01. LAKE PAJAMAS LOUNGE SET. Guys, this lounge set arrived and it is absolute heaven. It has a really soft, stretchy, drapey material. Sleeping in it was like sleeping in a cloud — I’ve never felt more comfortable. The most similar thing I’ve come across in the past is the pajama set from Recliner, which I bought while feverish with COVID two years ago, but I have to say that while they were dreamy-comfortable, the Recliner fit was not very flattering for me, and they did not hold up well in the wash — I ended up tossing them earlier this year. I don’t normally wear a lot of loungewear but this Lake set might be a gamechanger. I actually contemplated wearing the above outfit out the door…and FYI Lake is still offering free shipping in time for Christmas with code GiftLAKE if you order by midnight tonight.
02. FAUX FUR VEST. You can see me wearing a vest from Adam Lippes I bought probably a decade ago over the lounge set above. I absolutely adore the vest — the colors are fantastic, and it has a contrasting ribbed knit material at the collar and waist. This current-season Adrienne Landau is super similar (and reversible!). Easy way to make leggings and a tee / a lounge set feel more presentable/polished.
03. MINNIE AND EMMA PHONE CASE. I always get questions about my pink phone case. It’s a faux Goyard I found on Etsy awhile ago but the boutique is no longer around and I can’t find anything super-similar. I’m about to switch up my phone game anyway, I think. I love these initial ones from Minnie and Emma!
04. VISKI LEWIS CRUSHED ICE BAG. This may be the most random item I’ve ever featured on my blog, but I gave this to Mr. Magpie a few weeks ago after reading about it in “Garden & Gun,” I believe. It is a professional-grade crushed ice bag for bartenders! The bag is insulated and you use the mallet to produce the perfect batch of crushed ice. This has been such a joy for Mr. Magpie, who is quite the cocktail making fiend, and it has been a PAIN for him to crush ice when called for. (We don’t have that function on our freezer.) He recently used it to whip up a batch of these.
05. NOEL GARLAND. I have been adding new holiday items to my collection each year and I currently have my eye on this velvet letter garland. I love the vintage flair. It would be sweet strung from our dining room mantle.
06. SLEEPER PAJAMA SET. I’ve mentioned this a lot this week (apologies) but am SO excited to have gotten my hands on a set of these feather-trim jammies, which I plan to wear on several occasions over the next two weeks.
07. APPOINTED CO NOTEBOOK. Unsurprisingly, I’m obsessed with all things paper/desktop, and Appointed sent me this gorgeous notebook, which I’m preserving for the start of 2023. I always have a notebook on hand for notes, lists, ideas, quotes, etc, and this is going to be at my side as we head into January. I’m oddly excited?! You can get an extra 15% off this item with code MAGPIEBYJENSHOOP.
08. CARAN D’ACHE BALLPOINT PEN. A few years ago, Mr. Magpie gave me one of these gorgeous writing implements, and it is such a treasure. A great gift for any list-oriented person, or journaler, or what have you. I gave one to my sister-in-law last year!
09. ASHA HEART BRACELET. Oh my gosh – I was floored when Asha offered to send me this beautiful heart necklace, which I’d been ogling heavily (it made my ultimate wishlist!). I am in love with it! I am pleasantly surprised by how lightweight it is — I barely notice it on my wrist, whereas I am constantly taking off my leather watch because it bothers me while typing. I can keep the heart charm bracelet on all the time with my love bangle. Obsessed! A fantastic gift — or treasure for yourself.
10. LA LIGNE CASHMERE STRIPED SWEATER. This is my most-worn knit this year. (Mine is actually last season and slightly different — it has a cableknit texture to it — but you can get something very similar from them this year here.) Whenever I’m feeling uninspired by my closet, I slip into this with my favorite jeans and some statement shoes and I feel like a million bucks. It’s comfortable, ultra-warm, and La Ligne is, simply, magic with its silhouettes/fits/cuts. They just know how to make a sweater look cool vs. stodgy/old-fashioned. Even my cableknit looks intentional, fresh, new — I think it has to do with the width of the cuffs/collar, the length of the hem, etc. Chic chic! To be honest, until this year, I hadn’t really invested in knitwear. I usually picked up a few pieces from Zara/J. Crew/Mango over the course of each season. I am now realizing the wisdom of making, say, one strategic investment in a knit each year. You will bring them out again and again and treasure them forever.
11. APPOINTED CO CARD KEEPER. I love this beautiful box for stowing loose cards to send out over the course of the year. The box comes with six of their miscellaneous cards, including a lovely one that reads: “You’ve got this.” I already have two friends in mind to send these to.
12. ONEPASSWORD. Does everyone use 1Pass? If not, sign up ASAP! This is a password manager that generates and stows all log-ins in one secure place. It has greatly simplified and de-stressed my life. It syncs across devices, so you can use on phone, iPad, computer, and you can share passwords (securely) with other household members connected to your account, which is BRILLIANT for Mr. Magpie and I. We no longer need to communicate about how to log into, say, Hulu, or UberEats. Once you get over the anxiety of forgetting the master password, you will be golden. You’ll never have to remember anything else. Plus, 1Pass generates passwords for you that are ultra-random and ultra-secure. We also use it to stow important numbers/information, like memberships/account numbers/photos of our vaccine cards/etc.
