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01. A tall stack of cheap white towels in the linen closet by my sink. I use these to wash my face morning and night. I love that I needn’t be precious — if a little makeup or mascara gets on there, no problem! They are just for washing my face. I toss them into a wire basket I keep at the bottom of the linen closet when used and wash them every few days.

02. We wash nearly all of our produce in a solution of baking soda and water. (I’ve heard other Magpies use a solution of vinegar and water, but the effect is the same: the soda or vinegar act as a mild abrasive, dissolving waxes/coatings.) We then rinse in a colander. We’ve been doing this for months and months, typically several times a day as our children are fruit flies, so we tend to just leave the orange Arm and Hammer box by the sink! I recently bought this little glass jar with lid and spoon to decant the baking soda into — a little bit less of an eyesore.

03. Ditto my two salt cellars for fancy salts (seen above). We use Diamond Kosher salt in great quantities as we cook at home a lot, and store that in an open-mouth salt pig from Emile Henry (N.B.: these now come in really fun colors, BUT you can also get the look for much less with these ones, also available in great colors). But I found we were reaching for both our Maldon flake salt and our seaweed salt a lot, and I hated the way those containers looked on our kitchen counter. These inexpensive wood salt cellars to the rescue! I bought them in two slightly different wood types so you can easily tell which is which, and stack them on top of one another.

04. Return address labels! Save me so much time. Cheap and cute prints from this Etsy shop.

05. Beadboard drying rack. Life changing! I love that this can collapse into the wall when not in use, and that it’s mounted / out of the way. Contemplating buying a second one to flank the first. I use these all the time!

06. These cabinet/drawer organizers — the smaller ones are great for things like hair ties, paper clips, push pins, etc, and the larger for pens, bandaids, lipsticks, makeup brushes, lining up bottles of sunscreen, etc. These are so handy in the kitchen, bathroom, and any linen/storage area of the home. For larger sets of things, I love this exact brand in the medium size. Somehow the perfect dimensions for everything — great for organizing sets of bath/body products (shampoos, body washes, etc), medicines, and general categories of loose items (e.g. in the linen closet in our children’s bathroom — we toss all the random combs, brushes, etc in these).

07. For organizing travel items and/or backstock of cosmetics, I’m in love with these drawers! I keep them under my sink. The fact that they are clear is a huge bonus. You can see everything!

08. Portable speaker. We love this thing! We bring it outside any time we’re out watching the kids on their bikes/playing in the yard, having a cocktail or dinner, sitting on the front stoop, etc. Mr. Magpie also uses it while washing the car and doing yard work. We also bring it on trips — great for beach, hotel room, etc. Super durable and semi-water-proof too. The best!

I’m not including this in the “little households things I love” category but I have to say: this teak dining table was the first item we bought for our house in Bethesda and not a day goes by I don’t love it. I noticed it’s 30% off, which might be the least expensive I’ve ever seen it. Strongly rec. We purchased it as soon as we closed on the house. (I mean, maybe the same day we closed?) We were so hungry for outdoor space, and this was the one thing we absolutely needed: outdoor dining table and chairs. I love the classic teak style and it’s the perfect size for our back covered porch. Withstands swampy D.C. summers and frosty D.C. winters with poise. We paired with these dining chairs. (S&L has a similar style they just released here. Unrelated, but these kitchen pendants, also from S&L’s newest arrivals, is so retro-chic and different!)

P.S. Another S&L item I love, and all its virtues, here.

P.P.S. More household favorites and repeat buys, plus kitchen favorites you might not have.

P.P.P.S. What’s the first job each morning?

Last Friday, I was in the backseat of my car – a perch in which I rarely find myself – and I noticed smudge marks on the interior of the trunk windows from where Tilly used to press her nose against the glass. Her impressions, still fresh.

Grief cuts with jagged teeth, doesn’t it? It had been a sunny day, and an auspicious one, and I found myself promptly rift in two. I sat in grief’s jaw the rest of the morning.

So here we are, a month after her death, and still I find her nearby. Nose prints, a stray kibble in the back of the pantry, the muscle memory of rushing to close the door behind me lest she skitter out alongside. My son continues to talk through his own grief at odd moments, folding her into conversation as often as he can. In the car on Wednesday, he blurted out: “I’m sad of Tilly.” (His own prepositional construction.). “Me, too,” I replied. “And that’s OK – that just shows us how much we love her. What’s making you sad about her?” He said: “I was thinking about throwing her toys to her, and now I can’t.” We talked about her playing with her toys in heaven, and then the car went quiet, and I imagine we were both imagining her tug-of-warring with an angel.

Last Sunday, we were on our way home from my in-laws, and I told Mr. Magpie I had just found myself subconsciously anticipating Tilly’s face in the front window.

“How long until I stop having to remind myself she’s not here?” I asked.

“Maybe that’s not something we want to wish away,” he replied, gently.

It is painful to cast after her ghost as if she weren’t gone, and yet the not casting would mean something different. A lapse in proximity. A further release. A longer, lesser leash.

So I keep her on my ring finger. At night, after I take her off, I look at the impression on my skin and think it, too, is a kind of portrait of grief. An indentation that gradually attenuates. How soft we are, and how resilient, too.

Post-Scripts.

+More on losing Tilly here, and two weeks before she was gone, I had the wherewithal to realize I was sitting in “the good ol days” with her at my feet.

+Life takes root around the perimeter.

+Grief is unexpressed love.

Shopping Break.

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+My Tilly ring. Truly one of my most treasured possessions.

+Can we talk about these magical Chloe shoes (<<linking where I found them on sale in the best run of sizes, but available at an even steeper discount in sizes 39 and 40 here)? I wrote on Instagram that I’m personally offended no short women had ever told me about them. They are so comfortable, so chic, and add like 3″ with no heel pain. OMG! Never taking them off. I wore them to dinner with Mr. Magpie on Friday and we both joked that they had become my new personality. I felt like a different woman in them! (A 5’3 one. Ha!)

+J. Crew just released a gorgeous linen maxi that I predict will be a staple for many of us during the evening hours this spring. (The chartreuse is fun!). Also comes in a mini length.

+I’m in love with this mini crossbody from Cuyana. Such good colors! While we’re talking cute spring bags: get the Cult Gaia look for less with this $50 clutch.

+NB just released the most adorable toddler sneaks in great colors for spring.

+When I finally sat mini down to select her Easter dress over the weekend, she surprised me by picking this Lilly P. and silver Jack Rogers! (More of my Easter picks here.)

+Three other gorgeous Easter/spring dress candidates: this Anthro (chintz-like pattern reminds me of my Doen dress!); this Zimmermann-esque steal from Dillards; Julia Amory’s Betty dress in the new ballet pink pattern.

+This De-Gournay-esque woven tapestry basket is gorgeous.

+Also! Two additional Easter basket possibilities: an Easter version of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza (my daughter’s FAVORITE game – we play this several nights a week!) and these mini squishmallow capsules. My kids love these SO much. I got them each one. While you’re at Target: cute half-zip for you in a great pastel hue.

