031: Stuff of the Moment

The things making my life better right now, plus an indulgent wish list

Obsessed as I am with trying to somehow harness the moment in my memory—especially these days when every day my son seems a little bit more like a boy and less like a baby—Laurel Pantin’s recent newsletter, in which she presents her current favorite things as a time capsule, struck a chord:

“I’m the type of person who loves the things she loves - really fucking LOVES - and sticks with them, mega-enthusiastically, harping on and on about them. Which is why it’s such a blessing to have ~this substack~ because I can yammer on forever about the random things that have changed my life. There are a lot of miscellaneous doodads and shows, snacks, and socks that make me feel good lately, and here I am, putting them all together for you to enjoy, and for me to remember a year from now what I was super into in April 2023. These are the things that have made me happier and my life better in Q1 of this year.”

I think one reason I’m drawn to over sharing on substack, and on the instagram grid (even though the latter is not that fashionable anymore), is that I think of them as a place to keep a record. I believe that the things we use, and wear, and cook day-by-day can tell us a lot about the larger things going on at any given time in our lives. I totally relate to the idea that the things “making my life better” right now will trigger memories if I read this a year or even five years from now. I don’t mean the big moments that we remember, but the little details. Those that I mourn almost as they are happening because I know they will probably be too miniscule for me to recall years from now.

Take our stroller as an example. If I revisit this one day I will be reminded of the long walks I would take with Tycho no less than three times a day, beginning at six months. One meandering walk in the immediate vicinity—usually to our nearest park to admire the Hudson River; one taking us north, up to where the historic mansions and rowhouses are; and one at dusk, along the cliffs overlooking Pollipel Island and Bannerman’s Castle (unless we’re hit with fog and none of this is visible at all—another type of beauty all its own). I don’t want to forget those walks, but I very well might.

So at the risk of exposing how very boring I am, I’ve boldly copied Laurel and created my own list of the things that have made my life better lately.

Vintage and refurbished kitchen equipment, including a Braun coffee maker, Fellow electric kettle, and Le Creuset Dutch oven

Apropos of this newsletter, I’ll begin in the kitchen with my most treasured Vintage Cookware Finds. There are a lot of things about our perpetually online existence to complain about, but undoubtedly one perk is the ability to source on the Internet pretty much anything that might strike our fancy. After watching a Samin Nosrat cooking video wherein she gushes about an obscure 1980s appliance from France called a “minichop,” I became mildly obsessed with acquiring one and was able to track it down via Ebay. It’s a mini food processor for herbs, and anything gentle you might want to process small quantities of. It’s adorable and so of a time, and works like a charm. After dining at Stissing House for the first time I was intent on finding the perfect set of French stainless steel ice cream bowls (these are pretty cool). And I find endless joy in my chocolate Le Creuset Dutch oven (similar here). Lastly, I love both of my vintage cake stands. One is glass, like this one, but I favor the stainless steel diner style one, similar to this beauty. They are both rather superfluous. When not housing cake, I use them to store fresh fruit, and tomatoes on the vine, and bananas as they ripen. Whenever Reed gives me a hard time for buying not one but two cake stands, I point out that they actually come in handy by elevating things off of the counter surface, thereby creating more surface area and less visual noise. ;)

My fire engine red Joyce Chen kitchen scissors are not only incredibly useful in the kitchen—for cutting meat, opening containers, snipping twine, etc—they provide a really nice pop of color that brings me a bit of joy every time I notice them. They sort of match my larger Dutch oven, my favorite red serving bowls, and a few other red accent pieces around the kitchen. I have a few other handmade ceramic bowls that I love to photograph food in, a few from The Newburgh Pottery, but most importantly one with a red flower in the center, and yellow accents, made by Ginny Sims. It’s a work of art. Small terracotta pots line the window sills of my kitchen, filled with pileas and a Bay Leaf tree that appears healthy but mysteriously won’t grow (please write me if you have tips or insight). this one has a similar look. I also love this and these. Recently our coffee maker and our kettle bit the dust so instead of buying new replacements we decided to buy a refurbished vintage Braun coffee maker (here in black and a similar one in white and look at this$$$!) and a Fellow electric tea kettle. Sourcing vintage whenever possible feels more sustainable (and frankly, more chic). The kettle is not vintage, but I was pleased to discover that they sell refurbished models at a discount (similar here).

