It’s been a minute since our last icebreaker session and there are a lot of new faces around here! (If you’re new here, welcome! A little background on myself and Magpie here!). Please (!) respond in the comments. I absolutely treasure your replies, and have been the beneficiary of much wisdom and insight thanks to them. I also — still — think about the Magpie who shared that she accidentally drank gasoline in response to one of these prompts a few months ago. OMG.
- Have you ever been told you look like somebody famous? Who?
- If you were a season (spring, summer, fall, winter), which would you be?
- Best celebrity run-in?
- If you could re-name yourself, what would it be?
- Things you would always request in a green room if you were famous.
- Favorite ice cream flavor.
- Manicure preference.
- Ideal breakfast.
- Celebrity crush.
I’ll go first —
- Jennifer Love Hewitt, when I was in college. Major compliment; still basking in its glow. To keep it real: my sisters have also never let me forget that I was likened to Jena Malone when I was younger. She is gorgeous but at the time she was known for her role in Stepmom and she had some aggressive bangs…
- Spring — I am a hopeful person, and I love the palette. I’m also much better at beginnings than endings.
- I’ve crossed paths with a few, but the most meaningful was meeting Caroline Kennedy. I was also once stuck in an elevator with Madeleine Albright (she is tiny IRL) and snapped at Ellie Kemper when I was leaving Mass at a Church we both attended on the UWS (“in or out?” I asked, while trying to wheel my daughter out in her stroller).
- Something long/multi-syllable like Jennifer but more unique. Jennifer was the most popular baby name in 1984, the year I was born, and I have always been one of about 32 Jennifers in every class, context, friend group, etc I’ve ever been in. Then again, Jennifer is an old family name — I even inherited a set of silver with the name JENNIE engraved on it, which is rather unusual since most silver bears a monogram. I love that connection to family roots! All in, I probably wouldn’t change if given some alternative universe opportunity. What’s meant to be is meant to be.
- My husband. If the sky’s the limit, I wouldn’t mind good, cold champagne and salty snacks (chips, crackers, marcona almonds, olives).
- Chocolate peanut butter. This is the strangest thing, but as I have gotten older, I have liked sweet things less and less, with the exception of chocolate. I didn’t even like chocolate much until my 30s. Now, if there is an ice cream flavor combining peanut butter and chocolate, I just can’t get enough.
- Very short, very red (usually OPI’s Big Apple Red or Essie’s Really Red).
- Brioche sucree, latte with oat milk, mango.
- Young Robert Redford and Penelope Cruz.
Your turn! Please respond in the comments!
Post-Scripts.
+Icebreakers partie I and partie II.
+Getting to know you and getting to know you better.
+Admittedly boring things made great by design.
+Things I loved about living in NYC.
+On achieving “flow.”
Shopping Break.
+Has anyone tried these resurfacing pads? I keep hearing about them. Curious…
+FYI – some great furniture temporarily marked down at S&L, including these bedside tables.
+Another great Marysia-inspired suit for under $100.
+This combo knit dress is v. chic in a timeless, Twiggy-in-the-60s kind of way.
+Love this little LSF-inspired dress.
+This Horror Vacui top is fab.
+I usually find Outdoor Voices ultra-restricting but I’m intrigued (and love the style of) this longline bra.
+Perfect coming-home-from-hospital dress — reasonably-priced (therefore not devastating if it gets spit up on or whatever), accommodates nursing, loose fit.
+Mango has some cute new items for little ones, including this simple sweatshirt in a great blue shade, these spring leggings, and this diaper set.
+Mini nap dress vibes for under $40.
+Pretty spring scarf.
+My favorite tees in the prettiest new spring colors.
+These Missoni pillows are just joyful.
+Adore this red gingham dress! I have a similar one from last summer. So chic!
+OMG THESE GOLD GLITTER SNEAKS FOR A LITTLE!
+Ultra-random but these clip-on gutter lights are kind of brilliant.
+Sweet garland.
+Adore these pajamas.
I’ve been told I look like Amy Smart.
I would be fall – it is our summer here in San Francisco!
Riding in an elevator with Benecio del Toro – just us two.
I have grown to really like my name. People at work call me KBT (short for Kirby Brooks Todd). I like that Kirby isn’t common.
I would request fresh fruit because I am so sick of cutting it up for my toddler! It would be a treat to have someone put out a platter for me. Oh, and a mimosa (currently pregnant and dreaming of one).
Growing up I only ate Mint Chocolate Chip but now it’s pistachio.
At age 35 I am now into gel manicures after doing pale pink or red for decades. Currently I’m into a French manicure but with colored tips – I mix that color up.
Ideal breakfast is breakfast in France or Italy. Cappuccino. Fresh fruit. Croissant.
My celebrity crush will forever be Ed Burns!
Amen to breakfasts in France or Italy — yes!
I am so curious about the solo elevator ride with BDT! What was that like?!
Finally, I meandered over to your blog and the writing is lovely — truthful, well-shaped. Thanks for introducing yourself here, KBT!
xx
Well, I’m late to the party! But I’ll weigh in anyway. 🙂
!. Julia Roberts. For a brief time (early 2000s) also Faith HIll. Wish I was aging as well as these ladies! Ha
2. My first instinct was to say spring, but upon reflection I think it’s fall — mellowed with age a bit, still full of light and color.
3. Alec Baldwin — held the door for my friend and I at PJ Clarks one night.
4. I don’t think I’d change my name now, but as a child I wanted to “go by” my middle name Katherine.
5. I’m 100% with you on the champagne and salty nibbles! Some yummy cheese straws come to mind lol!
6. Lime sherbet or an orange creamsicle.
7. Classic – Essie Ballet Slipper
8. Never eat breakfast (black coffee only!) but I adore a late morning brunch — eggs benedict, avocado toast, or an everything bagel with a schmear. 🙂
9. Kevin Costner — talk about aging well! My hubs tires of me swooning while watching Yellowstone.
Thanks for hosting, Jen — always fun to read all the answers to these! xo H
Just LOVE these! Can’t believe the Cos hasn’t been mentioned yet in these comments! What a babe!
I love your comment: “fall — mellowed with age a bit, still full of light and color.” Wow! Yes!
xx
The icebreaker questions you pose are so refreshing! I just relish reading the responses and love all our different personalities and perspectives.
1 – Sophie Turner – During the height of GOT (I admit, I never watched it), people would occasionally comment. Our face shape/features and coloring is extremely similar, but I am very jealous of her fabulous height!
2 – Spring – our answer is the same but for opposite reasons in that I feel like spring is completely wild (it’s true she is Easter pastels, but she’s also the stormy blues and greys)! She has a wide range of emotions and is unpredictable, and she has so much energy. Sometimes I wake up and feel so passionate about being alive that I could just gobble up the entire world!
3 – After a game-winning hat trick in overtime, my favorite NHL player walked off the ice and gave me his stick! Not much of an interaction, but it was the best sporting experience of my life.
4 – I love my name and couldn’t imagine any other!
5 – Seasonal flowers, sour candies, and my Airedales
6 – Jeni’s chocolate (there’s no such thing as an ice cream too rich or a chocolate too dark)
7 – nude
8 – Homemade crepes at my mother’s garden table in the summertime
9 – Mila Kunis (SA-WOOON!) and Timothée Chalamet
Hi Taryn! I so agree with you — such interesting responses with so much personality! Have truly LOVED reading each and every response on this post.
I love your notes on spring, too — you are so right. It’s not all tender blades and fresh faces! It’s an intense moment of transformation! So appreciate that! And ADORE that you’d have your airedales in the green room with you. OMG. I just had an image of Tilly thrashing around backstage — haha.
xx
1. Supermodel Joan Smalls by a Bloomingdales sales associate- I almost missed him sq on the mouth
2. SummerGirl- hot, rowdy, FUN, bikinis, unexpected joys
3. Ben Affleck- long story but MAJOR flirt (and hottie)
4. I love my name so much I’m reserving it for my daughter
5. Nespresso machine with cashew milk, plain seltzer water, sour patch kids, a stocked wine fridge and my sister!
6. Hmmm more savory but black raspberry soft serve @ Peterson’s in Clifton, VA
7. OPI Bubble Bath or classic red. OR a gaudy French for a vacation
8. Green juice, iced latte, spinach omelette
9. Brad Pitt 5ever + Rihanna
LOVE these- so fun! xx
Love these so much! Agree — your name is spectacular and should be reserved for your daughter!
xx
Hmm I’ve gotten Sandra Bullock and um… Belle from Beauty and the Beast?!
Fall…. I love the mix of warm just turning brisk, the changing leaves, and the light… being from Santa Fe might have done it for me- IMO, there’s no where prettier in the Fall!
Harry Connick Jr, at a Starbucks in Santa Fe…. I walked in, he had his back to me and a ball cap pulled down low (and he’s very tall IRL). I couldn’t see his face but his energy just put off that he was Someone. As I went to get my coffee from the pick-up counter, he also went to grab mine, and in the moment I saw his New Orleans Saints cap, his face, and he said, Oh I’m sorry, I almost took your coffee! It all registered and I just about DIED. Swoon.
