When I posted my latest TikTok....in February, I was fresh off setting the goal of sharing 12 videos in 2026. That’s once a month, how hard could it be? At that time, I had just left my job at Columbia to pursue my freelance career full time and overnight my time became more concretely monetized. I had the exact number I needed to charge clients per hour to recoup my salary. The one client I didn’t account for, of course, was myself. Out of curiosity, I tracked the time it took me to make my last video and the roughly 18 hour timestamp felt increasingly hard to justify against my paying clients. Sylvie held me to my goal though, motivating me at our weekly study halls, but every time that 18 hours intimidated me and I let my deadlines slide.

So now, I’m publicly asking for accountability from you, our subscribers. It was actually during one of our study halls that this idea took shape. When I started to post on TikTok, Sylvie mentioned that “Circle Back” would be a great title for a series on adaptive reuse.

Adaptive reuse is the practice of repurposing and reimagining existing structures that have outlived their original purpose.

This is how many of our conversations and brainstorms go. We release something into the world and then spend weeks thinking about all of the ways we can share it, expand it, and grow it. Our wheels turn and turn and usually it’s just a matter of time before one of us actually does the thing. (for example, we finally made a ShopMy storefront for our Treasure Trove recommendations). It’s a beautiful thing to have a friend you can endlessly iterate and dream with and it’s exactly what makes this long-distance desk work. When an idea does stick, we circle back, sharing what it was that stuck with us in the first place.

As Sylvie welcomes a new member into her family (!!!!!), now feels like the moment for me to revisit adaptive reuse. In other words, for the next few months Circle Back will be transformed into a letter all about inspiring examples of reuse. There will be videos too!

With that, I present to you my very public editorial calendar, and I’m asking all of you to hold me accountable. I really mean it. There is nothing more motivating than shame-based accountability. See below.

Here’s how you can support

• Share this letter with a friend

• Use the words “adaptive reuse” in a sentence

• See something you think is smart reuse? My inbox is open or add it directly to the edit cal

See you in two weeks!

x Ilana

Inspired by Sandy Sanchez’s 58 really specific things to do in NYC this summer, we decided to make our own list of 50 things to do in the last 50 days of ~official~ summer.

Here are our suggestions, including lots of cold treats, time with friends, and a few ways to wring out the last sweaty beads of summer.

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50 Things to do in the Last 50 days of Summer

1. Eat ice cream for breakfast

2. Take a walk with a popsicle (try the Guava Passionfruit from Trader Joes, trust us)

3. Order a piña colada for the table – our favorite is at Long Island Bar

4. Enjoy a shower beer (bonus points if it’s an outdoor shower)

5. Purchase a sun hat (and wear it)

6. Grill with, or for, some friends

7. Take an outdoor workout class, like the rooftop yoga at Brooklyn Grange Farm

8. Eat a cold noodle salad in a park

9. Eat corn off the cob, like in a pasta

10. Make a beaded necklace on the beach

11. Buy the perfect pair of pants for when it’s so hot, but you simply can’t do shorts

12. Find city-safe sandals

13. Go to Coney Island

14. Buy too many Sungolds at the FarMar (see also #33)

15. Meet friends at a diner on a weekday morning for breakfast

16. Bike over a bridge after dark

17. See a daytime movie

18. Concoct the perfect at-home iced tea

19. Get a large basil plant and make lots of pesto to freeze for winter

20. Rearrange your furniture to feel something new

21. Tell a stranger you like their outfit

22. Run through the sprinkler

23. Stargaze, it’s the perfect time! The Perseid meteor shower peaks on August 12

24. Blast your AC and cozy up under the duvet

25. Make the viral olive oil lemonade

26. Go on a hike

27. Play a ball game (pool, tennis, soccer, basketball, beach volleyball etc.)

28. Document a tan line and add it to a reminder for February to remind you of good times

29. Read at least one chapter outside

30. Order an ice cream sundae

31. Hear live music outside

32. Take a new route home

33. Spend way too much money at the FarMar

34. Splurge on the extra 10 minutes of a foot massage during a pedicure

35. Escape the heat at a museum. We recommend NY folks catch the last week of Céleste Boursier-Mougenot’s clinamen at the Park Ave Armory.

36. Watch Jaws while eating Scandinavian swimmers

37. Press flowers between a big book, forget about it until winter

38. Split a slice of pie à la mode

39. Jump into the ocean

40. Replace all of your underwear

41. Cut the neck of a worn-in tee, crop a tank, or slice a hole in the knees of old jeans

42. Play shoe golf

43. Go beachcombing (and show us your finds!)

44. Eat a really juicy piece of stone fruit

45. Text a cutie

46. Hug a baby

47. Wear a bathing suit, not at the beach

48. Pet a puppy

49. Wear an all-white outfit

50. Eat fried food served in a paper tray

A trove of items to close out summer in the best way possible.

1. For #49, let these white snap pants be your base.

2. If #40 is your priority these next 50 days, we like these 100% cotton undies that are cheeky and cute, while also being good for your tush.

3. For #5, we like this sunhat, it’s light and classy. They’re also flexible enough to pack into your suitcase.

4. Put your farmers market summer fruit (#33) to work with these really chic and fun stainless steel popsicles molds.

5. The inspiration for our beading project (#10) until we can find an occasion (and budget) to treat ourselves to the real thing.

6. For #12, we recommend the thick tread and high sides of the Jalen Leather Sandals. They’re a bumper for your feet.

7. A pitcher for your iced tea (#18). Glass is tricky business when it comes to iced drinks, so we’d go for a ceramic variety or this metal one would do, too.

8. Check off #38 by giving yourself an excuse to be possession of the best pie in NY this summer (or drive to Magpies if you find yourself Upstate).

   Thanks for reading Circle Back! Let us know, whats on your ‘50 days’ list?

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FROM THE LONG DISTANCE DESK OF SYLVIE & ILANA

This summer, we’ve been sweating the small stuff, the big stuff and everything in between. Literally. Despite rolling heat waves and apocalyptic-looking skies, we haven’t stopped lounging for hours poolside, spending a little too much on summer apparel, or indulging in many frozen treats to cool off. Here’s how we’re sweating.

SYLVIE 📍CAMBRIDGE

Sweaty hands from the cold foam at La Saison bakery, dangerously close to our home in Cambridge.
Instead of joining in on the Boston slander (which is just too easy), I’ve decided to embrace my new (old) city and appreciate the places that really are exceptional, like this Persian bakery with its feta-zaatar sones, perfect olive sourdough loaves, and my newest discovery: their creamy, decadent, coconut cold foam. By the time I get home, though, my hands are both frozen and sweaty… maybe I should invest in a Karryokah?

Still sweating post-shower, but less when I get my hands on the Autumn Sonata robe.
I’m a big robe girl these days. I love to fall asleep in one after the mid-afternoon shower. The one I’m currently working with was a wedding gift that’s gotten a little ratty, and I’ve got my eyes on this beautiful, patterned robe with a little button at the top for extra security.

No-sweat oral care system from Köppen.
I started with their beautiful copper tongue scraper to replace a gross, old one, and then they generously shared the entire system with me. I was once a brush 2x a day and floss (most nights) kinda girl, but their whole system has me stepping it up. Each item is more beautiful than the last, and it makes me enjoy the whole process the way I do skincare. I especially love the floss and mouthwash (which comes with a tiny beaker).

Sweat-no-more with a homemade raspberry-lime-rickey.
It’s extra tart due to Natalie’s lime juice and sweetened with 100% French raspberry juice puree. The recipe is simple: lots, lots, then even more nugget ice, mostly seltzer, a large splash of lime juice, and a smaller splash of raspberry, then mix with your metal straw and sip.

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ILANA 📍WELLFLEET

Sweating in my new hat from Honolulu Pawn Shop.
A cool girl I met at the Fort Greene farmer’s market posted this brand on her story and I was upset I hadn’t heard about them until now! Some of you may know I’ve been on a years long journey to learn how to surf and while I’m still very much in my novice era, I feel justifiably swagged out in their Queens to Queens collection.

Sweating from five flights of stairs at the Judd Foundation visit and tour.
This was everything an architecture tour should be: informative, intimate, with zero pressure to engage beyond just luxuriating in the genius of the factory-turned home and studio. Now prototyping floor light switches, closet sinks, and bench rugs.

Sweating while preheating my oven for Chez Panisses’ Blueberry Cobbler.
If bluebs must be cooked (lets say, to avoid a parasite) this is the only way to eat them: bubbling in a delicate mixture of sugar and lemon zest (this is my own addition) framed by buttery bits of biscuit-like topping. It’s as good in the morning with yogurt as it is as dessert topped with vanilla bean ice cream.

[Not] sweating in my new linen sheets courtesy of Thuma.
Sleeping in my Thuma sheets on my Thuma bedframe is the equivalent of wearing a matching PJ set. I don’t necessarily need it to sleep, but waking up and making my bed just feels a bit more delightful and cinematic when this level of coordination is involved.

And finally…showering with Welcome Soap.
On my recent adventure around California, a friend and I entered our accommodations eager to explore every nook and cranny of the Sea Ranch property we had somehow found ourselves staying in for the night. After separately surveying the scene, we rejoined with the same curious glint in our eyes: “Did you see the three packaged welcome soaps in the bathroom?”

I can’t recall the first time I saw Welcome Soap. Was it hanging on the bathroom wall of a chic friend? Or neatly stacked on the shelf of a local shoppy shop? Either way, the realistic gils, opalescent surface, and inviting fish shape that’s equal parts form and function has stuck with me. A further deep dive into its origins and the symbolism around it has too: “Tamanohada, a historic soap manufacturer founded in Tokyo in 1892, created the artisan, fish-shaped “Welcome Soap” as an expression of Japanese omotenashi (hospitality). It is molded into the shape of a tai (red sea bream), a traditional Japanese symbol of prosperity and good fortune.” I have two perfect hooks in my bathroom for Welcome Soap: one in my shower and one on my wall. Stay tuned on how and when I decide to welcome the soap into my life.

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A sweat-fueled collection of goods to make high summer a drop more cool.

1. Goldie’s swim tanks are heat-wave approved street apparel and encourage spontaneous runs through sprinklers.

2. Ever since seeing Saipua soap pop up at cool spots in and around New York (like at the new Berkshire hotspot, Walker Street Market) we’ve been ‘sweating’ to get our hands on a bar wash away the smells and stick of summer days.

3. Imagine showing up to a park picnic with this handheld fan. Absolute queen behavior.

4. The SOS Skin Spray from Tower28 does exactly as it’s name suggests and has a home in our bags all summer long.

5. Hot nights make for busy bugs (and don’t even get us started on the whole tick situation). We’re intrigued by Mimikai bug repellent for mosquitoes and ticks, with the main ingredient: Methyl Nonyl Ketone, a naturally occurring compound found in wild tomato plants, bananas, cloves, ginger, and guava… who knew?!

