Without further ado, here’s everything that brought me joy this month.

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August’s Small Pleasures

• Buying my first pair of cleats. My teen sister plays soccer and of course, we went to Ross when I visited Texas earlier this month. I found a pair of cleats that were supposedly $200 online but cost me only $25. Gotta love Ross. We played in the backyard and I was reminded of the small pleasure of just kicking a ball around. It really is that simple.

• Visiting Cape May, NJ. A charming (and supposedly haunted) little town with the most beautiful Victorian homes and the best peanut butter I’ve ever had. I went with my friends who I’ve known for years and we had the best time.

• Finishing East of Eden after literally talking about it all summer. It took me 3 months and that was with me reading it extremely sporadically. My copy is completely beat up now after enduring one of those crazy flood days in NYC and many trips to the beach. My final review: it’s one of those books that stays with you forever.

• Spending time on a farm for a writers retreat. And meeting the cutest little alpaca who had the personality of a dog. I talked about the experience here.

• Bringing my Dina Travel Tote on every single trip. This bag singlehandedly made my life easier this month. I took it on every trip. My new set up is this travel tote and the Mira Everyday Tote. It’s all I need.

• Touching grass. And sand. I did a lot of that this month and it was good for me.

• Rewatching Aquamarine (2006). What! A! Movie!

• Enjoying lots of sungold tomatoes. I try to incorporate them into every single meal over the summer. My favorite breakfast currently is scrambling some eggs with onion, jalapeño, and sungold tomatoes.

• Eating PB&Js. Ever since buying a tub of fancy PB in Cape May, I can’t stop making PB&Js.

• Finding good books on eBay. I’ve been enjoying one I got called Rooms with a View (2002). Here’s a sweet inscribed copy if you want to get it, too. Bungalow Kitchens is another great one I’m obsessing over.

• Adding no-drill bamboo Roman shades to my bedroom. Sad I didn’t do this earlier. After messing up the measurements and some other shipping mishaps, they’re finally installed—which in the end, only took a couple of minutes.

• Buying peel and stick tiles for my kitchen because I desperately need some type of change in there. I couldn’t decided on a color, so I got three different ones. Will report back.

• My 3-minute-just-a-little-bit-of-makeup routine. Hourglass skin tint, this blush or this one, and this tinted lip balm.

• Writing about vintage cookbooks for A Whimsical World. One of my favorite topics!

• Getting an iPad. Let me know what your favorite iPad apps are for creating cute graphics.

• This fun Italo disco song from the 80s. Enjoy!

Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

ICYMI <3

For the first time ever, I went on a writers retreat and it was magical and perfect and better than anything I could have ever imagined. It was at the beautiful Bloom Farm in Oley, Pennsylvania, just two-ish hours away from NYC. The farm invited a few writers to come and experience their retreat called Field Notes and I’m grateful to have gotten the opportunity to visit. Their WiFi password was coincidentally “Grateful" so the other writers and I kept saying we were “capital G grateful” the entire time. And we really were. Also, the wifi barely worked in my bedroom, which was for the best.

I wasn’t required to write about this, but I’m going to because it was just too special.

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Bloom Farm is a 60 acre regenerative farm founded in 2022 by Sam Nana-Sinkam. On the preserved land, there are chestnut trees, trails, animals (alpacas, chickens, a miniature horse, etc.), and gardens. This picturesque area of Pennsylvania is known for its hills, clean water, and fertile soils. Truly the perfect place to have a farm.

The retreat was only a couple of days long, but I needed it. Leading up to the retreat, I had traveled to Texas to see family, gone on a trip with friends, and launched a big thing at work. All incredible things, but this retreat was a great way to wrap up the busy month.

When we got there, we were so kindly welcomed, I couldn’t even believe it. The entire time it felt like I was in a dream. I went into my room and the sun was pouring in and there was a huge denim patchwork tote bag filled with little gifts, like sunscreen and body lotion and socks and wool Kyrgies slippers (which I immediately put on). We went downstairs to eat snacks and drink tea and coffee, followed by a tour of the home and farm.

That night, we had dinner together. All of our food was cooked by the fantastic Chef Caroline Hahm, who owns the restaurant Di An Di in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. We kept saying that the food she made felt like we were eating that thing for the very first time, because that’s just how good it was. The produce was sourced from the garden and also other farms in the area. The tomatoes in particular were grown by Farmer Tim from Eckerton Hill Farm, who apparently makes the best tomatoes in the country and has been doing this for 50+ years. Lucky for us, they pop up at the Union Square Farmers market every week.

Dinner was spicy gazpacho soup with sweet corn (the best gazpacho I’ve ever had in my life), salad with stone fruit and crispy shallots, noodle bowls with steak, stone fruit tart with chestnuts and Chantilly cream, and wine.

The next day, we had plenty of downtime. I did yoga in the morning with the wonderful Richelle Rice, had breakfast, and then got to try out their Cabin ANNA, which is a separate cabin on their land. We got driven up in a tiny truck and each got “dedicated writing time.”

Honestly, I didn’t come to the retreat with anything specific I wanted to write. Some people on the trip were writing their novels, some were writing for work-related things, but I ended up spending most of my time journaling and reading and just documenting my time there. I also got to spend a lot of time alone exploring the acres of land. The agenda was loose enough to give us time to do what we wanted.

What really left me inspired was the house itself. The oldest parts of the house are from 1760!!! There was a closet door in the dining room that opened up to a “cauldron room” where people back then would have hung their cauldron to make soup. We used to be a society!

Every single corner of the house was perfect. I found myself obsessing over all the little details. Brian Nana-Sinkam, who’s the director of product at the farm and brother of the founder, said a lot of the furniture was sourced from antique stores around PA and inspired by countryside cottages and with some African influences (their dad is Cameroonian and they spent a lot of their early childhood there). They’ve done such a beautiful job at furnishing and decorating the space. Everything was so considered.

One of my favorite parts of the home was the bathrooms, both featuring huge bathtubs and big windows.

Then, there was this room that had these little tables. I need to find these patterned Roman shades…

There was also the comfy living room in the most perfect shade of pink. I’ve been having the biggest urge to go pink somewhere in my apartment, and this was the reminder I needed.

There were a lot of doors in the house. From this particular POV, you could see multiple frames, leading up to an indoor window that looked into the kitchen. The yellow trim!!!

On our last day, we did yoga one more time, ate breakfast, and said bye to some of the farm animals, including Ellie, their fabulous miniature horse. It felt incredibly bittersweet leaving the farm. Thank you Bloom Farm for giving me the space to just be and write and read and eat. I love that thoughtful, beautiful places like this exist. Now I need to go back and spend an entire week there and maybe actually just move in.

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For Your Leisure

I’ve had the Jones Road Miracle Balm for a while now, but it wasn’t until recently that I started reaching for it more. I used it mainly as a blush and love how buildable it is.

After finally finishing East of Eden, I’m now starting Elizabeth by Eric Rohmer, as well as finance book Always Have Enough by Maria Melchor. Duality! TBH, I love a finance book and this one in particular is about building generational wealth when you don’t come from money. It comes out officially on Sept 1.

This Kotn blouse is speaking to me.

Playtime is playing at Metrograph next weekend as part of their series “THE OFFICE OF EMPTINESS.” I saw it for the first time a couple of months ago and it’s a visual feast.

Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

This weekend, I had almost two hours of uninterrupted reading time and I don’t remember the last time I did that. I’m so used to reading 20 minutes here and there. It almost felt weird to be reading for that long. Proud to say that I’m almost finished with East of Eden. I’ll be done with it by the time you’re reading this. :)

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A few weeks ago, I asked you what you’re currently on the hunt for and some of the answers included bookcases, lamps, stylish wastebaskets, trench coats, and more. AKA my favorite things ever. Here’s what I found!

BOOKCASE

Bookcases are one of those furniture pieces that takes me years and years to find. The best ones have been found on the street, or from vintage shops around Brooklyn. I wrote about my hunt here and also about the steel ones I got most recently here. I did also find these fun ones on FB Marketplace:

• West Elm Narrow Bookshelf $200: Love how narrow this one is! Perfect for a smaller space.

• CD Shelf $50: Technicallyyyy for CDs but this is incredible.

• 20th Century French Display Cabinet $995: Great for books or other home objects.

