Intellectually, this week was dominated by the completion of Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, which I adored. A full review forthcoming, but — I savored it.
01. WEEZIE FRENCH TERRY ROBE. I speak in exclamations all the time on Magpie, but I want to bolden, underscore, and exclaim that this gorgeous robe is one of my favorite possessions. I have a heavier weight hotel-style terry robe from HHH, and I have Weezie’s short sleeved terry robe, and one might think — is a third robe necessary? It is. I cannot live without this robe. I love it so much that I’ve worn it straight into bed a few times, prompting Mr. Magpie to ask, “Are you now a robe-to-bed person?” Let me detail its virtues: it is a nice, thin weight that is easy to layer over pajamas without sweating or feeling bulky. I hate, for example, trying to get my children’s breakfast ready while in my big robe because I’m knocking over milk cups and my bulky cuffs are dragging through yogurt. This is like a delightful extra layer — almost the equivalent of throwing on a thin sweatshirt, but it engulfs your body with the perfect amount of warmth and softness. The belt also actually stays tied, which has never happened for me with any robe I’ve owned in my life. I think this is because the belt is extra long and itself the same thin material as the robe. The cuffs have a clever button on them so you can affix them above the wrist/at elbow more easily. And! I adore the midi length. I love this item so much — I wear it every night while getting ready for bed and every morning while waking with the children. And it’s perfect for getting-ready-to-go-out. 10/10 would recommend.
02. JULISKA BERRY AND THREAD MUG. I bought a few of these in different floral designs during the depths of the pandemic in a sad pursuit of trivial joys, and it continues to please me years later. It’s heavy-duty but has such a darling, feminine floral motif. Absolutely love drinking my morning coffee out of this.
03. BIRTHDAY VIGNETTE. For Mr. Magpie’s birthday, I made Bravetart’s “Easy One-Bowl Chocolate Cake.” Let me dispel the myth implicit in the name: nothing Bravetart does is “easy,” exactly. This recipe does, technically, call for one bowl, but there are (as always with her) detailed notes, temperature checks, semi-exotic ingredients (in this case, she specifically calls for this brand of Dutch process cocoa, which truly does make a difference and is exceptional), etc. This was not as difficult as some of her other recipes, but it’s still involved. Anyhow, it turned out wonderfully. A gorgeous, dense, moist crumb that is (in her words) “dark as a moonless sky,” an epithet that has whispered itself into the everyday rhythm of my life. I will be ironing, or running the mail out to the car, and the phrase will materialize — along with the vision of this mouthwateringly delicious cake. She, and her baked goods, have made such a deep impression on me! Strongly recommend this recipe for your next birthday, along with the suggested pairing of their milk chocolate ganache icing, which is very cleverly crafted (you essentially melt chocolate and cream, then let chill overnight, and then whip into frosting). You’ve been warned on the intensity of the recipe writing, though. Good idea to read the full instructions and ingredient list several days in advance of baking. Some details from the vignette above: the festive tablecloth is from Mrs. Alice (no longer available, though this is similar), and I was delighted to find, in my “BIRTHDAY” bin downstairs, these happy mini pinatas (which the children LOVED — if you really want to go all out with this theme, you can have the birthday boy/girl’s name spelled out in these letters as a fun tablescape or mantle decor idea) and these sparkly swizzle sticks, which I arranged into julep cups like bouquets of flowers. Do you have a birthday bin, too? I’ve found it infinitely useful for the little celebrations that sneak up on you — e.g., candles for the neighbor, that time my MIL came by for oysters and champagne on her birthday, etc. Fun to have a little box of festive decor up your sleeve. (And have I bored you already with how much I love the back room of our basement, which is lined with these heavy-duty wire shelves and Weathertight lidded bins, labeled in categories like EASTER DECOR, BIRTHDAY, FOOD GIFTING, RIBBON, etc? An organized house is an organized mind. My former Manhattan self squeals with glee each time I enter this area.). I decorated the cake with these overpriced sprinkles, which I think kind of made the look, and placed it on top of my new Mosser cake stand, which — it’s such a funny thing to say — is one of my favorite gifts I received for Christmas. It’s sturdy and dramatically tall. Comes in lots of colors — I really want the pastel pink now.
04. HUNZA G PAMELA SWIMSUIT. I did it! I ordered a suit from heavily hyped swimwear label Hunza G. Will report back. This style is more my speed thanks to the thin straps (and what a GREAT color) — but the classic square necked one is beloved by many. Will report back with thoughts. I am buying now, well in advance of swimsuit season, because last year this sold out in good colors by early summer. I also observed that, last February, we all bought swimsuits for the season ahead. (Or maybe most of you were headed somewhere warm?) More chic swim here.
05. AVENE BODY BALM. I’ve been on the hunt for a good, not-crazy-expensive body lotion. I’d been using and loving Byredo’s cream in the Blanche scent (which is absolutely heavenly — sort of crisp, like clean laundry), but I felt guilty about the price tag. Each application probably cost me $5? So many of you recommended Avene’s cicalfate for dry skin (but you use it more as a balm / in a targeted way) that I picked up both the cicalfate and the body balm. Will report back! A few of you shared that French women swear by these products, even using the cicalfate for diaper cream! I love a good European pharmacy find.
06. J. CREW CROPPED SWEATER. I mentioned this yesterday, but I snagged this cute cropped sweater and cannot wait to style. I’m planning to layer it over stripes.
07. ST. LAURENT SUNGLASSES. Major treat yourself moment, but I haven’t owned designer sunglasses in a long time because, about ten years ago, I splurged on a pair of sunglasses from Chanel, which I then accidentally left in the dressing room of a Naples, Florida Target (obviously never recovered), and then re-purchased, only to drop and scratch the lenses of. I took the shades into a sunglass repair shop and they said they couldn’t fix them / the shape of the lens was too difficult to replace?! So, in other words, I have felt tremendously guilty about my carelessness with sunglasses and disciplined myself by not permitting myself to buy a new pair. I’ve been mainly wearing instead these Le Specs, which I own in several colors, but especially like in the camel, and these Chimis. You know — sunglasses that won’t cripple you with guilt if dropped/left/etc. But! I have been wanting a designer pair for awhile now, in a sort of fashion-forward shape, and I’ve seen this St. Laurent pair on several chic peas, including Charlize Theron (above).
08. H&M TOTE BAGS. I went crazy when I saw these! Remind me so much of Rue De Verneuil, but only $35.
09. SPLITS59 LEGGINGS. People keep raving about these airweight leggings, so I ordered a pair to try. I have been consistent in working out every other day since the end of December, so these will be put to good use for spinning (which I’ve been doing when too cold to run) or doing core exercises at home (I use Apple Fitness+ videos). I’ve also heard that these actually double as daytime leggings — they don’t have the sheen/look of a performance-level legging.
10. VALENTINES. There’s still time! The cards I bought for my children to hand out are from Erin Wallace, but I think the window to order in time for Vday has been closed. You can download a similar design to print yourself here. I paired mine with heart popper bracelets, but would also be cute with mini bags of popcorn (we go through a lot of the ones from Lesser Evil — my daughter’s favorite snack!)