By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation. Image via.

I wrote recently that love doesn’t fret over the furnishings. “Connection can happen anywhere. The magic of a marriage will show itself in a parking lot, in a hospital room, in a medium bar with medium drinks, in the dim light of a midnight nursery with a crying newborn. Life, and love, are happening right now, in the imperfect present.” In fact, some of the most romantic moments in my life have happened in the least picture-perfect ways. I am thinking about those hazy, exhausting early days of newborn parenthood, and of Landon and I watching that “Murder Mystery” movie with Adam Sandler and cheersing with a glass of wine while our infant son slept next to us. I had this profound feeling wash over me: it’s just me and you together in this one wild and precious life. Two backs against the lee, you know? I felt so connected to him, so relieved, so happy, even though I was aching from a c-section, wearing baggy nursing pajamas, and bone tired. I am also remembering the time Landon came and rescued me from an unfortunate situation with an ex-boyfriend — he drove straight from playing in a softball game to a date function, wearing sweats and dirt, and I can hardly think of a more romantic moment. Prince Charming with stains on his knees from sliding into home and a sweaty faded t-shirt he hadn’t had time to change. I mean…! Love doesn’t care. If anything, love thrives when your mask is askew.

In that spirit, some lowkey ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day…

01. Make a festive cocktail, like this or this, or if you’re non-drinkers, a fun mocktail (Bardelia has a fun aperol spritz mocktail bundle) and put on a great romantic playlist (see next point). We’ve been really into the latter linked cocktail, and various versions of it, lately — the Breville juicer I bought Mr. Magpie for Christmas makes “fluffy juice” (highly aerated) and this is an essential ingredient in any Garibaldi. I hadn’t been much of a campari fan until now!

02. Put on music that gives you the feels! It’s all about ambiance. I put together a playlist of some of my favorite love songs here (Spotify) and here (Apple).

03. Play a game together! I’m telling you, it’s a fantastic, different way to connect with your significant other. We love Wingspan and Azul — perfect two-player games. Azul is easier to learn, FWIW. Even just a festive drink, a romantic playlist, and a round of Azul in front of the fire would be a perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day.

04. Skip a “romantic” outfit. Wear an easy red sweater with jeans that make you feel good and bare feet. Or a cute but sneaky-sexy lounge outfit like these whipped track pants (divine, divine!) in the pale pink with the matching henley. (Truly, this set is one of the most comfortable things I’ve ever worn, but also saucy and flattering. He will be into this set, I promise.)

05. Make a romantic dinner at home. IMO, a perfect Valentine’s Day dinner would be Daniel Boulud’s hanger steak with shallot-red-wine sauce, Thomas Keller’s smashed marble potatoes, and a bitter winter green salad with a citrus vinaigrette. For dessert, something from a local bakery, like tiramisu or a slice of chocolate cake — something that would require a lot of time to make at home, and that feels special. Share one slice with two forks. If you’re in a pinch, Whole Foods’ Chantilly cake is actually really delicious and they often sell it by the slice. (There are entire subreddit threads extolling the virtues of this cake — it’s an airy sponge cake with a tangy whipped cream frosting and fresh berries. Strongly rec.)

06. Ask your spouse these questions and laugh about the answers together. Tinx also recently shared a few oddball table topic conversations to bring to a dinner party — I screenshotted to ask Landon and am copying and pasting below. Sometimes it’s fun to throw a curve ball conversation in there! Dying to know how many owls it would take for Landon to feel like something is wrong?

07. Watch a romantic movie together. Magpies have shared their favorite romantic scenes here and under-the-radar rom coms here. I know some men aren’t into this genre; you could also try something like “Hit Man” or “Fall Guy,” which are romances in “guy movie” costumes. Or watch some serious cinema — something nominated for lots of obscure film festival awards — and have a long conversation about it afterward. Make popcorn using this stovetop contraption and these kernels, or order a bunch of flavors of Jeni’s (controversial, but I really want to try this flavor) and lay them out with two spoons.

08. Surprise your significant other with a handwritten Valentine. Doesn’t need to be over the top — just a plain card, although I’m writing mine on this — but push yourself to capture something really specific about why you love him/her. I found some of the Magpie reader comments on this post — weird things we love about our significant others — generative. You could riff on this theme in the following formula: “Little things I love about you: the salt and pepper in your beard, the way you hold my hand when we walk the dog, the fact that you answer your phone on the first ring every single time.” These specifics will feel so special to him.

09. Open a special bottle of wine. Last week, Landon and I opened a bottle of wine we’d bought two years ago while in Napa, from Tank Winery. (More on that magical trip here, in case you’re headed that way. We loved, and I mean loved, Calistoga.) There was no special occasion — the bottle was the occasion. But Valentine’s Day presents us with a specific occasion to celebrate.

10. Light candles! Candlelight over lamplight forever. So easy but so romantic!

In case you exchange gifts for the occasion, or are shopping for it yourself, a few beautiful treasures…

LOEWE CANDLE // SCALLOPED CAKE STAND // LUST IN PARADISE PERFUME // PINK LEATHER WALLET // HEART BRACELET // PICTURE FRAME // JEWELRY BOX

I SAW A WHOLE DISPLAY OF THESE SCULPTURAL LOEWE CANDLES IN BERGDORF’S IN NYC – SO CHIC!

PALE PINK PRADA WALLET

AFOREMENTIONED NEGATIVE PANTS AND TOP SET

FOLIO-WRAPPED PICTURE FRAME

TARGET SCALLOPED CAKE STAND

LUST IN PARADISE PERFUME (MY EVERYDAY PERFUME – SMELLS SO DIVINE)

LOVE POEMS

SLOUCHY RED SWEATER

DANA REBECCA HEART BRACELET

ARTSY CHAMPAGNE COUPES

CANDY BOX

CERAMIC MAGIC JAR

KATE MCCLOUD BODY STONE

HEART PINCH BOWLS

MELT IN YOUR MOUTH CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

JEWELRY BOX

DORSEY EARRINGS

By: Jen Shoop

I read a jarring, mystical poem by Galway Kinnell called “The Bear” this week.  (You may recognize that name from my essay on “reteaching a thing its loveliness.“) It is a fever dream in seven unsteady parts about a man hunting a dying bear, crawling inside of it, and then waking and seeing a still-living bear in the ravine.  At least I think that’s the sequence, but it is a poem of borderlessness, violence, and evolution in which we ask: what is real; what is dream?  What is nature; what is man?  What does it mean to hunt and trap and injure, and then crawl inside the wound? And then wake up and see the suffering from the outside?  