6. Karryokah: “A kute way to karry your cup,” all handmade. It’s a purse for your bevvy!

7. Linen sheets are the only way to sleep, and Thuma’s are verified heatwave approved.

Welcome to the annual Circle Back Summer Reading List. Think melty ice cream cones and warped paperbacks, kindles in chaise loungers, and sticky pages read poolside.

We cast a wide net, reaching out to group chats, friendlies, mentors, subscribers, strangers and more to source another reading list. We’ve noticed our circles are swirling between genres this summer, with several readers enthusiastically recommending Lena Dunham’s Famesick and others sharing steamy beach reads and classics in the same breath.

This week’s Treasure Trove is curated to support your reading experience, whether you’re reading in front of a blasting AC or a lapping coastline.

Happy summer and happy reading!

Clara N: “Ok what I read recently and loved: Transcription by Ben Lerner, Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill. Currently reading The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro...and then may read Anna Karenina next….which I know is crazy hahah”
•
Daniel R: “My last two reads were The Keeper by Tana French (the latest from the queen of Irish crime) and Keith McNally’s memoir I Regret Almost Everything (in preparation for bistro summer, I do not condone his Woody Allen opinions, etc). Just started The Stranger by Albert Camus, which I want to read before seeing the new film adaptation (which looks sexy and depressing.)”
•
Dee W: “The Left Hand of Darkness rn and wish I had a book club to talk about it with!”
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Diana H: “London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe, one of our greatest living journalists who makes turning a massive amount of research into a compelling narrative look like easy work, I am in awe of him and will read anything he writes. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley which I’m told will expand my framework for thinking about pharma and capitalism. Norteña by Mexican pop/folk singer Julieta Venegas, with whom I share an ex, for gossip reasons. But also she’s extremely active on goodreads and an incisive critic so I know it will be good.

On Eating by Alicia Kennedy, I’m obsessed with her moral clarity and insistence that all food is political. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy, which a friend recommended and which is also apparently going to blow my mind about Pharma and illness. I’m probably also going to read Emma by Jane Austen who I continue to say is the master of writing about being surrounded by annoying people, a situation with which I’m familiar.”

Gillian G: “Currently reading and recommend: Empire of AI. Brilliantly narrated by the author in the audiobook and a perfect example of timely journalism that will be relevant for years. Some of the best AI writing I’ve read. Just finished Everyman by Roth and unfortunately it is a small work of genius about what it means that we all die. On my bedside table: Paradise Logic, interesting semi-experimental fiction. Not perfect, but deeply felt and interesting. Vineland, I love Pynchon but just have never finished this one. Was reading One Battle After Another and the book was so good I could not in fact enjoy the movie.

To read list includes: Some Southern Gothic hits, thinking Faulkner Absalom Absalom! Surveillance Capitalism. I think it’s finally time. Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City.

Reading and enjoying Famesick, duh. Also about to finish the Bee Sting, which I thought for a second might be a work of genius, but now I think it’s just a very good and devastating novel.”
•
Ian Z: “​​I’m currently reading The Wonderful World That Almost Was (new Peter Hujar/Paul Thiel book) which feels like a fun gay summer read; and then Maggie Nelson’s The Art of Cruelty is on my radar along with Anne Carson’s Autobiography of Red.

My saves were: The Poetics of Space by Bachelard (which I’ve tried to read but struggled with), Factotum by Bukowski (Jonathan Olivares’s pick!), The Years by Annie Ernaux (per Mindy Seu’s rec)”

Libby D: “I’ve been eyeing Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It for a beach read and Buckeye by Patrick Ryan for more serious. My book club just read the Island of the Sea Women by Lisa See and I would recommend.”
•
Lila E: “My book club is reading Wellness by Nathan Hill next month 👀 can’t vouch for it yet but I’m excited.”
•
Miranda H: “Just finished Strangers by Belle Burden. White Women Bibile. Picking up Heart the Lover by Emily King tomorrow.”

Rachel L: “Oooh well I’m currently reading Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence and the dystopian book We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, that we both picked up at a literary festival in Wales–so extremely random. Also on my to-read list: Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima, The Poetics of Space by Bachelard, System of Object by Baudrillard, Susan Sontag’s Notes on Camp, and Confessions of an Art Addict by Peggy Guggenheim.
•
Tara C: “Ooooo I just finished Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash and gave it 5 stars. I also just finished Lena Dunham’s memoir Famesick and loved it. My next reads are: Kin by Tayari Jones, Smallie by Eden McKenzie-Goddard, A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews, So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder.”
•
Juliana R: not necessarily new, but… Famesick, The Tell, and Good People.

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1. DMY Sunnies, offered in universally flattering shapes and colorways (many of which are on sale!), for reading–or stealth people watching–at your local coffee shop.

2. We’d show off our summer reading with Shopu’s MIKAN bag, sliding a paperback between the netting by artisans in Shizuoka

3. Read in a field, tick-free with Zapwear’s bug protection pant.

4. A cheeky supersized towel from cool girl label, Emily Dawn Long, to justify reading while nude.

5. This linen striped sweater from Nothing Written screams slow summer evening reading on the porch.

6. On our recent stay at Argyll House, we were reminded just how good Helen Levy Mugs are. The Daily Mug in “Beach” is summer reading-friendly.

7. Circle Back-approved gentle sunscreen and UPF 50+ headscarf for reading during Peak UV index hours.

8. Cake from Lucie: For a different kind of reading experience, with a beautiful and delicious outcome guaranteed.

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In our previous letter, we mentioned Argyll House, a boutique home rental in Litchfield County, Connecticut. This weekend, we had the pleasure of spending a few blissful days amongst its manicured lawns, stone walls, and delightfully whimsical rooms. We cuddled by the fire, pulled pasta-themed (!) tarot cards, ate delicious food prepared by a local chef, and skipped around the lawns trying our best to avoid the inevitable ticks.

The house is full of treasures. In the morning, we’d gather in the kitchen to discuss all the things that caught our eye and all the things we took pictures of so we could bring into our own (far less estate-ly) homes.

Here are some of the goods we saved for our current (and future) homes:

• Shinto Inner Pile Towels were in all of our bathrooms. At first I was worried because the towels are quite small… but they’re the most extraordinarily absorbent towels I’ve ever used and everyone in the house came downstairs remarking just how impressed they were by the small but mighty cloth.

• A seat or a tabletop, we adored these sweet Vitra Cork Stools that were scattered throughout the great room. How fun that there are so many shapes you can pick from!

• The kitchen was well stocked with sturdy Fat & Felt Tableware, a Philly based handmade ceramics company that makes fairly affordable dishware sets in all the best colors and sizes.

• Two Beata Heuman Paper Bag Bell Pendants hang about the kitchen island and they’re perfect. They’re a bit out of our budget, but our brilliant friend Jenna suggested we could probably commission someone to make a linen skirt for a pendant and make a pretty great dupe.

• Must admit, we’ve always been skeptical of Flamingo Estate. Can something this viral actually be good?! The candles are. They really are that good. Flamingo Estate Candle in Agrogento Olive Tree & Tuscan Rosemary to make your home smell really good.

• An iconic Camaleonda Sofa, in a French-ish blue, anchors the Great Room. Designed in 1970 by Mario Bellini, it achieves a rare firm-to-squish balance: surprisingly comfortable, fully nap-able, and infinitely modular thanks to its characteristic cable, hook, and carabiner system.

• Bonus mention of this Pasta Tarot set, which was beginner-friendly for us novice-card readers and taught us about many pasta shapes we didn’t know existed!

If you want to spend a weekend amongst these treasures and design icons, book yourself a getaway at Argyll. You won’t regret it.

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…another example….

And concluded, with a 20-minute broad search (supported by the Circle Back approved Time-Timer) into our notes app, recents, saves, Pinterest feeds, and Substack notes to get a bit more of a handle on what’s been catching our eye lately. Here’s what we found:

• We’ve plugged these pants in our Treasure Trove before, but now that we’re both proud owners of the wool varietal, we can confidently say: Brooke Callaghan Tie Pants will suit you from hot girl to hot mama. You heard that right, Sylvie is pregnant!! Come August 2026, Circle Back will have the youngest Substack subscriber known to man!

• Our minds have always converged for Circle Back, but now we’re collaborating off the page too, and it feels 100% right. We’re delighted to be working with Argyll House (in separate capacities), a dreamy Cotswolds-inspired house in the Connecticut Countryside that we’d love to invite all our subscribers to one weekend.

• Daylight savings has us both thinking a lot about lamps. Lamps handmade in Europe, specifically. Meet Baguette Studio and Marten Herma Anderson.

• We’re loving the resurgence of advice columns, classifieds, and personals (is there a broad term for this type of column?) For The Drift’s second advice letter, advice-seeker Meg grapples with the big question: As a freelancer who can live anywhere, where the heck should I live?! This is something we’ve both thought about a lot recently.

  “When presented with an almost endless amount of choices about where to move, I’m stuck. So, where should I go?” In her response, Drift Editor, Sophie, struck a chord. “Optionality can quickly become its own kind of prison,” she writes. And we agree. But her advice is satisfyingly simple — “move to the place where you know the most people you love.”

  What do you think? Share with us, and each other, in the comments, please.

FROM THE DESK OF SYLVIE 📍Cambridge, MA

• Yes! I moved! No more Hudson... for now. Penned a survey of local nightlife as my departing gift.

  

• Even though I’m part of the wired headphone club, I can’t get this chic Italian AirPod case out of my mind.

• When I return to Berlin, I want to stay at this prison-turned-hotel. The rooms are bright and delightfully un-prison-like with Copenhagen-based Frama bathing amenities. There’s an in-house bakery for Brot (a main food group when I’m in Berlin), and there are verdant grounds surrounding the old brick building. Plus a sauna and a rooftop pool. I don’t often think to stay in Charlottenburg, but there’s a first for everything! (P.S. If you’re also interested in this kind of thing, go see Ilana’s adaptive-reuse-obsessed TikTok.)

• Unfortunately, I couldn’t experience New York’s first outdoor “public” sauna park (since: pregnant), but I have a lot of thoughts on the entire thing (and all the content that came of it). I appreciate this candid take.

• Letter of recommendation for Imagine, the new cafe I’d like to be a regular at with Iggy’s treats and a working fireplace, it almost feels more like Santa Fe than Cambridge.

• A friend of a friend’s partner in Hudson started The Studio Grand, which just launched its first collection, including these party hats that are made from antique fabrics and textiles. Perhaps I should get a bunch for a couple of gals turning 30 in June ;)

FROM THE DESK OF ILANA 📍Brooklyn, NY

• Tart Vinegar, a small-batch raw vinegar company with a devoted Substack. Their recent carrot vinegar drop includes some of the most genuine product photography I’ve seen this month, down to the dirt beneath the fingernails. This one too.

