Weekend Vibes: On Firsts.

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My Latest Snag: Doen Dress.

I snagged this gorgeous Doen dress this week! I know I am going to get so much wear out of it, and I’ve not once regretted a Doen purchase. These are the dresses I reach for time and time again each season — they really score highly on the “ease of wear” vertical. Perfect with brown ballet flats for something a little more casual, or velvet heels for a dressier occasion. I typically size down in Doen dresses, so I took an XXS. Will report back when it arrives and I can try on. The other dress I LOVE from the current collection is this one, called the Charlene. I am dangerously close to ordering that one for Thanksgiving. The covered buttons kill me.

Speaking of Doen, this top was a bestseller this week! I think I need that one, too…

This Week’s Bestsellers.

01. J. CREW SHIRT DRESS // 02. DORSEY CLEMENCE // 03. ALEX MILL BETTY SWEATER // 04. QUINCE STRIPED CREWNECK SWEATER // 05. SKIMS LACE TRIM BRA // 06. L.L. BEAN BOAT AND TOTE // 07. ROZ SHAMPOO* // 08. HOMWE OVEN MITTS (THE BEST) // 09. CITIZENS CHARLOTTE JEANS // 10. APC GRACE BAG // 11. UGG TAZZ SLIPPERS // 12. KOSAS AIRBROW // 13. TALBOTS CABLEKNIT CARDIGAN // 14. DOEN AMINA TOP // 15. J. CREW BOOTS // 16. MADEWELL PERFECT VINTAGE JEANS // 17. GAP HIGH RISE SWEATPANTS

*Roz is offering Magpie readers 15% off with code MAGPIE15. This even works on their already-discounted foundations shampoo and conditioner bundle. I am literally obsessed with this shampoo/conditioner. It’s super similar to Oribe, if you like that brand, but a little less expensive, and the lather is superior. It creates the BEST, foamiest, most luxurious, spa-like lather.

Weekend Musing: Your First Anything Will Be Bad.

This week, I came across the most stirring post on Instagram: “Your first ANYTHING will be bad. But you can’t make your 100th without making your first. So put your ego aside, and start.”

The sentiment rippled through me and extended simultaneously into several different rivulets of thought.

I thought of writing, and of the way a lot of our best work starts with bad first drafts.

I thought of my first golf swings earlier this summer — of the whiffing, of the shanking — and of my inaugural runs after any long hiatus: slow, aching, quagmired.

I thought of my maiden attempts at pitching my technology business, of how strained and garbled the words felt in my mouth.

I thought of the early weeks of breastfeeding, how awkward and unnatural I felt — my back hunched, my arms at jarring angles as I tried desperately to support my daughter’s head.

I thought of so many ungainly first days, and first versions, and first tries.

But this is how we learn. This is progress; this is discovery. No one gets a hole-in-one their first time in the tee box. No one publishes a book without multiple drafts. So why do we permit the beginnings to embarrass us, when the truth is: this is how it unfolds for everyone. I do think it’s about ego, and completion desire, and a cultural obsession with product rather than process. But you know what? At 39, I am realizing that a lot of the real stuff of life — the growth, the heart — can be awkward, embarrassing even. For example, love can be embarrassing. It can lead us to do wild things, like drive across the state in the middle of the night, and grin like a cheshire cat, and write publicly, perhaps mawkishly, about how their husbands hung the moon.

So, too, with anything new. Your first anything is going to be bad. Lean into it. Embrace the cringe. Or, better yet, subvert it. Shrug in its face. Own the novitiate status. I’m not good at this yet, but I am learning.

Onward!

P.S. This reminded me of “the milestones of motherhood“: you can’t do it, you can’t do it, you can’t do it — and then, suddenly, you can.

P.P.S. Also, cheers to middles!

Post-Scripts.

+LOVE this sherpa vest. Reminds me (in shape) of the one from Isabel Marant! Also love the way it’s styled with the striped shirt.

+REALLY good Ulla Johnson on super sale at Outnet. I know I just said I’m not a huge fan of mini dresses on me, but this…! Imagine wearing for a football Sunday situation, just bouncing around barefoot with a glass of wine and some snacks! And this is a fall staple type dress. Wear to school things, coffee with girlfriends, lunch dates, etc.

+Boll and Branch is offering up to 40% off select items, plus an extra 15% off with code FF23. This includes my favorite eyelet trim sheets and select colors of my beloved waffle bed blanket. (You can see my B&B bedding in action in this photo.)

+I am obsessing over this navy suede bucket bag from Madewell. I love the J. Crew style from this season, too, but the buckle is SO good on the Madewell! And that rich navy! It’s 25% off!

+If you mix cocktails at home with any frequency, you MUST buy this. I’ve mentioned it several times over the years, but my girlfriends came over last weekend and both marveled over it — you need this at your bar! Makes it so much easier to measure small amounts without getting down at eye level with the liquid’s surface. Fine mesh strainers are also in constant use in our home (including for straining citrus juice for cocktails).

+Loving the shape of these sunnies.

+Just discovered a new brand for Mr. Magpie via my brother-in-law, Outerknown, and I have this waffle tee and this “blanket shirt” (“over 1K 5 star reviews”!) in my cart for him.

+HOW CUTE is this corduroy jacket for a toddler? I also have this little flannel in my cart for my son.

+Love these woven sconces.

+New children’s e-boutique Bea Colette has so many gorgeous, well-curated European clothing pieces for littles. This dress — I swooned! The buttons! Everything! Vibe for less with this.

+This furry bag is so fun.

+I just updated my list of promo codes here! Happy shopping.