Hi there, sweet friend,

As back to school season comes upon us, sometimes it feels like our carefree summer attitudes get thrown out the window in service of structure and routine (a feeling that persists even for those of us without kids). New planners are purchased, perhaps a busy season begins at work, and those whimsical days seem to fade away. To this, I say: no!

Even if the days are getting darker and the schedules are getting more full, we cannot lose our whimsy. And we certainly can’t save it for the weekends. Because if there’s anything I’ve learned as a woman who is constantly saving things for the best moment… the moment will never actually come until you summon it yourself. I think a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday is reason enough to invite some magic and joy into your life.

Before we begin, let’s take a moment to redefine “whimsy” since I think the internet may have lost the plot a little bit. While yes, there are objects that can be described as “whimsical,” at the heart, whimsy is a feeling. Living whimsically means following your heart and searching for everyday magic, even if it doesn’t always make sense to others. It’s not overconsuming or contributing to our already-very-troubling plastic pollution problem. Phew, okay, rant over. Let’s get cozy on the weeknights, shall we?

A ritual to close the work day.

It’s very easy to slam the laptop shut or arrive home from the office and immediately get into your second job as household manager, getting immediately into meal prep or chores. Yes, those things are important, but they don’t need to be the very thing we do upon arrival. Instead, give yourself just ten minutes to let your body and your mind calm down. It doesn’t matter what you do. Perhaps you sit down with your tarot deck or to read a chapter of your book. I’ve been obsessed with my new cozy mystery word search book. They take me a maximum of ten minutes to do and I love that instead of just a collection of puzzles, we’re working through a story.

A special drink.

While you’re doing your cozy little activity, mix yourself up a beverage. In pursuit of whimsy, brew some tea in your favorite mug, the one that might not be the most likely to be chosen by an interior decorator but always brings a giddy smile to your face. Mine is my hand carved mushroom mug that I bought during my first trip to the renaissance faire. Or take it in a different direction and pull the special champagne coupes down from the highest shelf in the kitchen and have a glass of bubbly. If you don’t want to open a whole bottle on a weeknight, I love these cans from Underwood.

Dinner at the table.

Growing up, we were an eat together at the dinner table every night type of family. Full disclosure, my husband and I have not really kept up that tradition. Yet whenever we do set the table, put on a record, and sit down to dinner just us two, it feels really special. Who says you can’t light the candles and put a single flower in a bud vase for Tuesday night dinner? A little extra intention and attention turns what you’re already doing (eating) into something that feels special.

A project that can be put away.

One product I think is absolutely worth it for any cozy guy, gal, or non-binary pal? A puzzle table. Lucas got me one for Christmas two years ago and it remains one of my favorite gifts I have ever received. As a mom to two rowdy cats and a gal who loves to host dinner parties, the dining room table isn’t really the best puzzling location for me, especially if I’m working on a puzzle for an extended period. When I’m not working on the puzzle, it lives neatly tucked under the couch. If you’re not a puzzler, I love crafts like needlepoint and cross stitch that can be easily worked on then stowed back into a basket or a drawer.

A craft that takes less than an hour.

I feel my best when I have made something, using my brain in a creative way and occupying my hands away from my phone. Despite my extreme hyperfixation on sewing, sometimes the idea of pulling out my sewing machine and cutting mat and scissors and fabric and making it look like an explosion of patchwork hit my dining room, only to clean it up again two hours later… doesn’t really vibe with my mood. Instead, I’ve been turning more often to my watercolor palette, making seasonal garlands or working through my watercolor workbook. I’ve got my eye on this one for autumn.

A game that doesn’t take forever.

Speaking of things that take forever, have I mentioned that I have a board game enthusiast for a husband? His ideal board game experience is a game that takes an hour or two, followed immediately by either a different game that takes an hour or two or simply resetting the first game. That’s not gonna work when there’s dinner to be made and I have to actually wake up and go to work in the morning. But don’t fear, games are not off the table! A few of my favorite quick-to-set-up, not-too-complicated games are Cat Lady, Fox in the Forest, and Hive. All are great for two people! If you want something to play as a family, I love playing S’mores Wars with my niece and nephew when we visit them.

Plans with friends, big or small.

I have a feeling people aren’t seeing their friends enough. In the hustle and bustle of life, plans with friends can be one of the first things to drop off. Yet friendship, the community we build, is one of the most important things we have. The secret? Hanging out doesn’t need to be complicated. Have an hour after work? Meet up on your favorite patio or invite your friend on a walk. Make what you were already planning to have for dinner and stretch it to include a friend. I love a curated party with a theme and a beautiful table scape, but those are the little sparkly bits, not the foundation of a relationship.

An evening just for you.

I have come to a recent realization that I don’t really enjoy making plans on Monday nights. Usually our weekends are busy and we tend to have at least one after-work plan during the week — which I love! Mondays offer both a respite from the weekend and a slow start to the week. On these evenings, I have time to catch up on some of the chores I may have missed on the weekend, like folding the laundry that’s been in the dryer since Friday. I’ll take myself on a long walk or settle in with a cozy craft. I’m working on being more comfortable saying no to Monday plans and protecting this slow start for myself, even though it feels hard sometimes!

A walk in a new place.

As discussed in my end-of-summer reset, I’ve started a new quest to “Mount Fire” aka, using the app Fantasy Hike to track my miles with the goal of walking the same distance that it to Frodo and Sam to take the ring to Mordor. I love my neighborhood, but living on the lake means there are only so many directions to walk from my house. After work, I’ve been driving to new neighborhoods or natural areas to get a little novelty into my walking routine. I’ve finally been to the UW-Madison Arboretum twice after not having visited once in the nine years I’ve lived in Wisconsin.

That self pampering thing you’ve been saving.

I tend to get into my head about doing the relaxing thing at the most relaxing time, as if relaxation is a thing that can be optimized. If you’re like me, there’s probably a variety of special little products like face masks or foot soaks under your bathroom sink, just waiting for the right moment. For me, it’s the press on nails that I’ve had for over a month now. You know what? It’s a Thursday and we are alive: we deserve a little pamper.

Do something whimsical tonight, my friend! You deserve it.

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hello, cozy friends!

Wherever you fall in the great debate over the exact socially acceptable date to put decorative gourds on your mantel, autumn is on her way. In just a few weeks, we’ll be celebrating Mabon, the autumn equinox. It’ll be all apples and flannel and bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils.

I do not want to rush the end of summer. In fact, I’m hoping it’ll stretch just long enough for me to gently transition into the new season, just like the trees. They don’t turn to their kaleidoscope of oranges and reds overnight. Instead, they take it one day at a time, turning slowly until suddenly you look up and there’s a fiery explosion above your head.

I think we tend to wish for a new season not only because we might be existentially over sweating and swatting away bugs (just me?), but also because we crave a fresh start. There is a certain magic at the beginning of each season, when the world begins to change around us. We are looking forward, seeing something shiny and new on the horizon. It’s fair to feel excited.

Y’all know I’m working hard on eviscerating my wellness girl, hustle culture tendencies. But I’m also a girl who appreciates a deadline. I’ve been thinking about what will make me feel good heading into autumn, the start of one of the more hectic parts of the year. Instead of a big, long, list, I’ve come up with three tasks in three categories: easy wins, things that feel hard, and just for fun little projects.

I’d love to have you join me on my journey to autumn with your very own side quests. Let’s get started.

Feels like plucking a flower from a summer garden.

• Starting a new journey to “Mount Fire” - Nine hundred and sixty-six days later, I have finally completed my quest in my silly little walking app, Fantasy Hike. It’s an unlicensed Lord of the Rings quest that tracks your journey from “halfling country” (the Shire) to “Mount Fire” (Mount Doom). For context, it took Frodo and Sam about six months, but as I like to remind myself, they didn’t really have anything else going on. I’ve been wanting to return to my daily walking routine with a bit more vigor and this fresh start back at Bag End couldn’t have come at a better time. This autumn, you’ll catch me walking through the woods with The Return of the King in my headphones.

• Booking my holiday travel - Sometimes it’s hard to be a long distance daughter, sister, and aunt. Even though I don’t get to see my family in person often, our holiday traditions always fill me with a deep sense of connection that sustains me through the winter of facetimes. I’ll be heading home to Texas for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year and I can’t wait! However, I feel like this always sneaks up on me! Then I end up getting an even more wildly expensive ticket than I would have needed to had I booked earlier. Next up, planning my 70 degree Christmas wardrobe.

• Making a witch hat for the renaissance faire. Ren faire is one of my most treasured summer traditions! Our original date got rained out, despite that I had spent the entire preceding weekend sewing a patchwork skirt for my costume. The fabric I chose has farm animals and fantasy towns and dragons!! We’ll be going in a couple weeks, which gives me a much better timeline to make a matching witch hat to complete my costume. I’m using this pattern from The Prairie Misfit and will probably add a flower crown for some extra magic and whimsy!

Feels like slaying (or befriending) a dragon.

• Giving my finances a reset - Here’s a secret about me: I am always so scared of looking at my bank account and my credit card statements. It brings up all kinds of feelings for me, most of all that I am not adulting at full capacity. But I know I always feel better when I take some time to look at my accounts, re-evaluate my budget, and check in on my savings goals. It’s rarely as dire as I tend to fear. I’m going to schedule a little solo coffee date for myself, maybe with the first iced PSL of the year, to get a plan in motion for the rest of the year.

• Cleaning up my home office - My fairy-garden home office was the first room I finished decorating when we moved into our little cottage four years ago. It’s where I keep my craft supplies and my many excess piles of books. However, since starting a hybrid job a couple years ago, it’s become quite neglected. Instead of a sanctuary, it’s a dumping ground for fabric scraps, gifts for loved ones, and things I simply don’t know what to do with. It’s a loft that gets extremely hot in the summer. As the weather cools, it’s finally time to tackle the mess — even if I do it in small little bursts, perhaps like a listen of one All Too Well (10 Minute Version).

• Selling clothes that no longer fit or feel like me - One of my goals this year is to build a capsule wardrobe that feels simple and easy, but also feels like a true expression of who I am. My body has changed in the last couple years and there are some beautiful clothes in my wardrobe that either don’t fit how I’d like or simply aren’t representative of this season of life. Lucky for me, my bestie is very good at selling things on Poshmark, I just need to identify the pieces to let go of and pass them on to her to sell and ship! (Yes, she is an amazing friend).

Feels like cozying up by a window as the wind turns crisp.

• Making an autumn mood board - I had the best time making vision boards for the year with my friends this January. It feels incredibly nostalgic to get the magazines, glue, and scissors out and dream some dreams for the upcoming season. For this, I’ll focus less on what I want to do this autumn and more on how I want to feel. I expect lots of black cats and books will make an appearance.

• Planning my cozy witch crafts - Last year, I did a little series over on Instagram called “cozy witch crafts” where I made simple crafts throughout spooky season. I’d love to do it again this year, but with a bit more planning and foresight. I shall be perusing Pinterest and magazines and maybe trying to get my hands on a couple ‘90s and early 2000s seasonal craft books for inspiration.

• Take one last trip to the pool - Though I’m hearing autumn’s siren song in my heart, I do still want to take advantage of these last weeks of summer, especially as the temperature starts to break. Every year, I wish I took more trips to my neighborhood pool and this year I’m determined to get there one last time to soak up the sun before the nights get longer.

Wishing you lots of sunshine as summer draws to a close!

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hi there, my cozy loves!

I’m writing to you from my local bookstore as a storm rolls in. The sky is getting dark and the wind is buffeting the trees, but I am safe and warm with a cheeky glass of sparkling rosé, surrounded by books. This is the latest in a string of summer storms. Can I tell you a secret? Rainy days are my favorites.

On a recent Sunday, I woke up to a gentle roll of thunder and felt a simultaneous calm come over me. My husband made us my grandma’s Dutch Baby recipe. We stayed in our pjs and put on one of our favorite Studio Ghibli movies. The rain feels like it brings a permission slip to move slowly and take advantage of the cozy comforts we already have at home.

As a little girl, I had a book called Rainy Day Projects for Kids. It had everything from making a cardboard soccer field to tissue paper flowers to simple sewing projects. It made me excited for rainy days, when my sister and I had an excuse to go out to the orange dresser in the garage, put on our crafting outfits (our dad’s old t-shirts now stained with glitter and paint) and get started on a new project. Now as an adult, I still feel that excitement to find something cozy to get up to inside during a rainy day.

When it rains, the earth is busy soaking in the gift of the water. It’s resting, lying still, literally drinking it all in. It’s collecting energy to put forth a burst of growth in the following days. But while the rain falls, all it does is accept it. We can do that too.

A cozy itinerary as the rain falls down and wakes your dreams:

This is a menu of ideas, no pressure to do it all — we’re resting!

• Spend the morning in your pjs. On a typical day, I am pretty quick to get into a real outfit. But on a rainy day, all bets are off. We are moving slowly, nowhere we urgently need to be. For me, it feels like a rare treat, a bit of magic for my inner child who’d spend as long as she could in her Lion King nightgown.

• Make a nostalgic breakfast. Most weekends, even if we don’t have a lot to do, I’m usually not putting in the effort for a breakfast any different than my simple cottage cheese, fruit, and granola bowl that I have during the week. A rainy Sunday is begging for pancakes shaped like bunnies or waffles smothered in fruit and whipped cream.

• Feel the rain on your skin. I’m sorry, I seem to have developed a sickness where I only talk in early-00s song lyrics. Anyway. Grab your raincoat and your umbrella — or don’t — and get outside. I love to go on a short little walk to the creek by my house to stand on the bridge and watch the ripples on the water. The ducks are usually very active when it’s raining, which always delights me.

• Then come home for a hot bath. Okay, actually I hate baths. Personally, I’m more of an everything shower girl, letting the hot water beat on my skin until I feel southed to my very soul. So whether a shower steamer or a bath bomb, throw some aroma therapy in there and take your time warming up.

• Do a cozy craft. In honor of little me and little you, let’s make something. You don’t need to go to the craft store or do anything fancy. Something easy and meditative like knitting or needlepoint is perfect for a rainy day. Need some ideas? I’ve got you covered.

• Go to the bookstore. This suggestion may be influenced by the fact that I am literally sitting in a bookstore as I type to you. Is there a bad time to visit a bookstore? No. But maybe there is a best time. On a trip to New Orleans last spring, Lucas and I got caught in one of those freak Southern downpours that lasts just a few minutes, but happened to be just as we were walking to a bookstore. We ran from awning to awning, making our way there and finally arriving absolutely soaking wet. The staff were incredibly kind, handing us piles of paper towels while our warm coffee brewed. If you ask me, there’s no better place to wait out a storm than in a cozy place surrounded by books. We sipped our drinks, cozied up on a couch, a safe haven from the deluge outside.

• Curl up with a book. Now that you have your new book and you’ve felt the rain, there’s no need to leave the house again. Create a cozy nest near a window, make a cup of tea, and settle in for an elite reading experience. If you can coax a cat onto your lap, all the more magical.

• Put some sad girl music on. I have a vivid memory of dropping our cat and dog off at a kennel before we went on vacation when I was a kid. It was raining and I felt so sad. I remember watching the drops fall on the window of the backseat of our car and thinking the world was crying alongside me. (I have always been extremely dramatic). I would bet you a significant amount of money that an extremely sad early 2000s country song was playing on the radio at the time. It just hits different in the rain! Whether you like sad girl music in the vein of Taylor Swift, Paris Paloma, or Sufjan Stevens, put your headphones or a record on, lay on the floor and feel the feels.

