Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle.

We’re in the final throes of March and I’m seeing the sunshine at the end of the tunnel. In fact – if I can make it through this work week, we’ll be in full 80 degrees and sunny by next weekend for a quick spring break of sorts! Here – a few things on my mind before dive into a new month..

ON MY MIND:

• I’m having so much fun on Substack. I had been wanting a home for more of my writing for years now and so far I’m really liking the freedom of the space. I haven’t set any real guidelines for myself besides committing to posting at least twice a week and so far I’ve published a spring style moodboard, an essay on my late grandmother and a list of my most memorable meals in Paris. The range! It feels like an endless blank page.
• In general, I’m really trying to be diligent about making time for writing and when I do, I am usually listening to this Jazz Vibes playlist on Spotify. Described as ‘chill instrumental’ I find it to be upbeat without being distracting.
• One of my goals for the year was to continue to practice baking. This weekend I found two new receipes to try from 100 Afternoon Sweets – a delicious treat-filled cookbook that Adam got me for Christmas. I brought the Sesame Blondies and Oatmeal Fudge bars to a Sunday lunch at my sister’s house and both were a hit – my favorites were the Blondies though.
• A night at the Opera is on my spring bucket list (I’ve never been!) – and a friend and I are eyeing tickets for the new show based on the life and relationship of artist Frida Kahlo and her partner Diego Rivera.
• Still checking off restaurants and bars from my ’25 in 25 list’ (aka try 25 new spots this year) – and I loved the Chelsea Hotel ‘Lobby Bar’ so much I already went back this month. A great, chic spot for a drink catch-up with a friend!

ON MY BOOKSHELF:

• I just cracked the spine of Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry – originally published in 1985 and deemed a classic of American literature. I’ve never read a true ‘Western’ and I don’t think I’ve ever read a single novel over 800 pages, but I refuse to be intimidated by its scale or genre! Especially after hearing a few similarly minded readers (Annie and Hunter of From the Front Porch podcast) rave about it last year. Luckily I won’t have to go it alone, as my book club was game to chip away at this with me over the next few months. We plan to discuss it in June!
• Last weekend I finished Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner and would give it a solid 4.5 stars. Set in a wealthy Long Island suburb the story follows a Jewish American family over the course of 3 generations, as they build wealth and inherit trauma. I imagine this book won’t be for everyone.. but give me a family story where all the characters are a little bit (or in this case quite radically) f*cked up.. and I’m in. I ended up liking it much more than her (also divisive) debut novel Fleishman is in Trouble. Read if you liked Real Americans by Rachel Khong or Commonwealth by Ann Patchett – and are okay with Brodesser-Akner’s particular brand of explicitness and unlikeable characters.
• I’m headed out of town for a couple of days next weekend packing books for travel is always a heavily weighted deliberation – so far I know I’m bringing Didion & Babitz by Lili Anolik and Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley. Plus probably at least one backlist paperback – maybe Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott (published in 1929!).

ON MY CREDIT CARD:

• These raffia flats just arrived in the mail and I love them! Comfortable, flexible fit and I think they’ll pair well with everything from jeans to dresses.
• En route to me as we speak: this affordable swimsuit and separately, this slouchy striped long-sleeve shirt for spring weekends. It’s supposed to be just between the weight of a t-shirt and a sweatshirt – ideal!
• Once it gets safely into the 70 degree weather zone – I cannot wait to wear this linen vest and trouser combination. It’s so chic in person! I might swap the fabric tie belt for a contrasting leather one.
• This ruched green one shoulder dress that I wore in Italy last May – and love so much – is 25% off right now. I’m tempted to grab another color..
• Last summer I lost a perfect, cropped white ribbed tank top at the laundromat.. and it haunts me still. The particular style was sold-out so I couldn’t replace it and I’ve been searching for something similar ever since. I think this one might be it – only $19 too.
• This is my favorite easy cream blush and I love the new Bonbon color – the perfect pop of pink!
• These days I’m more likely to purchase fewer, nicer quality pieces (even if I have to get them secondhand) so that will arguably last me longer. One area where I don’t hold fast to that rule is activewear. For the price I think you really can’t beat Old Navy and I’ve had pieces that have held up years! I have this zip pullover and matching running shorts in a couple of colors and just grabbed the ‘luminous blue’ for spring.
• I was in the market for a simple pair of jean shorts – not distressed, not too short, just.. plain. Surprisingly hard to find.. but these delivered.
• On my birthday wishlist – this Taurus spinner pendant necklace. So chic!

