Blustery New Year

…!!!! Hi! Happy New Year! Thank you, dolls, for bearing with me over the past few months and many, many thanks for the sweet emails of concern. All is well Chez Magpie — I took a fab new job up here in Chicago (Yay! No more travel! I feel like a real wife again!), which has left me happily nose-to-the-grindstone since. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to carve out more time for myself, which I plan to then spend at the gym or on my blog. I miss this creative outlet. I miss hearing from you all! And…though my wallet has not missed this blog, such is life. (Sorry, Mr. Magpie!)

{Pop the bubbly — I’m BACK!}

It is snowing outside. Like, a lot. To the point that I’ve learned and used a new snow term in the last 24 hours: the weather channel told me to expect “squalls” of snow throughout the day. (Poor Mr. Magpie had to trek through it on the way to work this morning — his first day back to work after a lovely 1.5 week holiday vacation. Nice welcome back!)

{Snow, snow, snow!}

Anyway, these squalls are making me daydream about a ski trip. Mr. Magpie and I used to take yearly ski trips up to Deep Creek Lake with all of our friends — we’d rent big log cabin type houses and pile in for the weekend and while I would admittedly dread the actual skiing, the apres-ski cocktails and shenanigans were a phenomenal reward for surviving the slopes.

{Yes, please.}

Mr. Magpie is a ridiculously good skiier. He has fancy skis and was on the UVA ski team and I kind of hate how much better he is at skiing than I am. (I’m slightly competitive…) Meanwhile, I “pizza wedge” all the way down the hill while wavering between absolute fear and then serene calm once I’ve found my way to a flat patch where I can slowly glide at a comfortable pace of .01 MPH. By the end of the day (typically after two runs at my glacial pace), my thighs are shaking from all of the intense pizza wedging I’ve done all day — that muscle control kills! — and everyone is waiting at the foot of the mountain for Grandma Jen to cross the finish line. BUT. Even the terror of skiing adds to the charm of the experience. So — Aspen anyone? I’d pack this furry cap (just tried it on in the store over the weekend while my bestie was visiting and…it is fabuloso — Yves Salomon, $198), a cozy fair isle knit (love this, own this, and like to pair it with a winter white fluted skirt as well — J. Crew, $78), black skinnies (J. Brand, $185)

And, I’d finish with these slightly impractical black wedge boots (Isabel Marant, $604 — ridiculous sale!):

Top it all off with my new favorite lip color, Manhunt by Nars ($26):

Tote all of your weekend essentials in this dreamy Balenciaga duffel ($1,845 — sigh, a girl can dream! — although, as an alternative, this affordable find looks super high-end despite an incredible price tag):

Top it off with a warm coat (I’m obsessed with my Barbour, and this one looks equally cozy — $330) and some cozy mittens ($39):

Tote along a handwarmer (Zippo, $19 — Mr. Magpie got me one of these for my stocking!), some Carmex, and a flask (Smathers + Branson, $65) — ski bunny essentials.

And, don’t forget your skis (aren’t these GORGEOUS?! — I kind of just want to hang them on a wall somewhere…$2,500):

Also loving this adorable knit sweater (J. Crew, $118) with a cozy snood (J. Crew, $65 — though I got this one in blue and white knit from Gap for less and have gotten a million compliments on it), some distressed jeans, and these fab snowboots ($400 — this pair from Mr. Jimmy Choo are also pretty phenomenal):