Welcome to THE WEEKENDER, your weekly dispatch full of ~Saturday spirit~! I fill you in briefly on the week, share a few Little Luxuries that make the mundane feel special and save the best for last with some Brain Food to mull over, expand your horizons, or discuss with your friends over a cappuccino. There are usually lots of links and pictures which perhaps will get clipped if you’re reading in your inbox— click here to read in browser!
Happy Saturday! When I published my July reading round-up, I had wanted to send one book-ish care package to a reader with some anticipated reads of the summer. Excited to say the books are in the wind and on their way to one of you now! Thank you to everyone who participated— it seems like this was a fun treat, so I’ll do it again in my August reading round-up. ✨
As an aside, if you’re trying to find a good book for an upcoming vacation or staycation, click here and here for good inspiration.
Small wins from my week:
I started and finished one of the best books I’ve ever read. (Maybe the best.) I was in the absolute grip of it all week.
I made a lot of slow, unglamorous progress with the little things on my plate: paperwork to legally register my marriage in the EU, working on the novel draft I told you about, chipping away at the intensity and consistency of my strength workouts. None of these things feel like big gains in the moment, it just feels like another day, but I’m trying to remember that that’s how goals and growth actually come to fruition.
Ending soon!: if you’ve been thinking about upgrading, click here for 40% off for one year (the biggest discount I’ve ever offered!) and get access to my most reader-loved letters, monthly book reviews, and my entire archive.
I looooooove Call It By Your Name’s fancy bandana totes, but the prices are so painful. I’ve almost pulled trigger so many times, but I just can’t… I was stoked to find an affordable version from Evereve! A very great laptop bag or beach tote, the challenge is just choosing between brown, red or blue/green. (There’s a mini bucket bag version too that’s even cuter!)
As an aside, I’m mostly unfamiliar with Evereve’s game since they don’t have stores near me, but $25 for a pair of quality paracord sandals is pretty tough to beat.
My favorite swimwear (you know the kind— the one suit you always reach for, ignoring all the others!) is on rare sale: Negative swimwear collection is 30-70% off this weekend, so worth a try if you’ve been curious or ready to leave behind an ill-fitting suit you don’t feel your best in. I usually size up in everything at Negative, but it’s definitely true to size. The one-piece is really that fantastic, it’s the only one I own! I’m getting another while they still have my size.
This under $20 tee shirt dress from Gap is awesome. Extremely comfy, lots of fun stripe options… no notes. (Pictured in my collage from the week at the top of this letter!)
I have been jonesing for a pair of Heavenly Jellies forever (I actually almost planned to wear them under my wedding dress!). They’re on big sale so I finally pulled the trigger. I love that they’re fun but also kind of practical— they can survive surprise rain (all too common I fear) or a bike ride.
I fell down an art rabbit hole of women’s bejeweled hands the other night. Totally normal.
ICYMI, this week I hit send on “8 things I don’t regret spending money on (and 7 that I do)!”
Oh, I saved so many articles to share with you lately! I thought The Cut’s piece on the “recovering baby woman” and the “but I’m just a girl” rhetoric that’s become popular amongst adult women was interesting. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt that way— the “I’m just a girl” shit has always felt pretty opaquely unfeminist to me?— but I think almost all adults are still waiting for someone to come save them or take care of them… And no one is coming. (Womp, womp.) I think a lot of us need the reminder. Kitten author Stacey Yu published a similar piece for Glamour on the “Girlbaby” phenomenon.
I also loved this simple explanation of why “knowing what you don’t know” is the best part of learning something new, and conscious incompetence is fabulously healthy.
I agree wholeheartedly with Grace Atwood’s take on the whole “Nantucket influencer sign” drama (and I’m really ready to be done with this making news— here’s how it’s starting to feel), but most of all I really just love when she writes about her childhood growing up on Cape Cod in her family’s restaurant. Grace… it’s begging to be a book!
Ian Fleming did it right!
Which book did you love? Please let us know!
the t-shirt dress is such a steal! need deets on the best book ever(!!!)—don’t leave us hanging.