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ON MY MIND:

• I’m officially on Substack! On the Bias is my new home for musings, essays & thoughts on fashion, literature and life as I know it. My first post is diving into the what and why of it all – but I’d be thrilled if you followed me there. Keeping all post free for now.
• After many years spent thinking that I didn’t much care for wine.. I’ve been proven wrong! I’m still not super keen on white, but I’m coming to really appreciate a nice glass of red (pinot noir is the winner so far!). Besides the taste – Adam and I, both complete wine amateurs, are having fun learning about something new together. Now I’m in the market for a pretty pair of wine glasses – maybe these?
• Because of the way that my calendar at work tends to unfold, there are small slivers of the year where I have a little bit more personal bandwidth. Mid-February through late April being one of them. It took my until last year to really identify this rhythm, but I’ve come to realize that if I want to get more personal admin things done – I need to be diligent about fitting them into these slivers. Lately, that’s meant things like tackling organizational projects I’d never have time for in months like May or December. I bought this album for my years & years worth of polaroids and this fireproof lockbox to finally safely organize all of our important documents. Maybe not the most glamorous of projects, but it feels great to have crossed these off my 2025 to-do list.
• I just started watching Running Point on Netflix – the new Mindy Kaling produced show starring Kate Hudson, about a complicated family that owns and manages the fictional LA Waves basketball team. Two episodes in and it’s a fun, easy watch so far.

ON MY BOOKSHELF:

• One thing that’s always a bright spot in winter for me is that fact that I read.. a lot. I’m on book 13 of this year already – and while a few have been quite short and not all were 5 stars – I’ve had real momentum and variety, which I love.
• Currently, I’m about 60% of the way through Demon Copperfield by Barbara Kingsolver. And listen, I don’t need to tell you how great this book is – it won the Pulitzer and was on just about every ‘best of’ list the past couple of years. But wow. Kingsolver’s writing is so achingly specific that every scene and character feels completely alive with dimension. It’s long, but well worth every minute I’ve spent with it thus far.
• In the lead up to the Oscar’s I watched Maria last month. While I found the storyline to be slow and strange (although that felt intentional), what really makes this worth watching are the 1950s-70s fashion and the Paris setting. Add Angelina Jolie and you could basically watch this on mute and the whole thing would still be stunning. If you’re interested in more of legendary opera singer’s life – I’d recommend the book Jackie & Maria by Gill Paul – which offers deeper insight into the ways Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas’ lives intersected. I read this a few years ago and was captivated by the drama of it all.
• I just read two “weird” books – that I really liked. Open Throat by Henry Hoke – read in a day short, written from the perspective of a mountain lion who lives in the Hollywood Hills and is struggling to understand their identity. And Versailles by Kathryn Davis – a series of almost vignettes that follow Marie Antoinette and the architecture of Versailles itself from her arrival from Austria through her ultimate demise, with a distinct poetic-like prose. Neither book will be for everyone, but I found both really interesting and thought-provoking to read.

ON MY CREDIT CARD:

• One of my goals for 2025 was to ruthlessly edit my closet and I’m making some pretty good progress. What I’ve found is that I want to have an arsenal of great staple pieces (that lean feminine yet modern) as well as key hero pieces that instantly add spark and personality to an outfit (often vintage or secondhand designer).
• Which inevitably leads me to scrolling The Real Real for those hero pieces – I’m loving printed midi skirts like this tie-dye Cara Cara, this metallic Tibi or this floral Sachin & Babi!
• In the way of polished separates, I’m eyeing this punchy red vest and pencil skirt combo and (am I crazy?) these black capri pants.
• While I feel like my work wardrobe is starting to shape up – I oppositely now feel like I’m in want of a few more casual pieces for the weekend. I’ve heard rave things about these long-sleeved shirts (somewhere between a t-shirt and sweatshirt weight) and have my eye on a new pair of nicer looking tennis shoes like these or maybe a fun color like these. And a nice new pair of dark wash jeans (under $100).
• I was veryyy hesitant when it came to the barrel leg jean trend – but I tried these on a whim in the ecru color and love them!
• We’re making a tentative plan for some spring travel and if we end up with the warm weather destination, I’ve got my eye on this dress that looks like sunshine or this cute shell swimsuit.
• I’m loving all things green this season, especially these cute suede low-heeled pumps. They’d add that spark I was talking about!
• But also in the way of shoes – I’m very drawn to these cowboy boots! I’d style them with easy straight leg jeans and a crewneck sweatshirt on the weekend. A well-draped midi dress for the office. Isabel Marant vibes at a fraction of the price.

