PROPER TABLE PLACEMATS + NAPKINS. I’ve written about this small female-founded business a few times, but I have to rave specifically about their acrylic placemats, seen above! The lovely founder sent me a set, and Mr. Magpie enjoyed a midweek Shake Shack lunch on them the first day they arrived — we’ve not taken them off the weekday dining table since! They are great for families, as they are wipe-clean (no laundry) and they have clever “pads” underneath that keep the placemats firmly in place. (Does anyone else have issues with children accidentally sliding their placemats such that they are rocking dangerously off the edge of the table?). These come in such fantastic fabric-inspired prints so you get the look without the laundry/hassle. I am inspired by her Instagram account to incorporate these into more formal tablescapes, too. I am going to share some thoughts on this in an upcoming post organized around holiday tabletop inspo. More to come! But a little plug: these placemats would be such a great gift for a young married couple, or a mom with young children, or even a daughter just setting out for her first apartment!
BALLARD ATOLL MIRROR. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I am sharing more of my everyday outfits, and you can often see my Ballard mirror making an appearance in those selfies. I love the playful rippled edge. So artful!
CRATE AND BARREL CRESCENT GLASSES. I’ve had a few of these in my cupboard for awhile now, and they are in constant use. I like them both for juice and for wine — they are the perfect tiny pour. I had been hunting around for some pretty glasses to serve punch in for a dinner party, and was initially after a set of colored glasses, but I couldn’t find any I loved that would deliver in time, as I was a bit late in thinking this through. I ended up stopping by C&B to buy a few extra crescent glasses for the occasion and it’s the perfect solution because I drink out of them all the time anyhow! (P.S. – punches are SUCH a good trick for entertaining a crowd, as you can prepare in advance instead of shaking/mixing cocktails to order, and guests can serve themselves. We have made many of the punches out of this cocktail book and they’ve all been excellent.
NIDO WINE SHOP AND MARKET. If you are local to DC, you must check out Nido Wine Shop in Mount Pleasant. Mr. Magpie and I were prepping for the aforementioned dinner party, with plans to make paella and serve other Spanish fare alongside. We had difficulty sourcing a couple of ingredients (namely, serrano ham / hamon iberico / spanish cured meat; good cava; and the spears on which to serve Gildas, the most traditional pintxo from the Basque region), and Mr. Magpie heard about Nido, so we drove into town. We were so impressed! I walked in an immediately spotted Raventos i Blanc cava, which has been a longtime favorite cava of ours, but which we’d not seen carried elsewhere in the D.C. area. The owner rung us up and could not have been more passionate about her fares, or more pleasant to be around.
NOPE. Have you seen Jordan Peele’s latest horror movie? I strongly recommend as a candidate for Halloween tomorrow night. Peele is astoundingly original. He has to be one of the most authentic creatives out there at the moment. This movie participates in horror conventions but is entirely non-derivative — what a breath of fresh air in this era of “Marvel Movie VIII.” “Nope” is a fantastic spectacle, gorgeously designed and compellingly framed. Beyond the superficial, though, the movie makes smart commentary on the voyeuristic elements of contemporary culture as well as racial tensions in the film industry (and beyond), and even the overlap between the two. I have found some of Peele’s other horror movies — while invariably original, aesthetically-impressive, and fun — uneven in terms of clarity of theme. Sometimes I feel like they are trying to do too much, or plucking at too many motifs without every drawing any meaningful conclusions. “Nope,” on the other hand, is rock-solid, intentional, grippingly cohesive. I hope this movie earns some serious awards. I was blown away! Note: this is a true scary movie, with suspense and gore and all the rest, so do not watch unless you enjoy the genre!
CIRE TRUDON ABD EL KADER CANDLE. I treated myself to this splurgey candle and my goodness, these are just THE BEST, most luxurious candles out there. The scents are complex in a way that reminds me of that old adage that, in a well-decorated home, you should never be able to easily explain a wall color — it should always be “pinkish-beige” or “bluish-gray-with-some-green?” This is how I feel about these candles, of which I’ve now owned a few different scents. They are difficult to reduce to a single note. They just smell outstanding. They also have really good “throw” so your home smells perfumed throughout. The one I bought is their most popular scent.