  After debating purchasing a bottle at Dimes Market (it looks like Tart’s online shop is closed) I instead left with an appreciation for the artist behind the branding: Rob Moss Wilson’s art is categorically weird and random and I think pretty great.

• Devoted friend of Circle Back, Mary, saw A Dictionary Of Color Combinations and thought of me (she was spot on) and a few days later volumes 1 and 2 were on my door step. While I’ve delighted in flipping through the pages, the true gift is not really being able to do anything beyond absorb and take inspiration. When I see a color palette I like online, I typically bring it into Illustrator and add the colors to my library, with the intent to use it in an upcoming project. These books ask me to luxuriate in the combinations rather than putting them to work. Thanks Mary!

  

• Sea View in Los Angeles is the kind of alternative art concept I’d like to see more of.

  Sea View initially opened in a domestic concept space designed by Jorge Pardo for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles on Sea View Lane. Equal parts home, studio, and gallery, Pardo described the space as a “social sculpture,” rejecting traditional systems of categorization and exhibition.

• It’s officially tulip season in New York, and there’s no better way to memorialize this fleeting time of year than with these gorgeous tulip earrings. I met the designer, Adrienne, at WilMar the other day and her energy was just as springy as the earrings themselves. The saving starts now!

• Bow (Blue Curtain) by Beverly Semmes (2016) is my color of the year.

  

  ---

  Until Soon,

  Ilana + Sylvie

We appreciated Shop Rat’s pre-season explainer on gift guides, give it a read if you’re curious.

Shop Rat by Emilia Petrarca

Here's What Happens When You Buy from a Gift Guide

If you read this newsletter, you’ve probably clicked a link to a product recently. I know at least some of you have because I can access that information. 898 people clicked the link to the RealReal in the last letter, and 842 looked at Uniqlo socks the week…

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2 years ago · 546 likes · 3 comments · Emilia Petrarca

Circle Back’s 2025 Gift Guide

Rubirosa Shirt: a perfectly pressed, Parisian button-down shirt

The Track Pant: pants we’d feel really great in

Brooke Callahan Wool Tie Pants: the most luxurious and lightweight wool our legs have ever had the pleasure of gracing

Röhnisch: high-tech Swedish workout clothes because Lulu could never

Paraboot: the shoe that took Ilana around Paris

Subu x Sandy Liang Red Ribbon Slippers: house-slippers with a little extra flair

Alma Leather Black: the boot that took Sylvie around Japan

Leather Gloves: confirmed to look and feel really sexy

Link bracelet: Vanya’s work speaks for itself. We haven’t seen anything else like it.

Untitled Folder Wallet: it’s a wallet, it’s a folder, it’s a wallet-folder, from friend of the letter, Nik Bentel Studio via Gene Han

Mini Tote: a new status tote from Hanover (LA)

CAHU Bag: a practical work and travel bag that doesn’t take itself too seriously

Toyo Steel Box: this isn’t the first time we’ve linked a toolbox in Circle Back and we predict we’ll see these everywhere in 2026

Carry Tite Case: a laptop case that strikes a balance of cool and functional

Regime de Fleurs: in the scent Tóor-Tóor —“Woody vetiver and leather take an infamously sensual white floral somewhere darker.”

Mist Sleep Mask with earplugs meant for sleeping because the gift of good sleep is lifelong

Bare Hands: for event-ready natural nails

Bisou Balm: subtle lipstain that’s ‘kiss under the mistletoe’ approved

La Bonne Brosse Brush: next gen Mason Pearson dupe

Yummy fruit and veggie candles handmade in Brooklyn from Studio Bara, who we met at WilMar

Photo album with quilted cover, handmade in Texas by friend of a friend of Circle Back

All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now by Ruby Tandoh

Steak House by Eric Wareheim: People, pictures and recipes from an American institution: the steakhouse. (research and copyedits by Sylvie, too!)

Kaikado Cafe Coffee Container: Japanese, handmade-tin coffee container comes with a brass spoon to elevate your morning coffee experience

The 6-cup Tatung Electric Steamer & Accessories: Perfect rice every time, and it’s so damn cute

CY Caviar and Bonilla a la Vista Potato Chips: name a better duo than a custom tin of caviar and a bucket of Spanish potato chips

Heirloom Grain Pancake Mix and a very pretty cast iron pan, finished and seasoned by hand in Providence, RI

Buy Circle Back a tuna melt

A Sofie Pavitt facial; a day outside the city and massage at the Mayflower Spa; Subscription to Circle Back-approved Substacks2, a gift that keeps giving with Botanical Brothers flowers, Resource Lending Library membership

2

Circle Back approved Substacks ❤️

sidecar by sylvie

Cultural deep-dives, under-the-radar brand spotlights, curated travel guides, restaurant reviews, hotel musings + more from a multi-hyphenated freelance journalist.

By Sylvie Florman

Champagne Socialist

Pretty things, high culture, leftist politics, and my ongoing existential crisis provoked by the collision of all three.

By Diana Heald

Catherine Shannon

A woman with ideas

How To Go Freelance by Grace Abbott

After a decade as a freelance creative, I’m sharing the wisdom—practical and spiritual—for a life full of joy, abundance, and freedom.

Growing up, I had a map of Paris next to a poster of the Eiffel Tower on my wall. You may know the one. My mom helped me frame the posters, elevating them and my idea of Paris, to masterpieces. My love for Paris grew, evidenced by decoupaged collages of fashion weeks and Chanel ads, a well-loved Devil Wears Prada DVD, Yelle on my iPod, and the pursuit of French language.

Thinking about Paris made me feel creative, hopeful, and probably sexy before I knew how to label it as such. I wanted flakey croissants in bistro chairs, rouge lips, and perfectly tousled hair. In high school, I had the opportunity to realize this dream, traveling to the City of Lights with my French class. I came out of that trip feeling let down and betrayed. I did NOT care for Paris. Looking back I can’t exactly pinpoint why, but it’s hard to reconcile fantasy with reality, and I moved on from my love of Paris.

In college, I decided to revisit my Parisian fantasies. I enrolled in French class. In my Western Architecture course, I was thrown into mid-nineteenth-century Paris and Baron Haussmann’s urban renewal campaign under Napoleon III, which transformed medieval Paris into the modern city we largely see today.

Revisiting Paris through the lens of architecture and planning reframed my view and helped me make sense of my own interest in studying cities. Paris is an architectural record, one I was motivated to read, sketch, critique, and observe. So, I went back to Paris, this time for a half-marathon—what better way to see the wide boulevard and detailed facades I’d studied, right?! 13.1 rainy, windy miles and a horrible scam with a French doctor later, I was yet again thrilled to leave Paris.

Writing this, I’m in the air, a few hours away from my third adventure to Paris, this time for a very special trip with close friends and some solo time on the back end. With a strong sense of self, solidified taste, and a general lust for solo travel I’m entering this trip with an open mind and heart, ready to receive Paris yet again.

Since no good trip can begin without soliciting recommendations from trusted sources, from my esthetician to friends and lovers of friends, I’ve started to compile them all (150+ and counting) but I’m open to even more. Tell me your Paris fantasies, tales of romantic evenings, secret menus, rooftop views, hidden galleries, the best pain au chocolat, your most elusive vintage finds.

And for my own record…a few spots that were recommended multiple times and/or particularly piqued my interest:

Eat: Clown Bar, Early June, Gibon, Deux Gares Express, Chez Carrie

Art: Gerhard Richter (retrospective) at Louis Vuitton Foundation; Minimal (exhibition) at Bourse

Drink: Septime la cave, Folderol, Recoin

Shop: Merci, Bobby, the Room, Palace Callas Vintage, Thx God I’m a VIP

On this trip I’m reading Giovanni’s Room (merci Lindsay + Miloš for the reco!), sketching in a teeny tiny notebook (merci Sylvie!), and listening to lots of Blood Orange, Her’s, the Marias, and Barry Can’t Swim.

Perhaps third time is the charm? I’ll circle back soon.

We’ve noticed that practicality is no longer the primary consideration in pill storage. Instead, these containers are used as the symbol that redefines the daily act of taking pills from a chore into an aesthetic ritual. It only makes sense that as stigmas of SSRIs fade away and wellness supplements continue to dominate our shelves, the pill box has become the latest wellness status symbol.

There’s precedent for this, too...

In eighteenth-century Europe, ornate boxes often sat atop tables of the wealthy, filled with candied fruits and sugared nuts for guests. As customs evolved, these boxes became smaller, more portable, and easier to exchange as tokens of affection. Beyond holding snuff or tobacco, the petite vessels offered a perfect canvas for artistry, many donning intricate metalwork and gemstone inlays. A new object of cultural cache, it was common for secrets to be told in their detailing or discrete flirtations shared through the rituals of their use. In miniature form, the box elevated to the jewelry category, marking it a symbol of status and taste. By the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Tiffany & Co. had launched their own troves, many of which can still be sourced today.

In 1843, the compressed pill was invented and patented, leading to the rise of the modern pharmaceutical industry. As the ritual of consumption changed, so did the design. Snuff boxes naturally gave way to pill boxes.By the 1960s, enamel and silver gave way to plastic, as luxury was sacrificed for utility.1

While the terms of how we medicate will shift, history tells us that self-medicating and the rituals behind it are here to stay. We chatted with Lauren Sands of LES Collection to learn the story behind The Pill Box, a hand-sculpted marble vessel that defies categories, sitting somewhere between a covered Seder Plate and a jewelry box that we’ve seen all over social media

“I truly designed it out of my own need to turn a dark moment in my health into something beautiful,” Sands said. “I had my ovaries removed at 35 and went into immediate menopause. While the surgery was preventative because of my high ovarian cancer risk, it brought its own set of challenges—like increased risks for heart disease and osteoporosis.” Seemingly overnight, Sands had various medications and supplements to keep track of on a daily basis. “I knew I had to keep them out where I could see, but I’m so aesthetically sensitive that I usually prefer a clutter-free counter. So I set out to design a pill box that I would actually want to see every day.”

Sands’ story (and box) is a great example of how these objects, once thought to be reserved for private moments, are being recast into attention-grabbing pieces and truly changing our relationship to the act of taking daily pills.