• Order a pizza. The rain is a permission slip to rest. We don’t need to dirty any dishes or put forth any more effort than we want to. Get your DVD binder out, choose another movie, and place your pizza order. Plates optional.

Movies to watch on a rainy day

• Princess Mononoke - The first time I saw this movie was before I entered my Ghibli era and, since we’re friends here, I’ll admit to you that I fell asleep. My husband and I were visiting friends in Oakland for a weekend and there was a truly torrential downpour. Lucky for us, the coziest movie theater was playing this movie in the afternoon. We curled up on comfy couches, the perfect escape from the rain. Now I think of that cozy feeling every time I watch this movie about humans trying to find a way to live in harmony with nature. (And I love it now).

• Moonrise Kingdom - My second-favorite summer movie (Mamma Mia is the first, but that’s for sunny days). It could not be more perfect, given that it takes place in the lead-up to a flood. It’s the first movie Lucas and I ever watched together, almost fourteen years ago now, so it’s even more special to us.

• Fairy Tale: A True Story - Doesn’t a rainy day just make you want to spend time in a mossy glen searching for fairies? Just me? Nostalgia is a key ingredient for a cozy rainy day movie and few movies feel more nostalgic to me than this one. It’s about two cousins who discover fairies living in the glen near their house. This was one of my mom’s and my favorite movies to watch together on VHS when I was a fairy-loving little girl.

• Midnight in Paris - Lucas and I quote the final scene of this movie every time we find ourselves out walking in the rain, putting on our worst French accents to say, “that’s okay, I don’t mind getting wet” a la Gabrielle, the charming antiques dealer.

• Twilight - I’m not trying to skip ahead to autumn, but I have been hearing a bit of a siren call and it sounds like: “hoa hoa hoa hoa hoa.” Naturally, rain brings to mind the Pacific Northwest, which, for better or worse, will always take me to Forks, Washington.

• Your favorite comfort film - I stand by all these recommendations with my whole heart. At the same time, nothing is going to hit quite like the DVD you played over and over again on rainy days during the summer when you were a kid. Trust me. Now’s a great time to give it a rewatch.

Wishing you rainy days spent safe and warm in the comfort of your cozy home.

You can find all the images used above, plus more inspiration, here.

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hello, sweet friends!

I’ve been fascinated by various lists on Instagram this summer of “things worth the money.” I’ve seen everything from Dyson Air Wraps to concerts to a $32 claw clip. It’s been sitting strangely with me over the last few weeks as I navigate my general ick for consumerism beside my belief that we should indeed buy less, but buy better. Instead of a rant from my high horse, I thought about my own personal feelings on what’s worth investing in. But I didn’t think simply being “worth the money” encompassed the idea well enough.

We have two key resources at our disposal to invest into living our dream lives: money and time. I feel that time often gets lost as a resource worth investing. When we can buy anything we want and have it on our doorstep within hours or can pay somebody to do something for us, we lose our investment of time. To me, this is the resource with a vastly higher return on investment. When we invest our time, we are part of the process of creating something, whether a beautiful space, a memory, or even simply a feeling.

Thinking about the cozy items that feel worth spending money on, I found myself coming back to the same idea. What feels most valuable are things that help create a feeling, a safe place, a backdrop for a life well lived. You don’t have to spend a lot to make that life possible.

I’d love to know your favorite ways to spend your time and treasure too.

Five habits worth spending your precious time

• Waking up early. I love to sleep and I hate to say I also love to hit the snooze button. Yet I always feel happiest when I skip the snooze, get myself out of bed, and take advantage of time stretched before me with nowhere yet to be. It means I can go slowly making my coffee and settle next to the window on the couch with my book, where if I’m lucky, I can see a path of golden sunlight sparkling on the lake. Instead of squeezing in a couple pages before heading to work, I’m immersing myself in the story, making it through a few chapters before it’s time to make breakfast and start the day.

• Going on foot. When I was experiencing the worst of my anxiety, I remember my doctor encouraging me to go for a walk when things felt really hard. She told me that I didn’t need to change my clothes or have any of the right gear, just to throw on some comfy shoes and head out the door. Ever since, I’ve never regretted a walk, whether around the block or to my neighborhood coffee shop.

• Regularly scheduled time with friends. In our busy adult lives, time tends to get away from us and the calendar fills extremely quickly. Gone are the days of coming home from school, calling a friend’s house, and asking their mom if they can come over and play. Instead, my friends and I have standing plans. One of my group chats is called “Tue Crew” because we always hang out on Tuesdays. I have another called “Friday Friends” who I hang out with most Friday nights after the shop where my husband works closes. Making the plans in advance and having set times means we avoid the stressful managing of multiple disparate calendars. That logistical process often ends up with not seeing friends for months, then spending all our time chatting about what we’ve been up to instead of making new memories together.

• Maintaining a tidy home. Maybe your idea of an ideal Friday night does not involve your vacuum, but mine absolutely does. Every week, I take an hour or so to reset my house before heading into the weekend. It’s not a deep clean, just wiping down surfaces and putting away all the clutter that tends to accumulate. Waking up on Saturday morning to a tidy little cottage is the most peaceful I feel all week.

• Making things yourself. I learned to sew late last year and have since spent dozens of hours hunched over my dining room table cutting fabric into various shapes and then hunched over my sewing machine assembling them into new and different shapes. It’s an absolute labor of love (and often frustration) that results in some of my very favorite things I own, from my blueberry summer set to the stuffed goose on my bookshelf. As an added bonus, I’ve finished truly so many audiobooks this year while working on my sewing projects.

Five things worth spending your precious dollars

• My favorite blankets from Scotland. Picture this: you’re sitting in a wood paneled pub in the Highlands in the autumn, watching a gentle rain fall down the windows. There’s a fire burning in the center of the room and a huge, gentle dog is warming in front of it. You feel a slight chill from the window and the friendly pub owner brings over a tartan blanket and a dram of whiskey. Great news: you can have this feeling in any room of your house anytime you want. That is the magic of TBCo’s wool blankets. I have one in each room of my house and they make the best gifts. You can even get them personalized.

• A home espresso maker. When we go to Europe and my husband is packing his entire pour-over setup, I am happy as a little clam bopping around from cafe to cafe collecting lattes. Through a combination of wedding gift cards, we purchased our Breville Bambino about five years ago. I still love going to the coffee shop, being around the hustle and the bustle. Yet I can’t stress how cozy it feels to get out of bed and pad into the kitchen in my pjs to make myself an iced latte with homemade mint syrup in my vintage cat glass.

• A can of decent quality paint. Listen, I wish I had a Farrow & Ball budget, but alas I am an Ace Hardware type of gal. Regardless, paint has probably been the number one most transformative tool in my toolbox for transforming my rented house into a home. From color drenching my bedroom the perfect dusky pink to recreating the most perfect (and outside my budget) bird wallpaper on my hallway ceiling, paint takes the house to a fairy tale land far, far away from cursed landlord gray. Whatever you’re painting, don’t go for the cheapest paint. I choose the Regal Select tier for Benjamin Moore and Marquee tier for Behr.

• Secondhand furniture. You don’t have to spend a lot for something to be worth spending on. In this case, I think your dollars go further toward creating a home that feels layered, collected, and unique when you shop secondhand. We’re not investing in perfection here. Perhaps there are scratches or dings, marks of a life well lived. You’re keeping things out of the landfill and potentially giving a friendly ghost a cozy new home. That sounds pretty priceless to me.

• Physical books. Let the minimalists and their e-readers come for me. One of my favorite things about my house is that there are books wherever you look. It’s a home surrounded by stories, with magical worlds waiting for you whenever you need them. When friends come over, I always catch them pursuing my bookshelves. What could be a better way to tell people who you are? Even if you’re an audiobook or e-reader person (I truly do love this for you), get some physical copies of your favorite books.

• A bonus: cats. Of course, I’m a cheerleader for team Adopt Don’t Shop, but our little feline friends do tend to come with a hefty price tag when you get down to all their accoutrements and health needs. Nothing makes me as joyful as when I get home and see my cats waiting for me near the door, when I see my cat Vinsky curled up like a princess in her favorite spot in the guest room, or when my cat Salem decides to come snuggle with me on the couch. I cannot imagine a cozy home without them.

What do you think? Where should we invest our one wild and precious life?

Leave a comment

You can find all the images used above, plus more inspiration, here.

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hi there, sweet friend,

I don’t know what possessed me to do this. As I thought about what to write to you this week, I had books on the brain. I was thinking about the ways my reading has changed over the years and the ways my goal to read the books I own has been impacting this year’s reading.

Back when the Covid lockdown started in 2020, I remember looking through my bookshelves and seeing that almost every book I owned was historical fiction. It used to be the only genre I read. Understandably, I wasn’t totally in the mood to revisit somewhat depressing, if ultimately inspiring, historical events and the resilience of women to get through them. No, I was craving an escape to a completely different world. That year, I dove deep into fantasy, chasing dragons, befriending the fae, and falling in love with worlds I’d never set foot in.

Since that step into fantasy, I’ve continued branching out, searching for stories waiting to take me somewhere new, no matter the genre. As such, I’ve become what I consider to be an eclectic reader. In the course of a month, I could go from reading an epic fantasy romance to a cozy small town murder mystery to returning to my long lost love of historical fiction.

I set myself the task to choose my favorite books across ten genres, a sure way to induce some existential stress. What if I hurt a book’s feelings by not choosing it? What follows is what I’m calling a “non-exhaustive” list of my favorites. It would be my greatest joy if one of them became yours.

In my childhood bedroom, I had a particular shelf on my desk where I kept my very favorite books. Since I’ve set myself an impossible task here, let’s start with the books that would make that shelf today, regardless of genre. As you can see, I’m a fantasy girlie at heart.

• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - I reread this for the first time last year and loved it even more than I remembered the first time. If you’re looking for magic and whimsy, but with some dark edges, this book about rival magicians creating romantic gestures for each other in the guise of a competition at a disappearing circus will sort you right out.

• Circe by Madeleine Miller - I’m due for a reread of this one, which I’m told is predicted to become a classic of our time. I’ve always loved learning about folklore and myths, especially when they are retold in a way that flips them on their head and gets us thinking about how things could have been different. Circe is the ultimate inspiration for any budding witch like me.

• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - I read this for the first time at 30 years old and immediately knew I’d been waiting to meet Anne all my life. She is my ultimate soul character — a dreamer, a creative, and the most kind friend. She reminds me to romanticize the small moments and that the best thing we can be in life is ourselves.

• A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas - Go ahead and roll your eyes, but I will stand by this series until my dying breath. I still remember reading it for the first time five years ago while I had an injured ankle either settled on the couch or propped up beneath a tree by the lake. I remember counting down the minutes until the work day was over so I could get back to my book. It’s also the series that launched my beloved book club and now we all have Valkyrie themed tattoos.

Now we can move on through the bookcases, shelf by shelf, visiting my favorite book friends along the way.

Classic:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - If I could be part of any fictional family, I would absolutely want to be the fifth March sister. I can just imagine cozying up in the sitting room with a good book while Jo scribbles out a story, Amy paints yet more flowers on the walls, Meg stares longingly across the street thinking of Mr. Brook, and Beth accompanies it all on the piano. It’s a revolutionary novel for women and girls, showing us that even the tiniest moments and the seemingly ordinary stories are perhaps the most important of them all.

• Honorable mention: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (Spooky, gothic, haunted — or is it?)

Romance:

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee - Somehow of all the romances I’ve read, the two I’ve loved best are both actually quite sad. Please don’t let that put you off. On the surface, this book about a 40-year-old single mom who falls for a 20-year-old British boy band star may seem frothy and unserious. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an extremely sexy and swoony jet-setting romp. However, it also discusses the dark sides of fame, the ways society judges women, who decides which art matters and so much more.(Also, if you’ve only seen the movie, the book is so much better!)

• Honorable mention: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (A doomed love affair in a quaint English town, devastating and heartwarming at the same time.)

Historical Fiction:

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton - This is the historical fiction against which I measure all others. It has all the things I love that spark the curiosity of my inner child: a foundling girl, a book of fairy tales left behind containing clues to a decades-old-mystery, and a spooky old manor house on the coast of Cornwall. I read this book more than fifteen years ago and I still think about it all the time.

• Honorable mention: The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles (A decades long friendship story that will take you from Brazil to Hollywood and back.)

Contemporary Fiction:

Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler - As a girl who grew up quoting every single line of Notting Hill and started her honeymoon in London, of course I’ve dreamed a dream of another life as a young, precocious American woman living a chic and perhaps somewhat chaotic life in London. This book takes that romantic idea and gives us a bit more of a realistic picture of what it might look like as a young woman navigating mental health challenges, unrequited love, and finding herself.

• Honorable mention: The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo (We follow the love story of the parents of four now adult daughters, watching how choices along the way brought the family where it is today.)

Mystery:

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - My mom is a murder mystery enthusiast and while I’ll never hold a candle to her, she’s passed along some of her favorite authors to me, from Anne Perry to Alexander McCall Smith. Yet nobody compares to the queen of mystery, Dame Agatha Christie. I’ve read several of her books now, but this is the one that always stands out as a favorite. It’s set on a remote island during a house party, where one by one, the members of the party begin to die.

• Honorable Mention: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (Kindly woman opens a detective agency in Botswana, charming the pant off of every reader, warming hearts like a cup of red bush tea.)

Science Fiction:

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers - I’ve been dipping the tiniest bit of a toe into sci-fi and while I’ve realized I don’t love space, I do enjoy robots. Who knew?! Reading in general challenges our thinking and opens us to new ideas. This book, about a tea monk and a reclusive robot who he encounters in the woods, had me thinking differently about AI and robots in ways I’m still examining long after reading the last page.

• Honorable mention: The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August (A cat named Pumpkin that travels through space. Need I say more?)

Fantasy:

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab - This is the book I always recommend when folks are fantasy-curious. As previously stated, I myself have a fascination with London and this book takes it even further. Alongside Kell, we travel between parallel Londons with varying amounts of magic. I bought it for my dad for his birthday one year and he recommended it back to me. I then turned my book club onto the series as well as my husband. I’ve never met someone who read and didn’t like this book!

• Honorable mention: this was by far my hardest genre to narrow down. You can find all 29 of my favorite fantasy books here.

Horror:

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia - I do not enjoy horror movies, but I’m becoming increasingly interested in horror books, especially after visiting the cutest little horror bookshop in Toronto a couple years ago. It helped me see that horror is an extremely vast genre that truly has something for everyone. So of course, a story about an extremely chic young woman who finds herself in a haunted manor with a mysterious family appealed to me.

• Honorable Mention: Play Nice by Rachel Harrison (Haunted house in modern times, scared me in the best way.)

Non-fiction:

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio - Of course, reading is an excellent way for us to learn about those whose experiences are different than our own. Generally, I do that through reading fiction, but I do try to read at least a couple non-fiction books each year. I found this book about the daily lives and stories of those who are undocumented incredibly fascinating and eye opening, sharing the human realities beyond the dramatic stories we often hear in the media.

• Honorable mention: The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile (For anyone trying to figure out what a spiritual life could look like.)

