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Weekend Vibes, Edition No. 142: Musings on 2019 and New Leopard Pants.

By: Jen Shoop

My Latest Snag: Leopard Pants.

One of my goals in 2019 was to branch out from my normal nearly-exclusive diet of denim during winter weekdays. It seems to me that sophisticated adults wear a broader variety of bottoms. It has taken me a long time to come around to considering any sort of action on this front because I was pregnant / recovering / adapting physically until September, and suddenly wearing any pair of pre-pregnancy jeans was joyous enough to distract me from my objective. But. I did pick up these trousers for the holidays, which I intend to wear with a beautiful navy bead-embellished knit tank by Oscar de la Renta that my mother bought me (cannot find online, but similar in shape/fit to this) in addition to these leopard pants, which I feel will look perfect with a black crewneck sweater and some pointed-toe flats. Also eyeing these Saloni trousers (SO good, but where would I wear them!? I suppose out to dinner? But they feel a bit buttoned-up for that…) and these VBs.

You’re Sooooo Popular: Plaid Trousers.

The most popular items on the blog this past week:

+My plaid holiday trousers! It seems that some of you must share my aforementioned resolution to wear more interesting pants…

+Classic SW OTKs. Still get a lot of wear out of these, several years post-purchase.

+Fair isle knit suit for a little boy.

+Shearling-lined mules? Yes pls.

+Cozy Christmas jams.

+The prettiest carnation pink sweater (on sale!).

+My beloved Thanksgiving dress.

+Gorge drinking glasses.

+My favorite soap, on sale!

#Turbothot: 2019…

There are years that ask questions and years that answer. I wrote about this not long ago, after a string of what felt like obnoxiously inquisitive years. And though 2018 left me more settled than I’d felt in a long while, there were still many open-ended queries on the table.

2019 — and especially these past few weeks — have felt, without a doubt, like an answer. Micro is here and healthy and our pod feels complete. I’ve recovered from giving birth and am largely out of the newborn haze, though it half-pains me to write that. Mini has settled into school and we will not need to worry (much) about where she’ll matriculate for another year or so. We’ve survived the inordinate pain of moving in Manhattan to a bigger apartment with plenty of room, and we are no longer asking one another every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday whether we should move out of the city. We are here for the next few years (at least) and it feels damn good to know that. My days feel purposeful and pleasantly hemmed in by routine, albeit rarely balanced and always punctuated by the usual chaos of raising two small children.

Whenever I muse on this prompt — is this a year that is asking or answering? — I find myself attempting to pin down the question itself. What is being asked? What is being answered? By whom?

This year, I knew immediately who was asking and who was answering. Because this year has been an answer to prayers I have offered up to God, knowingly or unknowingly, for decades. Do you know how many Sundays I spent in Church daydreaming about one day having my own young family in the pew next to me? How I’d even imagine what they’d be wearing and what activities I might bring them? And how just the other Sunday, a gentleman tapped me on the shoulder during the kiss of peace and told me that mini — who was scribbling in a religious coloring book and eating goldfish, wearing an oversized white bow and the most darling tartan jumper with a peter pan collar blouse beneath — had been so good the entire Mass, she deserved a special treat after? And how we walked down to Orwasher’s singing “where is thumpkin” and she picked a chocolate donut and her face radiated with a kind of devious joy as she held it in her palms, upright, like an offering, and the whole time I felt like my soul was jumping out of my chest?

This year has borne the blessing of two healthy children, the obscene gift of writing for a living, a space in my bedroom where I can think and tinker behind a closed door, a husband who grows dearer to me with every passing day, the health of my family.

Taking a beat to take all of that in. Amen amen amen.

Post-Scripts: Fun Accent Table.

+Fun accent table, on serious sale.

+Ordered these cableknit leggings for micro.

+Very intrigued by this top. (The bottoms would be too loud for me to wear without self-consciousness, but I love and live for that top. What to pair it with?!)

+I think I found Mr. Magpie’s 2019 Christmas ornament. These are amazing!

+Love this longline faux fur vest — so chic!!!

+If you have a baby girl: you need these. OMG.

+H+M has been killing it in the childrenswear department lately. Love this and this for mini!

+I’m probably late to the game, but these “indestructible” books are great for micro! We read a lot together, but I can leave these with him when he’s rolling around on the floor or playing in “his office” and he can turn the pages himself/drool and chew them and it’s fine!

+Fun headband.

+Just ordered this lip mask, which I’ve seen touted from every mountaintop. People freaking love this stuff.

+Read about this company’s fudge and caramel sauce on Cup of Jo — have had it in my cart ever since. Might be a good stocking stuffer or Christmas gift exchange option!

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4 thoughts on “Weekend Vibes, Edition No. 142: Musings on 2019 and New Leopard Pants.

  1. I’m so happy that you’re feeling so settled and fulfilled in your new apartment, in your family, and in your faith. This post brought tears to my eyes!

    For me, 2019 has been a year that has answered as well. Although I don’t yet live in my “forever home”, for example, this year has answered a few very important open questions and I feel more settled at its end than I did at its beginning. So that’s something! xx

  2. Amen 🙂

    It feels strange to continue after the above sentiment, but I love the idea of the chocolate caramel sauce for a gift exchange! Thanks for including – my office is having one, and the person I am buying for wrote, “Surprise me!” Ugh. I’m so the opposite when it comes to gifting…I’m usually telling family, “don’t deviate from the list”, ha!

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