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A proper snow in New York last night! Hope you all have had a restful long weekend if you got one.

20 days into January and, in truth, I’m barely keeping my head above water. Work is burying me (a continuation of Nov/Dec that I should have braced myself for but naively didn’t) and if you dare to turn on the news.. well. I’ve been sticking to my, now timeworn, healthy habits (running, strength training, eating healthy, 7-8 hours of sleep a night) which is definitely helping to bolster me, but otherwise, I’m not making much progress on the rest of that pretty 2025 moodboard. C’est la vie en Janvier, non? As we stare down the rest of the month – here’s what’s on my mind, on my bookshelf and on my credit card*.

*I used to call this section ‘in my cart’ – but the synchronicity of all 3 categories starting with the word “on” was too much for me to resist. Fear not for my credit card statement, I promise I’m not always buying everything I’m digitally browsing.

ON MY MIND:

• I fly out early Wednesday morning to visit our San Francisco retail store for work. I’ll be there until Friday and then Adam will join me for a quick weekend trip to Carmel/Monterey. This quickly snuck in weekend away scratches quite a few itches. Firstly, one of my goals was to plan more spontaneous weekends away together.. it’s incredible how much 2 nights away can really rejuvenate you amidst a busy schedule. Secondly, despite living in LA for a little over a year in our early 20s and visiting many areas of California, we’d never explored this area of the state and I’ve always wanted to. And lastly, over the past year or so we have been gaining an amateur’s interest in wine (we’re late to the game.. we know). So we thought we’d go straight to the source and try to visit a few winery tasting rooms while we were in the area. It’s only for 48 hours but I’m so looking forward to it!
• Speaking of California – there is still so much support needed in the wake of the LA fires. Outside of giving to specific families through GoFundMe, World Central Kitchen is helping to provide meals for those in need and the LA Fire Department is desperate for resources to go towards equipment and personnel.
• Ahead of the official Oscar nominee announcements, I’m hoping to see a few more of the contenders. Adam and I saw ‘A Complete Unknown’ (the Bob Dylan biopic starting Timothée Chalamet) in theaters and enjoyed it. Then this weekend we watched ‘A Real Pain’ (starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin as two cousins on a pilgrimage to Poland to reconnect and learn more about their Jewish heritage) and – although heavier in subject – thought it was really well done. I still want to watch Wicked too!
• One of the things I really want to do this year is find a way to take French lessons. While I had 4-5 years of the language throughout high school and college, I can really only get by with the bare minimum when we travel. If you’ve re-learned a language in adulthood, was there an app or method that you found particularly successful?
• Another point on my 2025 agenda is to continue to visit new (to me) restuarants/bars/cafes here in the city. Topping my current list are Hani’s Bakery (for inventive treats near Astor Place), Pearl Box (a luxe 70s inspired bar in Soho) and Cecci’s (for a classic New York dinner vibe in Greenwich Village).

ON MY BOOKSHELF:

• One of my real joys amidst the doldrums of January are that I read.. A LOT. With less of a desire to venture out into the cold, I mainly just hide away with books when I’m not working. I’ve finished 5 so far this month and we still have two weeks to go!
• There have been two 5 star reads so far this year. The first of which was The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (and which you’ve surely seen everywhere by now) and really did live up to the hype for me. 95% of the time thrillers are not for me, but this was literary fiction first, with a thrilling/propulsive plot second. More than anything the writing was evocative and the characters had great depth. I think I finished in just a couple of days.
• The second 5 star read so far, and one that instantly catapulted to my personal list of favorite books of all time, seems to have flown a bit more below the radar. I had heard about In Memoriam by Alice Winn from my favorite book podcaster (Annie Jones of From the Front Porch) rave about this last year and had bought a copy but then hadn’t really felt compelled to crack the spine. It looked lengthy and is set during WWI. Not usually my thing. But it called to me last week and.. my god. An achingly beautiful love story between two young British schoolmates turned soldiers. A debut novel (!!!), Winn approaches both the brutality of war and the life-altering course of love with the same hauntingly descriptive prose. In short, it crushed me in the best way. Main characters Ellwood and Gaunt will live in my mind for years to come.
• While it wasn’t quite 5 stars, I also flew through From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough. Presley had recorded audio drafts of her memoir prior to her death, and her daughter compiled and filled in missing parts of the story from her perspective. From growing up in Graceland through the darker days towards the end of her life, Presley had the sort of life that frankly no one else would really be able to imagine let alone relate to. It’s of course only two sides to a very complicated family story but if you want a peek inside, this book offers one.
• I’m packing Intermezzo by Sally Rooney and Versailles by Kathryn Davis for our trip. Saving room in my suitcase to visit a new bookstore or two while we’re away!