Memoir:

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado - I love novels where the house is a main character. Here, it’s brought to memoir, using horror tropes and a seemingly haunted house to tell the story of an abusive relationship. I’ve never read a story told quite like this and I was hooked from the first page.

• Honorable mention: Know My Name by Chanel Miller (Required reading for all, if you ask me.)

Don’t forget to share your favorite books and genres in the comments! I see some very good reading ahead for us all.

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Ahoy, my cozy loves!

You know the feeling when you get to the last page of a book and you immediately want more? When you wish you could continue to live in that world, that feeling, just a little longer? It happens to me all the time. I find myself searching for ways to bring the world of the book into my day-to-day life, chasing the feeling in as many books as I can get my hands on.

Today, I present to you, dear reader, a new series that will help us do just that. It’s called “After The End” and will give you the inspiration you need to live your very own epilogue to your favorite stories. You’ll find it in your inbox the first Sunday of every month, complete with book recommendations, a playlist, thrift lists, and inspiration for activities that feel like stepping into the world of your favorite books.

As we move toward darker days and the arrival of autumn, our first installment takes us to the Atlantic Coast. We’re not talking frothy beach reads devoured with a piña colada in hand. We’re going somewhere darker and more mysterious. The coastline is rugged and rocky, with lighthouses rising up to guide sailors home through the storm. There’s definitely something strange going on. A haunting? A curse? We’ll have to keep reading to find out.

Perhaps the feeling is best encapsulated in the term “old salt,” which refers to an experienced sailor or mariner, a storyteller. These are stories about people who weather storms, who may live in isolated environments, but who build community however they can. It immediately brought to mind Captain Jim from Anne’s House of Dreams, the kindly lighthouse keeper who befriends Anne when she moves away from Green Gables as a married woman. The lighthouse boasts a warm fire, a cozy sitting room, and a cat known as the First Mate. Yet even on the most quaint coastlines, mystery abounds.

Shall we set sail into the unknown?

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Blessed harvest, my cozy friends,

This Saturday, August 1, marks Lughnasadh (pronounced “loo-nuh-suh” and also known as Lammas) in the Northern Hemisphere, when we celebrate the first harvest and the wheel of the year inches her way toward autumn. Lugh, who gives the festival its name, is a Celtic deity associated with light and craftsmanship. It’s not quite time to “don your vegetables” and start your annual watch of Over the Garden Wall. Keep your pumpkins in their storage box and let’s live these last weeks of summer to their fullest.

Lughnasadh, like many pagan festivals, is a celebration of light — in this instance, celebrating the last of the light before darkness falls earlier and earlier. We’re holding on to the abundance of summer, expressing gratitude for what the earth has given us in the season, providing us with nourishment for the coming months.

In preparation for Saturday and the season ahead, I’m sharing some practical ways you can honor the day and hold onto the light, even in our very modern and busy world. Put on your best outfit for frolicking in a wheat field, pour yourself a glass of iced tea, and let’s celebrate the harvest!

Making and breaking bread together.

• Bake bread imbued with magic. Baking bread is one of the primary ways to celebrate Lughnasadh, as we honor the wheat harvest. Last year, my family was visiting and I got to share the tradition with my niece and nephew, teaching about the magickal1 properties of different ingredients. We made a simple focaccia topped with peaches for love, basil for luck, cornflower for resilience, and marigold for protection. There’s a little kitchen witch in all of us.

• Gather for games. According to legend, Lugh gained his strength helping his step-mother, Tailtu, who died clearing the lands for farming. To honor her sacrifice, many host games and tournaments for people to share their skills. Whether a board game night or a game of croquet in the yard, bring your people together for some friendly competition.

• Host a harvest gathering. After months of hard work, it’s time to invite your community into your garden. Tell everyone to bring their own snips to harvest herbs, veggies, or flowers that will then grace the dinner table. Even if you’re gathering your friends around to harvest the singular tomato that you grew, turn it into a celebration and a ritual.

• Take a farmer’s market picnic. Head to your local farmer’s market or farm shop with an empty picnic basket. Take time to notice everything that’s on offer, reflecting on how different the market looks now than it did in the spring. Choose the most beautiful tomato, perhaps some basil, and some farm fresh mozzarella. Don’t skip the bakery stand for some bread and a sweet treat. Take your treasures to your favorite picnic spot and dig in.

• Take a harvest basket to a friend. This season is about sharing and cooperation. Perhaps you’ll make an extra loaf of bread and snip some herbs from your garden. While gatherings are beautiful and I hope you have one, sometimes it’s even more powerful to show up for a friend at just the right time with something nourishing.

Make something with your hands to bottle the sun.

• Assemble a charm bundle from the garden. Like any good hearth witch, now is the time to create your bundles of herbs to hang around your house. I recommend this book for learning about the different properties of plants that you’re likely already growing or can find in your kitchen. Select a few to put together, bound with twine. Hang them at home or give them to a friend. (A reminder: herbs still have magic, even if you bought them at the grocery store.)

• Embroider the meadow. Flowers are some of my favorite things to embroider. They’re also quite simple, usually just a series of loops. Choose something that could use some extra summer whimsy, whether a thrifted denim shirt, a cloth napkin, or perhaps a curtain. If you don’t want to freehand, these stickers can be added to any fabric to provide a stitching guide.

• Make jam to savor in the cold months. What could feel more magical than time traveling through a jar of jam? That first bite of blackberry jam spread over a smothered-in-butter piece of toast takes you right back to summer days in the sun, eating fruit straight out of the bowl. No need to worry about shelf-stability with this blackberry freezer jam.

• Make art with the sun. Use the sun as your painting medium by making a cyanotype print! Gather your favorite summer flowers, press them to watercolor paper treated with the cyanotype solution, then let the sun do its work to preserve summer memories for years to come. I found this guide extremely useful.

• Write a gratitude list. At the first harvest, the community comes together to share what we have with each other. Take your picnic blanket and a pillow to the shade of your favorite tree. Feel the earth beneath you and the wind on your skin. Bring your journal and write a list of what you’re grateful for. Start with what you see around you, then expand your gratitude circle to your life as a whole.

A metaphorical frolic in a wheat field.

• Dress in natural fibers. We cannot frolic like prairie women without the proper attire. Well, you can frolic in whatever you want, I support you. But if we’re bringing a celebratory, romantic vibe to all, it’s only natural to bring some soft linen to the party. Sustainable linen can get pricey. Don’t forget to check thrift stores and secondhand shops!

• Bring the meadow indoors. As we celebrate Lughnasadh, we’re entering the “dog days” of summer, when Sirius, the dog star, appears in the sky, bringing sweltering days when it often becomes uncomfortable to be outside. Instead of going to the meadow, bring the meadow to you. Either at the farmer’s market or foraging on a walk, make tiny wildflower arrangements in all the bud vases you own. Now, there are wildflowers wherever you go, even in the AC.

• The scent of summer. Of course, I must give you a candle recommendation. We may think of Practical Magic as an autumn movie, but I think Gillian, the wild younger sister, has a perpetual spirit of summer. This candle inspired by her look features citrussy bergamot, honey, amber, and a multitude of garden secrets.

• Take a nature walk. During each of the sabbats, I love to get out into the woods near my house and notice how they change throughout the year. During this time, the trees are full of green and the wildflower prairie in the center of the woods is a riot of color, with bees and butterflies flitting all about.

• Watch Little House on the Prairie. Cozy harvest vibes, even from the couch. I didn’t grow up with the original TV series, but I’ve been loving the Netflix adaptation. The scenes of Laura and Mary traipsing through fields of wheat and prairie grass, Ma baking bread to share with the neighbors, and people coming together to build a community all remind me of the spirit of Lughasa.

May your harvest be sweet and may you reap all the blessings you’ve sown this year.

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

You can find all the images used above, plus more inspiration, here.

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hello, cozy friends!

We’re more than halfway through the year! The cozy, snowy days of winter have come and gone. The flowers we planted in spring are finally blooming in abundance. It’s a good time to check in on how we’re doing on our goals and whether or not we want to make any changes before the end of the year. Today, I’m doing my own mid-year check in, but not about any of the big personal goals I set back in January.

Nope, this is my mid-year reading review. As a reader, I find that books act sort of like memory keepers for the year. I may struggle to remember the exact plot details of a book, but I’ll remember the way it transported me, the way it made me feel, and what was happening in my own life while I read it. I’ll remember the audiobook I was listening to when I made my first patchwork skirt. I can picture the characters who kept me company on the first summer trip to the pool. I’ll even remember the book that sat in front of me, untouched and unopened, when I went on a “reading date” with my friends and all we did was yap.

Today, we’re going to get into my reading stats, what I’ve noticed about my reading, and how I’m doing on my reading goals. At the end, I’m sharing my top five books of the year so far with paid subscribers. Shall we get into it?

My biggest goal: Read the books I already own.

I think I’m doing moderately okay on this goal? Of the seventeen physical books I’ve read so far this year, nine were acquired pre-2026. Four were library books that I read with my book club. The other five were purchased this year (again, two for book club). If we take out book club, I’m actually crushing this goal! Gosh, I feel better already.

However, we can’t truly take away book club, because it’s wildly impacted my reading this year. I’m usually a book-a-week reader, but this year we’ve been reading a series of very chunky books (The Ashen Series by Demi Winters) that have each taken me a few weeks to finish — even though I really liked them! It’s tempting to feel a little disappointed by this, thinking of the other books that could have been read in that time. Yet looking back at my reading goals, one of my priorities was reading books with my friends. So that time spent reading, then discussing with my long distance besties, is always worth it.

The physical book count may be lower than most years, but the audiobook count is higher than ever.

This is the year of audiobooks for me (with 19 books so far!) and I do not think it’s a coincidence that it is also my year of sewing. There are few duos that pair better than a juicy audiobook and hours of cutting our little strips and squares of fabric to turn into patchwork. I used to be an audiobook hater, thinking it “didn’t count as reading.” I find this a very embarrassing take, but we’re all friends here so you’ll forgive me, right? I’ve seen the error of my ways.

Audiobooks have allowed me to take my favorite cozy hobby, reading, into my other favorite hobbies like puzzles, walks, and crafts and they’ve kept me company during mundane tasks like driving and chores. My husband and I have also listened to several audiobook novellas together in the car on drives to and from Chicago this year. As a person who hates long drives, getting to drop into a shared story has made them much more enjoyable.

With my rule of buying just one physical book per month, my Spotify listening hours and Libro FM credits are there for me when I’ve already filled my book buying quota. It’s how I read some of my most anticipated books this year like Little One by Olivia Meunter and Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke.

Ah, yes, the one book a month rule.

In January, I bought two books, setting myself up for a not-so-great start. Yet I held strong in February and bought zero books. Things went a little off the rails in April, when I bought three books on my trip to Amsterdam. I think we can agree that exceptions are deserved when core memories are being made, no?

With books I’ve purchased and books that have been gifted to me, I have so far acquired twenty-one books (nine purchased by me). Well, now I’m back to not feeling so great about the nine previously owned books I read this year. Luckily, I’m finding myself more and more drawn to the older book in my collection as I continue reading backlist books and loving them.

My goal here isn’t to read less or even not to spend money on books, but rather to ensure that the number of books I have does not exceed the amount of bookshelf space I have. I built my dream faux built in bookshelves last year and arranged the top shelves in a way that soothes my soul every time I look at them. But they’re also pretty much at capacity.

The bookshelves also have cabinets on the bottom half, where I have haphazardly stuffed many of the books I’ve bought this year. The books tend to jump out and attack me each time I open one of the doors. This year, I’m trying to be better about letting go of books, passing them on to friends and family or putting them into a free little library (sometimes because I’ve decided I’m actually never going to read them — and that’s okay!).

The final goal: read 50 books.

I’m ahead of pace for this goal, having read thirty-six books so far this year. This tells me that no matter whether I’m reading with my ears or my eyes, whether I’m buying lots of new books or reading the books already on my shelves, one thing is clear: this is another year marked by a backdrop of stories. And that’s the real goal, right?

And now, my favorites so far, including:

A quirky contemporary British novel, a will-they-won’t-they-should-they literary romance, an unexpectedly charming contemporary romance with a fantasy twist, a historical fiction heroine I’m head over heels for, and a romantasy series inspired by Egyptian folklore.

Read more

Hey there, sweet friends,

Six am wake-ups. The whir of a blender disturbing my husband’s sleep as I make a pineapple smoothie. Taking said smoothie on a walk around the neighborhood to expose my eyes to sunlight. Rolling out a yoga mat when I got home, then sitting on said yoga mat reading the news immediately after muttering “namaste.” Checking it all off on a list that repopulated every day. This is the morning that I put up on a pedestal, chasing it like a cat with a laser pointer, burning myself out in the process. I worked so hard to add so much into my morning routine, that I forgot the most important piece: my intuition.

In pursuit of wellness and perfection, I sacrificed my pursuit of cozy. I was squeezing so many things into the morning that I never had time to consider what I actually wanted. In the last couple years, I’ve shifted my thinking. My priority for the morning is to move slowly and do something that feels good. That’s it.

In pursuit of that, I’ve moved away from a morning “routine” and replaced it with a morning “menu” filled with optional activities to choose from. Like ordering at a restaurant, sometimes you’ll order the same thing five visits in a row. Perhaps a seasonal special will catch your eye and you’ll try something new. But in this case, the restaurant is a place where you always feel safe, held, and, well, cozy.

Today, I’m sharing my personal morning menu with you. I hope it inspires you to slow down and fill your cup, no matter how much time you have before you head wherever you’re going.

There’s a Filipino restaurant in Chicago, Uncle Mike’s Place, that my husband and I go to with our friends for breakfast every time we visit. When you sit down, they bring you a warm bowl of lugaw, a rice porridge that I swear has healing properties. No matter what you order, this is how the experience starts. There are a few things on my morning menu that I always select, no matter the day, to give me that same healing, cozy start to the day.

• Brush teeth - I always leave the bathroom and go stand at the window while I brush my teeth, looking for rabbits and ducks in the backyard. A couple minutes spent there helps me center and metaphorically touch grass even if I’m staying inside.

• Skincare - This is not necessarily fully fixed, but I’m working on it! I struggle to keep up with a skincare routine, so I keep it veeeery simple: a gentle cleanser, rose toner, hydrating oil, and a high SPF sunscreen.

• Get dressed and ready - Even on my work from home days, getting dressed in a real outfit, styling my hair, and spending about three minutes doing my makeup feels important to me. It’s a ritual that signals that it’s time to start the day, even if the only place I’m headed is to the couch.

• Make a nourishing breakfast - I can’t believe I used to be a person that didn’t eat breakfast. Now I get extremely hungry within an hour of waking up. I eat a lot of variations of breakfast bowls including yogurt or cottage cheese, some sort of fruit, and my favorite granola. Lately I’ve also been making a little avocado toast situation using a Trader Joe’s hashbrown as the toast and that’s been really rocking my world.

• Make coffee - As a gal with a fragile gut, coffee and breakfast must go together. Coffee on an empty stomach always leads me to a bad day. As it’s been so hot, I’ve been making iced lattes with my Breville with a bit of honey and a sprinkle of sea salt in my new-to-me vintage cat glasses.

In the past, I’ve become overwhelmed by trying to fit all the best activities into my morning, despite that I am awake a maximum of one hour before I need to leave the house for work. Until I magically become a 5:00 am natural riser, I have instead focused on giving myself the choice to do one thing that fills my cup before work. I used to think this needed to be “productive” or advancing my wellness in some way. It doesn’t. It simply needs to be something I enjoy and feel called to. That’s different every day.

