Texts from my Sisters is a weekly dispatch from three sisters filled with good recs, current obsessions, and everything else we’re texting about lately.

Greetings, we’re home from the lake! It’s Vic. Alex and I spent an extended weekend at The Sagamore Resort in Lake George with our families and I’ve been converted to a lake girl.

Last year our cousin had his wedding at The Sagamore and we loved it so much we immediately booked a trip for this summer knowing Alex’s daughter would be older (17 months) and my son would be 5 months. We’ve spent time in the Lake George area our whole lives but never spent too much time in Bolton’s Landing until now, and we love it.

Michaela ditched us for her own plans but don’t worry we inundated her with cute baby content until she thoroughly regretted her decision.

The weekend was full of gorgeous views, lakeside meals, poolside drinks, dips in the lake, baby cuddles, and strolls into town. Also… numerous meltdowns and not a whole lot of sleep.

Our brother's girlfriend has a home in Bolton’s Landing so we had insider knowledge on where to eat and shop in town. We ate breakfast at The Shack, pizza at Cate’s, got coffee at Provisions, and did a kids-free dinner at Chateau on the Lake, courtesy of our mom who stayed with the kids while we went wild (read: we were home by 10:30).

My favorite aspect of The Sagamore stay, and any hotel stay really, is the lobby culture. Lobby culture is extremely important to me! Some hotel lobbies feel like quiet areas that you silently walk through until you reach the comfort of your hotel room, but I prefer a lobby that is lived in.

I could sit in a nice hotel lobby for hours socializing and people watching, and at The Sagamore, they make it incredibly convenient by providing ample seating, lighting, a nice fire, a fabulous lobby bar, and they’re accommodating for kids! Kids of all ages ran around the lawn while parents sat on the porch or just inside enjoying a nightcap or a tea. They had a live music event for kids close by and a fire pit with s’mores.

A lit fireplace and an empty martini glass in every corner—the sign of a hotel with alive and well lobby culture.

If you’re thinking of booking The Sagamore, I’d recommend coming on a weekday if you can swing it because it can get a little crowded with families. But personally I’d rather our kids join a chorus of other children’s yells than have the only baby crying at a hotel pool!

VICTORIA’S TEXTS

• I’ve been obsessing over these Salomon sneakers and I think I am going to pull trig and order them. I know, how original—a pair of Salomon’s, but some things are popular for a reason!

• My friend (@Jillyhobes on TikTok) is a skincare wizard and heard my previous plea for an updated skincare routine. She sent me her four holy grail products: Rejuran renewing serum, Sofie Pavitt Face Cleanser, Dieux Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Firming Moisturizer, and Mara Pearl Peptide 3-in-1 toner! While I just began implementing them, I’m loving them so far! I will keep the class updated on my skin progress.

• Crock pot meals! I recently visited Alex in Maine and she reminded me how EASY it is to make a meal (in this instance it was a delicious and simple salsa verde chicken). I tend to overcomplicate things in the kitchen so adding one or two meals a week that I can throw in during the day and will be ready by dinner time has been life changing.

ALEX’S TEXTS

• If you, too, are always looking for an audiobook that you and your husband will both enjoy on a long car ride (unfortunately my husband is not an Ali Hazelwood fan yet), let me recommend London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe. We’ve been listening to this book over several weeks of car travels (it’s long!) but we’re both hooked which is rare.

• This knit top from SOMETHING to HOLD (a new-to-me brand) is at the tippy top of my want-to-buy list. The whisper-thin cotton/silk fabric! The color combo! The stripes! Sigh. If only I wasn’t buying so much house stuff right now.

• I’ve been thinking about the unsung heroes of my summer and have landed on three things that are perhaps unsexy but entirely useful: The Tower 28 SOS spray (a little post-workout spritz = acne-free skin), Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm in Red Dahlia (your lips but better!), and the Prequel Sun Barrier Mineral sunscreen (rubs in well AND doesn’t smell weird).

MICHAELA’S TEXTS

• I’ve been finding myself digging in my activewear drawer—call me Dr. Alan Grant (from Jurassic Park) cause I’m an archeologist in that b—and coming out finding nothing that I like. If I’m gonna be honest I have sports bras from like 7th grade in there, and since I mainly spend my time wearing this category of clothing, it’s time for a refresh. Unfortunately it will be a slow refresh cause we can’t all be Money Bags McGee but I’ve been eying some pieces from Cotton On and am also very much taking recommendations!

• I’m gonna copy Alex and also talk about makeup because I think I’ve finally found my perfect lip liner shade. I’ve been struggling to find a good color for a while because I have this completely awful problem where the browns are too dark and the pinks pull orangy on me :(( woe is me. But the color Umber from Refy Beauty might be a match made in Sephora heaven. I’ve been loving pairing that liner with the RoC Derm Lip Volumizer for a little plump.

• If you’re a last minute girlie like me here is a reminder that Rent the Runway has some really great wedding guest dress options that you can rent one-off without a subscription. I had a wedding last weekend—yeah thats where I was when my siblings were all having fun without me eye roll—and I rented this gorg Staud dress which was delivered to my door in NYC in only a few hours, what a dream.

Texts from my Sisters is a weekly dispatch from three sisters filled with good recs, current obsessions, and everything else we’re texting about lately.

Hey, it’s Michaela. Is anyone else walking around in a post-Sterling Point haze or is it just me? Thankfully after finishing the show I went on a bachelorette trip to Saratoga so I could pretend that a weekend with 20 girls in upstate New York was basically the same as owning a 20-million-dollar island on a lake in Canada.

There were a few overlaps, like tubing on the lake and dancing at the bar à la Annie and Rory at the club on her birthday (team Rory), but sadly no one got their period for the first time or discovered they have a secret sister. If you don’t get these references, let me be more specific: you must watch Sterling Point on Amazon Prime.

Inject these teen shows straight into my veins, please. I can’t even call them my guilty pleasure considering I haven’t shut up about a YA show since I watched Vampire Diaries in the 9th grade. To bring it back to Saratoga, it was a 10/10 bachelorette spot. Our itinerary included going to the track, a boat day, and a lot of late-night dancing leading to a week-long hangover (hence the Thursday post). Sorry, I was busy having fun!!!

ALEX’S TEXTS

• PSA my favorite chef and all around coolest person ever has a new cookbook out! I am a super fan and I’ve gifted her last cookbook, What to Cook, to pretty much everyone in my life. Her new cookbook, Make It Fast, came out on Tuesday and I can’t wait to make everything in it. We moved into our new house this week (!!) so I’ve cooked absolutely nothing, but as soon as I clear all the boxes out of my kitchen it’s game ON.

• This Gap rugby shirt is 10/10 for fall.

• Neighborly kindness still is alive and well here in Maine! Our new neighbor and her sweet daughter brought over brownies yesterday. I thought this kind of thing only happened in movies.

• If you read my other newsletter (Thee Book Report) you’ll know that I haven’t been able to get into a fantasy read all summer. But I recently started Siren Says by Jennifer Herrera and am hooked. It may even be the subject of next week’s Book Report!

VIC’S TEXTS

• Last weekend while visiting Alex in Maine we popped into Zane in Portland. The clothes were fab but they paled in comparison to sweet Remy, the manager’s perfectly behaved gorgeous dog (behaving in a commercial store with random customers walking in and out? My four-year-old golden retriever could NEVER). Not only was she well behaved, but she was well accessorized. I couldn’t stop thinking about her collar (a perfect forest green collar featuring mallard ducks), so after some internet sleuthing I found it at a Portland based dog store, Uncommon Paws. I purchased it for my pup and I’m so pleased!

• LL Bean has done what we’ve all been waiting for and came out with a tote insert! I have a bunch of their boat and totes in various sizes and while they’re great and durable, I always find myself wishing for more ways to organize my items. I just ordered two and so should you!

MIC’S TEXTS

• I got new running sneakers and it is a good reminder that damn sometimes a little purchase can change everything. Especially something you wear or use every day. As an everyday walker putting on these Acics has brought me joy because 1. They’re cute 2. My New Balances were actually falling apart. Plus I had the exact same pair as Victoria we kept accidentally switching shoes, so problem solved. May I suggest you treat yourself to new shoes.

• Does anyone who had OG Bieber fever to the 10th degree remember Justin’s friend Ryan Betty? Those were the days. Well, he’s back with a new album called Sweet Fortune and I cannot stop listening to it. It’s sweet and mellow and the writing is very good if I do say so myself. Virtuoso is my current fave.