I’ve thought about this a lot, as I’ve never loved my name. Always too many Jessica’s, and it’s never felt like me? Current choice- Malin. Cool girl without trying too hard? Now on my girl name list 🙂
John, French 75s, melon with prosciutto, and freeze dried strawberries
Coffee with dark chocolate bits.
Short and rounded with either Clambake or Vermillionaire. Orange’y reds. (both Essie).
Either a breakfast burrito smothered in New Mexican chile with potatoes and hot creamy coffee, or eggs over medium, croissants, perfectly in season strawberries and a grapefruit mimosa.
Dwayne Wade, Kenny Stills (football player and activist), Jon Stewart, young Paul Newman and Evan Rachel Woods…. and I wouldn’t turn down another, Harry Connick run in, HA!
XO
I love that clambake color, too! It is SO fun!
Thanks for chiming in!!
xx
Is it too late to chime in? This is my first time commenting, but I’m a longtime reader and a Magpie admirer looking to join the club.
**
1. Keri Russell. Not sure I see it, but I used to get it a lot during high school and college. One night out a bar, a guy was so convinced (or drunk?) that I was Keri, he actually asked me to autograph his tee shirt, which of course I promptly did. Lol!
2. Fall has always been my favorite. Maybe because my birthday is in September? I love the cooler temps, the colorful leaves, and the exuberant feeling of change in the air.
3. Rode the same plane as Bernie last week! But truly the best run-in was over a decade ago when Kim Cattrall’s then-boyfriend (a budding chef) cooked us a meal at their home in England. (She’s a close friend of my uncle.) I tried to play it cool, but cringe now when I think back to how nervous I felt around her!
4. I love my full name — Jacqueline — but no one has called me that since grade school. This question is making me think I should go back to it, rather than my nickname, Jaci (pronounced like Jackie), with which I have had a lifelong love/hate relationship. Is it too late in life to ask folks to call me by my full name?
5. Good champagne and Marcona almonds. Celebrate, calm the nerves, and fill the belly.
6. Mint chip, always and forever.
7. Short and round, but I vary the color based on the season or my mood.
8. Soft boiled eggs, good buttered toast, and berries.
9. Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz. #couplegoals
Welcome!!! It’s never too late, either to join the comments OR to request people call you “Jacqueline”! (Thinking of that apocryphal F Scott Fitzgerald quote: “For what it’s worth… it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it.”)
I love these entries — Daniel Craig is for sure a 10 and we are green room twinsies.
Also, we will need to chat about this IRL tomorrow (readers, I have the pleasure of knowing Jaci — er, Jacqueline — personally), but at some point early in our marriage, I told Landon I wanted to be called “Jennifer” rather than “Jen” because I felt it suited me better. Though he never calls me by either name at home (he instead uses a rotating roster of pet names — currently “woof,” an exaggerated mispronunciation of “wife,” do not ask me why), he still refers to me/introduces me as “Jennifer” whenever in company! So maybe Mark can follow suit with “Jacqueline” to help plant the seed 🙂
xx
My husband normally refers to me as “Baby”, but in those rare instances when he calls me by my first name, I know it’s not good and he means business! Ha!!
HA!
Hi Jaqueline!
I just wanted to give a resounding YES to having folks call you whatever you like, no matter your age!!
And Bernie- do you mean Sanders?? I would be SO starstuck! (is that the right word?)
Oh and I LOVE you signed that dude’s t-shirt 😀
Welcome 🙂
XO Jessica
Me too, Jessica — love that she signed someone’s t-shirt. 🙂
I’m Jaclyn who used to be called Jackie, and then when I was 16 I suddenly decided I wanted to be referred to as Jaclyn. Very much relate! I am now 38 and I would say most people I knew back then have made the transition, but Jackie still filters through sometimes and tbh it’s nails on the chalkboard to me when it does. Jaclyn just feels like me and Jackie does not. I say go for it- it’s never too late! There should be a word for that particular sensation of feeling encompassed by your name. I realize not everyone has it, especially seeing the responses here, but I do love my name, and I think it’s fair to govern how it’s pronounced and said and shortened or not. No matter how old we are when we make the switch!
Love this!!
Jessica & Jaclyn – thank you both for the encouragement! I’m going to try it out… just need to hold firm on “Jacqueline” when I get the inevitable eye roll from my fam, haha.
And yes, Bernie Sanders! Looked and sounded just as you’d expect 🙂
How fun!
1) I used to hear Juliette Lewis a fair bit.
2) Ooo…I am tempted to say summer because it has always been my favorite, but as a personality I’d lean more toward spring. I’m quieter than ‘summer,’ and I’m optimistic and always on the lookout for little delights.
3) Barack Obama — I had the opportunity to meet him in the days before he announced he was running for President. He was perfectly gracious and lovely, with a warm smile for everyone he met.
4) I actually wouldn’t, as I was named for my aunt. I could never dream of changing that.
5) Someone fun to talk to while I waited (ideally my husband, my daughter, or one of my dear friends), champagne, something salty (pretzels, chips), and Jelly Belly jelly beans.
6) Tough choice…but mint chocolate chip. Or if I’m being *really* specific, vanilla ice cream with either Oreo or Heath Bar blend-ins at Thomas Sweet in Princeton, NJ.
7) Pale pink or cherry red, always! (Painted on short, rounded nails)
8) Coffee, blueberry pancakes, and a mimosa. With an ocean view. 😉
9) George Clooney, or back in the day, Swedish tennis player Stefan Edberg.
Thank you for this lovely little community!
Can’t believe how many mint chocolate chip lovers there are out there! Who knew this was the world’s secret favorite flavor!? Now I know what to serve if we are ever able to get together IRL. Just mint chocolate chip ice cream cones!
I love that you were named for your aunt — so sweet. Agree, we wouldn’t want to tamper with that legacy!
xx
1. Kendall Jenner — at the time I had no idea what she looked like, but this girl inside a restaurant gasped and shouted “Look, it’s Kendall!!!” — so there’s that!
2. Fall – there’s something about the crisp mornings and evenings with the warmer sunnier days that makes me so happy. I love the feeling of still hanging onto the last bits of summer but anticipating the coziness of winter.
3. Eva Longoria – we were in an elevator together with my boss at the time and of course she was absolutely stunning. I think I’d had about 10 hours of sleep over the course of the week at that time and it didn’t really click until after I left the elevator…oops.
4. Growing up I always felt self conscious about my name as it was less popular. These days that’s not as much the case and I’m always startled when someone else has my name at a restaurant, coffee shop, etc. But I think if I had to pick I’d keep my name! I feel it really suits me and I love the spelling — chosen by my Ukrainian mother and in combination with my Indian last name from my father, it truly is a name no one else has that makes me feel connected to family. Something I appreciate a lot more these days.
5. Paralysis kicks in on these food related questions…I want it all! Champagne, salty crunchy ripple potato chips and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (crispy edge, chewy interior, chunks and shards of chocolate, not chips).
6. Chocolate, like delicious creamy swiss chocolate.
7. I don’t think I’ve had a manicure in 6 or 7 years…?! But short (always), rounded, and nude/peach/light pink.
8. Again, paralysis….Devocion coffee with half and half and a bacon egg (over easy) and cheese on an untoasted sesame Essa bagel.
9. Dev Patel, Titanic era Leo Dicaprio, Jude law in The Holiday.
Oh HEY! I have the most gorgeous readers, don’t I?!? That is SO flattering!
Also — Mr. Magpie LOVED Devocion back when we lived in NYC. He’d often make a trek down to Flatiron for a cup and would just sit there and enjoy it! Yum!
xx
To the commenter who said that the Fashion Magpie comments are only rivaled by Cup of Jo, I completely agree. Both are full of women that I would definitely want to befriend in real life.
Have you ever been told you look like somebody famous? Who? – I have red hair (and I think that is the only thing people notice), so it is used to be Donna from That 70’s Show. Now I don’t really get any comparisons.
If you were a season (spring, summer, fall, winter), which would you be? – Definitely fall. I still think of it as “back to school” season and it feels so hopeful and grounding. And being from Texas, it means a reprieve from the oppressive heat.
Best celebrity run-in? – When I studied abroad in 2006 (a lifetime ago!) when my friends and I were in London, paparazzi were walking backward to take photos of Lindsay Lohan and her beau at the time. Since iPhones were not a thing, we thought the best way to document our celebrity run-in would be to put our names, date, and the fact we saw Lindsay on a cocktail napkin and snap a photo of that. Doh!
If you could re-name yourself, what would it be? – I have always liked names that sound ethereal but serious … so maybe Celeste?
Things you would always request in a green room if you were famous. – Ice cold Diet Dr. Pepper cans, Twizzlers and Toblerone.
Favorite ice cream flavor. – Boring, but Sweet Cream, no mix-ins!
Manicure preference. – Usually unpolished, but short and neat. If polished, something vampy and moody.
Ideal breakfast. – An ice cold Diet Dr. Pepper (I have a problem!), an iced vanilla latte, migas, and a chocolate croissant. Have to have both sweet and savory!
Celebrity crush. – I like brunettes with an accent – James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender.
!! This is such a generous comment. Thank you so much! Love COJ and, like you, would love to be friends with the women who read this blog IRL!!