• Read something - I try very hard not to be on my phone in the mornings, keeping it in another room entirely overnight. The days I pull my book off my nightstand instead of immediately going to the place my phone is plugged in tend to feel luxurious, simply because I didn’t lose 10-15 minutes lost in the scroll. I also love flipping through a magazine or a cozy newspaper while I eat my breakfast since the articles are more digestible in a single sitting.

• Watch YouTube - This would probably not be on any “wellness” girl’s morning routine menu, but here it is on mine. I was hesitant to turn the TV on in the morning, feeling a certain sense of guilt around it, like I could be doing something more productive. Yet it feels like I’m giving myself a Saturday morning feeling on a weekday when I cozy up with my breakfast on the couch and spend 20 minutes dropping into the life of one of my internet friends.

• Morning meditation - I have meditated exactly once this year and it was last week. I read a mindfulness exercise in Le Petit 3 where you sit in the sun and imagine your body transformed into a greenhouse with the sun pouring in and amplifying within you. It was incredibly calming and energizing, so I’m adding it back onto the menu this season. No pressure if nobody orders it.

• A walk to get coffee - I used to religiously go on a ten minute walk every morning before logging on for work. It was a practice I loved, but now that I commute three days a week, it just doesn’t fit on a daily basis. Instead, the chances are high that within one hour of arriving at work I will convince one of my coworkers to leave with me to walk to a coffee shop.

• Go to the gym - I’m tiptoeing into my gym mouse era this year with the help of one of my friends. On the occasional Friday, we’ll head to the gym around 7:00 am and do some strength training while yapping. Afterwards, we always go get coffee, where we yap some more. Hanging out with a friend before work is such a rare treat!

• Pull tarot - I have tarot decks all over my house, so I’ll occasionally sit and pull a card before heading out the door. However, I also keep a deck on my desk at my office. More often than not, I’ll pull a card within the first hour of the workday, usually asking, “what energy should I open myself up to today?”

• Write in my journal - Another item I rarely order from my own morning menu, even though it always sounds so good! My dream of being a morning-pages-writing aesthetic sunrise journal girl persists. Someday it will come true.

• Make the bed - This is intentionally not on my prix fixe menu, simply because I do not get around to it every day and that is fine. My husband both gets up after me and does not care at all if the bed is made. Sometimes I’ll make it in the afternoon or if it’s particularly rumpled, five seconds before I get in bed. If it does get to in the morning though, I’m feeling pretty darn good about the day.

• Snuggle my cat - I am awakened every morning by my cat, Salem, biting my face. He is letting me know that he has been starving and immediately needs food or he will perish. After I get up and feed him, he transitions to his sun spot time, catching the rays on the carpet in front of our bookshelves. Some days, I’ll lay on the ground with him and join the sunshine action.

Thanks to my menu, I’m learning to love weekday mornings. Yet nothing feels quite as cozy as a weekend morning, waking up early-ish (for me — and Salem — that’s about 7:30 or 8:00) to a tidy home and nowhere I need to be. On those days, there’s more space for longer morning activities.

• A weekend coffee date - My favorite time of the week is on Saturday mornings when my husband and I pack up our books in a tote bag and head to one of our favorite coffee shops. We order our drinks, chat over breakfast, then settle in with our books. It’s low stakes, way less expensive than a dinner date, and a beautiful, slow way to start the weekend.

• Making my grandma’s pancakes - I keep my breakfasts quite simple during the week, spending a maximum of about five active minutes assembling. On the weekends, I can move a bit more slowly. Those Sunday mornings, I stay in my pjs, wander into the kitchen, and pull down my recipe box, flipping through to find my grandma’s pancakes. The card is a bit stained and warped, holding the memories of all the times I’ve made it. The pancakes are buttery, crisp, and oh so simple to make.

  Paid subscribers can find the recipe here. Thanks for supporting my work!

• A morning movie - I love my YouTube watching on weekday mornings, but a morning movie just hits different. It’s like those rainy summer mornings when I was a kid, getting to start the day watching whatever Disney Channel Original Movie was on that week. When there’s nowhere to be, giving myself time to move slowly and cozy up on the couch feels like the ultimate luxury.

• Coffee and crafts at the cottage - This year, I’ve been hosting a “ladies’ crafting cafe” about once per season. My friends come over around 10:00 am on a Sunday for coffee, mimosas, and a simple craft. As hosting goes, it’s pretty low stakes and invites people to linger and yap for a couple hours with something to occupy their hands.

Now it’s your turn! Tell me what you’re putting on your morning menu in the comments. Wishing you cozy mornings forever, my friend!

Leave a comment

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hello, my cozy loves!

I recently finished my third rewatch of The Gilded Age and now I feel sad. I’ve googled, and a new season will be coming this autumn. For the moment, I find myself careening toward starting Downton Abbey — I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve watched it. It got me thinking about my love for period dramas and what draws me head first into these worlds that I want to return to time and time again. Sure, I love the characters and the sweeping scenery, but I think what’s become clear is the way they illustrate the unchanging nature of our human condition.

I’m not talking trad wives here or entering the Yesteryear discourse. I’m not really even talking about history. I’m talking about the stories that allow us to see people who may have lived long ago through a modern lens. When you take away the technology and the trap of the scroll, we see that, actually, these people aren’t so different from us. Before the Netherfield ball, the Bennet sisters run around the house fighting over ribbons. Amy March cries when she’s not invited to the theater. We won’t discuss what she did afterwards1, but what little sister hasn’t felt that desire to join in and the pain of being too young?

These characters lived in pursuit of slow, simple pleasures because that’s what they had available to them. Without radio or television, our heroines found a happy industry in long walks, crafts, and books. We need look no further for inspiration for how to live our best analog lives.

I love the analog living trend. But I’m starting to get a bit of an ick as capitalism enters the chat, selling us on things like Bricks and bluetooth landlines to keep us off our phones. I wonder, instead of asking ourselves, “gosh, how can I get the heck off my phone?” what if we asked, “what would it be like if I had never even heard of a phone, let alone a smart phone?”

My challenge to you: in the upcoming weeks, choose a day to be your “period drama day.” Put your phone in a drawer and see what you can get up to. Remember, it’s a period drama, not a historical reenactment. We need not bother with their lack of electricity or modern plumbing.

Hobbies for refined ladies:

• Inviting friends for tea in the library. Many of my favorite scenes in Downton take place in the library on the big, red velvet couches. Unlike the elaborate dining room where they put on a show for the county, this is the place where family and friends gather for tea and cake by the fire. You may not have a library like the Earl of Grantham, but if you read this newsletter, I’m guessing you at least have a bookshelf with a cozy place to sit nearby. That sounds like a library to me.

• Catching up on your correspondence. Sure, you could send a text to your long distance friend asking how they are and sharing your news. But how delighted would they be to receive a letter in the mail instead? Share what’s been exciting you lately or the best book you’ve read recently. Ask questions and encourage them to write back. Putting pen to paper forces us to slow down and really think about what we want to say.

• Playing the pianoforte. I’m not saying to pull a Mary Bennet by finding the piano at the next party you attend and making everyone listen to you play. Perhaps think more of the Beth March approach, filling the quiet afternoon with music. If you don’t play an instrument, that’s okay. Put on some classical music, not just in the background. Really sit and listen.

• Attending the opera. As they say on The Gilded Age, deck yourself in gee gaws (aka your best dress and jewels) for a night at the opera. I love attending the opera, it really does feel like stepping back into another time. Plus, it feels like the only place left outside of weddings to, well, don your gee gaws. If you don’t have an opera company near you, you could also make a night at the opera at home. Invite friends over in their finery and put an opera on your turntable or stream it via Marquee TV.

• Working on your embroidery. Every time I pick up an embroidery project, I picture Cora Crawley with her needlepoint on her lap as she discusses her family’s latest drama. It is the perfect hobby for whiling away the morning before it’s time to head into luncheon, creating something beautiful that will live in the house for generations to come. For our purposes, it’s also the perfect activity to engage in while watching a period drama.

• Going on a walk through the fields. If there’s one thing we know about our dear Lizzie Bennet, it’s that she’s “very fond of walking.” Is there a house museum, a beautiful garden, or a historic area in your town? Put on your most dramatically flowy dress and take a stroll. Don’t worry if your hem gets a little muddy, who’s judging? (Caroline Bingley but, blessedly, she is fictional).

Dressing yourself and your manor:

• A simple braid, tied with a bow. You probably don’t have a lady’s maid who can create elaborate updos for you, complete with a glittering tiara. Instead, let’s go for “period drama girl off duty” with a braid that’s ethereally messy enough to look like you just came in from a brisk walk on the moors.

• A flowy, white nightgown. I have been known to wear the chemise I bought to wear under my renaissance faire costume around my house while holding a candle as though I am Cathy come back to haunt Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights. There’s something deeply romantic about it.

• A linen dress with lots of twirl. As mentioned above, for your walks to be sufficiently dramatic, your outfit must have enough fabric to billow in the breeze. What would the iconic “Liz on top of the hill” scene be without the swaths of linen rippling behind her? Son de flor is my favorite shop for linen dresses. They’re beautifully made and worth every penny.

• Cozy knits and shawls. I know, you’re thinking, “but Kyli, it’s one thousand degrees outside!” You’re so right. But now is the perfect time to get started knitting a wool wrap for autumn days. For now, hit the antique mall and look for a fringed shawl. We can’t have you catching a chill!

• Vintage and antique items. I always think of the moment in Downton when Lady Mary and Sir Richard Carlisle (blech) are touring their future home, having a conversation about furniture. She says, “your lot buys it, my lot inherits it.” You may not be inheriting an English manor, but you can absolutely bring pieces into your home that tell a story. Feel free to tell guests that they were passed down by an obscure relative from long ago.

• Doilies and lace on the tables. There are always lots of cozy textures happening in these houses, whether they belong to wealthy people or their servants. After all, Mrs. Hughes’s sitting room is one of the coziest rooms at Downton. Start by adding some texture to your side tables. I always find the sweetest handmade textiles when I go antiquing.

• Fresh flowers and plants. The Victorians loved a parlor palm, a greenhouse, and a garden. Whether it’s a curated arrangement for the village flower show where you’re sure to win “best bloom” or a simple posy picked on a walk, flowers add cheer and charm to a sometimes drafty old house.

• Candles and candlesticks. Electric light can have such a glare, like “being on stage at the Gaiety” as the Dowager Countess of Grantham reminds us. I’ll allow you a lamp or two, but by no means turn on the big light. Instead, thrift some brass candlesticks and fill them with simple white tapers. I especially love the ones that have a little handle so you can carry them around.

Further inspiration from the screen:

There are so many movies and shows that didn’t make this list, but don’t despair. I do love Bridgerton and Pride and Prejudice, but I can only invite so many heroines to my tea party. Please send me your recommendations for your favorites in the comments! I’m always looking for new things to watch instead of Downton for the seventeenth time.

• Downton Abbey - If I could watch only one show for the rest of my life, it would be this one. I love how incredibly dramatic it is, oscillating between extremely low stakes and extremely high stakes. In case you have not watched this show (what have you been doing?!), here’s the deal: we follow the Crawley family and their servants as they navigate the tension between tradition and the quickly changing modern world. These characters are everything to me. Thanks to Lady Mary, I’ve also learned how to perform the most scathing eye roll.

• Emma (2020) - My favorite movie for interior design inspiration. To me, Emma is a bit of an unlikeable main character, but I love all the people around her, the score, and the set design. It’s like a pastel dream filled with flowers, ribbons, and little geese walking in a row. Perfect paired with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits.

• The Buccaneers - This show, an adaptation of an unfinished manuscript by Edith Wharton, is an incredible example of a historical story told through a modern lens, right down to the Taylor Swift song playing as the debutantes walk down the grand staircase. These American heiresses who head to London to find a husband feel incredibly real and fully formed and the friendship between them is more powerful than any of their romantic entanglements.

• The Gilded Age - Let’s leave England for a moment and cross the pond over to America in the 1880s, where we will witness the clash of new money vs old money among New York’s elite. Most period dramas painfully lack diversity. While I think this show fumbles a bit, it’s really amazing to see the world through Peggy’s eyes, both as a secretary to a great lady in Manhattan and in her own community in Brooklyn.

• Poldark - This show has truly everything: love triangles, dramatic Cornish vistas, and even a competition over copper mines. We follow the story of Ross Poldark, returned from fighting in the American Revolution to find that the girl he loves has married his cousin! Soon, though, he falls in love with his scullery maid, Demelza, much to the chagrin of Cornish society.

• The Durrells in Corfu - This is another one of my most-rewatched shows. Set in the 1930s, we follow the hilariously chaotic Durrell family after they leave dreary England for a new (importantly, cheaper) adventure in Greece. The family and friend relationships are nothing short of heartwarming and the views are incredible. Perfect if you can’t quite make it to Greece this summer.

• Hotel Portofino - Here’s another opportunity for some travel from the couch, this time to the coast of Italy in the 1920s. The interior design of the eponymous hotel gives me tons of inspiration, from the color palettes to the wall moldings, to the wallpaper. It’s about an English woman who sets up a classic British hotel in Portofino, but in addition to the day-to-day challenges of running the hotel, they also face government corruption and political intrigue as fascism is on the rise.

• Little Women (2019) - This is the most “girlhood” movie I have ever seen. It’s also my favorite movie of all time (not that I’ve mentioned it dozens of times in this newsletter or anything). My favorite part is at the end, when Jo is talking to Amy and Meg about the book she’s writing. She says their lives aren’t important enough to be written about. Amy counters by saying that writing about them is what makes them important. We decide what’s meaningful, no matter how small.

Please tell me how your period drama day goes! Okay, bye! I’m off to watch Downton!

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hey there, cozy loves!

My husband and I recently visited a sweet little town in rural Wisconsin. We made a pilgrimage to do some vintage shopping, but mostly to visit a restaurant I kept hearing about. Sitting on the screened in porch, I found myself thinking about a note I posted a few days ago:

I was surprised how much it resonated with people. It had me reflecting on what comes to mind for most people when they think about cozy: hot cups of tea, piles of blankets, maybe even snow falling outside while you sit by a warm fire. That all feels very far away when we’re faced with a heat advisory. It makes perfect sense why my Instagram feed is filling up with Summerween content and countdowns to autumn.

Here’s the thing: we don’t have to wait for cozy season. We can invite in all the cozy moments that summer has to offer before we welcome autumn with open arms.

In that little cafe on a river, I felt like I’d stepped into the place where the town gathered. People were saying hi to each other across the room. I overheard the owner talking to one party about a wedding that was coming up. He said, “you know so-and-so right? Their daughter’s getting married.” That’s what cozy is to me: feeling held, welcome, and familiar. It’s also about paying attention to our surroundings — bringing in color and texture, creating a soft place to land, even if that place is directly in front of a fan and a bowl of ice water.This is what we’re searching for. The good news? It’s already out there, we just have to look.

Below, you’ll find a menu of easily achievable moments, treats, and activities to make this your coziest summer yet.

Cozy is a feeling, not a season or a temperature.

Coziness is about slowing down, embracing simple pleasures, and spending time with the people you love, no crunchy leaves or flannel required.

