Niche goal, but I’d like to become a morning person. I suppose I’m halfway there in the sense that I’m at my most productive and efficient in the morning, and it’s my favorite passage of the day. I love its sounds and rituals, its sense of limberness, its proofing promise of good things to come, the release from whatever nighttime anxieties tend to collect and keep sentinel at my bedside. But I am not yet the one who rises first in the house, who claims the quiet corner in the five a.m. navy of not-yet-morning. I set an intention to wake early once a week to write this fall, and I’ve not yet done that once. It’s not that I go to bed particularly late (by 10 p.m. most nights, although that habit has been disrupted by the discovery of one Emma M. Lion — I am now on book five and devastated that there are only three left in the series! “The forethought of grief” hangs heavy!), but that I find that nimbus cloud in which I wake, stir, drift into and out of lucid thought, and ultimately coax myself out of bed absolutely delicious. On the rare occasion I must wake and fling myself into action, I’m all out of sorts, and I find my stomach upset? It’s too much, too fast. I like the slow hatch.
Still, I was hand-drafting the other day about the morning hour, and I found it almost irresistible to my pen (to my sensibility) —
Lauds (Reasons to Wake Early)
the clearing fog
the comfort of the well-worn slipper waiting at the bedside (“it is a kind of love, is it not?“)
witnessing loose landscapes and tenebrous trees become their fuller selves
the miracle of another sun
the cleansing solitariness of seeing one’s breath in the morning chill (here I am, Lord)
the gradual percolation of all things
Post-Scripts.
The referenced poem in full regalia — one of those poems that feels like a deep breath.
A propos of this post, just ordered this book of M.O. Figure knowing why and how she rose with the sun will be good enough incentive for me.
Sunday Shopping.
+Select colors of THE cool mom sneakers on sale here.
+Speaking of cool mom sneakers, saw a CHIC MOM wearing these sherpa Miu Mius. SO GOOD. Those double laces! Adidas just released a really cool double-lace pair, too.
+Love this new alpaca fair isle from Faherty. Also love their oversized take on the rugby! So cute over navy leggings or tucked into ecru denim.
+On the ecru denim point, you can get early access to Shopbop’s tiered fall sale with code FALL if you’re subscribed as an insider starting now! (15% off orders $200+, 20% off orders $500+, and 25% off orders $800+). The sale opens to the public tomorrow. I’ll have all my picks going live in a few hours, but RUN to snag the Donni pieces while they’re in stock!
+Pointelle season here! My favorite thing to wear as a base layer under knits in the winter. I love the styles from here (use code JEN15), here (try code ALLSET), and here (try code MAREA10).
+We’re in my favorite running micro-season: weather that calls for shorts (<<my favorite running shorts ever ever ever) with a long-sleeve. Use code SHOOP20 for a discount.
+Ordering Landon one of these!
+My favorite foundation drops, by a long lead. Truly second skin territory.
+Been noticing these mixed-media jackets on chic ladies around town! VB has a similar style for a little more $$.
+Love these cashmere short-sleeved sweaters. Come in such great colors!
+Inslee launched her 2027 calendars! These make great gifts for mothers, mother-in-laws, women-who-have-it-all, special teachers, neighbors, etc. They are such a luxe and elegant gift — and tremendously useful. I always have one on my desktop! 12 months of beautiful desk art.
+Zappos is offering 20% off a huge assortment with code FALL20 today through 9/29. I’m using this promotion to buy my daughter new Ugg slippers (a Christmas gift, but these do run low on stock as the season goes on) and new snow boots for myself (<<how cool are these?). Also like the look of this stylish pair.
A great time to buy the next size up in cozy sherpa-lined rain boots or these all-weather puffy boots for kids, too!
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