Weekend Vibes: I Stop Writing the Poem.

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I took the above photo at a vineyard about an hour outside NYC a few years ago. How spectacular?!

My Latest Snags: Cooler Weather Basics.

This week, I ordered a pair of Ugg ultra-minis (inspired by the photo, via Ugg, below, but I ordered in the forest green color) and a couple of layering basics, including a white LS tee from Velvet and a pointelle one from Leset. I also couldn’t resist this plaid baseball cap.

I did a big shop for my children at J. Crew — many of the items were marked down 50-60% off! — for some basics for their wardrobes, including this cardigan, a few of these and these (like a mini Leset pointelle!) tees, and this fuzzy sweater for my daughter; and, for my son: some dock pants (I like the fit of these on my boy, but find a lot of their pants are too slim/narrow/long), this striped tee, this LS polo, and this henley. The total should have been like $700 but with the code I made it out for under $200. Such good bargains!

This Week’s Bestsellers.

This week, we all settled into our fall wardrobes, it seems? Lots of fall footwear purchases! Some more of my favorite shoes for fall here.

01. DOEN AMINA BLOUSE // 02. RUE DE VERNEUIL TOTE // 03. LOEFFLER RANDALL CLOG (ON SALE)! // 04. JOE’S JEANS MIA DENIM // 05. GUESS BOOTS (LOOK SO MUCH LIKE MY MARANTS, BUT UNDER $100!) // 06. DOEN RIVIERA BOOTS // 07. ZARA ASYMMETRICAL SCARF COAT // 08. MESSERMEISTER PUMPKIN CARVING SET (THE BEST, TRUST ME — YOU’LL NEVER NEED ANOTHER SET) // 09. BAT WALL DECOR // 10. GOOP MICRODERM GLOW EXFOLIATOR // 11. HEART STICKIES (PERFECT FOR LUNCHBOX LOVE NOTES) // 12. UGG TAZZ SLIPPERS // 13. TJ MAXX LAMP // 14. MADEWELL BUCKET TOTE // 15. QUINCE CASHMERE SWEATER //

Weekend Musing: I Stop Writing the Poem.

I keep coming back to a poem I recently came across by Tess Gallagher, “I stop writing the poem.” She wrote this shortly after her husband, celebrated fiction writer Raymond Carver, passed away.

It elicits the strangest, strongest arc of emotions from me. I think about the enormity of grief as it unfolds awkwardly amidst the smallnesses of everyday life, how motherhood demands that we model living (and all of its attendant emotions, happy and sad) for our children, the interaction between the creative life and the everyday one, the constrictions of gender roles. So much packed into a scant twelve verses. Underneath it all: the poetics of grief, its unruliness. The way the title bleeds into the body, and boomerangs back out onto a metafictional plane (she tells us she has stopped writing, even as she, clearly, proceeds); the enjambment between verses; the formlessness — stanza-less-ness — of its form. The image of a widow folding the arms of her husband’s shirt together clings to me, thistle-like: an inverted, half-formed hug.

What else speaks to you in the poem?

Post-Scripts.

+Hygge season. Loving this fleece. How perfect with my fav $22 Amazon leggings in brown and Ugg ultra minis in burnt cedar for a little family fall walk? (Also love this solid brown fleece from Varley, and this much less expensive oversized fleece in great fall colors from Old Navy.)

+Speaking of chocolate brown: seems like the entire world is buying brown flats! Every pair keeps selling out! If you love them, too, snag this pair from J. Crew before they’re all gone. They launched Monday and are nearly sold out!

+Speaking of J. Crew, how adorable is this plaid skirt for a little love?

+Adore this new, neutral, plush rug from S&L. It’s exactly what I want underfoot in my primary bedroom.

+We’re fully embracing Halloween already. I think we’ve talked about this in the past, but how has Halloween spiraled into this enormous holiday in our lifetimes? It wasn’t a huge deal when I was a kid — a single night to dress up and eat candy — and now I swear it’s turned into a full on season! I’m not complaining but wow! I just bought my kids a few more Halloween activities, including these cute little Lego activity sets (another option here). I always like to keep some activities stocked in my closet. They came in handy this week when my daughter was home with an ear infection for two days and I needed some distractions for her! More activity/book ideas for Halloween here.

+These sherpa slides just arrived and my daughter looks so cute in them! Nailing the Boston Birk look at a young age!

+I’m in love with these precious corduroy jumpers / patterned turtlenecks from Sunhouse Children’s. I think I’m going to order a set for my daughter.

+The brand Aligne just generously sent me a few items from their e-boutique, including this classic camel topcoat and this denim shirtdress. I will share styled photos ASAP but wanted to flag that this is a great brand for my tall Magpies. Everything is very long/lean. I will need to have the coat tailored to fit — sleeves, hem! — and the dress is also very long.

+I love this dry shampoo SO MUCH (!!!) — thank you so much for the rec! I normally do not go more than two days without washing my hair, but now I can easily make three days with no problem. Some of you wrote in after to suggest I also try their volumizing spray — intrigued! I do struggle with volume at my crown. I’ve been using Oribe’s volumizing spray and it works great as a pre-heat-styling spray (spritz on wet hair before using hot tools), but intrigued by LP for when my hair is already dried/styled.

+Keep coming back to this cute gingham mini. I feel like it’d be the perfect thing to throw on for football Sunday / barefoot hang around the house this fall.

+Thanks to the generous team at Dorsey, this spectacular sapphire ring is en route to me. I’m pinching myself! Absolutely beautiful. I’m obsessed with this jewelry brand and think it’s a great source for pieces for a wedding (bridesmaids gifts / bridal earrings), milestones, birthdays, etc. I wrote a full review of the pieces I own from them here.

+Joy Creative Shop just launched some cute patterned fill-in-the-black thank you notes for children in collab with Pink Chicken. I ordered a few sets of these for my kids in anticipation of the holiday season.

+This velvet coat that Wiggy Kit just released is absolutely spectacular. Wowza.

+Just precious for a little prince on Thanksgiving.