MiniMiracles.

Guys, some inexpensive things that put a smile on my face every day.

It’s a small thing, but storing my liquids in one of these Truffle pouches instead of a big plastic bag totally makes my day given how much I travel.  {As you read this, I’m en route to NYC for a female entrepreneurship event put on by Rent the Runway + guarantee that my Truffle pouch made me happy.}

I finally snagged one of these monogrammed, tasseled leather keychains ($55) after eyeballing them for, like, two years.

My favorite new hair product ($26) — amplifies, refreshes, volumizes, texturizes.  EVERYTHING.  And smells like a dream.

J. Crew Malta Sandals ($78).  These are my answer to the whole Birkenstock trend, which I never jumped on — they’re more refined/elegant and just feel FRESH.

I’ve been wearing this shirt ($68) nonstop this season.

My favorite pens ($16 for 12).  I buy these in bulk because I burn through them quickly.  They’re great for my microscopic handwriting.

I love a good book — just started this Joyce Carol Oates short story collection after it came highly recommended from my sister and her book club.  So far, it’s incredible.  If you want something TOTALLY mindless (no, really, mindless), try this, which was the most delightful little mental vacation I’ve taken in a long time.  Or try this, which I’ve not yet read but have heard is a good beach read.  One of the more intriguing pieces I’ve read lately is Jhumpa Lahiri’s In Other Words, which she wrote in non-native Italian.  WOAH.  I’ve loved her fiction, and this collection of short pieces, which blurs the line between memoir and essay, was lovely.  It’s deceptively simple.  The vocabulary is constrained given that she’s not a native Italian speaker, and she wrote it in Italian and then had it translated by someone else into her mother tongue, English.  And the observations seem at first glance almost pedantic — i.e., “that feels obvious…”  But the more you think about it, the more meta it becomes.  She’s talking about learning another language while writing in another language that’s been translated back into her native language.  You really get a sense for the limits of language, barriers to communication, the things that are lost in translation (or that you can only assume are!), and all the inaccuracies of conversion.  It’s also a deep reflection on identity — cultural, linguistic, familial — and it makes you think the more you reflect on it.

I could not LIVE without Almay eyemakeup removers ($8).  Everyday, yes.

My favorite apps at the moment:

+boomerang, for making fun little gifs out of videos.  I love to do little kissy faces or take pics of my besties while they’re making sassy faces.  Then send them in texts.  Tha best.

+wunderlist, for making list on list on list.  If you’re type a like me, you’ll swoon.  You can download a desktop app, use their website, or download the app from the app store.  You can share lists with other people (Mr. Mags and I share a grocery list) and it makes the most delightful little “DING!” when you’ve achieved something.

+I finally made the switch from Google Calendar to Sunrise and it’s making me VERY happy.  First, it syncs instantly — have you ever noticed that your phone lags behind??  ARG.  It also has a good integration with Google Maps that makes it easy to navigate to your appointment without having to open a separate app, type in the address, etc.

When I’m having a down day, a new lipstick is a great pick me up.  And I love Nars.  (I wear Roman Holiday almost every day.)