It’s been a month since my last blog post and while it wasn’t exactly a planned break… I likely needed it. I’m still not sure about how regularly I plan to approach this space moving forward, but I like these check-in posts so I’m going with that for today. Tomorrow? Who knows.
January was both a very long month and a fast-paced blur. Work was as busy and stressful as ever, the days were veryyy cold, and after recovering from Covid at the start of the month we promptly got our booster shots and then recovered from that. We visited family, caught The War on Drugs show at Madison Square Garden and spent lots of nights cozied up on the couch. Below, what else I’ve been up to + what’s on my mind, on my bookshelf and in my cart. Hope you’re all having a great weekend.
ON MY MIND:
- How are you doing on your goals/resolutions/intentions for the year? I’ve been drinking more water, going for daily walks and making time for writing and weekly dates with Adam. Nothing ground-breaking but a better work-life balance is a major focus for me this year, so even these small shifts have made me feel a lot better overall.
- Speaking of work-life balance, I am determined to travel again this year. Last year I was able to go visit my best friend in Minnesota for a weekend and spent a couple of days in Florida with my sister.. but the last time I had a proper vacation? A week off work? I can’t even remember. I don’t want to jinx it by sharing my potential destinations before we book something – but you’ll be the first to know once I do.
- We started watching The Gilded Age on HBO and while it’s definitely a slower show, the NYC history and costume design is worth watching for. Meanwhile, I can’t wait for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to come back next weekend.
- We finally watched the movie Spencer (with Kristin Stewart as Princess Diana) last weekend and I’m frankly still haunted by it. I wouldn’t say I absolutely loved it, but I can definitely see why she’s an Oscar contender.
- Slowly but surely I’m making my way through this embroidery from The Fabled Thread. My goal is to be done by this summer so I can frame it for our room at the lake house! It’s the perfect activity in the evening for when I want to keep my hands from endlessly scrolling my phone.
ON MY BOOKSHELF:
- I’ve been saving Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi (one of my favorite new authors that I found last year) for the week of Valentine’s Day as a little reading treat to myself. She has such a sharp, modern voice that to call this book a romance feels reductive. Emergency Contact and Yolk were both favorites from my 2021 reading, and I’m already loving this too.
- I joined another book club… that makes 3 if you’re counting. This one is a local group and we’ll be reading books either by New York authors or ones set in NYC – and then when we meet to discuss we’ll also do an activity related to the book. In short, it combines my two great loves – books and New York – in such a fun way. Our first read is Speedboat by Renata Adler, originally written and published in the 1970s.
- Look past the cover of this new release, Vladimir by Julia May Jonas, because I’ve been hearing nothing but rave reviews. About a set of married professors and their romantic entanglements both on campus and off. Claire (my partner in crime @prettywords) said she couldn’t put it down and I generally love a dark academia setting. Looking forward to diving in.
- My virtual book club is reading Bel Canto by Ann Patchett this month. She’s one of my very favorite authors and I’m excited to read more of her back list work. This was originally published in 2008 about a diplomat dinner turned hostage situation.
IN MY CART:
- I haven’t been doing much shopping (saving up for the aforementioned travel instead!) but this cute gingham tote is on my wishlist and won’t break the back.
- Coincidentally this navy and ivory bouclé cardigan would be a perfect match. I like the idea of this dressed down with slouchy jeans and fun heels.
- I’ve been using this toner religiously for the past two years. I just ran out and swear I notice a difference in my skin after just a week of not using it. Time to place a reorder, stat.
- I have this classic striped shirt in camel and white, but I love this new pistachio version. Green seems like it’s going to be everywhere for spring.
- Starting this week I’ll be in the office 3 days a week. This textured red blazer would add a bright pop of color to my usual rotation.
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