale items over $60 with code SHOPMYXRTRJAN. I just mentioned this last week, but had no idea they have such a big resale collection. I bought this BA&SH coatigan and love her! Grab yours for 45% off! Also love this APC bag and this Alemais dress. // Have been using this volumizing shampoo and conditioner set for the past few weeks and love it. Sometimes I swap out the conditioner for the Lolavie formula, which I slightly prefer — it makes my hair so incredibly shiny and soft! — but the volumizing shampoo is great because I have fine, flat hair that’s never done an interesting thing in its life. // The brushed cashmere sweater, now on sale. Get in ivory! // This moisturizer came up from Magpies a few times in response to my post on the best winter moisturizers, and (as of time of writing this!), it’s 50% off. // Newly obsessed with French brand Soeur — these pants, this jacket!

By: Jen Shoop

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

+SUPPORT FOR LA: All our love to California this week; like everyone else, I’m in disbelief at the devastation. I can’t process what I’m seeing; I can’t imagine how residents must feel. I checked in with one of our Magpie Angelenos and she wrote: “There’s a specific trauma in watching your hometown burn and not knowing when it’ll be over. Aside from donations (clothes, supplies, support to our fire foundation), the emotional support and holding space are of great comfort. Sometimes, we just need to know that others are collectively rallying around us, I think. Add that to the list of kindnesses from strangers?” Holding a space for her and anyone else in this community impacted by the fires. My sister works for Doen, headquarted in LA, and has said many of her colleagues have lost their homes and are still in a situation of deep unknown.

Please send me an email or leave a comment if there is something we as a Magpie community can do to help any Magpies impacted. There are lots of resources online on how to support, so not sure how helpful or redundant this is, but my family and I contributed this week to World Central Kitchen, Baby2Baby, and a restaurant called Le Great Outdoor, which is delivering meals 2x a day to firefighters.

+BE LIKE THE FOX: Thanks to Magpie reader Jessica for sharing a Wendell Berry poem in response to my post about the fox as my personal avatar for the 2025 year! I was completely charmed by the poem, but especially its concluding couplets:

Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.

Oddly prescient, as I was just looking out the window this morning, noticing the fox tracks through the snow. At one part directly below my studio, it appeared as though they’d run in circles with one another. “More tracks than necessary, some in the wrong direction” — yes! Whether drawn by curiosity, play, or perhaps just error, I was charmed by their wayward paw prints. I was reminded in turn of an Anais Nin quote: “In life, you will make mistakes. And those, too, are correct.” I was also reminded of a fabulous snippet of an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert in which she asserts that in any creative life, one must “routinely choose the path of curiosity over the path of fear. Not like twice or three times or four times, but daily.” This is likely true of any life artfully lived, not just the life of a practicing artist, by the way. Whether you’re contemplating a big life change, confronting a difficult problem, even just reading a book that challenges you — the creative spirit will lean forward with curiosity versus shrinking back in apprehension. It will ask questions; it will meet the text or the problem or the person where it is; it will say “well let me take a look.” Of course the admonition also had fine-fingered resonance with my experience of writing: be weird in your expression; let the language loose; reach for specificity.

+MY SON’S FOX DRAWING: We are just a den of fox lovers over here. My son painted this watercolor of Frederick this past week and I’m going to have it framed:

+MORE ON THE IMPERFECT NOW: The theme of this week was: meet yourself where you are. I wrote about this vis a vis the concept of fractionality earlier this week, and then I begrudgingly went downstairs that same day and my Peloton instructor said: “Be proud of the version of you that showed up to this ride.” I had been feeling unsatisfied with my fitness — getting back into the swing of things post-holiday, at the age of 40, has been neither easy in undertaking or fleet-footed in progress. I feel slow, cumbersome, creaky in new and jarring ways. And yet here was this stranger telling me: “The current version of you is just fine. She’s here, and she’s trying.” Later that day, I came across this quote by Anne Lamott:

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Stop. Rest. Breathe. Start again. Each day is a reset, a clean slate, and a chance to meet yourself exactly where you are. You don’t need to fix everything today. Some things will untangle themselves when you stop pulling so hard.”

I was struck by the language around “not fixing everything today.” I mean, maybe we don’t need to “fix” anything tomorrow, either, you know? Maybe the current model is doing exactly what it should be doing. Food for thought!

+BESTSELLERS: So many of you bought my favorite swimsuit this week — just in time for winter getaways! You will love it. Flattering, comfortable, sexy, fun. Run — nearly sold out! A lot of you also bought my favorite Clemence necklace. I wear this in the 16″ length daily with my heart ID necklace. It’s my signature stack!

01. FOLLOW SUIT SWIMSUIT // 02. DORSEY CLEMENCE NECKLACE // 03. MY FAVORITE JEANS (RUN TTS) // 04. ANN MASHBURN DRESS (ON SALE!) // 05. BEST WINTER LIP PRODUCT // 06. MOTHER SCIENCE SKIN BARRIER REPAIR MOISTURIZER (OBSESSED) // 07. VARLEY HALF-ZIP (STILL ON SALE) // 08. J. CREW NORDIC BOOTS // 09. BEST VITAMIN C PRODUCT UNDER $30 // 10. NIACINAMIDE EXFOLIATING PADS (FOR SKIN BRIGHTNESS! I AM LOVING THESE) // 11. J. CREW SHERPA HALF-ZIP // 12. AYR EARLY MORNINGS TEE

+ONE HOUR UNTIL YOUR FRENCH IN-LAWS ARRIVE: I found this video by creator Ainsley Du Rose absolutely charming. A reminder it doesn’t need to be an elaborate, complex meal with lobster and homemade, hand-rolled pasta for it to be elegant and delicious and in its own way impressive! Bread, raclette, a simple dessert! I’m into this! Kelly (of Kelly Stop Worrying), I was thinking of you while watching this! P.S. Easy, elegant happy hour snack ideas.

+ON MY RADAR: Just restocked the greatest concealer of all time, Cle de Peau. I use the ivory shade. It is $$ but the absolute best. I use it as a “top coat” to completely conceal any final bumps/rednesses after applying less expensive concealer/foundation. This and a few other items on my radar…

FRANK + EILEEN EFFIE CAPELET (LIVED IN THIS ALL WEEK) // CLE DE PEAU CONCEALER // DESIGNER BUY I’M EYEING // TRIARCHY JEANS // LE MONDE BERYL LOOK FOR LESS // SOEUR SHERPA VEST // NEW MERIT FLUSH BALM COLORS (I ORDERED SHADES BONBON AND POSTMODERN)

+DESIGNER SALE: I’ve never shopped at Luisa Via Roma before but my head has been officially turned as they are offering a private 40% off a selection of high end designers with code LVR40. The sale includes high-end ski brands like Bogner and Goldbergh, which almost never go on sale — invest in a top of the line ski jacket or long-line puffer. The sale also includes fabulous cashmere pieces from Guest in Residence (Gigi Hadid’s brand) for peak, luxe winter hygge: consider these cashmere track pants or this quilted cashmere jacket, paired with some shearling-lined winter boots from Aquazzura or Bogner or layered with this sherpa vest from Soeur.