13. AJE PATINA LACE DRESS. This dress is absolutely spectacular. Wow, wow, wow. I had it open in a browser tab all afternoon. I can’t stop thinking about it or these mildly absurd Barbie-con Prada platforms. Seriously sparking joy…
14. ST. FRANK KUBA CLOTH GIFT WRAP. I inadvertently set up the loveliest vignette while wrapping a set of these Rebecca Gardner crackers I bought as a gift for a loved one in the most gorgeous kuba cloth wrapping paper from my friend Christina’s business, St. Frank. This wrap would be beautiful any time of year. I paired with a pretty marigold yellow ribbon for an unexpected holiday look!
P.S. More gift wrap ideas, in case you are scrambling!
I have been eyeing a pair of these Sleeper feather-trim pajamas for several years but finally bought myself a pair in black, with the intention of styling the pieces a few different ways over the next two weeks. I’ll be wearing the top tucked into these jeans and finished with a pair of pearl-embellished Miu Miu platforms out to drinks with my girlfriends this weekend, and will then wear the entire ensemble for a Kacey Musgraves Christmas Cocktail party we’re hosting this upcoming week (I encouraged festive, spacey Kacey-inspired attire) as well as on NYE, and possibly also Christmas morning? These jammies have legs!
16. ORGANIC-SHAPED FLOWER EARRINGS MAKE FROM HIGH-QUALITY 14K GOLD AND MOTHER OF PEARL…SUCH A PLAYFUL AND UNIQUE ACCESSORY
17. SET OF THREE QUILTED TOILETRY BAGS MADE FROM A GORGEOUS HAND-BLOCK PRINTED COTTON FABRIC
Weekend Musings: Those Winter Sundays.
This morning, a quietly sobering reminder in the shape of a poem to be grateful for what I have while I have it. Acknowledgment — seeing people for their ministrations, their sacrifices, their unflashy gestures of care — goes so far. I already regret not telling certain people how much I have appreciated them while the time was right. In some cases, those people are now deceased. In others, I have let too much territory pass between us. Writing that out, I think: it’s never too late. If you have a minute this morning, listen to this poem read by the poet himself. It cinches.
Those Winter Sundays
by Robert Hayden
Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he’d call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love’s austere and lonely offices?
Shopping Break.
+Oh my gosh, this Zara dress is EPIC. I’m a little concerned about length but if you pair with opaque tights…! Zara is crushing it this season. More great finds here.
+Talbots is offering 50% off sitewide, including their CASHMERE. I am obsessing over this sweater and these joggers.
+LOVE the texture and shape of this sweater (and comes in four great colors!) to pair with high-waisted denim.
+I own this dress in a different pattern and it is just SO pretty. The red is interesting because I feel like it could work in basically any season — winter, fall, summer…
+These shoes from new-to-me label Nomasei are fabulous.
+These lucite storage cubes are a great solution for makeup and medicine cabinets — I use two side by side for all of our medicine/first aid gear and keep it in the linen closet in our primary bathroom.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been going through my blog archive, revisiting old posts, contemplating my own writing. It’s interesting to encounter former versions of myself in this way. Sometimes I don’t even recognize my own voice, and other times, I am almost knocked out by how viscerally I captured a particular moment in time. (This is not to say anything of the quality of my writing — but to acknowledge that I gave vent to things that feel still-true, still-raw.) There is some cringing and some tear-dabbing, but mainly, I feel grateful I’ve had the latitude to write to know what I think all these many years.
One of the posts that jumped out at me I published in November 2018. The miles I’ve (and you’ve) come since then…! In November 2018, I was the mother to one, newly pregnant with my second, dwelling in my first (horrifically-cramped) apartment in New York, living very much on heartstrings. I can write about this now, four years later, with the clear-eyedness that comes with time, but I was battling a kind of situational depression at that time. Mr. Magpie and I had recently closed our business and sold — after a protracted, nail-biting sale process — our first and beloved home in Chicago, IL. I felt adrift, scared, still-tender from the fallout. And yet I knew I was at the beginning of many new things: a second child, an imminent move, the next chapter of my professional and creative life. I was a woman fluttering between a major life disappointment and intense new responsibilities. I was a woman shedding multiple exoskeletons at once, the new exterior not yet regenerated, left exposed to the elements. I was a woman, in other words, stretched thin.
I re-read this post and I can feel my nerves vibrating off the page. I am tight as a coil. Everything — even the writing — airtight, pointed as a picket.
I was profoundly moved by how many of us responded (in so many words): “It’s going to be OK; you don’t need to worry.”
This is what I wish I could tell Jen not only in 2004 (at 20) but in 2018 (at 34). I want to hug her. I want to reassure her that everything is going to be OK–better than OK, in fact. Life is going to be unimaginably full of blessings.
But, you know, there’s something meaningful about the way we improvise the tools we need as we need them. I needed to see pressure as a choice at this moment in my life. Now, I feel I’ve become so well-versed in assessing what matters and prioritizing my life accordingly that I haven’t needed to call upon it for some time.
I guess what I’m saying is, first, in case you find yourself in dire straits at the moment: it’s going to be OK. You’ve survived 100% of your bad days; keep going. Gather the tools and footholds you need to get you through, but your 40-year-old self knows you are going to be just fine.
Below, an edited version of the essay I wrote way back when.
********
On Saturday, Mr. Magpie and I watched an under-the-radar film starring Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke called “Juliet, Naked.” It was a lopsided film: the plot tenuous and lazily-written, the acting superb (Ethan Hawke!), and the script teetering between cloyingly cute and take-your-breath-away memorable. I stopped in my tracks when Hawke’s character says, in a throwaway line that trots by unremarked and unremembered within the confines of the film:
“Pressure is a choice.”
