Dear Everyone,
Spring, baby!!!!! It’s here!!! Wow. Don’t you feel like you can breathe again? I’m so excited to walk through the farmer’s market and see something other than onions and apples (no offense, love both of those globes). April is a huge month for me because my baby will be turning one–what a world. I’m also very excited to be sending you this, the third Picnic Style. Threes just feel good. I might send out a reader survey soon, I hope you’ll consider filling it out! Lots of discoveries this month peppered with long-time loves…
Mast Raspberry Jam - If you follow me on Instagram you know I’m into jam (to put it mildly). As soon as I started making my own jams years ago, I became a total snob about store-bought jam. Impossible to find one that wasn’t too sweet. This is the best store-bought jam I’ve maybe ever had. It’s tart, seedy, juicy Raspberry with a capital R!!
Family Ring - I bought myself one of these after I gave birth. You can pick between 3-5 stones that have significance to you. I did Theodora’s, Aaron’s, Edie’s, and my birthstones, plus two others. I love having a mixed stone ring and I love that it’s hashtag meaningful.
Bohemia Slippers - I think you’re born into a slipper family or you’re not. I was. I saw these the other day at Magpie and loved how sweet they were, and the idea of a summer slipper.
The Eating-in-Bed Cookbook by Barbara Ninde Byfield - What a delightful, funny little cookbook. I found one years ago and cherish it. I don’t eat in bed anymore because once I spilled an entire tuna tartare onto my duvet.
Dead Like Me (2003-2004) - I keep trying to write why I think you should watch this show but delete everything I come up with. If you like weird television, I think you’ll like this. It’s genuinely quirky. More people should know about Dead Like Me!!!
Nala Sinephro’s Space 1.8 - One of the best things about being married is you get double the presents because what’s yours is mine!!! Phoenix gave Aaron this record for Christmas and neither of us was familiar with the artist. It’s so gentle and groovy, exactly what you want to listen to when your apartment’s clean, and you’ve started cooking an early dinner. Maybe fresh pasta with asparagus. Sipping a chilled little bevy as you chop. This playing in the living room. Yeah….
Prada Makeup Bag - I bought this years and years ago and use it to house my most-used makeup items, it’s small but long enough to fit mascara and brushes. Every single time I drag it out of my bathroom cabinet I feel so chic. So simplicitycity. I think it’s perfect. It’s idiotically expensive but since it’s nylon (washable) a great thing to buy second-hand. I found one here and here.
Sparkling Coconut Water - When you’re breastfeeding you need a lot of electrolytes. I recently discovered sparkling coconut water and it’s gorgeous.
Taverna Oikonomou 1930 - We went here on our honeymoon and it was so incredible and special, we went again two nights later. We never go to the same restaurant twice on a vacation (except for this really great place in Oslo that has since closed). The first night we had their roast lamb and potatoes which was gentle and savory and melty and heartwarming. We had perfect Greek salad and saganaki and the restaurant is painted a great yellow with huge windows so you feel like you’re sitting outside even when you’re not. The second night we did sit outside and we had the stuffed cabbage which was lemony and homey and toothsome. A baby at the table next to us was named Achilles. The couple at the other neighboring table quietly fought the whole time so we lovingly eavesdropped. I wish I was having dinner there tonight.
our first dinner The Natural Dentist - A really great, natural mouthwash. You can find it at any drugstore.
221B Baker Street - I wrote about this for Kaitlin Phillips’ exceedingly fabulous Substack, Gift Guide, but wanted to reiterate here that this is such a good game. It’s great if you like solving puzzles, watching mysteries, and/or fighting tooth and nail to finish first. Aaron and I collect vintage board games, and this is our favorite.
The Bell by Hans Christian Andersen - “Nature was a vast, holy church, where the trees and drifting clouds were the pillars; flowers and grass made the velvet carpet, and heaven itself was the great dome.” Read this to Theodora when she was 6 weeks old and sobbed. Not sure if that’s a postpartum thing or if it’s just the most beautiful fairytale. You tell me.
Goest - I forget how I found out about this company but for years now I’ve bought myself and my sister candles from them. They have really unique scents and their packaging has panache. This candle smells like wet marble, it’s great for a bathroom.
The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt - I wrote in the first Picnic Style that I couldn’t read for months after giving birth. I tried reading books that are tailor-made to suck you in–airport mystery-types–but I couldn’t do it. Finally, I was like, what if I read the kind of stuff I’ve always liked? Like a novella I saw Ann Patchett recommend in a TikTok? The floodgates? Oh, they opened. I think I’m the millionth person to write about this book, but it’s so good. It stays at a simmer throughout and then leaves you just when the pot comes to a boil. I finished it and immediately read it again.
Coral & Tusk Embroidered Tissue Box Cover - Decorating a nursery is so fun because you can make every mundane item cute. As soon as I saw this, I knew we needed it. It’s a beautiful, show-stopping item.
