On Wednesday, I had lunch with my mother. We do this a few times a month, always somewhere casual and close to our homes (we live five minutes apart), and the conversation runs like creekwater. We could talk without pause for the next four months if you let us. On the way home, I thought: “Even five years into moving home to DC, this still feels like a luxury — being able to jump in the car to see my mom.”
The next evening, I sat on the carpet of our family room attempting to detangle terrible knots in my daughter’s spectacularly long, thick, and wavy hair, which had recently fallen victim to a vicious one-two haircare punch: chlorine and being into and out of pool and shower water while in various permutations of braid. I managed to get a lot out using a heavy hand of conditioner diluted by water, but when the clock struck ten and she’d yawned for the fifteenth time in five seconds, I cut the final knot out with scissors, not without a (silent) sniff of agony (“Jo, your hair!”) and a large portion of guilt. Outwardly, I reassured her that no one would notice (no one will — bless that thick head of hair) and that many things can be disproven but that hair always grows back. I followed her leaden steps up the stairs to her bedroom. Despite having outgrown these requests long ago, she asked me to tuck her into bed. (“A real tuck in.”) I piled the blankets and pillows around her and then laid beside her and rubbed her back. She’d had a long day: the last half day of the school year, a lunch and pool date with her best friend, shadowing me to pick up her brother from school, then back to the pool for a very intense swim practice (her first time swimming 50m), and finally, the hair saga, which — halfway through — led to a wobbling lip and, later, tears. I could tell she was bone-deep exhausted and not a little upset about the hair. I rubbed her back and smoothed her hair just like I did when she was little. Her eyelids fluttered closed. She looked so much like Emory at three months it almost took my breath away. The same slow blink into the middle distance. I found myself thinking: what a luxury, to be needed in this way. To have such intimacy with her that she can fall asleep with me in the room preening over her. To have her at three months; to have her now.
Luxuries — that’s what they feel like. Having the absolute best version of something. This led me to look for other occasionally-taken-for-granted luxuries in my life. There are the obvious ones like health, shelter, food. But the finer grained ones were on my mind:
+Impromptu weekday lunches with your mom;
+A child falling asleep in your arms;
+Finishing something with time to spare / any surprise pocket of time;
+Friends with pick-up trucks;
+Waking up and feeling better for the first time after an injury, illness, etc (observed this recently after pulling my back);
+That feeling that you did the right thing, even — especially — when no one else knows it (a scarce and private rush of success);
+Observing your child thrive (socially, academically, athletically, artistically) — or even just demonstrate profound comfort and calm at home (nothing better than watching your baby be outrageously silly in their dance moves or particular brand of comedy — proof that they feel safe);
+Work that doesn’t feel like work;
+Correctly anticipating an outcome;
+A very good tomato (that rare and precious delicacy — a good tomato should almost have a different name);
+Taking something “all the way to the top” / seeing something all the way through (God does that singular sense of accomplishment feel good);
+Good parking juju;
+A sense of purpose at the start of the day.
What else?
Shopping Break.
At the top of this post, I’m wearing that gingham dress I mentioned this week! I got so many compliments on it. It’s under $200 and has a very similar silhouette to this Staud. All outfit details here, except I’d swapped out my strappy sandals for these jellies to wear to the pool deck to watch my daughter at swim practice.
BEZEL EARRINGS (USE JEN10) // VB FOUNDATION DROPS (ON RARE SALE WITH PURCHASE OVER $200) // MIRTH CAFTAN // ANN MASHBURN MULES // BTB CLUTCH // RINGER TANK AND SHORTS // RAG + BONE SUMMER JEANS
+Summer shorts I picked up recently: these casual retro lounge shorts in orange (and the matching ringer tank — camp counselor vibes!) and these Alice Walk crochet beauties. I was emboldened to order both after discovering just how much I wear this short terry set from Julia Amory. It’s just what I want to wear when hanging around the house, running a quick errand, etc!
+The bestselling caftan rec from my roundup!
+Oh my goodness: these new jellies from Loeffler. SO fun.
+New England summer. (Bonus points: these cosmetics bags.)
+Big summer beauty sale happening at Blue Mercury — 20% off orders over $200. You must use the promo to get those VB foundation drops I’ve been raving about. (The GOAT!). Bundle with the Metacine plasma or your favorite Skinceuticals product (almost never on sale — I just re-ordered this P-Tiox peptide-rich serum, which really does make your skin look glassy and less wrinkled).
+Fun start of summer gift I got my son!
+Oo! Loving these white eyelet jeans. With a white tee and brown leather accents? SO good. And while we’re talking denim: another great new release from Rag + Bone…! (These pull-on Atlas pants continue to be very, very popular among Magpies.)
+Fun earrings for summer – come in a few enamel colorways. I have the blue and the matching necklace! I don’t wear them together but I love the whimsy they add when mixed in with other fine jewelry pieces. Use code JEN10.
+A really good summer dress, selling fast.
+The pattern on these slides from Ann Mashburn!!!
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