My Latest Score
My birthday is on the 26th and Mr. Magpie has clued me into a special secret birthday dinner. So (duh) I had to find a great outfit for the occasion. Y’all, I can’t quit with Self-Portrait, and I snagged this little lovely, on sale for $267, which Lily Collins (above) recently rocked. On the more affordable end of the spectrum, I also snagged minimagpie another wet bag for her pool activities, this time this adorable banana leaf print one from Etsy for $28 with her initials monogrammed on it! (We already own this Pottery Barn one for her, which I carry with me everywhere with a spare set of clothing in the event of a messy situation.)
You’re Soooo Popular
Most popular items on Le Blog this week:
+This chic, wear-with-almost-anything bomber ($108).
+These fringed heeled sandals (on sale for $77). A heel in navy is always a good idea. Navy goes with pretty much everything — even black, despite what people will tell ya.
+My new favorite denim wrap skirt ($59) — I think I’ve worn this like three times in the past week. Woops.
+The cutest little jacket situation ($71).
+Reusable swim diapers ($15). I guess a lot of us moms are on the same page?
+A pair of Kissy Kissy baby jams from Saks, on sale for $26, but now sold out — BUT I also found this ducky pair on sale for $22 (!!) and these for $18! (More baby nightwear picks here.)
#Turbothot
Mr. Magpie and I have been listening to NPR’s S-Town podcast (which I’m pretty sure everyone else listened to months and months ago…#latetothegame). We keep listening to episodes, turning to one another, and puzzling over what the point is. I mean, it’s an interesting story of small-town drama, and there are some fascinating characters (can we call them characters?) and some timely commentaries on social issues, but–we keep waiting for the “GASP, OMG.”
And yet.
Perhaps its “smallness,” its narrowness in focus, its dialing in on the goings on of a small community in Alabama serve as a perfect tableau for reflection on American culture writ large. There’s an interesting tension between noting that some of the social norms in rural Alabama are…outdated (treading carefully here) and recognizing that many of its inhabitants have been cloistered in this community their whole lives. In one episode, a character named Tyler threatens to cut the fingers off of someone who has stolen from him, and makes clear that he sees this retaliation as fair and just. He goes on to say that he doesn’t think that his plans for revenge make him a bad person–and then pauses and hungrily asks what the reporter thinks of him. The reporter, who has been shocked by Tyler’s casual mention of dismemberment, says something to the effect of — “you’re a normal, complex human. Not a bad person. But certainly our life experiences have been different.” Tyler explains that maybe he doesn’t know right from wrong because he had been raised by a child molester–and he certainly doesn’t abuse or mistreat anyone he knows in that way. (Ergo, he believes, he must be a “good person.”)
This interested me in the way he–we–define values and mores. The episodes point to a sort of moral relativism we must contend with as listeners. Are there moral absolutes? Can we expect individuals raised by “bad people” to understand the difference between right and wrong? Is there such a thing as a “bad person”? Is there some sort of cultural/moral imperialism at play throughout the entire narrative, in the sense that we–presumably the educated elite that listens to NPR–perceive this Alabamian community? And, how is it that one of the story’s principal characters (John Macklemore), born and raised in this community, was able to view it and comment on it as an outsider?
So, I suspect that this program may be a sleeper hit that sits with me, provoking bewilderment while I’m shampooing my hair, stopped at a red light, drifting off to sleep at night…
Have any of y’all listened?
Shopaholic
+Very into this easy breezy $128 maxi.
+Love these chic (and cheap!) $12 shades.
+Has anyone tried Aerin’s rose balm ($58)? I love all things rose when it comes to beauty products, and this stuff seems suitable for cuticles, lips, face, etc. Plus, gorgeous packaging doesn’t hurt.
+Cute statement skirt ($80).
+Very much on-trend little dress with the asymmetry, the bow-shoulder, and the poplin/shirting stripe ($68).
+Fun dress for an evening out ($110).
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