I love this: “Names that sound ethereal but serious — Celeste?” You nailed it!
xx
This is so fun!
Have you ever been told you look like somebody famous? Who?
Scarlett Johannson. My twin and I have I’ve gotten this ever since Scarlett was in “The Horse Whisperer.”
If you were a season (spring, summer, fall, winter), which would you be? Fall, because I’m all about routines and traditions.
Best celebrity run-in? Cameron Diaz on the slopes of Vail! She was incredibly nice and cool.
If you could re-name yourself, what would it be? I wouldn’t! I love my name.
Things you would always request in a green room if you were famous. Perrier, green apples, spicy pineapple margaritas, chips and salsa.
Favorite ice cream flavor. Jeni’s salted peanut butter with chocolate flecks.
Manicure preference. Squoval and on the shorter side. One coat of Bubble Bath and two coats of Funny Bunny.
Ideal breakfast. Cappuccino, chocolate croissant, berries.
Celebrity crush. Christian Bale circa Newsies.
Oo la la, ScarJo x 2! I love the spicy pineapple margarita pick! I have been so influenced by all the delicious drinks/foods/ice creams mentioned in these comments…might need to make a marg tonight!
xx
1. I have gotten ‘Young Meryl Streep’ while blonde, Renee Zelleweger (I was slightly offended by this one as I hope I don’t look like I’m constantly sucking on a lemon!), and Ellie Kemper while I had red hair.
2. I’d like to be a true NYC fall- layers and comfy clothes, walkable without melting. Living in AZ makes me jump at any chance to wear a coat and sleeves. I am a true homebody unless I’m traveling and think that resonates with fall.
3. I used to do some celebrity event planning and have a few stories (the best ones are covered by NDAs) but Gerard Butler came to two events I hosted on two consecutive nights in the exact same outfit- I could tell he hadn’t showered/been home/rested between parties. He got a bit handsy and my early 20-something was baffled at how to handle it. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Nicholas Cage was one of the nicest and most pleasant people ever. He likes to drink Pinot Noir and was a very engaged father with his young son at the time. ALSO- Jared Leto loves to run around a hotel in a bathrobe…and nothing else.
4. I don’t know what name I would select. I like how my name is unique enough that I was almost always the only Melinda in class but ‘normal’ enough that people could pronounce and spell it.
5. For an evening- chilled champagne, ice cold water with pebble/nugget ice and some combo of salty and sweet munchies. If it were morning, I’d request fresh green juice/smoothie and likely some type of fresh bread/croissant/pastry.
6. I adore stracciatella gelato, mint chocolate chip and swirl soft serve. This makes me miss my NYC days where I could walk to Tasti-d-Lite for soft serve whenever the craving hit.
7. I keep my nails ‘as short as possible’ and OPI Mod About You is my go-to color, though I occasionally use another pale pinky-purple, classic red or dark purply-black like OPI Lincoln Park After Dark.
8. I don’t wake up hungry but breakfast food is my favorite so I’d delay the meal until at least brunch/lunchtime. Ice cold water, green juice, french toast on brioche or challah bread or poached eggs on buttered toast (again- high quality bakery bread is a must). A glass of champagne is always nice too 🙂
9. I don’t think I have a specific celebrity crush. Oh well!
Wow! Thank you for the juicy celeb gossip. Nic Cage has always intrigued me — like, who is this man?! His movie choices have been all over the map but when he was in Moonstruck, I felt like he had a true actor’s soul! Also, so funny about Meryl Streep — when my sister was around twenty, she was being majorly hit on by a rather drunk UVA boy at a bar. He was wooing her for a long time, and then he paused, slumped towards her, and said, “Has anyone every told you you look like a young Meryl Streep?” We love that story for some reason. First, it was a tremendous compliment because M.S. in Out of Africa is a total 10, but it just felt so random and out of context to come out at like 1 a.m. in a bar from a college boy!?
xx
1. This is pretty obscure, but in my early 20s I was stopped on several occasions by people wanting to know if I was Sloan from Entourage (played by Emmanuelle Chriqui).
2. Definitely fall. I’m a very nostalgic person, and fall speaks to me on a deep level.
3. A tie between the time I walked up the subway stairs next to Heidi Klum, and the time I almost physically ran into Bill Clinton while he was entering Chelsea’s apartment building.
4. My parents wanted to name me Alexandra, but my older brother’s name is Nicholas and they thought it was too weird to have a Nicholas and an Alexandra. I get where they were coming from, but I’ve always thought Alexandra/Alex would have been a much better fit for me!
5. My husband. Diet coke in a glass bottle. Kinder Bueno.
6. My go-to order at our local gelato place is one scoop of Bueno cream (can you sense my love for Kinder Bueno?) and one scoop of milk chocolate pretzel, which is salty-sweet and amazing.
7. Haven’t had my nails done since pre-pandemic, but I usually like them short, rounded, and pale pink.
8. Depends on whether I’m in a sweet or savory mood. Either an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese (never toasted, but preferably warm from the oven—Murray’s or Tal Bagels, NEVER H&H), or a maple cruller from Daily Provisions. Large coffee with half and half, no sweetener.
9. Jon Hamm, specifically as styled in Mad Men. And coach Tony Bennett (wahoowa!)
I loved Sloan in Entourage! What a compliment! She is beautiful.
Also, I so love the pastries from Daily Provisions! Yum. So hungry now!
xx
P.S. Reading all these comments from these clearly beautiful, deliciously smart women makes me hopeful for Magpie Meetup sometime post COVID!
(Cup of Jo did this recently and it seemed so lovely. Plus, your comment section is the only one that rivals COJ!)
!!! That would be SO fun. I agree with you — so many bright, fascinating women here! Thank you for the compliment — I love COJ!
xx
1. Chloe Sevigny
2. Definitely Fall. Foliage, sweaters, blazers—-but still shoes /no boots. Best running/walking weather and scenery.
3. Bradley Cooper, Charlize Theron. Hotel lounge in Tribeca. Separate occasions.
4. My name is Kirstin and I’ve always liked it!
5. Lemoncello Sparkling Water. Salt bread and good butter.
6. Toasted Coconut
7. None.
8. My husband’s cheesy scrambled eggs. Splurge breakfast is an everything bagel with butter.
9. Lenny Kravitz and Jeff Probst.
Oo, this is a vibe: salt, bread, and good butter? Yes please. Thank you for sharing!!
xx
1. Top two are Marisa Tomei and a young Annabella Sciorra
2. Fall
3. DMX briefly lived in my town and I met him at one of our pizza parlors.
4. Growing up, I hated the name Lauren. Still don’t love it but I guess it fits.
5. Drinks: Vodka or Tequila depending on the mood, Diet Coke .
Food: Prosciutto, hot capocollo, parmigiano reggiano, fried hot peppers, bread.
6. Lemon sorbet or Italian ice
7. None. Haven’t painted my nails in 10+ years.
8. Eggs over easy, fried pepperoni, crispy home fries.
9. John Stamos. Another magpie mentioned Jon Hamm and I’m not going to lie..I’ve seen the paparazzi photos of his salami. Yes, please!
Marisa Tomei is so gorgeous–so jealous! And dying over the salami comment *crying emoji*
Amazing answers, and, like VB, I love the salami/cured meat theme running through your answers. xx
1. Jane Krakowski in 30Rock or more often Helen Hunt in What Women Want .
2. Summer. The frenetic energy of fun all day with the languid ease that follows.
3. I coquettishly made it backstage at a country fest at Merriweather Post pavilion where I came face to face with Kenny Chesney when I wandered into his tour trailer to find a bathroom.
4. We’ll I’m another Jennifer…..I used to wish my name was Hazel, but now I wouldn’t change it.
5. Sparkling water, an Irish wool throw blanket, and a collection of DK Eyewitness books.
6. Coffee Oreo by Taharka bros or black raspberry chocolate chip by Graeters- a tie
7. Geranium by Essie since forever on short nails.
8. Black coffee in a beautiful China cup and saucer.
9. Hugh Jackman 4 Ever
Love these answers — TBH I aspire to be a woman who drinks her coffee black out of beautiful china!
xx
Très drôle!
Have you ever been told you look like somebody famous? No, nor do I look like anyone in my family!
If you were a season (spring, summer, fall, winter), which would you be? Winter Is Coming. I am a Stark through and through – stoic, brave and loyal, family above all.
Best celebrity run-in? Bruce Springsteen in a bar on the Jersey Shore – thrill of a lifetime and he was very laid back and friendly.
If you could re-name yourself, what would it be? Dina, as I like my name but it is frequently misspelled.
Things you would always request in a green room if you were famous. Lime Spindrift, Lemon Spindrift, gummy bears
Favorite ice cream flavor. Mint chocolate chip (the white kind!)
Manicure preference. Fingertip length and dark (see my season preference), although I usually get bubble bath because I dislike seeing chips.
Ideal breakfast. whole grain toast with roasted tomato and spinach, a boiled egg and feta cheese (can I please enjoy this while sitting on a terrace overlooking the Agean Sea?)
