*Image above has nothing to do with the following post, but it felt aspirationally correct for a Saturday morning. This photo is of Belmond Reid’s Palace hotel in Portugal.
My Latest Snag: Fall Clothes for Mr. Magpie from Todd Snyder.
I mentioned this in a brief post earlier this week, but if your man is in need of fall duds, get thee to Todd Snyder, who is running an additional 20% off their already steeply discounted sale section. We bought him two different styles of corduroys (these, which fit like a pair of jeans, and these, which are more traditional), a striped sweater (a first for him!), a few shirts (especially excited about this smart glen plaid), and more. He also owns and loves these colored twill pants and — though these are not on sale — loves these shorts on the weekends.
Great opportunity to score unbelievable prices on beautifully-made men’s clothing — I was already thinking forward to his Thanksgiving look!
P.S. Gifts for men.
You’re Sooooo Popular: Chic Beach Chairs.
The most popular items on the blog this past week:
+The most beautifully-scented counter spray.
+Still a few sizes left in this ultra-popular striped one-piece.
+Dainty personalized stacking ring.
+This gorgeous nightgown/day-dress from Gap keeps selling out!
+A gorgeous and affordable hobnail bowl.
Weekend Musings: The Falling Off Dream.
I would be laying in the dark of my childhood bedroom, letting my thoughts wander, and the ground beneath me in my mind’s eye would crumble and give way to an ill-lit abyss. I would grimace, jerk my body taut, attempt to whip my imagination into line: no, I would command myself. Make the ground solid.
This was the recurring falling-off feeling I confronted countless nights of my youth, just before slipping into sleep. Sometimes I still encounter it in that netherworld between waking and dreaming, as thoughts of all stripes course through my mind, though the sensation feels far less pernicious — even benign, impotent — now. I have often considered it a manifestation of anxiety, the fear of being out of control. But I have also wondered if it isn’t simply the visualization of falling into sleep: something my mind unwittingly plays to itself as I tumble into exhaustion. More recently, it has occurred to me that “the falling off” might also have represented a kind of internal friction between the bigness of my imagination and my obedience-oriented, risk-averse nature. This push-and-pull has defined the nature of creative work, at least for me: writing feels like a tightrope walk between the rendered and the unrenderable. It gives shape to what I feel, but there is always much left unparsed, immaterial, in the expanse beyond language.
I know that dreams about falling are as common as dreams about being chased through the streets or losing teeth, and there are myriad theories about the psychologies that support them. But did anyone else have a waking dream of this kind, where you are conscious enough of the progress of your thoughts that you can still re-direct them?
P.S. Another dream (this one an actual nightmare) from my youth.
Post-Scripts.
+Such a sweet dress. I love lavender.
+These shorts are SO fun. The pattern reminds me of this dress — also SO fun.
+These under-$100 sandals give me MAJOR The Row vibes. LOVE.
+Such a cute everyday pant and such a versatile everyday skirt!
+Ordered mini this inexpensive but well-reviewed cotton linen set for post-bath afternoons. I usually put her in a pima cotton dress after her afternoon bath, but these will be a cozy alternate.
+Want to add this book to my coffee table collection.
+Love this floral blouse. This is the kind of thing I like to layer under my beloved Madewell joveralls in early fall, aka the most strangely flattering thing I’ve put on my body.
+These look so comfortable for throwing on over a swimsuit.
+Boat shoes for little boys currently marked down to under $20.
+I just adore the neckline on this dress.
+Fun fall dress, especially for an expecting mom! But would work with or without a bump.
+This Oscar de la Renta dress is 70% off — wow wow wow. An investment but you could wear it from the age of 18 until 98, and I’d bet it’d hold up the entire time.
+Sweet $29 swiss dot dress for a little one — can be monogrammed.
+Digging these Missoni-esque trousers. Would look so chic with a white tank.
+My most recent roundup of reader questions.
+This beautiful dress reminds me of the Ulla I wore to Thanksgiving last year — still one of my favorite purchases.