• Spend time on a patio. Patio season feels like magic, especially in a place with such a cold winter. It’s like everyone has come out of their little hibernation holes ready to step out into the sun. It’s like the party scene in The Fellowship of the Ring, when everyone is out chatting away, seeing friends, or simply sitting and observing from a quiet corner.

• Gather in the great outdoors. One of my favorite winter activities is heading to a remote-ish cabin for a weekend to do puzzles and cozy up with a pile of books. That same feeling is available to us this summer. Swap the fireplace for a fire pit and the hot cocoa for s’mores and you’re nailing the cozy summer vibe. I have a cabin trip booked with my friends later this month that I’ve been looking forward to all year!

• Or host a low-key backyard hang. Have everyone bring their picnic blankets and make one giant picnic on the lawn. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You could even just order pizzas and cut up a bunch of fresh fruit.

• An immersive book. I’ll add one extremely cozy book to my summer recommendations: The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston. I’ve been meaning to read her books for years and this one did not disappoint. Set at a cliffside garden in Maine, our main character Sophie is grieving her best friend while also trying to fix up a historic garden before its bicentennial. It’s got all the cozy vibes — found family, a beautiful summer setting, and a secret garden with a charming man trapped inside!

• Go on an ice cream date. Part of cozy living is thinking about your childhood self and all the things she loved. My childhood self and my current self love ice cream. I think this year, I’ll take the nostalgia one step further and put on my best ‘90s outfit to go with a friend to the ice cream shop. My local shop has a flavor called “Summer at Grandma’s” that has strawberry ice cream with lemon cookie pieces. My grandma would have loved it.

Setting the cozy summer mood.

Yes, yes, cozy is a feeling. There are also things we can do to help facilitate that feeling in our surroundings.

• My favorite fan. Coziness means comfort. Sweating does not bring me comfort. I have been known to carry this little fan around with me from room to room. Plus, it’s actually cute so I don’t mind having it out. (We won’t discuss my window AC units, for which I am eternally grateful but are also incredibly ugly.)

• A fun towel. For all your water adventures, you’re going to want something soft to wrap yourself up in or to curl up on with your best beach read. Baggu has lots of cute towel options, but this cowgirl pattern is my favorite, no surprise.

• Quilts, not just for cold weather. Using a quilt as a picnic blanket feels like taking my living room outside and settling in. Take yours out into the backyard with lots of pillows. Don’t be afraid! Things can always be thrown into the wash. If you don’t have a quilt you love, check eBay or Facebook Marketplace for vintage treasures.

• Cozy glow, all year long. I saw a man on the internet say that outdoor string lights are “out” and I will be ignoring that advice. You can pry those edison bulbs from my cold, dead, millennial hands. However, I do agree that cordless, rechargeable lamps are very cute and practical on an outdoor table.

• Layer in the texture. Just like our piles of blankets during cold weather, creating layers of texture during the summer is just as important. Swap out wool for linen, plaids for gingham and stripes. Bring more texture in with a flowy tablecloth, perhaps some colorful bunting hanging from a tree, or a pretty porch umbrella complete with fringe.

A cozy little beverage.

In winter and autumn, I tend to be drinking copious amounts of tea, hot chocolate, and maple lattes. I have a special moon mug that I use every October. We can bring that same excitement to summer drinks.

• Make sun tea. What could be cozier or more magical than a big batch of tea brewed with the help of our friend, the sun? For the tea itself, perhaps something with a bit of magic?

• Buy the fancy lemonade. At the aforementioned cafe we visited, I was feeling a bit hot and overcaffeinated and in an unusual move for me, I opted against my usual iced latte and pulled a bottle of sparkling rose lemonade out of the fridge. It felt decadent, just sweet enough, and oh so refreshing.

• Or make your own. I’m adding this lavender lemonade to my personal summer bucket list.

• Add a whimsical straw. I love a glass straw and these ones with little pastel butterflies feel perfect for a cozy summer bevvie of any kind.

• A cocktail on the porch. If you’re feeling boozy, I cannot recommend this feminist cocktail book enough. My favorite summer drinks are the Frida Kahlo inspired hibiscus margarita and the Serena Williams inspired Pimm’s cup. If you’re going spirit-free, this is a great book of mocktails. The paloma is my favorite.

Celebrating the bounty of the season.

Sure, decorative gourds are cool and you will not hear me shut up about them come autumn. But what a bounty summer provides us: fresh fruits and veggies and flowers overflowing their garden patches.

• Wake up early for the farmer’s market. My city has the country’s largest outdoor farmer’s market. It’s a little challenging even for me to call that experience “cozy” with hundreds of people pressed together. It would be beautiful to pick one Saturday to wake up super early and be among the first to arrive at the market in the morning quiet.

• Make BLTs. I’m getting excited just thinking about this. A BLT is one of my top three favorite sandwiches (the other two are fried chicken and banh mi in case you were wondering), but my husband likes to inform me that it’s really only a summer sandwich when the tomatoes are just right. He’s not wrong, but it does make me a little sad. Lucky us, tomato season is here.

• Fresh flowers, always. I can’t wait until my little cut flower patch starts to blossom later in the summer. I’d love to buy flowers from the farmer’s market or a local flower farmer, but I’m also trying to let myself enjoy the Trader Joe’s flowers just the same. They’re an instant mood booster, especially on those days when it’s simply too hot to go outside.

• A citrusy candle. Nothing says instant cozy like a flickering candle. In summer, I love fresh scents that aren’t too floral and find myself gravitating toward citrus. I’ve been burning this citrus and sage candle, which I imagine is what it would smell like walking through an orange grove in Italy.

• Keep a nature log. Combine journaling with long walks through the woods (or whatever the nature is around you). After getting home from your walk, make a cold drink and sit with your journal reflecting on everything you’ve just seen. You’ll be able to see how the world changes even within one season.

And there you have it, my loves. This weekend, I hope you choose one thing from this list to help you achieve that cozy summer feeling. Then I promise you can go back to making your pumpkin spice latte. But will you still want to?

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Happy summer, sweet friends!

I love a big old list of book recommendations. I love reading them, writing them, and contributing to them. There’s something magical about when a “book of the summer” emerges and everywhere you go, whether the beach, the plane, or the pool, you’re seeing the same book sticking out of beach bags or shielding faces from the sun.

But I find myself craving something different. For the last few years, I feel like my reading has been guided by the internet, by trends and lists of the same ten hot new releases. Yet this year, as I’ve been working through my enormous backlog of books that I own, I’m discovering all kinds of hidden gems. These aren’t the books everyone was talking about or the ones that I saw time and time again. They were books I came across on trips, that someone I love bought for me, or whose cover caught my eye on one of my many outings to my local bookstore. They’re the books that found me just at the right moment when our paths crossed.

This summer, I hope you pick up one of those buzzy new releases, but I also want you to experience the magic of discovery. Let go of the pressure to read what everyone else is reading and find the book you can’t wait to recommend to everyone who hasn’t heard of it yet.

May I present: a little list of whimsical reading prompts for those moments when you just don’t know what to read next.

1. Go to your local library and see what they’re highlighting. My library has a “Too Good to Miss” section that has new-ish books that aren’t usually the buzziest titles but are always a good time.

2. At your local independent bookstore, ask the bookseller for a book that they’ve been waiting to recommend but nobody’s asked for yet.

3. Think about one of your earliest hyperfixations, the subjects you were checking out stacks of books about at the library as a kid. Sharks? The Titanic? Anastasia? Find a book that has something to do with that topic.

4. Look for a book that’s blurbed by the author of your last five star read. Chances are, you’ll find the same sort of magic there.

5. Read your friend’s favorite book. You get to read something new, then you can discuss it at the end. Plus, you’ve learned something about the story that made your friend who they are.

6. Choose a book with a cover that’s your favorite color. Maybe it’s from your personal library or maybe you take yourself on a scavenger hunt at the bookstore.

7. Do a buddy read with a friend. But here’s the twist: they get to choose. Tell them you want them to pick something that’s right smack in the center of the venn diagram of your interests.

8. Choose three books from your shelf and assign each one a number: 1, 2, or 3. Then have a friend choose which number you’ll be reading next.

9. Have Taylor Swift (or your favorite artist) choose your next read. Write your favorite songs on slips of paper and put them in a jar. Pick one and then choose the book from your shelves that best aligns with that vibe.

10. Close your eyes, spin around, and point at your bookshelf. Whatever you select, that’s your next read.

11. Choose the most purely fun book on your shelves. Is it the little fantasy graphic novel that was so cute you had to buy it? A well loved copy of your favorite childhood book? An extremely frothy romance? The perfect reading slump buster.

12. Read a book that has a loose connection to the last book you read. Maybe it’s also enemies to lovers or perhaps it’s set in the same city. Keep the vibes going into the next book and make a book train all summer long.

13. Pick up a book from one of your floor piles. Oh. Is that just me? I really hope that’s not just me.

No matter what, I hope you read something fun. Actually, I simply hope you read something you love. Your next five star read is on its way to you, you just have to put yourself in its path.

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

The solstice is upon us, sweet fairy friends!

This Sunday, June 21, is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. In modern paganism, we call it Litha, inspired by the old English and Anglo-Saxon word for this time of year. While the name is new (from the mid-19th century), cultures around the world have been celebrating the solstice for thousands of years. At mid-winter, we celebrated the Oak King’s defeat of the Holly King, bringing the return of the light. At mid-summer, the two great kings battle again, but this time, the Holly King’s reign begins, taking us back into the darker half of the year.

But never fear, my loves. This is the height of the sun’s power — she’ll be with us for quite a while yet. Let’s celebrate, shall we?

The earth provides her bounty.

• Harvest and hang some herbs. Herbs picked on Midsummer’s Eve have particularly magical properties. Bundle your herbs up with twine and hang them in a dry place. Not only will this add witchy, Practical Magic vibes to your home, but you’ll also have that magic from the height of summer available to you later in the year on days when the world feels a little darker.

• Make chive blossom vinegar. If you, like me, have chives in your garden that seem to be constantly on the verge of going to seed, never fear. You can harvest those fluffy purple flowers and make vinegar with them! Chives have protection and mood-boosting properties. Make the vinegar into a salad dressing and it’ll be like spooning sunshine over your dinner.

• Forage for flowers. Midsummer is all about celebrating the bounty that nature offers us, the explosion of color that surrounds us during this season. Bring some of that color into your home, whether from the forest by your house or even on the side of the road. Just check if you’re allowed to forage in your area! If you can’t, you can always take a trip to the farmer’s market or your local flower farm.

• Eat a peach. Is there anything better than a perfectly ripe peach in the summer? Shoot, now I’m thinking about that extremely cringe scene in The Summer I Turned Pretty where Belly and Conrad are eating the peaches and the tension is SO HIGH. Whew, okay, moving on. The girlies over at recently shared The Peach Truck, which I immediately sent to my friends, asking “who wants to go in on a big box of peaches on August 23?!”

• Learn some plant names. Here in Wisconsin, at least, it feels like summer’s bounty tends to pop up overnight after the first big rainstorms. There are so many native plants I recognize year after year, but I don’t know their names. I loved this piece by on about knowing the names of plants. In that piece, Laura quotes the novelist Lauren Groff’s novel The Vaster Wilds: “As she walked, she found the smooth-barked trees with the tastiest buds and she named these trees Silvers. So naming them, she was suddenly able to pluck them out with her eye from the mass of other trees. Naming, she understood, made things more visible.” How beautiful.

It’s sunflower season, witches.

• Reach new heights. Every year, I forget just how tall sunflowers get. As summer goes on, there’s day when suddenly I’m walking to my neighborhood coffee shop past a particular house where the sunflowers create a tunnel over the sidewalk, delighting the birds and the bees and the humans who wander past. Remember the goals you set at the beginning of the year? Now is the perfect time to really reach for them and see how far you can get before the seasons shift.

• Listen to Florescence. Maisie Peters is quickly becoming my favorite artist. Her songwriting feels honest, but also fun. Her new album, Florescence, meaning “the art of growing” is perfect for this season of abundance and growth. The cover art even features Maisie with the sun shining on her face and standing in a field of sunflowers. Pick it up at your local record store (or check it out from your local library) and give it a spin or stream it in the car with the windows down while you drive through the countryside.

• Channel your inner Vincent Van Gogh. I know I keep banging on about my trip to Amsterdam in the spring (sorry!) and I must mention it once more. One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting the Van Gogh Museum, where I saw Vincent’s famous sunflowers. Chaotically arranged and at varying stages of decay, they sit gathered in a stoneware jug. I think we can absolutely find one on our thrift hunts and flea market adventures this summer to put our own sunflowers in, don’t you? I would not be true to myself if I didn’t mention to you that there is a Van Gogh inspired Miffy.

• Paint something yellow. My main takeaway from the special exhibit on Van Gogh’s use of the color yellow was that I needed to immediately paint something yellow. I have yet to do so, but I have eyes on my kitchen sideboard. I’m considering yellow with cream or blue stripes or maybe painting some little blueberries in the corner? I’m not sure. If furniture’s not in the cards for you, you could always start with your nails.

• Wear your sunshine on your sleeve. I can’t lie to you, I don’t really understand what a “90s butter mom” is, but I also sort of want to be one? (I am wholeheartedly and contentedly child free.) I may not know who she is, but I do feel that she dressed like a sunflower. She’s flowing in the breeze, taking it easy, simply growing. As such, I think she’s wearing this yellow dress (no bra required) with a fun little dad hat, throwing a thrifted denim shirt around her shoulders.

The sun is shining and so are you.

• Catch the sunrise and the sunset. Ideally, you do this on the solstice, but you could make a goal to choose any day this summer. I’m not a girlie who wakes with the sunrise, but on the rare occasion I catch it, it always feels a little magic. I see the sunset pretty often driving home from here or there, but it’s completely different to make a date with the sun and really take it in.

• Bask in the sun. To protect our precious skin, we’re no longer “laying out” like my sister and I used to all summer long. That doesn’t mean we can’t feel the sun’s warmth and revel in her glow. I love my long sleeve swimsuit and I’ve been eying this one to have a second one to add to my rotation. I’m also eager to try this nostalgic sunscreen I’ve heard great things about. Pool days? Check. Sunburn? No thank you!

• Light a fire. I say this every solstice and equinox, but we’re celebrating the path of the sun, after all, so it’s a good idea to light a fire. Maybe it’s a bonfire in your backyard surrounded by friends or maybe it’s simply a yellow candle that you light while reflecting on the season in your journal.

• Go for a walk after dinner. It’s time to take advantage of these long days and spend time outside, even in the evenings. It’s easy to get lost in watching our shows or doing our evening chores, but ten minutes outside walking around the block is always worth it.

• Hang a suncatcher in your window. Invite the sun’s glow into your house. You could do it with a disco ball, a crystal, or a sticker. You can also make your own with beads and wire. I love this one that incorporates dried citrus.

May the sun shine upon you and surround you with an abundance of love and joy. Until we meet again, my friend.

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hello, my cozy loves!

Remember coming home from the library in the summer with a huge stack of picture books carried precariously in your little arms? The days were full of possibility, with nothing to do but curl up and read. My books were usually about woodland creatures or filled with animal facts. This summer, I’m choosing to reframe my overflowing TBR (200-something unread books I already own) and using it as my version of the city library, choosing a big ol’ stack to dive into, ideally just before diving into a pool.