+If you waited too long to order a personalized Easter basket, this sweet Amazon one is adorable and arrives tomorrow.

+Cute initial caps for littles for spring.

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A boomeranging week, feverish and achey at the start thanks to strep throat, then swingy and loose thanks to the warm spring weather at the end. I’ve been speaking in staccato exclamation points: “this weather!” and “these trees!” as I stumble out of the season of hibernation and marvel at the milky pink petals on the cherry and apple blossom trees. They perch proudly today, pert faces pointed at the sun, and will litter the lawn in two weeks’ time.

Mr. Magpie often tells a story of when he was driving to the beach with his grandmother as a boy, and she repeatedly commented: “The corn is so high!” as the fields flew by. At the time, her excitability — even her attentiveness — seemed to him wildly out of sync with the edgeless observation. (Why does she care so much about the corn?) I feel a bit like his grandmother this spring, unable to suppress the banal “the trees!” comments. I am reminded of Mary Oliver’s poem “Moccasin Flowers”:

But all my life–so far–
I have loved best
how the flowers rise
and open, how

the pink lungs of their bodies
enter the fore of the world
and stand there shining
and willing–the one

thing they can do before
they shuffle forward
into the floor of darkness, they
become the trees.

To wit: it’s not just the prettiness of the blossoms, it’s the profound hopefulness of their gesture. How beautiful to come into this world with a purpose, and to fulfill it. As she does in so much of her poetry, Oliver is reminding us that perhaps our reason for being is not as complex as we make it out to be. Perhaps it is just to “stand there shining / and willing.” I don’t mean to be inert. I mean to take up our roles with a kind of snappy acceptance, to exalt our way through life.

While I’m pawing at the existential this Sunday morning (sorry — hope you’ve had your coffee): Magpie reader Sophia recently shared a prompt she’d adapted from The Catholic Feminist substack: “How is what I am doing making a home for others?” I loved the provocation; it feels like the kind of litmus a true woman for others practices intuitively. Think of all the spaces in which we might apply it, beyond the literal in our own domesticities: inviting a quieter voice into a conversation; including a new acquaintance in a group outing; preparing foods that will be palatable to guests; accommodating/celebrating the religious or cultural traditions of a neighbor; letting friends know you are there for them in small and large ways. I read a quote somewhere along the lines of: encouraging someone to be herself, accommodating her as a whole, letting her know “you’re safe to be yourself here,” is the loudest way to love.

Adjacent thought: last summer, there was a boy at tennis camp who picked on my son, called him names, even took his shoes off his feet and threw them across the court. (I’m still unclear how all of this went down, and perplexed about the lack of intervention by a counselor, but this is the verbatim and unvaried story both my daughter and son have repeated dozens of times to me since!) At the end of the week, as we drove home, my son told me from his car seat: “There are people who don’t like me.” He said this in the typical four-year-old way, sandwiched between a wandering comment on the shape of the clouds in the sky, and a request for goldfish. I was near speechless, caught between rage and heartbreak. I wanted to let him know “you aren’t for everyone, and that’s OK” and “there are always going to be mean people in the world — a lot of times, those people are hurting, and we need to give them a lot of space” and “but there are so many people who do love you,” but the thing that came out first, and that has come out every night since when I say his prayers and affirmations: “You’re exactly what this family needs just the way you are, and we love all of you so much.” Which is to say, I saw the wound, or its potential, and the best way I knew to salve it was to let him know how beloved, and belonging, he is to us at home.

But how to give those words legs? I am sure I have many opportunities for refinement. How might I cultivate his quirkiness, his interests, the curlicues of his independence? How can I better make a home for him? These are the thoughts driving me forward into Monday.

Onward…!

Also from this week…

+We continued my daughter’s seventh birthday celebrations this week at the home of my in-laws! My MIL had festooned the dining room with flowers and tissue paper poms that made the entire celebration joyful, and then sent me home with the best party favors: cake, and flowers!

+My celebratory marg after I started feeling better from strep throat thanks to a z-pack. I wore the cheerful Mille dress twice this week! I own it in two colors and maybe want a third? So comfortable and breezy. Runs really big. I took an XXS, but it’s still super roomy! Also: bare feet! Praise be!

+A few nooks around the house: 1) Pretty new bath mats and towels from Anthropologie. They are offering us 20% off through 3/26 on all bedding, bath, and pillows with code JEN20. I love my scalloped bath mat (love the longer length option – can span two sinks at a vanity, or run alongside a tub/shower-length) and matching towels. My beloved Roz shampoo and conditioner in the background. 2) Haven Well Within (Talbots’ sister company) has released intimates, and I love my new scoop bralette and dulci bikini — the prettiest colors. Don’t you always feel more pulled together when your undergarments match?

+Speaking of feeling pulled together, I had Glamsquad do my hair and makeup on Friday. I originally scheduled this luxury because we had dinner plans with friends (later rescheduled), but I kept the appointment because I had a few brand projects to take pictures for, and Mr. Magpie asked me to go out on a date with him. It is so luxurious to have your hair done at home (you wash it yourself 15 minutes before they show up). Also a big time saver, convenient if you have kids at home with you, and not that much more expensive than going to a salon, especially once you factor in your time and parking costs. I asked GS for a promo code, and they are offering us $20 off for new users with code JenniferS and $15 off for repeat users with code JenniferS15. You can make appointments here. (I thought my team did a great job — if you’re local, you can request the stylists I believe! My hair stylist was Alexsys G and the makeup artist was Kaye G.). You can see the before and after below! I felt like a million bucks. If I had unlimited resources, I would have my hair blown out at home every few days…I hate doing my hair, and a good blowout is a surefire way to make me feel good about my outfit on a given day!

+I’m wearing the Frank & Eileen Montauk set above — my current favorite. The joggers have grown on me — I think they might be my favorite sweats I own at the moment. I love the relaxed-cinch cuff at the ankle in particular. A random detail, but it’s perfect. (Seen better below, while using sidewalk chalk with my boy one sunny day this week, wearing my Sambas. I know many of you bought these cool new iterations with a thicker gum band.) While we’re talking F&E, I saw they just launched this cute shorts sweat set in a fun seafoam green color and might need it, too…

+My baby boy, who belongs to me (!), looking big (!!) He turns five at the end of May, and I hate it! He’s wearing the striped Zara tee many of us bought — it’s a nice, heavy weight (more like a mariniere shirt) that almost doubles as a sweatshirt.

+A few shopping finds on my radar right now:

Mi Golondrina has the most spectacular capsule of spring dresses out right now. I can’t stop thinking about this one!

I did end up ordering this dress — so many of you did, I needed it, too! $129 and very on trend. I’m loving a slip dress right now!

Serious Khaite vibes for $128. (Compare with Khaite’s Osa tote.)