I love a poem that asks and does not answer.  Most good poetry does this, I think. (I’m thinking of Oliver now: “Let me keep my distance, always, from those who think they have the answers.“) 

My challenge to you is to sit down and read this poem and just live inside it for a minute, not forcing meaning.  Like the speaker of the poem: “open him and climb in / and close him up after, against the wind, / and sleep.”

Then write down the first ten words that come to mind. 

I think you’ll be surprised at how much you have to say about the splattered paint — how easily the vision-words float from your mind’s eye to the page.  In turn, you will see your own extraordinary depth and imaginativeness.  To read is to create. Think of everything you just brought to the poem. Think of all the things you carry with you — your memories, your preferences, your scars, your wonderful ways of being.

As a writer, I “write to find out what’s inside” (Kurt Vonnegut), but reading isn’t too different after all. When you read that poem, what echoed in the well? What dormant part of you arrived on the page, snuck out of the stanza, curled up on the comma?

P.S. You can hear the poet read the poem here. What struck me about his reading was the fluidity between stanzas, especially stanzas four and five. I wanted to sit with that “and sleep” at the end of stanza four for awhile. I wanted a gaping, long pause. He didn’t give it to us! But I think his reading is a better fit for the thematic blurred lines of the poem. I also noticed, thanks to his reading, the repetition of certain words and movements — “ravine,” “blood,” the sensation of crawling in and out, looking from the outside. You get a lot from the auditory performance of a poem. Where does the breath want to naturally fall? When are we gasping for air versus slowing down? What sounds and rhythms recur?

P.P.S. Kinnell’s two children are named Fergus and Maud — both references to Yeats.

P.P.P.S. I absolutely loved (!) the phrase “the fairway of the bears” from this poem. I wrote it down in several places this week. It feels like a perfect title for something ominous.

Sunday Shopping Poetry.

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

SHERPA JACKET (ON SALE!) // CHIC 3.1 PHILLIP LIM BAG // BEST MAKEUP BRUSH // WHAT I’M READING NOW // WATERPROOF BOOTS ON SALE // CHIC TOP FOR $55 // $21 COSMETIC CASE // ON-TREND FLATS FOR $129

Only a few of these best-selling Mango coats left — on sale! // Can’t explain the joy this hat organizer brought to me. Love a quick way to tidy a closet corner. // Reminder that this incredibly hydrating lip oasis was restocked. // My water-resistant chelsea boots are 20% off with FREDAWINTER. // Cute tiny sherpa bag. // Currently reading. // Obsessed with 3.1 Phillip Lim bags. I have worn this one all winter – the shade is so versatile; it reads gray, brown, taupe, khaki depending on what you’re wearing it with. No have my eyes set on this one. // This shoe looks very high-end but costs $129. // Incredibly chic top for $55. // The absolute best makeup brush ever. I have two. //

A bunch of the items in this list would be super chic styled together:

CHIC TOP FOR $55 // HEAVEN MAYHEM EARRINGS // FAVORITE DAUGHTER JEANS // DEHANCHE BELT // SUEDE DUMPLING BAG (UNDER $140!) // ON-TREND FLATS FOR $129

P.S. More poetry I love.

P.P.S. Lilacs and poetics.

P.P.P.S. The salt from his hand.

By: Jen Shoop

Image via. The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

+BALANCING PASSION WITH PATIENCE: “Pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.  Seek patience and passion in equal amounts.  Patience alone will not build the temple.  Passion alone will destroy its walls.  To live a life of meaning is to balance the things that spark joy with the discipline to bring them into the world.” – Maya Angelou.

This inspired me deeply this week, especially after a few conversations with a dear friend and fellow creative who discovered someone had been copycatting her work. I witnessed the full, earnest swing of emotions as she processed this — frustration, hurt, bewilderment — and after she’d communicated with the imitator, and it had gone nowhere good, we talked about how the only possible next step was for her to focus on continuing to make great art. What else to do? Blinders on, head down. But I also thought how she’d lived out Angelou’s wisdom in a narrow way. She’d not let passion “destroy the walls” and she was persisting patiently in her craft.

(N.B. I tend to believe that karma never forgets an address — that person will eventually hit a stumbling block!)

+INSLEE x MAGPIE: This week, I fly to Raleigh, NC to visit my dear friend Inslee, as we are working on an incredibly special collaboration launching soon…! Like, within a few weeks soon. I cannot wait to share more. If you aren’t familiar with Inslee, she is a deeply talented artist and wise creative spirit. I love talking shop with her — she has such an informed perspective on her craft, on creativity, on running a successful art business. Funnily enough, we had coffee a few weeks ago and were talking about imitators/plagiarists in that conversation, too, and I asked her how she handled it. She said: “I just focus on making better art.” Amen. I’ll share the full backstory on our friendship (now spanning decades) in an upcoming post, but for now…get ready!

Are these not the most charming flowers you’ve ever seen?

+BESTSELLERS: The number one bestseller was this Veronica Beard dress, deeply discounted from $498 to $149. She is SO good — you can see me in her here. Trust me, your future (summer) self will thank you.