ON MY CREDIT CARD:

• Shown below – a happy little striped workout set that’s giving my very chilly morning walks to the gym a boost. Both pieces on major sale.
• Also below – an exercise in packing for California. I like to try on all of the outfits I’m considering packing to make sure I don’t forget anything and also to try and mix and match pieces wherever possible. Especially when I know I need to be in a carry-on. Will be sure to share all of these outfits as I actually wear them this week! Favorites include my trusty cargo pants, this new patent leather jacket (swoon) and a practical puffy vest in chic chocolate brown.
• How chic is this dark denim vest and flared denim pants combo? I’d wear them both lots of ways now through spring for sure.
• Also in the dark denim family, this flared midi skirt. I’d wear with tall leather boots and a slim fit cardigan now and kitten heels and a cropped t-shirt in spring.
• I tend towards a lot of black tights/black boots combos this time of year – but love when a single hero piece can add interest to the whole outfit. This tiger print jacquard mini skirt is a prime example.
• I braved the weather this weekend to restock some of my beauty favorites – including this dry shampoo, this toner that always helps clear up my skin, this cream blush is a new punchy pink color and my go-to everyday mascara.
• I’m eyeing this cherry red, small boxy bag – perhaps an early Valentine’s Day gift to myself?

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A new year.

I started writing this post at the start of last week, when the year felt wide open with possibility. 6 days later and I had to come back and completely revise these opening lines. 2025 has already handed out cruel fates for thousands due to the fires in Los Angeles this past week. It’s unfathomable really and puts into harsh relief just how much I have to be grateful for – even if not a single thing more came to me this year.

That being said, as the rest of us find ways to offer help to those in greater need, I’ll share what I had planned.

If you read my 2024 recap – you’ll know that I started last year with a bit of fear over losing the momentum I’d started in 2023. But that’s not what happened. I doubled down in almost every aspect of my life and felt like I was rewarded with a lot because of it. This year, I don’t feel as scared. I feel confident that even if I have to sidestep here or there (and I undoubtedly will.. nothing is linear in life), I’m capable of continuing to think in decades, act in days.

While I always create a private list of specific things I want to accomplish (both big and small, lighthearted and lofty), this year I also put together a moodboard (shown above) that I thought would be fun to share. It captures a bit of what I’m hoping to attract:

• Home Decor – now that we’ve bought our apartment I’m itching to do a bit of redecorating to really make it ours.
• Audrey Hepburn at the barre – representing balance and poise, both of which I hope to have.
• Runners on a track with the words ‘every day is a new day’ – both for the fitness of it all and my hope to run faster and even more this year, and also for the mantra to view each day as a new opportunity.
• A sleeping beauty of sorts – to remind myself that despite a challenging job and busy schedule, I want to prioritize rest when I can.
• New York in all her glory – what a gift to live here, I want to keep taking advantage of all she has to offer.
• Travel destinations – I’m always hoping to see more of the world each year, as well as return to places that really make me feel inspired and happy.
• Paris specifically – because I want to dust off my high school/college French and restart lessons in some capacity.
• A vintage car – a nod to wanting to get my driver’s license again. Mine lapsed several years ago and I’ve been a passenger princess ever since, but it would be nice to take the wheel again.
• A great head of hair – my own took a real beating last year for various reasons, and so I’m on a quest to restore the health of it and grow it out again.
• A manuscript – while I’m not sure I’ll finish my long mulled over novel in 2025, I do want to commit to making writing a regular practice.
• Fashion sketches – representing my work (and a reminder of what I love about this industry and why I started), but also because I really want to ruthlessly edit my own closet this year and continue to be very clear on how I want to dress and the overall style I want to cultivate in my forever wardrobe.

May your year be filled with health, happiness and hopefulness. Thinking of all of those in LA that are going to deserve those things more than ever.