Pressure is a choice! Pressure is a choice. My thoughts gathered like storm-clouds, and I momentarily suspended my attention from the film to digest.
Aside from my stint as an entrepreneur, I would not describe my career as “high-pressure.” I do not litigate. I do not track down terrorists and, in the words of my friend who is an FBI agent and has passed afternoons in courses like “evasive driving,” assorted “bad dudes” as a deputy of public safety. I do not perform emergent, life-saving surgeries. I do not sell on a trading floor. I have brave and exhausted friends who do all of these things on a daily basis. But I do not.
And though I have had my fair share of heartbreaks and disappointments and tragedies, my life has by and by been marked by good fortune, privilege, and a circle of loving, nurturing family and friends. I have not suffered serious trauma. I would never describe my home life as “high-pressure” or “intense.” My childhood was borderline idyllic.
In short, I look at my life and I think: “You have had it easy.”
And yet —
I have always lived my life under a kind of pressure. I can’t think of a time where I have sat back and laisser les bon temps rouler for more than a day or two at a time. I was serious and competitive as a child when it came to academics; I killed myself for As. In high school and college, I struggled with body image issues that stemmed, I believe, from a kind of ruthless competitiveness, a drive, an ambition I couldn’t quite channel anywhere else. In my first corporate job after college, most of my colleagues — all recent college graduates themselves — lollygagged and rolled their eyes at “the joke” of the work in front of us. I did not. I took my job seriously and was recognized quickly for it. The thought of doing something half-assed, or of not putting the full weight of my abilities into my professional life, was simply unthinkable for me. “Just do enough to get by,” said one of my friends over drinks after work one day. The thought had never occurred to me. And I remember wondering how I would even go about scaling back — what were the demarcation points when it came to “getting by” versus “excelling”? The notion that I could “shift gears” and lower my output of effort was alien to me.
In graduate school, I was disappointed to find that many of my colleagues whined about the workload and cheated their way through some of the longer reading assignments. Their complaints baffled and frankly annoyed me. Were we not paying to be there? Were we not facing the tremendous privilege of reading for a profession versus the bland and meaningless data management I had been handling in my previous job? And yet, it was not easy. The reading was burdensome to the point that I took a two-year hiatus from reading after graduating. I felt over-saturated, unable to enjoy reading for the sake of reading. I had pushed myself into a kind of academic asceticism where I would never permit myself a slip-up, a skipped assignment, a missed reading.
In my career as a non-profit executive, I worked long hours and put my heart on the line every single day, even when colleagues and bosses made it difficult to see the value in what I was doing. “Why should I care?” I remember ranting to Mr. Magpie. And yet I showed up every day and put my everything into it.
And with our business, too — the many nights of sleeplessness. The heart palpitations, the breathlessness. The gut-wrenching stress of pouring life savings into a dream, of putting ourselves out there to try something new. The panicked pace of our lives for so many months.
Pressure, pressure, pressure.
And in tiny, quotidian ways and more philosophical ones, too, I find myself struggling beneath self-imposed stress: I feel itchy when dishes are left in the sink, or the laundry is left in the dryer, or the bed remains unmade. Though I now feel more at peace with not knowing what the future holds, I am generally predisposed to the next thing, the new new. I am a planner by nature, hastily moving from one rung to the next.
Mr. Magpie once described me as having “a bias towards action.” If you lift the curtain behind this genteel description, you see a gal who is impatient with things half-done, who leans into responsibility, who puts tremendous pressure on herself and those around her to get things done.
The foregoing is not intended as a panegyric. I recognize there are many faults in the way I have lived my life: often burning the candle at both ends, occasionally pointlessly harried, frequently unable to properly prioritize. Mr. Magpie once drew me Eisenhower’s urgent/important grid, which fellow MBAs likely remember:
Good CEOs and well-adjusted, successful people navigate this matrix with aplomb: they focus on quadrant one today (items with a deadline, crises), schedule work for quadrant two (strategic planning, relationships, new opportunities), delegate quadrant three (most phone calls and emails), and ignore quadrant four (busy work, some calls/emails). If I am honest, I would say I spend half my time in quadrant one (putting out perceived fires) and then the rest in quadrant four, doing meaningless busy-work. I am an inbox zero gal. I like to knock the easy things off my to-do list first and then let myself wrap my arms around meatier work. The problem is that I am so preoccupied with the nitty gritty that I often run out of time for the bigger ticket items, and then stay up too late worrying about them. To make matters more challenging, I am horrible at delegating, in part because I like things done the way I like things done. A smart CEO once told me: “If someone else can do something 80% as well as you could, delegate it.” I nodded eagerly and then recklessly ignored the adage, unable to relinquish control.
Meanwhile, Mr. Magpie has set up shop in quadrant two. He is the most strategic thinker I know, and he is excellent at living in a kind of thought-filled, information-rich, research-oriented middleground. I am always jumping up and down on the other embankment, eager to just dig in, whether I’ve given something adequate thought or not. So when he says I have “a bias towards action,” he is also saying: “Slow down. Let’s think this through.” He is often right: when I pause and think about where I am exerting my energy, it is rarely in the most efficient place.
And so I burn on, plug plug plugging away, under pressure that, until this past Saturday night, I had never considered to be “a choice.”
A choice! The pressure is a choice! I can turn it off. I can dial it down. But can I? Is this lifelong orientation towards action genetic? Is it so deeply engrained in who I am that I can’t tell myself to loosen my grip a little bit? Would I not be Jen without it?