Celebrity crush. Zach Braff. Jason Bateman. Pete Buttigeg
Love these answers, especially your firmness in the responses: “Winter is coming.” Love! Also, interesting that yours is the second or third vote for Jason Bateman! I see it, too, but who knew he’d be such a heartthrob to so many of us? He seems so unlikely! Yet I, too, have loved him since Arrested Development.
xx
1. Mandy Moore a few times, but no one celebrity frequently
2. Fall! I love school!!
3. Well, not a run-in so much as I was at an event where I knew he’d be there, but I was starstruck to meet Stephen Sondheim!
4. I have a baby girl so spent the better part of the past year thinking about girl names – possibly Elizabeth but only if I went by Elizabeth and not a nickname! That said I love my name.
5. Iced coffee and salty snacks or cheese and crackers
6. Banana
7. Short and light pink
8. Everything bagel with lox, capers, onions, tomato, cream cheese and an iced coffee
9. John Krasinski, Eddie Redmayne
Love all of my fellow everything bagel lovers! Yes! I actually was so struck by the number of everything bagels I am about to go buy one for my lunch today! 🙂
I also love that you like fall specifically because it’s school season. Agree with that sentiment! I wish I were still in school.
xx
1. Marion Cotillard. Yes, I know I die thinking about it. AND it was a makeup artist so I felt extra flattered?
2. Winter because I’m a homebody who loves Christmas and turtleneck sweaters.
3. Reese Witherspoon in the Nashville Whole Foods bathroom! Quite a moment.
4. I love my name and would not change a thing. Double names forever.
5. Water, sour sweet candy, peanut m&ms, and that’s it I think. Can you tell I have a sweet tooth?
6. Chocolate peanut butter is my favorite too. However Jeni’s had a pistachio macaron flavor this past Christmas that was to die for.
7. None! I prefer my nails short and well manicured but no polish.
8. Homemade granola with nuts, fresh berries, rich yogurt, and a little bit of honey. A cup of black coffee or cappuccino wouldn’t hurt either.
9. I don’t think I have one actually! However I’ve always loved watching films with young Sean Connery and Christopher Plummer.
Love your double name, too — you’re the second or third Magpie to share a double name here. So unique!
xx
1. I’ve gotten Robin Wright a few times. Claire tends to be TV shorthand for “cool/uptight blonde.” I haven’t run though cemeteries, but I’ve thought about it.
2. Winter, because it’s all roses from here (and how I love the woods on a snowy day).
3. I’ve shared the elevator — and now been on a number of interminable zooms with Anna Wintour. Impeccable background staging, sunglasses off. And I’m not sure if he’s a celebrity, but I got to spend an engrossing afternoon with John King as part of a project my team was doing for CNN. The man is a map politics savant, and I found him utterly fascinating.
4. Persis, when I was small (an old family name and the beauty in one of my Anne of Green Gables books). But TV is onto something: i am a Claire. Your note made me think of the “27 Jennifers” song, which is such fun!
5. I’d jump on that Xanax train, probably. Pineapple? Good headphones, definitely.
6. Peppermint stick! I miss it so.
7. I don’t paint my nails. I do bite them, and refuse to use the clipper.
8. Pho! It’s the best breakfast but so hard to find before noon.
9. Stringer Bell foreva. Also, my friend and I just went on a deep, very enthusiastic tear over the novelist Nick McDonnell, whom she met over the summer. He is quite dreamy and much more weighty than I’d expected the author of 12 to turn out. And EMM—I see your Armie pick and do not hate it.
These were such fun responses, especially: “I haven’t run through cemeteries, but I’ve thought about it.” HA! The best. Peppermint stick is a great ice cream choice. Yum!
And PERSIS!!!
xx
Will forever stan the Armie pick, glad to know I’m not alone. And v into your thought-about-running-through-cemeteries mood… same gurl.
1. Have you ever been told you look like somebody famous? Who? Mara Wilson when I was a child.
2. If you were a season (spring, summer, fall, winter), which would you be? Such a fun question! I think I’m spring. I’m hopeful, and I love a new beginning. I also love a rainy day and all the spring flowers!
3. Best celebrity run-in? I once saw Will Ferrell at a Yankees game. Sadly, I don’t think I’ve ever had any other fun celebrity run ins.
4. If you could re-name yourself, what would it be? I mostly like my name (Megan), but I sometimes wish it was something less trendy from the late 1980’s!
5. Things you would always request in a green room if you were famous. Extra toasty Cheez-its, lots of La Croix, and dark chocolate
6. Favorite ice cream flavor. Mint chocolate chip. Just enough chocolate, but also very refreshing.
7. Manicure preference. I agree with short nails, very red!
8. Ideal breakfast. NYC everything bagel sandwich with eggs and cheese – the stuff of dreams.
9. Celebrity crush. Like most of the world, I’ve loved Regé-Jean Page ever since his role in Bridgerton.
Love an extra toasty Cheez-it! My go to salty snack. My mom always keeps them stocked at her house for me!
xx
What a fun way to wind down after work!
1. Moana! I’ll take it.
2. Summer – warm and inviting.
3. Anthony Bourdain, walking down the street near the Empire State Building on my morning commute.
4. N/A… it took me a long time to love my unusual name!
4. Saratoga sparking spring water. Excedrin. Gum. Charcuterie board.
5. Vanilla soft serve with chocolate crunchies on top!
6. Round, short, but can never decide on a color until the last possible second.
7. A Belgian waffle with strawberries on top and a side of corned beef hash, extra crispy to the point of almost burnt. And coffee.
8. Cillian Murphy and Nicholas Braun.
Moana!! Love that one! And wow corned beef hash — that caught me off guard and left me very hungry.
xx
1. I’ve gotten Anna Kendrick and Lucy Hale, but I don’t see either.
2. Winter, right now. I feel like I’m in the midst of some deep growing and getting ready for a someday-soon spring.
3. Strangely I’ve run into both Christopher Noth and Sarah Jessica Parker separately in New York. He was rude to the baristas, she was an incredibly charming mother of a sweet little boy who tripped in front of me.
4. My confirmation name was Lucy. I think it might have suited me.
5. Seltzer with lime, beeswax candles, a cozy blanket that doesn’t shed.
6. Vanilla
7. Short, maybe with a clear top coat.
8. Oatmeal with raisins, peanut butter, and banana. A big cup of coffee. Flowers on the table.
9. Ben Affleck, she admits sheepishly.
I’m on the Ben Affleck train with you. Matt Damon never did anything for me, but B.A. is a big yes. Even with the back tat? Ah!
Love that your confirmation name suited you so well! My daughter’s middle name is Lucia and I’ve always loved that name (also my great grand-mother’s). I actually thought about it as my daughter’s first name! Just gorgeous.
xx
1. Once (once!) when I was a child someone told me I look like Brooke Shields. I look nothing like Brooke Shields but did have very large eyebrows at the time. Lol.
2. Fall! My birthday is in late October and there’s something about that time of year which feels like home to me.
3. I met Elizabeth Gilbert getting bagels in “my” old bagel shop in Park Slope! I told her I loved her! Haha. It’s not as awkward as it sounds. I do love her but that was maybe a bit much. She was wonderful in person. I also once saw Jerry Seinfeld interacting with a fan in Central Park (I did not interrupt, and let the guy have his moment) but I was blown away by how nice Jerry was! (Duh, but also, he was SO nice.)
4. I have grown to like my name. Easy to spell, easy to say, easy to remember since it’s uncommon. Of course as a kid I felt it was hopelessly old fashioned and would’ve loved to be Rachel or Ashley. 🙂
That’s all I’ve got! Thanks for these fun prompts!
Oo I love this note about Jerry. I’m a huge fan of his, and of his wife! They seem like grounded people in spite of their fame.
xx
These are great! Love learning about all of this community!
1. I used to get Neve Campbell back in college.
2. Fall. So full of anticipation and celebrations.
3. Chris Noth. Literally ran into him as he was rounding a corner in Manhattan. Also, about a week ago, I met one of Ethel and Bobby Kennedy’s daughters at an event and she was telling stories of her family. Could have listened to her all day.
4. Always wanted Caroline – and now it’s my daughter’s name.
5. Cape Cod chips and Prosecco
6. Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food
7. Short, square, OPI’s Be There in a Prosecco (I’m just realizing I have a theme here!)
8. Everything Bagel with lox, cream cheese, and heavy on the capers
9. It’s cliché, but George Clooney
You’re the Neve to my J. Love Hewitt! Woohoo!
You’re also the second person to have run into Chris Noth in this thread! (Also two Cuba Gooding Jrs — how funny?!)
There is nothing cliche about George Clooney. Smoke show.
xx
OK I’m coming in fast with mine!
1. Kristen Stewart
2. Fall
3. Dr. Dre
4. Sarah
5. Chips and guacamole, chocolate chip cookies, champagne, IPA
6. Chocolate chip
7. Short, square, red or clear
8. Everything bagel with cream cheese and a huge iced coffee
9. Jude Law and Justin Theroux LOL
Why are these so fun?
Thank you for chiming in! Love how many of us are on the short red nail gang, and everything bagel enthusiasts!
xx
1. Liv Tyler in high school and college. More recently Michelle Monaghan and Deb from Dexter. And Daria Werbowy a few times, which I don’t believe but hang onto!
