Jen's Weekend Drafts: Two Blossoms on the Same Branch.

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+TWO BLOSSOMS ON THE SAME BRANCH: I loved this short, to-the-pith poem by Gregory Orr: “burden and blessing are two blossoms on the same branch.” So true; there is no grief without love, there is no success without strain.

+A TOUGH LOVE REMINDER: This put a little zing right down my spine.

+MAMEY X MAGPIE PAPER COLLECTION: Coming in September — a special collection of paper products I designed with my talented, beautiful friend and fellow UVA grad Marion Maythaler of Mamey Design. We put together a thoughtful suite of paper products designed to bring inspiration and motivation to our everyday lives. (Think post-its and weekly planners with words of encouragement from yours truly!) I can’t wait to share more. You will need the habit tracker — I’m obsessed with it! This was one of the key products I was interested in designing, as I find alternatives out on the Internet too overwrought and clunky or (frankly) ugly. I drove down to Charlottesville, VA (note the framed watercolor rotundas that Marion painted in the background of the photo below!) this week to shoot the collection and had the most soulful and magical trip. I cannot wait to share the full line in a few weeks’ time!

PHOTO OF MARION AND I IN MIDDLE ABOVE TAKEN BY FELLOW UVA GRAD LAWREN M. PHOTOGRAPHY

The trip was also a special time to catch up with Marion, who is one of those rare bird deep souls and true artists who makes you look differently at the world around you. We had a late lunch (and celebratory glass of champagne) at Keswick Hall after our shoot — such a special place. While I was at Marion’s house, I was ogling all of her gorgeous custom paper products and wound up ordering myself two sets of gift tags: these bird ones (duh!) and these marbleized ones! She has the most spectacular collection of customizable paper products — lots of great gift ideas, too, like these bookmarks for your book club ladies! Now I’m wondering if we need a special edition Magpie Book Club bookmark…

+SCHOOL SPIRIT SWEATER: I packed this Virginia sweater to bring with me on the trip to the hometown of my alma mater and you know what?! It was actually, bizarrely, cool enough to wear while we were there. (60-something degree mornings!). I packed it because I’m always freezing indoors but it came in handy on a crisp morning walk. The sweater is from the brand Social Threads and they actually have a bunch of different colleges available. Wahoowa!

+ME + EM FALL COLLECTION: Swooning (!) over the new arrivals at Me+Em. I want one of everything?! I love the elegance, clean lines, sophisticated colors and silhouettes. It feels right at home with a closet of Veronica Beard, Toteme, Nili Lotan. My top picks below; I think I’m going to pull the trigger on this dress in the navy (though I also adore it in the ivory) this weekend. Absolutely perfect for back-to-school night, parent cocktail parties, work presentation, etc! But also — this dress is CORDUROY. I’m obsessed with the smart cuffs and the unexpected zip-front! Could be worn with a brown croc boot or a pair of leather sneakers…the color mixing of dusty pink and olive green is also so fetching!

CLEVER CORDS // SHORT SLEEVED SWEATER // KNIT DRESS // FIELD JACKET // CORDUROY (!) DRESS // CROPPED OLIVE GREEN JACKET

+HAPPINESS IS ABOUT ALIGNMENT: I found this piece so resonant this week. I love the idea of happiness being “a life that feels like yours, where you’d choose your own life again if you could.” How gorgeous? This is giving me “woman of substance” vibes: the type of person who is full without feedback, who stands still in her center!

+MY CURRENT SKINCARE OBSESSIONS: Four products I have been using religiously for weeks now that I am evangelical about: Vintner’s Daughter Active Renewal Cleanser (creamy, gentle, nourishing, but really gets everything off while not leaving skin tight at all; they describe it as a 2-in-1 double cleanse and I truly find you can use this without using a makeup melting balm first!), Vintner’s Daughter Botanical Serum (the OG — smells like heaven, deeply hydrating, packed with brightening “phyto radiance” ingredients — CLEAN), Saint Jane Phyto-Mucin Moisturizer (just love the way my skin feels so bouncy and happy after applying), and YSE Skin Glow (SPF + slight tint + glow). I also use a vitamin c but forgot to pack it while in Charlottesville! I always request coupon codes for the products I love and managed to get one from YSE (JEN-15) and Saint Jane (JEN20) if you want to test! Also, yes, that’s my beloved Yves Durif brush (I believe it is 20% off if you use the code BEAUTY20) in the corner. I cannot implore you to try that brush MORE. This was a discovery via several passionate Magpie readers who insisted this brush was a “regrettably worth it” purchase. They did not disappoint. I only travel with this brush!

+DONNI FALL: I can’t stop thinking about these silky cropped stripe pants. I know so many of you are huge fans of Donni…who ordered these?! Eeek.

+BESTSELLERS: I think we all bought this striped tee this week! Such a cute top layer over athletic wear / athleisure, or to throw on beneath joveralls. The colorplay is joyful.