Read Lauren Sands’ full story:

A Whimsical World

Menopause at 35

Two years ago, I had my ovaries removed, and at 35 years old, I entered surgically induced menopause. Let me start with the opposite of a trigger warning: this story has a happy ending. So, if you are awaiting your own oophorectomy and have been avoiding the myriad of horror stories on the internet, you can safely read on…

Read more

2 years ago · 14 likes · 2 comments · Lauren Sands

A host of other boxes have caught our eyes, proving that those janky plastic CVS-brand vessels will no longer cut it. People want leather cases that cosplay as wallets, and stainless steel designs for microplastic-free medicating. We’re obsessed with these jewelry-grade objects sourced by Casa Shop. Even legacy designers like Alessi are getting into the game. Of course, cult-loved jeweler Sophie Buhai created an heirloom-quality nautilus-shaped pill box with matching cigarette case. We can’t stop thinking about how this homeware brand is redefining objects for aging (including the pill box) — we’d love to learn more.

There are plenty of things we do daily; why not make them all beautiful?

The elevated objects we’d buy (or have already purchased…) that get us through our daily routines.

1. Really soft and really pretty napkins from Gem Home x Autumn Sonata Napkins

2. These Lurex Sponges have the potential to make dishwashing a disco

3. Kaweco Steel Sport Rollerball Pen because a premium pen leads to premium writing

4. Hand soap that makes your bathroom smell like a very expensive restaurant

5. A boroux water filter to make your kitchen feel like a spa

6. The only washcloth we’ll use.

7. Woodblock Print stationary from Tokyo’s legacy washi dealer

8. Soft Glass Lip Plumping Oil, the ultimate status gloss, from Fara Homidi

9. The Unicorn pepper mill has a devoted following and ships directly from Nantucket

10. 100% cotton and made in Portugal undies from CouCou

Rome is one of those places where even the simplest dishes taste amazing, but the truly excellent meals and hidden gems take a little research. (I have to shout out my lovely friend, Bea, who had been living in Rome as a chef at the American Academy, and Katie Parla, an amazing food writer — I took a lot of recommendations from the two of them!)

I had just lost my mom a month before arriving in Rome, and I truly didn’t know how I’d feel—homesick, grief-stricken, or some messy combination of both. But I was struck by how deeply embraced I felt by the city. Maybe it was the comfort of anonymity, maybe it was the chance to escape my reality back home, but more than anything, I think it was the city itself: warm, familial, and loving.

This guide is my love letter to the trattorias, gelaterias, and specialty stores that I haven’t stopped thinking about.

FOOD:

A Roman family friend told me that great food in Rome is easy - pizza or a delicious bowl of pasta is always base-level delicious, but truly excellent food is hard. Below are places I think are excellent!!!

• Antico Forno Roscioli. Get lunch at the grab-and-go counter. Everything is amazing. Can’t go wrong with anything savory. I loved the pistachio cake. Eat at the park nearby! (Stop at the great vintage store next door: Vintage Avenue 31. Also, walk around the Jewish quarter since it’s right by there!)

• Enoteca L’Antidoto. If you’re feeling a wine bar with inventive, Noma-y, Japanese-influenced food, go to Enoteca L’Antidoto. The menu changes daily. If they’re serving tuna in any form, get it. Make sure to talk to the chef and the sommelier! There are very few places like this in Rome. Shout out to a friend of mine who had a very chic little rendezvous with the sommelier.

• Pizzeria Leonina and Forno Al Milvio. The secret to getting vegetables in Rome for lunch is to go to a pizzeria and grab slices of pizza and a side of roasted veg or a salad! Love Leonina for a quick and cheap on-the-go dinner too. Eat at either place (they’re close together) if you’re going to the Colosseum or Palatine Hill.

• Trecca. If you’re looking for a very special meal that does the classics SO well but is also a cool “neo bistro” with interesting young chefs, go to Trecca. I went for lunch, but it’s equally amazing for dinner. I still think about the fried zucchini in vinegar, the roasted eggplant, and the amatriciana. It’s a little out of the way, but only about 20 minutes via cab out of the center and SO worth it.

• Al Moro. Very old school. Fancy Italian. A great place to get all the classics. It’s right by the Trevi fountain, but it’s not a tourist trap. So many people told me to go.

• Ristorante Rocco. Absolutely delish. The menu changes every day and it’s on a blackboard, so you know it’s serious. I had an amazing lemon and bottarga pasta here that I’m still thinking about. Also silky anchovies with bread and butter. Sat next to Logan Lerman here lol.

• Trattoria de Cesare. Go to the location slightly away from the city (de Cesare), NOT Pellegrino. If you’re feeling like an urban hike, you could even walk there from the city center. I had their famous cacio e Pepe—and it does live up to the hype. It’s worth noting that I had a negative experience at the Pellegrino location. The restaurant was filled with so many Americans and the pasta was boring.

• Trattoria Ai Due Ponte. A little outside the center but also incredibly worth it. We were the only Americans. Order the Maialino (crispy suckling pig) and the carbonara! This was tied for the best carbonara I had. Artichokes were also incredible!

• Romané. The best chicken cacciatore I’ve ever had. I dream about sopping up the vinegar-y sauce with sourdough. Also tied for best carbonara. Eggplant parm is a standout, too.

• Osteria Chiana. Delish pasta, reliable, casual vibe! Everyone here is Italian!

• Faro. Great coffee and cute brunch-y vibe - Rome doesn’t really do brunch or breakfast. You get a pastry as you slam down coffee at the bar. But Faro is similar to a classic American coffee/brunch spot with great eggs!

• Spots I wish I had time to go to: Armando Al Pantheon (get a res ahead of time!), Trattoria Penestri, Santo Palato (get a res ahead of time!), 33 Giri Listening Bar, Piperno, Pecorino

SKIP: Taverna Trilussa (it so expensive and bad (!!!). The pasta was so oily!); Tonnarella and Nonnarella (super touristy); Osteria da Fortunata (don’t waste time in the line!); All’Antico Vinaio; Mercato Centrale (great if you’re catching a train but otherwise it’s a glorified food court)

And for reference these are the most classic Roman dishes that you will have again and again (and let me say, even after a month, I wasn’t tired of them)

GELATO:

I ate SO much gelato and can confidently say these are the best!

• Gelateria del Teatro (if you go to one, it should be this!). They have my favorite nutty flavors in all of Rome: pistachio, almond, and hazelnut...and trust me, I tried a LOT of pistachio and hazelnut. The licorice and cinnamon are also standouts. I also loved the lemon, honey, and rosemary (one flavor).

• Gelateria di San Crispino. I will never stop thinking about the hazelnut meringue flavor. The ginger, cinnamon and pear are also amazing, but I dream about the chunks of meringue.

• Otaleg. The flavors are adventurous and really intense here. The coffee is borderline bitter, almost savory, a lot of the flavors are, but go and experience the cutting edge of gelato! I loved the almond honey flavor. The crunchy nut flavor is also really interesting. I wish I tried the pineapple cinnamon.

• Fatomorgana. Amazing, inventive flavors. The fresh mint chip and the carrot cake were my favorites. I liked the lemon basil, but it was a little icy!

• Giolitti. It’s great, but very chaotic. So many flavors, so little time, and so many people pushing you to get to the front. The sour cherry is incredible though.

• Gelateria Cecere. Right by the Trevi fountain and a good respite from the crowds. The yogurt and cookies (one flavor) is amazing. The tanginess of the yogurt! Pistachio is also great here too! Very fluffy.

• Other places I wanted to try but didn’t have time: Old Bridge (Leonardo diCaprio’s driver told me this was his favorite place and he went everyday lol), Gelateria Artigianale Corona, and Gelateria Tony.

SKIP: Gelateria Della Palma and all the big chains (Gelatist, Gunther, Gelateria La Romana, Venchi)

SHOPPING

• Alysi. Amazing small Roman designer. I loved the pieces I got—a brown slip dress with a beautiful print and a butter yellow oversized trench! If you want to get a few very special things from Rome then this store is a must.

• Lesley Luxury Vintage. If you go to one consignment/vintage store, let it be this one. They have two locations: one by the Borghese gardens and one by the Spanish steps.

• Twice Vintage Shop. in Trastevere. Great selection, great prices. Got two shirts I wear all the time!

• Butcher. Right next to Twice Vintage Shop. They have an incredible selection of men/womens sambas and other Adidas styles I had never seen before. I got my new favorite pair of shoes here—they are brown and butter yellow (which are the colors of the two items I got from Alysi!). Maybe those two colors were my colors of the trip.

• Vere Pelle Schegge. If you want to get a great leather bag, this is where to go. Amazing prices and quality. I got a Balenciaga dupe! Great for presents. Also got a cute Bottega dupe for a friend. Walk along the street this store is on! A few other gems and great vintage.

• Atelier Bomba. I didn’t get to go, but I heard amazing things! It’s repurposed designer clothing.

OTHER MUST DOs:

• Villa Borghese (get tickets ahead)

• Walk around the Borghese gardens

• MACRO museum

• Palazzo Barberini

• Palatine Hill - if you’ve already been to the Colosseum on a previous trip or aren’t feeling like braving the crowds, just walk around Palatine Hill and see the forum/the outside of the Colosseum so you can check seeing ruins off your list

• Not necessary if you’re just in Rome for a few days, but I did a cooking class at Roscioli and loved it!

• Sunday flea markets

THE IDEAL DAY:

Start by grabbing a coffee and a pastry at Mostro. I highly recommend the rose bun. Look at the pyramid across the street!

Walk to Mercato di Testacio for lunch (this is a must!). Sample from a bunch of different places, you can’t go wrong. Make sure you don’t skip Mercato di Testacio when you go to Rome!!!

Walk to Twice Vintage Shop in Trastevere. Lots of good shops on that street.

Get gelato at Otaleg on the street behind! Definitely get a wild flavor.

Go to Villa Farnesina if you have time (can also be saved for another day)

Luxurious items for your teeth to your toes and everything in between, made in Italy.

1. Knitted in Capri, the 100% wool Luno long sleeve from Sono is a British label from design alums of The Row and LEMAIRE. Incredibly chic.

2. Carnation Scrunchie from Maryam Nassir Zadeh in colorway ‘Golden Olive.’. Doesn’t get more Italian than that.

3. Swedish Stockings are, in fact, not Scandinavian, but made in Italy!

4. The Incised Oval Tray by Match is designed as a modern heirloom in the making

5. The Pouch by Porto Studio is a cloud for your belongings

6. Travel-size olive oil straight from Tuscany

7. Scented Candle 1917 from Frama, another Scandinavian company with ‘made in Italy’ clout

8. Laguna~b tumblers made on the Island of Murano

9. The Italians have mastered turning the mundane into luxury and this handmade toothbrush is a prime example

10. The softest Namok Socks, which are made from sheep and produced in a small, family-run factory in an Italian village

11. La Marzocco makes a perfect Italian espresso every time

12. The description of Fane’s Bra Bag is too good not to include: “Created by a play of darts, the gentle curves of this ultra-slim design recall the volume of a bra. The Bra bag has been designed to sit comfortably in the hollow of the hip, with a slim ribbon-like shoulder strap. ”

We started Circle Back in 2021. The impetus? A celebration of our “intimate and magical” long-distance friendship. Nearly five years later, Circle Back is the letter people have described as an “inbox surprise” featuring everything from personal stories to culture journalism. It’s the subjects we find ourselves circling back on throughout the week. It's the stories and musings that actually make it out of the chat or FaceTime and onto the page. It’s the creative work and thoughts that connect our long-distance desk.