Quince launched some pretty pastel suitcases that are a fraction of the price of similar style ones from Beis, Away, etc.

I don’t mean to panic you, but apparently Outdoor Voices is shuttering most of its stores, and there are whispers it might be closing permanently! If you’re a devotee of its athletic dress (I know many of you are), now is the time to stock up.

A classic wrap sandal. I’ve never had a sandal like this, and love the chic sexiness. Perfect companion to le slip dress to achieve a breezy but sexy date night look.

P.S. On seeing our children as whole.

P.P.S. Visitations.

P.P.P.S. Onward.

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What I Loved This Week…

+ON SETBACKS: I absolutely loved and needed to see this infographic from BandaidforHeart this week. It reminded me of what Magpie reader Mia has told me several times over the years (thank you for your loyal readership!): “You can start a new 24 hour cycle at any time.” We don’t need to wait for tomorrow for a reset.

+NEW LAUNCH: Creative-turned-fashion-brand-owner Tara Moni just launched the third micro collection for her lovely brand, La Maregold. I had to order her Sammy dress! I was swooning over it. I had a long debate about the yellow vs pink print and ultimately went with the pink. It leapt off the page at me, and reminded me loosely of garden party-inspired prints from Emilia Wickstead and Markarian, but in a more tropical vein. I also loved these pants, which sold out promptly.

+PEANUT BUTTER LOVERS: Loved all the new Substack recs from Magpies here. I ended up subscribing to Brooks Reitz’ “A Small and Simple Thing” food blog based solely on Magpie reader Kelly’s description: “Brooks writes about food how I imagine Mr Magpie might.” She is 100% spot on in this observation. Like a few of you, I’ve already ordered the fancy peanut butter Brooks recommended. That post couldn’t have arrived at a better time because Mr. Magpie has been on a rampage against the standard supermarket varieties because they’re laden with sugar. We usually buy the Kirkland brand PB at Costco because it has none of the added sugar, but I find the jars taste stale rather quickly (perhaps because they come in enormous two-pack tubs). The literal day before I found Brooks’ blog, Mr. Magpie returned from Whole Foods brandishing the funny jar of peanut butter seen below, enthusiastically boasting: “and it’s in a glass jar.” Brooks commented in his post about his preferred peanut butter that “The name is so bad (but also – so good?), they must be CONFIDENT,” and I feel the same about this Teddy’s branding. The font, the clip art teddy bear in the seductive pose — what is happening? It’s delicious though. Will let you know how I think Koeze Company stacks up. (Any other fervent peanut butter recs?)

+LISTENING: To a lot of SZA, the Kacey album that just came out yesterday (!), and the audiobook thriller The First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. It’s a Reese book club pick, which has certain connotations for me at this point — typically good beach read material but often without enough substance to support a book club conversation? (Is that unfair to say? I don’t mean it as an insult, more as a “here’s a good starting point when you need a vacation type book.) It’s delivering! Very fun so far. I can’t wait to get in the car to put it on.

+INSPIRED BY: The color palette from this Molly Goddard collection. The coral with the lilac is…!

A few pretty finds in this delightful palette: this La Double J, this $129 Lost and Wander (layer beneath a blazer or denim jacket for date night!), this party-ready Alexis.

+SHOPPING: Beside the La Maregold dress, my most exciting acquisitions this week: some new fitness wear from new brand Greatness Wins (founded by Derek Jeter and Misty Copeland! — this half-zip, these leggings, this bra) and Left on Friday. I am obsessed with this sweatshirt from LOF. It has a great slouchy fit with a faded/bleached out quality to it that feels lived in. I also picked up these new sticker stamp sets from Melissa & Doug that just came out recently. M&D know a thing or two about entertaining children!

+TRAVEL FIND: Mentioned earlier this week, but love these large Calpak vanity cases for car travel. You can fit absolutely everything in one place and see where everything is! Photo below from a summer trip last year. The fun sunnies are $10, and inspired by Loewe.

What You Loved This Week…

+Lots of new recommendations in the florid conversation on perfumes unfolding here. Still trying to find time to make it down to the Le Labo store in Georgetown to smell Magpie cult favorite TN29 (“an eau de parfum that is an ode to the noble tea leaf and the craft that surrounds it”) and Baie19 (“petrichor”), but now also contemplating Hermes Nil de Jardin (“Green mango, lotus, calamus and sycamore wood all lie at the heart of this refreshing ode”), which came up several times. Most of the top vote-getters here.

+How charming is this: sixth graders at a middle school in Charlottesville read the poem “From Blossoms” alongside us this week, and shared my scansion in their classroom! (See the comments from their teachers here.) Love the visual of all of us gathering around those words, across generations, states, etc!

+Most-requested from readers in email/DM: link to the vinyl letters to personalize children’s water bottles; sizing info on Sold Out Everything shirt (runs very boxy – you can size down); sizing info on Damaris Bailey dress (runs right on the nose — fit was very tailored but no extra space; if in question or between sizes, go up).

+Magpie rec: A lot of us bought Hunza G suits this week while on sale at Shopbop (will keep eyes peeled for other promos to buy at a discount, too!) and one Magpie commented that the “inspired by” styles at Target are EXCELLENT if you want the look for less.

+And, finally – bestsellers:

01. FRANK & EILEEN PATRICK SHIRT (SEE ME IN MINE HERE AND HERE, I LOVE HER)

02. KITSCH TERRY CLOTH SCRUNCHIES (WEAR WHILE DOING YOUR HAIR STRENGTHENING OILS)

03. HUNZA G PAMELA SUIT — FULL REVIEW HERE

04. HANNI SPLASH SALVE — OBSESSED; FULL EFFUSIVE REVIEW HERE (MY FAVORITE PART OF “EVERYTHING SHOWER”)

05. ADIDAS SAMBAS

06. PLASTIC DOCUMENT ENVELOPES — MY TOP TIP FOR CORRALING DESK/KITCHEN PAPERS

07. FRANK & EILEEN POLO DRESS

08. ANCIENT GREEK ELEFTHERIA SANDALS — MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE

09. SOLDOUT NYC EVERYTHING SHIRT

10. HATCHING EGGS — IN MY CHILDREN’S EASTER BASKETS; MORE IDEAS HERE

11. FLORAL SLIP DRESS

12. H&M WOVEN BINS — SERENA & LILY LOOK FOR LESS

13. TARGET STEAL — AVAIL IN THREE COLORS!

15. ALEX MILL CARDIGAN

16. ALIX OF BOHEMIA PANTS

Happy weekend!

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soldout nyc everything shirt review

WORK + ERRANDS: SOLD OUT NYC SHIRT* // AGOLDE 90S PINCH WAIST JEANS // AMAZON GLASSES // VERONICA BEARD BAG // MARGAUX FLATS

*EMESE15 for 15% off.

TO SEE THE BONNARD EXHIBIT AT THE PHILLIPS: DOEN DRESS // LA LIGNE JACKET // AUREUM EARRINGS*

*20% off at Aureum with code JENS20; 10% off at La Ligne with code MAGPIE10.

