+PHONE CASE. I get so many questions about my pink phone case and finally found one that is nearly identical for $25 here! Comes in other colors. I love the green.
+OLAPLEX NO. 6 BOND SMOOTHER. I got my hair cut and colored this week and my stylist used this product prior to blow-drying. He raved about it as follows: “It’s weightless and really smooths out and protects hair.” I ordered it from the styling chair and am REALLY impressed with the results after my first attempt at blow-drying my hair post-cut. If I am honest, there are a lot of great products in this general category — I also love Drybar’s PrepRally, dpHue’s conditioning spray, and Davines’ all-in-one milk. All of them detangle, protect, prime. But I do think Olaplex has the least “weight” / “feel” to it — it’s invisible! — which is key to my very fine hair. I tested Olaplex shampoo/conditioner awhile ago and was underwhelmed but I’m inspired to re-try and test some of their other products…
+GUCCI BOOTS. (!!!). Mr. Magpie majorly surprised me with these boots on Christmas morning! I had already opened a bunch of thoughtful gifts from him, including a new cake stand from Mosser Glass, and then he said: “I think I see something behind the couch?” I couldn’t believe it! I am having so much fun wearing these bold boots. I especially like wearing them with my black skinnies and various knits.
+J. CREW TOOTHPICK JEANS. I don’t care about all that buzz about millennials vs Gen Z and the fault lines on the subject of denim. Some footwear and some knitwear just looks better (to my eyes) with skinny jeans — more proportional. I am loving pairing my new boots with these skinnies from J. Crew. They have a good amount of stretch. Take your true size!
+HANNAH ARTWEAR DRESSES. I am drooling over this pink dress and this blue one from Hannah Artwear. I must have one of these for my summer closet! I have a wedding on the calendar this summer and am contemplating springing for one of these for the occasion. Check out the entire new season, though — so many chic finds! — and some of the past-season pieces that are now marked down to like 70% off.
+SELF-PORTRAIT TWEED MINI. I cannot stop thinking about this dress and pairing it with a white turtleneck or button-down beneath…
+KOLSVART SWEDISH CANDY. I found a few bags of these gummy candies in my stocking and OMG I AM IN LOVE. I must try all the flavors! If you are a Haribo lover, this is kind of like the upgrade pick. You must treat yourself!
+HAMMETT MARTINI GLASSES. A few days before Christmas, we had a cocktail party where Mr. Magpie served up espresso martinis using homemade coffee liqueur. He used the America’s Test Kitchen recipe for the martinis and the liqueur and it was so worth the effort (note that you need to steep the liqueur for seven days). They were absolutely delicious. I was obsessed with serving them in these glasses that the founder of Hammett generously sent my way. They have a really thin lip and a great shape — we’ve also use them for a few other cocktails since, including Pink Ladys and Manhattans. You must check out Hammett in general, though — the CHICEST glassware at reasonable prices. I also have one of their tube pitchers and it is a great, petite size for serving up batched cocktails/a pitcher of martinis (!!!) and at $30 would make such an elegant gift. I’m going to share a post this week on everything we did for the cocktail party because it was such a blast and had a kind of retro/old-school feel to it that made it feel really fun. More to come!
+LA LIGNE MINI MARINA SWEATER. I just could not love this brand more. I want to wear all their dresses and all their knits and nothing else. My mom surprised me with this mini marina sweater in classic navy/white and it has such a fun fit (slightly cropped), with a throwback rollneck collar, and longish cuffs. I just know I’ll love this forever!
+HOKKAIDO RAMEN SANTOUKA. Mr. Magpie and I had some of the best ramen we’ve had in a long time at Hokkaido Ramen out in Tyson’s. I’m actually not a big fan of the Tyson’s area — brings back memories of working in government consulting for a year after I graduated from college, which was very much not my speed and getting stuck in the horrific traffic regularly trying to get home. However. This ramen was something else, and very much worth the trek. It reminded us both of the ramen from Wasabi in Chicago, where we were regulars. One of my favorite meals this past month! Taking my own advice, we went out there for a leisurely midweek lunch, and it was delightful. (Also, a Whole Foods right across the way, so we knocked out an errand quickly, too!)
+SLEEPER JACKET. I can’t stop thinking about this silky topper. The pearl buttons! The puff sleeve! It looks like it could be vintage? Such a fun piece to throw on over a cocktail dress, or to pair with jeans and heels for a night out.
+CHILDREN’S SNOW GEAR. My children are kitted out for inclement weather, though we’ve only had one morning of snow (that promptly melted). I am loving their new bibs and snow gloves from new brand Northern Classics. I love the minimalist styling and great colors — all of them can be handed down to little brothers/sisters and white in particular goes with EVERYTHING. The founder, Kristin, is lovely and very passionate about the pieces. She started Northern Classics “after spending hours searching for snowsuits for [her] newborn twins” and finding a big gap in the market in terms of quality and aesthetics. I’m in love! Because Kristin does not yet offer snow boots, I am complementing the bibs and gloves with these snowboots I found from Scandi label Kuling. They are 40% off and come in a bunch of great muted pastel colors as well as a few patterns. I went with green for micro and blue for mini, but again love that the colors work for either gender. Though we’ve not yet battle-tested them, the children have been clunking around the house in them and they have a really thick, sturdy, seemingly heavy-duty sole. (Scandis know their snow!)