Speaking of creative work and support, a little plug from the Hudson Valley desk contingent:

About a month ago, I (Sylvie) launched Sidecar. Yes, another newsletter. But think of this one like an addendum to my work as a freelance writer. As a journalist, there are a lot of stories I don’t get to write, moments that don’t make it into the final piece, and other musings that I wanted a place for. Sidecar is that.

In the theme of seasonal upgrades, last week’s letter was all about "upstate" weekend season, complete with a little flow chart that can help you decide where you should spend a weekend. This week will be a mini guide for all those destinations. Take a look and subscribe!?

sidecar by sylvie

Cultural deep-dives, under-the-radar brand spotlights, curated travel guides, restaurant reviews, hotel musings + more from a multi-hyphenated freelance journalist.

By Sylvie Florman

DON’T WORRY! This only means good things for Circle Back…More content, more collaboration, more material, all coming to your inbox soon.

Now, onto today’s letter.

SF: Everything Has Its Season

There’s a pivotal moment in every late-twenty to thirty-something’s life: when you realize it’s time to throw out your Ikea furniture. Don’t get me wrong, Ikea serves a brilliant and practical purpose. Although some Ikea items might last forever, part of the whole Ikea scheme is that it really isn’t meant to last more than five years. The price point is such that you can justify buying another piece of Ikea furniture when your current one expires and then keep repeating the cycle into oblivion.

We had to get creative with our clothing storage in our Brooklyn apartment. Since our “closet” was used as Matt’s “office,” dressers and wardrobes were the answer, and Ikea was the supplier. I must confess, though, I was over the Ikea dresser almost as soon as we built it. It was that classic white lacquer engineered wood that felt like a children’s room and wasn’t quite the vibe I wanted for my grown-up New York City apartment. Alas, we were in a bind given the space constraints and the timeline (we needed to get some storage ASAP), and since the dresser really was Matt’s, I shut my mouth about aesthetics.

When we moved that dresser up to Hudson with us, and it proceeded to immediately break, it was like the furniture gods were looking down on me. THEN, Thuma reached out and asked if we’d like to try some products from their collection, and it once again felt like divine intervention.

The dresser came in 5 separate boxes, strangely delivered on two different days, but we needn’t complain. With so many individual pieces, it was a partner project from the perspective of carrying items up the stairs. From the building aspect, I really could’ve done it all myself, but Matt helped. It came together in 5 minutes once everything was out of the box, stacking on top of each other like Legos and screwing together nicely—no fitting flimsy drawer bottoms into ill-machined carved tracks or little pegs into their holes. I will say we were left with an ungodly amount of cardboard, but that’s only because there wasn’t a wisp of styrofoam or shell of a packing peanut. The boxes were satisfyingly constructed like origami, with drawers nestled intuitively and safely for their passage via FedEx to our house.

A big boy dresser made of beautiful upcycled wood with slow-close drawers. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I feel like the drawers are now neat and tucked when they used to sit overstuffed and carelessly open. It seems like they’re no longer overflowing with graphic tees, but like the dresser was a conduit for an elevated wardrobe and new respect for the items we own.

I hadn’t realized how much the cheap, white-washed, intro dresser affected the room's overall feel. A room that should ooze relaxing and seductive vibes was instead immature and temporary, unsettled in many ways.

Now that the Ikea problem is resolved, all we need is some wall art and a new rug, and maybe we’ll be on our way to a true “Primary Suite.”

IC: Celestial Swap

I like this note by Hunter Harris:

If I’d seen this in the height of summer, I would have never felt more understood. In a typical summer, my ‘fall scaries’ start to creep up at the precipice of August, when the nights begin to cool and the weather app tells me the sun set is before 8PM. Usually, I’d preach, to anyone willing to listen, that summer extends—depending on the year—through September 21/22, and plan a beach day for every remaining weekend. To further commit to my point, as September was settling in, I’d jaunt around, face to the sun (with lots of sunscreen!!), bare legs, sandaled feet, willing the chill of fall to hold off. Last September, I was the poster child of dressing for the weather you want.

This year, I rounded August into September less sunned than usual, with few to no tales of surf. A subtle ennui in the late August heat nudged me toward routines I once reached for at summer’s end, only to realize I may have outgrown them. Trading bare legs for silky pants and sandals for loafers, I’ve found myself embracing Fall (sorry Hunter!)—the buzz of NYFW, the aggressive amount of skeletons popping up around Fort Greene, and jean jacket propaganda—all at once. I’m taking this mental readiness for fall not as a sign that I’m leaving behind my lust for summer (a core part of my identity I'm not quite ready to shake), but as an excuse to be intentional about the way I act upon celestial change. Here’s what’s changed:

1. BED

When I moved to Fort Greene, I adopted the bedframe already in my room, a ‘starter’ frame with a wood veneer headboard, space for under-bed storage, and an attractive-enough profile. I knew I’d eventually upgrade, as I’m particular about the pieces I welcome into my space, head always on a swivel for the perfect addition. So this summer, when Thuma reached out, I welcomed the opportunity to upgrade my sleep with their Classic Bed. Minimal but solid, the bed is cleverly designed to provide luxurious sleep in my current setup (I love the Italian wool headboard add-on) and move with me wherever I land next (the bed is made up of roughly 15 parts). In some ways, this shift served as an early invitation to fall, a welcome reminder that a change in seasons can feel less like loss and more like progression.

2. CLOSET

I have no closets, so I wake up every morning facing a rack full of clothes, which makes switching my wardrobe by season essential. The reminder of an airy slip or finely knit tank in the depths of January is a seasonal depression I don’t wish to feel. This year, I rotated my rack with intention, tucking away 80% of my wardrobe and letting the space itself signal a new aesthetic shift.

3. SMELLS

A gracious guest gifted me a Keap candle, in Wood Cabin, of course. She probably was sick of hearing me remark on it every time we even neared Rhodora. I’m holding the “deep, dark, and mysterious” scent profile as my guiding notes this season.

Outside the bedroom, life is also nudging me in new directions. Less structure, more collaboration, and a few surprises. Here’s a hint.

Bedroom additions, from floor to ceiling

1. The Lilian Rug takes cues from wrought iron fencing and would serve as a welcoming addition to any home

2. Monks Moss blanket, a Hillary Sproatt painting as a bedspread

3. Vintage Amorphic Ceramic Tray would look equally good piled high with cherries as it would as a catch-all atop a dresser

4. Pillar Bench by Thuma would neatly sit at the foot of the bed, perhaps replacing a beloved ‘clothes chair’ as a holding zone for lightly used items

5. Bedside lights inspired by 19th-century drag

6. Solid Wood nightstand by Thuma is the perfect solution to what a friend of Circle Cack recently shared in frustration: “Why is every nightstand midcentury modern?!!”

7. An Alarm Clock that nearly guarantees calm. The product hasn’t launched yet, but the crowdfunding model could bring you one step closer to sleep hygiene

8. Carta d'Armenia incense strips smell extremely good

This post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission on items you purchase (at no cost to you). But rest assured, we would never recommend something we don’t really love.

Special thanks to our friends at Thuma for sending us these bedroom upgrades <3

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Welcome to the Fort Greene Farmers Market. Let us show you around. There are in-season stone fruits, snappy radishes, excellent Hudson Valley pork chops, union-approved sourdough loaves, delightful GF, DF treats, pickles made in Coney Island, Portuguese Egg Tarts, freshly brewed coffee, vintage clothes from a neighbor's closet, sunglasses, non-GMO pet treats, and raku-glazed mugs. And, what’s that over there? Free ring sizing and real estate tips? This is the new farmers market.

Not so long ago, the Fort Greene Farmers Market was an utterly charming, perfectly packed strip on Washington Pk. There was always a man who would slice even slivers of apples and peaches to try in all seasons, guilting you into getting a pound of your own. The She Wolf line was sure to be the longest, nearly wrapping onto Myrtle Ave. You had to get there early to secure a Polenta Pullman loaf. Raven and Boar sold silky pâté by the tiny mason jar. While the charm of these core vendors prevails, along Dekalb, slowly, and at first seemingly informally, more vendors have taken root, selling various goods that don’t come from the earth’s ground. The official sanctioning of the “Maker’s Market” along Dekalb, the original farmers market on Washington and an evolving section on Willoughby (see below) all together now, more closely resembles a small village.

On the north end, starting about two blocks up from where Willoughby intersects Washington, this newer section of the market begins to take shape. Here, every weekend racks of clothes replace parked cars and fresh-from-your-neighbor’s oven cinnamon rolls top folding tables. There’s an energy that makes you think people may actually pay for your secret recipe sourdough starter or that experimental ceramics project (they will). These blocks are labeled—unofficially and only by us—WilMar (Willoughby Market), where the hobbies, side hustles, or new kitchen enterprises, by and for neighbors, are put on display. It could be that Fort Greene draws in a particularly entrepreneurial crowd or that everyone thinks they have something worth selling, but we suspect it may indicate more exciting shifts in how city streets are used.

We chatted with friend of Circle Back, Arjun Narayen, founder of Raazi Tea, about the Fort Greene Farmers Market area, where for over a year Arjun has set up shop on Willoughby, peddling freshly brewed chai and some of the best sacheted tea we’ve gotten our hands on. For Arjun, the block is a staple of the community: “When you have something that's a ritual for so much of the neighborhood, it actually becomes a social experience too—folks get to catch up with their friends, and make new ones, all while getting their milk and eggs for the week.” Without trying, “WilMar” embodies the qualities of the highly sought-after, and increasingly rare, third space: informality, creativity, culture, and community with no invitation needed.

Arjun was kind enough to share some tea with Circle Back, which was promptly brewed into heat-combating iced tea, with Farmer’s Market peaches of course.

FORT GREENE COLD BREW TEA

Ingredients:
Raazi Indian Breakfast (or any blend from the Starter Bundle), water, glass pitcher, stone fruit (preferably from your local farmers market)

Steps:

1. Combine cold water and tea at a ratio of 1 sachet tea/1 cup water

2. Steep in the fridge for 5+ hours

3. Toss tea bags and serve over ice topped with sliced stone fruit

TREASURE TROVE
Bags for the farmers market, from the essential to the extra.