Texts from my Sisters is a weekly dispatch from three sisters—Alex, Victoria, and Michaela—filled with good recs, current obsessions, and everything else we’re texting about lately.

Hi! It’s Alex. We’re over halfway through our first true summer in Maine, and I’m here to report that everyone was right, it’s straight out of a movie. Hydrangeas are in bloom, blueberries are ripe for picking, boats line the harbors, and everything is green green green.

One of the best parts of living here during the summertime has been all the visitors. Cousins stopping by en route to Acadia, a mid-week friend hang, long weekends with family, my former colleague passing through, hosting our West Coast friends that we haven’t seen in way too long for dinner.

It’s been delightful to realize that unlike this time last year, it’s been a breeze to recommend where to eat or things to do to my visitors. Some of my favorites right now are…

• The strawberry fields matcha at Double Great Coffee

• Blueberry picking at Winslow Farm

• Dinner at Cherie

• Breakfast at Dara Bistro

• Popping into Vivand, Blanche & Mimi, Basq, or The Post Supply for goods

• Lil Chippy buddies and beers

In the spirit of keeping things short-ish and sweet for summer, let’s jump right into what we’ve been texting about this week.

ALEX’S TEXTS

• Anyone need a fun new podcast? Recently, I’ve been obsessed with We’re Obsessed With You. The hosts are Emily Hymes and Kyle O’Donnell, IRL best friends who met working as late night producers and have the PERFECT personalities for a podcast chatting about about things they love and interviewing guests about what they’re into.

• Hot tip: You can remove AI slop from your Pinterest. Go to: account settings —> refine your recommendations —> Gen AI interests —> Toggle off.

• Baris Dipped Raspberries are better than Tru Fru!!!!

• I was never one for robes, but I’ve been converted. Victoria and Michaela gifted me a House No 23 robe and omg what was I doing before?! It’s striped (they know me so well) and the material is so light and airy. My post-shower lounge time has vastly improved.

VIC’S TEXTS

• I shopped the Ulla Johnson sample sale and got this fabulous dress for a September wedding at an extremely discounted price. I love it, the quality is amazing, and I’ll rewear it for years to come. It’s sold out on Ulla Johnson but available in a different colorway/discounted price here!

• With September around the corner it feels like back to school, except in reality it’s back to work after my maternity leave. I’m planning on softening the blow by investing in some new work pieces like: this Doen blouse, this Sezane top, this Boden dress, and these Apiece Apart trousers (pricey but rare to find good quality trousers in petite!).

• ISO a skincare routine that’s insanely effective, somewhat clean, but also simple and easy. Is that too much to ask for ? This is a call to action!!! I don’t know if it’s becoming a mom or just aging in general but lately I have been feeling the need to up my skincare game without overcomplicating my life. If you have any recs or follow any skincare-specific Substack newsletters I would be VERY GRATEFUL! Happy to aggregate and share any feedback.

MICHAELA’S TEXTS

• Stumbled upon this bag on Depop and immediately added it to cart. I can’t wait to take it out on the town. I’ve been eying all things bandana from Call It By Your Name (which ironically I keep calling Call Me By YOUR Name, but it’s not a sensual Timmy movie, it’s a clothing brand). I couldn’t justify spending $100+ on their bandana-patterned things so this Depop find was a good reminder that the best ways to shop a trend is secondhand or small biz.

• I saw the Odyssey when I was on vacay in Charleston (I love going to the movies while on vacation and I suggest you add it into your next itinerary). I’ll take any opportunity to go to the movies or talk about movies or eat popcorn and drink a Diet Coke the size of my head. I enjoyed it but it was pretty much exactly what I was expecting. I was entertained but it was LONG and I didn’t feel emotional during it, if that makes sense? And why did they all kind of have New York accents? Why couldn’t Tom and Rob keep their hot British accents? Anyway, overall it was good but it didn’t move me emotionally. I guess not everything can move my bfa (big fat ass).

Texts from my Sisters is a weekly dispatch from three sisters—Alex, Victoria, and Michaela—filled with good recs, current obsessions, and everything else we’re texting about lately.

I’m a big fan of finding one really great dress and wearing it to a bunch of weddings. I’ve worn this green floral La Ligne dress (a hand-me-down from Victoria, tysm) to an August wedding in Lake George, October weddings in San Diego and Vermont, and a June wedding in Annapolis.

Now that I’ve officially worn this dress amongst almost every variable group in my life, it’s time to retire her (at least for a little while). Naturally, since we’re in the heart of the late-summer-into-fall wedding pipeline, we’ve been texting about finding the next great dress. The one you’ll invest in, because you plan to wear it over and over.

ALEX’S PICKS

1. Banana Republic Cotton Maxi-Dress ($248): I saw Chanelle Marie wearing this dress in white and fell in love with the shape. Obviously white is out for weddings, but the orange-y red or the brown is ideal for this time of year. And yes, I think it’s totally fine to wear red to weddings (there’s an old adage that wearing red means you slept with the groom, so silly). This dress is a great contender for THE DRESS because you can make it fancy with shoes and accessories, or dress it down for events like a baby shower with flat sandals.

2. DOEN Rhodia Dress: There’s been a lot of debate on the internet recently about whether DOEN dresses are worth it. For me, it’s a yes. Every dress I own feels special and well-made. I always get the most IRL compliments when I’m wearing them! They do sales quarterly, and the discounts are gooood. I got this dress in a different print for $116!

3. Loeffler Randall Ghai Dress: Loeffler Randall is best known for their shoes, but I’ve been drooling over their clothes recently. The Ghia dress, with its dainty bow straps, fun pattern, and pops of red, is perfect.

4. Eddy Lydia Dress ($134): Eddy dresses are usually so expensive, but I spotted this gorg dress in their end of summer sale and, as I’m writing this, it’s available in S, M, L, and XL.

5. Hill House Davina Dress ($119): Speaking of sales! Hill House is having a big stockroom sale and I’m so surprised this dress is still available. The flouncy sleeves are perfect for a church wedding or a summer-into-fall transitional vibe.

6. SAYLOR NYC Krystie Dress ($297): I’m obsessed with this dress. The chocolate brown, the tiers, the floral detail on the strap. This would be amazing for anything in the fall or for a chic restaurant wedding.

7. Olympia Fresco Dominique Maxi Dress ($328): This is a dress and also a work of art!! Think late-summer wedding at the lake, Florida wedding in the fall, early June wedding at the yacht club.

8. Agua Bendita Julia Ivy Maxi Dress ($330): I can’t do a wedding guest dress roundup and not include an Agua Bendita! I adore the little cutout.

   VIC’S PICKS

   

9. DOEN Ischia Dress ($348): A true staple for me, so easy to wear casually in your day-to-day or dress up for a wedding!

10. La DoubleJ Magnifico printed silk maxi dress ($1,850): So, I do happen to have a budget, but if you don’t may I recommend this absolutely stunning La DoubleJ silk dress?

11. Rixo Aprilia Dress ($275): I wore this to a wedding at a brewery recently and it was a hit! Comfortable and light, perfect for postpartum and would be adorable with a bump too.

12. Rixo Lianne Dress ($415): Another gorgeous Rixo dress which was in contention for my last wedding but would not have arrived in time. I love anything caftan style so I will likely be ordering this for a wedding I have in September!

13. FarmRio Embroidered Midi Dress ($266): Sale alert! This light blue embroidered dress is gorgeous and resembles the SEA NY Catharina dress with a friendlier price tag!

14. La Ligne Rosalie Dress ($495): I love the color and the ruching. Mostly I love the versatility of this dress.

15. Modern Citizen ($121): Perfect for a more casual wedding. I picture this worn with some sandal kitten heels and a martini in hand.

16. Merlette Sofia Dress ($640): This Merlette dress is my favorite of all of my recommendations, unique but classic and flattering at the same time!

MICHAELA’S PICKS

Hi, a little peek behind the curtain. I design this thing so I’m opting out of writing lengthy blurbs next to all of my dresses and instead I’ll do one big blurb here. My general vibe is I have a budget of $5.99 so I like when dresses are affordable, bright colors, classic shapes, and a little slutty if I’m gonna be honest. I recently discovered on TikTok that my Kibbe body type is a soft natural. Not that I am gonna follow it to a tee, but it confirmed why I like to have my chest out other than for obvious (slutty) reasons. Okay enjoy my list below.

