UPDATE: GIVEAWAY WINNER: So — I read and re-read each and every one of all of your comments like a million bajillion times and was totally touched and inspired. I have the best readers EVER. Love you all. But the one that literally brought tears to my eyes was Madiha’s! Madiha mentioned that my exercise gear post, “Breaking a Sweat,” inspired her to snap up some new workout gear and get to the gym, and that she’s lost 8 lbs since renewing her workout routine! Ummm, ah-mazing. You should be so proud of yourself! And I’m happy that my blog has inspired positive change like that. Woo! So Madiha will win TWO Magpie musts: my signature Essie red nail polish (Geranium) AND my favorite secret weapon, Cosabella’s Never Say Never Boyshorts in shocking pink. Madiha, email me your address!
UPDATE #2: There are a few items left from my closet that are still available for sale! Jump on in and shop my closet!
Kinda feeling like a neglectful mother right now. March 30th marked TheFashionMagpie’s 1st birthday, and it came and went in silence. Poor bloglet! I had to run a quick mini-post to celebrate the occasion properly, and to let it know how much I love it, and to let you readers know how much I love YOU and your feedback and support. {And had to share this birthday sketch by Inslee Haynes — I “styled” them and she sketched ’em — I was so flattered! Incidentally, Inslee is the sweetest little talent in the D.C. area! Read about her here.}
{image by Inslee by Design}
At the risk of over-stating things (me?! exaggerating?! nah…), this blog has really become “something” for me. It started as a folly — a supremely indulgent way of organizing all of that many things I wanted to buy — and has now come to be a fabulous source of inspiration, a much-needed creative outlet, and a means to meet lots of fashion-engaged folks from all over the place. Love. In honor of its 1 year birthday, I will be drinking a glass of bubbly (I am in.love with 1 + 1 = 3, a fabulously affordable demi-sec Spanish cava, at the moment — $12, Hops and Grapes) and eating a cupcake from Baked & Wired in lieu of a proper dinner. (While watching American Idol and judging its contestants with uncalled-for gravitas.)
A couple of other ways I’ll be celebrating? First, I’ll re-read my first blog post ever {here} and cringe a little bit. Always awkward to revisit your first attempt at something. Second, I’ll glitz it up. I’ll paint a coat of glittery Deborah Lippmann polish — appropriately dubbed “Happy Birthday” — atop my normally sedate nails ($18, Barney’s) — and pair them with my new favorite tootsies, a pair of glittered Kate Spade pumps I scored on sale at Sassanova ($325, Endless), and this ah-mazing statement piece (one for the books — $645, LesPommettes):
The loudness of the above accessories would look KILLAH with a simple white sheath dress. TDF. I’ll mix some glittery, sparkly goodness into my wardrobe for the rest of the week — a pair of glittery druzy studs here (Dara Ettinger, $106, Charm & Chain), a flashy flat there (Jimmy Choo, $345, Net-A-Porter):
Perfect with a spritz of classy Chanel Mademoiselle (which I still get compliments on all.the.time. even though I feel like everyone and their mom wears it — it just smells different on everyone! — $61, Chanel):
An eye-catching glitter clutch never hurt anyone (Anya Hindmarch, $395, Edit NY), especially when finished with the perfect glittery bangle ($58, Isabel Harvey) and — you know I can’t go long without showing some Louboutin love — some heirloomable glass slippers ($3,295, Net-A-Porter):
I mean. There’s just really no reason why anyone should ever own these shoes — but aren’t they drool-worthy?! Ah. I die. And I’d pair all of the above with a floaty white chiffon dress, and keep my shoulders warm with this gorgeous vintage lace scarf/pashmina ($270, LesPommettes).
OK, now I’ve officially entered styling la-la land. No idea where I’d actually wear the above described outfit (although a high school classmate of mine recently emailed me and told me she was attending the royal wedding — blblblblblb?! WHA?! I thought I was being classy when I planned a little viewing pajama party with my girlfriends — but we’ll be watching with crumbly homemade scones, mimosas, and messy bed-head at 5 a.m. in my measly ol’ apartment while she’s hobnobbing with the upper crust of the universe!) Anyway…I digress. This festive necklace might be more my speed ($80, TheOutnet), as I can use it to spruce up a black sheath dress at work:
But why go for silver when you can have gold?! Perhaps the gold variation on the clutch above paired with an oversized cocktail ring ($150, Noir) and some sparkly sandals (Zanotti, $450, Intermix) is in order? (Too early to start show-casing sandles?! Bah humbug. A girl can dream. Watch it snow tomorrow.)