TRAVEL TOOTHBRUSH

I currently have a simple bamboo toothbrush in my travel bag, but I’ve been wanting to upgrade to something better.

• Suri Toothbrush $135: I’ve had this one in my cart all year. Love that it has a charge-and-clean case.

• Natural Bristle Toothbrush $9: Nothing fancy here, but it’s cute and simple and comes with a carrying case.

• Lavorati a Mano Tootbrush $15: Okay, now I’m just thinking about toothbrushes in general. I've been eyeing this one made in Italy; it comes in beautiful colors.

STYLISH WASTEBASKET

This made me realize that I haven’t thought about wastebaskets in a long time. Turns out there is a whole WORLD out there.

• Beige Marble Bathroom Bin $149: Every few months, I check out Zara Home out of curiosity and am shocked every time. Absolutely obsessed with this one. For some reason, bathroom bins are one of those things I tend to buy new…

• Dusen Dusen Pedal Bathroom Waste Bin $68: Lidded! Fun stripes!

• Burled Wood Waste Bin $45: A nice opportunity to bring in some burl wood into the bathroom.

• Mercer Polished Nickel Trash Can $99: Ultra shiny and lidded.

• Marble Waste Basket $39: A TJMaxx moment! They really do have the best random housewares sometimes.

• Florentine Wood Wastebasket $92: This is sooo pretty! So Renaissance!

• Marbleized Hexagon Wastebasket $68: This one is 100% cotton (and collapsible) so it may be suited better for an office bin. The pattern is so fun.

PERFECT TRENCH

My favorite trench coats are vintage London Fog! I’ve gotten mine while thrifting or on Depop and eBay. Search up “London Fog” and you’ll come across a lot. And you can find some colorful ones, too. If you’re going new, I love my Sézane Clyde Coat, specifically the dark green because it’s a color I don’t see as often as the camel color. This belted trench coat is also really gorgeous.

SHOES, SHOES, SHOES

Someone wanted chic orthopedic sandals to channel Italian nonna vibes and in a similar vein, sandals to walk around Europe. I’ll forever swear by my Camper Dana sandals. They’re a little orthopedic-looking, but they are so comfortable. I’ve worn them for 20,000+ steps days here in NYC and when I’m traveling. Camper has an even cuter version of the Dana sandal, too. And Naturalizer’s sandals are designed to be comfortable! Other specific requests from you:

• Low heels for a wedding that are light-colored and elegant: Okay same I'm also on the hunt! Obsessed with these kitten heels and these gold heels and these satin ones.

• Black mules/flats for forever: Big ask! I’ve always found to be Vagabond’s shoes to be really comfy, so I love these mules. These Tory Burch ones are really beautiful too. As for flats, I’m on my flats journey. I personally love my Camper Casi Myra flats but I need these Margaux ones for a more classic ballet flat. I like that they have a square toe and a slight baby heel. I need at least a little support.

THE WILL AND DECISIVENESS TO HANG UP ART

Unfortunately, I don’t know where to get this. Wish it was easier!!! Something I did last time that helped me was put the art on the floor next to my front door so that I always thought about it. But I say this as someone who once took 8 years to finally hang a photo. :)

LAMPS

A lamp always has the power to completely change a corner!! Now I’m thinking about how my apartment is severely lacking adorable lamps:

• Danish Oak Table Lamp $375: Such a classic beauty.

• Pink silk lamp $330: This stopped me in my tracks!

• Joon Loloi Cosette Table Lamp $229: These cotton-linen pleats are the key to my heart.

• Appenzelle Petite Table Lamp $79: This might be the most perfect color.

• Camille Candlestick Table Lamp: The cutest lamp I’ve ever seen in my life.

• Oxford Pleated Tassle Lamp $395: Didn’t know Farfetch had lamps…the tassels!!

• Chrome Pleated Table Lamp $119: Will never get tired of a chrome lamp moment.

For Your Leisure

I’m picking the giveaway winner later next Friday on Aug 28. Loved everyone’s comments. <3 You still have time to enter!

The Lazy Jamie’s Ladies Who Lunch serving set is making summer salad season FUN. It would also make a great housewarming gift…

This week, I was a guest writer for ’s A Whimsical World and wrote about my favorite vintage cookbooks!

This Medieval Tile Reliefs workshop at Craft Society on Sept 30 looks perfect.

Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

I was in Cape May, NJ this week and felt like I was in a coastal town romance movie the whole time.

My friends and I stayed in a very live, laugh, love beach house for our annual trip. While this interior design style is not what we usually go for (the options were limited since people usually book really in advance), there was something hilarious and comforting about being in a house with blue and pink walls and signs everywhere with phrases like What Happens at the Beach Never Happened, It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere, I’ll Be There in a Prosecco, and Live Simply, Love Deeply.

Cape May itself was stunning. I saw some of the most beautiful Victorian homes I've ever seen in my life. I went to farm markets like this one and this one. I had custard and ice cream sandwiches and hot dogs. I found a peanut butter shop I’m now obsessed with. I went on a trolley ghost tour. I visited endless shops. I enjoyed a single Paloma at sunset with my friends. I rewatched Aquamarine (2006). I said hi to a cute, fluffy cow. We were blissed out.

I’d love to go to Cape May again and next time, I want to stay at one of the haunted Victorian bed and breakfast inns. :)

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Okay, but the giveaway!

Last year, I hosted a giveaway and it was such a delight. Since then, I’ve been hosting monthly design book giveaways for paid subscribers, but this will be a bigger special edition giveaway for everyone.

What you’d be getting

A few of my favorite things, including:

• Aesop’s Above Us, Steorra perfume

• A vintage home design book

• A vintage Architectural Digest magazine

• Salt & Stone Santal & Vetiver Body Lotion

• A Le Puzz Puzzle

• A notebook

• And maybe a few other small things…

What you need to do

• Subscribe to Small Pleasures if you haven’t already — either free or paid!

• Like this post and leave a comment telling me about the things that bring you joy

• Be a US-based reader! (I’ll do more giveaways in the future that will be international!)

I’ll randomly choose one winner on August 28 and send you a message to the email address you’re subscribed to Small Pleasures with. If you’re entering the giveaway as a paid reader, you’ll automatically get two entries (aka double the chance of winning). Free readers will get one entry.

Can’t wait for this <3

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Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

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1. Get caught in the rain on a really hot day.

2. Make sure you have a pair of linen pants you want to wear every single day, like these that my friend greeted me with when I got caught in the rain while walking to her apartment and I loved them so much that I needed to order my own pair.

3. Catch up with your friend after work over a scoop of ice cream.

4. Speaking of ice cream, go to Brooklyn Farmacy for the coffee and mint chip flavors, or Gentile for any flavor or Culture if you’re in a yogurt mood instead.

5. Throw on a cute mini skirt.

6. Wear eyeshadow, even if you haven’t worn done that in a long time.

7. Read East of Eden, finally.

8. And read Eric Rohmer’s one and only novel, Élisabeth.

9. Order the sungold and sweet corn tagliatelle pasta from Lonnies.

10. Watch Before Sunrise at Metrograph on Monday July 27 at 3:45 (I wish I could).

11. Book a haircut (this one’s a reminder for me).

12. Go to Heaps in Park Slope for a cookies and cookie dough scoop.

13. Stay up late! Go dance! Go walk around!

14. Say hi to your neighbors and ask them how their summer is going. I recently found out that one of my dear neighbors passed away a few weeks ago. He was in his 80s and was born and raised in the neighborhood. We said hi and waved to each other every single morning for the last two years, rain or shine. I miss his presence.

    

15. Go to The Met on a Friday night for date night.

16. And then go to JG Melon after because it’s a beautiful way to end the evening.

17. Eat dinner at Ramen Ishida on a hot day.

18. Wear something pink.

    

19. Order the fries from Pastis because they are perfect and McDonald’s-esque.

20. Get a basketball. I played H-O-R-S-E like three times on vacation earlier this summer and now I own a basketball.

21. Make a creamy smoothie at home.

22. Watch Purple Noon (1960). I’ve never seen (or read) The Talented Mr. Ripley but this Italian film is the first adaption of the novel. It is beautiful and perfect and magical and so summer.