17. Etsy ($139.64): Gonna keep talking about this blue silk dress I found on Etsy until someone physically stops me. See last week’s letter for a full rundown.

18. Zadig & Voilaire ($249): This is on sale so it fits in my budget by a hair.

19. Topshop linen halter neck maxi ($109): Hii $100 dress!

20. ASOS Cotton Maxi ($119): I was clearly fixated on ASOS cause ya know the damn budget. Comment below if you want me to do a whole ASOS dress edit (or any other store) I’m trying to up my screen time and I love to scroll.

21. Mango Outlet Halter Neck ($54.99): Mango Outlet is my little secret I will now gift to you xo.

22. Mango Green Midi ($55.99): Really good color really good fit.

23. Rumored Maxi Dress ($159): Would be a great non-standard bridesmaids dress.

24. DÉ ROCOCO Poplin Maxi ($300): A girl can dream.

Texts from my Sisters is a weekly dispatch from three sisters—Alex, Victoria, and Michaela—filled with good recs, current obsessions, and everything else we’re texting about lately.

Welcome! This newsletter is coming to you after a week of wildfire smoke and questionable weather, meaning I have spent most of this past week inside with my 4-month old.

This has led to an inordinate amount of scrolling Pinterest and a sharp increase in the number of texts I send my husband while he is at work. He’s an electrician and recently sent me this video which I took under advisement before continuing to text him as I please.

@raymond.electricaI’ll be quicker next time.. #marriedlife #husbandandwife #coupleshumor #relateable #fyp

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He does bring me lunch though, so I can’t complain too much about his response time.

The main focus of my Pinterest doomscrolling has been home design. I love homes and interiors, I love curating inspiration and collecting little details for a custom laundry room or a kids bathroom.

I love a cape style home with cedar shingle and I have a collection of truly gorgeous inspo if anybody is ever in need of approximately 900 pictures of the exact same siding on different houses (bonus points if there is blue trim). Any other cedar shingle fanatics out there?

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If I had any of the skills to be a contractor or an interior designer I would be one, but unfortunately I have the spatial awareness of a small child. My enthusiasm for home design will be limited to curating Pinterest boards and living vicariously through my husband, who indulges my obsession by sending me pictures of the new builds he’s working on (when he has the time to be on his phone of course 🙄)

For now, we live in a small beach bungalow where the bedroom space is limited, the bathrooms are very old and retro (think bright purple tile) and our washer dryer unit is in our kitchen (literally).

If and when I eventually get to customize a kids bathroom I have been completely influenced to include a fun tile.

Also, due to my aforementioned small home I am highly intrigued by space optimization!! A staircase that doubles, nay TRIPLES, as a bookshelf and a wine cabinet would be high on my list, and the idea that my husband’s tools could be so organized is a dream.

The apple of my eye this week has been sleepover space! Think of all of the cousin sleepovers.

VICS’S TEXTS

1. In keeping with my home design obsession, I recently recommended to Alex (soon to be new homeowner of a house with a very big yard) the company Cedarworks, a Maine-based company that makes dreamy, high quality wooden playsets and playhouses for children. They also sell other wooden furniture which I am equally obsessed with!

2. On a separate but not so separate note, I can’t stop telling people to follow @itsclarajones. She has been my favorite IG follow as of late! I love everything she recommends and recently I have been obsessed with following her hydrangea / garden journey!

ALEX’S TEXTS

3. I use Google calendar and lists in my Notes app and every single other productivity solution but nothing, NOTHING works as well as a handwritten list. At the same time, I don’t love filling my notebooks with to-do lists (notebooks are for scribbles and poems). The solution—I recently got this $11 notepad from The Regional Assembly of Text and it’s amazing. You write down your to-do list, cross it off, then toss it out. It’s like a legal pad but smaller, cuter, and not bright-yellow.

4. I feel like no one’s talking about Elle on Prime Video but was so cute! I didn’t think that the young Elle resembled Reese Witherspoon at all until I heard her talk/watched her mannerisms. It’s uncanny. It’s a prequel, so it’s set in 1995 and it’s such a joy to watch high school kids talk about pager numbers and call each other on their home phones. My one complaint is that they make everyone who lives in Seattle so extremely grungy and covered in flannel in order to juxtapose Elle / LA. I’m sure that there are many people in Seattle who have great style and don’t only wear black.

MICHAELA’S TEXTS

5. If you saw my note or my Tik Tok you’ll know I’ve been bragging about this dress I found on Etsy all week. If you didn’t see either of those well, you're part of my excuse to keep bragging. Lately I feel like shopping for a wedding guest dress is an impossible task. Everything is polyester and $200+. I consider myself a pretty professional online shopper, but I found myself so uninspired going to the same sites seeing the same dresses at insane prices. I decided to take a risk and test out a small business on Etsy. Thankfully it worked out and my order arrived 2 days before the wedding. It fit like a glove, which is enabling my bad habit of procrastination—yet again I waited till the last minute, and yet again everything worked out.

6. Ladder is a subscription-based fitness app I’ve been using consistently since December. I’ve always been an active girly but I usually bounce between workout classes, apps, YouTube videos, and whatever fitness trend catches my attention. My monkey brain gets bored easily so staying consistent has always been my biggest issue.

   Ladder has been holding my attention for 7 months now and I think it comes down to the variety of workouts and the coaching that keeps you accountable without forcing you to listen to someone talking over your workout the entire time.

   I’m on Team Transform which focuses on strength training and growing your glutes. I’ve even convinced my brother-in-law to download the app... although for some strange reason he didn’t choose the “grow your glutes” program. Weird.

   

Texts from my Sisters is a weekly dispatch from three sisters—Alex, Victoria, and Michaela—filled with good recs, current obsessions, and everything else we’re texting about lately.

I was in London for five days in early June with my husband Chris, our 15-month-old daughter Margot, and my in-laws. We’d planned the trip around the Royal Ascot, a very fancy horse race we’d always joked about attending until one day we booked plane tickets and made it happen for real, tagging on a few days in the Cotswolds afterwards.

I just love it there! Kensington Park with its wide swaths of grass and well-behaved dogs. People of all ages spilling out of pubs at all hours, sipping pints with their work bags slung over their shoulders. The whitewashed buildings of Notting Hill, the touristy thrill of passing a red telephone booth, the tree-lined walking path along the Thames.

Then the Cotswolds, even better than I’d imagined. We got lucky, we were there just before the headwave, no rain, just blue-sky days in the 70s, driving on the narrow roads from one fairytale town to the next (let’s be clear, I was in the passenger seat, staring dreamily out the window).

Unfortunately, the time difference means I can never actually move to the UK. Every day, I had to wait five long hours for my sisters to wake up and answer my texts. This means they got paragraphs and paragraphs about everything I loved, which I read back through as I tried to whittle down my ten favorite things from this trip. I’ve done my best to keep it brief (ish).

1. Most playgrounds have coffee shops RIGHT! THERE!

   

   If you were expecting this list to cover the coolest, trendiest places in London I regret to inform you that much of this trip was dictated by our bossy toddler who doesn’t sit still for one second. This means we became experts on the parks of London, which have lovely gardens and ponds and multiple cafes for grabbing a cappuccino to power you through an hour of telling your child not to go down the slide on their stomach. America, please add coffee shops to our parks, I beg you. Our favorite playground in London was in St. James Park––you can see Buckingham Palace directly through the trees. In the Cotswolds, the playgrounds were more low key, but magical. There was one accessible via footpath, set on a hill that looked over horses grazing below in the meadow, and another in the center of a walkable community hub that also had a bakery, padel courts, jewelry shops, and clothing stores.

2. Our Airbnb in Westminster:

   

   If you’re traveling with family/kids in London, Airbnb is the way to go. This property in Westminster was managed, which made things seamless (our coffee machine wasn’t working, and the management company sent someone over immediately to replace it). It was like having the service of a hotel with the perks of a house—we could put our daughter down for bed, then hang out together in the living room. We were lucky enough to miss the heatwave, but I can’t emphasize enough how having air conditioning was crucial to our family’s happiness after walking 20,000+ steps each day.