While I have a few new summer reading favorites to share, I also wanted to share some of the books I’ve been collecting over the years, just waiting for the perfect moment to be read. These are books that were gifted to me by loved ones, chosen as the one book to fit in my suitcase from a trip, or picked up on one of my many weekend trips to the bookstore with my husband. Each one has a story, even before the story begins.

This year, my biggest reading goal is to read the books I already own. I’ve instituted a rule for myself to buy only one book a month. With the exception of three books I bought in Amsterdam, I’ve been successful in this mission! (I bought two books in January, so it looked rough at the start, but I stayed strong and bought zero in February. Also gifts don’t count).

As I’ve been reading books from my shelves, some of which I have owned for over ten years, I find myself getting more and more excited to read my older books. It’s easy to get distracted by the book everyone is talking about or the shiny new release I just picked up at the bookstore. The thing is, when I bought these books, they were also shiny and new!

Now let me pour you a glass of iced tea and invite you into my own cottage library. I hope that here, you will find that perfect summer read you’ve been searching for and take it home.

New-to-me favorites, perfect for reading in the shade of a tree on a sunny day.

• Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - This one is a new release and a strong contender for my favorite book of the year. I’ve realized that a tumultuous, will-they-won’t-they, one-that-got-away love story told over decades is like catnip to me. This sapphic take, following our young lovers after they meet in Paris in the 1980s, will take your breath away, break your heart, and put it back together.

• The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier - If you read Yesteryear and wanted more 1800s (aka me), you’ll love this historical novel set in Ohio during the mid-1800s. We follow Honor Bright, a Quaker woman who comes to America to accompany her sister, who is to be married. Torn between her principles, her community, and her new family, Honor finds herself entangled in the workings of the Underground Railroad. This book reminded me how much I love historical fiction.

• Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns - In the summer of 2017, did you ever hear yourself utter the phrase, “protest is the new brunch?” This book, my friend, is for you. Though it might make you a little uncomfy. As protests fill her city, Damani can focus only on how she’s going to make enough to pay her bills as a driver for a ride share app. She meets and starts dating Jolene, a white woman who seems to be the perfect ally. The story explores friendship and found family, what we owe to each other, and who gets to decide what “good” activism looks like.

• Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods - A summer reading list is not complete without a romance! As a Midwest gal, I love summer romances that do not take place at the beach, since that is not my summer experience. This book takes place outside of Austin, TX, where our heroine and her friends spend time at the local brewery, biking around town, and even camping at a local nature preserve. All the while, it’s interspersed with a fantasy storyline bringing to life the Dungeons and Dragons campaign the characters are playing. I do think it’s a semi niche lover of fantasy and contemporary romance who will enjoy this, but I have a suspicion that some of you absolutely qualify.

• Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - I read this book while I was in Mexico City last September, a truly elite experience. It’s a classic ‘70s noir about a girl who agrees to watch her neighbor’s cat then gets caught up in a political drama! If you’re looking for something a little more gritty for your summer reading, this is a perfect choice.

Books I already own that I hope to read by the pool:

• Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson - Do I have high expectations for this book? Not really. Do I have a weakness for romance novels set in Scotland? Very much so. I believe the love interest is the Loch Ness monster.

• Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney - I no longer have any recollection of how I acquired this book, but it’s been sitting on my “TBR” shelf since long before I abandoned making TBRs. It’s an award-winning fantasy about a girl who, while descended from killers, is allergic to violence. After the death of her parents, she and her sister must do all they can to settle their debts and save their ancestral home.

• Whistler by Ann Patchett - I suppose this now counts as a book from my shelves because I bought it over the weekend. I don’t even know much about what this book is about, but given how much I loved Tom Lake and how beautiful this cover is, I’m all in for this one.

• The Forever Girl by Alexander McCall Smith - You may have noticed I read very few books by men, but Alexander McCall Smith is a notable exception. His books feel truly cozy and he has a unique way of seeing into and reflecting our human psyche. This book, set in the Cayman islands, follows a mother and daughter as they fall in and out of love, torn between dreams and reality.

• The Wedding People by Alison Espach - There’s no question in my mind whether I’ll love this book. I’ve simply been saving it for the exact right time. This summer, I’m determined! Phoebe is the only guest at a coastal inn in Rhode Island who is not part of the wedding party staying there - heartwarming antics ensue!

• The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee - How charmingly 2014 is this cover? My sister and I had an era around this time, during which we were reading books about southern women coming to terms with their small town roots. This book is about a former cook and homesick Texan now living in Manhattan, trying to leave her past behind. I can tell the drama will be juicy and the food writing will be delectable.

• Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray - I bought this book at a charming bookstore in New Orleans last year where my husband and I took refuge after being absolutely soaked in a rainstorm. I’m having the best time returning to my love of historical fiction. This book set in Harlem in 1919 follows Jessie Redmon Fauset, the woman at the heart of the Harlem Renaissance.

• The Verifiers by Jane Pek - At some point in the summer, I always find myself craving a mystery, a book to sweep me away and keep me turning pages late into the night. My husband bought this book for me over the weekend during our pride-themed “bookstore game” we played with our friend. It’s about a young Chinese American woman working for an online dating detective agency, who finds herself pulled into a sinister plot when one of her clients goes missing.

• A Thousand Times Before by Asha Thanki - Gosh, I love an intergenerational family drama. Add in some magical realism and consider me sat. In this particular family, the women have the ability to access and relive the memories of all the women that have come before them. Ayukta must grapple with the question of whether she would want to pass this gift and burden onto a child.

• The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty - I recommended this fantasy book to my dad last summer, despite that I’ve never read it, because my book club gals have both read it and loved it. He immediately bought the other three and it was his favorite book of the year! He mailed all his copies to me earlier in the year, so now I have no excuse!

In my audiobook queue for long walks along the lakeshore.

• The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende - Isabel Allende is one of my best friend’s and my mom’s favorite authors and this has been on my list for a long, long time. I’ve read several books that build on Allende’s legacy of magical realism and loved them all, so I’m excited to go straight to the source with her first novel.

• Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver - I have been loving going way back in the archives for new reads. This book was published in 2001. I’ve only read one Barbara Kingsolver book (Unsheltered) and I’ve been wanting to read more. I saw this book at one of my local bookstores and immediately added it to my list. It feels like the type of book that transports you to a particular place, in this case the countryside over the course of one summer.

• Lizzie and Dante by Mary Bly - Ever since I had an elite reading experience reading this book, summer always makes me want to travel to Italy via book. This is a story about whether there is ever a wrong time to fall in love. It does have a comp to Me Before You, which is one of my all time favorite books, but also makes me nervous for my heart.

• The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand - I’ve never read an Elin Hilderbrand book and this is my time. Readers advised me that this book is a great one to start with. I can’t wait to escape to Nantucket and a cozy little bistro on the coast.

• My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, translated by MS Ann Goldstein - One of my favorite YouTubers, Elena Téa, has raved about this series of novels. After watching her recent vlogs in Naples, I’m even more excited to read this classic that follows two friends, Elena and Lila, over the course of their sixty-plus year relationship.

I hope you found something good on your trip to the library! Let me know about your summer reading plans in the comments!

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If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Friends, I wish beyond anything that I was headed to England this summer to frolic with some sheep. Despite the fact that I just went on a magical trip to Amsterdam, I’m not immune to the beautiful scenery that the internet feeds me. It takes me back to the source of many core memories of my childhood made on our family trip to England in the year 2000. At eight years old, I was having the time of my life whispering to guinea pigs in a garden, visiting Beatrix Potter’s house, and, yes, chasing sheep through a field. It’s a feeling I’ve been chasing my whole life, the culmination of which led me to my own little cottage, albeit in Wisconsin. But I’m bringing that feeling I had frolicking over the dales in Yorkshire into my life here.

It’s not just the views in the Lake District, the dramatic seaside of Cornwall, or the Yorkshire moors that draw us in. Rural England represents the ideal of cottagecore living. From afar, it feels like it represents a simpler time, a return to nature, where one can fling open a Dutch door in a perfectly imperfect kitchen and hear the pleasant bleating of sheep on the breeze. For any Brits reading, let me be clear: what we’re talking about today is the fantasy of it all, the fairytale version of that life. Yet with some imagination, intention, and perhaps a bit of magic, we don’t even have to board a plane to live the countryside summer of our dreams.

Bringing the English countryside feeling home, wherever you are.

• Have a tea party. Turn your house into a charming tea house and invite your friends over for tea. You can make it as fancy as you’d like. Having a tea party with two of my best friends on my back porch one summer remains one of my very favorite memories in this house.

• At the very least, make some scones and slather them in clotted cream. You can’t go wrong with Mary Berry’s recipe. Presumably you could make your own clotted cream, but you can also find it at lots of grocery stores and at World Market. Don’t forget the jam! This is my favorite.

• Go for a long walk. Maybe it’s the Brontës on the moors, Lady Mary admiring Downton Abbey from afar, or Elizabeth Bennett walking to Netherfield, but long walks seem key to the rural English vibe.

• Get yourself a pair of wellies. Nothing says English countryside like not letting the weather get in the way of your adventures. We’re walking in the woods and spending time in the garden, even if the path is a little muddy. My very favorite gum boots are from Merry People.

• Play Pooh sticks. One of my greatest joys in life is the fact that as a child I had the opportunity to visit the actual Hundred Acre Wood. There, my sister and I played Pooh sticks on Pooh Sticks Bridge. The game is simple: find a bridge over running water, then each competitor chooses a stick. Drop the sticks in the water, then run to the other side to see who wins.

• Visit your village shop. We may not have quaint cobblestone villages where I live, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have the feeling of walking into a shop run by a friendly neighbor who knows just what you need. See what your community has to offer. Maybe it’s a fresh loaf of bread from the bakery, a jar of jam from the farmer’s market, or something lovingly made by a local artist.

• Let your garden grow a little wild. No need to take a manicured approach to the garden this year. Instead, take some of the pressure off and let things grow where they will. Plant things like foxgloves, hollyhocks, and roses. Skip the ivy though, it’s invasive! You can find great guides for planting your English inspired garden here!

• Get out of town. Just because you aren’t headed to the English countryside doesn’t mean you can’t have a countryside experience. If you live in a city, even a small one like I do, consult the map and find a little town a ways out and make a day trip of it.

• Stay at a Bed & Breakfast — the chintziest you can find. We’re talking overstuffed floral sofas, wallpaper that feels like it might come to life, and so, so many ruffles. Even better if there’s a sweet older lady who makes you breakfast in the morning. Bring one of the books from the list below to help make the transportation complete!

• Choose a season of Great British Bake Off to bake along. We may have to wait until autumn for a new season of Bake Off, but don’t let that stop you. Pick your favorite season and make something inspired by each week! You could even make it a whole summer series and invite friends to watch with you. Just make sure you schedule chocolate week for the hottest day of the year.

Allow me a moment to hyper-fixate on Beatrix Potter.

• Return to the tales of childhood. My personal favorites were Jemima Puddleduck, Hunca Munca, and The Tailor of Gloucester.

• Take a deep dive into where the inspiration came from, with this biography of Beatrix Potter. She was a fascinating person who I would love to continue to learn more about.

• My husband and I went to London on the first leg of our honeymoon, where we visited the V&A museum. Imagine my delight when the featured exhibit was called, “Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature.” The exhibit took us through her life in London, her ultimate move to the Lake District, and her leadership in conservation work. You can get the companion book, which includes a deep dive into her life and work, plus a ton of sketches and paintings I’d never seen before.

• My mom bought a Jemima Puddleduck cross stitch kit on our family trip in 2000 that she has since passed on to me. I found a treasure trove of old kits like it on Ebay. It’s absolutely worth a perusal.

• Or perhaps your tea party needs a touch of Peter Rabbit with the sweetest cookie stamps (currently on clearance!). I think they’d be cute pressed into my favorite shortbread.

• Work on your cross stitch and eat your Peter Rabbit cookies while you watch Miss Potter.

• My friends over at one of my favorite little shops, Dune, always have a theme for the summer in the shop and this year it’s Beatrix Potter. I cannot wait to see what they cook up. If you’re a fellow Wisconsin gal, definitely visit the shop. If not, you can always follow along online!

Countryside gals to give you a taste of the real deal.

As previously mentioned, I am by no means an authority on what it’s like to actually live in the English countryside. However, these ladies are.

• Hannah Adkins lives in the Cotswolds and shares her daily life from dog walks to trips to the village shops. Watching her slice of life vlogs are extremely nourishing and relaxing. It’s the next best thing to going on a trip.

• Ramona Jones literally wrote the book on cottagecore. Her videos chronicling her cottage garden throughout the year were incredibly inspirational to me when I was starting my own garden journey. She’s living her very own Beatrix Potter life, complete with ducks in the garden.

• Madeline Olivia and her sweet family live in a cottage in Cornwall that is covered in Wisteria blooms every spring. She and her husband have lovingly restored it to a country cottage dream. She’s also a recipe developer who shares tons of wonderful vegan meal ideas.

• Paula Sutton stepped away from her cosmopolitan life in London to move to a manor house in Norfolk. She shares her gorgeous, antique-filled home, gorgeous tablescapes, and seasonal living inspiration on her Instagram. She’s also a cozy mystery writer, publishing her first novel, The Potting Shed Murder in 2024.

Sometimes a book is just as powerful as a plane ticket…

• The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher - Rosamunde Pilcher’s book Winter Solstice was my absolute favorite book I read last year and I’ve been waiting for summer ever since to read The Shell Seekers. It’s a family saga set in Cornwall spanning three generations, spurred by discussions of what to do with a valuable painting that’s been in the family for decades.

• Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan - This series is as cozy as a warm cup of tea. In a seaside Cornish village, Polly finds so much more than the second chance she was looking for. There are lighthouses, mouthwatering descriptions of baked goods, and even a pet puffin. What more could you want? (Don’t let the truly terrible cover put you off!)

• The Cornish Witch by Elena Collins - This audiobook kept me company while I painted my kitchen last summer. It’s my favorite kind of historical fiction, deeply rooted in a place, deftly moving between the present and the past, uncovering a mystery all the while.

• The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King - This was recommended to me by my mom! It’s the first in a series about Mary Rusell, protégée to Sherlock Holmes. It’s so fun to see the classic detective in his retirement, keeping bees and living in the country, when a spunky young woman comes along to stir him back into action.

• The Collected Poems of William Wordsworth - As Taylor1 said, “take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die.” Well, here’s one of the poets. Pro tip: keep poetry collections on your coffee table so there’s always inspiration within reach.

• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - Another recommendation from my mom, a fellow Anglophile. This is one of her all time favorite books, for very good reason. It asks the question, what would life look like if we took a different path? If we had another chance to do it over? In this book, we see all the potential lives of Ursula Todd unfold, sweeping us up along the way.

• The Farmer’s Wife by Helen Rebanks - I’ve added this memoir to my audiobook queue! Set over one day, Helen Rebanks shares the realities of life on a working farm in the Lake Distrtict.

• The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton - If pressed, I’d probably say that Kate Morton is my favorite author. Every single one of her books has been five stars for me. She’s a master at connecting stories over decades, always centered around a particular home. In this book, sixteen-year-old Laurel witnesses a crime. Forty years later, she returns to her family’s farm where she finally has the opportunity to uncover the mystery of her past.

