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+HELEN FRANKENTHALER: I have been learning about the American abstract expressionist Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011) this week. I came across some of her quotes about art via Instagram and was pulled in, but now I’m transfixed by her story, her process, her art. I must go see her best-known piece, Mountains and Sea (seen below) — it’s here at the National Gallery in DC! Planning a day date with Mr. Magpie around it. Two of my favorite quotes from her: “I’d rather risk an ugly surprise than rely on things I know I can do” and “There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. This is what invention is about.” It reminds me of Anne Lamott’s “don’t look at your feet; just dance,” and the general adage, when it comes to creativity, not to seek permission.
+EYEING + BUYING: One of my favorite accessories brands, Clare Vivier, launched a collab with my favorite running wear brand, Tracksmith! Love the tee, singlet, and shorts! // At the time of working on this post, Doen just released its fall collection, and I’m drooling over this dress, and will probably have purchased by the time this goes live! // Loving this clean mascara and primer wand. // This boot may lead me to break my heel embargo. // Love these shoes from Free People’s collab with On.
DOEN LACE DRESS // HONEST PRIMER AND MASCARA WAND // LE JOGGING TEE // SHORTS // AQUAZZURA BOOT // FREE PEOPLE X ON SNEAKERS
+JFK JR / CBK: Their style remains fresh. These old photos are in conversation with my thoughts last week about feeling like I’ve been undergoing a major evolution in style. I don’t know if it’s turning 40, or the ambient retail shift away from grandmillennial and ruffles?
+COURAGE BAGELS (at top and below!): My mouth is watering just looking at these everything bagels. I sent this photo to Mr. Magpie and he replied: “Just booked us tickets to LA.” If there are any Angeleno Magpies, thoughts?! Worth the hype? D.C. is sadly lacking in good bagels. Even Bread Furst’s version is middling, and I’m not a big fan of Call Your Mother.
+REMEMBER WHEN YOU DREAMED OF WHAT YOU NOW HAVE?: I loved this reflection Ina Garten shared on Instagram: “In doing research for my upcoming memoir, I discovered a letter that Jeffrey wrote to me in high school. He said, “I want to take you to Paris. In the beginning, we won’t be able to afford much so maybe we’ll go camping. Hopefully, the next time, we will have enough money to stay in a hotel and maybe someday we’ll even be able to rent an apartment.” We actually did go to Paris in 1971 on a four-month camping trip. If someone had told me then that 50 years later I’d come back with the Today Show to report on food at the Paris Olympics, I would have thought they were crazy!” Related: this sweet and whimsical carousel of illustrations from Sunlight After Dark, which concludes: “I still have a lot of dreams to chase, but today I’m just enjoying the view.”
+SALES TO SHOP: (1) Don’t miss Alice Walk’s sale on their dreamy gauze shorts and pants (both run TTS), as well as (2) Julia Amory’s sale on Coatue shorts and coordinating tops (perfect daytime outfit for a LDW trip!) and caftans (this one will transition well into fall / could work with suede boots or mules). Reformation also marked down a ton of its wedding-guest-ready pieces — love this simple but sexy linen number. On the beauty front, (3) Elemis is offering 25% off some of their best products — can’t wait to try this cleanser and this pro-collagen moisturizer; I already have and love their resurfacing pads — and (4) UBeauty is offering all of us (not just first time buyers) 20% off sitewide with code JENSHOOP — usually, they only offer this promo to first time customers, but it’s currently available to all! I know so many of you were curious about the lip plasma!
+MY SON’S BIG BOY BED!: We let him squish into his toddler bed for as long as possible, but as a newly minted five year old heading into Kindergarten, it was time. We bought him this PBK bed (full size, brushed fog — currently on sale!), a Saatva youth mattress, this duvet, these pillow inserts (the best inexpensive sleeping pillow), this bed blanket (look for less for our Boll and Branch ones), and a few fun sheet sets, including these and these. These cute maritime sheets were sold out in the full size, but I have my eye on them, too.
+BESTSELLERS: The perfect fall wedding guest dress. So many of you bought this!
01. BEST FALL WEDDING GUEST DRESS // 02. STRIPED POPOVER DRESS // 03. MADEWELL DARTED BARREL JEANS // 04. CLASSIC NAVY SHIRTDRESS (20% OFF WITH JEN20) // 05. CHIC DATE NIGHT TOP // 06. BEST SHOE STORAGE // 07. NAVY BOXER SHORTS // 08. FEATHERWEIGHT CASHMERE POLO SWEATER (I WANT THIS IN ALL THE COLORS) // 09. MY FAV COLORED JEANS FOR FALL (SEE ME STYLING THEM HERE) // 10. GAP STRAIGHT LEG JEANS // 11. BEST SCALP SCRUB // 12. HAIR CLIP
Call Your Mother is… fine, and we sadly haven’t found anything better in DC. We default to buying a dozen bagels every time we go to NYC (usually a few times a year) and freezing them. There’s no substitute!
Same here!!
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I thought I was losing my mind when visiting DC a few weeks ago, because everyone was hyping up the bagels at CYM but they were SO disappointing. I feel so validated in this comment section, ha!