DINNER OUT AT DARU DC: VERONICA BEARD DANIELA JEANS // G. LABEL HENLEY // VERONICA BEARD DARLA BLAZER // DORSEY RING

RAINY DAY LUNCH + BOWLING WITH FAM: AGOLDE 90S PINCH WAIST JEANS // LESET MARGO TEE // SEZANE CARDIGAN // VERONICA BEARD BAG

FIRST WARM DAY OF SPRING HAPPY HOUR: MILLE DRESS (ON SUPER SALE IN MY PRINT, AVAILABLE IN SEVERAL OTHERS; RUNS REALLY BIG – SIZE DOWN! I’M IN THE XXS AND IT’S STILL ROOMY) // BARE FEET: MODEL’S OWN

SECOND WARM SPRING DAY THIS WEEK: LAKE BRUNCH DRESS (WEARING XXS)

ON MY WAY TO FIND OUT I HAD STREP: GAP WIDE LEG CROPS (OLD, SIMILAR HERE AND HERE) // QUINCE FLATS // LESET POINTELLE TEE // VERONICA BEARD DARLA BLAZER // VERONICA BEARD BAG

LATER THAT DAY, SEEKING COMFORT: SWAPPED OUT BLAZER FOR LEFT ON FRIDAY HOT PINK SWEATSHIRT // ALTUZARRA WATERMILL BAG

P.S. All my active promo codes here. I’m in touch with Margaux to see if they’ll extend one our way (a request from a Magpie reader) — let me know if there are other brands we’d like a code for and I’ll ask!

P.P.S. My last meal on earth would be this pasta dish.

P.P.P.S. When was the last time you felt really happy?

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I’ve written here and there about trending colors — a few I’m noticing and loving right now:

Olive Green.

French Vogue dubbed this the color of spring after noticing it on “une série de pièces ultra mode” (can we co-opt the term “ultra mode”?) on the runways of Gucci, J.W. Anderson, ACNE Studios, Jil Sander, and Bottega Veneta. I love the way it plays nicely with pastels (army green and lilac-pink are a match made in heaven) and also with navy, denim, black, white. I honestly think of it as a neutral, like khaki or ecru.

A few of my favorite pieces in “vert olive”:

01. The Veronica Beard Goody bag. Perfect daytime size and wears like a neutral.

02. The La Ligne Meredith jeans (just restocked in several colors and most sizes after selling through last week. These run TTS — maybe a tad big or I’m just not used to the generous stretch in them! I am 5’0 and they are full length on me — they look cropped on the model. Super comfortable.

03. The Velvet Brylie pants (work great on petites — less overwhelming than the iconic Nili Lotan Shon pant on us shorties).

04. The Sezane Domitille dress. Ultra soft (not itchy) and stretchy. I can’t wait to wear this the VB Goody bag and some leather sandals.

05. Adidas sambas (more of a silver green, but I think it counts). Also comes in a proper olive green here that is crazy tempting to me, but I don’t need TWO green pairs of Sambas…?! I’ve been surprised by how often I reach for these — my most-worn sneakers the past season. They feel right with everything and are very comfortable. I wrote a post last year about sizing and styling Sambas here.

06. Joe’s Jeans Cleo pants. I have been yapping about these utility pants for going on a year now — sorry! — but you can still find them and on super sale here, here, and here. A lot of stretch in these – very comfortable. Run TTS otherwise.

A few other choices to consider: these popular pants from Anthro, this 90s-ish swimsuit from Gap, this knit from J. Crew, this well-priced trench from BR (which would be as chic layered over sweats and Sambas for coffee run / drop-off as it would over a suit for work!), these A. Solianis. I’m also not usually a huge logo girl but I’ve seen this Stella bag been worn with aplomb and I kind of dig it.

Cobalt-Denim-Cerulean Blue.

Ever since Leandra Medine noticed it at The Row and labeled it “Bottega-ish blue,” I’ve seen this color pop up with increasing force.

IMAGES VIA 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

A few favorite finds in this hue:

01. Alex Mill’s Paris jacket (have covered this SO much but really have been wearing constantly!) or its softer sister, the Nico cardigan. Seen above several times.

02. Cobalt birks! I’m obsessed with these?! The color is so good. Imagine pairing with a breezy Doen dress for that “oh me? I just threw this one while harvesting strawberries in the back yard” look.

03. My gauze shorts set — $40 for top and bottom! I bought in white but the blue is compelling, too. In blue it makes me think of a trip to Greece.

04. Sezane released several pieces from their latest launch in this dreamy hue, including this skirt and matching top, and a dress variation of the same.

05. This gorgeous silk top from SEA. Date night material! Another great blouse in the same hue from Emerson Fry.

06. Left on Friday has the coolest “vintage” / “lived in” sweatshirts – I love their blue option.

07. La Ligne’s Mini Marina, in the best cobalt-white stripe!

08. A chic (“ultra mode!”) striped maxi. Great pic for an expecting mama!

09. My Alix of Bohemia patterned set (top, bottom).

Gingham.

Not a color, but this pattern is popping off! HighSport is leading the charge with their $$$ gingham-centric spring collection, seen below.

01. This gingham vest from VB. I’m too chicken to go whole hog and pair with the matching pants, but Nicole Cassidy made a compelling case for the set here. I’m imagining the vest with black frayed kick flares and some ballet flats…! (You can get the pants look for less with these Bodens.)

02. This gingham-collared Barbour — loving a field jacket right now, the boxier the better. (Non gingham side note: Zara has a great under-$100 waxed field jacket on offer right now that is selling like hot cakes.)

03. This Self-Portrait blazer, which I’d “rough up” with distressed denim and a white tee.

04. These High-Sport-esque kick flares from Sezane (nearly sold out; run!).

05. This romantic Ciao Lucia — all of their dresses are exactly what I want to wear on vacation in the summer. (Not gingham, but doesn’t this dress make you want to walk around barefoot with a glass of rose?)

06. This gingham cardigan from Boden — I’d probably pair it with a green and pink dress for a little pattern mixing.

07. For a splurge: Markarian!!!!

What other colors are you noticing this season?

P.S. Also loving denim on bags, shoes, jackets, and more right now.

P.P.S. What do you eat when your fridge is bare?

P.P.P.S. “You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.” Amen!

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A quick hits list:

01. Veronica Beard is offering 25% off a fabulous selection of pieces with code FAVORITES24! I’m such an enormous fan of this brand at this stage in my life, and I especially love their blazers. This tweed blue beauty would be a perfect investment — throw on with trousers, jeans, dresses. Their Carly kick flares are a crowd favorite, too: they run a tad long for us shorties, more like full length flares on me, but are supremely comfortable (a lot of stretch). Run TTS. (You may recognize them from Julia Amory — she is nearly always wearing Carly kick flare jeans!). I also love their denim mules: a refined way to capture the denim everything trend.

