Happy friggin’ new year! We’re a week in, and I hope your resolutions are standing strong, even though I’m not one for using the new year to change literally anything about myself, tbh. It seems like a very arbitrary way for humans to impose weird obligations on themselves, when really, we’re all just trying to survive this hellscape?? My goals for 2025 are pretty similar to every other year: Be nice to my friends and family, be better with money, take care of my body and brain... That said, if the fresh new year is a reason to turn over a new leaf on something you’ve been putting off, I support you, I’m just not making any firm resolutions of my own!

On My Brain

This a #1 Champion Sound, Estelle We ‘Bout to Get Down (Get Down)

That was my intro into a London recap, get it? Anyway, we had a lovely time visiting our friends, Sophia & Harry (see happy photo of us after deciding not to spend any time in the clusterfuck that was Harrod’s). We did do some shopping, though, which you can scroll down for.

I got upgraded to “premium economy” on the flight there, and it’s honestly exactly what it sounds like. It’s the comforts of being a human that you’re stripped of when you fly economy, like, you know, a few inches to extend your feet out and room enough to bend over and get something out of your bag. I took it for granted, but the extremely cramped flight home instantly had me wishing I was upgraded again. Sigh.

We ate very well throughout the trip (ty for the reservations, Sophia), but my faves were dinner at Monsoon on Brick Lane (the owner gave me a hug on the way out <3) and the unreal buns from Buns from Home. The original cinnamon croissant bun and banana bread ones were my faves, fyi.

I requested we go to the Cotswolds for a day but we ended up taking the train to Rye, a medieval seaside town south of London. There were so many dogs and cute shops, and we had lunch at a 600-year-old inn, and when I asked the waiter if it was haunted, he brought me back a packet on all the ghosts that have been sighted there. Incredible stuff.

Also on the request list (this time from Jeffery) was attending a football match (let me translate: soccer game), and Harry picked one at Millwall because they’re known for being extremely rowdy and very East London. It’s true, I’ve never heard the word c*nt yelled more by grown men at their own team, and if we weren’t soaked to the bone in the rain, we would have happily stayed for the entire losing match. We drank Bovril (basically beef bouillon dissolved in hot water) to stay warm, and Sophia and I were called “the Boston tea party” by an extremely British man on line.

My In & Out Lists for 2025

ICYMI: I posted my carefully curated in and out lists on the gram. I could go into further detail about them, but I choose not to, because they’re open to interpretation. Please enjoy re-reading or reading them for the first time, xo.

In My Cart

London haul!!! Obvs I haven’t had these things for longer than a week, so recommendations these do not make, but I wanted to share with you what I bought in London because I think I got some fun stuff. I am addicted to a gift shop and buying trinkets abroad, and I’ll never change. Hooray, consumerism! 

Sezane Paula Babies

Idk if you remember, but these shoes (in patent khaki) were on my list of fall clothing/shoe items to buy, and I finally got around to getting them because we happened upon a Sezane store in Marylebone. Originally I got a European 39 (a US 8.5) because I’m usually a size 8 and the girlie who helped me said they ran small. They seemed to fit in store, but when I tried them on again that night they were uncomfortably tight and my heel was almost hanging off, so I exchanged them for a 40 (US 9), which is a full size up. I haven’t done any walking in them yet so I’m not sure if they’re going to be comfy, but I’ve heard they are, and anything with a little bit of arch support is a win for me!

A Striped Wool Blend Scarf

I have nothing further to say about scarves that you haven’t already been exhausted by. So here’s a link to the vertically striped scarf I got.

A Weird Little Ornament from the V&A Museum

Even though we spent about an hour in the V&A (most of which was occupied by eating in the cafe), I was not deterred from buying things from the gift shop (duh). I love an ornament from a trip, and I love a weird ornament even more, so you bet your ass I got this odd little dancer to hang from next year’s tree.

Sally Rooney’s New Book

I had completely forgotten that I sent Sophia a TikTok of a really cute bookstore in London until we turned a corner and she was like, “there it is!” And I was all “there what is…?” But once inside Daunt Books I remembered, and if I was less overstimulated, I would have spent hours looking at all the books in there. But overstimulated I was, so I just picked up the new Sally Rooney book, Intermezzo, (and a tote mentioned below) and was on my merry way. Will keep you posted should it knock my socks off.