3. Clothing heroes:

   

   These white jeans, the BEST sweater x the BEST dress, Rothy’s I walked 20,000+ steps in, cute utility pants, Gap X Doen top (similar)

4. A small-world Substack moment. One morning we were in Marylebone when I spotted ’s signature shock of blonde hair outside Loeffler Randall’s London storefront. Loeffler Randall shoes are so special. I bought my first pair of LR shoes—beautiful leather boots—years ago when I got a promotion at work. I’d recently started to read Jessie’s newsletter, Jessie Loves, on Substack and was immediately drawn to her sense of creativity and wonder. As we passed by, I called out, “I love your shoes!” She replied graciously, and we kept on walking. I admit I felt a little silly after, as I explained to my mother-in-law why I’d just shouted at a stranger in the street. And then, a week later, the most wonderful thing happened. Jessie wrote about said encounter in her Substack.

   Jessie Loves

   Jessie Loves: Everything I Brought Home From My Trip to Italy and London

   I’m just back from a 15-day trip (all packed in a carry-on, which was nuts)! For the first part of the trip, my family and I visited Capri where I had my honeymoon 23 years ago. Then it was on to London for a photoshoot, a visit to the site where our first London boutique is under construction (!), and to help my daughter pack up her dorm. Below is a li…

   Read more

   2 months ago · 195 likes · 48 comments · Jessie Randall

   I couldn’t believe my eyes. Immediately I commented on her post, and we were connected here on Substack. I just felt so glad to give a compliment, and to know it was well taken.

5. Books bought abroad!

   

   I had to be thoughtful with how many physical books I could practically haul back in our luggage, but I wound up with a great haul. From Daunt Books, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, a gift for a friend. From Octavia Books in the Cotswolds, Elizabeth Strout’s newest book, The Things We Never Say. And from the very crowded Notting Hill Bookshop I got two clothbound books, one copy of Jane Eyre gifted to my mother-in-law (not pictured above) and one copy of Little Women for my daughter.

6. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Fascinator:

   

   I was considering wearing this white Hill House dress to the Royal Ascot, but I wanted to pair it with a bright red fascinator to pay homage to the Ascot’s color of the year. Just as I started diving into research of where one might get this sort of headpiece, I found out that my friend Emily actually owns a BRIGHT RED FASCINATOR. Emily kindly lent it to me, it was absolutely perfect for a day at the races, AND I got to see her in person while I was in the Cotswolds. How lucky!

7. Having a cappuccino every AM.

   

   At home, I only drink decaf coffee or matcha. But on this trip I was somehow fine to start every morning with a cappuccino (and a croissant of course). Was it me? Was it the 20,000 steps a day? I may never know why I wasn’t jittery over there. My favorite cappuccinos were from Watch House and Bakery on the Water.

8. Reading volumes 5-8 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion while abroad.I raved about this series in my other newsletter, Thee Book Report, but it felt truly kismet to read about the adventures of Emma M. Lion in 1883 London while having my own in 2026

9. Our kid-friendly Hotel in the Cotswolds:

   

   We stayed at Ellenborough Park in the Cotswolds, and it was perfect for our 15-month-old. When we arrived they’d set up the cutest play area and a Yoto for her! The grounds were gorgeous, which was amazing for us because we lapped the property several times chasing her around, and there was a pool and plenty of outdoor seating. It was really easy to get to several towns we wanted to see, like Broadway, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Cirencester.

10. Bringing home a menagerie of souvenirs for people I love!

Texts from my Sisters is a weekly dispatch from three sisters—Alex, Victoria, and Michaela—filled with good recs, current obsessions, and everything else we’re texting about lately.

Coming to you live from my desk to say that if this country wants me to be more patriotic, they’ll have to give me more than one day off work for the Fourth of July (and also fix our many problematic systemic issues but baby steps, I suppose).

Speaking of baby steps, there were a lot of those this weekend, since we were finally all together (minus our younger brother Bob </3) and spent most of the weekend chasing after Alex’s one-year old and awarding Vic’s almost 4-month-old with the Cutest Smile Ever award. It was a classic Long Island FOJ weekend filled with bacon egg and cheeses and iced coffees as big as your head, loud yelling while getting out the door to the beach, and our accents returning in full force (5-1-6, up in your lounge, sucka!)

We hung out on our back deck, spent Saturday at the beach (I basked in the sun while Alex and Vic hid under a tent with the babies) and ended both days at the bar, because yes it is socially acceptable to bring a baby to a beach bar.

ALEX’S TEXTS

1. New music! As the lone millennial in our sibling set sometimes I feel out of the loop with the Gen-Z trends but I am currently cool and hip and really into the new Olivia Rodrigo album, especially maggots for brains, u + me = <3, and purple. If we were still in middle school I just KNOW we’d spend a school night in my room making an iMovie music video to maggots for brains.

2. Perfect pants. The three of us all wore these Gap cotton gauze pants in white multiple times this weekend (and yeah we matched). They’re the perfect summer pants, no notes. They go out of/back into stock so fast, so set notifications if you want to snag them.

   ---

   VICS’S TEXTS

3. Walmart Chairs: Earlier this year I was in need of some additional seating for my TV area. We live in a tiny beach bungalow, so we were looking for something coastal and light. I ended up purchasing two of these striped swivel chairs from Walmart to frame the sides of my fireplace and sit in each corner of the room facing the couch and we absolutely love them! They’re cute, incredibly comfy, and the price is right! Even Marshall approves.

4. May I recommend a Nancy Meyers Marathon? I recently spent a rainy day of my maternity leave doing what one inevitably does, maybe what one ought to do: I enjoyed a full day inside cuddled up with my baby watching Nancy Meyers movies. I plan to do it again! I started with Parent Trap, then I hit Father of the Bride, Somethings Gotta Give, Because I Said So, and Home Again (technically not Nancy Meyers but written and directed by her daughter, Hallie Meyers-Shyer).

   These movies are comforting, nostalgic, aesthetic, and letting them run in the background while I went about my motherly duties saved me from going stir-crazy on days I couldn’t get outside because of the weather!

   And at the risk of stating the obvious may I just say The Parent Trap is the best movie to ever exist. The older I get the less realistic the plot gets (I mean agreeing to never see one of your children again, arbitrarily picking a child to take custody over, and separating twins? Please), but the more I come to appreciate the acting, the aesthetics, the music, and the heartwarming nature of the movie.

   ---

MICHAELA’S TEXTS

5. Jay-Z Concert. Heyyy so I know this isn’t a Sisterly Advice letter but can someone help me figure out what to wear to the Jay-Z concert at Yankee Stadium this Friday? I feel so uncool, and the weather's so hot, or rainy, and humid either way. Right now my thoughts are jeans and a tank—keep it casual and chill? Or do I run out and buy jorts to be more fun&trendy? I feel like if I wear jorts everyone will see me and think: that girl does not wear jorts. It's definitely her first time wearing them. I also have a black polka dot skirt set I could go with pictured above. Please LMK—I have two days to figure out how to be as cool as Blue Ivy (it ain’t happening girl).

6. I’m moving. This is a follow up from our last letter where I talk about the BOMC (ballsack on my ceiling. Also the name of my autobiography). While the leak was fixed and the ballsack was removed, we happened to see an apartment we really liked and decided to just go with it. The NYC market is tough so when you see a good apartment, you have to act fast. That's how I ended up getting ready to move next week. We’re pretty much keeping everything the same, so no major apartment updates for now but we are thinking of adding in a breakfast nook and currently debating between a few bench options for that. Option 1, Option 2, Option 3.

   

Texts from my Sisters is a weekly dispatch from three sisters—Alex, Victoria, and Michaela—filled with good recs, reads, and everything we’re texting about this week.

Hi! We’re back after an unintentional summer hiatus (read: Alex went on vacation and left us to our own devices). But fear not, we’ve returned just in time for a heat wave to hit the East Coast, and gearing up to spend the Fourth of July all together at the beach on Long Island!

The beach looks different this year with a baby. I’ve been avoiding the sweltering heat by going early in the morning or later in the evenings. If you’re also heading to the beach (or pool, or lake) with a baby this weekend, we put together a packing list for moms that has everything we can think of to make it a little easier!

We hope everybody has a fabulous Fourth! Enjoy a hotdog (or four).

VIC’S TEXTS

1. The Perfect 4th of July Dress. I just ordered this lightweight cotton If Only If Nightwear dress that I plan to wear for the Fourth of July (if it gets here in time–cross your fingers)! It is the perfect dress for me currently on account of the weather (90 degrees) and my body (3 months postpartum). Plus, I’m loving the gingham! Some other dresses I considered were this or this Christy Dawn dress, and this DÔEN dress.