01. VERONICA BEARD DRESS (ON SUPER SALE) // 02. BEST VITAMIN C PRODUCT UNDER $30 // 03. MY FAVORITE JEANS (20% OFF WITH JEN20) // 04. VERONICA BEARD BLAZER // 05. BEST SWIMSUIT // 06. TODDLER SANDALS // 07. BRUSHED CASHMERE SWEATER // 08. CHIC RESORT SKIRT // 09. ON RUNNING SHOES // 10. LOEWE SCARF (ON SALE) // 11. VITAMIN-SOAKED FACIAL PADS // 12. ANN MASHBURN DRESS (ALSON ON SALE – OMG)

+SALES TO SHOP: 1) Doen’s Winter Sale! I ordered this chic top (don’t sleep on their tops — they’re all in this featherweight, ultra-tuckable material that adds no bulk), this pointelle tee ($59!), and this gorgeous dress. Love a seasonless dress like this — pair with boots now, wear into spring with flats. 2) Chappywrap winter sale! We have this gorgeous one in our front room and I love that it’s sort of holiday but can also be used around the entire year because of the colors. 3) An additional 20% off Guest in Residence‘s incredible sale section this weekend only, plus I believe my code JEN15 gets you an extra 15% off that sale price (!!!). So many cashmere pieces at closeout prices. I’m contemplating this quilted cashmere beauty — I already have the cropped plaid version (also on super sale). Great layering piece!

Last but not least, Veronica Beard! Two of my favorite dresses from last summer are included in the sale — this and this, both $149…sooo good. I took a 00 in both of these and am usually a 0. The navy one fit like a glove; the paler blue one was a bit snug. So from my experience, I’d take your true size in the pale blue and contemplate going down a size in navy.

VERONICA BEARD BAYLEE DRESS // VERONICA BEARD BLIGE DRESS

+SNAPS FROM THE WEEK: Things that caught my eye this week.

A STACK OF VINTAGE BOOKS IN OUR LIVING ROOM // NEW FRINGED MOCS! (20% OFF WITH JEN20)

EYELET SNEAKERS // MORNING SUSTENANCE (I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS ANTHOLOGY AND HIGHLY REC…I READ IT WITH COMPLETE HAPHAZARDNESS! JUST FLIP IT OPEN AND READ A POEM WHENEVER THE MOOD STRIKES)

PASTEL MOMENT: SOEUR BAG + BUTTER YELLOW SWEATER (PEEP THE WIDE LEGS…YOUTHFUL MICROTREND, CHECK) // NEW HOTEL LOBBY CANDLE BURNING

I LOVED MR. MAGPIE IN THIS GRAY SWEATSHIRT (HE CALLS IT HIS “BIEBER SWEATSHIRT” BECAUSE JUSTIN BIEBER WEARS THIS BRAND) WITH LIGHTER WASH DENIM // GUEST BEDROOM PEACE

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

A Magpie reader wrote to say that it can be hard to see the full outfits on laptop / desktop computer without scrolling a lot — I’m taking this under advisement to see if there are better solutions. In the meantime, you can always shop my outfits on ShopMy — that format may be a little easier from a scroll/shop standpoint. I try to post them there in real-time. Stay tuned! Feel free to send me other bits of feedback/suggestion on how to make reading Magpie a more pleasant experience. Feedback is a gift! Thank you!

MEETINGS + WORK: RAG + BONE FLEXI SOFIE JEANS (RUN TTS – JEN20 FOR 20% OFF) // VERONICA BEARD VEST (PAST SEASON COLOR; CURRENT SEASON COLORS HERE AND HERE; LOOK FOR LESS HERE AND HERE) // DAPHINE EARRINGS // HERMES WATCH // SOLDOUT NYC TURTLENECK (15% OFF WITH JEN15) // DORSEY HEART NECKLACE // ISABEL MARANT DUERTO BOOTS // MANSUR GAVRIEL CABAS BAG // AMAZON BAG CHARM ($8!) // AMAZON SUNGLASSES ($10!)

STANDARD WORK/MOM LIFE: BA&SH CARDIGAN (BOUGHT ON RESALE AT RENT THE RUNWAY – LOTS OF SIZES LEFT; USE CODE SHOPMYXRTRJAN FOR AN EXTRA 45% OFF!!!) // SOLDOUT NYC TEE (15% OFF WITH JEN15) // CITIZENS CHARLOTTE CROP JEANS // DOLCE VITA SNEAKERS // 3.1 PHILLIP LIM BAG (ON SUPER SALE) // DORSEY HEART ID NECKLACE // DAPHINE EARRINGS // BEST AMAZON SOCKS

SKATING LESSONS + DINNER WITH FRIENDS: KILTE CASHMERE HALF-ZIP (ON SALE) // SOEUR PARIS BAG // RAG + BONE LONG SLEEVE (20% OFF WITH JEN20) // MOTHER HALF PIPE JEANS // DAPHINE EARRINGS // INUIKII BOOTS

STANDARD WORK/MOM LIFE (BAD HAIR DAY EDITION): ALEX MILL KNIT JACKET // PISTOLA JEANS // QUINCE CASHMERE SWEATSHIRT // SOLDOUT NYC TEE (15% OFF WITH JEN15) // HEAVEN MAYHEM EARRINGS // FORE-TE HAT // SOEUR PARIS BAG // VERONICA BEARD SNEAKERS // DORSEY HEART ID NECKLACE // DORSEY CLEMENCE NECKLACE

MEETING!: LE SPECS SUNGLASSES // HEAVEN MAYHEM EARRINGS // FEW MODA JACKET (UNDER $100) // SOLDOUT NYC TEE (15% OFF WITH JEN15) // PISTOLA JEANS // VERONICA BEARD DASH BAG // FREDA SALVADOR BROOKE BOOT (20% OFF WITH FREDAWINTER)

SATURDAY MORNING: LAKE PAJAMAS


By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

First — what is the most difficult part of your day? For a long time, bedtime felt like the final, occasionally insurmountable, hurdle in my day, but now the children are older and their bedtime routines have shrunk in size and complexity and they are pretty docile about it. My son is bone-tired by the time seven thirty rolls around: that marching, never-off five-year-old energy needs replenishing. He’s sort of like one of those monkey wind-ups — he goes and goes, chirping and clattering through his day, and then just flips off abruptly, with no resistance or warning. The fact that bedtime now feels straight-forward for me is a reminder that parenthood is a process, a practice. It is a moving target. There is no constant but change.

