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LET’S CATCH UP 12.20.21

Between the fact that I’ve been going non-stop since November and New York has seen a pretty drastic rise in Covid cases (planning to get my booster shot asap!), I had a very quiet weekend at home and it was a welcome change. Looking forward to a slightly shorter work week ahead and seeing family this weekend for Christmas. However you’re spending the week, I hope it’s a good one! Here – a few things on my mind before the holidays:

ON MY MIND:

  • Have you watched ‘And Just Like That’ the Sex & The City reboot? I’ll be honest, the first 3 episodes were a bit of a downer. But admittedly, I love returning to Carrie’s world (and closet) regardless of the storyline. Plus, it’s refreshing to see a show starring 3 women in their 50s. I’m looking forward to see where the season goes.
  • I also started watching ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ on HBO and am loving it. Honestly, Mindy Kaling – who created the show – can do no wrong in my mind. The writing feels so fresh and fun.
  • When I haven’t been playing ‘Kacey Musgraves Christmas’, I’ve been listening to the new War on Drugs album. We saw them play in Brooklyn maybe 6-7 years ago and I’d love to see them live again. Will 2022 allow for plans like that? I sure hope so.
  • I found these ‘The Shell House’ spiked cranberry seltzers at Trader Joe’s the other week and am loving them. They’re only 100 calories and are super light and bubbly tasting. I add a wedge of lime and it feels like a fancy cocktail but way lighter and with less alcohol. Nice when I don’t feel like a heavy beer.

ON MY BOOKSHELF:

  • I’ve been flying through a handful of holiday rom-coms this month and my favorite has been Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis – but honestly, I think my mind will turn to mush if I read one more. Ha.
  • I picked up The Turnout by Megan Abbott from the library after Claire raved about it. It’s a *slight* thriller set in the ballet world around The Nutcracker – which feels fitting after just having caught a performance at Lincoln Center earlier this month.
  • Infamous LA girl and author Eve Babitz passed away earlier this week and it makes me want to read more of her work. Imagine if Carrie Bradshaw lived in LA in the 70s mixed with a dose of Joan Didion. Her observations were so sharp and self aware. I loved Black Swan and want to read Sex and Rage or the biography about her – Hollywood’s Eve.
  • My virtual book club is reading The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot this month – a sweet sounding story about an unlikely friendship between a 17 year old girl and an 83 year old woman. It feels like it will be a cozy read for over holiday break.

IN MY CART:

  • I have zero plans for NYE but that hasn’t stopped me from imagining my dream outfit. This sequin dress, these dotted heels and this sparkly headband. Go big even if you’re staying home.. right?
  • Mango has a great end of season sale happening right now – I’m eyeing this striped sweater in a chic tan and black combo.
  • If, like me, you realistically plan on spending a good deal of time in loungewear over these next couple of weeks – then you likely need these leggings. They’re nice and thick and super high-waisted, which is exactly what I want in a lounge-type legging.
  • Post-holidays I’m in the market for new bedding and a new bedroom rug (our current one sheds so badly I swear it’s like we have a phantom dog). After years of white bedding, I kind of like the idea of a color like this one.

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MY 2021 HOLIDAY BUCKET LIST

We’ve got 12 Days until Christmas and frankly, I’m barely hanging on. Work/life has felt particularly demanding these past few weeks and while I’m trying not to let that dampen my holiday spirit, it’s making it slightly challenging to fit in all that I want to soak up during this season. Regardless, since I’ve already checked off a few of these, I’m confident that I can get through the rest of my list before the year ends. ‘Tis the season for ‘city sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style’ after all!