At work, I will have to spruce up the ol work wardrobe with some mah-jor statement jewelry, like this sparkling necklace ($400, FlutterNYC)
Wouldn’t it look killer atop a bright wrap dress and some nude heels?! Love. At any rate, happyhappyhappy birthday to TheFashionMagpie! As a special treat to my lovely readers, I’m announcing a special BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY! Leave me a comment indicating which post has been your favorite over the past year, and I’ll pick my favorite response on Friday and ship the winner a MAGPIE MUST!
Hi Jen! I missed the giveaway (bummer), but I still wanted to comment because I wanted to show you and your blog some love! My favorite post was definitely The Seasoned Traveler that you posted just about a year ago. You featured some BCBG low-wedge croc boots and I snapped them up immediately and ended up wearing them “into.the.ground” this past fall/winter 🙂 I really enjoy your views on fashion trends and definitely try to use that insight when I am out shopping for more affordable versions of items you feature 😉 Thanks for sharing with all of us!
Aw 🙂 I own those exact boots and l.o.v.e. ’em. Thanks for reading, Meredith! Will I see you at Foxfield this year?
Oops, just saw your reply! Yes I will definitely be at Foxfield 🙂 A100 in the Green section! Do you have a plot this year?
It’s hard to pick a favorite post, but I loved the one you wrote when you came back from the honeymoon in Belize. Not only does the location looks gorgeous, but I struggle with packing for trips because I also pack clothes that are too fancy, and not practical enough. I have headed to California soon, (the bf doesn’t get enough time off to warrant an international trip, pout) and I will be referencing that post for packing help. I also picked that post because I think that’s about when I started reading this blog, after your hubby posted about it on facebook. Now it’s on my list of blogs I check every morning, love it! Like someone said above, this blog is a great mix of practical ideas and gorgeous things I can only dream about owning!
Thanks, Allison! You are so sweet — man, did I pack poorly for that trip. Haha 🙂 5″ heels on gravel and sand = terrible decision.
Happy Birthday!! Your blog is a must read for me!! The fav for me is Lather, Rinse, Repeat!! Every person can relate to having certain pieces in their wardrobe that they go to constantly. I loved how the post had a mix of high end like your Louis Neverfull, but also had pieces from H&M (your blush blazer). It was a great reminder that sometimes its nice to invest in a wardrobe piece that is going to last forever and be super useful!! And how you never know when a simple purchase can make the biggest impact on your wardrobe! I chuckle now when I find myself saying “this is a lather, rinse, repeat kindof day!” Thanks for sharing an awesome blog!!
Love it! I’m LRR-ing today 🙂
I loved it the first time I read it and I love it even more now – the honeymoon trousseau post! I can’t wait to start compiling my own list of must haves for the honeymoon 🙂
First of all, thanks for introducing so many pretty things into my online life 🙂 Love the blog! As for my fav post from the past year…it would have to be “Rodarte, En Pointe”. I know I am in the minority here but I have to say, Black Swan didn’t quite have the same impact on me as it seemed to have on the rest of the world. That said, I absolutely love the aesthetic and, as a former ballerina, always will. The Reiss “Bally” jacket and the structured mini by Camilla & Marc are unbelievable. Also love the feminine mini skirt with black tights. Really I just love it all. So pretty!
Ugh, that structured mini haunts me. Why is it not in my closet?! So touched by your comments, and so happy you liked the Rodarte post. That means a lot — especially coming from a ballerina! Thanks for reading, Kristin!
Obsessing over your posts! Happy Birthday Fashion Magpie! I only found your blog a few months ago, and so far my favorite post has go to be “High Def”, posted on february 24th. All the white and neon makes yearn for spring and summer to arrive ASAP! The fact that I’m loving neutrals mixed with brights is another reason i love the post. Thanks for all the fabulousness!
Thanks, Emily! So sweet. I’ve been loving the brights trend this season in a mah-jor way.
Happy Birthday!! So good to see you back, I was seriously having withdrawals:) I wouldn’t know how to pick a fav since I enjoy reading all your posts so much. But If i absolutely had to, it would be “Breaking a Sweat”. I was always so annoyed with going to the gym partially because i hated the way gym clothes looked on me and made me feel, but since your post i actually went out and got some of your picks and here I am 8 pounds lighter!! So, I owe my devotion to the gym to you! Thanks a bunch 🙂
Oh my gosh, how inspiring! I’m so happy you shared that, and so proud of you! Yay! I’ll have to keep that in mind for the future — maybe some more gym gear posts are in order.
