Looking for light these days — lately, been inspired by a few lovely photos found on Pinterest. First: the above photo of the Kennedys. I used it as a sign to order this linen romper I’d been eyeing for micro forever (currently 25% off!). I added this gingham romper and coordinating hat (if you have a girl, this is precious, too!) and daydream of coordinating with him while wearing this. I also ordered him this preppy pullover to pair with white jeans.
Also deeply inspired by fresh produce — what a miracle! Among the many changes COVID19 has made in my life: a deep and abiding appreciation for fresh fruit and vegetables, which have been difficult to come by over the past few weeks, not so much because they aren’t available but because deliveries are increasingly challenging to sort out. (Mr. Magpie has gone to such extremes as attempting to legitimize the purchase of a bushel of artichokes for $54 from a restaurant supplier — ha!) Below, a few of our absolute favorite vegetable-forward cookbooks:
SIX SEASONS: A NEW WAY WITH VEGETABLES
SALT FAT ACID HEAT (LOVE HER SALAD RECIPES)
P.S. More great cookbooks and a roundup of our favorite kitchen supplies.
The above photo inspired me to re-think my bedside table–and my tray game. Such a clever way to introduce color/pattern and texture/depth to any vignette in your home — the sunny yellow scalloped tray above is such a fun surprise, and it draws out the yellow in that lovely pillowcase! A few other trays I love:
THIS ROUND BUTTERFLY PRINT ONE
THIS MINT LACQUER ONE (AFFORDABLE!)
FOR OUTDOORS: THIS MELAMINE BAMBOO ONE
FOR KITCHEN: THIS MARBLE STYLE (GREAT WAY TO CORRAL OUR PEPPER/SALT/OLIVE OIL)
FOR BATHROOM HAND SOAP AND LOTION
A few other lovely finds if you’re looking to upgrade your bedside table vignette: scalloped picture frames, a Herend trinket dish (you can find many amazing vintage styles on Etsy), a tiny vase for bedside buds, and a new lamp (we have Robert Abbey’s double gourd lamps in gray on our bedside tables, but I also love this feminine style and this affordable classic).
And if you need to upgrade your bedside table: I love this classic white style, especially with that genius pull-out tray for your nightly water (!) and this affordable steal (the scalloped detail is lovely).
Also majorly crushing over the scalloped floral shams seen above — makes me wonder if I shouldn’t add more pattern to our muted gray and white bedding set. Love this Matouk print, this affordable Pine Cone Hill, Schweitzer Linen hearts (looks remarkably like D Porthault’s iconic coeurs print, but for way less), Biscuit Home, and, of course, D. Porthault.
Have you seen the new collaboration between interior designer Ariel Okin and furniture line Society Social? Absolutely epic. Love the caned side tables (shown above) and this upholstered, wicker ottoman. The collection has a custom-made feel that fits the ambient grandmillennial style beautifully. (And on that note: this affordable wicker desk would fit right in with this entire aesthetic.)
Finally, inspired by the above photo of their royal highnesses Kate, William, and children, I am reminding myself to lean into the smallest and simplest of joys with my children. Building forts, lazy Sunday afternoon snuggles on the couch, infinity art projects, painfully slow-moving board games where rules are ignored and I suddenly find myself making weird, high-pitched voices to represent the characters on the board, hide and seek where certain participants don’t ever actually hide but simply cover their eyes with their hands…all treasures, really. Golden moments in the making. But don’t mistake me, friends: I, too, have tired of the messages that tell me to “savor this time at home with your children.” Let me be blunt: this is hard. It takes effort to elbow my way through the gloom and fear and exhaustion in order to recognize the sunny spots. This, from someone who is blessed in so many ways, including the fact that my work can be done late at night or in little bursts of productivity throughout the day and I am usually organized enough that I can go a stretch of days without sitting down at my computer if need be. I honestly cannot imagine how parents are getting through long days of child-rearing while shouldering more traditional, full-time jobs, with phone calls and deadlines and expectations from other people. Or parents with itty bitty babies and no sisters or mothers or babysitters to ease the burden! My God. I am so tired for you. Bless you. Take a deep breath. You can do this. But on the days where you find yourself lifted by God’s grace, breathing a little easier, maybe you, too, can find inspiration in the photo above.
P.S. Similar: slices of joy and a roundup of indoor toddler activities.
P.P.S. This showstopping swimsuit is on sale (more of my favorite picks here); your ticket to an easy-to-wear, ultra-comfortable, pulled-together everyday look; and a slightly more polished way to wear a ponytail.
Ooh, I love SZ Blockprints so much, as I do that yellow scalloped tray!
Hear, hear on the wonder of fresh produce — I consider myself super lucky that I can still come by it fairly easily, and my thoughts are with you & my other New York friends who are struggling with it.
xx
Thank you!!!
That tray is amazing. So happy!!
I adore the Janie & Jack rompers for little boys. My son wore one for our family photos and he looked so handsome. Also check out The Bonnie Mob for rompers – they have some fun prints as well (but not quite as preppy!).
So precious!!! They make adorable pieces and you can usually find a coupon code one way or another :). xx
Ugh, fresh produce is one of those things I’d find very hard to go without. We’ve been lucky on that front — meat and pantry staples are harder to come by up here, but that’s more of an issue for my husband than me.
Apologies for what might be a naive question, but is it not possible to go to the green grocer/bodega/grocery stores in person anymore in your neighborhood? Most of our friends in Manhattan are doing (or trying to do) deliveries, but in Brooklyn, people are still going out (even though there are more cases in BK).
Hi Claire! Yes – you can go to grocery stores. But the lines (at least by us) can be long to get in, as they limit the number of people permitted inside at any given time, and if we can at all avoid being in public, we have been. I have no idea how this compares to different bits of Brooklyn, but it also feels here like it is almost impossible to walk anywhere without being within six feet of another person. The sidewalks are too narrow. And even though everyone is inside, there are times where you and Fred and Jane are all walking in the same direction and stopped at a stoplight…etc.
Onward…!
Ah that totally makes sense. I’m sorry the sidewalks are still so crowded. (Though I guess emptiness is its own kind of wearing.) but yes, onward!
You are so right: an empty New York street would be far more terrifying in some ways — post-apocalyptic almost. xx
The hunt for produce is similar here. We’ve had to get a bit creative since our regular grocery store is out of so much. My brother found a wholesaler that is doing variety bins of produce that we’re going to split. Trying it this weekend for the first time so we’ll see how it goes…
Love all your bedding & bedroom finds! I saw the new Biscuit Home lilac print on Instagram and immediately bookmarked it for future reference. Do you follow the owner Bailey McCarthy on Instagram? She has been doing tours of their farmhouse and while it is the opposite of my style in many ways, it is a visual treat!
Genius idea. I also heard that Eataly is doing big grocery deliveries to parts of New York and we’re looking into that — but it’s REALLY BIG orders. Like $500 — but then you get tons of meat (you’d freeze most of it), dairy, veg, bread, etc. Something like that would be brilliant if we were close enough to divvy it up with a few family members.
YES that Biscuit Home print is insane!! I do follow Bailey McCarthy — I’m a longtime fangirl of hers. Love that she totally owns her own aesthetic — it’s so charmingly different and loud and fabulous.
xx