2. Used to be Summer, but as I get older, Fall (probably because I’m less enthusiastic about getting in a bathing suit!)
3. Shared an elevator with amber rose once. And I bumped into (literally bumped into !) Gwyneth Paltrow at Minetta Tavern once. I read the next day she was there with Madonna (this was back when they were friends)
4. When I was little I “added” a second middle name so that my initials would be RSVP. I remember debating fervently between Victoria or Virginia (I went with Victoria). A silly thing that probably would have disappeared from my memory had I not made RSVP + the last four digits of my upstairs phone line (remember those?!) my AIM screenname, which has since become my Instagram name, peloton name, etc etc!
5. New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, burrata, tomato, avocado ♀️
6. Mint chocolate chip or strawberry
7. I like to change my nail colors up, but they must always be done! (My current favorite is Essie In Plane View)
8. Eggs Benedict with a side of avocado and extra crispy bacon
9. Paul Newman and Gregory Peck
RSVP!! So clever! Love that. And YES Paul Newman!
So interesting that you’ve witnessed yourself literally “change seasons” as you’ve aged!
xx
Oooo these are so much fun – I love reading everyone’s answers!
1. Jennifer Lawrence – I don’t totally see it but I’ll take the compliment!
2. I think spring – cold at first (I’m very shy and I’ve been told it comes across as being stuck-up and cold – something I’m trying to work on because I can’t get over my shyness!) but then warm and sunny after a bit of time.
3. Ryan Reynolds -I grew up in the town they live in and my parents still live there. My sister and I accidentally walked in on him and his daughter in the women’s room restroom at a small restaurant. We were mortified to have opened the door on anyone, even more so when we realized who it was (especially because he/Blake are notoriously private about their kids and he’s been known to snap at someone who is so much as in the same grocery store aisle as him). BUT he could not have been nicer about it!!! We never acknowledged who he was and just apologized profusely but all in all it was both thrilling and extremely embarrassing.
4. I’ve always wanted to be named Zoe?? Not sure why but it’s high on my list of future baby names. I do love my name though despite the fact that sometimes it feels like more dogs than people are named Molly!
5. Lots and lots of ice with water in pitchers (not plastic bottles), chicken fingers.
6. Coffee!
7. Gel or dip, with a color that matches the season.
8. Peppers/onions/spinach omelet, ice cold coffee, and pancakes or waffles to split with the table!
9. Ben Affleck (loved him since I saw “He’s Just Not That Into You”, despite the fact he could be my father!),
Love these, especially your introspection around the season you relate to most! Also, fellow Ben Affleck fan girl! (There are others in this thread of comments, too!)
xx
1. In college, I used to get Alexis Bledel, specifically Rory from Gilmore Girls. And I frequently get “you look so familiar”.
2. Fall – sweater weather, calm after the excitement of summer, moody, back to school season
3. I honestly can’t think of one, but I feel like we need more details on you snapping at Ellie Kemper outside of church!
4. Luckily, I’ve always liked my name even though there have always been multiple other Sarahs in the room. In college, two of my roommates were Sarah and Sara. If I had to pick though: Emily. Emily and Emma were at the top of my girl name list when I had both of my boys…maybe if I decide to have a 3rd?
5. Coke Zero and a charcuterie board
6. Chocolate Chip , preferably in a sugar cone
7. Hot pink always in the summer
8. Eggs over hard, sausage, and french toast with an iced coffee.
9. I just finished binge-watching Emily in Paris so the first to come to mind is Gabriel (Lucas Bravo). Also George Clooney.
I love Alexis B. on Gilmore Girls — you’re the second Magpie to be mistaken for her in this thread! She’s just gorgeous. George Clooney is a forever classic! And I’m a fellow fan of the eggs over hard!
xx
Ok this is too good not to do!
Have you ever been told you look like somebody famous? Who?
Alice Eve but I do not see it at all!
If you were a season (spring, summer, fall, winter), which would you be?
Fall — not too hot, not too cold but just perfect and colorful
Best celebrity run-in?
Went the opening of GameWorks in high school and got to play air hockey with Chris Farley and David Spade
If you could re-name yourself, what would it be?
I would actually keep mine. But I was almost named Ariel!
Things you would always request in a green room if you were famous.
Super cold Ramlösa or other sparkling mineral water but not Pellegrino. Candy People Sour Vikings.
Favorite ice cream flavor.
Also chocolate peanut butter — nothing beats a salty peanut butter ribbon!!
Manicure preference.
Super short, and very dark — black, navy, gray or dark green.
Ideal breakfast.
Egg and Cheese Biscuit — bonus points for Pine State! Black coffee. Maybe a bite of my husband’s pancakes or pastry since he is a sweet breakfast person.
Celebrity crush.
This makes me cringe. I honestly don’t have one.
Chris Farley and David Spade!!! WHAT! That’s SUCH a good one!
xx
I love these too!
1. People always tell me I look like Meghan Markle, and I never get tired of it haha.
2. I’d like to think I’m a summer girl; I want to make people feel like a warm, summer night with endless possibilities or a dinner where everyone stays long past the food and the wine keeps flowing.
3. None yet! Jake Gyllenhall rudely interrupted my FIL’s birthday party at the Crosby Street Hotel earlier this year, and it was a major disappointment.
4. I love the sound of Julianna. Plus, she seems like such a cool girl.
5. Clicquot, strawberries, and Dunkin iced cappuccinos.
6. Mint chocolate chip forever.
7. For years, you couldn’t paint your nails in the Army. And even now, you can only paint them anything but basically nude shades. For a luxurious tropical vacation this January, I got a full set of acrylic nails in an almond shape (a la Tinx), and LET ME TELL YOU. I felt like a whole new woman. It was like putting on a costume of a confident, sexy lady that I am usually not haha. I kept tapping my nails everyone…I was insufferable lol.
8. I don’t eat breakfast! But I always love an iced coffee/latte/cappuccino and then a great lunch at noon.
9. Hmm…not my type IRL, but I’ve been loving everything re: Tom Holland lately. I just find him delightful.
OMG I am kind of living through your Tinx nail experience. Another Magpie reader shared a similar desire to give those a try. I can imagine — it would be A WHOLE NEW JEN SHOOP!
Julianna does seem like such a cool chick, though I’d take the Meghan Markle comparison over the name Julianna any day 🙂
xx
I love things like this…so here I go:
1. Most recently, I was told that I look like Jen Psaki. I am convinced it is only because we are both redheads.
2. Summer. No question. My nickname when I was a child was “Sunny.”
3. Bette Midler. She was casual, cool and charming. She snacked on an apple without a care while we chatted.
4. I really like my name, but if I had to re-name myself I think I would choose “Georgia.”
5. Cakebread Chardonnay, San Pellegrino Sparkling Water with fresh lime slices and a decadent cheese and cracker platter.
6. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Fun fact, I will only eat ice cream in the summer and then I can’t get enough.
7. Square with rounded corners-Chanel’s Rough Noir in the winter and OPI’s Strawberry Margarita or Dutch Tulips at other times of the year.
8. Ideal is a stack of pancakes smothered in butter with genuine maple syrup. Typical for me is two scrambled eggs.
9. Currently my celebrity crush is Oliver Hudson. My long-time, forever celebrity crush is Rob Lowe.
I loved reading yours. Thanks for inviting us to share.
Georgia is such an evocative name. Like, a gal named Georgia has personality for days. It just is!
Intrigued by your run-in with Bette Midler! Where were you that she was snacking on an apple? I can totally imagine it!
xx
Such good questions! I feel like they’d be the perfect ice breakers without the open-end “….tell us something about yourself” and everyone is internally scrambling for something!
1. Mary Kate and Ashley (in my and their younger teen years before they changed so much!) we are almost the same age and me as a baby and them on Full House is super similar.
Also Miley Cyrus when she was on her tv show. No one in recent years.
2. Spring is my favorite, it reminds me of my wedding – Easter weekend, full of wildflowers and pastels and the first warm weather of the year. Everything is green and new and shiny and beautiful, and everyone is thawing out from the cold of winter.
3. I’m from a small town in NC so I’ve only ever seen people from afar- coaches for Duke and UNC etc. Free Couples at a golf tournament.
And then on trips to nyc with my mom and sister yearly we inevitably see someone far away and we are all arguing over who we are sure it is lol – the closest up we walked past Lindsay Lohan walking into TRL in Times Square (that’s a super dated sentence ), saw Daniel Radcliffe on the UES walking (shorter than I’d thought) a few years ago, and like 2 years ago Rihanna in Soho (so so gorgeous even from far away)
4. As a Hannah born in the 80s, there was lots of me, Ashley, Stephanie etc in all my classes. I always loved Elizabeth and Caroline (my now daughters middle name), and gender neutral names for girls like Taylor, Jordan etc I always thought were so cool. I named my daughter Landon because of that, but as I’ve gotten older I feel like a Hannah. So I think you grow into yourself. lol
5. I feel like it would depend on the time of day because at breakfast I’d want a bagel, lunch a charcuterie board or Taco Bell etc. but also a fountain Pepsi or iced coffee with the good pebble ice, some good dark chocolate, and some mixed nuts.
