Those of you who subscribe to my newsletter (ahem) already got a sneak peek at this, but it was too fun not to leave here for posterity.
I smell a series in the works.
Those of you who subscribe to my newsletter (ahem) already got a sneak peek at this, but it was too fun not to leave here for posterity.
I smell a series in the works.
Totally casual magazine-reading outfit (dress by Cleobella)
On Friday afternoon, I arrived at Francesca's house for a little kid-free staycation only to find her triumphantly reducing some apricots to make a pork chop sauce. "I just invented this dish!" she declared. "It's SO DELICIOUS!"
We exclaimed over and over about the particular combination of flavors - how unexpected! how delightful! - and snapped a couple of pics, because clearly I would need to post about this unexpectedly delightful new dish.
Today, I thought I'd let my other half - you know, the one of us with better taste - go ahead and do my job for me.
The older I get, the more eclectic my desires become. I want things that are practical, and yet I still want things that are totally...not. Ergo, here are my very random holiday gifting suggestions. - Francesca
Sirena & The Sea Kimono My Sunglasses & Bathing Suit Knit Shorts
Every time Francesca or I visit each other, one of us makes out like a bandit. Last time it was me, what with the Alaia heels and the Jimmy Choo boots and the Mulberry Alexa bag, and this time it was Francesca: she inherited a DKNY suit and crop top I love but never wore, a Juicy Couture leopard miniskirt that makes her look like she's on vacation in Positano in 1986 (this is a good thing), and a grey wool cape that we discovered at TJ Maxx last summer and that really should have gone home with her in the first place.
(Have I mentioned how fun it is to swap clothes with your friends?)
I MEAN.
Those are Steven by Steve Madden, and I cannot find them anywhere online (although they're similar to these), but trust me: I will hunt these pretties down (and of course post the info here for you once I find it).
Also: we just ate grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon and avocado from Big Daddy's, which got me remembering just how truly spectacular the combo is. And it's even better when you make it yourself.
I've spent the past 24 hours flat on my back with a horrible cold, and finally I caved and tried ginger tea, which Francesca swears keeps her singer's throat in fantastic shape. She just steeps a big piece of ginger cut into one inch cubes and an apple cut into slices in a big pot of boiling water for half an hour, strains, and serves.
But I'm fresh out of apples and not much in the mood to run to the store, so I just grated up a piece of ginger, put it in a thermos with some honey and lemon, let it sit for 20 minutes, and drank it as-is (shaking between sips to disperse the "pulp"). I don't know that I'm ready to run a marathon, but everything does feel a touch clearer. So.
For more cold remedies, click here.
Francesca is subletting an absolutely extraordinary townhouse on the UWS all summer (we're talking multiple stories and - jealous - a private backyard), so last night she invited us over for a little home-cooked meal. It was fantastic, and simple, and - surprise! - I have the recipe for you.
With Francesca and Chad (who is the sort of guy who simultaneously stars on Broadway whilst designing his own line of cashmere sweaters) at The Standard.
I have a lot of conflicting feelings about my condo. On the plus side, I bought it! All by myself! The building it's in burned to the ground during the Woolsey Fire, so it's brand-new construction - which means everything works (!). Having lived in extremely ramshackle (hee) housing over the years - from our adorable-but-not-super-functional Hudson Valley house to a trailer with multi-million dollar views but no especially reliable electrical or plumbing - this is quite exciting. Sometimes I just open the closet where the water heater is kept, think back to the spricket-infested basement hellscape where the water tank lived in Tarrytown, and marvel at its shiny newness.
Our very first house. I LOVED it, sprickets and all.
WHAT.
This, so you know, is not my skin. My skin is red, and reactive, and the opposite of even. But between the fact that I (finally) caved and started doing an actual, grown-up Skincare Regimen, and the fact that I - like most of you - have spent the past few weeks going almost entirely makeup-free (not to mention Botox-free and eyelash-free), and slathering on oils and potions like it's a part-time job, because right now it sort of...is.
Which has all added up to the best skin I've had in a solid decade. Maybe more, because my 20's were many things, but "a time of thoughtful self-care" was not one of them.