Now, however, I find the mornings an unpleasant crunch punctuated by urgent expeditations: “are you done with breakfast?”; “go go go”; “run upstairs and get your socks”; “put on your coat!” I’m annoying myself just reading this litany spilt on the page. Even though I know I could alleviate some of this by waking myself and my children up just a little bit earlier, it is difficult for me to motivate myself out of bed. (How I long to be one of those mothers who wakes at 5 a.m. to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee and some journal time. Alas, this is not – and will never – be me. This is because Landon and I prioritize the evening hours as time for us to connect — watch TV together, catch up, handle STPs — “Shoop Talking Points.” And afterward, I like a little time to read in bed. I don’t see myself ceding either of those priorities to an earlier wake up any time soon…!) Besides, it seems like my son in particular needs the sleep — I routinely need to wake him up. And this is with a 7:30 p.m. bedtime!

My question for you — besides the obvious of “pack lunches the night before” (check) and “lay out the kids’ clothes the night before” (check again), what brings ease into your morning routine?

****

I will say that once the children are out the door, I find my personal morning ritual nourishing. I almost always do the following:

7:45 a.m. Kiss my children and send them out the door.

7:46 a.m. Drink a full glass of ice water out of a tall cooler glass. (Not a water bottle. I can’t explain it. It has to be a tall glass of ice water.) I fill my water bottle at the same time, just so it’s ready to go for the exercise/the rest of the day. While I’m drinking my water, I text my mom the praying hands emoji, and she does the same — it’s our little prayer circle of two.

7:50 a.m. Walk onto my back covered patio to breathe in the air, listen to the birdsong, and remind myself of my own smallness. This is not a long process — usually just one or two minutes does it for me. I suppose this partly fills the blank left by my former walks with Tilly. (I miss her.)

7:52 a.m. Wear my LED red light therapy mask for 10 minutes. I usually do this while checking my phone or tidying the kitchen.

8:02 a.m. Make a green smoothie with the Vitamix (currently on sale!), easily one of the best purchases we’ve ever made for our kitchen. Worth every penny.

8:05 a.m. Read something to wake up my brain while enjoying my smoothie. I keep a few books out and easily accessible across the house for this purpose. In the kitchen, I have Margaret Renkl’s “howling love letter to the natural world” (a series of short essays that are easy to read in one bite); in the living room, I have Mary Oliver’s Rules for the Dance (a book on metrical poetry scansion — easier to digest in small sips); and in my studio, I have a lot of books, but I usually reach for this poetry anthology and read one or two poems. My son recently noticed me annotating one of these books — I always read a physical book with a pen in hand — and said, “Mama – we don’t write in books.” It was an interesting challenge to communicate why and which contexts annotation is appropriate.

8:15 a.m. Catch up with Mr. Magpie – he’s usually back from drop off by now.

8:25 a.m. Change into exercise clothes and, if planning to wash my hair after exercising, apply Mielle rosemary-mint treatment oil and Anablue hair treatment oil to my hair. Both of these promote healthy, strong hair and improve the overall softness and texture. I’m a big believer in them, especially since I use hot tools on my hair every time I shower. For fitness wear, I am currently obsessed with the leggings and matching tanks from Beyond Yoga, Vuori’s Energy tees, Beyond Yoga Featherweight longsleeves, and Varley’s FreeSoft heathered leggings. All of these are supremely soft, comfortable, and move with your body.

8:30 a.m. Exercise. As of January 1, I have been trying to move my body every day, but in a new-to-me method. I used to think of “exercise” in such limited, prescriptive terms: I had to run 3-4 miles (or complete 30-40 minutes on a stationary bike) and then do at least 10 minutes of arms or abs — better yet if I could motivate to stack a 20-30 minute Heather Robertson video on top. It was unnecessarily stringent and deterring me from working out as often as I could have, because it meant an hour or more of exercising (once you factor in warm up, cooldown) and then I’d be so sweaty, I’d have to take a shower and dry my hair. By the time I was done with exercising, showering, dressing, etc, it was usually 10 a.m., and that was only if I was closing the door on my kids and sprinting right into my exercise regimen, which always made me feel rushed and angsty and slightly resentful, and in turn meant I didn’t have time to enjoy the smoothie, read, etc! So at best, I was exercising twice s a week because it took so much time. Now, my goal is to get in about 20-30 minutes of exercise most mornings using videos from Physique57 or Heather Robertson. Twice a week, if possible, I aim for longer sessions that are more cardio-focused — a run or stationery bike session followed by abs/arms or a 40 minute full body sculpt video. This way, most mornings, I can exercise and rinse my body but not have to wash my hair, and I’m done with the whole thing in under an hour. It has made such a powerful change in my life. I feel physically better in my own body, have more energy, and of course that’s not even addressing the powerful mental/mood benefits. So far I’ve exercised 15 out of 17 days this month and it hasn’t even felt that difficult to keep up with. Like, you can do anything for 20 minutes, right?

9 a.m. Pour myself coffee — Landon always has it ready and waiting.

9:02 a.m. Rinse off in the shower, get dressed.

9:15 a.m. Do my skincare/makeup routine. I actually handle skincare as soon as I wake up, before I get up with my children. Wash my face, apply serums, and hydrate. Then after I work out, I rinse my body/face, reapply hydration, and put on my makeup.

9:30 a.m. Sit down at my desk.

Please share your morning ritual must-dos and how you ease into your day.

Post-Scripts.

+Photo above actually from our stay at Lupaia in Tuscany. I wish I woke up to that view in the morning!

+On making everything important.

+Every phase is a good phase.

+Energy multipliers.

Shopping Break.

+A propos of this being the year of the fox: I just stumbled upon and ordered this memoir about an unlikely friendship between a fox and a writer. I also have this and this in my TBR. We are definitely in our naturalist era, aren’t we?