02. 50% off all swim at J. Crew, today only. (Are we ready to think about swimwear?) The sale includes this gingham balconette style I’ve been yapping about — very into gingham for the season ahead — and their new asymmetrical style, which reminds me of the popular Sidestroke suit from Summersalt, but in patterns no one else will have. I love J. Crew swimwear — I have several of their plunge style and they are my go-to for when I don’t want to worry about repositioning. Tend to be full coverage, and stay put. I go up a size in their swim. But the REAL coup de gras of this sale is this adorable bikini for my girl! She loves bikinis and this style was so fresh and fun.

03. I mentioned this in passing in my extensive Easter post yesterday, but wanted to spotlight that Damaris Bailey is offering 40% off sitewide this week only. (Discount appears in cart.) The sale includes this fabulous cocktail dress you might remember me wearing last summer (seen above!). Also swooning over this green dress for spring affairs — the color of a daffodil stem, and of course the scalloping is to die for. I received a few DMs on sizing. I took an XS in the dress and it was a perfect fit, but did not leave much room to spare. I’d say I’m generally a true XS but often in dresses could go down a size (XXS or 00 if available). In short, I would go up a size and have tailored if you’re at all in question, but if you find you’re a true M, or L, go with your true size.

04. T3 is offering 25% off sitewide. You can get my now-beloved Airebrush for $112!

05. Not on sale, but newly available for sale: the Roz hair thickening spray. I mentioned this product in my roundup of “Everything Shower” favorites before it was released, and WOW I love it. It seriously volumizes and conditions my hair. One thing I am noticing about Roz: none of the products weigh down my hair, and I have very fine hair so this is often a problem. They are all conceived of by celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak, who styled Emma Stone’s hair at the Oscars last Sunday (which I thought was spectacular!). You can see the breakdown of products Mara used on Emma here. Red carpet hair, here we come! (Reminder you can get 15% off your purchase at Roz with code MAGPIE15.)

P.S. The fallacy of open time.

P.P.S. The internal mother.

P.P.P.S. My Amazon shop!

“There is a bigness inside me.”

I wrote this on a plane ride from Amsterdam to Berlin when I was 20. I remember it scrawled in loopy cursive in my tattered journal – the cursive a kind of personality I was trying on at the time, as ill-suited to my hand as the ambitious words I’d written with it. I’d just visited the Rijksmuseum, and reconnected with a childhood friend of my brother’s, proving in some way that I was worldly and capable. Pantomiming sophistication, I had bangs and a credit card and I spoke nearly fluent French. At some point as we’d meandered to the hotel from a loud brasserie-type dinner, we skirted the Red Light District, and my brother’s friend told me: “That look you’re making — it’s just like your mother,” by which I presume he meant I looked off-put, or worried, to be out in a foreign city amidst its raucousness. (My mother would not have approved of the late night walk alongside the brothels of Amsterdam.) I adored my mother and missed her horribly and had wept like a baby into her coat when she materialized in the lobby of a hotel in Dijon a few weeks prior, but I felt dressed-down by his observation. You might be in Amsterdam, he was saying, but you’re still the Jen I know. He would later sleep on the floor of the hotel room so that I could take the bed. I don’t know how we hadn’t worked out the arrangements before then (ah, to be 20), but I suppose I’d assumed I’d crash on a couch or that there would be twin beds. Instead: “Your mother would kill me if I didn’t,” he explained. “So would your brother.” Generous, courteous, and avuncular — but I felt like a child.

The next morning, I sat on the tarmac writing feverishly about my chrysalid self. I did not know what I meant by “bigness,” just that I felt destined for other things. I wanted to shed my girlhood, to re-cast myself. Mainly, I wanted to be seen as smart and independent. This was why I had strenuously pushed to study abroad, even though I was desperately in love with my new boyfriend (a young Mr. Magpie) back in Virginia and had cried the entire plane ride from Dulles to Charles de Gaulle, and sniffled while en route to the smaller Lyon St. Exupery after. AirFrance lost my luggage, and I cried on the phone to my father about it as soon as I got in. I was disgusted with myself for my childlike puling but I was also disoriented, and scared, and, you know — “it’s never the cream,” anyway. What I should have said was: “I miss you so much, and I doubt my decision making in coming here,” so that he could have reassured me that I was doing something necessary and fabulous that I’d never regret. Instead, I sniffled about the bags on the public phone on the first floor of the hostel I was staying in the night I’d arrived, before the University had re-directed us to our individual lodgings, which were strewn about the city. The phone was at the foot of the red carpeted front stairs, so fellow patrons stomped by and through my threnody. I felt disastrously alone.

But that phone call ended, and my luggage was restored to me, and I moved into a small and barn-like first floor apartment that opened up to an interior courtyard from which I could see a small square of cerulean each morning. The apartment itself had no windows and a mouse problem. We learned to thread our plastic bags of food through the brass chandelier at night by standing unsteadily on the kitchen counter — otherwise, the mice would feast at midnight. You could hear them running down the walls after dark, inches from my pillowcase on my lofted bed. When I approached my landlady about this, she shrugged and said, “Bienvenue a France.” My Dad proposed, in earnest, that I buy a cat. I did not, and instead felt sorry for myself, until I realized that the rodent infestation was an invitation to get out of dodge. And so I did. I traveled nearly every weekend (and some weeks) of my time there. I visited many cities across Greece, Germany, Italy, England, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and of course France. At the time, you could take 30-40 Euro flights all over Europe and the trains offered student/junior rates, so the transit costs were more than reasonable. I often stayed with friends also studying abroad across Europe, or split a hostel room with a fellow student from my own program. On all of these trips, I’d write detailed itineraries in my pocket notebooks, jotting down museum hours and addresses, how to get to/from the airport using public transit, hostel reservation numbers, and the like. I learned I preferred to travel and sightsee in the mornings, walking the cities by foot and stopping in to see highlighted landmarks and especially art museums by midday, and then shopping and reading in the afternoons. I was nearly always early to bed (unless visiting my dear friend Allison in Rome, who would take me to bustling, exclusive clubs and parties with actual Italians — she always knew how to get on a list, much to my persistent wonder) so I could get started early the next day.

I once splurged at a luxury hotel in Berlin when I was in the city by myself for one night — my travel companion had split off for Ireland — and felt like a sophisticated world traveler. I wrote my parents a long note on the hotel letterhead, reassuring them (and myself) that I was looking after myself. I then spent a small fortune phoning Mr. Magpie from the hotel room. I had earlier that month called my father in a panic because the airport hotel I’d stayed in outside of Heathrow had insisted I’d made a string of room service charges (I hadn’t), but I’d been in such haste to get to my flight, I’d given up and paid for them anyway. My Dad was financing most of my travels that semester, so I felt guilty about the overcharge. “It’s OK. These things happen,” my Dad had said. “The hidden costs of travel.” I never told him this (sorry, Dad), but I privately considered my hotel splurge in Berlin and my long distance call to Landon “the hidden costs of travel,” too, as it was the only time in my life I have ever traveled entirely by myself in a foreign country, and I felt cut-loose, groundless, and lost in ways the comfort of that hotel and the connection to Mr. Magpie assuaged. I made up for the extravagance by staying in the cheapest hostels I could find on my next excursions — which included a room in Venice that had an actual hole in the wall, through which you could see people walking by, and a shared room in Prague with something like 20 bunk beds in a row that had me awake all night clutching my belongings to my chest. (My travel companion and I switched accommodations in both situations the following nights.)

