Coffee Break #010: Friend dates, Stevie Nicks style inspo, and overcoming burnout.
Your weekly roundup of inspiration and ideas to build your dream life.
Dear Friend,
I, like many people online and off, am feeling a cocktail of rage, sadness, overwhelm, and anxiety about the state of the world – namely, the unlawful occupation of ICE in Minnesota and other parts of the country. The state-sanctioned executions of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The neighbors that are being disappeared off the streets. It’s all so horrifying and I’ve felt paralyzed with overwhelm, not knowing what to say or when. But I know that sharing your values and calling for action, no matter how messy or imperfect, is important in this day and age. So I couldn’t NOT talk about it, especially because it feels so disingenuous to talk about clothes and interiors and finding joy without acknowledging how heavy and dark everything feels.
If you’re looking for concrete ways to help, consider the following:
Donate to Stand With Minnesota mutual aid.
Check out Alex Friedman’s post on ways to fight back against ICE.
Call your representatives and demand action using these super helpful scripts.
Jessica Yellin put together a huge list of resources to help Minnesota.
Take care of each other and your community.
Love always,
In Brief
📚 Reading
The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead, my most recent Book of the Month pick. I haven’t gotten far yet, but it’s giving Daisy Jones & the Six meets Deep Cuts, both of which I loved, so I have high hopes.
🎶 Listening
I’m trying to make 2026 the year I get (back) into podcasts, so I’ve queued up several that have piqued my interest. On deck is “The Cult of Chat GPT” by Sounds Like a Cult with Amanda Montell, The Devil You Know, which a miniseries about the Satanic Panic craze of the 80s and 90s, and the episode of Sixteenth Minute about Dr. Ally Louks, of Twitter infamy. Taking any and all recommendations on podcasts about anything cult-y, paranormal, pop culture-y, or creative.
📺 Watching
Just a whole lot of Mad Men. We just started season three. It’s making me want to go on a shopping spree for mid-century furniture on West Elm real bad.
🍔 Eating
It’s been brutally cold in Chicago this past week, which means I’m craving a warm, hearty bowl of soup. This weekend we’re making a favorite – creamy White Chicken Chili in then Instant Pot.
🧣 Wearing
Boring, but necessary – Noosh fleece-lined tights. I love these things. I’ve even started wearing them under jeans for the days when the wind chill is in the negatives. I like these specifically because, if you do wear them under a skirt or dress, they look like sheer black tights but the “flesh” color is actually a thick pelt of soft fleece.
🎨 Creativity & Curiosity
Weekly Task
Get a library card. Oftentimes, you can do it right online nowadays, AND it’s not just books – you can get audiobooks, e-books, and even television and movies from the library apps like Libby and Hoopla now. It’s incredible. Plus libraries do such amazing work in our communities, and supporting that feels more important than ever right now.
Roundup
I recently discovered that JSTOR (yes, that one) has a daily blog where they post about random interesting finds and articles. I especially enjoyed this one on The History of Existential Anxiety.
I also stumbled across Color Club magazine, a quarterly print & digital publication all about creativity, color and lifestyle and I’m so glad I did. It’s sooo gorgeous and inspiring. I bought the digital versions of their first four issues, and subscribed for the upcoming year to their print version. Can’t wait to get the first one next month!
The New York Times released their own version of Scrabble/Words With Friends this week, and my husband and I have had so much fun playing it (and getting maybe a little too competitive about it).
🧥 Personal Style
Weekly Task
Find five items in your closet that you haven’t worn in a year, and set them aside to donate or otherwise repurpose.
Roundup
What’s the Deal with Quince? by Brand Panic was an interesting read; I’ve been Quince-curious for a while, but something about it felt off. Of course, I know it’s all dupes and that feels kind of icky from a creative background, but it’s interesting to see the claims that their stuff can’t possibly be the same quality. I did buy a bedding set from Quince recently, and I like it just fine. But I don’t think I’ll be investing in any “cashmere” any time soon.
I just ordered the book Wear It Well by Allison Bornstein and I’m excited to dive in. I really want to curate my closet more this year, as it has a tendency to get overstuffed while I continue wearing the same four basic outfits.
The Enduring Appeal of Stevie Nicks’s Dark Bohemian Style by Christina Grasso.