  • Wander through the West Village: Streets like Grove, Bedford, Perry and Bank are always full of festive cheer and beautifully decorated doorsteps. I’ll try to grab a bite at Sant Ambroeus or Buvette while I’m there.
  • Have a Movie Marathon: Love Actually, Elf, Serendipity, The Holiday, While You Were Sleeping, and Home Alone are all favorites in our home. Best served with warm cookies and a mug of tea.
  • See the Lights: We first went to Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights neighborhood a few years ago and the lights and decorations can’t be beat. Hoping to take a drive through after work one night this week since it’s fairly close to my office.
  • Give Back: Despite the hustle and bustle, this time of year always reminds me to be thankful for what I have and try to give back to those less fortunate. I like dropping off new books to my local Little Free Library (kids books especially in case a parent needs something to give to a child), and donating to causes like the New York Cares Coat Drive (where $25 gets someone in need 10 meals and a warm coat for the winter).
  • See The Nutcracker: I hadn’t been to see this in over a decade and so I had been dreaming of going again this year. We made it happen last week and I’m happy to report that it hadn’t lost a single ounce of its sparkle and magic.
  • Go out for a Festive Drink: I met my book club girls at Lillie’s in Union Square last week.. which is essentially a bar that explodes with Christmas decorations this time of year. The service left a little to be desired but it’s so festive and fun, plus the drinks were good, that it all evened out. I’ll try to grab a drink at Pete’s Tavern in our neighborhood too (it’s one of the oldest bars in the city and was closed for nearly all of last year).
  • Read Holiday Rom-Coms: I’m about 4 books into my December reading marathon. So far I’ve really liked The Matzah Ball, Always in December and loved Eight Perfect Hours. My full reading list here.
  • See Live Music: Not only did I get to go to a show at Carnegie Hall for the first time last week, but later this month I’m seeing a live classical string band performance of all Taylor Swift songs.. in a candlelit Trinity Church. It sounds nearly too good to be true.
  • Visit the Tree: It’s not Christmas in New York without a visit to the Rockefeller Tree.
  • Fifth Avenue Windows: Likewise, a stroll along Fifth Avenue to see the window decorations. It’s become a yearly tradition to pack a thermos of hot toddies to ward off the cold and the crowds.
  • Ice Skating in Bryant Park: The pandemic has meant that you have to pre-book times and they book up really quickly – but if you can grab a spot, do it! I love Central Park skating too, but Bryant Park is a nice central location and you can say hi to the NYPL while you’re there.

‘Tis the season!

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HOLIDAY STYLE TWO WAYS WITH TALBOTS

I’m short on words these days and long on to-do lists. We’re already racing our way into December and I’m finding my schedule filled nearly every day. Which is why it’s helpful to have a few festive pieces on hand that can be styled more than one way. A cardigan that works buttoned up as a fun little shift dress, or unbuttoned as a casual outfit topper fits the bill. Finish with a peppering of plaid and you’re good to go. Luckily Talbots has lots of pieces right now that feel holiday-ready yet still classic enough to easily mix and match with the things already in my closet.

Now if only I could be in two places at once I could maybe keep up with all the things on my agenda…

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P.S. This cardigan looks like it’s sold out right now but I’ve seen some stock come back in stock so keep an eye out! And if not, this one is another great option – I love the pearl buttons!

Thanks to my friends at Talbots

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HOLIDAY BOOKS TO READ THIS SEASON

It’s officially holiday romcom reading season! By this point in the year, my mind typically of mush from my full-time job and an otherwise busy schedule, so a couple of years ago I started gravitating towards really light, fun holiday books in December – and it’s since become one of my favorite seasonal traditions. Sure, they’re sometimes a little bit cheesy, but they’re also full of heart and go down easier than a cup of eggnog. Besides this year’s new releases I’ve also included a few that I loved from years past as well as a couple that aren’t romance focused at all – but still perfectly seasonal. Happy holiday reading!

And a friendly reminder – I’ve linked these to Amazon so that you can easily see what they are – but independent bookstores need your support, especially at the holidays. And since it’s Small Business Saturday, why not pick one of these up from your favorite local shop?!

On My Reading List This Year:

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox: I’m reading this now and it’ a mix between movies The Holiday and The Parent Trap (a city to country + twin swap) plus both twin sisters are bakers, one as a host of a British Bake Off-esque show and one in a family run bakery. Lots of hijinx so far.

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer: I finished this last week and honestly, it was so fun to learn all about the traditions of a holiday that I’m only surface-level familiar with. There’s not a ton of diversity in these holiday books, but this one did a really nice job of weaving that into the storyline – apparently the author, similarly to the main character, suffers from chronic illness as well. I loved the bubbe (grandmother) character too.

A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire: From the author of Wicked (that inspired the award-winning musical), this book is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Wild Swan’ fairytale – and takes place in New York City at Christmastime in the 1960s. It’s one of the books I’m most looking forward to this season.