+Planning to wear this to Mr. Magpie’s birthday celebration next weekend! And while we’re talking Doen: they’re running an enormous winter sale that can’t be missed. I ordered this dress, this top (love the material of their tops – ultra lightweight and airy, so easy to tuck with no bulk), and this pointelle tee ($59!!).

+This lace top would be so chic for a date night.

+Cutest Galentine’s glasses.

+Target run: this adorable quilted floral toy bin, this woven lamp, this melamine tray, this striped bolster, and these gingham towels for a boy’s bathroom! The red piping is so charming. Reminded me a little of this print from Peter Dunham and one of my favorite prints ever, Katie Ridder’s Beetlecat. (I have a Beetlecat pillow in my son’s room!)

+Hotel Lobby launched a new scent – Blue Skies – yesterday! They sent me a sample and it does smell divine and just what I want as we head into the new year.

+This belted tweed jacket!!!

+A really good price for a jumbo of the best setting powder ever.

+We just completed this puzzle as a family – it was really fun. I think because the kids could focus on individual figures with clear outfits/colors to hunt for, it made it slightly easier for them, but still challenging for all of us.

+This top and skirt situation are just beyond spectacular.

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

OMG, guys – the current extra 25% off Shopbop’s sale section is epic. I just added five items to my cart and need your help whittling it down. Here’s what’s in my cart:

01. Rag + Bone Sofie jeans. You know I am obsessed with my current pair (black) and I’m very tempted by the price on these — love the wash and the cuff.

02. Jenni Kayne Cooper cardigan in stripe. People LOVE this sweater and I LOVE a stripe.

03. Figue dress. I love a patterned shirtdress like this. I find so many occasions to wear pieces like this — family functions, school events, etc. Demure but interesting. And the shirtwaist style is infinitely flattering. The color on this one makes it feel seasonless. Pair with suede boots now and flat sandals later.

04. This Agua Bendita pareo skirt. I love the idea of layering this over a one-piece while in Florida in a few weeks, or pairing with a white tee and strappy sandals while exploring! (The pattern on the Agua skirt is pretty, too — also comes in a dress form worth a gander, which is also super discounted.)

05. By Adina Eden oversized silver studs. I’ve been really into the look of heavy silver earrings lately — just feels fresh and different. The price is right on these and I think the shape is fun.

If I didn’t already own this bag in a green leather, I’d definitely add this Mansur Gavriel Cabas tote to my cart. I loveeee mine. Perfect everyday shape, super-elegant, not-logo-forward. Quality is exceptional. It looks very expensive — Celine-like — IRL.

Some standout buys from this extra 25% off promotion below. Note that some of the inventory is super-limited, with only one or two units left…run!

JENNI KAYNE COOPER CARDIGAN // RAY BAN SUNGLASSES // RAG AND BONE SOFIE JEANS // HEAVEN MAYHEM BEAN EARRINGS // NILI LOTAN CABLEKNIT // ALTUZZARA BAG // ISABEL MARANT DUERTO BOOT (IF YOU FOLLOW ME REGULARLY, YOU KNOW THESE ARE MY MOST-WORN BOOT)

For dressier finds you can wear right now, this season — how great are the items below? The dresses in particular would be elegant for family portraits, post-partum, more conservative events at school, etc. Also, that Neous bag is SO chic and different.

CARA CARA DRESS // ANINE BING JACKET // FIGUE DRESS // NEOUS BAG // JENNIFER ZEUNER EARRINGS

If you’re heading somewhere warm soon — you’re in luck. Such chic finds at great prices. I’m especially into the idea of these patterned Zimmermann pants or this Agua Bendita skirt, which can be worn as cover-ups or also paired with a white tee/button-down for an everyday look. And everyone needs a Hunza G.

HUNZA G SWIMSUIT // LIZZIE FORTUNATO HEART EARRINGS // ELIOU CLAMSHELL NECKLACE // LESET TEE (NOT ON SALE) // AGUA BENDITA SKIRT // FREYA STRAW HAT // AGUA BENDITA MANZANILLA DRESS // ZIMMERMANN FLORAL PANTS // SHASHI SHELL EARRINGS // MANSUR GAVRIEL CABAS BAG // JENNI KAYNE SUEDE SANDALS

Last but not least — extra 25% off select Paravel! This is my favorite suitcase — so elegant and well-designed. Snag for $250! And the backpack ends up being like $16 with code. We actually used this as my son’s pre-school backpack for awhile because it weighs next to nothing. Great for travel, too.

PARAVEL SUITCASE // PARAVEL FOLD-UP BACKPACK

P.S. What does your job say about you?

P.P.S. Our linguine and clams recipe.

P.P.P.S. Ask your husband these questions…hilarious.

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

A few items I’ve picked up this month for my family —

01. Mini was in need of some new sweats; somehow we’d whittled down her supply to a single pair, and she’s often schlepping to/from sports and in need of extras. She selected these wide-legs and this butter yellow pair of joggers out of tons of options I presented her with. She also specifically requested “tank tops but with skinny straps and no bow or rose at the center” — !! I delivered with these.

02. Mr. Magpie’s birthday is coming up soon! It’s always challenging to come up with fresh ideas so soon after Christmas (see what I got him for that holiday here), but I’ve managed to find a few. First: an expansion pack for our newest board game obsession, Wingspan. I know some of you have the bug, too — it is SO fun. A bit complex to learn and set up but once you’re over the hump, you’ll want to play as often as possible. There are a few expansion packs available, but Redditors claim this one is the best. Second: a set of Gray Kunz spoons. I read that Missy Robbins absolutely swears by these spoons in her kitchen — for testing, for plating, etc. I know he’ll love this “pro” equipment. Third: Beeswrap. Sort of oddball, but he has been talking a lot about wanting a better way to store our cheeses so that they don’t dry out as quickly (especially parm and pecorino), and Redditors suggested this is the way to go. Fourth: this Thule trunk organizer. We have one for our SUV and we’re both obsessed with it. I finally got him one for “his car,” which is a sedan. Fifth: this head-to-toe look from Sezane, complete with faded black tee (why is it so attractive on the model?), jeans, and hat. One of my secrets for styling Mr. Magpie is completely ripping off the styling on Sezane and Tom Snyder! Hehe. I know this is a bunch of smaller gifts; I am trying to think of one more item — maybe tickets to something, a gift card to a fun restaurant, a night away somewhere…help!

