Weekend Vibes, Edition No. 269: Tomato Sandwiches.

*Image via Patrick Ahearn Architects.

My Latest Snag: A Few Finds for the Children.

My favorite recent snags for mini…

A SHORTS SET FROM SUNHOUSE CHILDREN

A DRESS FROM SUNHOUSE CHILDREN

BLUE AND WHITE STRIPED NIGHTGOWN

MATTE JELLY SANDALS

And for micro: Lacoste masks (I swear he loses a mask a week), a few pairs of Oso and Me shorts, gingham pajamas, nautical pajamas (SO cute IRL), and a rugby stripe sweatshirt.

I often order their clothes in batches — next up, I am eyeing a pair of these waterproof loafers for micro, a few of these everyday play dresses from TBBC, and Lila + Hayes shorts sets for micro (whenever they go on sale!)

You’re Soooo Popular: Spring Finds.

The most popular items on Magpie this week:

COLOR-CHANGING OK TO WAKE CLOCK — THIS HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY INSTRUMENTAL IN KEEPING OUR CHILDREN IN THEIR ROOMS UNTIL A REASONABLE HOUR

PERSONALIZED STATIONERY SET

RETRO STYLE CAT-EYE SUNGLASSES IN TORTOISE BROWN

TWO-PIECE SWIMSUIT WITH STATEMENT RUFFLE AND TIE-BACK

BABY RIBBED TOP AND BOTTOM PALM PRINTED SET

PISTOLA DENIM CROPPED WIDE-LEG WHITE JEANS, A SUMMER CLOSET STAPLE

PUFF SLEEVE WRAP TIERED MIDI DRESS IN A GORGEOUS LAVENDER COLOR

GREEN FLORAL PRINTED SWIMSUIT WITH SQUARE NECKLINE

CITRON YELLOW DENIM CUTOFF SHORTALLS FOR TODDLERS…IN LOVE WITH THIS SHADE OF YELLOW FOR SUMMER, PLUS THIS PIECE IS ON SALE NOW

BASIC LONG SLEEVE TOP WITH UPF 50+ SUN PROTECTION — 20% OFF WITH CODE VIPSAVE (THANKS FOR THE TIP, MIA!)

TIERED BABYDOLL MINI DRESS WITH FLUTTER SLEEVES

BLUE FLORAL SLEEP DRESS WITH TIE SLEEVES AND RUFFLED HEM

MICRO’S BIRTHDAY PARTY INVITATION FROM THE INIMITABLE ERIN WALLACE

LIGHTWEIGHT BLOCK PRINT MINI DRESS WITH SMOCKED NECKLINE — THE PERFECT DRESS FOR SUMMER

PRINTED MIDI DRESS, HANDMADE IN INDIA

SET OF ROSE INC MAKEUP ESSENTIALS

Weekend Musings: Tomato Sandwiches, Haloed.

I have been thoroughly enjoying Stanley Tucci’s food memoir. The writing runs a bit imbalanced, but his is a clever, sharp, observant voice and his passion for food is contagious. I have particularly treasured the passages about the childhood meals enjoyed with his Italian-American family. There is a lovely bit in which he describes the musty wine cellar in which his grandfather stored homemade jarred tomato sauce, hunks of salami, and his own wine. “Was it the best wine I’ve ever had? No. Was it the worst wine I’ve ever had? Close to it.” (Ha!) But he concludes by saying that the family happily enjoyed it because it was his grandfather’s proud handiwork and something of a sacrament of his family’s tradition of self-reliance, connection to the home and garden, and celebration.

One of the things I have loved about his writing is the way in which he reminds me that even the humblest offerings — he talks often about the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches his mother made him — can become a kind of relic of love.

I was reminded of the way my Italian grandmother, Carmella, used to prepare tomato sandwiches for us when we’d arrive to visit in Painesville, Ohio. The offering was simple: a thick slice of tomato covered in delicatessen provolone and laid atop a slice of Italian bread before being toasted in the oven until just melted. I recall eating them standing up in her small kitchen, even before I’d stowed my bag in the guest bedroom. She never seemed to eat with us — in fact, despite the overflowing plates of rigatoni she’d make for dinner, I can’t remember her actually putting a fork to her mouth. Instead, she’d embrace us and urge us to eat while clearing dishes. I can still remember the way she said my father’s name while plying him to “eat another,” with the tenderness only a mother can have for a son, and it always made me see my father differently: I’d catch the most transient glimpse of him as a boy, in need of his own mother, rather than the disciplined patriarch he was in our own home.

I wish I could remember more of her. Inspired by Tucci, I pulled out a slim book my father self-published years ago on all four of my grandparents, such that my siblings and I would always remember them and their fascinating, brave, diverse stories (three of my four grandparents were immigrants or children of immigrants to the US). In it, my father specifically mentions the tomato sandwiches (!), along with a moving passage that explains that my grandmother abruptly abandoned the detailed social journal she’d kept for 25 years the day my aunt died. “The last entry, the only one in Aser’s [my grandfather’s] handwriting, was from February 22, 1993, and it simply noted that ‘Pat died today.'” I wrote about this in a post a few years back, reflecting that my aunt was how my grandmother had kept time. The interruption of her social diary was a jarring representation of the “the all-consuming centricity of parenthood, the reframing of all things, the centripetal force of [our] daughters.”

Anyhow. Let me pull myself together. The tomato sandwiches! Simple fare elevated by childhood memory, as though haloed by my grandmother’s love. I think I’ll make some for my children this weekend.

Shopping Break.

+Another Target slam dunk. More Target finds here.

+I’m not normally a black dress gal, but can’t stop thinking about this style after seeing it on Stephanie.

+A lot of you spotted my son in these pull-on seersucker pants and wanted to know the source — I wanted to mention I found a very similar style for 1/3 of the price here.

+Currently drooling over these woven crossbodies from Cesta. I also love their popular lunchpail shape!

+Love these Onitsuka Tiger sneaks.

+This dramatic top is 60% off and SO chic for a festive cocktail hour (pair with white jeans!)

+This Marysia bikini top is 80% off (!) — even if you have to pay full price for the bottoms elsewhere, a good deal!

+Love this casserole dish and rattan holder!

+These blazers are SO chic. Love the dramatic gold buttons, and VB is top-rate in terms of tailoring/cut. You can get the look for less with this style.

+I’ve had a few inquiries about children’s birthday party themes. My first rec is to look at what Erin Wallace has dreamed up and build out from the invitation, but I also love the idea of a race car themed party using this suite of Meri Meri products. (The big gift could be this car, which micro has!, and would double as perfect party decor. Imagine tying a bunch of balloons to the steering wheel and having it greet guests at the door!)

+These scalloped pajamas are absolutely adorable.

+This fab CeliaB top is on sale!

+I keep seeing these dramatic pleated hats pop up all over the place! What do we think? More sunhat options here, to which I would add this $22 steal!

+Sophisticated wedding guest dress option in an unusual hue (under $250!)

+Adore this $30 eyelet top.

+Darling ribbed lounge set for a little one.