1. The Market Wave Bag by Chan Luu is so bizarre it works

2. Nana Net Tote from Poppy Lissiman in a colorway that can only be described as ‘chocolate and strawberry ice cream’.

3. Rolling Tote Bag from Hulken is for extra large hauls

4. Boat & Tote, LL Bean is a timeless silhouette to carry you through all farmers market seasons.

5. The Woven Accessories by Underwater Weaving Studio are works of art, plus you can weave your own!

6. We’ve recommended June bags before, and the Market Tote stands the test of time

Now, nearly six years later, Gelman’s newest project The Six Bells Inn, is a quintessential example of another design ethos1. The Inn expands the Cobble Hill shop (with the same name), where lace doilies and gingham cloths adorn antique tables, and framed quilts are illuminated by lamps with names like “Wildflower Meadow.” Frankly, we’d never taken interest in the store.

Turns out that store was just laying the groundwork for her foray into hospitality: an inn, whose design sensibilities transcend the universe of the country kitsch shop. We’re calling this new style storybook-core (trade mark pending ;)).

The fundamental definition of storybook-core owes itself to a patchwork of influences where irregular geometries, pleated edges, mystical motifs, hand-painted cornices, and fresh flowers coexist with structural austerity. This contrast plays out in everything from the surrounding landscape to the bones of a building and the (custom and costly) furniture. The result is a setting that’s rooted in reality, but is simultaneously slightly out of step with current time, as if it were something remembered or dreamt.

Now, we can’t stop noticing renditions of this style everywhere we look:

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Storybook core has an air of sophistication, defined by the interplay of styles and craftsmanship that span borders, eras, and histories. On its surface, storybook-core may read as cottage-core, an aesthetic movement hearkening back to agricultural life and sustainable-conscious lifestyles involving gardening, baking, crafting, etc. Where cottage-core specifically draws inspiration from the countryside and is largely targeted toward female demographics (re: trad-wife), storybook-core differentiates itself through the pleasant tension between decor and architecture; contemporary tastes and traditional craftsmanship. The result? A fictional world, made tangible. Ari Heckman, the co-founder of ASH Hotels (a Circle Back favorite) and their creative director, Xavier Donnelly do this exceptionally well. At its peak, Ace Hotels did too.

The Six Bells Inn is a mesh of American folk, British vernacular, Swiss chalet, Victorian ornament, and Hudson Valley regionalism. But, like every good story, there has to be an unexpected twist; something sinister hiding in the walls. Perhaps it’s the haunting of the antique armoire or the strange juxtaposition between the VC-backed property and Rosendale, teetering on the edge of an economic rebirth. Or, maybe it’s the don’t-think-about-it-too-hard fact that the hotel rooms are completely shoppable (including the mattresses) that might make the hairs on our arm stand.

Although Gelman didn’t invent this design trend (nor did she do so for “Millenial-core), she seems to be, once again, at the (very Instagrammable) head of the curve. In any case, we haven’t come to a final conclusion on the future of storybook-core but if we’ve learned anything, it’s that we should probably trust Gelman… she’s usually on to something. And if you’re listening, we’ll happily take a gratis night to investigate ourselves…

TREASURE TROVE
Pieces that will make you believe in happily ever after.

1. The Fernanda Scrunchie by Tomasa makes us think of court jesters, clowns, acrobats, and magicians.

2. This antique French needlepoint pillow with a big Ox would look so good with other animal friends in a reading nook.

3. Egg cups by Studio Formbat that could double as a teeny catch-all. Comes as a Breakfast Set.

4. The foundation to any good room (or story), the Nisi area rug designed by perennial cool girl Lucy Williams references classical architecture, greek mythology, and folk art.

5. Made from a single block of Douglas Fir, 448 Series Table Lamp, a collaboration between Post Company and Idaho Wood is an ode to nature, material, and tradition across time and place.

6. Wonderfully ruched, Bolster 40 from Fredricks and Mae adds the right amount of texture and whimsey. (Thank you devoted reader, Ian, for the recommendation!)

7. The Trigger Mug from Bennington Potters may look (and sound) intimidating, but trust us, the finger holes make drinking tea so much better.

8. With oak doweling construction, wood buttons, and an intriguing buckle, this pair of 1950s french chairs are a story in themselves.

9. Sana Violet Candleholder from Laura Gonzalez looks like it could dance across the table after the lights go out.

10. Checkerboard Shirt Curtain by Sarah Espeute is a poetic exploration in dressing with references to Damask diamond motifs, European clotheslines, and reflective nostalgia.

Reference images, from left to right: Draped Mirror No. 1, Steph Trowbridge; DRY KISS chair, Caleb Engstrom, Rest Energy; Library Steps Lamp, on view at On a Comfortable Sofa Dreamed, Superhouse gallery curated by Studio AHEAD; Heirloom Bell Chair, Studio Sam Klemick; Esme Sofa, Anne Greene Studio; Brazed Lattice in Slate, The Perfect Nothing with Wallpaper Projects; No Dogs in the Garden, Fren x After Midnight; Batlló Chair, Antoni Gaudí released by Casa Valle, BD Barcelona; Conservatory Sun Lounger, Lemon Furniture; Interiors by Claves: Hôtel particulier Guignier (Paris), Villa Junot (Montmartre), Le Chalet de l’Inconnu, (Megěve); Brooklyn Townhouse, David Lucido; The Elysian Bar, Peter and Paul, Ash Hotels; Dancer Lamp, Coco Flip; Dries Van Noten’s new NYC flagship

Welcome to the Circle Back Summer Reading List. Think sweaty glasses of lemonade and warped paperbacks, kindles in hammocks, and salty-stuck pages read oceanside.

We reached out to friends, mentors, our group chats, friendlies, siblings, etc. to source the ultimate reading list. We’ve got lighthearted beach reads to pure the-world-is-fucked nonfiction. We’ve organized the list to get progressively more “serious” – starting off with breezy summer vibes at the top, with more intense and sometimes dark towards the bottom.

Also! This week’s Treasure Trove is specifically curated to aid in your summer reading experience.

Happy summer and happy reading!

In this letter, and many going forward, we’ve decided to integrate affiliate links. What does this mean? Any book purchased through the independent booksellers linked below will generate a teeny tiny kickback to Circle Back (at no cost to you!). Thanks for reading and supporting us!

BREEZY --> SERIOUS

Big Swiss by Jen Beagi: Audrey recommended it to me and it was fun and based in Hudson; also the Pisces by Melissa Broder is erotic x neurotic. – Izzy

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. To be read this summer: The Women by Kristin Hanna; Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski; A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan; Alligator Tears by Edgar Gomez – Tara

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante! And then I’lI always do a summer reread of Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney. – Julia

All Fours by Miranda July – Farah, Julia, Anya

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Hannah & Juliana

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell for the dumb, summery vibe. Then I’m excited about some good character building in books like Playground by Richard Powers and Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. – Juliana

Moon Witch Spider King by Marlon James, a fantasy novel that draws on African mythology. And reading Boy by Roald Dahl, which I read every summer :) it’s a fun story of his childhood – Sean

Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine by Edward Lee: I was watching culinary class wars on Netflix and his story of being Korean American and having to navigate between two cultures while never exactly feeling at home with either felt familiar. Plus I love chef memoirs! – Gene

Design as Art by Bruno Munari, but it was a little weird. – Lauren

Covert Joy: Selected Stories by Clarice Lispector; Don’t Forget We’re Here Forever: A New Generation’s Search for Religion by Lamorna Ash (out in July); finally the classic The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (followed by visit to Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox, MA good day trip activity!) – Gabriela

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver; long but I’ve heard it’s worth it! – Miranda

You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue: I can’t stop talking about it! It’s a trip on its own. – Sarah

Fake Work by Leigh Claire La Berge is a memoir about working in management consulting. I’m also going to try to give Catherine Lacey’s memoir, The Möbius Book, a try, although I hated the novel of hers that I read, so it’s hard to say I’m excited…To read: Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin and In the Freud Archives by Janet Malcolm because I’m on a Janet Malcolm kick. – Diana

The Power Broker by Robert Caro – Mel

The Uproar by Karim Dimechkie: This is a book I’m working on! It comes out literally next week. It’s a real page turner and soooo tense and evocative. It’s about this social worker in New York who thinks he’s a good person but there is this domino effect of bad luck and his morals are really put into question. It’s a really good portrayal of a pathological overthinker who is always making what feels like the wrong decision. Kind of feels like reading a movie. Also, The Destruction of Palestine is the Destruction of the Earth by Andreas Malm: Such a good book (and rlly short!) it connects what’s going on in Palestine with the climate crisis both historically and today and responds to specific arguments. I feel like it was clear and I learned so much, it really crystallized my perspective – Anya

How to Stand up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa: My dad sent me a bunch of books after the election. – Ian

The End of Love by Eva Illouz because our collective romantic and sexual lives are so interesting and weird and puzzling to me so I’m always looking for interesting and insightful takes on that – Tania

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall and The Names by Florence Knapp was really good but trigger warning for domestic abuse. – Hannah

Care and Feeding by Laurie Woolever is an incredible, although unsettling, but very honest memoir (more of her thoughts here). – Phoebe

Agony of Eros by Byung-Chul Han – Zoe and Tania

The Hollow Half by Sarah Aziza – Diana and Anya

Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters: A multi-perspective book that tells the aftermath of a tragedy in an indigenous family from Nova Scotia that migrates to Maine to pick blueberries every summer. Sad but really interesting commentary on family and how fucked up people can be – Libby

How to Kill a City by P. E. Moskowitz: The author is a friend and they kindly sent me an advanced copy of the 10 year anniversary edition, which comes out in September (I’m pretty sure) so I printed out the PDF. – Lindsay

want to upgrade...

1. The only beach cover up you’ll need from Shop Claudent, whose pieces protect you from over 98% of UVA/UVB rays

2. A bag by Santos by Monica, crafted from cactus leather that fits exactly one standard paperback

3. This pitcher would look so good filled with iced tea, sangria, [insert iced beverage of choice], to keep you hydrated as you read

4. Any pair of sunnies (we like the Aldo) or readers from Selima Optique

5. On-theme bookends to support your summer collection

6. The short short by H-O-R-S-E made from 100% Japanese cotton terry. Swamp ass who?

7. Translucent sticky notes. We like them because you can highlight phrases, words, and passages without marking up the book directly, which we also like to do

8. A plush and perfectly proportioned towel for pool-side reading

Upgrade your circle back subscription!?

For example, it’s true that we don’t know the restaurants they suggested, but that’s not because we’re out of the know; in fact, it’s because these restaurants are not in the know. They’re older, more traditional spots, and we’re often looking to go somewhere new and exciting. It wouldn’t have occurred to us to go to most of the NYT list (except Jomo, which looks cool). We know Berlin isn’t typically heralded as a culinary destination, but hold a mirror up to the restaurants and bars in Berlin and you’ll see the diversity of the readily available and spectacularly executed global food scene.

