What is it about the middle of the night, when all of my worst thoughts crowd around the bed? I wake and immediately fling myself into worry. I saw a funny meme this week (I must get better about flagging/tagging these as soon as they cross my consciousness, because I can’t find it for the life of me) that went something like:
Them: Listen to your body.
Other people’s bodies: Sleep. Exercise. Drink water.
My body: Eat pizza. Wake up at 2 a.m. and worry about things you cannot control. Pour another glass of wine.
I laughed at the 2 a.m. worry routine: no matter what I do, midnights remain callously unkind for me, too. I have learned that I absolutely cannot turn on my phone, or I will prolong the sleeplessness. Instead, I put on Gilmore Girls or read my Kindle. A gentleman at the pool this summer commented: “Besides the iPhone, the Kindle is the single best technology of the past two decades,” and think about that a lot — how wonderfully sturdy it is, the genius of its single-use design, the longevity of its battery, its lightweightness, its shape. Funny that he was so passionate about this idea that he offered it up to a stranger. But I share his view: I am put off by the planned obsolescence of our smartphones and laptops. They purposefully degrade into wasteful desuetude, whereas my $100 Kindle has survived a decade of heavy use without losing a step. Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and The Sun skewers this phenomenon in fascinating and deeply moving ways that have been impossible to unsee. (I wrote a full review of that novel here a few years ago, and, looking back, I think I underestimated the staying power of its message. I think of that novel, and various strange, Edward-Hopper-like vignettes I constructed while reading it, frequently.) Anyhow — I suppose my reading material this week has not been particularly benevolent in quieting my mind in the middle of the night. I’ve been tearing through The Golden Couple and None of This Is True (the latter on audiobook), both suspenseful and psychologically intense in their own ways — and compulsively readable. The Golden Couple is a delight because it is set in N.W. D.C. / Chevy Chase, and I feel deeply connected to the setting and tickled by its references. I can imagine exactly where the scenes are unfolding, and what the street traffic feels like in those parts. The joy of finding a familiar landscape in a text is — though possibly juvenile — not to be undermined. I also enjoy the authors’ writing style, which I find distinguished by its elegant pace. Imagine the vibe/aesthetic/interiors of a Nancy Meyers flick transmuted into a writerly style. The novel reads like marble countertops and manicured lawns. I love it. None of This Is True has an icky, freaky “what’s behind the door” suspense to it that has gripped me. I’m listening on audiobook and I find the two narrators deeply unlikeable, in a way that makes sense in the context of the book. (You aren’t meant to like these people.) There is one moment where one of the main characters comments: “People who seem boring can sometimes have the most interesting stories to tell.” It brought to mind a Stephen Hawking quote: “Quiet people have the loudest minds.” Is that true, I wonder? Perhaps all of us come into this earth with the same total amount of intellectual/creative energy — but some of us throw it out into the world, bouncing it off of others in conversation and interaction, and others of us keep the ballast of it inside. Still waters run deep, etc. Do you consider yourself a quiet person with a loud mind or vice versa? I’ve never been the loudest or most voluble person in the room, but then again, I’m a writer, constantly chattering through my consciousness with you…
What else was on my mind this week?
+On Saturday, we had an at-home date night. We made martinis (gin, stirred, lemon twist) and ordered delivery burgers from Et Voila. They do a fantastic burger that travels surprisingly well — you just toss the fries onto a baking sheet with a spritz of Pam and they crisp up beautifully.
+A reader asked me for thoughts on styling cords (she owns these and these). I snapped a few photos showing how I’ll style mine below. My approach is to balance out the staidness of the pant with pattern and think about proportions/textures. There needs to be something feminine or at least…dramatic? oversized? fashion-aware? — about the top, IMO: a floral pattern, a smocked detail, a long hemline, a flounce. Side bar: how delicious is the bag?! I’m dying over it.
GAP CORDUROYS // RAG & BONE BUTTON-DOWN // QUINCE COTTON SWEATER // NAVY AMAZON MULES // APC GRACE BAG
SUNSHINE TIENDA BLOUSE // APC GRACE BAG // GAP CORDUROYS
J. CREW CORDS // TALBOTS CARDIGAN // VERONICA BEARD BLOUSE // MADEWELL BAG
+As an aside, I love this deep red nail color (seen in all photos above) I’ve been getting the past few weeks. It’s OPI’s Blues for Red. It doesn’t have as much purple in it as some of the other dark reds, and I prefer that. I’m a red gal.
+If you like the cord vibe but aren’t sure about pants, try this overshirt, this baseball cap, this ruffle blouse, or this editor-favorite Uniqlo sling bag (truly, fashion editors *love* this $20 bag!) in a new cord fabric.
+I couldn’t believe the timing given my request for moisturizer recs at the bottom of this post earlier this week, but Shopbop sent me a big Stoney Clover pouch of beauty products on Thursday and I was giddy when I realized they’d included an Augustinus Bader Rich Cream in the bag. I’ve been curious about this product for a long time but been reluctant to spend that much money on one component of my rather protracted beauty regimen. One of you wrote left a comment saying it’s not at all worth the $$, another chimed in to say it’s “fine” but not as good as UBeauty’s Super Hydrator, and then several of you wrote to rave about it via DM. (One said: “Sadly, you notice an immediate difference once you run out.”) I will use and report back with thoughts. No matter how good it is, though, I think I’ll still have trouble splurging on it once I run out? I’ve been that way with other products, only “treating myself” to it every few years. For example, I loved La Mer for awhile, but felt continuously guilty about its purchase, so would alternate with cheaper products. More to come.
+Recent acquisitions I can’t wait to wear: these running shoes, these Sezane pants (run small), this Cleobella blouse, this denim dress, and these wide-leg jeans.
+Recent discoveries I’m salivating over: this reversible puffer from The Great, this Doen dress, this Spanx pullover, these Dorsey earrings, this Amazon lounge set.
P.S. A very specific corner of NYC I miss.
P.P.S. More New York ephemera. A few of you have written recently to ask for restaurant recs in NYC. My list of favorites is at the bottom of this post, but it is a few years old and you know how quickly New York moves! Some have shuttered, and there are new doors opening weekly. This post on a recent trip to NYC also has some ideas.
P.P.P.S. Fall dresses for little ones, if you’re shopping for Thanksgiving!
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