Weekend Vibes, Edition No. 224: I Am 37.

My Latest Snag: Outdoor Cushions.

I mentioned that we inherited a rattan outdoor furniture set for the patio of our new home (similar vibe with this), which we could not be more thrilled about. I love the look! Mr. Magpie is going to spray paint the set once we arrive so it looks ultra-crisp/fresh. The cushions left something to be desired, and my mother-in-law originally offered to sew us new cushion covers (she is an excellent seamstress and has fantastic taste to boot — the type of woman who sews her own drapes, reupholsters her own furniture, etc.), but then she found this chic and reasonably priced set in navy with smart white piping and we decided to go that direction instead! Now I’m spending way too much time wondering about throw pillows when I should be focusing on much higher priority tasks, like which furniture pieces we must order ASAP and which to wait on, and how to sequence/tie it all together as we are currently in the process of engaging an interior designer to help with certain aspects. Anyhow, I did discover that The Inside has some fantastic printed outdoor pillows in a 20″ size (I like the scale of that size over a 16″ or 18″) — the coral in particular might be a fun contrast with the navy, or maybe the blue aviary to have a shades-of-blue situation?!

P.S. More patio/deck finds here.

You’re Soooo Popular: An LWD.

The most popular items on le blog this week:

+Adorable $148 dress for a bride-to-be, or any lover of the LWD.

+I bought these bandaids because the prints were fun but OMG. These are actually the best bandaids?? They actually stay on micro’s foot, even when traipsing through sand and water at the beach, and when wearing sneakers that rub at the heel of his foot?! I am in shock! Great, great bandaid that will actually stick on for a long time.

+This chic floral mini, which just went on sale!

+This also-on-sale Staud maxi in the perfect muted green color. J’adore. And cutouts are so big at the moment!

+These seriously fun Aquazzura slides — 55% off and would transform any white dress or even denim shorts and a white shirt into the perfect outfit for the FOJ.

+Adorable hand-smocked dress for a little lady for under $40.

+This rattan dog!!

+This SZ Blockprints dress is still a topseller, multiple weeks into the summer!

+The entirety of Target’s new collection with Quincy Mae — so many cute items!

+Sweet rosary bracelet.

+Beautiful neutral midi dress at a great price.

+Pearl-accented straw bag.

+My favorite summer candle.

Weekend Musings: I Am 37.

I turn 37 today. In years past, I’ve taken my birthday as an occasion for deep introspection — especially when I turned 34 and then 35. (36 was a weird year — COVID was not yet in the rear view mirror and insights were few and far between.) So I sit here at my little white desk at 3:39 P.M. overlooking the UWS and I ask myself: “What did I learn this year?” I think my main achievements have been in the mental wellness space. I find myself far more emotionally resourceful and self-aware after this past year. Perhaps COVID required this of all of us: Mr. Magpie took up meditation, and I focused on small and intentional ways to make my life feel more measured and less harried. I now find myself in near-constant, self-conscious conversation with myself. When I was highly stressed in the days leading up to the closing on our house (somehow, there were still things that needed ironing out 48 hours prior to close, which I have since learned is not particularly uncommon), I remember having the wherewithal to pause and tell myself: “This is hard. But this, too, shall pass. Know that you have had this exact same set of emotions in past moves and life decisions, and usually the discomfort relates to the unknowns of enormous change. Take a deep breath and remember that things always have a way of working out.”

Perhaps most powerfully, I have learned to let myself live with my own emotions, to let them breathe, to not instinctively bat them away or shush them or tell myself “you shouldn’t feel this way because of xyz.” I have told my sisters on countless occasions: “You are entitled to feel the way you feel.” This year, I remembered to tell myself the same thing.

I am imperfect, of course — at the pediatrician a few months ago, I mentioned that I blamed myself for a habit of one of my children, and she paused and tsked: “No, no, let’s not get into blaming ourselves.” Still, I feel as though I have “leveled up” in my own ability to take care of my emotions and recognize that, as I put it in a post earlier this week, I am not personally responsible for everything that happens in my life.

I also find myself increasingly accepting of the inevitable march of time on my body. Though I do occasionally find myself crooning: Oh, to be lithe and 18 again!, I also feel — perhaps moreso than any other year — grateful to be living in this body at this time. It survived two C-sections, the flu, and COVID in the past few years, and it now dutifully runs 3-4 miles every other day, and what can I say? I am lucky to be stewarding it through this life, laugh lines and wrinkles included.

So cheers to 37. Looking forward to settling in somewhere permanent (that we own!) to give this active body and mind a slight break — or whatever break I can get given that life with two small children only moves at one speed: uncomfortably fast.

Onward!

Post-Scripts: Half-Zip Sweatshirt.

+I have an oversized half-zip sweatshirt almost identical to this in the slate blue color and LOVE it for chilly nights/throwing on over leggings for a Lady Di vibe. (She actually wore ones from Sloppy Joe, which are kind of pricey and a pain to get your hands on…but I get the hype.)

+Go full Princess Di by pairing with black bike shorts. I actually like this style, which is a little shorter than a proper bike short…more flattering for me.

+Great white shirtdress for summer.

+This bow ring is exceptionally gorgeous.

+Tenderleaf Toys makes such beautiful toys — mini would love this set. She loves anything that has little parts that you use, especially that echo common household/daily activities, like brushing hair, working at a computer, cooking, etc.

+Eyeing this for micro when we move.

+A great closet staple.

+These affordable personalized pouches (#pouchlife) remind me of Stoney Clover but at a tremendous fraction of the price. Love the second photo, where a purchaser arranged them all as gifts at a luncheon! Cute idea for a bachelorette, girl’s birthday party, etc.

+Adore this blush wine glass set — I’m imagining a porch sit with a girlfriend and a bottle of wine in the near future…

+This zip-up rash guard is genius because those things can be hard to get on children!

+These indoor/outdoor children’s kitchens are amazing!

+Keep coming back to this smocked dress in the chic blue color…

+La Coqueta has marked additional sweet items down in their incredible sale. Shared a few favorites in this post, but this pink dress…!

+This little summer top is just adorable.

+A chic alternative to the ubiquitous Micro scooters — love the matte pink and stark white!

+Another masterpiece from Agua Bendita!

+This $34 dress in the sky blue floral is a great everyday dress.

+These leather sandals with the hearts!

+This floral shirtdress is sitting in my cart, as is this white eyelet dress with bows on the shoulder…!