23. Get a pair of comfy sandals you can walk 20,000 steps in.

24. Be proactive and buy a coat for the winter.

25. Go to Soft Hours Tea House for an ice tea and sip, sit back, and enjoy.

26. Get your annual skin screening on the calendar for the fall/winter.

27. Fall in love with the F.Miller lip balm in Hibiscus for lush and moisturized and just-red-enough lips.

28. Acquire a white tee you’re obsessed with (mine is the Plain Jane New York tee).

    

29. Make freshly squeezed orange juice in the morning.

30. Go up to Central Park after work to walk around or have a picnic.

31. Clean out your closet and finally get rid of the Plasticana clogs that you’ve been holding on to for years and have never worn because they’re just too big and you need to accept it (and yes, they sold within minutes).

32. Spend a Saturday morning at the Fort Greene farmers market and come across this incredible jewelry designer.

33. Enjoy a luscious Negroni (if you’re into that) at Saraghina Caffè on a Wednesday evening.

34. Go to Tumbao to see the most beautiful curation of clothing and jewelry from Latin American designers.

35. Make a homemade salsa every Sunday so you have something delicious to put on your breakfast tacos all week.

36. Watch the sunset at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

37. Stay indoors all day in the A/C because sometimes it’s just too hot to be out there.

38. Slather on body butter after your shower.

39. Bring tiramisu as a gift when you get invited to someone’s place.

40. Daydream about painting your kitchen and then go ahead and order paint samples.

41. Play Kubb at the park, maybe even for the first time ever.

42. Go see The Odyssey. Or a play. Or a ballet. Anything new.

43. Look at all the tiny furniture at Tiny Doll House.

44. Start a mini home project, like upgrading your curtains or hanging a shelf or finally getting rid of your boob light.

45. Set an afternoon to check in on your goals for Q3 (Grace Clarke’s annual plan forever).

46. Spend lots of time on Facebook Marketplace until you finally find the perfect nightstand.

47. Have a slice of chocolate pecan pie with a friend at Four & Twenty Blackbirds.

    

48. Make a jug of aqua de jamaica to have in your fridge.

49. Completely rearrange one of your rooms.

50. Walk down Atlantic Avenue and stop by all of the shops.

51. Eat barbecue in Red Hook and get the brisket and ribs and cornbread and mac and cheese.

52. Go to The Met Cloisters because you’ve lived in New York City for 9 years and still haven’t been.

53. Request some time off on a random weekday so you can do all of your favorite things without having to deal with crowds.

54. Make a list of the things you want to improve in your space.

55. Take a figure drawing class at Drawing New York on a Friday evening.

56. Go on a really, really long walk instead of taking the train. Like one of those 1-hour+ long walks.

57. Take a delicious nap in the afternoon and wake up feeling disoriented but refreshed.

58. Enjoy all of summer’s pleasures !!!

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Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

Here’s everything that brought me joy this month. As always, please tell me about your month, too.

June’s Small Pleasures

• Going to Soft Hours Tea House: Beautiful tea house on Hester St. They were kind enough to invite me to enjoy some tea before they opened to the public. The space itself is beautiful and the tea was outstanding!! It was a hot morning, so she suggested an iced Anxi Iron Goddess. It was an oolong tea with notes of lychee, toasted grain, and plum blossom. Every tea is paired with a confectionary, so she paired it with red bean chestnut yokan.

• Date Night at The Met: And followed by a burger at JG Melon. In all the years I’ve been here, I’ve never been to The Met on a Friday night. The Raphael exhibition was magical. Going to museums makes me hungry, so we went to JG Melon after. It was my first time going.

• Reading East of Eden: Omg! I’m so glad I’m reading it. When I first met Aaron almost 9 years ago, he told me to read it and I am just now getting to it. I’m not even halfway done yet, but I am savoring it and reading a little bit of it every day. I’m also reading this month’s World of Interiors issue, Élisabeth by Éric Rohmer, and Always Have Enough by Maria Melchor.

• Waking up to an ocean view: This did wonders for me on vacation. Turns out, a panoramic view of the ocean can HEAL YOU. I need another trip to look forward to now.

• Trying a new sunscreen for the summer: I’ve been using Supergoop! for years, but I decided to give Innisfree a try this month and I’m glad I did. It’s everything I could want in a sunscreen. But I also still have Shishiedo on my wish list..

• Making deliciously silky perfect smoothies: I can’t stop!! I’ve had my Vitamix for a long time, but it’s like I’m finally using it the way it’s intended! The other month, I was complaining about how there’s no good smoothie/juice shop in my neighborhood and how they never taste the same when I make them at home, but I’ve finally cracked it. Simple is better.

• Testing fancy pillowcases: This has been a fun experiment all month. I’ve been trying Verlee’s Pillowcase Sampler and I’ve finally made my decision on which one I want: the percale! Love the idea of testing bedding via pillowcase samples.

• Doing a reading for the first time: I read a short essay at my friend Grace Ann Leadbeater’s event for her chapbook, Spools of Thread, which she published with Choo Choo Press! I talked about the boxes we hold our special things in, love letters exchange between my parents in 1994, and baby teeth. I was so nervous to do it but I’m so so so happy I did it.

• Wearing my Plasticana Sandana Jelly Sandals: These are getting me through summer, alongside my trusty Camper Sandals. <3

• Watching Widow’s Bay: Obsessed with the way horror and comedy come together in this show. Go watch it!!!

P.S. Congrats to this month’s giveaway winner <3 Shipping out the book Metropolitan Places, as well as some stationery. <3

Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

I always saw myself as “not a summer person" but if we’re talking specifically about tropical climates…that I adore. My parents are from El Salvador and my dad grew up near the coast. Every time I visit El Salvador, it feels right, maybe it’s in my DNA. I feel it in my hair and skin and mind, like I’m exactly where I need to be. I find myself quickly adapting to the heat and humidity and waking up at 5 am every day and eating copious amounts of fruit and not being afraid of bugs and critters.

For years, I’ve been curious to see more of Central America. Costa Rica, I learned, is very similar, but also very different, than its neighbors. If we go all the way back, they were less colonized by the Spanish in comparison to the other countries. Costa Rica also abolished their army in 1948. They’ve had political stability for decades (unlike the civil wars that tore apart the rest of Central America in the 80s). They heavily focus on conservation and education. They have a blue zone. It all adds up. There are more layers to this, and I’ve only recently started digging into their history, but it’s fascinating to see how Costa Rica lives and I’m wanting to learn more now.

The trip was with my partner’s family (he’s the oldest of 6 and some of them are still teens!!!) so it was chaotic, in the funnest way. The 10 of us stayed in a house in the Guanacaste region with the most beautiful ocean view I’ve ever gotten the pleasure of seeing. The pool facing the ocean was the cherry on top.

On this trip, I realized that I had never taken a vacation like this before. Most of my vacations have been to cities, or extended travel when I was freelancing and traveling for months on end, but still working and taking meetings here and there. This time, I was completely unplugged for an entire week, with no desire to look at my phone. My brother-in-law and his girlfriend planned an incredible itinerary, equal parts leisure time and adventure time. I didn’t spend time in a big city at all, just the small beach towns around the area and it was pure bliss.

My daily routine became something like this:

• Wake up at 5 am and watch the sunrise and listen to the birds and howler monkeys — a little time for myself before the rest of the family wakes up

• Make coffee for everyone

• Shower and then a few of us would run to the mercado to get groceries

• Make breakfast together and then clean up

• Read, write, journal, morning dip in the pool, or power nap (but often, all of the above)

• Wildlife tour or beach or sailing or other outdoor outing

• Come back exhausted (the good type of exhausted) and get groceries for dinner

• Get home and shower again

• Take a dip in the pool and watch the sun set over the ocean’s horizon

• Shower (again)

• Lounge around and help prep dinner while the brothers grilled

• Watch the KNICKS (I was away when we won but I saw the game and !!!) or a movie or shoot hoops with all the siblings or play card games (or on rainy days, watch the thunderstorm and see lighting bolts strike the ocean)

• Go to sleep and wake up and repeat

It was glorious. I drank more coffee than usual. Had lots of mango smoothies. Ate lots of plantains and beans (my favorite). Saw lots of birds and monkeys in their natural habitat for the first time. On one of the days we did a hike and our wildlife tour guide, Oliver, was incredible. He’s a 23-year-old second-generation guide and taught himself English and French. He was telling us how he plans on staring his own business at the end of the year.

