When we left for Florida last week, our lilacs were in bloom. When we returned four days later, the fragrant blossoms had vanished, leaving an unpunctuated, lush green. I mourned their absence; in my personal lexicon, lilacs are a signifier of things remembered. But the next morning, I ran my usual route through my neighborhood and discovered that we’d entered peak azalea season, which —
Mother Nature never fails to deliver the right message at the right time.
I am in a time of transition. My daughter is switching schools next fall, my daily writing flow is now forked between my blog and my book (!!!), and there are other changes afoot in our family life that I trust I will write about in good time. Add to this the ocean turbulence of perimenopause and, well, my world feels slightly askew.
I know I will find my sea-legs. I trust myself. This, a great gift of age: the awareness that life continues, and so do we. As we sat by the pool in Orlando making vacation friends, Landon was talking about UVA basketball, Tony Bennett’s departure, the team’s performance last season. Our new friend said: “Well, you can’t win every season. I’m sure they’ll be back.” We all tutted in agreement; it was a perfect expression of “the long view” that forty years on this earth will bestow upon you.
So I find myself leaning with surprising dexterity on this and other well-worn crutches — foremost among them, getting outside and looking to nature for reassurance. (“When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech, the oaks and the pines, they give off such hints of gladness, I would almost say that they save me, and daily.” – Mary Oliver.) She did not disappoint this past weekend, as she waved to me from the azalea bushes, telling me:
Don’t linger on the lost lilac;
there is always something good growing.
The azaleas of late April, the roses of mid May, the hydrangea of June —
every day an opportunity for resurrection.
Post-Scripts.
+Change and the invisible hands.
Shopping Break.
+Love this little brown-centric curation I put together from Shopbop’s new arrivals. How cute is this “ciao” tropical print set with the skirt and matching top?! I would wear this head-to-toe look, complete with these $118 sandals!
KIVARI SKIRT // KIVARI TOP // LIZZIE FORTUNATO NECKLACE // ALC BAG // MADEWELL SANDALS
+The flower cut-out on this swimsuit for girls reminds me of my Follow Suit one-piece!
+This $25 striped rollneck knit reminds me of my La Ligne!
+I know a lot of Magpies are “anticipators” (vs procrastinators) — if you’re already thinking ahead to peak summer wardrobe, how great is this under-$200 dress for FOJ?
+And don’t miss Cecil and Lou’s just-launched FOJ collection! I picked up this dress for my daughter and this shorts set for my son. Also couldn’t resist this “grandpa hat” for my boy! Pieces are surprisingly already selling out in sizes — lots of forward-thinking moms! All my picks from the collection here.
HAT // SHORTS SET // BUBBLE // DRESS // SWIMSUIT
+Speaking of my daughter, I’ve been having a tougher and tougher time finding outfits she approves of. She really loved these shorts and this shirt from La Coqueta, and she recently selected these white jeans shorts with this tee. What I’m finding is that it’s crucial to buy her a shirt to go with a pair of shorts; she’ll always wear them as a cohesive set if they arrive coupled together.
+Love the cord detail on this sun hat.
+One of my favorite products, now discontinued, was Sephora’s nail polish removing wipes. I just found a good alternative at Ten Over Ten.
+OMG how cute is this fruit-motif raffia tote?
+Just got one of these mini wipes sets for the car. I am forever reaching in to my glove box to pull out half-opened/semi-dry wipes! Hoping this is a better solution.
+The best cocoa powder for baking. Trust me!
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