Jen’s Weekend Drafts: Magnolias + Musings.

Jen Shoop

11 hours ago

+MAGNOLIAS AND MOURNING: On my run this week, I noticed the most spectacular bloom of magnolias. My Wednesday morning bounty, just waiting to be noticed:

The blossoms were glossy and perfect — almost like wax replicas of themselves — and I was reminded of a gorgeous elegiac poem by Jean Janzen. The way she presents the merge between the natural world and the human one is breathtaking, and of course deeply sad (the speaker is observing her mother’s final days on earth). The opening of the second stanza is absolutely perfect: the intermingling of the outer world with the inner. Fragrance, open doors, birdsong, the way it all melds together in the moment of this reader’s profound mourning. The line “but birds when they die / find hidden places, sigh invisibly / into leaves” has left a forever imprint on me, and I think it has to do with the secret, knowing solitariness of the vignette against the subtext: “from dust to dust.”

+PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION FILM ADAPTATION: In sunnier news (geez, Jen, way to glide into the weekend on a song), I saw this teaser about the adaptation of an Emily Henry novel and immediately circled January 9th in red. A fun release to look forward to during that post-holiday slump.

+TWO OUTFITS I LOVED THIS WEEK: This easy breezy beach look from Alice Pilate and this refined boating look on Maria De La Ord. I’m planning to recreate elements of Alice’s look with this Madewell top currently in my closet (alternatives: this Posse, this Tuckernuck, this Gap) but might pair with my new gingham pants.

+A COUPLE OF GREAT SALES: Three sales I’m excited about this weekend:

1) Marea’s (was just raving about this brand a few days ago — love this skirt and the matching top, and this navy blouse will be perfect easing into fall)

2) Alex Mill! At Alex Mill: this fab striped tank dress and this cotton poplin popover dress in a fun marigold shade.

3) Tory Burch! Sale is an extra 25% off. This tennis henley was a bestseller earlier this year and is now on sale for $75, and you know how much I love these sandals!

+LISTENING: I’m not a big podcast listener — I can’t figure out how to shoehorn it into my routine? — but I have been trying to find ways to listen to Amy Poehler’s podcast, “Good Hang.” I absolutely love both her and Tina Fey (who appears on several of the episodes) and find Amy a compelling and surprising host, especially in the way that she makes a lot of space for her interviewees and seems so light on her feet in responding to their occasionally surprising comments. I imagine that must be difficult (?) as a trained comedian, always rearing up for a punchline? Then again she had a start in improv so maybe the collaborative aspect of podcasting is baked into her DNA. Anyhow, currently listening to the episode with Will Forte (always love the “inside baseball” conversations with fellow former SNL cast members), but have been hearing a lot of buzz around her interview with Dakota Johnson. One of my girlfriends, who is not normally “taken” by celebrity personalities, said she found her deeply interesting, especially in the way she pauses and permits silence in the conversation without seeming flustered in the least. (You can see a clip of it here, but I have been only listening to it!)

+FUN LAUNCHES THIS WEEK: Dorsey released its final capsule of Yves paracord necklaces (I have this one) and I have to say I really adore this necklace. It adds a little edge an interest when layered with my more feminine staples, and of course the paracord is high trend right now. And Julia Amory launched a patterned version of her convertible Elle dress, which last time sold out in under 24 hours!

+EYEING + BUYING: