On My Mind: 10 Picks for Spring.

It’s been a minute since I did a 10 Picks post.  Today, restoring that trend.

Pick No. 1: The Backyard Chair.

These affordable metal chairs ($80 for 2!) are a great solution for outdoor dining if you’re not ready to invest in some long-term backyard furniture (ahem, me).  Love the fun colors, especially the yellow or mint.  I dream of one day outfitting the entire back patio, preferably with some sort of banana leaf upholstered furniture situation, but for now…these are perfect for setting out around our table for al fresco dining.  We do have a few strands of these already strung up for the summer season (Mr. Magpie gives them strong reviews) and it gives off a great romantic vibe…

Pick No. 2: The Statement Sandal

J. Crew has some excellent new additions to their shoe collection, but I’m totally obsessed with these satin lace-up wonders ($248).  LOVE that color combination.  Such a fun way to dress up distressed denim or a little dress.  I’m also dying over these (the poms!) and these (a cool, grown-up statement — very Bottega Veneta!)

Pick No. 3: The Floral Dress.

This breezy floral dress ($110) would be such a perfect piece for an outdoor birthday dinner or date night or, ahem, a belated Mother’s Day dinner.  Mr. Magpie and I had guests in town last weekend and it was SOOOO fun but we were wiped out by Sunday, so we decided to defer our mother’s day celebration until later this week, when the weather was promising enough for a grill out session.  We already have a bottle of Moet chilling in the fridge for just this occasion, and I’m going to be pulling out a pretty floral number (maybe this?)

P.S.  — ICYMI, some of my early thoughts on motherhood and mother’s day.

Pick No. 4: The High-Waist Denim.

I never totally jumped on the high-waist denim trend, but now I’m realizing its many virtues.  Especially with the current post-baby body situation.  A pair of these J. Brand badboys seem like they will disguise a lot.

P.S. — I like the way the ladies above have styled their high-waisters with simple, grown-up tops, to sort of class up the situation.

Pick No. 5: The Scalloped Everyday China.

So, Mr. Magpie and I hate — detest — our everyday china.  We have beautiful formal china from Kate Spade (the June Lane collection, which I still absolutely love–it makes for an elegant but slightly whimsical and at the same time modern tablescape, owing to the chic platinum color and fun dragonfly emblem), but decided a few years ago that we’d just make do with a few sets of inexpensive, colorful plates from World Market for our everyday eating needs.

We hate them.

Every time I see those green or yellow plates, I want to punch something.  They’re just not attractive to me anymore and I haven’t gotten around to upgrading because it seems like a stupid expense.  Still, my sister in law was telling me about the KonMari Method (I’m sure many of you have read the best-seller that talks all about it) when it comes to curating the items in your home, and told me that she’s been cleaning her closets by asking herself: “Does this item bring me joy?”  Well, I know that if I were to apply this method to my own life, these plates would be the first to go.

And I know what would take their place: these gorgeous scalloped dinner plates (4 for $59) and their coordinating salad plate little brothers (4 for $52) from the Aerin Lauder for Williams Sonoma collection (I love SO many pieces from this capsule collection!).  I want I want I WANT!  I have come to the conclusion that white plates are where it’s at for everyday china–you can’t get bored of them, and they showcase food really nicely if you’re at all into the presentation, like Mr. Magpie is.  Plus, that scalloped edge adds JUST the right amount of interest.

P.S. — More scalloped goodness–this time, in clothing form!–here.

Pick No. 6: The Gingham Statement Top.

New statement top for your weekend wear needs, this time under $50 and GINGHAM.  Love.  Perfect with white jeans and espadrilles and a basket bag.

Pick No. 7: The Tennis Bag.

Mr. Magpie and I are discussing joining a city club thing that includes a gym, tennis court, pool, etc. this summer.  It would certainly give me many-an-opportunity to wear/use the tennis gear her so generously bought me a few summers back (and some of these newer picks too — scroll down to bottom!)  If we do get more seriously into tennis, I’m thinking I need this monogrammed tennis bag ($268).  OBSESSED.

Also — these oversized canvas bags ($88) would be a fab gift or convenient storage container for home.  I have a few monogrammed boat bags for Tilden and mini magpie and love that they can hold overflow stuff and then be thrown in a closet at the last minute.

Pick No. 8: The Embroidered Dress.

I have an Ulla Johnson embroidered tunic dress that has been getting SERIOUS play so far this spring–I wore it on Mother’s Day and got a lot of compliments just walking around my neighborhood in it!  I love how easy and chic they are–and something about those balloon-y sleeves makes me feel fashion-forward.  I’ve had my eye on this March11 dress ($335), but now I’m thinking I might need this more affordable Madewell style ($138!!) from their new and very chic collection.  I’m loving everything!

Pick No. 9: The Monogrammed Gift Tag.

Loving these elegant monogrammed gift tags (50 for $50) from Etsy store Abigail Christine Design.

Also love the colors and simple monogram styles of these.

Pick No. 10: The Denim Dress.

There’s this look that a roommate of mine in college had that I longed to emulate then, and continue to want to emulate now.  She was a Southern babe — tanned shoulders, a spray of freckles across her nose, a thick drawl, and a petite frame–and, one hot summer August day, she drove up from her hometown in rural Tennessee to our shared second-year house on Gordon Street in Charlottesville (a total shanty, in retrospect, but just the kind of dingy house for eight girls to share in college…yes, EIGHT girls).  We were painting the walls and moving in–and moving slowly, as it was one of those muggy-as-hell 90 degree-with-90-percent-humidity Charlottesville days–and she rolled up, barefoot and in a loose, white cotton dress, her hair thrown up in a devil-may-care knot on the top of her head, and she just had it.  There was something 1960s hippie about her, but in a totally unrehearsed and modern way.  She didn’t have a lick of makeup on.  Did I mention she wasn’t wearing shoes?  But she looked so effortlessly chic, so comfortable in her own skin. This denim dress brings her to mind–it achieves something similar to that look from 2003.  Something you throw on and throw your hair up in and to hell with everything else.