Dear Everyone,
Happy March Eve! I’m so happy for us all to be back here, talking about little things. This month has a lot of food and food-adjacent suggestions, but there’s a bit of everything. I’m toying with the idea of occasionally sending out a mid-month letter where I really dive in on one thing I’m completely obsessed with—thoughts? Anyways, onto February:
Soft Electronics Calendar - I know it’s March tomorrow and therefore a little tardy to suggest a calendar but, if you still haven’t gotten a calendar this year, you should get this one. I love this Instagram account and I think the calendar is just gorgeous. Imagine it tacked to your kitchen wall with a little plastic orange pen on a rope nearby? Sleek.
Dansk Butter Warmer - This was on every gift guide this past December but I’m not new to this–I’m true to this. I found mine years ago at my favorite antiques shop in Arkansas. I’m including it here because I’ve recently discovered that it's the perfect vessel to cook baby food in. Perfect one serving of fruit compote or pea purée.
Nivea Body Moisturizer - There was a period post-grad where I became really obsessed with YouTube makeup tutorials. I watched probably two hours-worth of these videos a day. I honestly cannot remember a single thing these people told me, except that once, during a q&a, a beauty guru said her glowy décolletage was thanks to this lotion. It really does amazing stuff to your skin, I think 90% of my girlfriends have this in their bathrooms because of my recommendation.
Vanilla Bean Granola with Sour Cherry - Spotted this at the store and was taken in by the flavor combination. These granolas are made with ghee and they’re so good and buttery. Very toasty, and the little bursts of cherry really do it for moi.
Hudson Wilder Wine Glasses - Whenever a friend moves into a new home, I give them a set of these. I like a glass to be so special that you pay close attention to it whilst cleaning it. They’re the most beautiful, crispy glasses and they’re shaped like huge tulips. Get a set for yourself, you’ll be thrilled.
The Song “Fabulous, Baby!” from Sister Act the Musical - I am a Musical Theatre Person. Always have been, always will be – know THAT. Anyway, this song is sooooo fun and gets me up and going and moving and grooving in a way that just feels so…fabulous (teehee). And it’s the type of song I get completely addicted to and play twice in a row. It’s great for when you’re cleaning your apartment.
Chanel Transparent Baume - This is basically a very thin vaseline you can swipe on your face, but god does it look good. It’s not sticky at all and just makes your skin look so glowy and new. I love to swipe it over my eyelids as well.
The only near-dupe I could find was a “peanut pillow” on Etsy D. Porthault Dumbbell Pillow - The cost of everything at D. Porthault is Captain Insanity Johnson Reporting for Duty. It’s deranged. But it is the best. Our mom opened my sister and I’s eyes to the wonders of the dumbbell pillow. You cannot imagine how perfectly this thing fits between the nape of your neck and your pillow. Reading in bed is taken to a whole new level of pleasure. This is what you buy yourself to celebrate an accomplishment.
Tiny Glass HAY Straws - Writing about glass straws is very florals for spring groundbreaking of me but, I had never thought about glass cocktail straws. These are so great for when you’re having a little iced coffee at home. I love all the colors but the milky butter yellow is my favorite.
Running Errands the Old Fashioned Way - I never feel more chic and productive than when I run a series of classic errands. Go to the bank and speak to the teller, not the ATM. Grab my dry cleaning, stop at the post office and buy some stamps. I mean Mrs. Dalloway is SHAKING. I really recommend taking one day a month to enjoy your errands and do them the Old Fashioned Way. This means no online deposits. Go to the butcher and the florist instead of grabbing everything at the supermarket. It just gives you that freshly-washed face feeling.
First Delights: A Book about the Five Senses by Tasha Tudor- I bought this book for Theodora and discovered Cellar Door Books, a wonderful trove of Tasha Tudor. When I received the package they also included postcards and a print of Tudor’s work, sweetness.
Potluck Ssamjang - So funky and tasty, I’ve been dipping raw shishito peppers and fennel spears in it.
Founie and I in the lair, pre-candle and lights off. The Lair - It’s late July, you’ve been at the beach all day with someone you’re obsessed with and on your way home you run into a boutique and buy an absurdly overpriced pair of paper thin sweatpants. At home, you toss them into the wash and get in the shower and do it all: exfoliate, shave, deep condition. You get out and moisturize yourself to the gods. After you slip on those freshly washed, brand new sweatpants you turn on the latest episode of the show you’ve been watching. It’s a little trashy but it’s so. good. The lights are off, only the glow of the tv and a fancy candle brighten the room. Are you in Heaven? Close. You’re in The Lair. The Lair, invented by my sister and I, is the perfect nightcap to a lazy, sweet day. It’s best to be in The Lair with someone else, but of course a solo TL can be remarkable.
I’m Crying Because I Love Cutting Onions - My friend Claire Carusillo is my favorite writer. She’s busy opening up what is about to be the most terrific bookshop in the West–Storyboard. In the meantime these stickers she designed make me laugh every single time. I’m crying because I love cutting onions! Ain’t that the truth!!!!!
Golda Hiba Wood Spray - I love to spray this on my linens. It’s a musky hinoki scent that makes me feel like I’m in a spa I can’t afford. I find it much more relaxing than lavender.