HA!! I think CYM does a good job of merchandising itself, and the locations are convenient/smart? I wanted to like it? But alas…
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Any love for Bethesda Bagels?
Hi! Thanks for the reminder! This is where I’ll go if I have a craving, and I think it’s solid — but not on par with the NYC bagels! I’ve been ruined!
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BB is solid but I also think not as good as they used to be years ago. However, for whatever reason, I’m convinced the Old Georgetown Rd location is far superior to the others! I don’t know if it’s just my luck but every time I’ve gone there my bagel is much better baked, sandwich better assembled, etc, than when I go to the downtown Bethesda location.
Intriguing! Going to tuck this tip away!
There is a great section devoted to Helen Frankenthaler in Mary Gabriel’s book Ninth Street Women. The book examines the lives and work of several women artists from that era. What’s also interesting is the connection these women had with the writers of their time, especially poets. Highly recommended.
I’m from Brooklyn and loyal to NY bagels. Leading the bagel-free life here in DC. Sigh.
Fascinating! I added that book to my TBR — thank you!
Yep, we’re in bagel-free/bagel-lite life as well.
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I turned 40 a little over a year ago and am increasingly drawn to simpler, more classic styles and a tighter color palette with more neutrals. Quality and simplicity, basically. I’m finding so many of your recommendations spot on and lovely, as always.
Same page, Kristin!! xx
Love the Frankenthaler you shared! If you like her work, you should check out the Phillips Collection as well — they have a few paintings of hers including Runningscape, which is one of my personal faves.
And bagels: sigh, this is actually the only gluten-ful food that I’ve genuinely missed since being diagnosed with celiac! The sandwiches at Courage Bagel look amazing and I am consciously blocking this from my memory so I won’t be tempted when I’m in LA in a few weeks 🙂 Have you tried Goldbergs Famous Bagels in the Hamptons? Not sure if they ship but I recently brought back a bunch of them for my stepkids and they were still pretty fresh 4+ days on!
Finally: I have those navy JCrew boxers as well as multiples in white and “hydrangea” and I wanted to mention, for anyone who is similarly persnickety, that the logo label is VERY easy to remove via seam-ripper! They are very lightweight but great for pajamas, beach, etc.
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Haven’t tried Goldbergs — TY! — and also for the Frankenthaler mention at the Phillips. They have such a massive collection and much of it is in storage; it’s a true hidden local gem. I interned there a million years ago and I still feel a strange (unearned) sense of intimacy with it. I love visiting — this is a great prompt!
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Everything about Courage Bagels is eye roll-inducing: the long drive through LA traffic (for me), the long lines, the limit on buying loose bagels, the sneers from the Eastside hipsters at the yuppie westsiders (again me) invading their neighborhood… but the bagels themselves will make your eyes roll back in your head at first bite. The open-faced bagel sandwiches are other-worldly. Major RWI.
AMAZING intel – love the way you’ve included this in our growing Magpie-community RWI list!
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Courage Bagels are DIVINE! That said it’s important to go into them knowing they are not new york bagels. Accepting them for being LA style bagels (in my mind) makes the experience so much better. To me they almost had a croissant like texture? Crispy on the outside, unbelievably airy and light and melt in your mouth on the inside. They are absolutely delicious and I think about them constantly! My only regret was only buying a few to take back to DC – I should have gotten another dozen! Though the texture was not the same upon reheating…but still worth it to reenter reality with a little slice of vacation at home.
I’m also a huge fan of Layla Bagels in LA while you’re on the bagel tour.
DC’s bagels are sadly so lacking (CYM is NOT good ughhhh…they were decent back when they first opened but have dramatically changed). I think Pearl’s is the best we have and worth going to! Otherwise it’s just bringing back NYC bagels and putting them in the freezer for me.
Great caveat on the Courage bagels – they’re firmly on my list should I find myself in LA!
Agree with you on CYM – terribly overhyped, and we’ve had several rounds that were not just “smeh” but bad! Appreciate the second upvote for Pearl’s — will give a try when I’m downtown next. We do the same thing, though, when Mr. Magpie is in NYC for business — he’ll bring back a huge bag and we’ll freeze them and enjoy for months!
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Jen, that artwork is stunning!!
I’m surprised Mr Magpie hadn’t tried his hand at bagels yet. I’m not skilled in that way, but my dad has made his own since I was a kid! My ideal bagel is a cheddar bagel with scallion cream cheese from Collegetown Bagel in Ithaca, NY.
Yum – that bagel combo sounds delicious.
Mr. Magpie got into breadmaking a few years ago, with strong results, but ultimately decided the juice was not worth the squeeze — he always says: “I’ll happily pay $8 for a high-end loaf of bread after understanding all the time and labor and ingredients and conditions that go into this.” Ha!
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Thank you! CYM is not good!
Bagel Uprising in Del Ray is passable.
Thank you! Hadn’t heard of them! xx
Check out Pearl’s Bagels down by the Convention Center. They’re my favorite in DC! They use sourdough to make theirs so it’s got a bit of a tang.
Oo I’d forgotten about this – have heard of it but not yet tried! Will def add to my list!
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