And on the day we went sailing, we also learned a lot from the crew. We asked Bismark, the captain, what he thought of tourism in Costa Rica and this is what he said:

“On one hand, it’s given us so much more opportunity and we get to meet people from all over the world. I love what I do. But on the other hand, my family has lived by the beach for generations and life used to be so beautifully simple when I was a kid.”

Jeffree, the captain and first mate, told us he “felt more comfortable on the water than on land.” And Jonathan, the other captain and first mate, told me that he learned how to swim when his dad pushed him into the water and made him learn the hard way. (I was telling him that I don’t know how to swim, but that it was my goal to learn). It was the best time but we got caught in a storm on the way back because it’s currently rainy season. I was holding onto the boat for dear life. :) But truly memorable. Apparently, the storm was “nothing” to them.

Beach life was so good I found myself questioning my life decisions and future!! Jk, I love NYC, but actually…I can’t wait to go back.

Here’s what I packed, wore, ate, experienced, listened to, read, etc.This isn’t an exact packing list or itinerary, but I hope you enjoy.

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Afterward, I had a vanilla soft serve with olive oil and sea salt from Pasta Louise Cafe. A perfect way to wrap up May. As always, here are some things that brought me joy this month.

May’s Small Pleasures

• Birthday festivities! I got a mini olive oil cake from From Lucie and ate dinner at Casa Adela. And the following week, I had a small birthday party at my apartment and we all ate cardamon cake with roasted strawberry jam. My friends gave me the most darling gifts (Stationery! Mugs! Books! Lip balms! Incense! handwritten cards that made me cry!

• NYC Design Week. This year, I had to miss a few events, but it’s always an exciting and energizing time of the year. I had the pleasure of seeing two of my friends show their work at ICFF! I’m still not over this side table my friend made.

• Getting a facial at SPENCER’S. They were kind enough to treat me to a treatment at their new Williamsburg location. Every time I go to any of their locations, I get so inspired because they’re just the most beautiful spaces. And my skin felt amazing after.

• Lu Petit Écolier Dark Chocolate biscuits. (Thank you for sharing your stunning snack plates and introducing me to these). Not only are these cookies , but they are the most scrumptious biscuits I’ve ever had. I was grocery shopping the other day and was so happy when I noticed them.

• Scribner’s Catskill Lodge! I was there for a short and sweet work retreat. It’s such a gorg space, so I need to go back.

• The CAMPER Casi Myra ballet flats. Specifically in the light blue. This is what my shoe collection was missing. They are comfy and have the perfect amount of support.

• Lip balms. I find myself constantly reaching for my EADEM lip balm lately. I’ve also been a Glossier Generation G Cake enthusiast for who knows how many years now, but the lid always pops off which is getting annoying, even though it is literally the most perfect color. Apparently, this one’s a good alternative, so I’ll be trying it next.

• Flamingo Estate’s new book, Pleasure Principles. Richard Christiansen’s new book is available for pre-order and I can’t wait for it to arrive. It’s going to be a beauty (and the name is perfect).

• The Long Island Bar’s deviled eggs. I don’t eat deviled eggs unless they’re from here. I tried another restaurant’s and unfortunately, they were a disappointment. But The Long Island Bar just gets them right every time. A window seat, deviled eggs, little gem salad, and a crispy chicken sandwich is all I need.

• GAP Poplin Barrel Pants!!! The navy color went out of stock as I was writing this, but I did just get a second pair in black.

• Reading more fiction. I have always leaned a little more non-fiction (finished Famesick, wow) but I’m having a very fiction-filled month. I finished Bellies by Nicola Dinan (need to read Disappoint Me next) and I’m just a few chapters away from finishing Yesteryear. I also got sent a copy of Girl’s Girl that I can’t wait to read. And I started East of Eden.

• Whipping out my Dona Tea Library. We had family stay with us for a weekend and one of my favorite moments was serving tea, taking out the tea library, and asking “Alright, what tea flavor do you want?”

• Widow’s Bay on Apple TV. If you’re into funny (and creepy) shows, this is it.

• The flour tortillas from Los Burritos Juarez. Can’t believe it took me this long to finally go.

• This lovely conversation with . We chatted all things leisure and luxury!

• My bright pink Brooke Callahan cuff top. I may need to get it in every color (and also get the skirts)!!! I’ve never gotten my colors done, but I never get as many compliments as when I wear this specific shade of pink…

Let me know what your small pleasures were this month. <3

Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

The other day while running errands in Park Slope, I passed by my old apartment—a corner unit right on 7th Avenue. As I walked by, I wondered who lived there now and how they were decorating it and if the upstairs neighbors were still the same people.

It also hit me that I’ve been at my current apartment for two years now and hopefully I can stay here for many more because moving sucks. In the last two years, there have been a lot of small, but necessary changes, in my apartment. And many more to come! I love this space with all my heart. Here’s everything that makes this apartment special to me.

Chandeliers (and tin ceilings): The first thing that stood out to me when I toured this apartment was the chandeliers (albeit a little wonky) and tin ceilings. The ceiling and doorframes are a bit slanted, but what can you do!

French doors: I adore a set of French doors!!! I ended up adding rice paper window film to the doors for privacy and function. They are kind of janky and hard to close, but that comes with the territory when you live in an old unit.

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It had been years since my birthday fell on a Monday. So last week, I took the day off because nothing is better than a random weekday off. My day consisted of a breakfast sandwich, drop-off laundry, conversations with neighbors and strangers, Maguire Shoes, Old Friend Photobooth, a red gel manicure (no anti-gel manicure sentiment here because it’s the only thing that helps my cuticle picking problem!!!), thrifting at Stella Dallas, and making burgers at home.

But something that stood out to me the most from that day was actually a Mister Rogers video my boyfriend played on YouTube that morning. I was a PBS kid, but for some reason, my memory is hazy when it comes to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. So lately, we’ve been revisiting episodes. The video I watched was about a wooden captain's lap desk with different compartments. Mister Rogers talks about the importance of having your own little special place where you can keep your special things, whether it’s a wooden box or a shoe box.

“Do you have a place of your own where you can keep special things that belong to just you?” he asks.

Of course, it reminded me of how I’ve been wanting a new storage box to store the special letters, notes, ticket stubs, birthday cards, and postcards I’ve accumulated over the years. The white lidded IKEA plastic bin in my apartment just isn’t doing it for me anymore, nor does it feel special enough. So I began my search.

Boxes For Days!

After scouring eBay, Etsy, 1st Dibs, and a few other places, here are some delightful boxes for your leisure.

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Without further ado, here’s everything that brought me joy this month.

April’s Small Pleasures

• The NASA Graphics Standards Manual book. I got this in 2024 from Counter Print (please read the description on that page because it’s so fascinating!) I was reminded to bring the book out again because of all the beautiful space news this month. The book is a reissue of the 1974 manual and came in the most beautiful silver pouch. Although it’s sold out, this archival manual does exist…

• Really good butter. This is a small pleasure all the time, but especially this month. I ate lots of butter and jam for breakfast and jambon-beurres for lunch. My perfect sandwich: baguette from La Bicyclette, spicy dijon mustard, French ham, smoked gouda, and cornichons.

• The Whitney Biennial. I highly recommend going. Every floor was a surprise.

• Afternoon tea hangouts. Whether it’s at home or going to a tea parlor! Earlier this month, I met up with a friend at Brooklyn High Low. The toasted coconut tea is my favorite.

• Deep cleaning. A lot of things got thrown out this month and it felt incredible. Nothing energizes me more than a deep, deep, deep clean.

• Apple dessert wine. I saw it at the farmers’ market and had to get it because 1) I love apples, 2) I love dessert, 3) I love dessert wine but rarely have it, and 4) the bottle was beautiful. It was from Fishkill Farms. Such a delicious treat.

• The Matchbook Book. It’s the most delightful book ever and now I want to scan all of my matches, too.

• And a book of scanned Spanish Napkins. It arrived to my apartment a few hours ago. Every servilletta is PERFECT.

