Musings + Essays
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Dribs and Drabs.

By: Jen Shoop

Why is it that certain things pertaining to aging happen in dribs and drabs, like my mounting inability to keep my eyes open while watching a movie past 10 p.m. or my gradual-onset discomfort with leaving items in the kitchen sink (unfinished business) or the slow but perceptible deepening of wrinkles on my forehead, and other things happen all of the sudden, as if a switch has flipped — like not being able to crouch down for more than a few minutes without mild self-injury or Mr. Magpie turning 38 and it dawning on us — with urgency — that we are nearer to 40 than we are to 30 and that we have not one but two children who depend on us and will depend on us for the rest of our lives and how — just how — did we get here, so far from the teens writing I LOVE YOU into one another’s palms — love notes cosseted from the prying eyes of college friends sitting in the backseat of Mr. Magpie’s black boxy jeep (“Party Girl,” we called her) — my hair flying in the wind, his music blaring over its roar, feeling more alive and electric than I’d ever felt before on a wide open route 66 pointed toward Charlottesville, Virginia?

Post Scripts.

+The entire Kule sale is so, so good. I shared a link to their modern long striped tees earlier this week (on sale for $30), which became something of a uniform for me during my stint as a SAHM over the three weeks around Christmas. I also have this tee dress in my bag (perfect with GG sneaks for weekends in the spring) and this lightning bolt tote, which is so fun for trips to the beach/park this summer.

+A fun, voluminous dress — would work with (or without) bump!

+Love these striped jogger jammies for a little one — they remind me of Comme des Garcons!

+Leopard rain jacket! So fun. However, I am still holding out for this pink raincoat — I can’t quite legitimize its purchase since I have a lovely raincoat that is perfectly functional but…!

+These denim flats have a Celine vibe thanks to that bow in the back.

+Love this hot air balloon print.

+Speaking of hot air balloons — how amazing are these for a nursery?!

+Just ordered one of these personalized collars for Tilly in the blue gingham. We use this harness when walking her which I CANNOT ENDORSE MORE HIGHLY if you have a dog occasionally wont to pull. Tilly is very, very strong (60 lbs of energetic muscle) and though she is actually a very good walker (usually heels / keeps pace with me at my side), when there are squirrels or errant bits of food in her line of sight, all bets are off. This harness actually enables me to control her / tug her back to my side. (More great dog gear here.)

+Lessons from Lee Radziwill.

+After reading that I keep a stash of lollipops in my diaper bag for emergency bribery situations, my friend wrote to tell me about these “healthy” lollipops, which are good for your little one’s teeth!

+OK, I have to say — this clip-on strainer is kind of genius, but not only for the obvious reason. In NYC, garbage disposals are very hard to come by in apartments and I have lived without one since moving here. This means that when you are trying to clean a soupy substance out of a pot, it’s kind of a pain in the butt. I’d use this to dispose of liquids and then toss solids in the garbage. Brilliant.

+I love the changing pad covers from Crate & Kids. So thick and quilted — and the cutest prints.

+So many cute, vacation-ready dresses from Banjanan. Love the bows on the shoulders of this style. Already own and love this one!

+Very pretty!

+What did you think of Yaa Gyasi’s book?

+I love the UWS.

+GREAT sale going at Todd Snyder — I buy so much of their collection each season for Mr. Magpie. He has gotten into a groove where he basically never buys himself anything and then complains that he owns no clothes, so I have addressed this problem by buying him multiple head-to-toe looks from here and Polo and a few other outfitters once a season, usually when they’re running a sale. I just bought him this head-to-toe look: the blue colored trousers, the pink sweater, and a white oxford. This was one of his favorite shirts this fall, and it is now marked down to $100!

+20% off new arrivals with code L4Q6: I am eyeing this heart cardigan and this printed sweatshirt!

+Love this bow headband for a little one.

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8 thoughts on “Dribs and Drabs.

  1. I’m so with you on how signs of aging creep up around this age — falling asleep around 10pm and the pains of crouching down for too long … YES! WHY?!

    Love that Bananjan dress with the bows on the shoulders! So good.

    xx

    1. Hi! I have not yet worn one of their dresses but I would say their shirts run TTS and still feel very stretchy/comfortable/relaxed. I am guessing their dresses run the same; I’d encourage you to take your usual size. xxx

  2. I’m holding out for that pink raincoat too! So pretty!

    … and must be a male thing. My significant Is same..never buys himself anything (golfing gear/Cuban cigars/informercial kitchen appliances/and fine bourbon aside) and complains he has no clothes haha..

    1. Definitely a husband thing. Mine has been talking about needing new suits for a year, can’t find time to buy those but orders every new home gadget (that we don’t need) in a second and hunts down rare bourbons.

      Also to time flying by, I think this is especially true once you have kids. Makes me wish time would stop. Also the wrinkles and achy bones, those can stop too.

      1. Haha – so funny that this hit a nerve! I’m with you. I would like Hill to stay seven months forever, thank you. xx

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