2. Some Great Gold. I recently started following goldenbyregi on Instagram, and she sells the most gorgeous vintage fine jewelry and custom pieces. I love everything she sources. She updates her inventory frequently and the prices are great!

   ---

   ALEX’S TEXTS

3. Vacation gifts. I love finding gifts when I travel. I bring a small list of people I want to gift and see if the stars align. On my recent trip to London/the Cotswolds, I found these amazing quilted bags for my mom and sisters. They’re so good because the strap is the ideal length for carrying on your shoulder and they have a ZIPPER. I obviously spoiled the surprise and texted them right away so they could pick which pattern they wanted.

4. An app for recs. Have you guys heard of Rec League? When I first learned about it, I thought, noooo, not another social media app. Aren’t we on Substack because we’re trying to avoid scrolling mindlessly? But Rec League describes itself as a “Whisper network for great recs.” I’ve been poking around and from what I can tell, the recommendations are actually fun and interesting, like the pickle bouquet pictured above. I’ll report back once I’ve used it for a month or so.

MICHAELA’S TEXTS

5. Walmart sandals. While these def don’t have the comfort or support of a $200+ shoe, the price was right and I needed another office shoe, so a $14 pair will do. I walked 12K steps in these Monday and was only slightly uncomfortable so I’ll take it as a win.

6. Apartment mishaps. On a negative note (yeah, everything over here isn’t always sunshine and rainbows) I’ve been dealing with a leak in my apartment which then spiraled into thinking maybe it’s time for a move, in NYC, in July. Please keep me in your thoughts. Can you blame me? Look at this ballsack on my ceiling. Thankfully, it’s pretty much fixed after scaring me for life with its phallic shape.

   

Michaela texted us that she was thinking of getting the 1998 Montauk bag from J. Crew, but she was hesitating because it’s $98-$148. Since legacy brands often take inspiration from past collections (and since the bag is literally named after 1998), she decided to secondhand shop first, and found a gem: a J.Crew Colorblock Canvas Tote, from Poshmark for $44, new with tags.

Inspired by her iconic find, we decided to pull together a list of seven summer staples that are often better buys secondhand or from a smaller biz on Etsy. So, before you hit add to cart on that shiny new thing….

7 Summer Staples You Should Buy Secondhand

1. J. Crew Tote: You can never have too many totes, no matter what they say. I (Michaela) pulled some good options on this note but linking a few more below:

J.Crew Cotton Canvas Tote | J. Crew Pink Gingham Montauk Canvas Tote Beach | J. Crew | Frog Color Block Canvas Tote Bag | Yellow J Crew Canvas Tote Bag | J.Crew Leather Mini Montauk Tote Navy | J Crew Mini Montauk Leather Tote | J.Crew Montauk Tote Small Yellow Navy Blue floral bandanna | J.Crew Montauk canvas tote with Tan Leather Handles | NWT J.Crew Surfside canvas tote bag in orange | Mini Montauk Tote in Leather

2. A silk scarf : I for one would likely opt to wear a scarf around my head Thelma & Louise style, rather than tie it around my waist over a dress, but I (Victoria) can appreciate the trend and the secondhand silk scarf options are aplenty on platforms like Ebay & Etsy! Some of my favorite finds are: this vintage 90s Celine silk handkerchief, this vintage Yves Saint Laurant scarf, or this Hermes scarf.

3. Quilted jackets: Okay, these don’t scream summer, but now that I (Alex) live in Maine, evenings are cool even when days are hot. After shopping my grandma’s closet earlier this year and finding two quilted jackets that have held up perfectly over time, I discovered that e-bay and poshmark are gold mines for vintage Vera Bradley.

   

Red and green floral / Tavern on the Green / Long with toggles / Block print blue

3. A white dress that gives nightgown vibes: Am I going to bed? Am I hitting the beach? Maybe dining al fresco? In a dress like this who knows where the night may take me, but I (Victoria) do know that if you don’t want to pay the big bucks for these nightgown style dresses from places like Doen (option 1, option 2, option 3), Sonderhous, or Hill House, there are plentiful options elsewhere! Bonus, if you go with one of these charming options you’re less likely to spot someone in the street sporting the same dress!

   

Etsy has fabulous options like:

• A french antique cotton gowns like this or this

• This 100% cotton victorian style nightgown,

• This dress with eyelet detailing, or this one

• This embroidered nightgown

• This 90s nightie

• A long sleeve dress like this or this

5. The J. Crew Rollneck sweater: You know her and you love her. I (Alex) was lucky enough to snag this year’s rollneck sweater for $35 while thrifting (at the Haberdashery for any Portland locals), but I love past versions of the rollneck even more. There are SO many great options on Poshmark in a variety of colors/styles…

Hunter Green / Striped / Blue Marled / Hot Pink / Red and Pink Stripes

5. Wedges: Wedges are in, which I’m down for after discovering kitten heels were a lie. There’s nothing soft and fluffy about a kitten heel; they should be renamed uncomfortable foot jail heels because that’s how my feet feel when they’re in them. Anyway, wedges are usually more comfortable and breathable especially when you buy them second hand and they’re already broken in for you (life hack).

   Cole Haan Women’s Black and Brown Sandals | NWT Jeffrey Campbell Women’s Sailboat Ankle Strap Wedge Sandals | Staud Women’s Tan and Brown Sandals | Dolce Vita Women’s White and Cream Sandals | Etienne Aigner Women’s Blue Courts | Staud Women’s Cream and White Sandals | Women’s Black Sandals

6. Sunglasses: Seriously why would I buy a piece of plastic for more than $2 (okay I have before). But both of these depop sellers https://www.depop.com/phreela/ & https://www.depop.com/esentialle/ have options for around $20 that’s as high as I’ll go for sunglasses now considering I lose, sit on, or break every pair I own.

WHAT WE’RE TEXTING ABOUT THIS WEEK

• Summer House Reunion: Are the beta blockers in the room with us? Srsly Amanda and West I hope you find property in Italy and stay there because we’re all set on you two. Thx!

• The Knicks: If Summer House is for the boys (says the NYT), the Knicks are for the girls, the guys, the gays and the theys. I haven’t seen New York City come together like this since Bloomberg tried to ban sugary beverages larger than 16 oz. Seriously everyone can agree on two things: that was some BS, and GO KNICKS

• Bridal shower outfits: I (Michaela) plan on using the KISS rule for these going forward. I was so in my head about what to wear for this event. Do I need to buy a new floral dress to pose peacefully in the grass and celebrate my friends love story? No! Just Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) and wear a simple dress with a nice silhouette.

• Baby Clothes: In the spirit of second hand shopping I must say many of my baby’s clothes are hand me down’s from his big cousin (thank you, Margot!). However, like all new moms I have indulged in a shopping spree or two for my son, and my favorite so far has been from Oso + Me! I’m a sucker for tiny baby shorts and stripes!

• Buying icepops: I (Michaela) bought an 80 count box of ice pops—you know, the ones you eat at the beach that sit in the freezer in a giant pile you rip one off and all of the sudden your having the most amazing summer day—for my home for two reasons. 1: Fun summer treat that’s delicious 2: I was trying to stop eating so much ice cream because I have a problem but then I ate 10 ice pops today so whatever I’m just gonna do what feels right (buying ice cream and ice pops and eating whatever cause it’s summer and they’re delicious.

I didn’t realize how many everyday activities would become intimidating to take on once I had a baby. Walking my dog, going to the coffee shop, driving by myself (with the baby in the backseat). They require so much more thought—and so many more things—than they did before.

Then there’s going to the beach. An activity that is already associated with lugging items: beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers, tote bags, extra sweaters for the cool afternoon breeze.

Once all the bags are packed and the milk is pumped and the diaper has been changed (again), I’m so tired that I want to throw in the towel and stay home instead. But because we live one block from the beach, it’s a non-option to stay home this summer.

So I’ve channeled my postpartum anxiety for good and conducted hours of research on exactly what’s needed for an optimal beach day with your babe. Take my advice with a grain of salt because I am a very new mom who has successfully taken my 3-month-old to the beach exactly once!

CLOTHING, SUN COVERAGE, & TEMP REGULATION

Babies under 6 months old can’t wear sunscreen so sun protection is vital!

• This UPF 50+ sun protection blanket.

• Sun protection baby clothes, like this UPF 50+ baby hat, or this Carters Swimsuit with UPF 50+ sun protection.

