Magpie Edit: Edition 36.

This week’s finds…

This cheerful Prada-inspired mesh bag ($31!) arrived and is such a fun little pop of color for a beach day! Other colors available, too. It is bigger than anticipated but I actually think a chic little add-on for a beach/pool day.

My new sunhat from Janessa Leone arrived on a rainy day, so I just had to make do with a mirror selfie to spotlight her. She is so fabulous. I love that she is packable and the brim edge has a kind of wire moldability to it, so you can bend it and it sort of stays in place? I have a very small head and it is a tiny bit big but I think my skin/eyes will thank me. I’m wearing with an old Julia Amory shirtdress.

A reader introduced me to the fragrance line Linnea and I’m so happy she did. These candles are exquisitely scented and beautifully packaged. I think these will be a new go-to housewarming/house guest type gift — they are ultra-luxurious but are less expensive ($39) than other high-end candles. I have been burning the heirloom tomato in my study — hard to describe, but it’s earthy and herbaceous and also slightly sweet. I love it. You can get 10% off your order with code MAGPIE10.

This week, I received a generous box of goodies from Spanx and I literally lost my mind when I tried on their Perfect Fit Crop Flare pants. These pants are SO good. They wear like leggings (soft, stretchy) but are ultra-slimming and really hug you in all the right places. I love when brands carry petite and tall pant lengths — saves a BUNDLE on tailoring! I tried these pants on and wore them out to dinner 20 minutes later. They have other styles in their “perfect fit” range if you’re not loving the cropped flare, but I do love this silhouette. I took the XS (in the petite length) and they fit like a glove — maybe a tad snug, but not uncomfortable. If you are between sizes, though, I would probably size up. I’m wearing the pants above with my Cara Cara jacket and this gorgeous new bag the founder of FRP Collection, Francesca, so generously sent me. I have another one of her bags and have been raving about it for the past year straight. I literally cannot believe the price relative to quality. These bags could be Gucci selling for north of $1K! One of my neighbors bought one after seeing me with mine and, when we went on a walk earlier this week, we blabbed about how incredible these bags are for a good five minutes. Francesca is offering Magpies 10% off their purchases through today with code MAGPIE10.

Believe it or not, I attended a pool party yesterday (!). It was indoor and my son was so looking forward to it. I pulled out my new Hunza G suit, which actually somehow makes you look tan no matter how pasty you are, and this gorgeous pareo. The colors are even better IRL and I couldn’t capture them in my poor studio lighting. This would be pretty as a wrap with white jeans/a white tee.

I am loving our new scallop-trim towels from Serena and Lily. They are wildly soft and I of course love the scallop trim. There are few things more appealing than a new stack of white, fluffy towels! When I had strep (ugh) two weeks ago, the first day was absolutely miserable — I was achey all over, sensitive to the touch, and I kept shivering and then sweating through my clothes. I laid in a hot bath with epsom salts for at least thirty minutes and felt temporary reprieve. Seeing these towels laid out along the lip of the bath was somehow the most reassuring sight?

I outfitted our summer dining table with a new set of gingham/plaid melamine plates from Target. I got two orders each of the four packs of the dinner plates, the salad plates, and these fabulous square appetizer plates, which I fully anticipate will get the most use, as they are perfect for children’s snacks (whether dining inside or out).

This Merit tinted lip oil (I have it in the Les Deux color) is SO good. I hate the tacky/stickiness of lip gloss, but this feels almost like a balm once applied and deposits a great sheer, buildable color. It looks like it’d be neon in the tube but it’s not! My basic litmus for lip color usability is: can I apply it without a mirror? This passes with flying colors. Now I want the rest of the shades.

Our beautiful new garden bench arrived and I couldn’t love it more. It has the prettiest lines! We enjoyed a cocktail on it the day it arrived, and the arms are clever in that they can easily hold a cocktail since they’re cut flat and wide. However, we are planning to buy a table. I am lobbying for a garden stool but we might just get the matching table. How gorgeous are the azaleas behind, by the way? This brings me to the next highlight of the week —

Mr. Magpie took me to lunch at the most incredible taco truck out in Wheaton, MD, Tacos Don Perez (don’t skip the chorizo taco or the agua frescas), followed by an afternoon date at Brookside Gardens, which we’d never visited before. We’d just missed peak azalea and tulip seasons but it was still spectacular and there were some portions of the azalea garden that still took your breath away. The garden itself is a zen-like experience, with signage along the paths reminding you to take in all the birdsong and attend to your breathing and the like, stone gardens, water features, and more. Strongly recommend for a midday sojourn.

In the box of goodies Spanx sent, they included this half-zip and…it’s the kind of thing you are like, “but how did I live without this?” I feel the same way about my Alice Walk half-zip, which I reach for constantly. As in, we went away for two nights to Deep Creek Lake and it was the first thing I packed. The Spanx one is unbelievably soft. I can’t even describe the material — sort of plush and also silky? Two people petted me while wearing it! Ha! It is really the kind of thing you can’t stop touching. Comes in a few great colors. I wore with my favorite Splits59 leggings and this little $20 sherpa pouch.

Last but not least, discovered a small trove of Minnow pieces 25% off at Neiman’s! I picked up these shorts for my son (he had and loved last summer) and this rash guard and this terry dress for my daughter.

How was your week? What inspired you?