03. My son painted a gorgeous watercolor of a fox last week (truly, our avatar for 2025!), and I wanted to have it framed. I contemplated Framebridge…and then bought this $14 Amazon frame that comes with a mat for an 8.5×11 piece of paper. Done and done. He was so delighted!

04. We have been wanting to buy one additional large (checkable) suitcase for awhile. I have my beloved Paravel and was contemplating buying a second — but I had a site credit at Quince and decided to try one of theirs instead for less than half the price, and in a great forest green color. (You may recall we bought our kids the Quince children’s suitcases as a surprise for Christmas — inside, we tucked “tickets” to Disney!). I also ordered a few of the Quince brand luggage tags for our new suitcases.

05. Also at Quince: I picked up a set of their cotton gingham sheet sets for my son’s room in the blue color. Decent price, and I loved the color/pattern. Will report back on quality, but as you know, I’m sort of a Quince fangirl at this point.

06. I don’t know how this happened, but we used to have a set of 12 silver ramekins and now we only have three and we’re constantly using them. They’re perfect for mise en place, for ketchup/mustard/dipping sauces, little parcels of dessert for the kids (“you can have eight gummy bears for dessert”), etc. I picked up a new pack of twelve.

07. These bubble podz make bathtime more fun; just re-stocked. My kids love the watermelon scent. If you drop them in while the bath is filling up, they really generate a ton of bubbles!

08. New snow boots from Boden! And man have we needed them! They love the colors. I will say the pairs they just outgrew were these ones from Scandi brand Kuling which we really loved. I might go back to them next. They are $30 right now but super heavy duty, slip on (!), and lined with fleece. I love the little cinch thing so that you can really secure them on the foot / prevent water from getting in. I also picked up these snow bibs for mini. Again, she loves the colors. Previously, we had the ones from Northern Classics, which we also loved. Great design! We especially love the ski/snow mittens from Northern Classics — also really well designed. They keep all water/snow out with the cinch at the wrist, and they go up pretty high on the forearm, too. (Northern Classics is currently running a promo where if you spend $140, you get a free pair of their $44 mittens, FYI!)

By: Jen Shoop

I was moved by this recent post by Suleika Jaouad on paths not taken. In it, she shares some gleaming gems of lived wisdom:

“I’ve written before about how major life interruptions have ended up being some of the richest, most important times in my life. I think that’s because the plan is gone, and I’ve returned to what feels most natural, where there’s the most energy. So my advice to [college] first years…was not to box themselves in too soon.”

and

“I want to remember that nothing is ever wasted—like all those years I spent pursuing the double bass. By sixteen, I was spending six hours a day practicing the double bass, commuting to the city to attend Juilliard each week. I missed out on things like my high school prom in the name of becoming a professional musician. It’s sometimes tempting to think, “Oh, I wasted time on this thing that didn’t become anything.” But music informs every aspect of my life. It affects how I write: theme, rhythm, motif, and structure all come to bear on my prose. It brought me my husband, and now we have a home filled with music. If you’re open enough, flexible enough, and paying attention, you can see the poetry and the mystery in how things shake out.”

Poetry and mystery! A perfect casting of the dynamic formula I’ve been writing my way through in my recent, divergent, musings about how sometimes things just happen, and we can’t permit ourselves to attach too much meaning to them, or we begin to lose faith in the goodness of the world, and sometimes coincidences are calling out for inspection, and deserve a close reading. When to read into things? And when to accept them at their face value? A new kind of literacy for a new decade of life, I guess. I recently had a situation where someone did something callous, and I sat for a minute with my own hurt and then decided I didn’t need to assume the worst, and that I could instead assume the best, or maybe just the neutral: she didn’t mean anything by it. And I let it go. I mean, really let it go.

But today I’m interested in Suleika’s grappling with roads we didn’t take, and how those decisions have played out in our lives. What’s a path you’re happy you didn’t take, and why? (I am thinking this might be helpful for fellow Magpies vacillating between a few big options — they may choose differently than you did, but at least hearing how others’ decisions panned out can inform.)

A few paths I’m happy I didn’t take: going to Duke University (great school, but UVA is where I fell in love with my husband and “bloomed” into an adult version of myself; I think this decision would have entirely changed my life); moving to San Francisco for a job in online courseware development in my late 20s; going back to the corporate world after having my daughter. This last choice hurt for a long time in the sense that Landon and I forewent a second salary for awhile so I could build this blog from the ground up. It takes a long time to build a business. But my God am I glad we made that “investment” in me, in this space, in this community. I wonder sometimes — if I were presented with that choice now, at the more circumspect and settled age of 40, would I have the guts to do it?

Please share yours!

Post-Scripts.

+If you could go back to school tomorrow, what would you study?

+On being bad at endings.

+I’m a secretly bad book girl.

Shopping Break.

+My water-resistant suede boots from Freda Salvador are 20% off with code FREDAWINTER. These are such a great chelsea boot for inclement / wet / sludgy weather. I like them styled with a cropped hem so you can see the full shape of the boot / most of the shaft — I’ve worn with these and these.

+I’ve fallen in love with two pairs of glossy earrings from Jennybird: these hearts and these viral “non-stops” they can hardly keep in stock! Which should I order?

+This denim vest from VB…swoon! Look for less at Sezane, COS, or Madewell.

+I own this bag in a deep Atlantic green but how spectacular in the minimalist bone color?

+Another bag that is SO good, and this one under $140: this COS steal in gorgeous brown suede.

+Obsessed with these beautiful coasters. Remind me of De Gournay! In fact, Addison Ross has a bunch of chic pieces in this motif — frames (!!! I think I need it), trays, pepper grinders! The frame would be gorgeous with a photo of you and your mom for Mother’s Day.