But all this to say, fully recognizing how privileged I was to be traveling on my father’s dime, and also acknowledging that I am playing the world’s tiniest violin in even contemplating these grand experiences as character-cultivating:

I was learning to listen to myself, and to take care of her. If my dad noticed the expense of that Berlin trip, he never commented. His silence, too, a lesson: I trust you; you should, too.

Somewhere between my epicediac plane ride to Lyon and that lonely night in Berlin, I had begun to settle into myself. I was still open desire, pointed anywhere — I could not tell you what “bigness” I was after — but I had begun to feel my own shape.

I turn 40 this summer and find myself laughing and cringing at the Jen presented on this page. She was sheltered, and nervous, and navel-gazing, and hungry in ways she couldn’t parse. But as I’ve written elsewhere recently, the Jen of 20 raised the Jen of 40. Experience is an effective teacher. I’m grateful for her garish missteps and weepy phone calls and especially the audacity of her decision to travel all over Europe because of a few mice. (I may never again have the opportunity!). Mainly I’m thankful that she tapped into herself as she wandered through ancient towns, fighting off disillusion and self-doubt by instead repeating: “There is a bigness inside, and I must find out what it is.”

What was the bigness I was sensing? Have I found it?

Last week, Mr. Magpie and I went to see the new Bonnard exhibit at the Phillips Collection, and I was moved by the narrowness and intimacy of his subject matter. Most of his paintings (and there are many!) portray views from rooms he worked in and loved; interiors of homes; his wife in a bathtub; his many dogs; the gardens of his various habitations. For Bonnard, the worthiest subjects were sitting right next to him. Which is to say that we might go searching for grand castles and banners and regalia but find that the most valuable things in life fit on the couches of our living rooms. I know I’ve found that bigness. I went searching all over Europe and through most of my 20s and part of my 30s to get to it, and here it is: a small life, lived fully, with a pen in hand and a loving husband and children in heart. What more is there?

Post-Scripts.

+On my reunion with my mom in Dijon.

+What are your favorite souvenirs?

+On my grandmother losing her only daughter to cancer.

Shopping Break.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

+Tinx just went wild over this liquid blush in shade Dolce Vita, saying it achieves the effect of “running up a flight of stairs” or “just having made out with someone.” Ummmm sold – I ordered on the spot. Two other blushes I love: Merit’s Balm Blush in Stockholm and Apres, and Goop’s Colorblur — I love all the colors but especially Afterglow during winter. I wear either Merit or Goop daily! Now going to try the Nars!

+Mentioned in passing yesterday that Lake just launched its new spring collection. I’m obsessed with this “brunch dress” (would be great for Easter) but also love the shorter hammock dress (available in two great patterns) and the pima long-short sets continue to be my favorite pajama style!

+Chicest crossbody bag — love the green trim.

+Great oversized, boxy, logo-less sweatshirt for lounge.

+My daughter played with this at a friend’s house and literally would not put it down. A fantastic travel toy idea – I am packing for summer trips.

+I was just raving about gingham and discovered these High Sport-esque gingham pants from Sezane’s new collection a minute too late — looks like they’re sold out in most sizes, including my own. Snag if you’re lucky!

+I just bought mini this bikini. She loves bikinis!

+Speaking of Sezane, their latest mini launches have been selling through crazy fast. From this past Sunday’s launch, you can still sang this beautiful embroidered shirtdress (another Easter contender — Mom, you’d look amazing in this) and this pretty caftan-like style.

+This sage green floor lamp is under $100 and would look so chic in a nursery or reading nook.

+Speaking of lighting, a reader requested table lamps for her family room. Our interior designer is proposing gourd lamps in a fun color that look like these. I also have always loved this one from Aerin.

+This tissue box cover sparks such ridiculous joy for me. I can’t explain it but I hated seeing that damned Kleenex box! This one reminds me of a high end fabric by Schumacher.

+I love this travel cosmetics case when I’m going anywhere by car — if traveling by plane, it feels so bulky / takes up a lot of room in suitcase. It holds everything!

+These toddler espadrilles from Gap are adorable!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

Wow, did I tumble into a lucky conversation in the comments section on this post or what? I’d asked Magpies to share their favorite parts of winter and several chorused that they look forward to wearing a seasonal scent, which led to a rousing conversation on perfumes that has cross-stitched its way through several posts and comment threads over the past few weeks. I wanted to pluck out a few star, and repeated, recommendations from the enthusiastic cognoscenti (pun intended) among us:

From Sara: “My winter favorites (well this week, anyway!) are: Guerlain Mitsouko, Le Labo The Noir 29, Serge Lutens Chergui, L’Wren Scott’s eponymous fragrance she did for Barney’s awhile back [ed. note: no longer available], Ormonde Jayne’s Woman. I have always thought of fragrance as seasonal; heavier clothes and drier air work better with heavier fragrances. I go much lighter in warmer weather as humid air and lighter clothing seem to call for lighter fragrances.”

From Kelly: “I collect perfumes too, I’d love to join your little society.

This week: Replica Maison Margiela Coffee Break, Tom Ford Oud Wood, Hermes Jardin Sur Le Nil, Jacadi’s baby perfume to layer (a gift from a french friend intended for my newborn)

Winter in general: Replica Maison Margiela By the Fireplace, any of the Alkemia perfume oils with incense in them.”

From Aoife: “Year-round: Diptyque Geranium Odorata, Le Labo Thé Matcha 26, Le Labo Bergamote 22, Le Labo Baie 19 (the juniper, cade, and green petrichor notes are incomparable), Nuxe Body Oil (classic), Jo Loves Fig body lotion (ongoing layering fragrance), Skybottle Muhwagua body lotion (more fig because I just love it so, so, so much), my own body oil blend of vetiver, geranium, rose and frankincense (to evoke the Diptyque Kyoto ltd ed. EDT (that I stupidly never bought, ugh!).”

Aoife used to work for Le Labo and provided a detailed and stirring description of their celebrated scents in the comments here, but I want to pluck out this suggestion in particular, because I’m going to Le Labo store to smell it based on her recommendation:

“My final wild card is my personal favourite — Baie 19 — an exaltant green masterpiece. This fragrance is entirely poetic as it’s inspired by petrichor and the feeling when the drought breaks. Some say it’s like walking through the rainforest floor, driving through a long, wooded road when it’s cool and foggy, or walking across steaming tar at the beach after a rainstorm. The mix of green oils (the plants actually release these when it finally rains [!!]), two forms of juniper (leaves and berries along with cade tar), and leafy patchouli make this creation simply sublime in the most transcendent sense of the word.”

