Jen’s Weekend Drafts: A Diamond as Big as the Ritz, New Styling Ideas, + More.
Jen Shoop
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+A DIAMOND AS BIG AS THE RITZ: I re-read this classic Fitzgerald novella twice this week thanks to the University of South Florida. What a masterpiece! Delightfully strange, with fascinating commentary on wealth and the perception of wealth, but what really spoke to me was the way Fitz wrote the romance. The writing toggles between coy, elliptical and direct in the most satisfying way. I’ve read no better romantic introduction than:
“John rounded a soft corner where the massed rosebushes filled the air with heavy scent, and struck off across a park toward a patch of moss under some trees. He had never lain upon moss, and he wanted to see whether it was really soft enough to justify the use of its name as an adjective. Then he saw a girl coming toward him over the grass. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
She was dressed in a white little gown that came just below her knees, and a wreath of mignonettes clasped with blue slices of sapphire bound up her hair. Her pink bare feet scattered the dew before them as she came. She was younger than John—not more than sixteen. “Hallo,” she cried softly, “I’m Kismine.” She was much more than that to John already.”
She was much more than that to John already. And the name Kismine! Whew! Later, this gem of a passage:
She bent toward him—then hesitated. “Did you say ‘Kismine’?” she asked softly, “or—” She had wanted to be sure. She thought she might have misunderstood. Neither of them had ever kissed before, but in the course of an hour it seemed to make little difference.
Wowza – I love it all. The mis-hearing of the name, the phrase “in the course of an hour it seemed to make little difference.” Wow, wow!
+SPEAKING OF ROMANCE…The Internet is alight with excitement about the rom com series “Nobody Wants This” featuring Adam Brody and Kristen Bell. I polled Magpies on Instagram and there was a universal “I LOVED IT!” energy, with a lot of oohing and ahhing over Brody, whom you might remember from the O.C., but all grown up. Caroline Chambers summed this aspect of the show up here, and apparently it’s been her most viral TikTok video ever. I am planning to watch tonight and cannot wait.
+FALL SPF: I am good about wearing SPF in the summer, but I am determined to persist through the fall. No sun damage on my face ever again pls and thank you. I just restocked a few of my favorite daily SPFS — my beloved glowscreen, Iris & Romeo Weekend Skin, and RMSBeauty SuperSerum — which I alternate between depending on what I’m going for. I love glowscreen or Iris & Romeo’s Weekend Skin if I’m just throwing something on without a full face of makeup for drop off / exercise. The SuperSerum is my favorite as a primer beneath makeup. While I was ordering them, I noticed Supergoop has a new (to me) SPF tinted skin tint that intrigued me. I think I’ll order to give a try, too.
+A NEW STYLING IDEA: I got my hands on one of the new SoldOut NYC Everything Shirts in of-the-season chocolate brown (see me styling it for Italy here — tried on a few outfits for my trip this week! The theme is fifty shades of brown) and it is so gorgeous. If you’ve not yet purchased one of these…girl! You’re going to love it. Start with white and then add to the collection (I now have three colors). These shirts are top-top-top quality with a gorgeous satin-y finish and oversized, high-fashion shape. You will love her with jeans! Instant elegance / elevation. (My code, JEN15, still gets you 15% off, FYI.). Anyhow, I LOVE the way they styled the shirt on their site, layered over a white turtleneck! I’d never have thought to do that and am absolutely going to copy with this. (BTW, while you’re at J. Crew, you might also consider this featherweight cashmere polo sweater. The colors are spectacular. My mom got the cardinal red and I bought the navy. I also picked a few other items I LOVE from J. Crew and styled them here.)
+IT’S ALREADY YOURS? I came across this quote from Karin Hadadan on Instagram and it really made me stop and think: “What if I told you that the reason why you want certain things so deeply is because it’s already yours at some point on the timeline? Your future self is whispering to you through intuitive feelings, dreams planted within…they’re previews of what’s already yours.” It feels a little hokey but then again I’m a big believer that the first step in achieving a dream is saying it out loud. You can’t drive somewhere without the destination mapped, you know? What do you think?
+LAKE HOLIDAY COLLECTION (SPONSORED MENTION): Lake Pajamas launched its holiday collection this week and I’m not batting an eye about sharing them here because several of you wrote asking for Christmas outfit ideas already. Magpies are so strategic — we are anticipators! I love this woodland pattern for the kids because it has a slightly longer season than just Christmas — could be worn all winter! — and this long-long set in cheery poinsettia floral as well as this kimono set for me. I absolutely love those kimono sets. They are so flattering and would be easy to wear with holiday house guests in the morning. A perfect Christmas morning outfit, too — hello Mrs. Claus!
+BESTSELLERS: These Gap joggers! My favorite vintage-style, no-frills sweats — they have a fashion sense to them, though. The perfect fit and such good colors.
