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+ART IS A FORGIVING MEDIUM: This week, my friend and fellow creative Caroline posted this sweet video of herself celebrating her own creativity after enduring a major loss. It reminded me that art is such a forgiving practice. You do not need to be healed, or to have it all figured out, in order to create. You can make art while angry, confused, hurt, sad. It meets you where you are. Onward!
+THE REAL WORLD SAINTS: I loved this excerpt from a letter from Kurt Vonnegut, discovered here. The concept of finding saints almost everywhere we go — such a precious sentiment. It reminded me of my note to self about staying open: “Leave the door ajar, enough to let joy sneak up on you, so that you laugh when you are washing the dishes and notice that your husband is carrying a Barbie doll in his back pocket, and you remember that you are on a moonwalk, living out the exact space fantasy you dreamed about when you were on that Jetsons ride in Orlando at the age of eleven, watching the young families around you. Stay open to the neighbors, who turn out to be guardian angels in disguise, treating you tenderly when you’ve fallen, and bringing by dinner and crates of activities for the children when illness visits.”
+NOVEMBER RAIN: The preceding sentiments hang uneasily with the ones in this Linda Pastan poem, but I found it stirring and beautiful nonetheless, especially the visual of isolation in our separate umbrellas, and the acuteness of the lyric “December with its white / enamel surfaces; the numbing / silences of winter.”
+FOR THOSE OF US WHOSE OLDEST CHILDREN ARE DAUGHTERS: Um, how close to home is this? We’re just living in Emory’s world over here. Ha!
+WHAT I ORDERED FROM BLACK FRIDAY DEALS THIS WEEK: What did you buy this week? Any standouts? I got a lot of shopping done.
As gifts: Yves Durif brush (25% off); three dry shampoos from Crown Affair (30% off when added to cart as a bundle); this Chappywrap (20% off with JOY20); multiple Pieceworks puzzles (30% off); a few Linnea candles I’m tempted to keep for myself (up to $45 off depending on spend); and a Rag+Bone tee (use RBBF10 for extra 10% off) for Mr. Magpie.
For myself: I ordered gift card holders and gift tags from Sarah Tucker’s collab with Joy Creative (15% off with FEELGOOD15) and a few items from Julia Amory, including a pair of her silk dupioni trousers, the Jane dress in marigold (imagine with black velvet), and the Betty dress in black — all 30% off. I also managed to buy the only thing on the Internet not on sale: this spectacular velvet and lace Saloni dress. I’d been hoping it would be on sale this week but alas. My toxic trait is being drawn to anything excluded from sale. I also bought some more Skims! I can’t help myself! It really is good. These long-sleeved tees are figure-hugging wonders for pairing with barrel / loose fit denim, and also great base layers beneath knits. Take your true size. I also picked up their famous bra!
+THIS WEEK’S BESTSELLERS: At the tippy top of the list: our favorite everyday moisturizer (up to 30% off depending on spend) and this Skims dress (50% off)!
01. INNBEAUTY MOISTURIZER (UP TO 30% OFF) // 02. SKIMS DRESS // 03. LAKE PAJAMAS POPLIN PAJAMA SET (25% OFF) // 04. LAKE PAJAMAS RELAX SET (25% OFF) // 05. MADEWELL X LESET POINTELLE SETS // 06. TUCKERNUCK DRESS (20% OFF) // 07. TEXTURED POLKA DOT BLOUSE (20% OFF) // 08. TARTAN MINI (20% OFF) // 09. UGG SLIPPERS // 10. J. CREW CABLENKIT CARDIGAN // 11. RIFLE PAPER GIFT WRAP // 12. DORSEY EMILE EARRINGS