• Documenting my outfits on Indyx. I’ve been using Indyx for years (unsuccessfully) but I’ve managed to track my outfits every day for the last week. One of my friends has been doing it for years and every time I see her Indyx app, I feel so inspired. I’ll report back to keep myself accountable!

• Getting the loveliest package from . Tea, Le Pens, a candle, a journal, what more could you want! Thank you for the sweetest package.

• Chatting with for her wonderful series, Younger Selves. I will always love recollecting special moments from the past.

• Butter body cream. I guess the theme for the month is butter! This one from Oak Essentials is so delicious-looking that you just want to eat it. It glides on to skin so smoothly.

• The Domenico Gnoli exhibition at Lévy Gorvy Dayan. The paintings are stunning and even more perfect in person. My train skipped a stop (of course) so I had to walk 20 blocks down Park Avenue on a rainy Sunday to meet my friends at Birley Bakery and then we went to the gallery.

• Camper shoes forever. The blue ones I got are back in stock.

• Post-work Central Park picnics: On one of the few warm days in April, my friends and I met up after work in the Upper West Side, had our picnic, and then took a very long walk down to Columbus Circle. A big month for big walks.

• P.S. Are you going to the Afternoon Light Design Fair in NYC? I went to it last year and it was wonderful. You can get a ticket here!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

  Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

Every few months, I like to schedule a clothing donation pickup or put things on my stoop. I put it on the calendar so that I’m motivated to get rid of things before the pickup date.

Sometimes I have the patience to list items on Depop, but most of the time, I don’t. Throughout the year, I like to reflect on what I own: Does this still excite me? Do I still see this in my life? Do I want to give this a second chance and see how I feel about it in a few months? Do I want to hold on to this purely for nostalgic reasons? And if so, that’s fine. As I was stepping out of my apartment yesterday morning, I noticed my neighbors had put out around 10 bags of clothes. It’s purging season!

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My bathroom was the room that underwent the major purging this past week. I love my bathroom but the thing with having a clawfoot bathtub is that you don’t have any storage. Everything was starting to get cluttered: way too many shampoos and soaps on top of an old stool that was starting to get mildew (!!!), items hiding behind the tub, a basket that was starting to get filled up with the most random things. So we took everything out. And I realized I need to be better at throwing out empty bottles.

Now the bathroom looks like when we first moved in. Crisp and clean. I only have my essential shower products out: Roz Shampoo and Conditioner, Cyklar Body Wash, gentle bar soap, and a Soft Services Buffing Bar. That’s it. And I got an adhesive shower shelf to stick on the tile behind the shower curtain so that I don’t see all the bottles. The less I can see clutter, the better. (The bathroom cabinet is a whole other story, though, but that’ll have to undergo a deep clean another time).

Another thing I did last week was change up the entire layout of the home office. The desk now faces the window and it completely opened up the room. There’s now also a cork board so I can print stuff and pin in on the wall—an IRL mood board because I can’t keep up with my Pinterest or Cosmos or Are.na boards!!! It feels like a completely new room.

✸ Things I’ve Added to My Life Recently

With the urge to purge comes the urge to COLLECT! Maybe it’s because it’s Taurus season now and my birthday is in a couple of weeks, but I’ve felt the desire to gift myself just a few things, especially after a long winter of not buying myself anything clothing or accessories related. I’m also still doing the thing where I physically write down in a notebook every single purchase I’m making. It’s been really fun actually and somehow, I’ve managed to keep it up since January 1. But here’s what I’ve acquired this spring so far:

1. GAP Poplin Easy Barrel Pants: I needed more pants! I went to GAP IRL with my friends the other day. I needed to confirm that the pants I had been eyeing online were actually nice—and they were. I hurried home to order the short inseam length and a couple of days later, they arrived. I already know I’ll be wearing them all the time.

2. GAP Eyelet Bandana Scarf: And also the cutest scarf ever for summer.

3. Camper Casi Myra Flat: You know I love my Camper sandals because they are the comfiest shoe ever and I trust Camper, so these flats have been on my wish list for ages. I finally got them in a beautiful blue color (now sold out) but all the colors are incredible. And of course, they’re unbelievably comfy.

4. Brooke Callahan Cuff Top (in Pink): I’m patiently waiting for this to arrive.

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A few weeks ago, I mentioned I had found a new dining table: a wobbly rectangular desk found on the street. It got the job done but I quickly realized this was not meant to be a dining table. But it felt like the perfect prototype for what could be possible. So two days later while scrolling through Instagram, I saw this post and it felt meant to be.

The table met all of my criteria: 1) narrow enough to fit in my awkwardly-shaped space, 2) thick blocky legs, 3) a warm pine color, and 4) just the right amount of beautiful vintage wear. I was scared it was going to be too big—and maybe it is and I probably need to downsize my couch—but it ended up being fine. The stats: 78.5”W x 32.5”L x 30”H / Mid-Century / Pine / From The Netherlands.

I hit purchase a few hours later and the next morning at 8:45 am, it was in my apartment. I was in the middle of having my breakfast when the delivery drivers texted me that they were outside. There was some struggle getting it through the door, but it made it through. I was even tempted to WFH that day and not go into the office because I wanted to spend time with my new dining table. The table that I had spent years imagining in my head and hoping that one day I would find. But I went into work and my boyfriend sent me photos of our table all day.

Not to be dramatic, but this dining table has changed my life. I’ve lost a couple of square feet in footage, but it’s been 100000000% worth it. When I bought it, it almost felt like an impulsive purchase, maybe because it all happened so fast—except it wasn't impulsive at all because “upgrade dining table” had been on my home to-do list for ages.

It’s equal parts dining table, working desk, writing table, drawing table, book display table, etc. I love that I can have papers and notebooks and books sprawled across it.

Sometimes it really is the little things, like having a table that’s bigger than a 36” circle.

Now that I’ve had this table for a mere three weeks, I’ve been thinking about all the things I already love doing more of:

Lingering around the table longer. We used to just eat and then move to other parts of the apartment, but now, we feel inclined to stay longer at the table.

Spreading out the cookbooks. I have my favorite cookbook always on the table (Mexico: The Cookbook, which I also raved about in this conversation with for her series In Good Taste!) and whatever cookbook I want to cook more out of. It’s like I’ve got my own little bookstore and I can just walk over to the table.

Decorating it with objects. I finally have the space to adorn the table with things like a flower vase, little ceramic chair, toothpick holder, and a small red lamp.

Journaling more. Writing feels different on this table!! It has an academic feel and reminds me of the old tables I used to see at my university’s libraries.

Working on my projects more comfortably. I love having more room for my work!!! I work from home a couple times a week, and on the weekends, I spend time on my projects. The table makes me feel more focused?! I’m still working on updating my personal website, but I’m almost done! I use Squarespace (as I have been for the last 10+ years) and I’ve experimenting with all the different templates and seeing how I can change them up so they feel more me. It’s very intuitive to use and has lots of beautiful color palette suggestions and typography. And making your own domain is really easy to use. If you’re thinking about setting up your website, you can get started with Squarespace here and get 10% off with the code SMALLPLEASURES. <3

Creating a scanning station. I love my Epson scanner! Whenever I want to scan images from my books, I set up my equipment and bring out the books I want to scan.

For Your Leisure

I got tickets to go see The Drama this weekend. We’ll see how it is!

French Cooking For One is such a lovely book. I ended up ordering French Cooking For Two: Seasons of Friendship, too.

Still wearing the Jenny Bird Florence earrings almost daily.

The Siete Mexican Shortbread Cookies are so, so, so good. This was my reminder I need to restock. Perfect sweet treat.

The best yogurt is Painterland Sisters Yogurt. I’m currently eating more yogurt than usual.

Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

Tonight for dinner, we roasted a chicken. It’s not as daunting as I once thought to make a whole roasted chicken on a Tuesday night. I was sweating the entire time, though, and it reminded me of how hot my kitchen gets in the summertime. I’ve officially been at my current apartment for two years now and every month, it feels more and more like home. I was traveling a lot a few years ago, so it’s nice to stay put.

But the other day, I was looking at my camera roll from 2023 when I was in Europe for a few months and I deeply miss it!! On this exact date three years ago, I was at a flamenco show in Madrid in a tinyyyy cave-like venue and it was my first night there. I had just spent the previous three months in Italy and was ending my trip in Madrid, where spring was finally in the air. It was perfect.