And finally, from me: I have been wearing Byredo’s Mojave Ghost nearly every day for over a year now (maybe longer?) and am obsessed with it. It always makes me feel lifted, more pulled-together, more elegant? The site describes it as: “a woody composition inspired by the soulful beauty of the Mojave Desert. In this xeric wilderness, rare are the plants that dare to blossom. With a light and graceful character top notes of musky Ambrette combine with fresh Jamaican Nesberry. Powdery Violet then unfurls to reveal Sandalwood.”

I also really love Byredo’s clean Blanche scent (“Blanche explores the scent of texture and skin; bodies beneath fresh sheets; laundry baskets; a punch of detergent”), and understand many women layer this beneath other scents. Finally, I have been wearing Jo Malone’s English Pear and Freesia — it’s a bit more dressed-up and powerful than Byredo.

The perfume brand Who Is Elijah sent me a few scents to test recently. The Nomad scent was a bit too strong for my liking (it reminded me of Houbigant’s Quelque Fleurs, which my grandmother wore — a strong floral scent that follows you everywhere; very elegant but very powerful), but I’m making my way through their testers to see if any other jump out at me.

I shared most of the recommended scents in one “shelf” here for quick reference.

Your turn: what are your favorite scents?

P.S. Time is a thief.

P.P.S. When was the first time you experienced rejection?

P.P.P.S. Twilight on the Potomac.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

I can’t believe Easter is in view — coming up in just over two weeks! I am behind this year and need to order my children’s outfits and Easter basket fillers STAT — and plan my Easter tablescape, too. I spent time this week pulling together a few ideas, some gathered from years past, others new-to-me.

Below, a little gallery of photos from Easters past. The colors, patterns, and flowers rejoice, and there is a fresh dewiness to the air that you can sense even in the photos, including the ones from in our time in New York, where we often felt abstracted from the natural world. Flipping through these, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and reminded of an Emerson quote I used to have framed in my office:

For each new morning with its light,

for rest and shelter of the night,

for health and food, for love and friends,

for everything Thy goodness sends.

A lovely Easter prayer of sorts.

Easter Outfit Ideas.

Splurge: This spectacular botanical Agua Bendita.

Under $400: I feel like a broken record but I adore the options from Doen this spring, especially this and this. I also noticed that Damaris Bailey is offering 40% off sitewide (discount appears in cart)! This dress I wore to a summer wedding last August is 40% off and could be good for a dressier Easter celebration, and this floral would also be spectacular (and easier to dress down).

Under $200: Lake just released their best-selling “brunch dress” in the most gorgeous green botanical. I’m impressed with the quality — it is a nice, heavy weight, with pockets and a beautiful silhouette. Would work with a bump, for nursing mamas — honestly, at any life stage. I also love this pretty SEA-like option from Few Moda.

Easter Tabletop Ideas.

In the Roundhouse is sending me this spectacular set of plates, glasses, and cutlery that will be my centerpoint for the Easter table. I’m contemplating a pink stripe tablecloth or medallion one, with lots of tulips and moss bunnies down the center.

Easter Outfits for Children.

I ordered them these pajamas from Petite Plume (their favorite style of pajamas at the moment — they’re still wearing their Christmas ones!). For the day itself, I fell in love with this La Coqueta dress, but I think it’s too fussy for my daughter’s taste — I’m going to present her with a few options, but am pretty sure she’ll pick either this shift from Little English or this Lilly. I am contemplating a pair of Oso & Me shorts in a great color with a Ralph Lauren oxford and a pastel knit sweater for my son.

Easter Basket Filler Ideas.

I’ve ordered a few small items for their baskets, but a few of the items currently in my cart: pastel paint sticks, this prayer book, these Bible affirmation cards (I’ve given these as gifts for Baptisms several times – so sweet), gardening tools, and some fresh crocs for the warmer weather. I used to hate crocs but eventually gave in — the kids love them, they have no buckles/straps/velcro, and they can be hosed down. The new colors are fun too. I’m also big on giving them gifts in their stockings/baskets that are something I’d buy them anyway — ha!

P.S. We make these Italian Easter cookies every year. They are delicious and the kids love to help decorate them with the sprinkles.

P.P.S. Gardening for yourself.

P.P.P.S. On maintaining wonder as a parent.

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Seen above: Dolce Vita’s Sonora sandal!

A few favorite shoes on my radar for the season ahead —

01. Fisherman sandals! These have been trendy for the past few seasons. I have a pair of platform fisherman sandals from Tory Burch (small size run still available here) that have surprised me with their legs — bought them two summers ago and they still feel relevant and fresh. I would spring for this $150 platform raffia style (paying homage to Prada’s $1,500+ pair), Freda Salvador’s Sara (select colors 20% off here), or (splurge) Gabriela Hearst’s elegant pair, which I’ve stalked for two seasons now, hoping to snap up on sale somewhere. I did find them for under $275 (down from $890) but in an orange color I’m not sure I would wear that much, and at a still-steep $570 in more wearable taupe here.

02. Loeffler Randall’s mesh platforms! I can’t unsee these. So cool with jeans, floaty white dresses…!

03. Larroude mules. One of my best investments from last summer was this pair of unexpected white mules from Larroude. I wore them with every sundress and cocktail dress I owned — just a little exclamation point to dress things up, but without a high heel (which I simply cannot do anymore unless I absolutely must). I’m eyeing this colorful, whimsical pair for this year’s lineup.

04. Freda Salvador woven flats. Look for less with these. Wear with absolutely everything.

05. Quince leather mules. You can legit wear these with everything. Dresses, skirts, jeans, shorts — you name it. It’s a great “in-between” shoe meaning it can dress certain things down (slip dress, cocktail dress) without looking wildly out of place, and it can dress other things up (jeans, shorts) and still look intentional. Did I mention it’s $60?!

06. Hard to tell if the dad sandal trend will persist — Laura Reilly wrote compellingly about the “hotel slipper” style mule that dominated the Miu Miu runway last month and it made me wonder if we aren’t going to go back to thinner-soled, less-chunky styles in the coming seasons. I will absolutely still be wearing mine this summer (I love my hot pink rubberized Guccis as they seem to “rough up” the ladylike fleet of sundresses and caftans I live in during the summer), and Dolce Vita also just sent me this fun woven pair that I cannot wait to wear in the same fashion. A good price point for something we’re not sure will be as trendy in the future.

07. A “dad sandal” that never goes out of style: Birkenstocks! I have lived in the two pairs I’ve purchased in the last year or two (silver for summer, faux-fur-lined for fall/winter) and now do I need a fun colorful pair in on-trend cerulean blue or by way of their collab with The Great? If Birks are too earthy-crunchy for your vibe, you might consider the Glyn collection from See by Chloe or J. Crew’s Marlow sandals, a best seller among Magpies last summer they’ve brought back. I love the look!