And yet. It has been liberating to recognize that the pressure I sense in my life is largely (entirely?) self-imposed. No one will die if a blog post goes up an hour late. No one will mind if Christmas cards arrive a day after Christmas. No one will care if the bow in mini’s hair does not match her shoes. And so, in the most trivial of ways, I have been tampering with the dials over the last few days. An acquaintance had asked me to attend something I simply couldn’t figure out logistically. I found that old feeling of stress creep in as I began jumping through elaborate hoops to make it work — and then I stopped. Will this person think less of me for not being there if I simply explain I can’t make it? Unlikely. An even tougher version of my internal voice threw out: “No is a full sentence, Jen.” It is OK to say no and not explain. It is OK to be selfish every now and then. Dial it down. Reserve the energy for the important quadrants.
+This sweater would be fun with a black slip skirt. Look for less with this.
+This leave-in conditioner is EXCELLENT. Smells like heaven, too!
By: Jen Shoop
I literally cannot believe that Christmas is in about a week! Today, sharing some last-minute holiday tabletop finds, all of which can be delivered by Christmas Eve (at least at time of writing — double check before ordering)! Above, you can see my mom’s vintage Christmas china and silver paired with my Proper Table acrylic placemats (seriously brilliant with young children eating on top of beautiful linens like these) and napkins.
11. STICK-UM CANDLE ADHESIVE — EXCITED FOR AN ALTERNATIVE TO WRAPPING THE BASE OF MY TAPER CANDLES WITH FOIL SO THAT THEY DON’T TILT…! THIS KEEPS CANDLES UPRIGHT IN THEIR HOLDERS
12. PEARL-TOPPED TOOTHPICKS — GOING TO USE TO SERVE UP SNACKS LIKE PIGS IN A BLANKET AT A COCKTAIL PARTY NEXT WEEK
Q: My baby shower! Gender neutral, winter, just before NYE!
A: I love the idea of this metallic ribbed sweater dress — cozy, chic, festive, and bump-friendly. I would pair with really fabulous shoes like these, these, or these. Maybe throw a tone-on-tone sweater into the mix too? I also love this metallic dress from The Great, which would work with bump, while nursing, and beyond. Finally, Baybala and Frances Hart have some great pieces that would work with bump — love this from the former and this from the latter.
Q: A luxury gift for my mom who has everything already. $300-$400 range.
A: A Wolf jewelry case (currently $100 off), these fabulous flats, or spectacular pajamas like these or these. More luxury gift ideas here.
Q: Experience gift for my Renaissance husband who does it all. In DMV – any locale.
A: Tasting menu at Rose’s Luxury. Fabulous. Go all in with the drink pairings. We were transported by this experience! Otherwise, tickets to something at the Kennedy Center!
Q: $100-$200 small wallet/card case.
A: This Clare Vivier! You can have them handpaint your initials, and it’s still on budget ($115). SO fabulous, with a bespoke feeling thanks to the personalization.
Q: Everyday items to make the new year special.
A: I love this question. I shared a bunch of items that spark joy by virtue of beautiful design here and here and would start there. But my top rec is to declutter the spaces in which you spend most of your time (desk and kitchen for me) and find a really beautiful centerpoint or set of centerpoints to anchor the areas. I’m thinking a beautiful footed fruit bowl for your island, a statement lamp and jewelry dish for your bedside table, a blotter and pen cup for your desk. Another tack: think through the tasks/habits/rituals you live out on a daily basis. What objects would make each of those phases more beautiful or special? Like, if you pour a morning cup of tea, upgrade to this beautiful kettle and a beautiful mug. If you take a long morning walk with your pooch, upgrade to a new collar and lead, and treat yourself to a coat in a fabulous happy color, like this hot pink one, or this forest green one.
Q: Casual and formal dresses under $100 for Mexico cruise dinners in January.
A: I would raid the Farm Rio sale section at Saks – loads of festive frocks at great prices, including this banana print caftan and this tile print beauty. I also love this striped cover-up dress from Summersalt — would totally wear with big jewelry to dinner. And you can’t go wrong with a striped strapless number like this, or everyone’s favorite $30 boho dress!
Q: Recently purchased the Siam waterfall desk during the Jonathan Adler sale event and looking for desk chair suggestions. I was leaning towards an upholstered slipper chair, but unsure. Would appreciate any recs.
A: SO chic. If this is going to be more for style/show versus function, I do think a gorgeous upholstered chair would be perfect. But if you’re going to be sitting and working at it for any significant amount of time, I would advise getting a proper desk/office chair. Maybe you can find one with brass accents that matches the desk’s drawer pulls? Like this or this?
Q: Beach club wedding in Santa Barbara in April with my just turned three year old and one year old daughters. I’m thinking something colorful and fun as it’s my first trip (and dress-up!) since pre-pandemic. Ideas for all three of us would be appreciated!
A: This Alexis sprang to mind immediately. I’m also totally obsessed with this Ulla dress — would love an excuse to wear it. I also love this hot pink number, this beaded Farm Rio, this floral maxi, anything by Agua Bendita (and lots are on sale right now – love this and this), and this happy mini. For something really different, this Zimmermann.
For the littles, I am swooning over the new La Coqueta collection — these flowers or these stripes. I also always love the pieces from Luli and Me.
Q: I’m so bored of my clothes. What are a few pieces that will breathe new life into my closet?
A: Some new jeans, a great new cardigan, fun new sneakers, a hot pink blazer, and something totally wild and frivolous, like blue velvet trousers or the Sleeper pajama set I just bought. (For the pajamas: wear the top separately tucked into jeans, wear the set out to dinner with platforms, or pair the bottoms with a thin ribbed turtleneck and heels.) And don’t underestimate the power of fresh (inexpensive) accessories, like these glasses, this sherpa pouch, a velvet hair bow, or a new phone case.
