My Latest Snag: The Staud Shirley Bag.
Finally pulled the trigger on this bag, which I’ve been talking about for months and months at this point. I got it in the pink. It makes me happy. And it is on sale! That is all.
You’re Sooooo Popular: The RR Dress.
The most popular items on the blog this week:
+This fun Rhode Resort dress in the punchiest, most on-trend print. (Would go great with my new bag!)
+Statement making knit-shirting combo dress. LOVE.
+My favorite sunnies, on sale for $48.
+The maternity suit I wore in FL.
+The prettiest shade of pale lavender for the most stylish jammies. (On sale!)
+A pretty and personalized hair bow organizer for your mini.
+Mini’s bassinet — soon to be micro’s!
+Love love love these pendants.
#Turbothot: Marie Kondo Fatigue.
I found Grace’s honest reaction to the Marie Kondo mania interesting and well-put. Though I enjoyed a few episodes of Marie’s show and put her techniques to good use at home, I also noticed — with confusion — a lot of fellow bloggers and public figures touting the Marie Kondo method as a means to clear out the old in order to make space for the new, which is in some ways the opposite of Marie’s ethos. Yes, her approach involves downsizing and sifting through belongings and trashing what we do not use, but always as a means to simplify. (What do you really need and enjoy?) It does not mean chucking things to replace with newer versions. (That said, sometimes simplifying entails stocking up on the appropriate storage solutions and tools. Since moving to New York, I have invested heavily in organizational solutions and I can’t tell you how much joy and order this has brought to my life. Just organizing mini’s snack pouches into pantry bins and my cosmetics into acrylic trays has given me the greatest peace of mind. But it did require investment in a ton of closet/pantry/cupboard organizers!)
I was reflecting on this the other day when I heard that Lee Radziwill had passed away. Lee was an interesting and complicated character. I’ve read a couple of biographies of Jackie O. that delve into Lee and I own the gorgeous Lee coffee table book — and, while fabulously stylish, she comes off as cold and unfeeling in many of the portraits I’ve encountered of her. But she did pass along some beautiful sentiments, one of which I captured here and another of which I will botch here: she reportedly once said something along the lines of “When I buy something, I buy it with the intent of owning it for life.”
I admire her ethos. It’s not anti-consumerist — it’s thoughtful purchasing. It reflects mindfulness when it comes to the quality and seasonality of a given piece. I can’t say I always heed the same advice. I like a statement accessory, even when I know it won’t be in vogue in a few seasons — c.f. my new Staud bag above. I enjoy the occasional trend (helloooo tie dye) and I like how I feel when I am pushing myself out of my own fashion comfort zone to embrace the new new new. But I find that as I age and have the increasing means to do so, I prefer to invest in pieces I’ll keep forever (or as long as I possibly can), especially when it comes to furniture, art, bedding, and select accessories. This doesn’t mean that everything I buy in these categories is the most expensive item on the market. In fact, we have found some exceptional pieces of art on Etsy and at thrift stores, and we managed to score an almost-good-as-new drop-leaf dining table from Room & Board on AptDeco for a song. It does mean that we often hunt for a piece for weeks and weeks before settling on one, and that even the seemingly simplest of purchases — like minimagpie’s new table and chairs, which I mentioned here — will occasionally take us days of debate before we settle on a winner. I think it comes down to intentionality and mindfulness. I’d been eyeing that Staud bag for months and months and — OK! Now I know it will bring me joy when it’s in my closet. Who cares if it’s old news in a season? I’ll still rock it. I still wear my Valentino Rockstud flats and my Chanel espadrilles, even though I’m fairly sure most people would consider them dinosaurs in the fashion world at this point.
Anyway — what are your thoughts on all of this? Are you sick and tired of hearing about “sparking joy” and Marie Kondo? Or are you still riding the bandwagon?
#Shopaholic: Things I’ve Bought with the Intent of Owning for Life.
My own Lee Radziwill guide — things I’ve purchased with the intent of owning forever (or as long as possible):
+Matouk towels. I own these and these and they are the plushest, thickest, highest quality you can find for the price.
+Chanel bag, in black.
+Supergas. They last forever and look just as chic at the age of 20 as they do at the age of 80.
+Ceramic foo dogs. I just know I’ll love these forever. I had eyed them for years before I finally bought a set of my own.
+Ginger jar collection. Similar to the above, I’ve collected mine over time. I’ve inherited a few from an aunt, purchased a few from Williams-Sonoma, and snagged some inexpensive ones from Home Goods and One Kings Lane.
+Stark antelope rug. Another piece I’d eyed for, like, years. I am still in love with it to this day. (Also, the print hides a whole manner of spills/crumbs/stains…)
+LL Bean bags. I’ve accrued a collection of these over time, knowing they’ll stand me well no matter what circumstance I’m facing. I’ve used them for everything from packing picnics at Wolf Trap to beach trips with girlfriends to diaper bags and can imagine them being put to just as good use toting gear to sports practices and packing for weekend trips to the Hamptons with our children (!).
+Tod’s Loafers. Buy now, wear forever. Have also heard really good things about the quality of M. Gemi’s similar (but less expensive) style.
+Ralph Lauren oxford shirt. I own this in multiple colors and stripes and have worn them since prep school. Will probably continue to wear them into my 90s, God willing.
+Tweezerman tweezers. Will simply never buy another pair, unless I somehow lose these. So I chose a pair in hot pink.
+Mason Pearson brush. The best. I own this exact color and “pocket” size — I found the bigger one was too big for my hands/head!
+Hot Tools curling iron. The absolute best in my opinion. Lasts forever, too. Mine already look like they’re from the 80s or something, and I like them that way.
+Lodge cast iron skillet. Mr. Magpie inherited his from his grandmother, and it was so deliciously well-seasoned by the time it came into our possession. We already had one in a larger size; we’ll use it until we die.
+All-Clad pots and pans. We’ve slowly upgraded our entire cookware collection from the miscellaneous pieces we bought/inherited in college to a full set of these, and are still always eyeing new additions. They never warp. We also love our copper Mauviel (we have a few pieces), but they do require more upkeep/maintenance in terms of appearance than our All Clads. Copper conducts heat more evenly, though, I believe, if you’re going for precision.
I’m missing tons of things from this list, but these are some of the pieces I own that I love and use nearly every single day. (I would actually argue that many of my shoes — even the trendiest of them! — were bought with the intent of longevity.)
On a related note, I’ve been meaning to share this FOREVER, but my dear friend Alison Kenworthy (my inaugural woman of substance!) has recently launched an incredible new website in which she tours the uniquely-decorated homes of interesting people in Manhattan and beyond. I was so touched that she asked to visit me! You can see an abbreviated home tour here (scroll down to “Fashion Blogger’s NYC Apartment”). Note that I’m six months pregnant here and look kind of shapeless but how cute is my dress?! Can you believe it cost me $20?!?!? I’m wearing my Lele Sadoughi headband in the video, too.