Reminiscing aside, here’s everything that brought me joy this month.

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March’s Small Pleasures

• Seeing my neighbors outside again. I have a few elderly neighbors that have been living on my street for the last 80+ years. In the wintertime, I don’t get to see them much, but when the weather is warm, they all bring out their folding chairs and hang outside every single day. One of them, Anna, is the most talkative. She wears bright blue eyeliner and always reminds me to grab an umbrella if it looks like it’s going to rain outside. I don’t have any grandparents anymore, so she’s the closest thing I’ve got. She once worked on Wall Street. We talked about the weather the other day and she jokingly told me, “I’ve been so bored this winter, I thought I was gonna kill myself! Winter never gets easier.” I’m happy she’s happy now.

• Texas thrifting. It really always hits. I love going to the thrift stores when I go visit my hometown. Some finds: yellow cotton button-up, vintage photo frame, black sheer polka dot top, and a bunch of blazers. I hadn’t shopped in months, so this really scratched an itch!

• Panthella Party. Earlier this month, threw a birthday party with Louis Poulsen to celebrate Verner Panton’s 100th birthday. I have the orange Panthella lamp in my home and I can confirm, it’s perfect.

• Mexican bakeries and paleterias. Texas is filled with them and it always feels so nostalgic to stock up on pan dulce. And rice paletas—the best flavor in my opinion!!!

• Food art. My boyfriend has been making creations with his food every day and it’s been fun to look at food in a new way. I’m always amazed at his ability to make anything out of anything.

• Taking a sewing class. Being a beginner at something you’ve never done before is so humbling!!! I did an 8 hour long class at The New York Sewing Center (per my coworker’s recommendation) and it was so, so fun. I learned how to thread my machine and made a tote bag and red cotton pants. I didn’t get to finish hemming them, so they’re not quite ready to wear out yet. Need to get a sewing machine ASAP because I’m afraid I’m going to forget everything I learned…

• MASA Chips. I love a tortilla chip and have tried so many different ones. MASA sent me a massive box of tortilla chips, of all flavors, and a couple of months later, I’ve finally finished them all and I am here with my review. They are such a sturdy chip and a staple in almost all of my meals. Standout meals featuring these chips: chilaquiles verdes for breakfast and nachos. But they’re also so good on their own with guacamole. And the sweet churro flavor is fantastic, too.

• Honey as a gift. A friend of mine gifted me honey a few months ago and I love that it’s still something I’m enjoying every week. Honey is such a great food gift becuase of how slowly you can enjoy it. Every time I have honey, I think of her. One of my favorite beverages lately is simply to make is hot milk and honey. There’s nothing more comforting.

• Spiral plates!!! Food tastes better when you’ve got plates you’re obsessed with.

• Quality hair clips. The amount of times I’ve reached over for my red hair clip! I am wanting to slowly replace all of my hair clips with the ones from Undo.

• Medik8 retinal. I have retinal in my skincare rotation again. I love how this one smells and have only heard good things, but as always, I’ll report back.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

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Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

Right now, I’m in Texas where it feels like I jumped straight into late spring. Summer, even. I have an age-gap sister (she just turned 16) and yesterday we spent the day at the mall, stopping by GAP, redeeming her birthday gift at Sephora, going to a coffee shop called La La Land, and talking about how to fix up her room. She wants to hang art up, but doesn’t know what feels right. When I was 16, I didn’t know what art to hang up either until I became obsessed with vintage cabaret posters. The first thing I ever hung in my room was a poster of Le Chat Noir (1896) by Théophile Steinlen.

Today, we’re going thrifting. Things I’m hoping to find: silver bowls, an interesting vase, a few light jackets for spring, fun blouses. Why is it so hard to find a fun blouse? Texas thrift stores rarely fail me, so I’m feeling hopeful. My apartment (and closet) are in need of something fresh. I haven’t shopped in months and honestly, I’m feeling pretty uninspired with my clothes at the moment. On the other hand, because I haven’t shopped, I’ve been challenging myself to wear old items in new ways and it’s helped me fall in love again with a few things, especially as we enter a new season.

Spring always feels bittersweet to me. I felt simultaneously chipper and uneasy the other weekend when I stepped out in just a shirt and felt the sun’s heat on me. Maybe I was mourning my hot candlelit showers on cold nights. But after a long walk around the neighborhood observing the contagious happiness from everyone around me, my weird emotions subsided and I felt hope for the new season. I am a May baby, after all. Also, my feed is feeding me “summer in East Coast small towns” videos.

As with any new season, I love the chance to implement some sense of newness into my life. In my home, my closet, my skin, my habits, everything.

Get some good spring movies in your queue: On the coldest day this past month, I saw Éric Rohmer’s A Summer’s Tale. Now that we’re entering proper spring, it’s only fitting to see the other movies in the installment, specifically A Tale of Springtime. You can just SMELL the scents of spring and summer when you watch his movies. A Summer’s Tale had me wishing I was sweating and touching sand.

Change the color of your sheets: I’m putting my unbelievably heavy brown quilt away and switching to something softer. I have this linen set in a soft green and this cotton set in a blue that makes me think of cold water. I also love this ribbed cotton set for texture.

Have early weekday hangouts: There’s nothing better than seeing your friends for a 9 AM coffee or tea before starting your workday, especially when the weather gets warmer. Earlier this week, I went to Paquita with a friend and it was the best start to my day. And a couple days after, I saw another friend and we met up at this unassuming coffee shop where a woman interrupted our conversation to give us backpack recommendations. We thanked her and she said, “This is how it used to be, people just giving recommendations like this.” A few weeks ago, I was eating tacos at El Chato and a girl randomly joined my conversation to give us history documentary recommendations. It made my day and maybe we all need to do this more out in the world.

Have evening weekday hangouts: Alternatively, it’s okay if you don’t want to wake up early to hang. Even on the days when I’m tired after work, I have never regretted an evening hangout. Seeing friends is always refreshing and invigorating and why do we have to wait until the weekend to do so? This week, I celebrated my dear friend (and incredible writer and photographer) Grace Ann for her book launch, Fig Spit. It’s the most beautiful book. Other ideas: go see a movie after work, get dinner with people you love, watch the sunset, have a Negroni or tangy sparkling beverage of choice, get ice cream at 10 pm.

Swap out (or stock up) on your skincare: I have really dry skin, so I was using this heavier (but still light) DAMDAM moisturizer all season. I ran out, so now I’m switching to my beloved Dieux Instant Angel.

Consider adding a vanilla perfume in your rotation: I’ve been an Aesop Rozu and Henrik Vibskov L'eau rouge Heirloom girl for a few years now, but recently, I was pleasantly surprised by Maison Louise Marie’s No.15 Vanille Infinie. It’s described as an “elevated vanilla” and as someone who normally doesn’t gravitate toward this scent, I love it. It’s not what you’d think and it’s joining my regular rotation.

Take a class for something you’ve always wanted to learn: I am FINALLY taking a sewing class!!! Some context: when I was younger, all I’d do is draw up fashion designs. In high school, I really thought I was going to go study fashion merchandising FIDM like all my favorite beauty influencers on YouTube. My whole life, I’ve wanted to learn how to hem my pants and replace a button. It’s wild to me that over the decades, so many people have lost that skill. I’m also hoping that once I learn how to sew, I can make my own little kitchen curtains and tablecloths. Absolutely cannot wait.

Go get the haircut or trim: This might just be a Me problem, but I struggle with keeping up with trims and haircuts. Every year, I say I want to be better at it and then I go a year without trimming my hair. This is my reminder to book my appointment.

Invest in proper rain gear: This thread in the chat reminded me of the importance of having a proper rain jacket. It gets so rainy in May and for once, I want to be prepared. I want to be able to step out in a cute rain jacket and rain boots and rain bonnet. Send more recs, please. <3

Feel excited about your dinnerware: If you don’t already have plates and bowls you’re obsessed with, I’d put it at the top of your list. This has made all the difference for me, no matter the season. But especially now as I think about all the fruit and vegetables that are going to be in season soon. The latest additions to my collection are two small plates from LES Collecton’s new Spiral Collection. I now want (and need) the entire set. Other favorites: my dinnerware set from Fable and these Flow plates.

Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you loved reading this and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly book giveaway.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Squarespace. ✸

Despite the sludge that’s all over New York City right now, it’s that time of the year when I’m starting to see glimpses of spring coming. The birds are louder in the morning. It’s not pitch dark when I leave work. The light is streaming into my apartment differently now. Spring is coming soon.

Last night, I went to go see In the Mood for Love at Metrograph. It had been a few years since I had seen it and I loved it even more the second time. Today, I’m dealing with a neck spasm and working on some projects. One of my favorite activities this winter has been scanning my books and having a dedicated website for them. I just love a fun little website. I’m also working on creating a cute website for my dog next…because why not. I think we all need to have a more fun making things outside of our social media accounts! Maybe our websites don’t just have to be our professional work! Maybe they can just be fun! You don’t even have to share it. It can just be a digital archive for you. Long live the microsite.

I’ve been using Squarespace for over 10 years so I’ll always recommend it. If you’re new to making a website, they’ve got amazing templates. But if you’ve already got a vision, you can also just make the templates your own because they’re super flexible. They also make it really easy to set up domains. If you have an idea for a fun website, you can get started with Squarespace here and get 10% off with the code SMALLPLEASURES. Please tell me what you end up making. <3

Small websites = small pleasures. But without further ado! Here’s everything this month that brought me joy.

February’s Small Pleasures

• LOVE! My parents’ anniversary, Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s, so many birthday parties. There’s something sweet about venturing out in the cold to celebrate with the people you love.

• eBay for books. But then again, that’s every month. This month’s acquisitions: The Majesty of the French Quarter, The Design and Creation of Jewelry, and New York Interiors.

• The Louis Poulsen Panthella 250 Portable Lamp in Opal Orange. They sent it as a gift and I am eternally grateful. I didn’t know that an orange lamp is what my apartment was missing. It makes me think of citrus.

• The Criterion Channel’s 24/7 feature. If you’re like me and take forever selecting a movie, you could just play whatever’s on their live channel. I ended up seeing an incredible movie the other night: The Trial, based on Franz Kafka’s novel.

• Making a pot of beans on Sunday. Last month, I made black beans. This month, I made cannellini beans. They take forever to cook and during that time, I’ll write, read, clean, or watch a movie. It’s the perfect Sunday activity and sets you up for success because then you’ve got beans all week. We love fiber.

• Soft Services Buffing Bar. I’m following up on this. I’m into it. I recently got the banana one too and it smells like SUMMER! It’s not the type of banana smell you’d think. But scent aside, it has been helping with the KP I have on the back of my thighs.

• Speaking of body care, CYKLAR! I’ve now been using their stuff for over a year now and there’s nothing like it. They’re also on Sephora now! My favorites: in-shower balm, Vitamin C oil, and body wash.

• Getting my film developed. It’s a good month when I get to do this. There’s a spot near my favorite photo shop that has the best basque cheesecake, so I always get a slice when I’m over there.

• My wool sweater from Toast. It’s been keeping me ultra warm.

• Watching Friends for the first time. No spoilers, please! I’m in the middle of season 3. I’m enjoying it so so so much. I took a random BuzzFeed quiz and it told me I’m Monica.

• The Small Pleasures chat. I love seeing everyone’s recommendations for good rain jackets, vintage shops in Nashvilles, and fitness-related home decor. I’m bookmarking everything.

• A$AP Rocky’s new album, Don’t Be Dumb. His last album was in 2018! This new album is incredible and I already know the song STAY HERE 4 LIFE is going to be one of my most played songs of 2026.

• Books that look like butter? I have a copy of The Butter Book and it’s my new obsession. You can pre-order it and give it to the butter lover in your life.

• P.S. The winner of this month’s book giveaway has been emailed! Highlight of my month.

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Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

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The other month, I ordered two industrial-grade metal shelves per the recommendation of an article I read on The Strategist. Shipping was a nightmare since they don’t normally ship to residential homes. Some parts were missing. Some got shipped twice. Some were damaged. Some were even left in a parking lot nearby. It was an absolute mess. It took weeks until we had everything we needed to assemble them. Even assembly was a nightmare since some of the metal was dented. I was quickly regretting purchasing from an industrial website where you’re dealing with multiple manufacturing and shipping parties. (At least the customer service was friendly and helpful).

When the steel shelves were finally assembled, though, it was all worth it. They were tall enough to hit the top of my ceiling, sturdy enough to hold hundreds of pounds per shelf, and exactly what I was looking for. When you have a lot of books, you need something sturdy and going industrial is the way. I love that the shelves make my home feel like a used bookstore.

During my search, I casually looked at different FB marketplace finds, Good Behavior (my absolutely favorite shop for wooden furniture), and other newer furniture brands. But I kept coming back to the industrial steel shelves. The person who recommended them on The Strategist said that they had already had the shelves for over 15 years and that really sold it for me. So after months and months of debating it, I finally pressed purchase.

The two shelving units are now holding a majority of my books, especially the heavier ones. But I still have a few other bookcases in the mix for the remaining books: a tall teak bookcase, a short teak bookcase, and two Story Bookcases.

The metal is so different than all the other shelves in my home but I like how it contrasts. The old books bring warmth to the shelves. And although I still need more bookshelves, this will do for now. One day, I’ll have a massive wall so I can put a bunch of wooden bookcases like the ones at Casa Luis Barragán.

For Your Leisure

The lighting fixtures I’m adding to my wish list: the sconces from Platform Studio’s debut lighting collection. The collection is rooted in Hojalata, a Mexican folk art technique, and the silhouettes are inspired by early modernism. I love that they’re blending these folk art metal techniques with ceramic forms. Dreaming about having these above my nightstand.

I wear prescription glasses almost every day, but every once in a while, I wear my contacts. And when I do, I use it as an opportunity to wear my regular sunglasses. KREWE let me pick out a pair recently and I went with their recommendation: the MARGARET in Venezia. I’m in love with them and can’t wait for sunnier days.

The Loeffler Randall tracksuit pants are going to be my go-to pair this spring. I just need to go get them hemmed </3 I’ve also been loving their Mira Tote in Navy. It’s like their travel tote, but smaller. Ideal for those schlepping days.

I finally saw Bugonia the other day.

I’m picking the winner for this month’s giveaway for paid subscribers next Saturday, Feb 28. You’ll be getting a hardcover copy of Terence Conran’s France, as well as some small stationery goods.

After YEARS of wanting it, I finally have the Fellow Stagg Kettle. Gonna go make myself some earl grey tea now.

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Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small delights.

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

I haven’t been buying anything for my apartment, but I’ve been busy scanning my favorite pages from this book and seeing what stands out for when I pick my home projects back up.

Let’s go room by room: living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms. And I’ve sprinkled some home decor and furniture finds throughout, in case you’re looking for something similar.

P.S. In case you missed it: every month I do a book giveaway for paid readers and select one winner. At the end of this month, I’ll be giving away a copy of Terence Conran’s France and some tiny stationery goods, including Small Pleasures stickers ✸

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The most helpful thing to me when looking through old interiors is to notice what stands out and how the concept can be applied to own space. Maybe I don’t need to ID every specific thing and recreate it piece by piece, but it’s more so, what feeling does this give me? Do I like the airiness? Do I like that the reds and browns feel warm? Or is it the pops of blue? I also like looking for general shapes and silhouettes. Maybe I don’t need that exact chair, but I can find a similar lounge chair.

Living Rooms

There are a lot of great things going on here. I’ve always been obsessed with the idea of platforms in a home and this one also has storage! Things I love: the brown leather chair, brown painting, and a pop of blue through the bookshelf. Good Behavior currently has that leather chair but in black. Here’s an excerpt from the book:

The front of the platform in this living room recess is hinged so it can be used for storing bed linens and even quite bulky objects. The seating area promotes relaxed sociability, replacing conventional chairs and couches with loose cushions and a large mattress. The platform also serves to correct the proportions of a very narrow room, the height of which is greater than its width.

Here’s another living room that’s significantly bigger with lot to fun details. The rich brown carpet and excess of throw pillows. The cloth curtains being used (potentially to hide something back there?). And the bright blue vases bringing your eye up. What I like most is the objects on the table. The big lamp, magazine stack, phone, painting, and objects work together so nicely, without looking cluttered. Found some blue vases here, here, and here. And incredible white lamps here, here, and here.