6. Anything chocolate, chocolate chip, or coconut. I love and accept any and all ice cream at any time of day lol.
7. Short, my own nails, and either plain or something seasonal- I like wine, dark green, greys in the fall/winter, and light pink/light greys etc in the spring/summer
8. Best I ever had- lobster eggs Benedict at Blue Heaven in Key West. It would probably be my last requested meal lol. I love sweet with savory, so splitting pancakes or French toast, and some sort of egg omelette with veggies
9. My 90s heart will forever say Leonardo DiCaprio, but also JFK Jr- such a classic, and for more modern times Chris Hemsworth
Fred Couples, not Free**
Also I thought more on that green room question- and I’m in that room because I’m about to perform or be interviewed etc. so I also request a chill-out potion or Xanax of some sort, because the thought of either of those things terrifies me
Ha! Appreciate these edits!
My friend reminded me so I came back!— I lived in Wilmington for college and One Tree Hill was there filming. One day Hilarie burton literally ran into my college roommate and I in an aisle in target and she couldn’t have been nicer! So beautiful too! I wish we could’ve seen her husband with her
!! I love this!
Lindsay Lohan, TRL, Times Square — you transported me to the basement of my childhood home with that trio of words! I love that your daughter is named Landon! You know that’s special to us Shoops 🙂
“I love and accept any and all ice cream at any time of day” — I’m into this mantra.
xx
Anne Hathaway, but I don’t see it!
Fall; Love when the cooler temps roll in, the colors, the smells. I always tell my husband I am the best version of myself in the fall.
I asked my parents when I was in elementary school if I could legally change my name to Elizabeth (they didn’t bite)! 20 or so years later we now have a 3 month old daughter, Mary Elizabeth.
Iced tea, raw sugar (the brown kind, just so good in iced tea), straws and a really well-executed charcuterie board.
Rocky Road!
Short, round, very pale pink.
Bean and cheese breakfast tacos from Taco Deli w/ an iced coffee (extra milk) and again, raw sugar!
Matt Damon in We Bought a Zoo is the cutest.
Mary Elizabeth! Love the name. Love the trend of double names in this comments section today! So unusual and pretty. I’m sure it must get old for them, but I always love when a woman with a double name corrects someone: “No, not Mary. Mary Jane.” It feels like having a double name requires confidence from the getgo, and I love that!
“I am the best version of myself in the fall” — !!! This is so interesting and evocative to me!
xx
Always fun to read yours and your readers’ responses to these posts!
1. Not quite so famous, but in my 20’s a couple of friends told me I looked like a tennis player-turned-sports reporter in the Philippines, where I grew up. I don’t see the resemblance (and I was hopeless at tennis or pretty much any ball sport, haha) but perhaps because I was tanned and athletic (from water sports) at the time??
2. This might be a cop-out, but a tie between spring and fall! Extreme weather — on both ends — is rough on me. I lived in the Midwest for many years and spring always put a “pep in my step” after the long, dark winter. I can never get over the fresh new green of baby leaves — there’s just no other shade of green like it. And I can never get over the warm glow of fall foliage.
3. Celebrity run-in: The tennis player, Pete Sampras, in NYC in 2003 I think. It was right before the US Open and we were walking outside a hotel, and he happened to get off from his car right then. He was carrying his baby’s car seat. We asked for a picture together, and he was so gracious!
4. I have always loved the names Isabel and Ines. But Isabel is my daughter’s second name, so it would have to be Ines.
5. Inspired by Samin Nosrat in her documentary “Salt Fat Acid Heat” — the real deal Parmigiano Reggiano. Candied nuts. I’d also love a mocktail made with ginger ale and blood orange.
6. Favorite ice cream flavor — oooh this is a tough one. Having lived in Ohio for many years — I have a loyalty to Jeni’s goat cheese and cherries, or Mitchell’s (from Cleveland, OH) fresh peach, which is only available in limited amounts in August/September. There’s also a scoop shop I enjoy here in the Bay Area called Tin Pot Creamery and they used to have a creme fraiche flavor. I would top it with a drizzle of fruity olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky salt. Talenti’s pistachio is almost always in our freezer as well.
7. I hardly get manicures, and on the rare occasion when I do get them done I always seem to ruin them that same day. So it would have to be something easy — I do love Dior’s Nail Glow for foolproof at-home manicures. It helps me feel “done” with minimal effort, and it’s so easy to re-touch.
8. Ideal breakfast — I always start with Earl Grey tea (has to be loose leaf!) with a splash of milk and a tiny bit of sugar. Then I’d have a mix of savory and sweet. Lately I have been enjoying skillet sourdough toast (it just toasts up better in the skillet IMHO, I mix olive oil and Kerrygold salted butter) which I then top with savory Greek yogurt. I warm up some chopped scallions, cilantro or parsley, and Aleppo pepper flakes in olive oil then mix it with the yogurt (inspired by Alison Roman’s recipe — I know she’s controversial, but I love making this!). For the sweet part, definitely a chocolate croissant.
9. Celebrity crush — my first one was Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye in The Last of the Mohicans. My childhood best friend and I rewatched this so many times we had memorized several lines! And also, he is just spectacular in any movie.
Love these answers! I am a huge fan of snacking of parm — when I lived in NYC, I learned that Eataly carried these tiny squares of amazing-quality parm wrapped up in snack size portions and that was my go-to happy hour snack for a long time. Delicious!
xx
Snack-size portions of Parm sounds delightful!
I still can’t stop thinking of a “flight” of different ages of Parm like in Samin’s show — 24 months, 30 months, and 40 months I think?? She said the 40-month one was like “Parmesan candy.” Aaaahhh what a dream. Someday!
OMG – that sounds divine.
xx
1. I got when I was younger Larissa oleynik which for the ones who remember she was Alex Mack from the secret world of Alex
Mack on Nickelodeon and she was Bianca from 10 things I hate about you. More realistically I have been told (and agree), if she is considered a celeb, I look like the girlfriend in the distracted boyfriend meme. It’s eerie.
2. Summer. It always the season I am happiest and feel the most like me.
3. Big Papi from the Red Sox at a chipotle in Boston. He was very kind and took a photo. And then I gave a tour of my alma mater to Maria Shriver and her son when I was working for the university.
3. I used to want a name that had a more natural nickname or shorter name with it mainly because my older brothers would take my name and make it rhyme with mean things – got to love older brothers for their cruel creativity ha! Also, Courtney was always the snobby, witchy popular girl in every story or movie growing up which was so not me.
4. Crisp champagne or a margarita to loosen up a bit and be maybe funny instead of tongue tied in whatever my appearance is (sometimes I pretend what my spiel would be if I was going on jimmy Fallon). And utz party mix (get a huge barrel of it at Costco – it’s amazing). And peanut butter M&Ms – can’t be peanut M&Ms nor can it be Reese’s pieces. And now I’m already sounding like a diva in this fake green room.
5. Chocolate chip cookie dough or moose tracks all day every day.
6. I rarely get manicures but I loved my wedding manicure which was a powder dip in a lightly sparkled lilac which was so fun to do something a little different!
7. So I dislike breakfast out and I hate hate hate brunch. But at home my dads waffles and oven cooked thick cut uncured bacon on the side.
8. Chris Hemsworth and Margot Robbie. I just think they are both so beautiful.
I love these replies, and actually agree with you on brunch. Mr. Magpie hates it, too. Ha! Can I join you in your green room?! Love all the picks.
Co-sign on your crushes!!
xx
1) Elisabeth Shue, especially during the Cocktail movie hype..though my face may be a little fuller than hers these days with added Covid pounds, ha!
2) A late winter person, still enjoying the coziness of hibernation season with optimism of warmer and brighter days ahead
3) Clinton Kelly who remarked my outfit was adorable, may be my best compliment yet
4) Growing up it would’ve been LeeAnn, certain that derived from a pretty and popular classmate with the same moniker.. today it would be something more fun and glamorous sounding like a Francesca with Frenchie as nick name
5) My pups, sparkling water and strong coffee with ground cinnamon and skim milk
6) Grapenut pudding ice cream with chocolate sprinkles, Pistachio with pineapple topping a close second
7) Bare and neatly trimmed
8) Egg white omelet with spinach, mushrooms, and fresh feta with a side of dry pumpernickel
9) Liev Schreiber, Jason Bateman..and secret crush growing up was Tom Brokaw finding him so handsome, humble, and smart
Ooo, Anne! I think you’re our first “winter”! Love that. Grapenut pudding ice cream?! I had to google that and now I must try it. Thanks for introducing!
xx
Oh, I LOVE these. Also, pretty sure I was the one who wrote that comment a few months back… if it was motor oil at an after prom party, mistaken for a water bottle of snuck-in vodka. Whoops.
1. Have you ever been told you look like somebody famous? Who?
Cate Blanchett, ALL THE TIME and occasionally Saoirse Ronan but I wish it were Blake Lively!
2. If you were a season (spring, summer, fall, winter), which would you be?
A *crisp* spring
3. Best celebrity run-in?
I’m primarily in DC now, so they’re all fairly politically adjacent and niche, but seeing/chatting with Justice Scalia (such a little meatball of a man) and Ivanka + Jared Trump (pre pre 2016, rest assured) at the same White House Correspondent’s Dinner party was pretty cool! Ivanka is SO TALL and statuesque, politics aside.