Two Different Tote Bags I Didn’t Really Need

There is pretty much no excuse for me to ever buy a new tote, but nevertheless, I persist (continue to find ways to spend money on canvas bags). I couldn’t resist this little illustrated tote from Daunt Books, and I also had to have a pink and black houndstooth tote from the V&A. I hate me! (I love me).

Flabelus Mary Janes

No, that’s not an egregious typo for “fabulous,” it’s actually a Spanish brand that makes espadrille-style flats that are extremely comfy. I was eyeing a pair of these and not pulling the trigger for awhile, but of course, when on vacation… Apparently they’re machine washable too, which is lit.

In My Belly

Ottolenghi Spices

Okay, one more thing I purchased! Sophia and I got lunch at one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s (an Israeli-British chef) restaurants last time I visited and I was obsessed, so when we passed one on our last day I demanded we get to-go lunch there again. It’s kinda like Dig Inn or Cava because it’s a bunch of really good vegetable sides and proteins, but it’s all Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors. I couldn’t resist getting some little spice jars (I’m already wishing I got more), so I picked up some Aleppo pepper, lemon salt, and Za’atar.

Straight Up Chicken and Veg

I spent our entire trip across the pond bloated from drinking and eating salty foods, so all I wanted when we returned was something simple. I got some bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts from Whole Foods (extremely lame that Trader Joe’s doesn’t do this cut) and two bunches of broccolini, and roasted them together on the pan until the chicken was cooked through and the broccolini was crisped up. I also seasoned both the chicken and broccolini with the Ottolenghi lemon salt and Aleppo pepper, which brought me joy. I contemplated making a side of couscous but I simply couldn’t be bothered!

You Ask, I Answer

Q: “Help! My husband and I are at a standstill when it comes to wall art. I’m drawn to screen prints and risographs, especially ones with folk art vibes (for reference, my latest purchase was this: https://tinyurl.com/47fv23uh). My husband, however, is campaigning for something a little less out there. Do you have any recommendations for online shops or artists that could strike a balance between our tastes?”

A: Okay, first I must ask: Is your husband contributing when it comes to choosing, buying, and hanging art? If he’s not an active participant in decorating your home, I would encourage you to do whatever the hell you want!! I always consult Jeffery on big purchases and respect his wishes not to bring anything “haunted” home (read: portraits and photographs of creepy people), but since he’s not passionate about interior design, he’s generally content to let me go wild. The person who poo-poos a choice must then offer an alternative solution—that’s the only way to avoid a standstill!

Anyway, I’ll get off my soapbox and instead try to answer the question you actually asked. Here are some artists and places online I would look for art if I wasn’t constantly thrifting it or buying it at estate sales (my top suggestion, obvs).

Paige Wassel’s Newsletter

This is a roundabout way of suggesting you check out some of the artists Paige (one of my most favorite girls on Youtube) recommends in her newsletter. She has some really great in-depth insights about each artist in this and this newsletter, but here’s the TLDR on artists she likes: Basma Alromaih, Avery Cordray, Emma CC Cook, Isis Hockenos, Taylor Maki, and Christina Attié Ballantyne.

Heirloom Print Shop

If you’re looking for something more traditional, Heirloom Print Shop has a ton of portraits, landscapes, and still life prints, mostly of oil paintings. They can also be printed on rolled canvas, textured paper, or smooth archival paper. I have two prints from this shop that I very much love.

Artfinder.com

There’s just about a million pieces of art to sift through on Artfinder, but it’s a really great resource for finding original art listed by the artist. If you find something you love, I might even reach out directly to the artist to see if you can purchase it straight from them, so they get the full sale price.

The Met Open Access

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has over 492,000 works available for anyone to use—and while these include photos of physical pieces on display in the museum, it also includes tons of paintings and drawings that you can download and then get printed. Each piece has its own description page, too, so you can learn more about the time period, artist, etc.

Need a gift suggestion for your mother-in-law’s birthday? Stuck on how to rearrange the furniture in your living room? Want to know what to do with a jar of marinated artichokes? Come to mama. Hit me up with your questions, and I'll answer them in an upcoming letter.