• This terrycloth beach coverup, easy to throw on over a diaper if the swimsuit comes off! Bonus, it doubles as a towel, but you may also want to bring a baby beach towel (which is really just a regular towel branded to be cute and tiny, so I suppose you could really just bring a regular beach towel).

• A portable fan!

• A good beach umbrella or canopy for plentiful shade.

• A Baby Moov baby tent! There is even one that combines a tent and pool for older babies to stay cool (and entertained).

SEATING & TRANSPORTATION

• This foldable Ingenuity bath chair, because it is vital that you have safe places to set your baby down. A bath chair is kind of genius because it’s made to get wet and this one folds for easy transport!

• And/or a playmat with fold up sides to keep sand out of chunky leg rolls!

• A wagon with a canopy is key for both transporting all of the crap I’ve listed thus far, and additional shaded seating! I’ve even seen some parents of older kids use their wagons for beach napping! Keenz is a more expensive option, and Radio Flyer is a more budget friendly classic, both great options!

• Your baby carrier of choice! We got a second Ergo Baby Carrier because that is the one our son prefers, and this one will be designated for outdoor/sandy environments.

• A giant tote! I got a custom XL L.L. Bean Boat and Tote for moments just like this.

FOR YOUR HUNGRY BABY

• This MomCozy breast milk cooler, along with whatever portable pumps and bottles you use! They also have a portable bottle warmer for those who need it.

  • Alex’s note: You can use this cooler for formula, too—I did!

• A cooler for any excess milk, pump parts, bottles you may need to reuse.

• A lightweight nursing cover if you’re breast feeding and want to cover up.

PRACTICAL SH*T

• Your changing pad! We have this one and love it!

• Sanitizing wipes for a bottle or paci that gets dropped in the sand.

• A portable sound machine if they need one to nap.

• Swim diapers, regular diapers, wipes, and butt cream!

• A change of clothes for the baby (multiple if possible). The Weezie terrycloth beach coverup we mentioned above is an easy, no-fuss option in a sandy and wet environment.

FOR YOU

• Kindle <3

• Snacks

• LOTS of water

• Ice pops

• Your fav beach chair (I love a Tommy Bahama)

• Patience and perseverance

WHAT WE’RE TEXTING ABOUT THIS WEEK

• The first three episodes of Mindy Kaling’s new show, Not Suitable For Work, are out on Hulu! It’s kind of giving ABC Family/the CW (positive connotation), and clearly references Friends with the girls and guys living across the hall from each other. It’s cute and light and just what the world needs right now.

• Victoria and I (Alex) read and LOVED Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan. If you’re in the mood for a beach read with plenty of substance, wit, and heart, this is it! My full review here!

• The Odyssey movie promo has started and we’re into it. Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, and Tom Holland doing press together? Anne Hathaway and Zendaya being gorgeous, per usual? Sure, we’ll tune in.

• The New York Times says Summer House is “for the boys”. Like, okay, but only because their wives/girlfriends/girl friends are talking about it non stop.

• If you see us together this summer matching in this top/skirt from Target, no you didn’t. It’s really good and probably will sell out. We’re debating between the red and blue and can’t decide. Thoughts?

In need of some Sisterly Advice? Submit anonymously through the below form and we’ll answer in next month’s edition!

Get Sisterly Advice

You asked: Best advice for approaching your wedding relaxed and present vs anxious and hyper-focused on everyone else having a good time!

Victoria answers: I was notoriously displeased to be a bride. Like you, I felt anxious and worried about planning a day that everybody else would enjoy. I almost opted for a courthouse wedding more times than I can count (and tbh I still think I would have thoroughly enjoyed that).

But truthfully, in hindsight, there is nothing to be anxious about. You know those social media posts pushing back against the “breast is best” saying? Where they line up a bunch of adults and ask you to select which ones were breast fed versus formula fed? And of course you cannot decipher between the two because there is no real cognizable difference between these people as adults. Weddings are kind of like that. Despite society making it seem like this is the single most important event in your life, your wedding will pass, and you will be you, and your life will be your life, regardless of how fabulous or un-fabulous your nuptials are. The choice of who you are going to marry is far more impactful than how you choose to marry them.

But adopting is much easier said than done, so I implemented a few concrete practices as I was wedding planning.

First, I banned the phrase “have to.”

“You HAVE to have a bridal shower!” I didn’t and I’m still pleased with that choice.

“You HAVE to do the father/daughter, mother/son dance!” We didn’t! And I can guarantee you if you survey my attendees they would have no idea if we even had those or not!

Weddings are subjective. Everybody will have an opinion and nobody will agree with 100% of the choices that you make, so you might as well make yourself happy!

Second, I walked a mile in the guests’ shoes, and always assumed the best of others.

I would never ever want the bride of a wedding I attended to be consumed with thoughts of how I was feeling on HER big day. I have never left a wedding liking or disliking the bride or groom more or less based on the wedding they planned. And I had to come to terms with the fact that I am not some uniquely compassionate or exceptionally kind person. I think most people feel that same way and they would be horrified if they found out their feelings were being prioritized over yours! Assume the best of your guests, unless given irrefutable evidence, believe that they are happy to be there celebrating you, just how you would be there to celebrate them.

Lastly, express yourself!

If these feelings persist, make your anxieties known! Talk to your fiancé or a few trusted people and let them know you’re feeling anxious. They know you best and will hopefully be able to ground you in reality and remind you of what’s important.

This isn’t the most important day of your life, it’s just a day that is important to you. And you deserve to enjoy it! Have the best time and send us an update of how it goes if you’re so inclined!

You asked: In the past few months, me and a bunch of the girls I work with became good friends - going to workout classes and coffee every weekend, texting daily and chatting all day at work. We are nurses btw. I’ve so loved this sense of a girl group and easy but meaningful friendships. In the past few weeks, nothing major changed but people have been busy with other plans as summer starts, and I’ve been a little overthinking and sad to think those friendships were fleeting or aren’t going to be as strong in summer. I want to keep hanging out with my friends, and feel so happy with them, and it makes me sad and a little insecure to think that may change.

Michaela answers: Don’t fret! It’s incredibly normal for summer to feel different with friends. It’s a season of travel and weddings, and as someone with eight weddings this summer, my usual social dynamics will def change a bit, but it’s only temporary! Do you have any set plans with this friend group for the summer? It’s easier to do things on the fly when everyone’s less busy, but now is the time to be more organized and intentional. A dinner scheduled weeks in advance may have to replace your weekend coffee dates for now. Don’t be shy about organizing—it can feel intimidating to initiate plans and coordinate schedules, but everyone will be grateful to you for snagging the good reservation.

If everyone’s really that busy and can’t make any commitments, one thing I do to keep up with my friends that requires zero plans is watch the same shows so we can text and chat about them together. I recommend Love Island or anything in that vein, there’s seriously nothing that keeps the girlies together better than texting in real time about some complete nonsense. Also keep doing the things that make you happy even if they’re not with you, go to the workout class, get coffee even if it’s alone, make this the summer of fun for yourself!!

It pains me to say this, but summer is short (sad). Before you know it, September will hit and your regular social activities will resume.

You asked: Chic bridal shower gifts under $100! ❤️

Victoria answers: First things first, check the registry if there is one! The bride likely spent an inordinate amount of time putting it together, so if there are still gift options available I would always suggest starting there. If there is nothing left or you’re just looking to get the bride something extra/special, may I recommend the below:

• A framed photo of the couple in one of these classic Cousin Home frames. These frames are a series, so once you purchase one for the bride she can go on to build out her collection and frame photos from her wedding and life going forward with frames from the set!

• This Catbird Initial Charm sporting the initial of their soon-to-be new last name!

• A custom LL Bean Boat and Tote! Alex got me a tote monogrammed with my new last name once I got married and I use it daily. We love the mini size, and it is so economical that you could even pair it with the Catbird charm and stay under your $100 budget!

• A beach towel with their name or initials embroidered! Typically I would never spend this amount on a single beach towel, so I would be thrilled as the bride to receive something luxe and personalized.

• If you are particularly close with the bride and her betrothed, creating an Artifact Uprising photo album or coffee table book filled with memories of you with the couple, or just the couple’s journey thus far is sweet, sentimental, and aesthetic!

• If her registry doesn’t already list any preferred options, this set of martini glasses, or these (slightly over budget) champagne glasses are both classy options.

You asked: How do you maintain long distance friendships through different seasons of life?