4. If you could re-name yourself, what would it be?
Something slightly esoteric and obnoxious from my years and years of translating Latin poems and stories. Aurelia? Lavinia? Lucretia? Narcissa (*excellent* malevolent Harry Potter character name)? Okay maybe not the ones first coming to mind, ha…
5. Things you would always request in a green room if you were famous.
Mixed nuts (Costco brand only), crackers + hummus, apples, and a sweet treat or two. I’m a creature of habit!
6. Favorite ice cream flavor.
Oooh way too hard to pick! I’m currently working my way through a birthday shipment of various Jeni’s flavors and love them all! Pfish food for a classic pick, though, always.
7. Manicure preference.
Short, round, and a seasonal color.
8. Ideal breakfast.
My favorite thing about work travel is a good hotel breakfast – give me a big plate full of scrambled eggs, avocado, crispy bacon, (gluten free) toast, and some yogurt + fruit on the side. LOVE a good hotel breakfast!
9. Celebrity crush.
Armie Hammer, don’t @ me!! And Henry Golding.
These are such great answers, especially your dream “esoteric and obnoxious” name. I’ve loved the name Aurelia since I saw “Love Actually.” Just beautiful.
Also, how much are you loving all the fellow short nail ladies in this thread?! Yes!!
xx
Ah, yes – what a great name for that character! Short nails, always (although I’m 10% intrigued by trendy acrylics… but would likely inevitably hate them within 10 minutes, ha).
I so feel this. I love Tinx and she kind of makes me want to try them, but they are so not me!
xx
This made me smile — I chose the name Aurelia for my four-month-old daughter. Glad she has the Magpie seal of approval!
!! SUCH a gorgeous name!
Cute idea! I’ve become such a fan of this blog since I started reading it a few months ago but I don’t often comment. I really love it though, and appreciate how much work you put into it!
1. As a teenager I was told both Claire Danes and Liv Tyler, but I don’t get told I look like anyone famous anymore!
2. Summer. For sure. I grew up by the beach and summer encapsulates my entire innermost being.
3. Hahaha not many. I used to live on the UWS and my husband ran into celebrities all.the.time (Matt Damon lived across the street from us!). But I never did, I just used to see Richard Kind literally everywhere and it still cracks us up.
4. I hated my plain name when I was younger but now I can’t imagine anything different suiting me! I’d stick with it.
5. Champagne, Antipodes sparkling water, crisps, onion dip, M&Ms, and some mints for the breath might be a good idea…
6. Mint choc chip, or passionfruit gelato
7. None, or clear polish only.
8. Greek yoghurt, strawberries, a sprinkling of the homemade granola my husband makes.
9. Guys with great smiles and kind eyes get me. I used to absolutely love Heath Ledger (RIP). Now I don’t really know?! Apparently I spend so much time rushing around I never think about the important things in life, like this. I’ll have a think!
Thank you so much for the sweet note! I’m so glad to have you here.
At first I was straining to see how you could be figured for both Danes and Tyler but then realized there are some strong similarities! Both are beautiful and such a great nod to icons of the 90s :).
Heath Ledger, yes!
xx
This makes me laugh because I have a Richard Kind story. NYE 2015 – we were pregaming at my friend’s apartment for too long, realized it was close to midnight, raced to the bar with the intention of getting there in time for the countdown. Richard kind was standing outside and my husband stopped to take a selfie with him and almost missed kissing me at midnight because of it! Luckily he made it inside just as we reached the end of the countdown!
Rachel that is hilarious. That dude is everywhere!
1. My high school students had told me I looked like Melissa Joan Hart- very random!
2. I think I would be Fall as it’s a mix of cool, cozy nights (total homebody and introvert) but with some social time and fun (apple picking, Halloween).
3. When I was in middle school I took a trip to London with my mom and grandmother. We were eating lunch in a cafe and my mom leaned over and said “Kellie, be cool, but Hugh Grant is sitting at the table next to us.” Awkward middle school me didn’t squeal, but I did stare at him for the rest of lunch!
4. Probably something classic and a little old-fashioned. I can’t think of a specific name though.
5. Champagne, water, and a chacuterie board. Maybe a pillow and eye mask, but somehow I don’t think I’d ever leave!
6. Mint chocolate chip
7. Short. The color varies but my favorite is shades of red.
8. Eggs benedict, latte.
9. Jon Bon Jovi 🙂
UM! Hugh Grant! I would have been spilling my water and stammering all over myself!
Woohoo fellow member of the short red nail gang!
xx
I love little quizzes like this! First, I want to share a tip re: the OV longline bra. Try Girlfriend Collective! So soft, and somehow stretchy while also being supportive. (Everything that OV isn’t, imo.)
1. In the 2000s, I used to get Hilary Swank a lot. Once, at an IHOP breakfast with my field hockey team, the waitress said, “You look like Hilary Swank! [ beat ] But she looks like a man.” Quelle high school horreur.
2. Spring 🙂 optimism, blooms, renewal. I’m an April baby, and I just feel most myself in the spring!
3. I don’t think I have any!
4. I wouldn’t — I love my name and have always felt like such a Susie. I very rarely met any others growing up, and always felt unique. And I think my full name (Susanna) is so pretty (the multi-syllabic appeal, as you note!).
5. Chips and salsa and *fountain* diet coke. (Champagne and marcona almonds sound great, too!)
6. Coffee!
7. Short and round, an opaque pale pink… I’ve yet to find/commit to the perfect shade but that’s always what I shoot for!
8. I’m terrible about eating breakfast…
9. Hmmm… maybe Jon Hamm?
Thanks for the note on GC vs OV. Yeah, I thought it would be too good to be true. OV is just NOT comfortable! Skip!
I love the name Susanna! It’s an old family name on my Finnish side, and my niece’s middle name. Sort of unusual these days! Love!
xx
1. Kirsten Dunst or sometimes Gwyneth Paltrow.
2. Definitely summer. Bright colors, lots of social events, and the hum of cicadas with a few feisty thunderstorms thrown in.
3. Honestly, I can’t think of one! But I did meet Jerry Jeudy (former Alabama and current Broncos player) a few times and he was sweet and very quiet.
3. I have a very non-traditional name and always hated it growing up, but I think I’m growing into it. My mom wanted to name me Mary but thought it was too boring and my dad wanted to name me Emily, so maybe the compromised double name Mary Emily would suit me. But like you, Jen, I don’t think I’d change my name.
4. A favorite perfume, a glass of smoky Cab or an ice cold martini, salted cashews, spicy pretzels, and a toothbrush and toothpaste to clear all of that out before a live appearance, haha.
5. I’m not a huge sweets person but I like a classic twist with rainbow sprinkles in a waffle cone, or Ben & Jerry’s chocolate chip cookie dough.
6. I like a dark purple/red that’s almost black in the winter and light pink in the summer, always a little long and almond-shaped but always my own nails, never acrylic, dip, or tips.
5. I am a huge breakfast person and my favorite is an egg and avocado on a sesame bagel with freshly squeezed orange juice and some fruit on the side.
6. Sebastian Stan or Jacob Elordi.
Love the portrait you painted of summer — yes! Just an explosive, happy, busy time on all fronts. Also, love your name! Truly so unusual — have never met a Mary Emily!
I will join you in the green room.
xx
Oops, the way I worded that was so confusing. My apologies. My name is actually quite uncommon, more so than Mary Emily, and I am almost positive that mini’s middle name is my first name! I meant to explain: I think if I didn’t have the name mini and I share as my first name, I would be named Mary Emily since it combines both of my parents’ wishes, haha. Sorry for the confusion!
I do love that my first name means light and honors my mother’s Italian heritage, though. It’s such a special reminder of who came before me.
I misread! I love your name, the gesture to your heritage, and the way you wrote it: “It’s a special remainder of who came before.” Love that.
xx
Love this!! Hi fellow Magpies 🙂
1. Emma Stone (when she’s blonde!) Swooned at that compliment! Love her.
2. SUMMER. Emphatically summer. I’m an August birthday and even growing up in hot Florida…I love every part of it and wish it would never end.
3. Joe Jonas on Spring Street…truth be told, I was looking at a very tall, very cute man across the street and bumped right into JJ (he is very short) and gave a disgruntled look before realizing! He definitely watched me realize who he was and we both nodded and continued.
4. Something much more feminine and “pretty” to the ear. I’ve always thought I would be better suited to a floral name. Also, I’m not a fan of the letter “P.”
5. Iced coffee, candy (sour gummies, Twizzlers), and chocolate (Reese’s), plus some fuzzy slippers.
6. Haagen Dazs Caramel Cone – the best.
7. Square, medium length, SNS dip, usually in a light light pink or bright red. For toes, I have to be bright pink at all times.
8. Thick toasted bagel with heaps of cream cheese and a super sugary iced coffee
9. Young Patrick Swayze and John Mayer
“Thick toasted bagel with heaps of cream cheese and super sugary iced coffee” — oh MAN. This brought me right back to weekends in college! My jam! Bodo’s in Charlottesville with all my girls! Yes! I actually want to recreate that breakfast now. Maybe tomorrow morning! Thanks for the inspo.