Q: A small gift for my six year old daughter to give to her closest friends for Christmas.
First, I’m still not recovered from Jimmy Choo’s collection of velvet-and-bow heels for the season, seen above on — did you know this? — Jude Law’s model daughter!
Spurred on, I put together a roundup of party-ready pieces perfect for any occasion, whether you are going to a big office holiday bash, or just a small get-together with family. Isn’t dressing up for the holidays one of the best parts?
1. ULTRA-FLATTERING MULTICOLOR FLORAL PRINTED SILK MIDI DRESS WITH AN OFF-THE-SHOULDER FEATHERED NECKLINE
3. DEEP FOREST GREEN SILKY VELVET WRAP DRESS WITH TASTEFUL RUFFLED HEM AND PLEATING AT THE SHOULDERS…SUCH A FLATTERING, YET COMFORTABLE PARTY-READY NUMBER
4. DELICATE GOLD WIRE HEADBAND WITH CELESTIAL CHARMS AND PAVE CRYSTALS — A SUBTLE WAY TO ADD A LITTLE BLING TO ANY ENSEMBLE
6. BLACK SUEDE DOUBLE STRAP MARY JANE HEELS WITH A PADDED FOOTBED SO YOUR FEET WON’T HURT BY THE END OF THE NIGHT…A VERSATILE AND FUNCTIONAL CLOSET STAPLE
7. MOCK NECK GREEN COCKTAIL DRESS WITH ALLOVER SEQUINS AND BLOUSON SLEEVES
8. ITALIAN BLACK SATIN TOP HANDLE STRUCTURED PURSE WITH A STUNNING CRYSTAL EMBELLISHED BOW
9. STRAPLESS BRIGHT RED CROPPED PEPLUM TOP MADE FROM STRUCTURED TAFFETA — A VERSATILE PARTY ATTIRE STAPLE ON SALE FOR ONLY $50
10. SATIN SLINGBACK POINTED-TOE PUMPS ADORNED WITH SPARKLING BOW FOR A LITTLE EXTRA FLAIR…I LOVE THIS SUBTLE TWIST ON THIS CLASSIC BLACK HEEL (PLUS, ON SALE FOR HALF-OFF!)
11. ALLOVER BLACK SEQUINED CROPPED LONG-SLEEVE STATEMENT TOP WITH CHIC BOAT NECK AND FEATHERED CUFFS
12. DUSTY ROSE MOCK NECK DRESS WITH DRAMATIC PUFF SLEEVES IN SEQUIN FRINGE…THE DETAILS OF THIS DRESS ARE CAPTIVATING!
13. VINTAGE-INSPIRED FULL-LENGTH SILVER SEQUIN GOWN WITH FLUTED SLEEVES AND A SLIGHTLY FLARED SKIRT…THIS IRIDESCENT BEAUTY WILL ABSOLUTELY STEAL THE SHOW
14. PLAYFUL PLEATED SEQUINED MIDI SKIRT IN A SILVER SUNSET OMBRE PRINT WITH AN ELASTIC WAISTBAND
15. STRUCTURED SHIMMERING BLACK MINI HANDBAG WITH DETACHABLE SILVER CHAIN STRAP
16. ITALIAN WOOL IVORY TUXEDO BLAZER IN A FIGURE-FLATTERING CUT — A FANTASTIC LAYERING PIECE THAT WILL ELEVATE ANY OUTFIT
17. VIBRANT RED CREPE MINI DRESS WITH OFF-THE-SHOULDER STRAPS AND CRYSTAL ENCRUSTED BOW DETAILS
18. PEARL AND CRYSTAL BEDAZZLED STATEMENT CLUTCH WITH GOLD HARDWARE
19. POLKA DOT ORGANZA FIT-AND-FLARE MIDI DRESS WITH A RUCHED BODICE AND EFFORTLESSLY FEMININE FLUTTERED SLEEVES
20. FITTED LONG SLEEVE MIDI DRESS IN A SPARKING SEQUIN STRIPE FOR A CLASSIC, HEAD TURNING LOOK
21. GATHERED MOCK NECK JERSEY MAXI DRESS WITH A FITTED WAIST AND CHIC CRYSTAL BOW EMBELLISHMENTS ON THE CHEST
22. TRIANGLE-HEELED BLACK SLINGBACK PUMPS WITH A CRYSTAL EMBLEM ON THE POINTED TOE…THIS UNIQUE SILHOUETTE IS SURE TO BE A SHOWSTOPPER
23. GUNMETAL-TONED EVENING CLUTCH WITH DETACHABLE SILVER CHAIN SHOULDER STRAP AND SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL BOW DESIGN — THIS INTRICATELY MADE BAG HAS LAVENDER SATIN LINING, AND EXTRA TOUCH THAT I FIND SO CHIC
For the past many years, I have skipped the resolutions in favor of a word of intention. Most years, I have elected the word “grace” or its sister “gentleness.” Gentleness with others, with myself. I would give myself middling marks in this effort, but at least the word represents a clear beacon, a north star, against which to measure and orient my movements.
