When my sister and her wife were in town, they offered up the most hilarious conversation prompt while we were on a long walk through our neighborhood; “Kiss, marry, or kill: farfalle, linguine, cavatappi?” This led to a very funny, mildly heated conversation about the merits and demerits of different pasta shapes, whether certain sauces can only be enjoyed on a long noodle, and more. (My sister said: “There’s only one correct answer for the kill one.” LOL.)
Drafting off that conversation, sharing a couple of whimsical icebreakers to enjoy on this still, slow August morning. (A woman should be whimsical sometimes!) These were fun to put together, and reminded me: don’t take yourself too seriously.
Here goes — answer in the comments!:
01. Kiss, marry, kill (pasta shapes): farfalle, linguini, cavatappi?
02. If I were a breakfast food, I would be…
03. Would you rather be stranded with no haircare (not even a brush) or no skincare?
04. Kiss, marry, kill (cheese): brie, sharp cheddar, halloumi?
05. Based solely on “vibe,” are you the moon, the sun, or the earth?
06. If you could have only one breakfast for the rest of your life, what would it be?
07. Based solely on “vibe,” are you Martha Stewart, Kim Kardashian, or Gwyneth Paltrow?
08. Would you rather have the same dinner every night (you choose what it is) or a rotating menu (but you have no say in what it is)?
09. Kiss, marry, kill: sweatpants, dress that fits you perfectly, designer jeans?
10. If I were a character on “Friends,” I’d be…
11. You’re in an emergency situation. Who would you rather see coming to your rescue: Mr. Rogers, Jamie Fraser, or Teyana Taylor?
****
My answers:
01. Marry linguini, kiss cavatappi, kill farfalle. (Interestingly, Landon said the same thing! We both felt that some dishes need a long noodle.)
02. If I were a breakfast food, I would be…oatmeal with honey, fruit, and nuts. Not just because I like this breakfast but because I think of it as warm, nourishing — virtues I aspire to possess — and it can also be a little bit surprising and joyful depending on what you tuck in there.
03. Would you rather be stranded with no haircare (not even a brush) or no skincare? Tough one, but no haircare. I’d need to scrub my face, apply sunscreen and moisturizer, etc.
04. Marry cheddar, kiss halloumi, kill brie. Cheddar feels highly versatile! And I’ve never been a big brie gal, so that was easy onto the chopping block.
05. The moon — quiet, peaceful, rhythmic/routine, but also can offer direction/light when needed. I relate to the waxing and waning aspect too.
06. Oatmeal with fruit, nuts, honey, and cinnamon (I guess you are what you eat — lol), a green juice/smoothie, an oat milk latte.
07. Based solely on “vibe,” are you Martha Stewart, Kim Kardashian, or Gwyneth Paltrow? Gwyneth. I love Martha but I see more of my curiosity, whole-person wellness, and community-building interests in Gwyneth.
08. Would you rather have the same dinner every night (you choose what it is) or a rotating menu (but you have no say in what it is)? Rotating menu! Easiest question of the lot.
09. Marry dress that fits me perfectly, kiss sweatpants, kill designer jeans. Right now, the last thing I want to put on my body is rigid denim?
10. If I were a character on “Friends,” I’d be…I wish I were Rachel but I’m definitely Monica.
11. Jamie. I wouldn’t hate being addressed as “sassenach” either.
Your turn!
Shopping Break.
+Trending among Magpies this week: this linen rollneck top. Great alt to a white tee.
+Donni just released another summer drop — these silk stripe cropped pants are flying. Also love these lace trim ones!
+I’m LOVING this new dress silhouette that Julia Amory just released. Feels delightfully 90s to me in shape and slink. The pattern is fresh though. SO GOOD. Use code JEN-15.
+Ooo Boll and Branch just released a new “dream duvet” that is described as “cloud like” thanks to four layers of lightweight, ultra-fine organic cotton. Swooning over it in the white.
+My sister, though, said the only sheets they use are the ones from Riley Home, which I’d never even heard of! She said they are ultra crisp and cool. I actually like a variety of different sheets — I can get down with linen, flannel (winter), crisp percale, or soft cotton. They all have their merits and I like them for different reasons and seasons. She is more of a loyalist to the crisp, cool, almost starchy feeling. Sharing in case you’re in the market for a new set — my sister couldn’t speak more highly of this brand! I still find the B&B signature washed my favorite right now. Soft and breathable.
+Marine Layer has some fetching new arrivals, starting with these polka dot Donni-like pants, this denim chore jacket (the copy is compelling: “Just when you thought you couldn’t love denim jackets more, we went and made this amazingly soft one”), and this reversible (!) raglan tee. I love shirts like the latter one, which can be worn on their own or as a mid or top layer. I like to mix pieces like that in with athleisure.
+OK, stop, this new windbreaker is SO GOOD. Love the idea of pairing it with a polished outfit for a little aesthetic friction. (Could we expand the “wrong shoe” theory to a “wrong jacket” theory?). I also think this would be a practical pick for travel. Layer over athletic wear or casual day wear and meet the elements wherever they are.
+Soldout also just released a new short sleeved polo that I find extremely chic (imagine paired with a slip skirt) as well as a tank dress in that Hermes-coded taupe color I love, PLUS an oversized/boxy tee in the same hue. Use code jenshoop for 15% off sitewide!
+While in London/Norway, I wore these M. Gemi sneakers in the latte color an absolute ton. Super comfortable, dressy enough to work with a dress/nicer jeans look but also functional enough to pair with leggings or sweats for more casual applications. I also wore these on all travel/plane days. They are a perfect dressy sneaker. I will say that in Norway, Adidas Sambas (in black/white) reign supreme and I truly wish I’d packed my pair because they’re a little more practical for the often-rainy, marshy conditions (not as great to be trekking around with my sueded pair). This made me realize that the Samba would be a great “European adventure / European summer” shoe because they can handle more inclement weather, are still on-trend, and can be dressed up or down.
+Can’t believe these are still in stock in all three colors. The perfect finishing touch to a casual outfit!
+Take such joy in my matcha set. Pretty enough to keep out on the counter, but also highly functional. We’ll make a matcha latte in the afternoons when we need a little pick me up. I find all the Fellow products superior in design and aesthetics. Landon and I are still in love with our precision coffee maker! This is one of the only things Landon has ever asked to buy when we had a perfectly good solution already in place. He’s very much a “research and buy one thing that lasts a very long time” person but we had a Moccamaster before (which we loved!) and he really wanted to upgrade to this. We’re hooked on it.
+My favorite body lotion of all time. I have this on auto-ship (and decanted for our trip into a smaller capsule) because I am addicted to the scent and the quality is insane relative to price. Packed with great ingredients. Just ordered the sensorial body wash too! This line is viral for a reason — deeply impressive quality and relatively affordable. They have other scents, too (I also like bergamot a lot), but I’m hooked on Neroli. Noticed they bundle all their neroli products into this discounted set, which I’d order but I’m not interested in the deodorant!
+This $59 crochet dress is giving major Gucci vibes.
+I mentioned this yesterday, but Ruti launched their perfect pants in a few colors/patterns for fall, and I kept thinking about those leopard ones and had to grab a pair. I have a feeling these will sell through. So unexpected, and I love the stripe detail down the side. Imagine with great flats and a black crewneck.
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