We know these bars and clubs (suggesting Berghain…how original). The museums all stay the same; that’s to be expected. And while their market is different than the one we like to suggest, we’ve A) been to that one and B) didn’t spend much time in Prenzlauer Berg.

For us, travel guides are the ultimate souvenirs and the best relic of the time and space during which you visited that place. That's why ours is filled with coffee shops, casual eats, and stationary stores, as well as walks to secret courtyards, massive parks, and vintage dealers.

Overall, our biggest note for The New York Times is that they didn’t seem to do a whole lot in these 36 hours – they didn’t eat enough pastries or drink nearly enough coffee. Hardly had any wine, sought out nary a beer to-go, and didn’t even get a Club-Mate!

So, here are all the places we suggest you visit in Berlin. If you’re interested in commissioning a true 36-hour itinerary from us, please inquire via email.

Stay

• Orania Hotel – A boutique hotel with luxury vibes much closer to Kotti than you’d expect it to be.

• Airbnb – We recommend looking at Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg for the best homes in the most walkable areas with all the places you’ll want to be.
  

Eat and Drink

• Café Frieda – Fun, original, and classy for apéritif and bites after a stroll through Prenzlauer Berg.

• Otto – A simple but memorable lunch in a very tiny space, or land a dinner res if you can for an unpretentious seasonal prix fixe.

• Chicha – Fresh Peruvian for when you want something different.

• Rocket and Basil – Huge salads and delicious sandwiches, but lunch hour is busy and isn’t the fastest service.

• Klunekerkranich – Traverse the ramps of this active parking garage for an uninterrupted view and (passable) beverages.

• Ora – Wine bar and restaurant housed in a converted pharmacy on a quintessential corner.

• Albatross Bakery – Bakery with neighborhood vibes, get one of everything, but especially their Brezel (translation: pretzel).

• Adana Grillhaus – Family ambiance for Turkish dishes and skewered meats.

• Prater Biergarten – Open-air beer hall and garden with the exact kind of bites you’d want alongside your Hefeweizen.

• Tischendorf – The carrot cake is very good.

• Bonanza Coffee Roasters – In-house roasted beans to sip in a discreet storefront.

• Burgermeister – Berlin’s version of In-N-Out, but with a perfect fried tofu burger and peanut sauce. Open Late.

• Mustafas – legendary döner open until 5 AM.

• Restaurant Z – Lambchops and Greek fare spread on gingham-clad tables on a “Kreuzkölln” corner.

• Hallesches Haus – Café with a shoppy-shop that serves a vegan chocolate chip cookie we still think about.
  

Culture

• Neue National Galerie – The new national gallery with a perfect size collection of 20th-century art.

• The Hamburger Bahnhof museum – A Circle Back favorite for contemporary art housed in a former train station.

• Wolf Kino – Independent, homey, niche movie theater.

• The Reichstag Building – Historic government building with many past lives, including as a site for a Christo and Jeanne-Claude installation. The Norman Foster-designed renovation is a history lesson that also offers 360-degree city views. To skip the line, make a reservation at the restaurant on top and order a giant schnitzel.

• Boros Foundation – Private collection in a bunker, turned techno-club, turned gallery.

• Tempelhofer Feld – The airfield of the former Tempelhof Airport, and now considered Berlin’s largest city park. Jog down abandoned airways, bike on the tarmac, picnic amongst wildflowers. (ask Ilana for an in-depth history lesson/rant through the lens of urbanism and housing).

• Admiralbrücke – Go on a warm evening with a beer, Club-Mate or gelato in hand and watch the River Spree come to life.

• KW Institute of Contemporary Art – Rotating collection of contemporary works in a peaceful setting with a quiet courtyard.

• Mauer Park – “Wall Park” (you could probably guess why), hosts a Sunday flea market complete with Karaoke, glühwein, and racks upon racks of vintage leather, suede, and denim.

• Turkish Market – 50% culture, 50% food vendors selling dips, dips, and more dips, strawberries if the season is right, and salt licorice by the kilo for Spree-side picnics.

• Körnerpark – An orangery, flower garden, lush lawn, and a landscape that resembles an Italian palace.
  

Shop

• Do you Read Me?! – Culture-forward bookstore and cultural center. Get a taste at their new mini location at the Swiss Institute in NY.

• stay hungry – Berlin hypebeast meets New England fisherman.

• Modular – A place we happily got lost in, and the kind of store that makes you understand why everyone in Berlin is a “creative”.

• RSVP-Berlin – Delicate and beautiful stationery and adjacent tools.

• Luiban – More stationary, even more notebooks, and an extensive collection of cards (write us a letter!)

• The Good Store – Highly curated vintage with a selection of new items and jewelry that always surprises.

• Chrome Store – Designer vintage clothes and accessories heaven.

• Sing Blackbird –Find the perfect shirts and worn-in jeans.

• Voo Store – A high end boutique that’s more about the sleek location and interiors than actual clothes.

1. Montbell Mono Pouch will take you from brunch to Berghain (or Berghain to brunch...).

2. If you’re feeling inspired to move to Berlin, might we suggest reading Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico as a gut check?

3. Flore Flore provides the literal foundations for any good trip.

4. Dr Hauschka Lip Care because the airplane (and those cheeky cigarettes) make your lips dry.

5. The Sans Earrings will replace your daily hoops and earn you many compliments.

6. Bev duo: Club Mate (available at Mr. Mango on the corner of Fulton and Lafayette), Fountain of Youth (unclear if it’s available in the US still… but Public Record’s in Gowanus was a source).

7. An Italian-made crocheted cap for waiting in line at the klub.

8. A pair of reflective sunnies by District Vision for getting home when the sun rises.

We were disturbed by a recent episode of Life Kit, which was all about the dangers lurking in our medicine cabinets, showers, and dopp kits (e.g., phthalates and other endocrine-disrupters, which are linked to things like cancers, allergies, reproductive health issues, etc., etc). After listening to the episode, we couldn’t resist auditing our products and routine, using NPR’s recommended ingredient checker. 1

To our surprise, the process had us spiraling about more than potential poisons. Read on to see.

SF: Sacrificial lessons

Not to be that person, but I feel like I’ve had a finger in the “natural” beauty thing before it was officially cool. I was in college when I swapped all my foundation for rms and whatever acne wash I used for Marie Veronique. Then, for a time, I shopped exclusively at CAP Beauty (which I’d happily do again), and I adapted natural deodorant very shortly after I arrived at Oberlin (where any deodorant could be considered a win).

It turns out, a lot of this natural stuff, or so they call it, isn’t all that great if you fall into the “problematic skin” category. That rms is filled with coconut oil, which clogged my pores. The Marie Veronique was never going to stand a chance against my hormonal pimples.

That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the products I use today are not killing me, especially since very few come with the “natural” tagline.

More than giving me a chance to toot my own horn, though, this audit was an interesting exercise in what I’m willing to give up. For example, I wouldn’t give up my face products or tretinoin, because to me, a pimple-free face is worth the poison. I, however, will never use an aluminum-containing antiperspirant, but that’s because I’m blessed with being a light-sweater and not a generally smelly person (or so I think?). But that level 5 Weleda? I’ll happily replace it. Send me your favorite body moisturizer that you think will pass the test.

As you can see, I’m only willing to go so far. When you do your audit, I’ll be curious if you draw the lines similarly (or perhaps you’ll find you’re less superficial than I).

Here’s a peek into our bathroom mirrors, if you care:

IC: Spiraling in the Mirror

Let me tell you what it’s like to be at war with the skin on your face.

The year is 2009. I don’t remember my first pimple as I do my first period, although it likely also happened at a sleepover that year. Where tampons, heating pads, and ibuprofen offered a clear protocol, acne presented a new frontier for excavating, poking, and prodding. At that stage, skin care relied on guerrilla tactics: employing improvised and experimental layerings of witch hazel, toothpaste, and benzoyl peroxide, the latter of which left acid-wash streaking on every towel, pillowcase, and shirt collar my skin came in contact with.

In high school, I adopted a slightly more informed approach supported by a local esthetician who made seasonal appearances on the kitchen calendar (‘problematic’ skin was a family affliction). She sent me home with new serums from South Africa and sunscreens from Switzerland to stack into my adolescent routine. The introduction of exfoliants and actives (re: chemical warfare) at 16 finally made a problem-skin-free future imaginable. But, even with consistent use through college, I still wasn’t winning.

Meeting Jessie, my esthetician at Sofie Pavitt, rewired my brain, or, at least the part of my brain that for the better half of my 28 years, told me to be at odds with my skin and that I even had problematic skin in the first place. After thirty minutes of extractions and quiet observation, she slathered a freshly mixed aloe mask, the grand finale, on my face and décolletage. She remarked, “I’m very happy with your skin.” Cemented in by the gloopy gel, I couldn’t even express my surprise, satisfaction, and resolve at hearing this. After the appointment, I walked home across the Manhattan Bridge, no new products in hand (she was also happy with my routine!), and finally at peace with the skin on my face. Now, I’m ready to conquer the next frontier: hair. ;)

1. In case you forget what room you’re in, consider the “Bath” mat

2. Summer-friendly, The Valentine Robe from New Orleans-based Lekha

3. Non-toxic, non-ugly Toilet bowl cleaner

4. A Nail Brush, especially important if you’re a bare nail girl

5. A just-plush-enough towel by Baggu. We recommend it in Cabana Stripe

6. Been eyeing these simple body washes in enamel

7. Some Kate Mcleod Pebbles for your bath, but you must have a bath; the effects are not the same in the shower

Friday

🚊🤝 5:15 PM Ilana arrives on Amtrak (Empire Service) from the city

🍸 Drinks at Kitty’s!

🏡 Drop things off at house

🍸 Cocktails at Hereafter

🍴 Restaurant Manor Rock @ 8 pm

Saturday

🧖‍♀️💦 Sauna and cold plunge at Big Towel 1

🚿 Shower

🍳 Breakfast (+ chicken broth) at Quinnie’s

🐓 Farmers market for dumplings and florals

🛍️ Warren Street, from bottom to top, making essential stops at:
Freaks’
Ipsum
Jamestown (for Esther the dog)
Westerlind
FINCH Hudson
Nikki Chasin

* 🍻Union Street Brewing (for snack but instead stumble upon Chili Fest and perform power ranking of 10 unique chilis from local restaurants)

* 🧺Tablott and Arding (get the homemade fig newtons)

*☕️Wylde for tea

* 🍭Vasilow's Confectionery Inc.