Alex answers: You’ve come to the right place. Most of my best friends are long distance at this point in my life, and it’s honestly really hard—but not impossible. I grew up on Long Island, spent the last five years living in Boston, and recently moved to Maine. I’m also the first of my close friends to have a baby, so I’m working with a different day-to-day experience, too.

I think the most important thing is to figure out what kind of communication works best for each friend. I have friends that I call once a month for two hours (with zero texts in between), friends that I check in with via text every few weeks, friends that I text daily, friends that I send voice notes too, friends that I Facetime, friends that I’m in group chats with, etc. When I don’t hear from my phone-call friend via text, it doesn’t stress me out because that’s not our thing! There IS an adjustment period while you figure this out about your friends. If you’re used to seeing them every week for coffee it will probably feel weird the first few times you chat on the phone, but then it becomes the new norm.

I also really like to have something on the calendar. This requires some patience and planning, and it’s harder in the summer. But having something to look forward to gives you something to chat about / focus on. If you’re not seeing someone often, it is work to stay up-to-date on their life. Sometimes you’re going to feel out of the loop and that’s honestly ok!

The people I’m close friends with at this point in my life don’t make me feel bad if I haven’t caught up with them in a bit, and vice versa. Putting in the effort is so important in maintaining those relationships, but you can’t be everything to everyone all the time. I always operate with the assumption that my friends love me and want the best for me, even if I haven’t heard from them in a while.

You asked: Looking for a book rec!! Can you give me a rec if I liked Strangers by Belle Burden and Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke? In a book slump and want something to hook me like those two did

Alex answers: First of all, you have great book taste. Both Strangers and Yesteryear kept me up waaaay past my bedtime. If you’re in the mood for another buzzy memoir, I’d go with ’s Famesick. Lena charms me with everything she writes, and Famesick pulls back the curtain on what seemed from the outside like a glorious, prodigious rise to fame. Now, there’s really nothing out there like Yesteryear, but… Broken Country by Claire Leslie Hall is a cross between a courtroom drama and a family saga. The suspense is well done. Be warned, it’s really sad, but it hooks you from the beginning.

Also, have you read The Wedding People by Alison Espach, Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams, or the Rules of Fortune by Danielle Prescod? These are three my go-to recs for anyone in a book slump!

You asked: Recommendations for Paris in October!!

Michaela answers: Okay I’m beyond jealous—I had so much fun pulling these outfits together and now I need to plan a trip to Paris in October. I’ve never been, since the last time my family went was in 1998 for the World Cup, and I was excluded. By excluded, I mean I wasn’t born until 1999. As a matter of fact… I was born in April 1999, so I could have been conceived there which is disgusting to think about, but also kind of chic for me. Now it feels kismet for me to answer this question since I’m kind of French?

So, what we French wear are simple, fun, and feminine outfits. I would stick to a few key pieces you can mix and match: a good jacket, jeans, an everyday pant to go from plane to dinner, fun tops for nights out and a few pairs of shoes and accessories. If I were you, I would leave some room in your suitcase to shop! Below are some options:

JACKETS

Banana Republic Reversible Cotton Car Coat | Gap Factory Modern Trench Coat | American Eagle AE77 Premium Wool-Blend Wrap Coat | Mod Ref: The Diane Coat, The Karoline Coat, The Eryn Jacket, The Serena Coat | When in doubt Sezane

EVERY DAY PANTS

RLT Soft Pants | Gap Poplin Easy Barrel Pant | Reformation Vida Low Rise Pant | Mango Balloon Satin Pants | Levi 501s

TOPS

Natural Life Embroidered Cotton Top | Old Navy Long-Sleeve Lace Trim Top | Los Angeles Apparel Boatneck Top | Quince Cashmere Sweater | Free People Striped Shirt | Massimo Dutti Cotton Striped Skirt | Alex Mill Cardigan

SHOES

Peche Loafers | Dolce Vita Ritla Ballet Flats Black Leather | Steve Madden Dusty Boot | Adidas Sneakers | Sezane Matilda Low Ballerinas | Tony Bianco Crush Espresso Suede | New Balance

ACCESSORIES

Gap Bandana Scarf | FLORA BANDANA SCARF BLACK | Quince Sunglasses | Matisse Bucket Bag

DINNERS OUT

Lisa Says Gah Lucy Top | Banana Republic Lace Flare-Sleeve Top | H&M Slip Skirt | Things Between Polka Dot Skirt | Mod Ref Janice Top

Written by . Edited by and

I want to be outside this summer. I want to be outside so much that my hair gets natural highlights from the sun (let a girl dream). I want freckles and callused summer feet. I want to eat soft serve from a stand on the side of the road and pick up giant iced coffees and drink them with the windows rolled down. I want to have a cold glass of white wine on the back deck while reading a paperback. I want to stuff my LL Bean bag with towels and sandwiches and sunscreen and take my daughter to the pool.

Victoria is on maternity leave, and I’m in the process of going from a full time 9-5 to freelancing, so the summer of outside is actually feeling possible for us this year (sorry Michaela, your summer is coming, I know it). Here’s what we plan to wear, read, make, and watch this summer.

WHAT WE’RE WEARING

Pool, beach, park, day trip, dinner, rinse and repeat!!

TO THE POOL:

J Crew cover-up / YouSwim suit / Old Navy rope sandal / Vintage Jcrew Tote Bag

TO THE BEACH:

La Maregold cover up / Hunza G one piece / Havaianas flip flops

TO THE PARK:

Gap Factory terry shorts / Le Bon Shoppe Sailor Top / New Balance sneakers / Lack Of Color hat

ON A DAY TRIP:

Things Between Maury Skirt / KOTN Scoop Tank / American Eagle Raffia Ballet Flat / Quince Sunglasses

OUT TO DINNER:

Pistola green striped dress / Sezane sandals/ Haven Well Within Sweater / Banana Republic Bucket Bag / Bauble Bar Fallon 14K Gold Bezel Earrings

WHAT WE’RE READING

Your summer reading list is below, take notes!!

⛵️ Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan (out 5/26): Annabel Monaghan is an auto-buy author for all of us—Nora Goes Of Script! It’s A Love Story! Summer Romance! Counting the seconds until this fake-dating romance comes out.

🌼 The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren (out 7/14): I’ve never met a Christina Lauren book that I didn’t have fun with. Like The Soulmate Equation, this book mixes science and romance in a really intriguing way.

✈️ The Missed Connection by Tia Williams (out 7/9): The premise of this romance has me giddy. A casting agent meets a man who is perfect for her on a flight to Paris, but never gets his information. Cue an international manhunt!

🍒 Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick (out 5/26): I have two Gen-Z sisters, so I’ve been looped in on the importance of Brooke Averick’s debut. It sounds zany and sweet—Phoebe’s a virgin determined to “lose it” before her 30th birthday.

💫 Into the Blue by Emma Brodie (already out!): I'm obsessed with this romance filled with yearning and tenderness. It’s required reading for my sisters this summer. It’s part coming-of-age story, part love letter to improv, part tragedy of the human condition. Sigh. I want to read it again for the first time.

🫧 The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson (out 6/30): I loved Jackson’s witty, character-driven debut Pineapple Street, so I can’t wait to read this one, a friend-group saga set in a small seaside town in Massachusetts.

🚲 June Baby by Shannon Garvey (already out!): I’m halfway through this one and loving it (full review in Thee Book Report next week). It’s a coming-of-age romance set on Block Island, and it’s making me want to get on a ferry and out to the island asap.

WHAT WE’RE MAKING

Summer recipes should be easy and light and citrus-y. These are three we’ll have on repeat.

🍝 ’ Lemon Basil Pasta looks incredible (I’m such a fan of her easy and delicious recipes on What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking).

🍹 Wishbone Kitchen’s Spicy Margarita Grilled Chicken. Say less!

