Jen’s Weekend Drafts: Questions in Motherhood, Lore Pemberton Holiday, + More.

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+ASKING + ANSWERING QUESTIONS IN MOTHERHOOD: This piece by Alice White moved me. The phrase “I try to keep the car tethered / to the earth” — wow. The way motherhood asks us to keep the train on the tracks even when we are facing heartbreak, unknowns, stress. A narrow example, but I have found myself harboring intense anxiety before my daughter’s six month eye check ups for her amblyopia. I am holding my breath; I am waiting to hear she will need a surgery, or her vision has worsened, or her eye has atrophied. And at the same time I am wearing a bright smile and offering distractive conversation and playing Spot It in the waiting room as if this were the most normal and pleasant experience I could imagine. I can’t think of how much harder it is for parents with children with more severe or serious ailments, disabilities, conditions — my heart is forever opened to them (you).

+RESOLUTION THROUGH ART: As a follow-on to last week’s conversation about art as a forgiving practice, I loved this quote from Eudora Welty:

Another thing I’d add to this is that you almost never feel “ready” to create. Start before you’re ready. Start when you’re angry, or confused, or groping in the dark. Start when you’re tired, start at 10 p.m., start on a Sunday night. Start on a scrap of paper, start in the middle of a sentence, start with a single word. There is no right time. Or rather, the only time is now.

+LORE PEMBERTON HOLIDAY DRAWINGS: I absolutely love Lore Pemberton’s holiday scenes. So charming.

+EYEING + BUYING: I’m totally hooked on this Dr. Dennis Gross Blur + Repair Cream. I still love the InnBeauty for everyday, but this winter my skin has been so dry and I’ve been doubling up. I love to layer this on at night before bed and again after washing and serum-ing in the morning. On a related beauty note: I saw someone on Instagram wearing this Hermes bronzed eye pencil in the Mordore (#15) color and it looked SO chic. I think I want to try.

Meanwhile, Frank and Eileen released their fabulous Tuscany set in VELVET. You might remember that I lived in the white linen set this past summer — my attempt at channeling a Nancy Meyers protagonist. This set is SO comfortable and I can’t imagine how fab in the velvet with a black pump or glitzy platform.

Also on the fashion front: this is currently my most-worn sweater, and it’s on sale. It’s super soft and super warm and the colors make it easy to pair with anything from ecru to black to gray to denim. And I’m loving this boxy sherpa tote for schlepping the kids gear back and forth. Such a fun texture! Finally, I can’t stop thinking about these cozy Prada mules. How fab?! I’d live in them. Look for less with these or these.

Last but not least, I was surprised by how much interest our German incense smoker garnered! I shared some options here. This $50 Amazon one comes highly reviewed — a few different styles available.

DR. DENNIS GROSS BLUR + REPAIR CREAM // HERMES EYE PENCIL // FRANK AND EILEEN VELVET SET // JOE’S JEANS FAIR ISLE SWEATER // POOLSIDE TEDDY TOTE // PRADA SHEARLING MULES (LOOK FOR LESS HERE OR HERE) // GERMAN INCENSE SMOKER

SHERPA MULES AT DIFFERENT PRICE POINTS: $25 PAIR // $298 PAIR // $1,120 PAIR

+FAIR ISLE FOR GIRLS: J. Crew Factory has the cutest fair isle sweaters for girls! I just got mini this one and think I might go back for this one.

+BESTSELLERS: My favorite AYR Early Mornings tee and this brushed cashmere sweater from J. Crew were the top-sellers. The AYR is a perfect hybrid between a t-shirt and a sweatshirt, and we’re all loving the brushed cashmere vibe this season — more of my picks for this trend here.

01. AYR EARLY MORNINGS TEE // 02. BRUSHED CASHMERE SWEATER // 03. MOST DIVINE LOUNGE + RELAX SET // 04. CHAPPYWRAP BLANKET (USE JEN15 FOR 15% OFF) // 05. UNDER-$100 LADY JACKET // 06. MY FAVORITE BODY LOTION // 07. CHILDREN’S PERSONALIZED BOOKMARKS // 08. RIBBED COLLARED SWEATER // 09. DYSON AIR WRAP (STILL ON SALE!!) // 10. FELLOW COFFEE MAKER // 11. THE BEST EVERYDAY COZY SWEATER // 12. VERONICA BEARD VELVET BLAZER