Artnail - This is a nail salon for people who really care about having nice nails. It’s expensive and your appointment will be at least one hour long. I’ve been going here since my wedding and my nails always last at least 3 weeks with no chipping or breaks. I didn’t go for months and months after having Theodora because I just didn’t feel like I could spare the time. I went back for the first time two weeks ago and I realized how much having my nice nails means to me. This is a great “high maintenance so you can be low maintenance” thing.
two great manis from Artnail Freebleeding - When my period dissipates to the point where I can freebleed, I truly feel free. I feel like this is coming off as 2014 feminism, but honestly, I just love the moment so much when my flow chills out and I don’t have to wear a tampon anymore. Like, why do I care if my Hanky Panky Boyshorts (also circa 2014) get stained? Sorry for getting Hannah Horvath on your asses.
MD Notebook - I had a cursed job many years ago but one spectacular thing it did was introduce me to these notebooks. I buy a new one every year and I love how they fall apart throughout their use so by the time you finish it it has memories of your coffee cups and scuffs.
fresh vs my current MD Nikon Trailblazers - Aaron got me these years ago when I first got into birdwatching. They’re tiny enough to fit in most jacket pockets and have incredible lenses. Whenever I lend them to friends they remark on how good they are.
Buvette’s Tarte Tatin - I know, who cares about Buvette anymore? But I dream about this dessert. It’s perfect, perfect, perfect.
Okazaki Coffee Jelly - I’ve been asking people what their three flavors are. Like what flavor do you read on a donut plaque or something and think, ‘Yeah, that’s for me’? Mine are coffee, maple, and lemon. I saw these jellies at H Mart and whisked them home with me. I totally adore them!!!! They come with a tiny pack of creamer to pour over top, which I personally didn’t need but appreciated!
Spiral Hair Tie - I’ve had this hair tie in my shower for eleven years. The same one. I put my conditioner in, tie my hair up, do the rest of my stuff, then rinse. I feel like if I’ve kept one hair tie for over a decade I need to write about it.
The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) - I could write a newsletter a week for a year about the novel The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s the most fun novel of all time. I read it during the pandemic with my darling Juliana in our famous (to us) two-person book club. When we found out there was a new film adaptation we bought tickets tout de suite. Not to bring up TERFy Harry Potter but remember when you got to see the movie for the first time and you saw all the things you loved so much come to life right in front of you and you were like, ‘Oh my god, the staircases are floating!!!!’ THAT IS WHAT SEEING THIS MOVIE WAS LIKE. It’s an amazing adaptation. French. Three hours long. Mag! Ni! Fique!
I mean how badly do you want to see this Sugar-Free Pancakes - This isn’t some creepy diet thing. I started making these pancakes (I do buttermilk instead of regular) for Theodora with no added sugar and realized that pancakes with no sugar are so much better. Now the maple syrup really sings!!! Now the fruit really zings!! I look forward to our Sunday pancakes all week, and I like to think she does too.
Essence Pure Nude Highlighter - Lol at “pure nude.” I almost exclusively use cream products when I do my makeup but this highlighter is always part of my rotation. It looks like nothing in the pan but gives you a really nice luminosity, like Vaseline over the lens.
Emme Yuzu Hand Wash - As I explained in PS1, Aaron and I gift each other nice hand soaps for special occasions. That means I’ll probably write about them a lot. This one is SOOOOOO good. It’s juicy as hell, lasts forever, and smells just like what it says it smells like.
Bose CD Player - My dad ordered this for Theodora’s nursery and it’s so nice to have a CD player. The one he bought her is no longer made, but it’s simple and sounds terrific. There are lots for sale on eBay.
Scully & Scully Sterling Silver Nursery Frame - A truly lovely gift for someone you love with a baby. They engrave the name, birth weight, height, and time. They engrave little hands on the clock for the time! Darling.
Zuni Café’s Chicken - It’s really weird it’s taken me two newsletters to write about this chicken. After Theodora, Aaron, and my sister, Zuni’s roast chicken is probably the thing I talk about most. I’m fucking obsessed with it, it’s the best roast chicken I’ve ever had in my entire life. If someone 50 miles away mentions the words “San” and “Francisco” I yell back, “Have you had the chicken at Zuni Café?” If you can’t make it to SF, this is the recipe. I’ve made it many times.
Making a Day of It - Whenever people talk about what you’ll miss out on once you have a kid it’s always travel and going out to eat. I totally disagree. The thing I miss the most is meeting up with someone for coffee and spending the next 6+ hours with them because you’re having so much fun. You meet for lunch and end up having dinner together, too. You made a day of it! If you are in a stage of your life where you can Make a Day of It, go for it. It’s an amazing feeling to spend the whole day out with a friend.
I love you all,
Eleonore
My 221B Baker Street just arrived today from eBay- will report back 🫡
Love it!