The Magpie Diary: Sept. 22, 2024.

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This past week, I checked into a hotel and wrote for close to 24 hours. Even when I was not at my laptop, I was stewing in my own writing, a pickle in its brine. I have never written like this before — or perhaps have not had occasion to write like this, with no time box or small voices at the door, since college and graduate school, when I would abscond to the lowest level of Clemons Library at the University of Virginia, and the bowels of Lauinger at Georgetown, and work for unreported hours. But then it was not the soul-satisfying work of writing what I wish. It was reading Daniel Deronda, and pretending to care about epistemology. And so, I return to my first statement: I have never written like this before.

The overnight retreat was a fascinating exercise in understanding my own process. For one thing, I realized how much I can accomplish in the smallest crescents of unclaimed time in my normal life. Constraints can be a good thing. By contradistinction, when I first arrived at the hotel, I was flustered by the expanse in front of me. I told my friend that I felt like Ricky Bobby in “Talledega Nights,” when he’s standing in front of a camera the first time: “I don’t know what to do with my hands.” I kept flitting around, writing in half starts. Eventually I clicked in, but — it’s true, what they say: necessity is the mother of invention. If I have 30 minutes to write, I will make it work. So if you are waiting to start something “when you have time,” or murmuring against your dreams: “maybe in the next lifetime,” don’t. You can start today, right now. It can be small. You can knit for 15 minutes, or sketch on the back of the napkin while waiting for your food, or dictate the lyrics of a song into your phone while in carpool line. The best time to plant a tree is thirty years ago; the next best time is right now. Andale, andale!

But also: I had been contemplating getting away to write like this for some time, and I told one of my writer friends about it, and she said: “If not now, when?” She made the point that I had some momentum with this project and that I should capitalize on it. It gave me the giddy up to maneuver my schedule and make it happen, and — it was hard, in certain ways, if I’m being honest. You don’t realize how lockstep the march of a life with young children is until you switch up the beat. It meant adjusting plans, tossing a lot of responsibilities at Mr. Magpie, shoe-horning a week’s worth of my usual work and admin into three days. My son wrote me a card that said I MISS YOU MAMA. And I thought: “is this selfish of me?” But c’mon, Jen! It was 24 hours. The admin will always be there; the impetus to write this specific project will not. I don’t know how other writers feel, but some projects seem to flower overnight and wither just as quickly, and if you aren’t light on your feet, you’ve missed the bloom. If there is some project that is calling to you, chase it. If you live to write, you understand what I mean.

All of this may seem inapplicable to those of you who are not writers. But there is something here that I think is important: don’t be afraid of trying new things, or trying old things in a new way. Even if the practice does not yield the results you expect, you learn something about yourself, and any project that draws you closer to understanding who you are, to becoming an expert in yourself, is worthy. Don’t you want to leave this world having known you really understood yourself? Having known you put it all out there, you tried? I don’t want to sit in the bleachers, observing my life from a remove. I read a quote this week: You are the only person who can play your part. Amen. Let’s bring out the main character energy this week —

And onward —

Writing uniform: Varley sweatshirt and slim pants // a hat I had embroidered (small way to be on my own team!) // Dorsey earrings

My world for 24 hours

Nothing better than room service. I had initially contemplated renting a cabin type set-up for this writing bender but it proved to be perfect that I could just have meals delivered whenever I wanted — no cooking/cleaning/shopping/packing!

Glad I brought these hydrating eye masks. They REALLY work if you have tired eyes — I barely slept and these brought me back to life in the morning. I keep one or two of these in my travel makeup bag, pre-packed. I’ve also heard really good things about YSE Beauty Eye Patches — and a little less expensive! BTW, I still think about your dissenting perspectives on how to handle skincare while traveling. I used to decant what I liked into smaller tubs but one of you convinced me to just buy the travel/trial size of the products you like because they come in the perfect applicator bottles, and you can always decant into those once you’ve depleted! You really do sometimes need “the right bottle.” I feel that way about this Osea facial cleanser! This is a really good buy – I love all the products included in this little trial set. I believe my code MAGPIE10 will get you 10% off.

Oh, also – Mr. Magpie and I love these toothbrushes from Cocofloss. Very soft bristled (won’t scratch enamel) but have a lot of bristles that bend around the shape of your teeth — get everything out. He also just got us hooked on this Japanese toothpaste that people are raving about. Apparently the hydroxyapatite in it remineralizes and brightens teeth, and some of the reviews are CRAZY positive. We’ve only been using a week but I love it. Foams up really nicely (you only use a tiny pea-sized amount) and leaves teeth feeling scrubbed clean but not in that burny way some toothpastes do. It’s $$ but you use a tiny amount each day!

Last note: I know I share a lot of Lake Pajamas but they truly are a regrettably worth it item. Basically the only thing I sleep in, and I especially love the pima long-long sets right now. This pattern sparks joy!

And, a little Sunday shopping for you…

RALPH LAUREN DRESS (25% OFF) // ZOE BAKES COOKIE COOKBOOK // JENNI KAYNE COOPER CARDIGAN (LOOK FOR LESS HERE, HERE) // ELEMIS GLOW PRIMING MOISTURIZER (20% OFF) // HUNTER BELL SKIRT // YSE EYE PATCHES // VERONICA BEARD VALENTINA SNEAKERS

This Ralph Lauren dress is divine (and currently 25% off). Top is a soft sweater material, bottom is a flattering pleated situation. I might wear this for Thanksgiving! // My new cookie cookbook // Have you tried Elemis’ glow priming moisturizer?! It is SO good. There are a lot of good products in this category – I also like RMS Super Radiance Primer and SuperGoop’s Glowscreen. But the Elemis really made me look airbrushed this week. It’s currently 20% off. I also love Elemis’ resurfacing pads and face wash. The latter is the kind of cleanser hat really feels like it’s doing something – you notice an immediate difference. Sometimes I want that, and sometimes I don’t. If I want something more gentle (especially in the morning), I use either Osea’s cleanser (my sister and her wife are obsessed with this too) or True Botanical’s divinely scented nourishing cleanser. But you know sometimes you have those days where you really want to scrub yourself clean? Elemis is the answer. // I keep seeing this cool faux-wrap mini skirt shape. Julia Amory has a great one (love the burgundy color — JEN-15 for 15% off), and so does Sezane and Hunter Bell. // Speaking of Julia Amory, this reel of her convinced me I need the Jenni Kayne Cooper cardigan, but then a few Magpie readers pointed me in the direction of Quince’s look for less and I ordered that one. I also found a look for less for around $100 at Few Moda! I just wore one of their $80 cashmere cardigans this week and was impressed. See me styling it here. // I wore the Few Moda cashmere cardi with these sneakers, which are shearling lined and slip-on! (Laces are ornamental.). They are SO comfortable. These sneakers are nearly sold out everywhere, but you can still find a few here and here. More favorite brown sneakers for fall here.

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Per notes above: me in the Ralph Lauren dress. I photographed this outfit as a part of a project I did with Saks, and I absolutely LOVE the dress. Everything is 25% off, FYI! The dress, the Paris Texas croc boots, the Little Liffner bag! (The Little Liffner bags are a good get in this sale — this brand is so trendy and it’s hard to get something current-season on sale! This mini suede bucket bag…!)

And me in the $80 cashmere cardigan. I love the look of a cardi tucked into jeans, nothing beneath! This is not the softest cashmere, but it’s also $80 and I love the color and fit. And the sneaks! You need these. So cozy and chic. I think these will be my casual shoe for Italy? Need to start mapping out what I’m packing.

Onward!