I loved “Coming Home.” The preppy look with a little added oomph just makes me want to pack a picnic basket, throw on my Barbour and pretend to be outdoorsy while sipping a Bloody Mary and tanning my face. If you can’t tell – I’m ready for Spring!
Haha, that sounds like an ideal way to spend a day! Love it!
First of all, I love your blog because it is so relatable! I could never get into blogs like thesartorialist.com because I just thought “Yea right… when would I ever wear that and not get ‘you’re crazy’ stares!?” I love fashion, but my style is very simple. When I found your blog (via Inslee’s website actually, which I also love), I was so excited because not only did I love your style, but you live in my city!! How exciting and relevant to me! YAY! Now I look at your blog every day. Funnily enough, I was in California at the same time as you, and I expected to have lots of fun fashion magpie stuff to catch up when I got back – alas, no posts for days! I almost died. Anyway, to the point, my favorite post has been “Coming Home” because I too love to dress preppy. It finally convinced me I needed to get a chambray shirt. I did some considerable damage at J. Crew after reading your post – hey, I just couldn’t decide which chambray shirt I liked better, and I really needed those navy shorts, striped sweater, checked shirt… well, you get the picture. Anyway, thanks for being my favorite blogger and for introducing me to so many other sites that I love too (including atlantic-pacific).
Oh my gosh, you are too sweet — thank you! And sorry. Haha. My blog has that same effect on me — seriously dangerous for the ol’ bank account. I’ll have to run more posts on the preppy side of things — it’s my comfort zone, after all.
Also, so happy to hear about a fellow fashion-lover in the D.C. area! WOO! We should unite and transform our notoriously unfashionable reputation…
There are so many great posts, Jen, but my favorite — and not because of it’s recentness — was this week’s “A Lighter Touch.”
Three reasons why: 1) It has triumph, because packing a suitcase that is both prepared for anything and easily hoistable over one’s head is nearly impossible, 2) It has despair, because no one likes to part with their “frou frou” heels, and 3) It has versatility, demonstrating that you don’t need to have home-closet separation anxiety while traveling. It’s a great mix of style and substance — the Magpie has come a long way!
…also, I’m definitely moving to Palo Alto and am concerned about my wardrobe. Will they understand my Minnetonka moccasins in Northern California??
Jessica! So exciting! Are you moving to pursue the PhD?!
I don’t have a clear picture of Palo Alto style, but I’m guessing “yay” to the mocs, “nay” to the Louboutins. Just a hunch. You’ll have to report back and tell me what all the cool Cali people wear — it was a nice change to dress down this past week, but at heart…I’m an uptight East Coast gal, so I missed my slightly overdressed preppy staples 🙂
Thanks, too, for the sweet words about “A Lighter Touch” — I was seriously proud of my accomplishment 🙂 Glad you could relate!
Love your blog! I think the first post I ever read was “Ascot Me to the Races” and it is still my favorite! Looking forward to channeling some of the features of that post into my Foxfield attire very soon!
Ooh la la, I’ll be attending as well! Thanks for reading, Sarah 🙂
HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY! It really is hard to chose a favorite, but if I must, it would probably be “Bright Idea” posted on February 9th – because it was around that time that I started reading your blog and this is the post that got me hooked. The looks were so fun, fresh and versatile – I just fell in love (and probably spent the remainder of the day looking at older posts). As an intern with a laughable salary, the last thing I should be doing is lusting over fashion, but you just make it so fun! A girl can dream, can’t she?!
UM, yes! I am dreaming my way through all of these posts at least, and can probably only afford 0.001% of the items I feature 🙂 Loved that post, too…thanks for reading, Katharine!
My absolute favorite Magpie post was the Honeymoon Trousseau. Not only did it make me crave some fun in the sun, but it was a great way to get to know our favorite Magpie and hear all about her post-wedding plans…and what a fabulous wedding it was!
Love it. Incidentally, anyone reading these comments should check out A-babs’ hilarious fitness blog, Thirty Days of Tracy.
Jen! I loved Breaking a Sweat because you introduced me to my new love – Baggus!!!
PS – Who is going to the royal wedding?
Hi! I’m obsessed with them too 🙂 Rebecca L. is going to the royal wedding!!!!