I’ve come to realize that I’m extremely drawn to any knit with a polo collar. They just feel so flattering, and like a nice step up from just a basic cardi or pullover sweater. I have a shameful amount of things in my closet with such collars, but that didn’t stop me from gawking at this Madewell one with navy and red stripes. I’ve added it to my cart several times at this point… Someday I will pull the trigger.
I loved reading this piece on How to Figure Out What You Actually Want to Wear in The Cut. Personal style is so hard, and ever-evolving. (P.S. coming up next month in The Well-Designed Life, we’re talking all about honing in on your own personal style and aesthetic, if you’re into that kinda thing).
🏡 Home & Environment
Weekly Task
Swap out your wall art. Put new photos in old frames, trade artwork between rooms, create a new gallery wall – whatever it is, you’ll be shocked at how new and different it makes your space look. Minimum effort, maximum impact!
Roundup
30 Interior Design Tricks You Need to Know by Kate Watson-Smyth of was a great read. I loved all of her tips on using color and pattern, two things I’m trying to incorporate a bit more of into my home (at least as much as my begrudgingly-reformed minimalist husband will tolerate!).
I loved Kate Hash’s post on her office makeover. That Rifle Paper Co. wallpaper as a backdrop to her bookshelves is beyond dreamy.
This colorful, eclectic home tour on Apartment Therapy is so fun.
💸 Career & Business
Weekly Task
Take a moment to take stock of where you're feeling burnout or friction in your work life. Are there ways you can mitigate it? Is there something you can delegate or hand off? I find most work or business stress comes from putting too much pressure on ourselves. Taking a step back to evaluate can provide a lot of much-needed clarity.
Roundup
Rewriting the Social Playbook: Brand Strategy in the Age of Authenticity from Marketing Brew was an interesting read. The section on how American Girl has started using Tiktok was extra fun for me as a millennial and a person who works in branding and marketing.
Loved reading Olivia Wickstrom’s post on how she used Substack notes to become a bestseller her first year on the platform (!!!). She has been absolutely killing it and Petal + Hearth is one of my favorite Substacks to read.
My experience with burnout as a freelance designer by hannah bay resonated really hard. While I was writing out my big re-introduction post last week, I had time to really reflect on all of the burnout and toxic feelings I’d had during my years of girlbossing. I remember in early 2020, when the pandemic hit and my clients almost completely dried up, I expected to feel panic – it was my sole source of income, after all – but instead I just felt a sigh of relief, like I could finally breathe after two years. It’s so easy to get consumed by your work as a freelancer or solopreneur.
💌 Connection
Weekly Task
Write and send one snail mail letter to a loved one. This could be a short little postcard or a long multi-page letter – just something to let them know you’re thinking of them.
Roundup
When Was The Last Time You Asked Your Friend On A Date? by Bustle. I loved this idea! Last week, my friends and I had a virtual paint-and-sip date where we each got paint-by-numbers kits and spent a few hours on Zoom yapping and painting. It was delightful, and a nice reminder that we can still spend time together despite being in three different states and two different time zones.
Brittany Viklund recently shared an in-depth primer on the art of letter-writing. This is something I really want to get into this year. Snail mail is so fun and so heartfelt. I recently found a stash of postcards my grandparents had sent me from Florida when I was little, and it was so heartwarming. It’s really magical and personal seeing someone’s handwriting, little doodles, and other quirks that make it uniquely them.
Along that vein, I want to get a cute set of personalized stationery to keep at my desk so I can write little notes to the people I love. I’ve had my eye on some from Papier for ages, but there are so many good designs, I can’t decide!
✨ Joy & Whimsy
Weekly Task
Take a walk around your neighborhood without headphones in and notice five things that are sweet, or that bring you joy. A funny toddler, a cute dog in a coat, some balloons in a window for a party. There is joy all around us!!!
Roundup
I recently discovered that the Color Factory has a curated shop of all sorts of delightful, colorful finds for home and accessories. I kind of want it all. 😍 I really need to take myself on an artist date to the Color Factory in Chicago ASAP.
I always love reading hannah bay’s pocket guides to romanticizing each month, and February’s is no exception!
Things To Do When You Don’t Feel Good by Jenna O'Brien of Feeling! Magazine was exactly what I needed to read this week.
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My team at work just had a whole discussion about Quince and how we've all enjoyed purchases from them, but have NO IDEA how they make any money. Thanks for the link - definitely going to share with my colleagues. (FWIW, I have a Jenni Kayne cashmere dupe from them and I do actually love it)
Wear It Well is so helpful!