+My MIL has the iconic Paloma Picasso for Tiffany cuff — it is SO chic — and I just found a good look for less here.

+Sweetest pointelle cardi.

+Another well-reviewed product for fellow Magpies with dark undereye circles.

+My favorite cashmere set, now in ice blue.

+Sweet leggings for your little one, on sale for like $13.

+This sherpa fleece with a sheep pattern is beyond adorable.

+Best way to stow out of season shoes. And a must for organizing closet shelves.

+Very attracted to this pen/writing implement organizer…

+Drawn to this gorgeous pink knit. Imagine paired with a pair of silky trousers…

+Cute cherry print dress for a little lady.

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

ADORABLE PJS // FESTIVE PLATES // HEART CABLE-KNIT SWEATER // DARLING PINK POINTELLE DRESS // SWEET TEDDY BEAR // STRIPED POLO SHIRT // HEART STUDS

I am sitting here debating which Valentines to send in with my children this year. My daughter loves these little mochi squishies (non-personalized option for less here) and she’s also a huge fan of popcorn, and so I kind of thought these would be fun? (Plus, nice to not have yet another piece of candy…) For my son, I’m kind of loving these yo-yo ones with a little yo-yo attached, but will probably get him these “friend-CHIP” stickers and attach to chips because my son absolutely loves Cheetohs. So much so that he requested Cheetohs from Santa Claus. (We don’t often actually get him Cheetohs so this was a big deal.) For more inspo: last year, we did Taylor Swift themed ones for her, and my son gave out these hatching dino egg ones.

If you’re looking for non-personalized ones that your children can address themselves, these are so sweet, as is this kit. I actually might buy the latter and have my kids send Valentines to family members / non-school friends with it.

A few other great finds for littles:

01. Sparkly hugs and kisses banner — my kids would love this on the mantel in the dining room.

02. Heart printed PJ’s for boys and girls! Also worth taking a look is this darling chéri amour set.

03. Festive plates for the littles’ Valentine’s treats.

04. These jeans! OMG!

05. Perfect girls’ Valentine’s Day getup.

06. This heart cable knit sweater is on sale right now and great for the remainder of the season.

07. My daughter is a huge fan of Pip Pop jewelry. These heart studs are hypoallergenic and simple. I love the screw-on backings for her.

08. For boys, this striped polo is excellent Valentine’s attire. Another option here.

09. How sweet is this baby pink pointelle dress?!

10. Pair these joggers with the matching sweatshirt. Adorable.

11. For fellow Magpies with squishmallow-obsessed littles.

12. More cherry pajamas for her!

13. Cutest book.

14. This teddy bear! I love the little heart.

15. Gemstones Valentines cards — 12 pack.

16. I adore this heart-pocket sherpa vest.

17. Sweet knits: heart printed fair isle or this cardigan.

18. Another book option.

19. DIY Valentine’s mailbox kit — such a fun and inexpensive craft.

20. This coat is a little’s dream! The heart patch pockets!

P.S. Other purchases I’ve made for my daughter.

P.P.S. What is your best tactical parenting advice?

P.P.P.S. Questions in motherhood.

By: Jen Shoop

Image via. The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

A few months ago, I came across a hilarious post by a plastic surgeon: “Do you want to know the cheapest way to look ten years younger? Get rid of your no-show socks.” Gen Z and younger are all about visible socks; it took me awhile to get on board, but I’ve finally arrived. Sharing this and a few other youthful microtrends to test out, with plenty of visual inspo. All images discovered on Pinterest.

01. Visible socks! Per the note above — make sure socks are always visible. My favorite socks are these for casual-wear (6 pairs for $17 and they are really nice and plush!), these for anything slightly dressier (loafers, etc; 6 pairs for $9!; upgrade pick: Bombas), and these for working out.

02. Show the collar of your white tee! This is so niche and specific but I’ve noticed a lot of the younger ladies layering a white tee beneath a crewneck such that the collar and sometimes the hem are visible. The look is slightly undone in a fetching way. My favorite white layering tees are Donni (divinely soft, barely-there vibe that add no bulk to the look) and of course Sold Out, which are in my opinion the best all around white tee. They have a little more weight/bulk to them than Donni but work great beneath a chunkier knit, and have a more substantial/visible collar. I also love them because they’re opaque (Donni runs a tad sheerer, so you definitely need a nude / non-lace bra), are the perfect length for tucking, and have a slightly dramatic shape on the sleeve that looks incredible when tucked into jeans/pants.

This general look is epitomized by Jenni Kayne — try it out with one of her iconic slouchy sweaters, like this or this. Or get the look for less with Quince.

03. Try a baggy or wide leg jean. Hard at first but honestly so much more comfortable?! My favorite “gateway drug” jeans to a wider/looser fit are the Rag and Bone Sofies (20% off with JEN20). They’re still tailored and high-waisted, but they ease you into learning how to dress with a wider leg. You can get the look for less here or even less here. If you’re ready to go even baggier, try these Rag and Bones — they are so divinely soft and lightweight; almost like wearing pajamas. These Madewells, which I also own, are a very good look for less — also very soft and lightweight. Look for even less with these.

If you’re looking for a pair of gray wide-leg sweats similar to the ones seen below, you might try these and these. (I have one pair of wide-leg, full-length navy sweats from Rhone that I am loving and I’m currently inspired to try to style differently, per the inspo below! They are selling out left and right; grab them while you can.) Interesting note: my daughter needed new sweats and she begged me for wide-legs. So I can confirm that this silhouette is very in with the younger ones now. (She chose this pair in the heather color for herself.)

04. Layer an oversized wool coat over athleisure or sweats. Shared a few great coats yesterday, but ones perfect for this particular vibe: this ivory Frankie Shop, this Jenni Kayne, this Quince, this Aritzia. And if you’re look for gray sweats similar to the ones seen below: try these. (Look for less with these.)

*You may have noticed a lot of the chic peas above are wearing Adidas! Still love the look. Especially loving this just-released colorway and this brown (unisex sizing!)

P.S. Favorite boots for the season.