On the cookbook front: Eric Kim’s Korean American, Alison Roman’s Sweet Enough (and her newsletter), Rachel Roddy’s My Kitchen in Rome, Carter Were’s Carter’s Cookbook, Saltie: A Cookbook, Colu Henry’s Colu Cooks (and her newsletter of the same name) and The Flavor Bible. I feel like I mention these books constantly—I hate to be repetitive, but routine is sort of inherent in my newsletter.

Home-wise, I’ve been relying on cute storage baskets to keep things organized but accept the chaos of a 95% renovated home with a toddler in it. My faves are Zara Home. In the winter when air flow around the house is limited and can feel stagnant, I burn Astier de Villette’s Stockholm, or my favorite candle, which is from Ganeaux, and smells like the beach (which always makes me think of the Cosmo Kramer x Calvin Klein collab that never was).

And now on to style. I got hooked on Rudy Jude’s indigo utility jeans two years ago before becoming pregnant, so my first postpartum splurge, when I was at an emotional low about my postpartum body, was a pair two sizes up from my pre-pregnancy size. I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror and I was really sick of wearing spandex, so being able to wear my favorite jeans again made a big difference to my fragile, hormonal state of mind. They are made from very high quality indigo denim that seems to only get better with age (though the color does fade), and they drape really nicely with flattering Carhartt-style panels down the front. The other colors I’ve tried (cream and faded black) are great too, but they aren’t the same. The indigo has the best drape and ages the best. Shaina Mote’s Work Shirt in Superwash is my favorite light jacket—I’m incredibly excited it’s finally the season for it.

Wearing Rudy Jude Utility Jeans in cream, Shaina Mote Work Shirt in Superwash, and Birkenstock Boston clogs in Olive

I finally replaced my old Birkenstock Boston clogs from college (they would be 19 years old by now). Once it’s warm enough I’ll be breaking out my cobalt blue Birkenstock Arizona EVA sandals. It truly is the best color—it goes with everything. Hue pointelle crew socks in black and white are the best everyday socks for any kind of weather that I’ve found. I love them with a casual sneaker and with a more dressed up shoe (like my favorite Caron Callahan Mary Janes—similar here). If I ever find my dream loafer (GH Bass doesn’t fit my feet/Gucci, call me!) I would style them with these socks in white. It kills me to report that I can’t find the exact pair I have, but these are similar (the ones I like have a shorter rise up the ankle).

When I was pregnant I had my Catbird Sweet Nothing bracelet sautered on my left wrist. It will always remind me of that strange time, waiting to meet my baby, but still enjoying the freedom of not holding him in my arms quite yet.

My most comfortable outfit is my Gap raglan sweatshirt and matching sweatpants, which I bought after reading Becky Malinsky’s guide to the best sweats in her (truly wonderful) newsletter Five Things You Should Buy. I feel weirdly stylish when I wear the full set and I can throw them in the wash without them shrinking or warping. ARQ high rise undies. What is there to say that hasn’t already been said a million times to all of the friends and family that I have recommended these to? I’m obsessed. I’m devoted to the high-waisted style. They fit like my dream retro-style bottoms, and they don’t move around thanks to the fantastic fit, and beautiful cotton they are made with.

When I can afford it, the LESSE Essentials skincare suite is my preferred way of caring for my skin. The combination of exfoliating face wash, toner, and face oil transformed my skin when I began using it two plus years ago. I can’t wait to try their new eye cream, and sunscreen, and lip balm. No, I cannot afford it right now and I just ran out. A crisis.

Onto the Pop Culture side—Succession always and forever, and season four is underway and I am loving it and will probably begin a rewatch of the entire series once it wraps. Tom. Greg. Geri. Naomi. All of the Pierces. Mattson. Kerry. Willa. Conner. Karolina. Hugo. Cyd. I’ll miss them.