The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole: This one centers on an unlikely friendship between a young aspiring fashion designer and an older resident in her same apartment building and a certain dress brings them together. As previously mentioned, I love when older women get to be main characters in books (it so rarely happens) – so this one was an easy sell to me.

Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis: A blizzard traps two people together one night and then fate keeps bringing them back together. Feels a little like Serendipity which is one of my all-time favorite movies.

Always in December by Emily Stone: A woman who hates the holidays runs into a man who gives her a reason not to. Set in New York, London and Edinburgh (three places I love) so this was an easy sell to me.

The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin: Paris at Christmas.. in a bookstore. Need I say more? I actually picked this one up last year and didn’t have time to get to it so I’m hoping to this year. Sounds very sweet.

Past Favorites:

One Day in December by Josie Silver: The one that started it all. I read this 2-3 years and was instantly hooked on this genre. It’s a classic girl meets boy, girl loses boy to girl’s best friend story. And takes place over the span of almost a decade and I couldn’t put it down.

In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren: It’s Groundhogs Day meets Christmas in this book giving one girl many chances to get it right.. or wrong. A fun, festive read I liked last year.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva: A reimagined tale of what Charles Dickens life looked like as he wrote his beloved Christmas Carol. I loved going back in time to 1800s London and reading this fictionalized account of how his family and friends (and mainly himself) might have showed themselves in his famous work of literature.

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris: I’ve mentioned it many times but Sedaris on of my favorite authors. This compilation of his holiday-themed essays is a short, funny read that includes reflections on his time spent working as an elf in Macy’s Santa-land.

Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory: Loved that the main couple in this book was in their 50s roughly, it had a Royal storyline (the daughter is a stylist for a Kate Middleton type Duchess) and was diverse (all of the main characters are Black) – and a fun trip to London too! A nice book if you’ve had your fill of the usual 20 somethings falling in love.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss: This was one of my favorites that I read last year. The main character is reluctantly seeking love after focusing on a career that she loves and balancing relationships with her family and friends. She felt really well-rounded and realistic. Spoiler – love ensues.

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THE BLACK FRIDAY SALES I’M SHOPPING: 2021

I try to be really strategic when it comes to Black Friday/Cyber Monday – because honestly (and I say this as someone who makes their full time living in Ecommerce) marketing surrounding these sales can really push you into buying things you don’t need just because they’re on sale. That being said – I use this as a time to pick up gifts and a handful of selects items that are either classic wardrobe staples or pieces that I otherwise wouldn’t want to pay full-price for (like a fun holiday skirt that I will only wear a handful of times).

Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving and may the discounts be ever in your favor this weekend.

THE SALES I’M SHOPPING:

FAVORITES I OWN, NOW ON SALE:

  • I have a few nice wool overcoats for winter, but I needed another heavy duty puffer and this Lands End one is perfect for casual weekends. In fact, every time I’ve worn it so far I’ve been too warm – which is a good sign that it’s going to actually hold up to a New York winter. Their whole site is 50% off + free shipping.
  • I just got this long cardigan (40% off right now) in and am swooning – I’m going to share two ways to wear it this weekend. But suffice to say it’s the new (slightly unexpected) standout of my holiday wardrobe. Plus – this velvet blazer, these jeans in a simple straight leg, and this cute plaid bag – are all wardrobe favorites of mine and they’re all 40% off too.
  • This gold mirror (we have it in our room at the lake house) is nearly $100 off right now. It can be hung vertically or horizontally and I love that it is simple enough to fit with almost any decor.
  • I shared the Sarah Flint Perfect Pumps in my last blog post and I truly can’t say enough good things about the quality, comfort and fit. They’re a definite ‘splurge’ – but when you factor in how often you’ll wear them and how long they’ll last, the cost per wear feels quite practical. My code SARAHFLINT-BASTEELE gets you $50 off 1 pair, $100 off 2 pairs, $150 off 3 pairs or (if you’re feeling wild) $200 off 4 pairs.
  • This Grecian bust pot I bought last year is 30% off – it looks great on it’s own or filled with flowers.
  • This plaid wrap dress I wore on Thanksgiving is an extra 25% off its sale price – along with all the rest of the discounted designer styles at The Outnet.
  • My new favorite clean mascara is 20% off right now in the brand’s only sale of the year. I’m thinking of trying their brow gel too.