And another angle of the living rom below. There are even MORE books. And stairs leading up to another platform. Lots of platforms in these 70s homes. I’ve aways enjoyed the look of paintings layered over bookshelves and it works so nicely here. I notice tiny figurines on one of the shelves…I also find it interesting that the books are mainly red. Maybe they’re more academic? I spy “The Crucible of Christianity” on the coffee table.

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January’s Small Pleasures

• The snow!!! It’s been so lovely. Yes, it’s all gray and slushy now, but the snowfall has been magical! As a winter lover, it’s felt exactly like how it should be.

• Not buying anything non-essential—and physically tracking every purchase. I use Origin to track my money digitally, but I’ve been enjoying jotting down my purchases in my journal every day, too. It’s helped my partner and I be even more intentional with how we spend our money. You become extra aware of how much you’re spending. (I did, though, just get myself a pair of Sorel boots because I had no proper cold weather boots! They were on clearance!)

• Making a “menu” for the week. As a result of the above point, a big part of intentional spending has been making time every Sunday evening to plan out the week ahead. When we don’t plan our meals ahead of time, it’s easier to fall into the cycle of ordering out for every single meal. New (and easy) meals that I tried this month: Sheet-Pan Chicken Tikka (make sure to double the spices!), the potato and cheese flautas from Enrique Olvera’s Sunny Days Taco Nights, and Indian Butter Chickpea.

• Renewing my library card. The library in my neighborhood has sadly been closed for almost two years now, and I noticed it’s impacted my reading. But now that I commute to work, every couple of weeks I stop by the library in the city. I just finished The Coin (per ’s recommendation) and picked up Earth Angel to read next.

• Having a fire running on the TV, specifically THIS ONE. Every January, I go upstate but this year, I didn’t. And I miss it!!! In order to make up for it, I’ve been playing a video of this real fire. It’s not AI, it doesn’t loop, it’s not 4K, it’s perfect.

• Commissioning a cake (and having leftover birthday cake for breakfast). There are so many incredibly talented bakers in NYC and this year, for my partner’s birthday, we got a cake from Justine Phan. It was a vanilla chiffon cake with citrus curd, graham cracker crumble, and olive oil Swiss meringue buttercream. I’m still thinking about it…

• Hosting friends over for tea. Last month, I wrote about how I want to host friends more, in more casual ways. On a cold and cozy Sunday, I had a few friends over. We had pastries from Poppy’s, sandwiches from La Bicyclette, tea sandwiches that I made, coffee, tea, and other small bites. It was the best. <3

• But speaking of tea, I also went to Tea & Sympathy earlier in the month with a friend. It was unbelievably snug and homey in there. And the sticky toffee pudding was lovely.

• My monthly book giveaway for paid subscribers!!! This month, I mailed out an interior design book on cozy spaces, a journal, and a Small Pleasures postcard + sticker. <3

• This “What vegetable are you?” quiz. A friend sent it and I’ve been sending it to everyone. I’m a pumpkin! What are you? <3

• Thoroughly enjoying my Criterion Collection subscription. I’ve never seen so many movies in one month. I’ve found myself opening up Criterion way more than the other streaming platforms. Every movie I saw this month (not all on Criterion): Belle de Jour (1967), Vivre Sa Vie (1962), Dreams (1980), 8½ (1963), Claire’s Knees (1970), The Exterminating Angel (1962), and The Mastermind (2025).

• The Pitt!!!!! I’m obsessed!!!!!!

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Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small pleasures!

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Squarespace. ✸

Organization! One of my favorite things to talk about. My system isn’t perfect, but it works for me. I work full-time and love having a million little side quests going on at all times, so I’m always looking for ways to improve how I organize things. Personally, I like just enough structure. Enough to keep me organized on a day-to-day basis, but flexible in case things don’t go as planned. If you’re curious about how my brain approaches this, here’s everything I do.

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Digital Calendar

My Google Calendar is always open on my tabs. If it’s not on the cal, it’s not happening! The calendar is at the core of my organization system. Only key events make it on to calendar: workout classes, coffee catchups, dinner reservations, travel, special events, movies, and more. Every few weeks, I change the color of my calendar depending on what mood I’m in. I don’t know why I do this, but it keeps my calendar fun.

Wall Calendar

Yes, another calendar! But this one’s different. I have a big monthly calendar on the kitchen wall where my partner and I add in important events and track habits with color-coded stickers. This has been a game-changer and it’s such a lovely way to look back at the month and see what we were up to.

Physical Planner

For some reason, I need a physical planner, too? Maybe it’s because I like the idea of having it for my personal archives. Sometimes I don’t want to scroll back to my calendar from three years ago, but I do want to page through my Moleskine planner from 2016 to see what was going on in my life. Though I don’t use it every single day, I go to my physical planner a few times a week to update it with the same key events. My current planner setup: a pocket-sized red Moleskine weekly planner inside my chestnut Paper Republic Grand Voyageur. I also have another notebook in there where I keep track of movies I just watched, TV shows I’m watching, and music I’m loving.

Website

I was one of those kids making my own themes on MySpace. I think I knew more about HTML and CSS back then than I do now. For hours, I’d tinker with background colors, fonts, and spacing. I even tried to make my own Tumblr templates, too. Now, I just use Squarespace. I think I’ve been using it to host my portfolio since 2015! I’ve probably gone through so many different website designs in the last decade.

I’m a copywriter and when people ask me how to get into copywriting, I always tell them they need a website first to house all their work. I like to keep my website regularly updated with recent work, experience, important links, and contact info. That being said, I’m holding myself accountable because I’ve been meaning to add new work from the last two years!!! I’m currently working on a new website though and I’m excited to share it once it’s done.

Reasons why I love Squarespace: 1) they’ve got so many incredibly-designed templates but they’re also flexible enough to make them your own, and 2) it’s unbelievably easy to set up a domain. If you’re thinking about setting up your website, you can get started with Squarespace here and get 10% off with the code SMALLPLEASURES. Having a website is like having a little digital home for your ecosystem, so I always see it as a priority.

To-Do List

I use Google Tasks for my to-do lists because I like that it’s easy to toggle with my calendar. Within it, I’ve got three columns. The first is the To-do column: general small tasks like go to the post office or reply to so and so’s email. The second is Content: an ongoing list of ideas, like January favorites TikTok, scan book for Substack Notes, or post IG stories for XYZ brand. And finally, Small Pleasures: a list of the next couple of newsletters I’m planning on writing, future topics I want to write about, and reminders to ship out giveaway gifts or print more stickers. When it comes to posting online, I’ve tried doing a structured content calendar with specific deadlines, but that doesn’t work for me. This method works, though, and allows me to manage all my tasks in a relatively organized but flexible way.

Notes

I use Notes a lot. I’ve talked about how I write down my daily small wins and acknowledgments in a note on my phone. I also keep my grocery lists here. And my dreams (when I remember them). Plus, an assortment of miscellaneous jottings.

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For Your Leisure

My new favorite shoes are these brown suede flats. Tysm, Loeffler Randall! I took them out and about last week and they’re a dream.

I finally started watching The Pitt and I’m all caught up. And HR, of course. I am NOT okay.

Last week, I went to BINGO night at Ray’s hosted by to celebrate their newly-launched Substack, A Need to Know Basis. The night was so sweet and it made me realize we all need to be playing bingo more often. I got to wear this incredible baby blue blazer and stunning metallic bag.

Swoony’s in Columbia Street Waterfront District has a juicy, delicious burger. I took my partner there for his birthday dinner and we loved it. The soft serve was amazing, too.

I received a book for Christmas called Design For Modern Living: A Practical Guide to Home Furnishing and Interior Decoration and it’s my new favorite. I’ve been sharing snippets of it on Notes but I may have to do a deep dive soon. It’s a gem and you can get it on eBay.

Thank you for being here! It means everything to me. If you love reading Small Pleasures and want to further support my writing, please like this post, leave a comment, share it with a friend, or upgrade to a paid subscription. Paid subscribers get automatically entered in a monthly giveaway, usually featuring books, stationery, and other small pleasures!

Follow along on Instagram, shop my home and closet favorites here, and if you’re interested in collaborating, send me an email at sndy.snchz@gmail.com.