Detective shows are my comfort TV. My family roasts me for my interest in the Flawed-but-Brilliant-Detective Genre. This is a bit of a digression (being not of the moment), but my picks of all time, which I feel quite strongly about, are as follows: Top of the Lake, Season 1 which I have watched no less than three times now (SEASON 1 ONLY DO NOT WATCH SEASON 2 I BEG OF YOU—don’t be tricked by the stellar cast you will be disappointed from the first five minutes); The Bridge (the Swedish/Danish version starring my king, Kim Bodnia, but I need to check out the Diane Kruger one); Bordertown (beware this one is extra dark and grisly); The Killing (both the Danish and American versions). The Fall, Season 1. CB Strike is a lighter example in this genre and I love it. And now on to the Procedural: I will forever enthusiastically recommend Elementary and Law & Order (Season 1 because it is the only season streaming). Columbo is in sort of its own category, and doesn’t really typify the genre. It’s my detective show of the moment. Ok please give me your recommendations in the comments because I’m always looking for new ones. Do not talk to me about Broadchurch unless you are prepared for me to get really negative and pick it apart. It’s bad in a way that really bothers me. I do not endorse.

Hung Up, Gossip Time, Five Things You Should Buy, Outfit Notes, and The Cereal Aisle newsletters. They feed my passion for celebrity gossip and fashion. Vibe Check, Who? Weekly, WTF with Marc Maron, and Pop Culture Happy Hour podcasts are my daily/weekly listens. They help keep me up on the cultural discourse even when I’m not able to consume much TV or go to the movies (RIP to me going to the movies). I also listen to news podcasts every morning but I wouldn’t say they make my life better.

Finally, I saved the parenting stuff for last so that those of you who don’t care can skip to the Wishlist at the bottom. Our aforementioned Guava jogging stroller—a gift from family—is incredible. I have convinced two fellow moms who live in my broken-bluestone-laden Hudson Valley town, to switch theirs out for this one. I don’t think I could count the number of miles we’ve walked. For awhile Reed and I only had one car so it was literally the only way for me to get out of the house in the beginning. Any parent of a small child will probably recommend Sandra Boynton board books to you. I actually enjoy most of them, and my favorite thing about them is most of them can be sung rather than read. A bonus if you are trying to entertain a cranky infant/toddler. And also blueberries and citrus and cheerios and freeze-dried fruit. And his Zara Kids clothing that is all too adorable for words.

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OK, if you are still reading and love an unrealistic shopping list as much as I do, I humbly present a decadent wishlist in order from least to most absurd/unattainable. The things I imagine will transform my life if I ever acquire them:

The storage jar for flour that appears in Alison Roman’s Home Movies seems like the perfect solve for the limitations of Flour packaging. If anyone knows what it is (or something similar to recommend), lmk. I need this exact one to properly scoop and level.

I’ve been coveting this Blanc Creatives hand forged pan ever since reading about it in Ruth Reichl’s newsletter. It’s hard to argue with her endorsement. And it’s beautiful and would last a lifetime (she says).

My dream button-up dress shirt is Chava Studio’s oversized stripe (monogrammed of course).

I have been thinking about this Alice Water’s-designed hand forged egg spoon (from her daughter Fanny Singer’s brand, Permanent Collection) for years now. It is…not a necessity…but I can’t help but romanticize anything involving open-flame cooking. I would proudly hang it on the wall of my kitchen as art when not in use, and bring it with me every time we go to the Catskills. Better yet, I need two.

The vibrant colors of these High Sport Kick Crop pants are what give them their allure…sort of like MNZ’s shoe collection, and also this Fara Homidi $88 lip compact. But in all seriousness, these pants in cherry red would go with anything and elevate any outfit. And how good is this avocado colorway? I imagine that I would have to do even less work to look out-together every day.

The bejeweled Alaïa Mary Janes ballet flats I’ve been seeing everywhere are so beautiful….but this is the pair for me. the Mary Jane ballet flat is my ideal shoe, and I’ve never seen a pair so beautifully and luxuriously designed.

Oh and the aforementioned Gucci horsebit loafer. Thanks for reading, as ever!

xo AV