SHERPA LOAFERS. Oh my goodness, these are SO fun. These are the kind of statement-making shoes that completely transform your everyday jeans and turtleneck (my personal uniform), and they are reasonably-priced, too! They remind me of a pair by Jimmy Choo. I’ve had a few questions on sizing — take your true size. They accommodate the fact that these shoes are lined with sherpa in their sizing. I was worried that they might fit snug because of the sherpa but they fit wonderfully in my true size!
J MCLAUGHLIN ARLETTE TURTLENECK. I have been eyeing this style for a year now, after seeing it on the ultra-chic Caitlin Fisher. I’ve been layering it with other pieces, like this gorgeous Alice Walk knit cape that has quickly become my favorite top layer. It is designed so that it doesn’t slide off / need a lot of adjustment to keep it in place, and it is surprisingly warm. I like to wear it draped over my shoulders and open in the front, but there are lots of different ways to wear it.
PAIGE CLAUDINE FAUX LEATHER PANTS. A perfect texture contrast with all the fall knits.
GLITZY FASHION. A girlfriend of mine reached out asking for NYE outfit ideas and I haven’t really been able to stop shopping for her (and me, and us) since. I am obsessed with the blouson style of this Sachin and Babi gown. What an incredible festive dress for a special occasion! Halston has a similar style for less, this fringed statement is BEYOND, and then this HVN has Kacey Musgraves written all over it (in the best way). And then how FAB is this pleated asymmetrical skirt?! Pair with a navy or black cashmere turtleneck and shine on, girl. And then this Rhode dark floral mini is just so — right. Love the shape, pattern, colors. These Jennifer Behr earrings are right at home amidst the glam, although — PSST — I found a very similar style for only $20 here!
PORTE & PAIRE VELVET PLATFORMS. These come in two great fall/winter colors — navy and burgundy. I always encourage my Magpies to take a chance on color. It’s so easy to go with black, but navy or burgundy would invite new fashion constraints and opportunities that will lead to interestingly dimensioned looks. And navy and black look fab together! Earlier this week, I wore my black suede Miu Miu platforms (seen here — I found the exact pair in a gorgeous navy satin here for under $300), and I was reminded how happy I am platforms are “in” at the moment. They are SO much easier to wear and more comfortable than traditional heels!
MICHELLE WILHITE CLUTCH. I am smitten with this brand and its gorgeous clutches. Can you even believe this one with that vintage-style bow brooch and all?! It’s a perfect match with a pair of gunmetal metallic Chanel ballet flats I wear constantly. The owner generously sent me this clutch and I cannot wait to style with all my dressier outfits this winter — will be sharing pictures of this on Instagram / here in the coming weeks.
GARMIN RUNNING WATCH. I have run with both this Garmin watch and an Apple watch and find myself reaching for the Garmin most days. I LOVE the physical button on the side to start/stop, as my fingers can get sweaty and with the Garmin, you can stop/start tracking without even looking at the watch! You can just feel for the button to pause. I also find that since it is ONLY a running watch (not also email/music/text/other apps), it makes getting out and tracking your run super easy. You hit like two buttons and you’re tracking your run. Finally, the face of the watch is big, which, in the case, makes it easy to see a lot of information at once, and it is virtually indestructible!
SHERPA VEST. Been wearing this a lot already this season. I even ran in it the other day, when it was super cold (like in low 30s when I got up), which I honestly wouldn’t recommend because I got very hot, but it’s the perfect top layer for running errands / at-home hygge.
P.S. The magical thinking jar.
P.P.S. This quote — “At least everything was important” — has colored everything for me these last few weeks. Mr. Magpie and I say it to one another all the time: “this [whatever we are doing, whether watching a movie together, preparing a dinner party, playing with the children] is the most important thing.” And we lean in.
P.P.P.S. More festive dressing inspo.