• Country Comfort by Hari Beavis - Looking to get a taste of the English countryside? I’ve added this cookbook to my library hold list! It’s organized by time, which feels just right for the sense of relaxed ease we’re going for this summer.

Wishing you all the cozy cottage adventures this summer, wherever you are!

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hey there, cozy friends!

When we moved into our little lakeside cottage, the landscaping left much to be desired. I knew that the cottagecore dream I was creating wouldn’t be complete without a little garden to tend, colorful flowers bobbing in the wind and attracting fairies. The problem? I knew absolutely nothing about gardening.

I watched a couple gardening shows and bought a few books, but nothing was giving me quite what I was looking for, until I found . At the time, she was growing a thriving kitchen garden in the backyard of her suburban, California home. Her podcast, Garden Culture (she’s no longer putting out new episodes, but older ones are absolutely still worth a listen!), was my constant companion during afternoons planting, sowing, and watering my little garden. Now, Bailey and her family have moved to Tennessee, where she is designing dream gardens and sharing the journey and inspiration along the way via her newsletter, .

My favorite thing about Bailey is that she sees the garden not as a piece of land, but as a way of life. I loved getting to pick her brain about her advice for beginner gardeners, where she’s getting inspired, and how to create a cozy space wherever we find ourselves. Let’s get into the conversation!

What does “cozy” mean to you?

Cozy to me means livable, not too precious, and yet intentional enough that it hugs you back.

What’s your philosophy for bringing a cozy feeling into your home?

My philosophy is that it should engage the five senses and that it should be used and loved, or it belongs in a hotel. Cozy in our home is smells, soft throws, thoughtful placement of side tables and lamps - it’s that ease of use mixed with a sensory experience that sets a tone of thoughtfulness.

As a garden designer, I know you see the garden as an extension of the home. How do you continue the cozy feeling into the outdoors?

In every garden we design, we include seating. We have a table for dining or a bistro set or a chaise tucked away somewhere. You want to gather and have a cozy conversation. This can be accomplished with natural materials in the design and being unafraid to have pillows, cushions, and blankets outside for bundling up or picnicking. I also love a water feature and having that bubbling ambiance, along with items that encourage use like baskets for harvesting.

What’s the place that feels like the ultimate cozy space to you outside your home?

My greenhouse is so cozy and lovely. I have these cushy armchairs and a table for anyone who wants to sit while I’m piddling about, and there are all my terra cotta pots and the fresh scent of soil - it’s also my basket house where I keep dozens of baskets that I use and give to clients, so it gives that chic granny cozy vibe.

What about in your house?

In our house, I’d say it’s our master bed. It’s got all the pillows, the double duvet inserts, quilts, silk pillowcases, the whole cozy setup. Again, natural materials rule: silk, linen, cotton. After a long day, nothing is more cozy than tea in bed journaling.

What is your best advice for a beginner gardener?

Just get started and make it playful. Experiment, get dirty, buy plants you’re drawn too and let that be enough. Practically: start with herbs. They’re easy to keep alive and so fragrant and useful.

Nothing follows seasonal living like a garden. How has the garden inspired you to live seasonally in your day-to-day life?

It actually informed my entire life by reconnecting me with the rhythms of nature. We aren’t meant to hustle 24/7, too much sun wilts us and not enough depletes us. It’s inspired me to find balance naturally and live tuned in to my instincts, which are often mirrored back through the season.

Where are you finding your best inspiration these days?

Adventure! Anything from a new coffee shop to a weekend away, noticing how others adorn their restaurants and properties is really fun to unpack and getting out of my head and into spontaneous and new spaces really refreshes me.

Do you have a ritual or practice that helps you stay grounded?

Getting outside first thing in the morning to journal and then following that up with an evening recap - I’m in a deep phase of understanding why I am how I am, and love to get introspective. But the start to the day outside on the porch, no matter the weather, is what really sets my tone.

You’re getting set up with a cozy drink, a book, and a candle, what are you drinking, reading, and smelling?

I’m drinking a hot oat milk latte infused with nettle or palo santo, reading my great-aunt’s memoir or currently The War of Art, and smelling orange blossom. Perfect setup!

Thanks so much to Bailey for sharing her wisdom and inspiration with us! Be sure to give her a follow over on Instagram, order her book, Kitchen Garden Living. And of course, read her work on . Here are some recent favorites:

Tended

David Beckham has a very good garden. Here's what he got right.

David Beckham needs no introduction due to his multifaceted fame, but I love him most for his notorious love of gardening. He’s like, totally obsessed. He was featured in Country Life last fall, talking about his property, and I wanted to bring you along as I got granular with the design elements he chose. He’s also just been awarded a rose in his name at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show from David Austen Roses, which is a plot twist I honestly…

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3 months ago · 37 likes · Bailey Van Tassel

Tended

Not a soulmate, but a soul-pursuit

I was sent five Dearling pear tree seeds, in the hopes that I could help revive a once-thought extinct variety of pear. They came from New England, and while completely exciting and romantic and whimsical and timeless, it was also quite an ordinary event for me. I…

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4 months ago · 12 likes · Bailey Van Tassel

Hello sweet friends,

I’ve been home from Amsterdam for twenty-three days now and I still can’t stop thinking about a Dutch rabbit with a penchant for fine art, duck watching, and cycling through the tulips. Miffy is all over my Instagram feed and my Pinterest, but, more importantly, she’s hanging out with me in my home.

Despite historically not being a plushie girl, I can’t help but smile every time I see my little crochet Miffy in her overalls inspired by a painting by Rachel Ruysch. She reminds me of a week spent almost entirely outside with the exception of hours spent absorbing the work of some of the greatest artists who ever lived. She takes me back to wandering in the sunshine knowing that delight was waiting for me around every corner in the form of quaint cafes, breathtaking paintings, and tulip varieties I had to see to believe.

With Miffy, I brought home not only a piece of Amsterdam, but also the version of me that felt so alive there. This is how I approach souvenir shopping on my trips. Instead of things that proclaim “I WENT TO THIS PLACE” in bold and colorful lettering, I’m looking for things that capture the feeling of my trip. They aren’t obvious upon first glance, they become part of the fabric of my home.

Of course, you don’t need to bring home anything but memories. But what can I say, I’m a girl who loves things. And I want my things to tell the story of who I am, where I’ve been, and how those places have shaped me.

Let’s talk about Miffy.

When I first saw Miffy in the gift shop at the Van Gogh museum in an almond blossom dress, I was confused. I thought “what is Miffy doing here?” I was familiar with her as a character, beloved by design enthusiasts, but I couldn’t understand why I was seeing her in this context. The next day, wandering through millions of tulips at Keukenhof gardens, we came across a pair of oversized clogs outside of a tiny cottage, which turned out to be a Miffy shop. I turned to my husband and said, “Wait… is Miffy Dutch!?” Answer? Very much so.

In the shop, I tried to restrain myself. I picked up some Miffy clog slippers for my niece and nephew, ages 7 and 10 and a magnet for my fridge with Miffy riding a bike past a windmill. I thought I’d leave it there. Until the next day at the Rijksmuseum, when I saw the crochet Miffy again. This time, she was dressed like Vermeer’s famous milkmaid. I settled for buying an ornament for my niece.

Later that day, we took a stroll down a street in search of antiques. Across the street from a shop filled to the brim with Delft pottery, was a little shop called “nijntje” — Miffy’s Dutch name. After three close encounters, it felt like a sign. I marched on in and chose my perfect little crochet Miffy in her perfect little overalls. I carried her in my tote bag all day, pleased as punch.

After I got my Miffy, I started to see her everywhere — both in Amsterdam and on the internet. And in seeing her, I realized that I had always been a Miffy girl, I just didn’t know it yet. Miffy loves cozy hobbies and dreams of becoming an artist. She’s always down for an afternoon adventure and notices the small details, from the brushstrokes on a painting to the path of a tiny snail. Now, she jauntily leans on a lamp in my sitting room, where I see her every day and am reminded of the cozy whimsy within me.

New acquisitions to the museum of me.

As much as Miffy has now become everything to me, she’s not the only thing I brought home from Amsterdam.

On one side of my bookshelves, there’s a tiny cottage that I brought back from Scotland, that reminds me of the peaceful magic of the Highlands. Now, it has a neighbor that lives on the other side, across the gulf of the piano. It’s a blue and white canal house, reminiscent of the colors of the famous Delft tiles. It even has a tiny painted hook at the peak of the roof, just like the ones lining the canals. Our boat tour guide told us that since the houses, and thus the stairs, are so narrow, the hooks were used as a pulley system to bring furniture and goods to be traded up to the higher floors. It was a detail we would have otherwise missed, but then noticed as we wandered through the city. The tiny version on my bookshelf reminds me to take the slow path, to look up, and to be curious about the smallest details.

Just a few days before our trip, I saw that one of my new friends here in Madison was in Amsterdam. I immediately asked her for recommendations and she excitedly told me about the cutest home decor store. In her words: “Literally freaking out in the store with how much you’d love it.” Gosh, was she right. I love to get recommendations from friends who understand my taste. She absolutely nailed it. I wanted to buy every single thing in the store, but I walked out with a rainbow gingham tablecloth and some painted candles, plus a set of candle holders for my best friend. To anyone else, they don’t necessarily say, “Amsterdam,” but I’ll remember that feeling of being seen every time I lay the cloth over my table.

As we were planning our trip and I was exploring the shops and neighborhoods I wanted to explore, I was shocked when I saw Black Moon Botanica pop up on the map. When we went to Scotland in the fall of 2024, we visited Black Moon Botanica’s shop on Candlemaker Row the day before Halloween. I think about it all the time, the perfect pilgrimage for a beginner witch. Getting the chance to be there again, in another city across the North Sea felt like the goddess herself was inviting me in. So when I think about it, it’s no surprise that I literally saw myself inside. Flicking through a basket of art prints, I found a black and white sketch that, in a somewhat eerie way, depicts three women in flower crowns dancing in a circle who look exactly like me and my two book club besties. It now lives on the fantasy shelf on my bookshelf, the women’s magic circle never ending.

Carrying the feeling of Amsterdam back to the cottage.

One of my favorite ways to combat the post-trip blues is to read a book set in the place I just left. That means that one of our first stops tends to be to a local bookstore. In Amsterdam, we visited Athenaeum Boekhandel on our first day. It became one of our landmarks for navigating the neighborhood as we frequently said to each other, “let’s make our way back over by the bookshop and find a little cafe to sit at.” In the basement, there was an entire wall of cowboy romance, but it didn’t feel like quite the right thing to buy on this trip. Instead, I bought a copy of The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden, which is by a Dutch author and set in The Netherlands. I also picked up a beautiful copy of A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. This one has nothing to do with the trip, but she was pretty.

I loved that both of the art museums we visited also had bookshops. I was tempted by several letter collections between Vincent Van Gogh and his brother, Theo, but ultimately chose a historical fiction set between Amsterdam and Delft, Midnight Blue by Simone van der Vlugt.

Inspired by all the art I saw, I also brought home some hobby items. I picked out a puzzle at the Van Gogh museum that features fellow artists and friends having a picnic in a wheat field. I know that when I put it on my puzzle table at the cottage, it’ll take me right back to that morning wandering through the museum, surrounded by color. I also purchased a color-by-dots coloring book with paintings by some of my favorite impressionist artists. It’s going to be perfect for long, summer days in the garden.

Finally, there’s one more piece of Miffy: a cross stitch kit that features Miffy biking by a windmill. Needlework projects like this are perfect for reflecting, with the meditative and repetitive qualities they bring. I’m sure with each stitch, I’ll be transported back to Lisse among the tulips.

If you enjoyed this, I think you’d love these from the CP library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hi there, cozy friend!

It’s finally time to be outside basking in the sun and feeling the breeze on our skin. However, as a cozy, crafty girl, I don’t always want to leave the house. This is where all my hobbies are! But there are so many crafts and creative projects that you can do while also basking in the sun and feeling the breeze on your skin.

What makes a project well suited for outdoor crafting? There are two ends of the spectrum. The first is ease and transportability. These are the projects that can be thrown into a tote bag with a picnic blanket and taken with you to sit in the shade of a tree. The other side is the messy projects where you need space to spread out and don’t need to worry about destroying your home in the process.

We’ll dive into both types, from meditative crafts to more ambitious ones. Plus, I’ve suggested a starter project for each one.

Fiber crafts

Fiber crafting is essentially just repeatedly making stitches or knots that will eventually turn into something beautiful. It requires just enough focus and energy to feel like you’re accomplishing something, but also gives you space to zone out and relax.

• Needlepoint and embroidery. I’ve spent a lot of time sitting by a body of water working away on a needlepoint canvas. The repetitive motion feels meditative and relaxing, allowing me to focus on noticing what’s going on around me from the sounds of the birds to the feeling of the breeze.

  • A potential project: Head to the thrift store and find a soft, oversized pair of denim shorts or a big button down shirt then embroider little details to your heart’s content. Maybe it’s daisies along the hem or perhaps a patchwork of memories.

• Knitting. You might think of knitting as a cold weather activity, but there are many wonderful patterns that use cotton yarn that are perfect for summer.

  • A potential project: How cute would this striped tank be for summer evenings by the water with a crisp glass of wine in hand? Plus you’re setting yourself up for the best response to all the compliments you’re sure to receive: “thanks, I made it myself!”

• Woven friendship bracelets. Bring on the summer camp energy! I never went to sleepaway camp, but I do remember making these with my sister all the time. We had a Winnie the Pooh pillow that we safety pinned the end of the bracelet to, then we’d weave away for hours.

  • A potential project: I will definitely be making one of these daisy chain bracelets. You could do a bracelet or make a keychain or bag charm. This would be perfect to do with a group of friends too.

Crafts that make a mess.

One of the challenges we can face in sitting down to do a craft is the stress that it’s going to make a mess or we don’t have enough space inside. These are less suited for taking to the park and more for taking into your yard.

• Mosaics. Name a better combination than breaking things and then putting them back together in a new way. For tools, you just need a tile cutter, adhesive, and grout.

  • A potential project: I love a craft that starts at the thrift store. You can use vintage plates and cut them up to create your tiles. All you need is a surface to put your pieces on, like a board, a tabletop, or even a planter. Then choose your plates and arrange them however feels nice to your eye.

• Sidewalk chalk. Let your inner child free or get outside for a creative project with the kiddos in your life. No worries if you’re not a “good” artist. Eventually the rain will come and wash it all away.

  • A potential project: Take your box of chalk on a walk around your neighborhood and leave surprise whimsical drawings or notes of encouragement for your neighbors to find.

• Air dry clay. For this one, you’ll need an outdoor table either that you can hose off or covered in a drop cloth. If you’ve got the itch to make pottery but don’t want to go too deep too fast, air dry clay is a wonderful beginner medium. I like this kit that comes with paints and all the tools you need. I gave the kids version to my niece for her birthday. She and my nephew were big fans.

  • A potential project: In addition to portable crafts, I also love a little game that you can throw into a pouch and take on the go. To make a fruit themed tic tac toe set, all you have to do is create some little sphere or circles and paint them to look like your favorite fruit. You can use this glaze to make them look shiny like they came out of a kiln. If you’re feeling wild, you could make a chess or checkers set too!

Art with a little guidance.

Sometimes we want a craft that doesn’t require a ton of thought, but that still leaves us with the feeling, “wow, I made that!” If you don’t like to draw or need something to get you started, these are perfect.