Trio: Oona Chaplin, Carol Matthau, and Gloria Vanderbilt by Aram Saroyan -This is such an endearing and fun portrait of three women throughout their 40 years of friendship. It’s filled with great Hollywood and New York Society gossip, and worth it alone for a scene where Gloria Vanderbilt dresses up as a “Czechoslovakian refugee” and pranks theatre impresario, Billy Rose.
Silver Moon’s Raisin Bran Muffin - This recommendation is sort of threefold. One, is Silver Moon Bakery, an Upper West Side classic. It feels so UWS but also, Stars Hollow-esque and the baked goods are beyond. Two, their raisin bran muffin. This muffin is so delicious, so moist, so packed to the brim with raisins. It has a crunchy little top that’s almost streusel-y. Ugh! There were about two weeks this past summer that I walked up and got it every single morning. Three, is a reminder that Raisin Bran is the best cereal and randomly, Big Y’s store-brand of RB is my personal favorite. If you find yourself in the Berkshires, pick up a box and let me know what you think.
Purple Tulips in a Red Vase or Blue Hyacinths in an Amber Vase - Even though it’s late winter, we’re starting to see spring flowers in the stores. Obviously, I cannot wait for spring but I wasn’t ready to give up on winter just yet. The classic remedy for this is to buy white flowers, but that can get boring. I found this combination takes a spring flower and grounds it a little bit!
Shower Radio - There’s a lot of talk online these days about “free will.” I think more people should exercise their free will and buy a shower radio. Delilah while you wash your hair? WBLS while you shave your legs? Yeah.
Scala Regia - Just a beautiful quarterly magazine filled with ornate and lavish spreads.
Some of the best engineering I’ve ever seen. Boîte a Camembert- Aaron got me this for Valentine’s Day several years ago. Truly so romantic and ingenious, a box for your camembert!
The Perfect Diaper Bag? - Our diaper bag was the first thing I ever bought for my baby when I was pregnant. I like it fine, but if I could do it all over again, I would absolutely buy one of these. Truth be told, I still might. I love how customizable it is, and all the pockets! Pockets are crucial when you have a baby.
Cuboluce - I asked for this for Christmas when I was in high school and every time I open it, and its light shines upwards, I am grateful for my good sense. It’s just so sweet to have a little cube that opens up into a light. It’s magical! I just discovered this vintage polka-dotted one on 1stdibs, if you buy it, please let me know!!
G. Detou - Perhaps my favorite shop in Paris and certainly my favorite food shop in the world. The name is a little joke meaning, “I have everything,” and they really do. I love to stock up on vanilla beans when I’m here. Last time I grabbed a bag of baby blue Persian sea salt and conifer-shaped peppercorns from Indonesia.
They’re just so “Purple Noon” Autumn Sonata Helena Pool Towel - Late last summer I spotted these pool towels at a shop in Sag Harbor and immediately pictured my life with them. Rolled up and tossed into a canvas tote and then draped around my shoulders to catch my dripping hair. They’re just gorgeous.
Sophie Ceramics - My friend Juliana got Theodora a beautiful mug from this ceramicist with an eloquent “T” painted on the front and a leaping bunny on the back. The handle has this delightful little springboard to rest your finger on. It’s very poetic. Theodora doesn’t know that I’ve been using it, but I think she’d be okay with it.
Claire Keegan’s Men and Women and John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums - Both Keegan and Steinbeck write bruise-y stories that don’t make you feel great, but bowl you over. I’ve been reading Keegan’s short story anthology, Antarctica, and this is the second story of the lot. I’m nearly finished and I keep thinking of this one and the vivid, painful characters. Something about the mother in this story reminded me of Steinbeck’s story, which I read a few years ago. I don’t want to describe the stories to you because I think you should read them. They’re about womanhood, and a lack of fulfillment, and illusions that have been shattered.
dpHUE Shampoo - I know you can mix apple cider vinegar with water and clarify your hair that way but who the hell feels like doing that. This stuff works so well, lasts forever (I only clarify my hair once or twice a month), and leaves your hair so slippery and silky.
Antique Wooden Shoe Snuff Box - My mom’s friend gifted my sister and I each one of these little shoes. Every day I walk past it on my vanity and delight in its design. This is the perfect present.
Icon Style - It took me forever to find shoes for my wedding. I knew I didn’t want sandals because the idea of my toe leading me down the aisle was just too much to bear. It’s very hard to find close-toed bridal shoes. Eventually, I found this really gorgeous pair of Fendi heels but I couldn’t stand in them for more than 3 minutes so back to Bergdorf’s they went. One day I popped into Icon, a jewel box of a shop on west 70th to see if I could find a pair of earrings. They specialize in vintage and antique jewelry, and the store is filled literally from top to bottom with glistening little things. As I was waiting for the shopgirl to open the case for a pair of 1920s pearl earrings, my eyes wandered up to the glass shadow boxes that touched the ceiling. There, amongst the brooches, was a pair of white grosgrain close-toed shoes. Were they for sale? Yes. They just needed to get the ladder to grab them. I slid my foot in, waiting for my toes to pinch or my heel to hang, but I was met with no resistance. The shopgirl turned to me and (I swear) said the words, “like Cinderella…” That is what shopping is about.
I love you all,
Eleonore