P.P.S. My favorite things: winter edition.

P.P.PS. You can start anything you want today, and with no one’s permission.

By: Jen Shoop

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

One of my favorite looks this winter season has been this Quince slip dress (TTS) layered beneath this Quince cashmere turtleneck (go up a size for a slouchier fit), finished with my brown suede Veronica Beard Dash Bag and chocolate suede tall boots. So comfortable and so chic! (Sorry the lighting wasn’t better – you can get a better look at the dress/sweater styled a bit differently in daylight here.)

This is a color palette that’s speaking to me this season —

VERONICA BEARD NAYA TOP // HEAVEN MAYHEM WATCH // HEAVEN MAYHEM EARRINGS // BA&SH JACKET // SLVRLAKE JEANS // STEVE MADDEN FLATS // ANYA HINDMARCH BAG // GIANVITO ROSSI SNEAKERS // AGOLDE JEANS

ISABEL MARANT VEST // S MAX MARA COAT // CELINE HAT // ADIDAS SNEAKERS // BEYOND YOGA LEGGINGS // MADEWELL BUCKET BAG // PERFECT WHITE TEE SWEATS // INUIKII BOOTS // FERRAGAMO CLUTCH (ON SUPER SALE) // CELINE TRIOMPHE 01 OVAL SUNGLASSES // QUINCE WOVEN FLATS // LOULOU STUDIO PANTS

DORSEY CRAWFORD EARRINGS // TALLER MARMO DRESS (LOOK FOR LESS HERE) // AQUAZZURA HEELS // BOTTEGA CLUTCH (LOOK FOR LESS HERE) // MERIT FLUSH BALM IN POSTMODERN // MANGO VELVET HEELS // SAVETTE POCHETTE // FAUX FUR STOLE // ZARA VELVET CORSET // ZARA SLIP SKIRT // DORSEY RIVIERE NECKLACE // ZADIG AND VOLTAIRE FAUX FUR COAT

P.S. A woman contains multitudes.

P.P.S. A solid reminder for today.

P.P.P.S. You are enough.

By: Jen Shoop

Image via.

“Sometimes it is necessary / to reteach a thing its loveliness / to put a hand on its brow / of the flower / and retell it in words and in touch / it is lovely / until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing”

-Galway Kinnell

I read those words and thought of my unraveling a few years ago. It was a strenuous time in a difficult relationship in which I forgot myself, or rather, trusted the warped image of myself created by another and handed back to me. I was looking in the funhouse mirror; it was me, wasn’t it? Rough where I thought I was soft, with my heart shrunken to a lead button. It took a long time to come back. To look in the right kinds of windows and mirrors. No one tells you how long this takes, actually. It’s years; it’s forever. It’s an ongoing practice of saying, “No, that’s not me; no, that’s not for me,” and of tottering around on fawn legs as you re-learn how to see the good inside. Embarrassing, maybe, but in those early days, I found myself clinging to two memories as though a storm-tossed sailor wrapped around a cracked mast: the first, in my sister’s tiny 81st street apartment, sitting on the floor. I was maybe twenty-six, and she was saying to my future brother-in-law: “Oh Jen could never do that – she’s a good person.” And another, via email, from my sister-in-law: “Jen, you are a good person. Read that back to yourself.” Together, the click train that helped me echolocate myself when I was lost.

Which is to say, “sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness.” No one ever suffered from an extra word of encouragement, a bonus “look at you; you’re lovely.”

A woman commented on my “10 I Love Yous” post: “You could also say “I love you.” So many times people do all of those things but that.” I can’t stop thinking of this. Yes, you can wring “I love yous” from deed and gesture, but sometimes you need to hear the words, too.

Stop for a minute, Jen: run downstairs to tell Landon just how good and smart and kind he is. How I saw the way he spoke to his aunt’s boyfriend at the funeral: tender, earnest. “Hang in there, buddy.” Take the children into your arms when they return from school, clothing stained with paint and peanut butter, dirt under their nails: “You are every good thing. You are exactly what this family needs. You are loved just as you are.”

Post-Scripts.

+I cannot believe the LA wildfires continue to burn. It is devastating. Many good people are doing good things to help — one small operation that spoke to me today was this Altadena Girls group. You can send supplies (skincare, school gear, grooming tools) to teenage girls impacted or displaced by the wildfires via Amazon. Address here; wishlist here.

+Love is…a big salad?

+Things I know for certain. (Turns out, not a lot.)

Shopping Break.

The following content may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the links below, I may receive compensation.

+Into this new denim silhouette from J. Crew.

+Most comfortable flats in the the most gorgeous chocolate brown suede.

+Cool oversized long-sleeved tee to throw on with leggings. I also love my AYR Early Mornings tee for this.

+Rose-scented counter spray in chic packaging.

+CUTE cropped red puffer on sale for $50 at the time of writing this. Reminds me in general ethos of my red Varley puffer, which I have basically been wearing exclusively for the past few cold snowy weeks! (Gap also has a vest version!)

+This Zara cape is SO good. It’s not as oversized as the styles from Toteme but feels adjacent in vibe.

+Love this dramatic trench. Also like J. Crew’s new $148 raincoat!

+Chic acrylic laptop stand and a wide leather-effect desktop pad/blotter to upgrade your desk-scape!

+Butter yellow (and other pastels) trending for spring. Love this with a light-wash denim.

+Fun statement fleece, nearly sold out. A few more sizes available here and here.

+Laundry upgrade.

+Ultra chic apres ski.

+A Magpie reader wrote enthusiastically about this Jones Road eyeshadow — going to test! Lately, I’ve been loving this palette by Makeup by Mario when I have the time to really apply, and when I’m in a rush, I just swipe on a dab of this Jillian Dempsey lid tint in the taupe color.

+A few of the items above would be SO chic altogether —

ZARA CAPE // HEAVEN MAYHEM EARRINGS // J. CREW JEANS // BOTTEGA BAG (LOOK FOR LESS HERE, HERE, HERE) // LOEFFLER RANDALL LEONIE FLATS

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