💘💌 Valentine's arts and crafts at home

🍹🍛 Lil Deb’s Oasis

🥰 Ilana falls in love with a Hudson man

Sunday

🥐🥖 secure box from Mel the Bakery

⭕️🔙 session with said pastries

🥪 Little Rico lunch on way to train

😭🚊 12:00 Ilana catches train back to NYC

Orrrr ❄️☃️and Ilana never leaves and watches the 🏈🏆 with us

* Asterisks note our in-the-moment additions

1. The Cloud Skirt and Classic Button Down from Shaine Mote

2. “Of the Gods” product line from To My Ships from the Apothecary at Alder and Co

3. A really good transitional wool coat by Cawley from Meridian

4. Stretchy, Urchin-esque, and conversation-starting hand bags from CoCollaborations

5. “Twin Flame” taper candles from Alysia Mazzella available at Churchtown Dairy

6. Hand-formed dog ceramics by Somsack Sikhounmuong

ILANA: Greetings from…the road

The most impromptu trip I’ve ever booked was less than 48 hours from departure and it was to New Orleans where Maya, my sister, lives. Faced with an unexpected move and a house carefully curated with three years worth of her life, I did what all sisters would do in times of crisis and booked a flight.

A few weeks ago I asked a friend where she considers home and I thought about my answer too. There’s many versions of home, corresponding to different seasons of my life, possessions, and people. The latter is most often my sister.

Thrown into the boxes, packing tape, and logistics of Maya’s move, I’m again thinking about houses, home, and homemaking. An eavesdropping session at Lamara in New Orleans showed me that I’m not the only one. The 76 year old woman, we’ll call her Woman 1, next to me spent the better half of the lunch hour talking about her experience with “van life.” She was introducing the lifestyle to another woman, Woman 2, who was there with her daughter. I know it was her daughter because she was giving tech advice and explaining her appearance (the micro-bladed eyebrows are new, as is the jumpsuit) before Woman 1 arrived. Van-curious, Woman 2 retired and sold everything in South Florida and drove to Louisiana. She’s 69 and her boyfriend lives in Anchorage, Alaska. I wonder how they met, living in the most opposite possible corners of this country. She expressed no desire to own a house, let alone anything of material permanence and I saw her face begin to soften as Woman 1 described the flexibility van life affords.

Woman 1 spends her summers in the mountains, usually Big Horn or the Tetons, but is thinking about heading to the Pacific Northwest early this summer instead. She called this “God’s country.” Her tolerance for the van is about 4 weeks at a time. After that, she craves a real shower, groceries, and city. Her house is hitched to her Dodge so she’s “always set up” and has the option to hit the road, house-free. It seems important that she has the option to take prolonged physical distance from her house. For this exact reason, I begin to wonder where this woman calls home. Is it where she has family? The Tetons and Big Horn? Where there’s warm weather? Driving on a familiar landscape? She answered this before taking Woman 2 and her daughter to see the van: “My life is there, it’s a little home.”

Was it completely invasive of me to have listened so closely to this conversation? Probably. But what a thrilling portal into a different type of living this was. It also felt particularly poignant to the reason for my trip. New Orleans, where the small size of the city and high concentration of cool and creative people, makes stories like this easy to come by. I highly recommend it for a weekend or longer.

My New Orleans top 6:

• Hotel Peter and Paul: go for the impeccable interiors, stay for the Saturday morning yoga in the chapel)

• Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden in City Park: go for the 1,800 lb “Spider” by Louise Bourgeois, stay for the grassy hills

• Blue Dream: go for the perfect vintage slip, stay for the impeccable curation

• Manolito: go for the perfect piña, stay for the patio

• Leo’s Bread: go for the sourdough loaves, stay for open-face bagel sandos

• Art by Anna Koeferl: day dream about her Ink Drawings, purchase a more affordable linocut print by her brother, Luke

SYLVIE: Framework for a weekend getaway

There are a lot of cities I want to visit. Tons of places I’m dying to go (I’ll spare you the whole list), but still, nearly every year for the last 5 years, I’ve revisited one city: New Orleans. Now, revisiting a city isn’t a crime, but earlier this week, Ilana asked me a very simple but obvious question: Why do you keep going back?

I know she didn’t mean it in a rude way, truly an inquisitive way. There’s no obvious reason, really. I mean we don’t have any family there nor any family ties. I don’t have any reason to go down for work really (but if you’re reading this and want me to go down for work please know I’m ready and available). It’s an (Big) easy trip, but it’s not that easy, and although it can be cheap at certain times, there are other destinations that are around the same distance and same price that I’ve gone to far less or not at all (looking at you Miami).

I don’t have a great answer other than to say: somehow, we never tire of New Orleans. It has all the makings for a perfect weekend destination.

For one thing, the hotels are excellent. Ilana laid claims on Hotel Peter and Paul, but on a more recent trip we stayed at The Saint Vincent, a stylish upgraded choice in the Lower Garden District with psychedelic wallpaper, equally cozy robes, and a Southern charm without giving colonizer vibes.

I don’t have to tell you the food is good… but I will. It’s one of the only places where we return to the restaurants we’ve been to before. In other spots I go to often (LA, Portland) I try to hit up an entirely new list of culinary experiences. In New Orleans, I crave a return to the spots I hold dear, and they never disappoint.

• I always want the crunchy rice salad at Molly’s Rise and Shine, which is not shy on the fish sauce and good even after I’ve eaten their homemade pop-tart

• N7 because the garden feels like a magical escape in a surreal dark part of the city

• If I don’t go to Bacchanal on a visit, I truly feel like I didn’t go to New Orleans.

• Sneaky pickle / Bar Brine for the moment I need some vegetables (even if they’re fried, too).

I think my favorite part about the city though, is that it’s sprawling without feeling remote. I can walk through tons of neighborhoods while conveniently passing all my favorites…Here’s what I mean:

I’ll often start at the top of Magazine St. in the Lower Garden District by heading to Merchant House to stare at some furniture I can’t afford and vintage clothes I don’t even know where to begin with. Then, if I’m feeling particularly masochist, I’ll go into the Saint Vincent and stare at more things I can’t afford in ByGeorge – their store – and take a pit stop in the bathroom, because I usually have to go pee and I know this one to be clean and lovely.

Then I’ll continue on to the next destination, Molly’s Rise and Shine. Along the way, I’ll pop into anything that catches my eye. After, before I continue on a digesting walk, I’ll stop into DNO across the street for a perfect graphic tee to gift my dad as a souvenir.

Then, onwards toting a homemade soda until I end up right in Audubon Park. I like to walk along the edge of the park because the houses along Exposition Blvd (which was built to bring visitors to the entrance of the 1884 World’s Fair) are particularly handsome, and if the time is right, I might even sneak a peek through a window into a renovated colonial-revival hidden behind a large Oak.

I’ll walk up until I meet St. Charles and then it’s time to complete the circle, heading down the street made famous by the street car. I prefer to walk, because I don’t totally get the streetcar system, but either would probably work. I walk until I reach The Chloe, it always surprises me how quickly it comes up. I stop for a spritz in a rocking chair on the porch and then walk a quick 5 minutes down the street to Columns, for a martini and fries, because at that point I can justify another snack.

Then I keep going until my legs give out. At that point, I’ll start to weave in the streets between Magazine and St. Charles which are calm and make it easy to imagine living a life here.

Then it’s a quick active nap (i.e. Instagram) before going to dinner.

See! I covered so much in such a seamless way. It’s a deceivingly lovely city to navigate.

P.S. A special shout-out to the least NOLA thing ever, the World War II Museum. I can tell you’re skeptical, but it is absolutely mind-blowing and an incredibly well-done museum.

We’ll Circle Back soon!
xo, Ilana and Sylvie

Thank you for reading Circle Back 24. If this letter resonated with you, why not share it with a friend?

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First order of business: did our 2024 forecast (and yours) come to fruition? Feel free to revisit Circle Back’s 2024 INs/OUTs where we and our subscribers predicted the rise of…

• Embellishments (Khaite’s Benny belt)

• Cash tips (This LifeKit episode makes the case)

• Switching up your haircut (Divisive beard)

• Zoo animals (Moo Deng and Pesto)

• Work/life balance (Severance Season 2 teaser)

And the demise of...

• Motion sickness (iPhone debuted Vehicle Motion Cues )

• Eric Adams (...)

• AirBnB (2024 was the first full year of NYC’s Local Law 18 aka a “ban” on short term rentals)

• Sneakers over $200 (At $100/pair, Sambas were the reigning sneaker in 2024. We don’t make the rules)

For 2025, we’ve decided to not banish anything to the sidelines. We’re welcoming more, more, more.

More...

1. Vests

2. Being hyper in-the-moment (ghost mode, or letting phone die and/or leaving it at home)

3. Reflexology

4. Raw materials (brick, concrete, steel, aluminum stone, glass, cotton, silk, resin)

5. Colloquial sayings

6. Postcards

7. Tailoring (clothes, experiences, recommendations)

8. Memberships

9. Signature scents

10. Tastemakers

Until next time,

S & I

1. Salt & Pepper Shaker “Impossibly chic IRL” “Can’t stop thinking about them” types of salt and pepper shakers (direct quotes from IC).

Suggested pairing: Sourcery Pepper. No notes.

2. Joyce Chen Unlimited Kitchen Scissors A superior pair of kitchen shears for that friend whose New Year resolution is to order less and cook more.

Suggested pairing: Ottolenghi cookbook, and might we suggest snipping, not chopping, those herbs.

3. Gil Rodriguez A full replacement of all the basics with high-quality 100% cotton base layers, it’s like heattech, but better.

Suggested pairing: Tucked away in a drawer, the Diptyque scent oval keeps everything smelling fresh and clean.

4. Power Supply A basic necessity that, when upgraded, offers big visual impact and enduring utility.

Suggested pairing: Practical things deserve ornamentation, too. Conceal your cords with Iko Iko.

5. An oversized knit bandana or neck scarf (SF and IC have one of each) from friend of Circle Back, Gabi (DM her!).

Suggested pairing: Another winter accessory you didn’t know you needed: a Boot Jack.

6. Psyche EVOO Give the gift of slapping the bag...of olive oil.

Suggested pairing: One certainly doesn’t need an olive oil dispenser, but it would make dinner a little more festive.

7. Hamper You know you’ve hit a certain age when you are excited to get a new home for your dirty clothes, especially one that stands up tall and collects it all.

Suggested pairing: Keep the laundry-day upgrade going with TangentGC detergent.

8. Soft Services Buff Bar A soap bar for days when the subway is especially stinky; polish off with an extra scrub.

Suggested pairing: Linen shower curtain because you wouldn’t realize the difference––in smell and touch––a naturally antimicrobial curtain can make.

9. Mason Pearson Hair Brush Join the cult.

Suggested pairing: Hairbrush cleaning kit, because it turns out that’s something you’re supposed to be cleaning…

10. Sweater Brush Set You brush your hair (see #9) and your pet, so why not your sweaters?

Suggested pairing: &Daughter crewneck cardigan, a lifetime investment worthy of its own care routine.

That’s a wrap on Circle Back 2024. See you next year ♥️

— I & S