Jen’s Weekend Drafts: Portraits of Motherhood.

+PORTRAITS OF MOTHERHOOD: My friend Riley Sheehey illustrated the most gorgeous book on motherhood; it launches on the 25th, but you can pre-order here. (And pre-orders are a big deal for authors! A great way to support an author you admire/love.) Each page is like a Delft tile — delicate, charming, and narrative-oriented. I absolutely loved her post on the publication journey, including the mini bottle of champagne she purchased for herself when she signed the contract. It’s so beautiful to see the process behind the product — all the blood, sweat, tears! A well-formed sentence (or well-drawn line) is no accident. My favorite page depicts a mother holding a dandelion for her daughter to “make a wish on.” It felt kismet, as I just finished writing about dandelions, which are extraordinary plants, but commonly considered unwanted weeds. Riley’s portrait of that vignette reminded me that — in addition to being self-propagating, resilient, and medicinal — dandelions carry the wishes of children all over the world. How sweet? Bravo, Riley! I think this book would be a sweet addition to a baby shower gift, or a gift for a new mother, or a gift for your own mother.

+ANOTHER REASON TO EMBRACE THE ADMIN: I wrote recently about my mantra, when it comes to chores, admin, anything that doesn’t feel like “the heart of the matter” — “this, too, is the job.” Meaning: stop resisting, stop dismissing those activities as “filler” or “interruptions” or “extraneous” because they are in fact a big part of the job of running a home, being a mother, participating in a workplace. Anyway – I was just thinking this week that a lot of these repetitive tasks, like folding laundry and putting away groceries, even running to some extent, are frequent sites of creativity for me. It’s like I’m focusing my lens on one specific detail, and this rich tapestry of thought is forming almost without me knowing it in the bokeh. (How many of you have also come up with a great idea while in the shower?) Just another reason to accept, even embrace, those tasks. A lot comes out in the wash, you know?

+A PANT TO WORK IN: OK, these $59 pants are beyond incredible. I wore them all day to write in and they have such a great amount of stretch — sit and move with you so well — but look very polished at the same time. I dressed them up below to demonstrate how great they’d be for a meeting / in a work environment. The color is a fun switch-up from black/navy but reads like a neutral. They’re $59…! Lots more colors available. I got them in the pale spinach hue. Run TTS. Styled with a SoldOut NYC button down (they make THE BEST SHIRTING — it’s so luxe in handfeel and silhouette; could pass for Oscar or Ralph prestige labels! Use my code MAGPIE15 for 15% off; all my favorites from that brand here) and my beloved Veronica Beard denim vest, which I’ve worn sooo many different ways already.

+TIMOTHEE CHALAMET SPEAKING FRENCH: IDK who needs to see this, but here is Timothee Chalamet being charming in French. And, I shared this via my newsletter yesterday (sign up here!), but this video of a man reviewing his family’s “performance” shopping at Target made me laugh out loud. (“We’ll review the footage, we’ll get better, and we’ll move on from there” — lol.)

+BESTSELLERS: This dress, again! A bestseller for a reason.

01. BEST POLISHED DAYTIME DRESS FOR ANYTHING // 02. CHICEST REVERSIBLE QUILTED PULLOVER (UNDER $30) // 03. TARGET MESH FLAT // 04. FRANK AND EILEEN LOOK-FOR-LESS SET // 05. MY FAV GRAY BAG // 06. FARM RIO TOP (WE SOLD OUT THE ONE AT NORDSTROM BUT MORE HERE AND HERE) // 07. TRUE BOTANICALS BRONZEWELL DROPS (OBSESSED) // 08. MOTHER WHITE JEANS // 09. MINI RAFFIA BAG // 10. YELLOW MARY JANES (IN MY CLOSET TOO) // 11. GAP CRINKLE SHORTS // 12. GORGEOUS POINTELLE CARDI (ALSO IN MY CLOSET)

+WELCOME INCONVENIENCE #194: I wrote not long ago about “welcome inconveniences” — things that, on the surface, feel like frustrations but turn out to be gifts, or proof of effort, or evidence of love. I just discovered this week that five keys on my keyboard have completely lost their lettering. I happened to be glancing down for the letter “A,” and it was nowhere to be seen. I’d run the letters blank. It felt like an invisible milestone; how many thousands of times have I hit the keys A, S, E, R, and T over the past many years? This keyboard has born witness to each keystroke that has brought me to where I am now.

+EYEING + BUYING: I love this pretty top and the matching shorts — I’m all about the sets right now. Would be such a cute late spring look with leather sandals.

HHH ANNETTE TOP // HHH AUDREY SHORTS // FREDA SALVADOR CLEAR FISHERMEN SANDALS // AMAZON BAG // ALPYN BARRIER REPAIR CREAM // SELF PORTRAIT DRESS // MANGO BLAZER

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