• Coloring. Adult coloring books were all the rage a few years ago, but now it seems like we’re generally craving something a bit more simple. I’m no longer looking for something I have no hope of finishing in one sitting, with tiny little patterns. Instead, I’m loving simple, cozy scenes that I can complete in an hour or so.

  • A potential project: I’ve had this Cozy Corner coloring book on my wishlist for a while. I also want to get some alcohol ink markers to use with it! I’m usually a colored pencil gal, but I’m interested in the richness that the markers can create.

• Sticker by numbers. It’s hard to take a puzzle outside with the risk of losing the pieces. Sometimes you also don’t want to carry a bunch of paints, pencils, or markers when you’re on the go. Enter: sticker by numbers books. It’s just like a paint by numbers, except you’re filling in the pieces with stickers. This seems like a delightful project to bring to your local outdoor biergarten.

  • A potential project: My fellow ‘90s kids will squeal with delight at this Mary Engelbreit sticker by numbers book. This enchanted garden one is gorgeous, too.

• Watercolor. I once saw a girl on the internet make her painting using water she scooped out of the lake from the dock where she painted. I can’t speak to the efficacy, but the whimsy factor is high. I have this travel watercolor set on my wishlist.

  • A potential project: I have multiple watercolor workbooks by Emily Lex. She guides you step by step how to paint each image. There are tons of themes, from seaside to camping to flowers.

Flower crafts

This time of year, nature is supplying us with all sorts of colorful craft supplies, right in the garden.

• Flower crowns. There’s nothing that makes me feel like a fairy princess more than wearing a flower crown. I usually buy one at the Renaissance Faire each year that’s made of faux flowers, but this year I want to make a fresh one, even if I know if will be fleeting.

  • A potential project: Go for the easiest flower crown, the humble daisy chain. You don’t even need any tools, just some time spent dreaming in a field, just like Alice before she heads off to Wonderland.

• Pressing flowers. I’ve bought many pressed flowers from the internet, but this year I’m determined to collect and press my own. It’s sort of amazing that you can take something so fleeting and hold onto it forever. This pocket flower press is perfect for your collections.

  • A potential project: You can use your pressed flowers to make a bookmark! You just need a clear bookmark, your flowers, and some mod podge. Easy peasy.

• Flower pounding. Instead of breaking things, this craft involved whacking and hammering. The perfect metaphor for us as women, soft but incredibly strong. Did you know that if you hammer fresh flowers into fabric their color will transfer to create a sort of block print pattern? This way you can take a piece of your garden wherever you go.

  • A potential project: What do you know, we’re at the thrift store again. Find a plain white cotton sheet or piece of fabric and lay out your flowers. Turn it into a tablecloth or use the fabric for future sewing projects.

I hope you make something beautiful this season. Please come back and share your creations with us.

Now get outside!

If you liked this, you’ll probably enjoy these from the CP Library:

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

A blessed (belated) Beltane, my cozy loves!

While in some parts of the world the heat might be starting to creep in, here in Wisconsin, it finally feels like the magical spring we dreamed of throughout the long winter. These are the days for sitting near the open window, hearing the birdsong and watching the curtains flutter in the breeze. The tulips are blooming and it’s almost time to officially start planting summer flowers in the garden.

Beltane is the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. We’re celebrating the earth’s awakening and the possibility it brings. It’s heavily associated with fire, just like the wands suit in tarot, which represents action. We’re no longer in a season of dreaming, we’re taking advantage of longer days and warmer weather to get out there and make those dreams come true. Let’s get into it.

🌷 Fertile ground and fertile spirit:

At the core, Beltane is a fertility festival when we celebrate all the earth has to offer us as well as the possibilities we have for creation within ourselves. It’s the perfect to plant — literally and figuratively.

• The colors are finally returning, with green appearing seemingly overnight after a big rainstorm and the first pink flowers starting to appear. We can add even more color by hanging colorful ribbons or bunting. If you’re also a sewist, it’s the perfect way to use up some fabric scraps.

• I’ve loved seeing people online hosting swap parties in their homes. Essentially, everyone brings something to share like jars of jam, homemade scrunchies, or bags of granola. It’s such a fun way for people to express their creativity in a way that aligns with their own interests. Have some cold brew and pastries on hand and you’ve got the perfect low stakes spring gathering.

• Get your plants in the ground. I always remember ’s advice: the best fertilizer is a gardener’s shadow. I am determined to recommit to my garden this year, to visit her each day and check on the little plant babies. But I’m also going for ease. I’ll start my cut flowers from seed, but otherwise, I’m buying plant starts from the nursery and filling my garden with color. I am prioritizing getting my hands in the dirt and feeling the ground under my feet, not perfection.

• While we tend our gardens, we can also tend to our minds. If you’re like me, perhaps you tend to read only fiction. I think there’s a lot to learn from stories, but this could also be a great opportunity to learn something new from a non-fiction book. If you need ideas, I’ve personally had this book on my nightstand for over a year and this is one of my friend’s all time favorite books.

• Unleash your creativity. I personally have no plans to birth any human children, but that doesn’t mean I’m not on a mission to create. One of the core tenets of my life is the idea that making things is magic. I encourage you to pick a project and create something with your own two hands.

Need some ideas? Make sure you’re subscribed! Next week, we’re talking about crafts to do outside.

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🍓 Lean in to strawberry season:

I believe the “strawberry girl aesthetic” was a micro trend on the internet a couple years ago. I may be late to that trend, but strawberries have been important for this time of year for centuries. They represent fertility, love, and abundance.

• Make strawberry sandos. I made these for a flower arranging party I had over the weekend. They’re so much easier (both to make and eat) than a layered cake, but have that same strawberries and cream feeling. Part Japanese convenience store, part Bridgerton.

• Add this strawberry peanut granola to your yogurt bowls. At the same time salty and sweet, this is probably the best granola I’ve ever had. It’s a bit splurgy, but consider it a special springtime treat.

• Go strawberry picking. I have never been before, but this year I am determined. What could be more wholesome than fresh, juicy berries picked right off the vine? If strawberries don’t grow near you, see which fruits do and take a trip to the fields!

• I love the idea of a “scent of the season” and I think this strawberry letter perfume would be just perfect.

• I also love to have a signature outfit for the season and last year it was absolutely my strawberry skirt, which is sadly no longer available. But I love this cherry checked dress and this one with a strawberry print! I’ll be adding a red and white polka dot dress/skirt to my thrift list this season, too!

Release the fire within:

During Imbolc, we talked a lot about stoking your inner fire and finding your glow. Now, it’s time to let the wildfire with you burn. It’s not only a time to follow the passions that light you up, it’s also a time to tend to your physical body’s needs.

• Host a bonfire. Last year, we got our fire pit going in our backyard for both Beltane and Memorial Day. We pulled all our patio furniture and a multitude of quilts down by the water and lingered until the sun went down.

• Of course, lighting candles is always a good idea. I’ve been burning this garden mint candle by Candlefolk almost every day since I bought it. It smells just like when the scent of herbs flows in on the breeze. I especially love to light a candle when I’m reading tarot or writing in my journal.

• Dance with wild abandon. When was the last time you twirled? There’s nothing quite like wearing the perfect twirly skirt, walking barefoot into the grass, and starting to spin. It takes me back to the feeling of childhood wonder, when the world around is spinning so fast it almost feels like flying.

• We started the year gently, giving ourselves time to dream and plan. Now is the time to let loose and ignite your inner fire towards your passions. Take the trip you’ve been dreaming about. Start the project that you get out of your brain. It’s time to make the big moves.

• During Beltane, we celebrate the sacred union of the god and goddess. During this season, prioritize pleasure. Maybe that’s with a partner or maybe it’s in a really beautiful meal, a massage, or a really sweaty yoga class with a friend. No matter what, in the words of Adriene Mischler, “find what feels good.”

I hope this season brings you creativity and helps you move forward toward all your dreams!

Sending magic your way!

If you liked this post, you’ll probably also enjoy these from the CP Library.

And if you want more cozy vibes, you can catch me most days at the cottage over on the ‘gram.

Hello there, sweet friend!

One of the best parts of being on Substack has been the people whose worlds I’ve had the privilege of stepping into. I’ve loved discovering the tiny rituals and routines, the everyday magic, and the slow moments that make up a life different from mine. Through their stories, I’m transported to the English countryside, the coast of Maine, and a sweet little town in Vermont.

That’s where we’ll find , creator of , one of my very favorite newsletters. I immediately recognized Brittany as a kindred spirit, someone who approaches life seasonally, searches for beauty in the mundane, creating a cozy life for herself and her family while also going gently on our planet.

I’m so excited to share Brittany’s take on cozy living, sustainability, and moving with the seasons. Shall we get into it?

What does “cozy” mean to you?

Cozy to me is ease, comfort, safety, and a state of bliss. It’s being wrapped in my favorite blanket, softest sweater, or the arms of my husband. It’s waking up on a weekend morning in the familiar warmth of my bed with the rhythm of my children’s breathing beside me. It’s a candle flickering on my kitchen counter as I prepare dinner with music as my company. It’s being lost in the pages of a really good book, or sitting in the shade of a big maple tree on a warm summer day with nowhere to be. It’s feeling good in my body – nourished, rested, emotionally nurtured, kind to myself, and safe. Cozy is a state of mind, a deep appreciation for all that I’m blessed with in the current moment.

What’s your philosophy for bringing a cozy feeling into your home?

A cozy feeling engages all of the senses. It’s warm lighting from candles and lamps, soft surfaces from well-loved cushions and blankets, the scent of dinner simmering or fragrant lilacs clipped from the backyard, framed images of your favorite people, art that makes you pause, or notes and drawings created by the hands of someone you love. The experiences we share at home are also key to a cozy feeling – the taste of homemade pizza enjoyed on the couch with company, or a juicy bite of crisp, fresh apple from an overflowing bowl on the counter, picked from the orchard. And the sounds we invite in – children giggling, a favorite record spinning, the sound of morning birdsong through an open window, late night conversations with heavy eyelids. A cozy feeling is something we create with our senses and take the time to notice.

What’s the place that feels like the ultimate cozy space to you outside your home?

The library! I always feel at ease in the library, surrounded by books, people from my community, and the familiar faces of the library staff. In the summer, the air-conditioned space is a refuge from the humidity while my kids gather up stacks of books and submit raffle tickets for the summer reading challenge. In the fall, there’s an air of back-to-school nostalgia that motivates me to reset our routines and prepare for a full season of sports and seasonal festivities. In the winter, it’s a reprieve to be greeted by the warm fireplace at the entrance and walk out with totes stuffed with books to enjoy at home beside our own fireplace. And in the spring, it’s a place where gratitude overwhelms me – from the resources and seed library that support our gardening efforts, to the spring break activities my kids get to enjoy, to the feeling of satisfaction on a busy afternoon watching crowds of people come in to enjoy the resources and books.

What about in your house?

My bed is the ultimate cozy space. I will crawl under my sheets at the end of the day and feel a wash of comfort come over me. Most days, when I get into bed, I lie there for a moment and soak in the softness of my linen sheets and gratitude for another day. I love to get into bed and read until I am sleepy (which doesn’t take long!). I have a big body pillow I curl up with that makes me feel like I’m weightless, sleeping on a cloud. Through the night I’m frequently woken by one of my four children, and when I lie back down (usually with one or two of them curled up next to me) I feel soothed by their presence and to be a source of safety and comfort to them. The same is true with my husband; if I wake up from a bad dream, I’m quickly settled knowing he’s next to me. And I love the feeling of waking up in my bed on a weekend morning, sun shining, and the promise of a full day ahead with my favorite people.

Do you have a ritual or practice that helps you stay grounded?

When I’m having a tough day or feeling especially sensitive to the passing of time (especially with young children), I write 5 things I’m grateful for in a journal that I keep just for these types of entries. It always grounds me in what matters most and how my time is being spent. Going out into my neighborhood for walks is also grounding to me – chatting with neighbors, admiring the wildlife that coexists with us, and listening to the observations my children make. I try to go on a walk daily, if I can.

What’s your favorite way to inject joy and magic into your every day?

By noticing. Tuning into the small details that exist around me – the dappled sunlight dancing on a wall, birdsong, squirrels chasing each other in my yard, a delicious homemade meal or coffee, savoring the sound of my children’s voices, watching someone walking along the street or waiting at the bus stop, spotting the moon in broad daylight, saying hello to people I interact with throughout my day, etc. So many small moments happen all day long that are easily missed without looking for them. Taking the time to notice something that would otherwise be missed reminds me that there is so much good to celebrate in the world, that the existence of all of these things, and myself, is pure magic.

You literally wrote the book on romanticizing winter. How do you approach living seasonally?

The natural world is my season guide. There is so much to learn from just watching animals and plants do their thing – from the way plants and animals rest, to when they flourish, and everything in between. I’ve learned to embrace the cadence of the world outside and give myself permission to follow its lead from my routines to what is on my plate.

I also lean heavily on nostalgia and the rhythms of my life that have been baked into my bones, mostly in accordance with education. I was a student and then worked in education for 7 years, and now that I have children of my own, I’m still immersed in the patterns of the school year. I like to tap into that aspect of myself – fall and back-to-school excitement, spring fever, and the anticipation of summer, and living loose and free June through August, new routines and structure in the fall.

How does sustainability factor into the ways you approach cozy living for yourself and your family?

Thinking about the future for all life on this planet is something I try to be conscious of with every decision I make. I can’t feel “cozy” if my choices are causing discomfort for something else be it the environment and its resources, the animals, or people in harsh working conditions or living in areas most negatively impacted by the consequences of climate change. It’s safe to say it factors in significantly. I try to eat, shop, and consume in ways that cause the least harm as much as I can, and I’ve never had to compromise comfort to do so. Sustainability connects to everything I care about, and making empowered choices, all day long, that reduce strain on the environment brings me comfort.

You’re a master thrifter. Will you share your best thrifting tip with us?

As someone relatively new to regular thrifting practices, my best thrifting tip is to walk in the door! Figure out what thrift shops are around you and determine when you can pop in, even if just for 5-10 minutes. Keep a list of items you need and want, and I’m certain you’ll find most of them at the thrift store. Fold thrifting into your routine – stop in on Wednesdays on your way home from work, or en route to your grocery store. Inventory is constantly turning over, so create a routine that ensures you can walk in the door regularly. The more time you spend thrifting, the more you will figure out how to make it work for you. Invite a friend along and have fun with it!

You’re getting set up with a cozy drink, a book, and a candle, what are you drinking, reading, and smelling?

Dream!! I’m drinking an iced lavender oat milk latte if it’s spring or summer, or a hot salted maple latte if it’s fall or winter. I’m a mood reader, so I’m reading my current book, ideally something reflective of the season – right now I’m reading The Ten Year Affair by Erin Sommers1. And I’m burning something fresh and citrusy or floral, like the Sunday Morning candle from Brooklyn Candle Studio.

Thank you so much, Brittany, for sharing your wisdom with us! Be sure to check out her work! I recommend starting with her “Lovin’ Lately” series.

In Joy with Brittany Viklund

Lovin' Lately no. 40: April

Lovin’ Lately is a monthly roundup of the good things in life and the sentiments I’m carrying into the upcoming month. Imagine we’re catching up over coffee, and I’m gushing about what I’ve been Lovin’ Lately…

Read more

5 months ago · 173 likes · 67 comments · Brittany Viklund