Coffee Break #023: Snail mail, roller derby, and dill pickle mayo.
Your weekly roundup of inspiration and ideas to build your dream life.
Dear Friend,
Wow, what a week! On Thursday I got the official notification that I’ve achieved Substack Bestseller status! 🎉 It was also the one year anniversary of going all-in on my Substack, so I wrote a whole recap post about that here.
I also announced a new Founding Member tier called The Joy Mail Club, which gets you delightful little paper goodies, stickers, prints, cards, and other surprises each month in the mail. Read more about that here!
I just wanted to say another heartfelt thank you to everyone who reads, subscribes, and follows me here. I’ve so enjoyed building this community over the past year, and I’m looking forward to many more!
In Brief
📚 Reading
I bumped up Grey Dog by Elliot Gish in my rotation after a glowing review from my coworker. It’s giving dark academia gothic sapphic vibes which you know I’m always here for.
🍔 Eating
I tried Ayoh! Dill Pickle Mayo and wow is it tasty. I love dill so much.
📺 Watching
We started rewatching Chernobyl this week, and gosh what a beautiful but incredibly bleak miniseries.
📚 Books & Creativity
Weekly Task
Revisit a book you loved years ago and see how it reads differently now.
Roundup
Need some color palette inspiration? This site catalogs color palettes from famous works of art, and it’s very fun to scroll through.
Time rounded up a list of books they feel perfectly encapsulate the current American landscape, just a couple months out from the country’s 250th birthday.
I love this! High schoolers are electing to learn cursive in extracurricular clubs at school. Seriously, without the ability to read or write cursive, future generations have no hope of deciphering historical documents. It’s sad! I’m glad to hear that some schools are considering adding it back to their standard curriculums too.
W Magazine put together a primer of the top films coming out of Cannes this year. I was already seated for Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma and then I saw Gillian Anderson is in it? Sold, sold, sold.
This piece on “what makes a good bookshop?” really did it for me. I so agree with all of these points!
🧥 Personal Style
Weekly Task
Take photos of five favorite outfits so you remember what works. Save it in a folder, Notion, or notes app for easy access.
Roundup
I’m desperately in need of a pair of these double cloth Cali pants from Marine Layer. I have a pair of shorts in this same fabric, and it’s so great because it has all the perks of linen, but the puckered fabric hides any wrinkles.
Loved this post on Big Salad sharing real people’s outfits she saw on the street in NYC. So much great inspo!
I totally forgot about this until I was cleaning out bookmarks this weekend, but did you know that Anthropologie has a resale section where you can buy gently used Anthro-brand items from Nuuly at crazy deep discounts? Like, $200 dresses for $25. It’s wild, and they do NOT make it easy to find.
I’m still on the hunt for a bathing suit that I like, but also isn’t $200 for no good reason. I think I might take a chance on this Quince bubblegum pink one-piece. It’s a fun color and has lots of good reviews, plus at $50 I won’t be quite so devastated if I end up hating it after a couple wears.
This woven tote is perfect for beach days or summer trips. And it’s easy to pack too!
🏡 Home & Interiors
Weekly Task
Organize your pantry or one kitchen cabinet completely.
Roundup
The New Savant so kindly gifted me two candles from their spring collection, and wowowowow they are dreamy. I chose Heatwave – which smells likes summer in a jar with notes of dill, basil, eucalyptus, cucumber, and fresh dirt – and Morning Matcha, which smells just like it sounds. They are both seriously so so good.
How stunning is this cabin in Minnesota? It manages to pull off wood panelling in a way that doesn’t feel “cabin” at all, but is still somehow super cozy feeling. I’m in love.
Three words: Caesar Salad Pasta.
Interior designers on what colors they’re replacing beige with this year. I for one am very glad for the reintroduction of color into the mainstream!
A dreamy Hudson Valley artist’s home tour, and the case for decorating like a four year old, via Daniela Araya on Statement Wall.
💌 Connection & Self-Care
Weekly Task
Make plans with someone beyond “we should hang out sometime.”
Roundup
I loved this piece by Cassie about the micro-routines she uses to add a bit of structure and whimsy to her incredibly busy daily life.
How gorgeous are these playing cards?
Summer = picnics, and Camille Styles has a great guide to packing a picnic for every occasion.
Some great tips from designers on how to display family photos throughout your home.
✨ Joy & Whimsy
Weekly Task
Attend a local event you wouldn't normally go to. You might be surprised what you find out about yourself!
Roundup
Somehow at work the other day we got on the topic of roller derby, and I found this massive list of all the registered team and player names. They’re so, so good. My favorites include Yoko Oh No!, Luscious Malfoy, Mary Tyler Gore, Truck Norris, and Princess Die. Ever since watching Whip It in college I’ve harbored a wildly unrealistic dream of playing roller derby. However I would probably break every bone in my body. Alas. For the record, my roller derby name would be Sylvia Wrath.
Need some grandmotherly advice? Look no further than Grandma Stand, a little booth in NYC where you can chat with a grandmother. I think this is so sweet and adorable.
I stumbled upon this print newspaper that is “all games, no news” – aka, the most fun part of the Sunday paper. Each one features art, word games, crosswords, puzzles, and everything else you could want for a relaxing analog Sunday routine!
I am utterly enamored with the concept behind the book On Looking by Alexandra Horowitz, in which she endeavors to walk around a city block with eleven different experts, ranging from geologists to artists to dogs, and discuss the art of truly seeing things. This book is apparently from 2013, but this is the first I’ve stumbled across it and I can’t wait to read.
I’m obsessed with this concept of childlore – the cultures and rituals that children come up with that seem to defy generational divides and the passage of time. Remember drawing the “Cool S”? Remember cootie catchers and MASH and “slug bug” and all those delightful little games and nonsense from being a kid? I’m so charmed to know that they’re still going strong in today’s generation.
⏰ ICYMI
Parenthetical is a newsletter for women who dog-ear pages, overthink their seasonal wardrobe, and want to make their ordinary days more magical. Paid subscribers get access to the full resource library, plus The Well-Designed Life curriculum.
Yay Lizzie!!! Congrats on your bestseller status 🥳
So many excellent link, my brain is spinning!
I am dabbling in Quince. Just bought a sweater and two blouses, and I am I'm impressed! I have a weirdly long torso so I need two pieces. Will investigate Quince on that front.
I had an amazing micro adventure this weekend--we went to a brewery (we have a brewery passport) that also had an Adult Book Fair (not xxx, but like Scholastic, for adults). So happy.