HUNZA G PAMELA SWIMSUIT. Well, the hype is valid. I am obsessed with this Hunza G suit. If you’re new to the brand, all of their suits are made from a stretchy material that fits most bodies (OSFA). Their iconic style boasts a square neck and thicker straps, but I preferred the slightly daintier Pamela style, and couldn’t resist it in the bright pink. I will do a more thorough review soon (comparing it to some other hyped styles/brands), but the TL;DR is this is a suit for actual real life. My big gripe with some of the higher end brands (especially Agua Bendita) is that there is too little coverage for splashing after your children. Those suits are better for adults-only vacation where you are primarily sunbathing? Hunza G is for real life. It is comfortable, hugs your body without feeling compressive, gives me the impression it will require very little rearranging/tugging/etc. Also, the hot pink somehow made me look mildly tan?! I am so pale at the moment! Love this suit and this color. If you like the look, you can get the vibe for less with this Gap steal! In the snap above, I’m wearing a Julia Amory husband shirt as a cover-up. It’s one of my favorites — really soft, machine-washable, looks great unbuttoned all the way or partway, and has long sleeves for extra sun protection (but is not heavy — very lightweight, breathable, airy cotton). More beach attire finds I love here.
FRONT STOOP VIGNETTE. I received a scattering of questions about all of the items in the front door snap I posted on Instagram earlier this week. The urns are Ballard Designs, the coir doormat is Frontgate (the best – I actually spent some time researching this matter when I was trying to buy one; I read that a lot of the ones that have colors in the coir fibers bleed permanently onto your front stoop, FYI!). You can find more front door finds here! The wide-leg ecru cropped trousers are Gap from a few seasons ago, and I keep reaching for them. A couple of similar styles at different price points: Khaite, Everlane, and Paige. I paired mine with a striped turtleneck from J. Crew and this adorable J. Crew cropped cardigan I have not stopped wearing. The bag is by Mme Mink, generously gifted, and the flats are Amazon if you can believe it! A note about the Amazon shoes: I’m pretty sure they’re not using actual images of the shoes on the site. IRL, the shoes look and run a bit wider and the blue is a bit brighter. I don’t mind at all; for under $50, they are a great Manolo-inspired option, but caveat emptor!
FLORAL SKIRTS. I was so excited to receive this Hill House skirt in the mail just minutes before typing this up. I have high hopes for styling it up and down all season long. I’m actually going to barrel straight into spring vibes by wearing it this week to a date with a girlfriend! Will probably finish with a ballet flat and a cashmere tee/cardigan, but we’ll see what the forecast has in mind. I am also currently sitting here with a tab open to my shopping cart, which has this Agua-Bendita-esque score (under $100) in it. SO cute! What a deal! A few other really pretty spring floral finds: these Mille pants, this Horror Vacui blouse (on sale!), and this Emerson Fry.
MINI’S BIRTHDAY PREP. I can’t believe my baby is going to be six in about a month! We are hosting a cookie decorating party for her at a local bakery, and my sweet and talented friend Erin Wallace designed the cutest invitations — with blue gingham background for my blue-loving lady. I know we’ve discussed this in the past on Magpie, but a lot of us are over favor bags because, to be honest, we just end up tossing all of those little plastic trinkets in the garbage, and it feels like such a waste. I personally cannot stand when the children come home with ring pops!!! They are such a mess and we’ve stained several precious things with them. I know they are a novelty and a treat and I’m being a bit of a curmudgeon but ahhh! No thank you! The last few years, we’ve given out books as favors instead. For this baking-themed one, we’re distributing copies of one of mini’s favorite books. It’s loosely based on Julia Child but the theme is that it’s important to maintain the simplicity and sweetness of childhood — not to let worldly desires and the rush of adult life overwhelm us. To be honest, every time I read it, I feel schooled. (In a good way.) The illustrations are fantastic, too. I ordered these gingham stickers with the words “thank you, sweet friend! xoxo, emory shoop” on them to affix as a book plate of sorts on the interior page. Beyond that, it’s kind of lovely to be having a party outside the house? Our first ever! We usually opt for at-home ones because we enjoy making the cupcakes, serving up some fare and coffee for the parents, having entertainment come to us, but…I’m excited! Easier this year. All I’ll need to do is pick up some balloons. I’m thinking I’ll order some of these and these and mix with some matte pink/blue/seafoam. If you’re local to Bethesda, I go to Party Mania on Cordell because they will fill up any balloon you bring to them, plus have all the basic colors and some specialty ones, too. (And it’s convenient!)
MR. MAGPIE’S FLEECE. My children have been into basketball because mini plays basketball with her fellow kindergarteners on Saturday, and we’ve been spending time on the weekends dribbling and passing. But when I posted the snap above, a lot of you wanted to know about Mr. Magpie’s fleece! It’s this one from Todd Snyder, and currently on sale. They always do such great colors, which is nice because so much of men’s fashion is gray, blue, brown, or black!
JAPONG BAKERY. Mr. Magpie and I made our second trip to Japong Bakery in Rockville, MD this past week and — wow. If you’re local, you must visit. They are best known for their cream puffs, and you must get at least one (try the original for sure, but they also have chocolate and matcha fillings), but my mouth was watering as I surveyed the case. Coconut bombs! Milk bread! Whipped cream buns! Wow. Everything is delightful. It is in the same shopping center as Gama Chicken and BBQ, which makes our favorite Korean-style fried chicken. Worth a visit to hit up those two spots! You will thank me later. We usually pick the items up and drive them home to eat, as its not the most scenic venue.
BACK TO NATURE HIMALAYAN SEA SALT CRACKERS. A bit less exciting than fried chicken and cream puffs, but I am addicted to these crackers. They have a great seedy kind of texture but are, as the name suggests, super salty. These are fantastic for pairing with whipped ricotta, mild cheeses, dips, etc. I can’t leave Whole Foods without them.