This year, I’ve chosen the word “flow” as my 2023 intention. As in: let things happen. Let things breathe. Accept and accommodate. Sometimes I feel I screw myself up into the wildest of contortions dodging an emotion or ducking from an interaction. This year I just want to sit in the middle of it all. If it comes, let it come. If it goes, let it go. I recently heard someone share the analogy of a pond vs. a stream — a pond can grow murky and mucky with stagnation. Things sit and rot and stew. A stream, on the other hand, is ever-clear, ever-clean, as it is in constant motion. I’m after the cleanse of movement.
There are so many examples I could point to (including ones far meatier than the proceeding), but a narrow and physical manifestation I’m sure many of you will relate to: have you ever been at a party or at a school event, and you see someone you know (sort of) and you have that moment of internal conflict about whether to proactively go and say good morning or sit there fidgeting until you make eye contact? And sometimes the other person won’t make eye contact? Or you feel for some illogical, anti-social reason like you want to busy yourself with your phone or bag? I’m tired of that. I am resolved to make eye contact and say hello and dispel the fraught moment. Or not, and make peace with not saying hello. I want to move through my day with fewer flinches and hesitations. I am inviting a shift from the dot-dot-dot of a morse code to the fluidity of a cursive. Unwind, be open. I don’t know where this intention will take me, but I have a hunch it will release me from things I need not carry.
How about you? Do you have a resolution or word of intention for 2023?
+Perfect to pair with this red-trim crystal embellished clutch from Pam Munson.
+At the last minute (just under the wire) ordered these tartan jammies and this matching nightgown for mini and micro to wear on Christmas Eve / morning. They are an extra 60% off the sale price and will arrive in time!
+This modal cashmere turtleneck looks heavenly (so soft!) and is available in tons of colors at a great price. Perfect heavier-weight piece to wear in the depths of winter under nap dresses.
+I’ve seen several chic women wearing this Tuckernuck dress this holiday season at various events — it is even better in person than online and I regret not buying it myself.
+I did just treat myself to these feathered pajamas to wear to a holiday gathering and then on NYE (with velvet platforms and a big headband!). I have been eyeing them for years but finally found them on sale at Saks!
+These sherpa ballet flats for a little lady are beyond precious. (And chic!)
+These absurdly luxurious pajamas are on sale for 60% off.
+My favorite layering turtleneck from Ulla Johnson (you can see me in it here) is on sale for 40% off here and here.
+OK, this chic textured cardigan looks like it’s designer — Toteme meets Celine — but is under $200.
+Somehow this Wiggy Kit dress is 70% off — love the idea of layering over a turtleneck for winter months.
By: Jen Shoop
*Image via Parachute Home, featuring their Turkish robe and slippers, both 20% off today with code COZY20. I am eyeing their shearling clogs, also included in the promo.
I’ll be talking about setting “intentions” (versus resolutions) for the new year tomorrow, but I do usually (intuitively) try to get the new year off on the right foot by focusing on comfort, wellness, exercise, sleep, and organization. It’s almost reflexive after the extravagance of the holiday season. I wanted to share a few items I’m eyeing and buying to usher in a flow-oriented, centered new year…
01. LAKE LOUNGE SET. I don’t own a lot of loungewear — it’s pajamas or clothes with rarely any in between — but I recently picked out this birch-colored lounge set from my favorite pajamas company, Lake, which is — incidentally — offering free shipping with code GIFTLAKE in time for the holidays. I am imagining spending slow mornings in it around the house — reading, doing chores, etc. I’m also tempted by this waffled Parachute set, on sale somehow for $60 (originally $150).
03. GRATITUDE JOURNAL. If you’re more spiritually inclined, I enjoyed working through this Devotional last year. I found the daily messages uneven, but it was the ritual and the call to pause that I found helpful.
04. APPOINTED 2023 TASK PLANNER. I’ve actually already ordered this inexpensive planner I’ve used the last two years for 2023 because I love all the space it offers for list-making against a calendar, but I’m wondering if I could instead use this gorgeous cloth-bound one from Appointed and supplement with these undated daily/weekly notepads to get more granular with my crazy list-making. The Appointed one just sparks joy for me. Separately, I use this undated monthly calendar to coordinate all of our family’s happenings with our nanny.
06. PARACHUTE SHEARLING CLOGS. I could use some new home slippers, and I love that these have a rubberized sole so they can be worn to grab mail / let dog out / etc. 20% off today only!
07. COSABELLA UNDERWEAR SET. Something about a fresh suite of underwear feels right for the new year.
08. CORD ORGANIZER. I love to tackle small, narrow organizational challenges one at a time, and I currently have this big tub of cords and chargers in my writing closet. I think I’ll decant into this clever organizing pouch.
11. ICE ROLLER. Do these things really work? I was recently motivated by a post my friend Grace shared to give it a try. De-puffing and revitalizing? I’ll give it a shot for $16.
12. ZORRIE BY LAIRD HUNT. I think I read less in 2022 than I ever have, and you could probably tell given the absence of book club posts in these parts. But that’s OK. I prioritized other things and I made peace with that temporary shift. I am hopeful I will clip back into my reading regimen this year, and I’m starting with this National Book Award winner. Description: “As a girl, Zorrie Underwood’s modest and hardscrabble home county was the only constant in her young life. After losing both her parents, Zorrie moved in with her aunt, whose own death orphaned Zorrie all over again, casting her off into the perilous realities and sublime landscapes of rural, Depression-era Indiana. Drifting west, Zorrie survived on odd jobs, sleeping in barns and under the stars, before finding a position at a radium processing plant. At the end of each day, the girls at her factory glowed from the radioactive material. But when Indiana calls Zorrie home, she finally finds the love and community that have eluded her in and around the small town of Hillisburg. And yet, even as she tries to build a new life, Zorrie discovers that her trials have only begun.”