08. Larroude Milan flats — have seen these all over the place and they are so elegant. Love the gold hardware.

09. Redundant with recent posts, but I’m telling you these Eleftherias are the sandal to have on hand for summers to come. So easy to wear, can be dressed up with a cocktail dress or dressed down with jean shorts.

10. A denim shoe — any denim shoe! I shared some favorites here. Still drooling over these A. Soliani’s. I will probably buy them. Gucci has loads of flashy options — how fun are these slides? And these embellished denim flats from Schutz turned my head. I have that style (the Arissa) in several colors/materials and they are incredibly comfortable.

P.S. If it’s cool sneakers you’re after…

P.P.S. The Magpies have spoken: Bombas are not worth the investment as they tend to develop holes within a few years of light use! (Join the dialogue in the comments section here.)

P.P.P.S. Pouring from the center.

I’ve received this question many times from Magpies, so thought I’d share with the class. It’s interesting that so many of you have asked for my favorite Substacks (versus blogs, creatives, etc) — I think this is because Substack (a platform creatives can use to post content and then send it out to readers via email/newsletter) has become shorthand for a return to oughts-era blogging, and I believe Magpie belongs to that category, too. More thought pieces, more opinion, more long-form writing, more text. (You tell me, though! Do you like it?)

I also think the question gets at the ethos of this one: where do you find meaningful stuff on the Internet? There are a lot of sharp writers talking fashion, food, motherhood right now on Substack; it has an aura of authenticity.

I am pretty choosy with my subscriptions because I am inbox zero gal — unless I really take the time to read a newsletter each time it arrives in my inbox, I unsubscribe, but these have past the test for me:

Morning Person by Leslie Stephens. A long-time favorite focused on cultivating our best selves. Full of fascinating little blurbs on self-care and wellness; literature; psychology; etc. I am drawn to her candor, strength, and thoughtfulness. She is the kind of woman you want to be friends with!

Magasin by Laura Reilly. Ultra-sharp fashion writing, focused on runway and nascent trends, with occasional drift into op-ed. Insightful, researched, insider-y type fashion talk.

Tell Me More by Emese Gormley. The co-host of the “Lipstick on the Rim” podcast with Molly Sims — she shares fantastic, evangelical, detailed reviews of things she wears routinely, from beauty to fashion staples. Refreshingly earnest.

Hand Picked by Alex Steele. A lovely curation of quotes, short musings on motherhood, fashion and home finds, parenting thoughts, and occasional guest contributions (including one by yours truly), all written from the framework of “less is more.” Alex is a wonderful woman and talented photographer. We crossed paths on the Internet and have become text friends since — she is thoughtful and encouraging in ways I would expect of an old friend.

Ruhlman’s Newsletter by Michael Ruhlman. You might remember him from his best-selling Soul of a Chef book, but this is Ruhlman unbuttoned: loads of fascinating, opinionated rivulets of thought on food, travel, cocktails, writing, reading, theater. His admiration for his wife (a best-selling author herself) shines through in the winningest way. He has a pithy, quaint way with words (e.g., he’ll use “theater house”) that I find soothing. And I love when he goes off the rails on a subject like why he’ll never use potholders. So charming and real!

Sarah’s Retail Diary by Sarah Shapiro. A smart look at what’s going on in retail in a given week — sort of a Cliff’s Notes for brand launches, collections/collaborations to be eyeing, and other business-of-fashion details, like companies changing leadership, being bought/sold, bringing on new creative direction. To the point and highly observant.

Yolo Intel by Yolanda Edwards. Phenomenal, detailed travel writing with loads of restaurant recs and hotel reviews. I’m newer to her, but I could spend (and have spent) hefty portions of afternoons reading her posts and daydreaming. A good companion to our conversation on how to plan a fantastic vacation.

Please share your favorites in the comments section!

Post-Scripts.

+Shaking hands with a blank page.

+In case you need encouragement to take a big step.

+The whole sky is yours. (Onward!)

Shopping Break.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

+As a follow on to this list: Emese Gormley shares my enthusiasm for the SoldoutNYC Everything Shirt (now available for pre-order in all sizes, shipping 4/19), and has a code we can use — EMESE15 for 15% off! It is a really, really good investment. It looks like something that could have been made by a high-end European retailer and cost north of $1,000. The most luxurious, silky handfeel. Very oversized/boxy – I would have sized down if I could. I took the XS an find myself wearing it with cuffs rolled, tucked in. I had a few requests from Magpies to show it on — seen below. Somehow makes jeans and flats look like a million bucks. Note length! I’m 5’0 and it runs south of mid-thigh. (Worn with this bag, these $10 Amazon sunnies, Margaux flats.)

+Of course I’d find the two items not included in the Shopbop 20% off sale to want to buy this week (one of my epitaphs must be: “not included in sale” — I just have a knack for it), but I can’t stop thinking about this unusual SIR dress (for dinners out) and this toweling top from Zimmermann(more sizes here and here) that Nicole Cassidy wore on vacation. She styled it with the matching shorts (again, sets are big for spring/summer) but I might break it up and pair with a denim short or white beach pants because I have a hunch the style will overwhelm my frame (I’m 5’0). I also love it in this long caftan version.

+If you like the terry set look but not the Zimmermann price tag, you might consider: this set from Araminta James or Kule’s terry separates.

+Not terry, but I just ordered myself one of these gauze two-piece sets from Amazon of all places. So easy for the pool. Comes in a ton of colors.

+One Shopbop sale find I neglected to mention yesterday (late discovery) were these popular woven flats (Bottega-esque) and fisherman sandals from Freda Salvador. I was JUST ogling at them via my post on Saturday morning, and I know many of you liked those pieces too.

+Magpie reader rec: this decorate-your-own water bottle kit. Ideal for 6-9 year old girls. I’ve tucked this away for a future gift idea myself! Also just found these cute watercolor kits as a possible Easter basket stuffer or party favor.

+Few Moda reached out to me last week and asked if I’d be interested in trying a few of their pieces. I know many of you love this brand, and specifically their Didi mini and East cocktail dress, which many of you have written to me about. Few Moda produces their designs in the same factories as higher end retailers, and offer them for a fraction of the price — you can get an even deeper discount if you pay a membership fee, but the prices are still very reasonable even without the membership. I chose this punchy mini (reminded me of Juliet Dunn — I can’t wait to wear barefoot on the first warm day of spring) and this sweet midi (Reformation-inspired for sure). Will share my thoughts once they arrive!

+I’ve resisted the mesh trend for months now because I haven’t found a piece that calls my name. These LRs are changing my tune. I’m obsessed with them?! I really think I might go for them.

+Adidas and Farm Rio launched a collab yesterday! These pool slides have such a great vibe.