Jen's Weekend Drafts: Every Morning the World Is Created.

+EVERY MORNING THE WORLD IS CREATED: Hope you are limbering up to a legato Saturday morning — crossword puzzle, a coffee prepared and enjoyed “as a sister of time,” windows open, nowhere to be. I am thinking right now of Mary Oliver’s incredible opening lines of “Morning Poem”: “Every morning the world is created. Under the orange sticks of the sun the heaped ashes of the night turn into leaves again and fasten themselves to the high branches– and the ponds appear like black cloth on which are painted islands of summer lilies.”

I love the visual of “the heaped ashes turn into leaves again.” Powerful!

+LIFE GOALS COURTESY OF INA GARTEN: Sums up the balance between pursuing a craft and living a full life —

+SMALL WONDERS: The headline for this week (for this year): my book came into the world and I celebrated it in Bethesda and Charleston. I can’t wait to share more about this experience once I process it. In the meantime, thank you for all the photos, reviews, notes, comments, emails! I absolutely love seeing Small Wonders in your hands and homes. Ladybird Books in Charleston did a beautiful little recap of our evening and my sweet friend Caroline (who helps me with some aspects of the back-end of this blog) posted the kindest carousel, too.

+WHAT ARE WE READING? Planning to resume the Magpie book club in May after a hiatus for the launch of my book, and I have so many books on my radar. At the top of my list: Tayari Jones’ Kin and Belle Burden’s Strangers. What is the team reading?

*If you’re looking for something effervescent and transportive, while I was in Charleston, a new friend named Chassity Evans gave me an advanced copy of her rom-com / beach-read book, Pink Sand Summer, scheduled to come out next month, and I tore through half of it on the plane ride back to DC! It’s set in Harbour Island, where Chassity herself owns a property, and you really get an insider’s feel for the island. Fun travel book — throw in a suitcase and enjoy with a cocktail on the beach!

+TRAVEL OBSESSIONS: I absolutely love this La Ligne x Rue de Verneuil tote (somehow still in stock). I nest another tote inside, and use the smaller tote to wear at the destination, but the RDV one is perfect for everything on travel day and does fit (a little snugly) beneath the seat in front of you. It has structure, it’s sturdy, it’s lightweight on its own, and it looks so handsome. I also swear by this little phone sling for airport travel days. Keeps your phone and ID on you at all times and easy to access. This is a cute, colorful option for less, and I also love this!

Cosmetic things I had to bring with me: love these magnetic Cadence capsules (currently 20% off!) for decanting things I absolutely must have but don’t have a travel/trial size of, including my everyday serum and this for hair. The smallest size of the Cadence capsule is also perfect for stowing Advil / vitamins / meds.

I also ALWAYS have some eye patches and one of these inexpensive but excellent masks in my cosmetics tote. They work wonders on post-airplane skin! Also, didn’t take a pic of this, but I traveled with my inexpensive silicone brush pouch for the first time and — !!! OMG, a must. I was previously having my brushes get everything else coated in blush and bronzer! So nice to have them separate and in a container you can wipe down.

+STRIPED DRESSES: I got a lot of questions on the dress I’m wearing above and below for my travel day back from Charleston. It’s old La Ligne — they make exactly what I want to wear when I want to feel comfortable but pulled together! But Staud has a similar option here and it’s available in a cute mini that was popular among our Instagram Magpies, and I found three other fab options as well: this Mother, this (gingham vs striped) Le Bop, and this $35 Old Navy score!

LE BOP // STAUD // OLD NAVY // MOTHER

+ELLA LANGLEY’S DANDELION ALBUM: Give Ella Langley’s latest album a listen — I absolutely adore it. I’ve written already about the charming symmetry between the album’s title (and “wildflower energy”) and the first piece in my book, but there are so many fantastic tracks on this gorgeous, twangy album — especially “Last Call for Us.” Perfect ease-into-warm-weather music for a glass of rose and al fresco dining!

+DAKOTA JOHNSON STYLE: This is a photo from last year but drawing big inspiration from everything about this street style photo of Dakota Johnson, from her bangs to her cateye sunglasses to her simple outfit (she’s wearing this Leset skirt and I tracked down similar elements to recreate below). So inspired! Also, if you’re a fellow fan of Dakota / Daisy Edgar Jones bangs camp, Daisy shared how she does her bangs here.