13. LETTERFOLK HIKE PASSPORT. Last summer, Mr. Magpie and I got into a really good routine of hiking together every Monday morning. It was restorative to be outside, to spend time alone and unplugged with him. I’d love to pick back up where we left off this spring, and use this cute passport to track our adventures together. This brand has lots of “passports” that would make cute stocking stuffers / gifts — golf, birding, travel, wine, etc.
15. TRU-RED RETRACTIBLE 0.5MM GEL PENS. These are my absolute favorite. I like the really fine tip and amazing flow. Has a great hand feel too.
16. DOCUMENT FOLDERS. These give me life — a key tool in keeping my mind/home/life organized. I keep separate clusters of papers/receipts/permission slips/documents/forms in these and then can tote in my bag, keep in a stack on the kitchen counter, etc. It really helps me de-clutter and feel on top of things.
17. INSLEE DESK CALENDAR. The most beautiful desk calendar that will ever grace your desktop. I find having a desk calendar incredibly useful — I actually don’t know how I lived without one for so long, as I’m always glancing over to check the date/schedule things/etc. My friend Inslee is such a talent!
18. SAUCONY ENDORPHIN 3 RUNNING SHOES. I’ve written about these a lot over the past few weeks after my Dad raved about them. I’m going to buy myself a pair to re-engage with my running habit. I seem always to fall out of it during the holidays between the overpacked schedule, the cold weather, and – inevitably – various ailments. Ugh! I had intended to clip back in this week, but now I’m battling an eye ailment and have to wear my glasses for a full seven days and I don’t think I can run in them.
19. PERSONALIZED RUNNING JOURNAL. My Dad has kept a running journal for decades. I think it’s mainly about accountability — helpful to have a place to go and officially mark that your exercise is complete. Also good for tracking routes, pace, etc.
20. TRACKSMITH RUNNING BASE LAYER AND GLOVES. I always find new running gear motivating to get out there and, as one Magpie put it, “move the dirt.” I love the Tracksmith gear for cold weather and am also eyeing this running vest.
My Dad is a pretty serious guy. Not only is he a tenured and successful attorney, investor, and philanthropist, but he is — by nature — scholarly, studied, inquisitive, sharp-as-a-tack. A string of my core childhood memories involves him carrying a four-inch-thick tome on Churchill or some arcane battle in some arcane war. He was (still is) never without this kind of heavy reading material, whether getting his hair cut, picking us up from playdates, killing time in the pews before an awards ceremony. There was a joke (or was it a joke…?) among my brothers-in-law that, while dating my sisters and I, any anticipated interactions with my Dad meant they’d be hurriedly beefing up on current events and skimming recently-published op-eds in the New York Times and Washington Post. “Better have an opinion at the ready,” was the chorus, because my Dad is the type to sit down at the dinner table and ask someone to pass the salt and share her thoughts on the ongoing war in Ukraine. Recently, my father was extolling the virtues of an acquaintance he respects. “He’s just a real smart, serious guy,” he concluded. Afterwards, on the drive home, Mr. Magpie said: “I think your family might be the only family I know that considers ‘serious’ an elite descriptor.”
Of course, my Dad is also charming and funny and self-deprecating. He fits the description “strong opinions, loosely held” — always willing to change his mind, accommodate pushback, poke fun at himself. But, on the whole, he’s a pretty serious dude.
That is why I absolutely treasure the fact that he loves ice cream. It seems incongruous, like, perhaps, a Supreme Court Justice retiring to her chambers to eat Skittles? Even better: he eats the ice cream out of those crunchy, styrafoam-like cake cones. Always has. I think he may have kept the Joy brand in business for the better part of the 90s. When I think glancingly of my Dad, then, I think of two things. First, a quote from As Good as It Gets where Melvin says: “I might be the only one who appreciates how amazing you are in every single thing that you do…and in every single thought that you have, and how you say what you mean and how it’s almost always something that’s all about being straight and good.” My Dad is a “straight and good” person. He walks the hard line, unflinchingly. He is serious, ethical, precise in his thoughts and actions. But I also think of ice cream, of his long-time favorites Butter Pecan and Cherry Garcia, scooped up in cake cones, eaten in about ten seconds — two or three bites — flat.
And the balance of the two is kind of perfect?
I suppose it reveals the multitudes each of us contain. We are irreducible, complex, full of treasure and surprise.
I’m curious today: what secret, possibly incongruous-with-your-personality, indulgence do you have? I’m thinking off the top of my head of a cousin who drinks Dr. Pepper every morning, and a brother-in-law who eats Lucky Charms, and the pack of Jujyfruits in my desk drawer…but it doesn’t have to be food, either. There must be someone out there who has a secret and unexpected ASMR source, or watches true crime documentaries for hours on end, or can’t stop tuning into gift wrapping TikToks?
Post-Scripts.
+Not to be morose, but what your last meal be? (Love the comments on this.)
+I guess my dad’s love of ice cream is why I’m especially moved by “Ice Cream Moments.”
+A lot of you have asked me to re-share this post in which my Dad offers us all some good, galvanizing advice in the face of a big life change.
+This post, on making it through a really tough year during the pandemic, still brings me to tears.
Shopping Break.
+Obsessed with this skirt. Love how they paired it with this pop of neon sweater.
+Alice Walk’s popular cotton sweaters were just restocked!
+Random stocking stuffer I bought for my children: these cups. We call mini “ladybug” (nickname) so I had to get her that one, and the lion one reminds me so much of my boy!