Also, I love the name Paige! It’s so cheeky and smart and fresh! One of my best friend’s younger sister is named Paige and she is just beyond gorgeous, beyond captivating. Have always thought highly of the name because of her! Funny how we form those attachments?
Finally, um, YES. John Mayer. Yes!
xx
1. I haven’t been told that I looked like anyone famous, but I was once told that I have a doppelgänger out in the world.
2. Most definitely spring- blooming flowers, Easter and my birthday! 🙂
3. Penn Badgley at a restaurant in Brooklyn. I unashamedly asked him to take a photo with my friend who was celebrating her birthday.
4. I actually wouldn’t rename myself.
5. 100% champagne and a slice of chocolate ganache mousse cake!
6. Moose tracks with big chunks (and lots) of fudge!
7. I would probably pick a light pink nail polish although I don’t paint my nails very often.
8. An omelet with lots of veggies and cheese, bacon, toast, orange juice (maybe a mimosa too), cup of coffee with half n half!
9. No one comes to mind actually!
That is so funny about being told you have a doppelganger! I’ve never gotten that before; I wonder if other people have? So interesting!
xx
1. Angela Kinsey from the Office and also some of the Gummer sisters (Meryl Streep’s daughters).
2. A winter, just because I look best in jewel tones! Not a pastel type.
3. Several celebrity elevator run-ins at work, including Mark Ruffalo who insisted on making conversation for the entire ride…? Ok!
4. Well if my mom could rename me, I’d be Gwen because that was a name she really wanted to use for a daughter but my dad nixed it. Lol. She did ultimately choose Anna, though.
5. No plastic water bottles!!! I would be the uptight environmental one. Also, M&Ms but only in seasonal colorways. I swear they taste better than the regular ones.
6. I also go for any chocolate-PB ice cream. Tillamook has the BEST one, mostly because the PB is so salty.
7. No manicure! I don’t do painted nails, ever. I do often do a metallic or a light color on my toes, though.
8. Half sweet, half salty. A restaurant situation where I could split an order of pancakes or cinnamon rolls and a loaded egg dish with someone. Best of both worlds.
9. I just went really hard on Season 2 of the Witcher and I’m majorly thirsting over Henry Cavill right now.
OK, the second winter in a long string of summers and springs! Love! Thanks for the tip on Tillamook. Going to track that down. I actually think Breyers’ version is pretty damn good and we usually splurge on ice cream with Jeni’s, Van Leeuwen, etc, so I think that says a lot…!
Totally agree with you on the sweet/salty. I basically never eat breakfast out but whenever I have, I’m always split halfway between pancakes/waffles/pastries and eggs/bacon/savories.
xx
I love these kinds of posts, and your answers! What a lovely post about meeting Caroline Kennedy. She has always struck me as a gracious and charming woman who has used her position for good in the world.
Have you ever been told you look like somebody famous? Who?
Alexis Bledel, several times, and Dakota Fanning once (I don’t see it!)
If you were a season (spring, summer, fall, winter), which would you be?
I think fall–I love the contrast in the blue skies particular to the season and the changing leaves. The weather is my favorite–who doesn’t love sweater weather, though?–and it always feels like a new start to me.
Best celebrity run-in?
So tough! I loved getting to know and become friends the honorees from my work event (Carolyn McCormick and Byron Jennings–such talented actors and truly among the loveliest people I’ve met!). In the same Law & Order vein, I once bumped into Sam Waterston on the street; we were both wearing Barbours and he grinned and me and said he liked my jacket.
If you could re-name yourself, what would it be?
While Sarah was also a popular name the year I was born, I wouldn’t change it, because it too is a family name (I’m named after the first child born to settlers in New Netherland, my many-times great-grandmother!)
Things you would always request in a green room if you were famous.
Ooh, this is a tough one. Maybe blue Terra potato chips, ice water with lemon, and lots of Barry’s gold blend tea.
Favorite ice cream flavor.
Ginger!
Manicure preference.
I’ve only had a manicure about three times in my life so I suppose “none” is my answer!
Ideal breakfast.
A cup of Irish breakfast tea and a slice of toasted wheaten bread with Kerrygold butter.
Celebrity crush.
My husband! (The script he wrote is in pre-production (!!!!!!) so I’m counting that as celebrity :D)
Oo I love your crush! Can you share more? We want to support him!!
Love the other thoughtful replies, too. Alexis Bledel, hello!!
xx
Yes!! He co-wrote an amazing screenplay; the IMDB page is here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14127944/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_1 It’s so exciting!!!
!!! SO EXCITING! Magpies, the lead actor is Ryan Gosling!!!
1. I was once told I also look like Emily Blunt, but more often than not, it’s Jessica Biel.
2. Fall. It’s the relaxed, comfortable forerunner of Winter, and the soft landing of Summer.
3. Martha Stewart. After meeting her, I am convinced she is the most misunderstood woman on the planet; she is the real deal, like it or not.
4. Growing up, I wanted to be named Sarah. I have no idea why, except it seemed more feminine than Cathy. I am a Catherine by birth, but sometime in Catholic elementary school it was arbitrarily decided that the other Catherine in our class would maintain her full name and I would go by the shortened version. I’ve been disappointed ever since.
5. My husband and my dog.
6. Same! Chocolate peanut butter. It’s a treat I rarely, if ever, treat myself to, but it is the best.
7. Simple and understated: OPI Bubble Bath and barely beyond the quick.
8. I still think about the simple breakfast I had on our honeymoon: green apples drizzled with yoghurt and honey; just sweet enough, crunchy enough, and filling.
9. Zachary Levi or Ryan Reynolds – both seem genuinely nice and funny.
So much great stuff packed into this set of replies! A) Jessica Biel?! Go on!!! Gorgeous! B) “Fall is the soft landing of summer” — I love that! C) I am a huge Martha fan. I once tagged her in an Instagram post and she replied to it and I actually almost passed out. I mean, it’s possible it was from a team member or something but she seems to run her own account. Wow!
xx
1. Julia Stiles — My only reference point at the time was 10 Things I Hate About You, a movie I did not love/did not like her character in, so I didn’t take it as the compliment it was clearly intended to be!
2. Summer
3. Ran into Cuba Gooding Jr. at a bar in NYC just this past Monday! We were with a large, fun group and, as someone who does not live in New York, it felt very much like an “only in NYC” kind of moment!
4. I think Elizabeth suits me. However, when I left for college, my mom suggested now was the time I could take a nickname, as it was a fresh start. I sometimes wish I’d tried Eliza! Though different friends from different parts of life do call me Liz, Lizzy, EG, Gibs, etc. — and each name feels like a slightly different persona.
5. Popcorn and a Diet Coke. And maybe a glass of champagne for the nerves!
6. I am with you on the PB Chocolate! The salty-sweet-rich combo can’t be beat.
7. Very short, round, OPI’s Cajun Shrimp May-September, OPI’s Coca-Cola Red October – April
8. A fried chicken biscuit from Modica Market, near my parent’s home in Florida, after a long morning run. Preferably eaten in the Seaside square, with my family, while people watching.
9. Patrick Dempsey or Rob Lowe!
I have also run into Cuba Gooding Jr. at a bar in NYC!
Haha! That’s so funny!
You know what I love? How many of us have been compared to 90s stars. YES. I’m here for that. We have Jessica Biel, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kirsten Dunst, Hilary Swank, Gwyneth, Claire Danes, Liv Tyler. Yep, the gang’s all here!
Woohoo to another red short nail gal!
xx
These are so fun! Okay…
I’ve been told I look like Kristen Wiig, which is a compliment (assuming they don’t mean the Target lady character on SNL), but I think it’s mostly because I have an expressive face.
I want to be spring but I would probably be fall–an enneagram 4, deep in my feelings, best suited for reading novels by a fire after taking a walk and feeling my throat catch at how beautiful the leaves are… right before they’re gone.
Living in the Midwest, my run-ins are few and far between! Once while shopping at a mall in Scottsdale on vacation, my friend and I were in an elevator with two Diamondbacks players and our college-age-selves were overcome with giggles when we recognized them.
I always wanted a romantic, 3-syllable name, although now I’ve come to like my own name (Brooke–decidedly with an “e”). If I had to choose, I’d probably choose something French–two of my daughters are Colette & Genevieve.
In a green room I’d want trail mix & a crisp white wine.
I am not a huge ice cream fan, but I do love vanilla custard with Reese’s peanut butter cups & banana mixed in.
Manicure: short, square, dramatic dark color or bright classic red.
Ideal breakfast: omelette with veggies & cheese, croissant, good black coffee. (Or just the croissant & coffee!)
I want my celebrity crush to be someone I find charming and delightful in the same vein as my husband… a Paul Rudd or Jason Sudeikis… but, to my chagrin, I have a (secret) crush on Matthew McConnaughey.
Oo these are absolutely delicious! “I would probably be fall — deep in my feels, best suited for reading novels by a fire.” Love! You painted such a vivid picture there! Love your daughters’ names, too! Colette!
xx