My Latest Snag: Hill’s First Birthday Gift.
Hill turns one at the end of the month, and I feel twenty-two ways about it. How can we be here already? And yet — I absolutely cannot imagine my life before him. Alongside a couple of other smaller gifts, we bought him this Baghera ride-on car toy in the silk-gray color, which is ill-advised on so many levels (another big toy in a small apartment! his sister will go green with envy! sure to cause many injuries! etc.), but also thrillingly perfect and extravagant for a boy who has hardly any toys of his own (second child problems) and who will have just weathered a very bizarre and shut-in-like conclusion to the first year of his life. Beyond that: Mr. Magpie, always the pragmatist and voice of reason talking me down from my grandiose, maximalist plans, is over-the-top opulent in exactly two situations in life: when on vacation and when celebrating his children’s birthdays. On vacation in Aspen, he stopped into a Ralph Lauren store and bought two cashmere sweaters on a lark — highly suspect behavior from a man who will usually wait until his clothing has holes in it to contemplate purchasing something new, and at which point, he will look helplessly at me as he rifles through his closet: “Jen, I have no clothes left.” In Spain, he ordered a bottle of cava and extra rounds of tapas at 11 p.m., shrugging off my comment that we probably wouldn’t finish any of it because we were so tired — this, from a man who will finish the last dregs of wine from the glass sitting on my desk hours after I’ve gone to bed so it won’t go to waste. You get the drift: vacation Mr. Magpie is like a modern day Louis XIV.
And so, for Hill’s first birthday, under Mr. Magpie’s counsel, a Baghera it will be.
P.S. More great gifts for children.
You’re Sooooo Popular: The M.Z. Wallace Metro Tote.
The most popular items on the blog this past week:
+The MZ Wallace tote, newly (rarely!) discounted!
+Gorgeous statement earrings (30% off).
+TBBC jammies — currently an extra 50% off with code PINKPRICEPARTY.
+Cutest tunic top / coverup, on sale.
+As elegant as you can make a changing pad cover.
+Sweet personalized cardigan for a little one.
+A classic shirtdress will never let you down.
+Still swooning over this $25 floral maxi.
+For your next Prime order: ultra-soft and inexpensive facial cotton, delightfully spicy crackers, and Hanky Panky dupes.
#Turbothot: Windows Open Season.
We have been closing in on the brief and delicious sliver of a season where we live with windows open. It’s cool enough for comfortable sleep at night and warm enough for deep swills of fresh air during the day, and — in the tiniest of ways — our apartment feels as though it has a bit of the outside in it. I love the rattle of the blinds in the window-frame, dancing as the breeze drifts in. I love the taste of the air as I wash glasses at the kitchen sink late at night, diffusing the leftover pungency of aromatics diced on the cutting board for dinner. I love the impression of carelessness, of ease, of the unplugged.
A small nothing that has been making me happy these past few days, as I look out on the world with quiet eyes.
Post-Scripts.
+My pearl cardigan is available again, now in ultra-chic black! (My ivory one sold out.)
+Lusting after this La Double J.
+This sweet chambray ruffle midi dress is an extra 40% off with code TAKE40SALE.
+This dramatic necklace is so fun for summer.
+Maisonette’s house brand makes wonderful sweatshirts for little boys — currently 50% off! — and really cute swimwear.
+Have always wanted bamboo flatware for a summer table. Maybe this summer is THE summer. For the cost of a meal out on the town that we will likely not be able to enjoy, I could buy a couple of sets and enjoy all summer long…
+Love the layette brand 1212 (so, so soft), and this lemon print is really cute for summer jammies.
+This luggage rack with the blue toile straps (available on the white frame) is so chic! Never knew I needed a luggage rack…
+I keep seeing people talk about this “mermaid serum.” Intrigued…has anyone tried it?
+Didn’t realize that most of Hannah Andersson is 50% off, plus free shipping — perfect time to snag their classic jammies.
+I think I need these striped trousers!
+These earrings are so pretty (and reasonably priced).
+This ethereal white dress (featured in a post earlier this week) is 40% off now!
Happy almost birthday, Hill! 🙂 Will love to hear what he thinks of the Baghera, I’m now eyeing it for my little one’s first birthday in November.
And, re: bringing the outside indoors, do you have any plants in your apartment? We have two cats who get into everything, so can only have on in our current space (it hangs in front of our living room window, safely out of baby/cat reach), but it has brought me more joy than I thought it would, especially these days. I don’t even know what type it is, I bought it at Whole Foods for like $5 a year and a half ago, and I water it like once a week, and nevertheless, it grows! xo.
Will report back on the Baghera! Landon was so excited when it arrived, he tore open the box like a little boy himself. So already a hit in the house. HA!
I love that — yes and amen to houseplants. We have a number of them — they make everything feel brighter and happier 🙂
xx
Yes, fresh air coming in through open windows is THE BEST after all that stale winter air! Before husband and kids, I preferred open windows and ceiling fans to AC and only turned it on when it was so hot that sleeping was uncomfortable. For some reason, AC and closed windows in summer feels a bit claustrophobic. Now I get vetoed 🙂 so I have to really enjoy this short time of year as you said. Also, I love the idea of extravagant vacation- mode Mr Magpie!! We should all strive for this whenever we’re allowed to vacation again!
Yes to vacation-mode Mr. Magpie! So nice to live it up in celebration…
And cheers to this brief windows open season!!
xx
Without sounding like a nutter, addressing this to a blogger across the world, how is your child one!!! Where has the year gone!???
I hope you all have a lovely celebration. A perfect present for a little boy.
Take care,
Gilly in Perth xx
Thank you!! I have no idea…it flew by. xx
https://www.zimmermannwear.com/us/shop-sale/sale-tops/zinnia-shirred-top-ivory-floral.html
I’m dying over this blouse!!! STUNNING. In love.
Happy Birthday Hill!!! Lucky boy!
Love so many things, but as I’m older, the eyelet and ruffles don’t work so well. Found this to wear with my white jeans!!!I
https://www.zimmermannwear.com/us/shop-sale/sale-swim-and-resort/zinnia-shirred-top-ivory-floral.htmlutm_source=rakutenutm_medium=affiliateutm_campaign=cpasid=j84dhjlqkr4ranmid=40802raneaid=1808364ransiteid=j84dhjlqkr4-g00o8uuz3olbvnfsz37tlq
Thank you for the birthday wishes for my boy!!!
I’m right there with you on the delight of the sliver-sized season for open windows — I’m writing this next to our kitchen windows with the breeze blowing in and the distant sound of a neighbor’s lawnmower. LOVE this season!
Thank you for the reminder about the Bala bangles — going to (back)order myself a pair to receive later this summer. 🙂
xx
Yay! And I am sitting here at my desk with the breeze blowing on my face and the…not quite as bucolic sound of city traffic coursing 14 stories below me. Ha!
xx