+These under-$100 glitzy heels are SO fun and remind me of styles from Mach and Mach that retail for over
+Cute statement sweater in a fetching shade of blue.
+Oh my goodness, this cashmere knit set for a baby girl is beyond adorable, and surprisingly well-priced!
+This Lela Rose dress is, truly, exceptional. A spectacular pick for a mother of the bride/groom, but I’d wear it to almost any black tie situation.
+La Coqueta’s new spring collection is so adorable — I love this dress.
By: Jen Shoop
Over champagne in NYC a few weeks ago, my chic girlfriend Stephanie asked, “What are you asking for this year?” I don’t need a thing, and Mr. Magpie and I like to surprise one another anyhow, but the first item that sprang to mind was a pair of fabulous, flat statement boots. I have been wanting to buy a new pair of everyday boots for a few seasons now — something dressier than my No 6 clog boots and with a bit more flair than the Madewells I’ve been wearing quite a bit this season. “I’m too practical to wear heels nowadays,” I admitted sheepishly. It’s true. I even think twice before putting on my beloved kitten heeled Aquazzura boots because it is hard to run after a three year old in any kind of heel! I immediately thought of Nicholas Kirkwood’s Casati series — especially these tall boots — but, like, a pair of Chanel lace-ups or Gucci logo ones would be epic. (Would I find the logo too limiting?). If you’re on a similar wavelength but aren’t as interested in something quite as flashy, I personally think these simple and elegant ones from Alexandre Birman or these Everlanes would be the perfect mates with literally any outfit.
Two items on this list I’ve lusted after forever are a pair of Van Cleef and Arpels Alhambra earrings (would wear every day) and the Celine Sangle bag. I’ve been hoping to buy the bag for myself after hitting a personal milestone but still have a ways to go.
A few other items on my ultimate wish list…
01. EMILIA WICKSTEAD CLOQUE DRESS — SWOON. IT’S A TOSS UP BETWEEN SOMETHING BY EMILIA WICKSTEAD OR SOMETHING BY MARKARIAN, BUT EITHER WAY, A DRESS I’D NEVER BUY MYSELF BUT WOULD PINCH MYSELF WEARING FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE
07. ASHA HEART CHARM BRACELET — JUST SO BEAUTIFUL…I LOVE CHARM BRACELETS BUT ESPECIALLY THE MOTHER OF PEARL HEART ON THIS ONE
08. HEATHER SOICHER CERAMIC OWL — THESE BEAUTIFUL LITTLE OBJETS COME WITH A SCROLL OF WISDOM SEALED INSIDE…I FEEL LIKE THIS WOULD BE SUCH A SPECTACULAR TREASURE FROM A LOVED ONE
09. OLYMPIA LE TAN BOOK CLUTCH — THESE ARE JUST BEYOND GORGEOUS, AND COMBINE TWO OF MY FAVORITE THINGS: FASHION AND BOOKS
10. SMYTHSON 2023 DIARY — I’M CONVINCED THIS WOULD GIVE ME EVEN MORE CONTROL IN MY LIFE…IT’S JUST THE PEAK OF ELEGANT DAILY DESKTOP ORGANIZATION
11. DYSON AIRWRAP — PEOPLE LOSE THEIR MINDS OVER THIS STYLING TOOL AND…I AM DESPERATE TO TRY IT
12. SAUCONY ENDORPHIN SPEED 3 RUNNING SHOES — THESE HAVE BEEN ON MY SHOPPING LIST FOR MONTHS NOW BUT I KEEP PUTTING THEIR PURCHASE OFF IN FAVOR OF OTHER THINGS…MY DAD SWEARS BY THEM!
15. NIKE DAYBREAKS — THESE ARE JUST CRAZY CHIC AND A BETTER PRICE THAN THE LOEWE FLOWS I’VE ALSO HAD MY EYE ON…BUT I ALSO LOVE THESE SIMILARLY PRICED ONITSUKAS
17. THE ODYSSEY TRANSLATED BY EMILY WILSON (HARDCOVER) — I HAVE WANTED TO MAKE MY WAY THROUGH WILSON’S TRANSLATION FOR A LONG TIME…WILSON IS A BAD ASS*! PLUS, THIS WOULD LOOK AMAZING ON OUR NEW BUILT-INS
18. FAT DADDIO CAKE PANS — THESE ANODIZED ALUMINUM PANS MAKE A HUGE (HUGE, HUGE) DIFFERENCE IN THE OUTCOME OF BAKING PROJECTS, TO THE EXTENT THAT STELLA PARKS ADVISES AGAINST BAKING CERTAIN THINGS IF YOU DON’T HAVE THESE TINS. I HAVE A BUNCH OF ROUND ONES BUT WANT SOME SQUARE/RECTANGULAR!
19. DRYBAR GIFT CARD — ONE OF MY FAVORITE INDULGENCES IS HAVING MY HAIR BLOWN OUT
*The back copy reads: “A fresh, authoritative version―the first English translation of The Odyssey by a woman―this stirring tale of shipwrecks, monsters, and magic comes alive in an entirely new way. Written in iambic pentameter verse and a vivid, contemporary idiom, this engrossing translation matches the number of lines in the Greek original, thus striding at Homer’s sprightly pace and singing with a voice that echoes Homer’s music.”
A few fashion items currently at the top of my shopping list (more likely that I will buy myself): this pair of fabulous feathered pajamas I’ve eyed for two seasons now, this embellished maxi dress (NYE?), this Le Lion cardigan, and these legging/joggers (on sale in select colors here).