🍒 Cherry spindrift mocktail. Although we’ll be having plenty of alcoholic cocktails this summer, too, this one just looks so refreshing.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING:

This list is short-ish because as I mentioned, we’re going to be OUTSIDE. The show of the summer is definitely Off Campus which we’ve already watched and loved. We’re also looking forward to…

• Binging The Other Bennet Sister when we’re together this weekend! (Britbox)

• Making Sunday nights feel like an event with House of The Dragon season 3 (Max or whatever they’re calling it these days)

• Reuniting with our fave clueless coach when Ted Lasso returns (Apple TV+)

• Becoming unhealthily obsessed with Every Year After (based on Carley Fortune’s bestselling books) (Prime Video)

• Stressing out with Carmy in Season 5 of The Bear (Hulu)

• Bravo Bravo Bravo ! Let’s face it, Westmandoval has reinvigorated the Bravo/reality TV base (even though some of us have been here from the beginning and never left) – we will be enjoying The City and RHORI

• Ben Stiller said Widow’s Bay on Apple TV+ “is excellent” and as fellow Knicks fans we feel very aligned with him so obviously have to watch. It’s a comedy horror set in a small New England town where the mayor attempts to boost tourism on a cursed island. The humor and unique characters pulled us in right away but we stayed because of the suspense. Plus the town, despite being haunted, is pretty charming.

What we’ve been texting about this week…

• Hard agree with Emily Henry’s enemies-to-lovers romance recs, especially The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

• Bravo released the trailer for next week’s Summer House reunion and we will be thinking of nothing else until it airs

• ’s Memorial Day Sale roundup is fab

• This is our formal request for to release new music this summer.

• Our pant of the summer is, without a double, the Gap cotton barrel.

Today, I’ve decided to use my talents to help others. While I love a good secondhand find, supporting a small business, or scrolling Depop, sometimes you want to buy a new dress for $30 just to feel something. Everything is fine in moderation—so grab yourself an iced coffee and settle in. Below are my top finds after hours spent scouring the TJ Maxx, scrolling past little tchotchkes that say “It's Wine O'clock Somewhere” and picking out my favorite spring and summer finds for you. Enjoy!

SHOES

Shoes are the best thing to buy at TJ Maxx because they’re all discounted name brands that you can wear into the ground and not feel bad about it. If you’ve been eyeing full-price Hunter rainboots or New Balance sneakers, this is for you.

BAGS

Why spend $$$ on a bag when you can get some seriously chic options for a really reasonable price? While I snatched up the last of the Mansur Gavriel flats, I found FOUR of their bags on major sale. Get ‘em while they’re hot!

WHITE BLOUSES

The limit does not exist on good white tops for summer. I know you shouldn’t pick favorites but the Caroline Constas Eyelet Top is calling my name—perfect for a summer lunch out on the town.

GIRLY TOPS

Same goes for Girly tops. Ideal for cosplaying a tradwife while marching down the subway stairs en route to your corporate job, getting in touch with your feminine side, or listening to the new Kasey Musgraves album while feeling the wind flow beneath your shirt.

CASUAL TOPS:

Good staple finds that are made of cotton are my love language <3

EVERYDAY DRESSES

These are your summer staples, your throw-on-over-everything when you’re headed to the beach, pool, or to have a spritz.

WHITE DRESSES

These are for our bride-to-bes, or for the under-25/over-35 crowd who aren’t attending100 weddings this summer. I envy the days when I could throw on an easy breezy white dress and not worry about the bride-to-be clawing my eyes out.

WEDDING GUEST DRESSES:

Now for the 25-35-year-olds who ARE going to 100 weddings this summer, here are some non-white dresses for you. These also work for all the bridal and baby showers you’re attending, too.

SKIRTS

The most important and versatile piece in your spring/summer wardrobe. No pants allowed in the warm weather. Let things flow—be comfy be cool be you.

BEACHWEAR

Here’s what to wear to the beach when you want people to think “ooo she’s chic,” but at a low enough price point that you don’t have to worry about getting them sandy or stained. They’re $19.99 aka meant to be lived in.

But if you, like us, are professional procrastinators, you might not have time to wait for shipping to get the perfect gift. Luckily, some of the best things in life take only effort and coordination (and maybe a trip to your local garden store). Here are some meaningful gifts that you can (mostly) get before the big day!

EXPERIENCE-BASED GIFTS

Book a family photo session

We personally guarantee that this is on her list, but she doesn’t have time to organize one more thing! Reach out to your wedding photographer (or look for a family portrait photographer who she follows on Instagram), check your shared calendar, and book it. If it’s helpful, here are a few of our favorite photographers in the NY area:

• Maggie Riordan Photography

• Emily Lucille

• P Foxy

Hype up her hobbies

As a mom, it can be hard to imagine ever having time to focus on yourself again, especially when you’re in the newborn stage. It’s a gift in itself to encourage a mom to return to hobbies or activities for themselves. Below are some tangible ways to support her in this endeavor. Even if she doesn’t start right away it will be a relief knowing people in her life are encouraging her to take time for herself when she’s ready!

• A subscription/class pack to her preferred workout class or platform

• A needlepoint class, or if she’s already an expert, some supplies!

• Gardening accoutrements—we’ll share some links below, but you can probably get a ton of good stuff from your local Home Depot.

  • Gardening tools

  • Anything from Gardenheir, like these clogs

  • Cute sun coverage

• You can still get a Kindle in time! We recommend the Paperwhite.

GIFTS FOR QUALITY TIME

Chairs (this is a good one, we swear)

Something we didn’t anticipate becoming parents is how much you might miss your spouse. Despite potentially spending more time with them than ever, you’re mostly existing in parallel, hardly ever focused on one another. My husband and I (Victoria) love to aim for one walk together a day, where the baby sleeps and we can decompress, but even that can be difficult to keep up with—babies are unpredictable!

• A pair of Adirondack chairs for your front porch or backyard— they’re the perfect place to hopefully sneak in a moment alone, and they represent the promise of future moments alone, when (not if - when!) the baby is [sleeping behaving independent out of my MF hair - pick one lol)

  • And since quality time might look a little different these days, think about adding a mini adirondack chair for the baby.

• A Tommy Bahama beach chair set is a classic. Nothing says the promise of quality time like plopping on the beach together. You can usually get these at Costco!

Beach cruisers (also a slept-on gift)

Get yourself to your local bike store and pick her up the coolest, most colorful beach cruiser they have in stock. Here’s one for inspo. Summer is coming, ‘tis the season for her to jet off on sunset bike rides, glass of wine in hand, while you hang with the baby.

A new cookbook

Plus a plan to cook through it together—you start, of course. Life is so busy but there’s always dinner to be had! Pick one recipe a week to make together, or for each other. Some of our faithful favorites:

• What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by

• The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook by

• By Heart by Hailee Catalano

& FOR THE “I OWE U” CROWD:

If you don’t mind that the gift won’t be there in time for the big day, here’s what we’d go for…

PJs all day

• Moms, especially new moms, spend a majority of their days in pajamas, so a PJ set gifted to a mom will not go unappreciated! We’ve owned quite a few pairs of pajamas and this Petite Plume set puts most of them to shame.

• You don’t know how much you need a robe until you’ve ruined multiple tops with breast milk. We love this Weezie robe.

Meaningful jewels

• I saw a picture of a gorgeous birthstone ring stack and immediately added the Jane Pope aquamarine birthstone ring to my wish list (aka a shared note with my husband where he can find me-approved presents).

• If budget is no object, may we suggest the most special and gorgeous Fewer Finer Birth Month Flower Charm?!

A perfect bag (yes she has 100 and yes she needs another)

• The Perfect Weekday Tote from Alex Mill. You could do her initials, your kids’ initials, the possibilities are endless.

• Dina Brown Gingham Travel Tote by Loeffler Randall. We’ve heard that this is the perfect travel tote.

P.S. Don’t skip the card!

She might not retain any sweet nothings she reads right now, but she’ll tuck the card away and revisit it with love.

Friday, 4/24/26

Alex, 31. Lives in Maine with her husband, Chris, and 1-year-old daughter Margot. She works remotely for a finance startup.

6:39 AM: Woke up with just enough time for morning pages before Margot squawks from her crib. I’m pretty sure I just wrote imsotired 100 times, but it still counts.

7:20 AM: Made breakfast for my gal. Banana, eggs, and whole milk. She houses the banana and feeds me most of her egg. I’ll take it.

7:48 AM: Dressed miss crazy hair in florals for spring and we’re ready to get out the door to daycare!

8:00 AM: Daycare dropoff. Margot dives head first into the ball pit with her friends and I’m off to the gym. We recently joined a country club (we’re trying to meet people, Chris wants to get better at golf, I have extremely fond memories of running around like a banshee at the club down the block from me as a kid) and it has a gym so I'm trying to make the most of it.

8:15 AM: I’m the only one here, so I can take a selfie while on the treadmill. I walk for a few to warm up while listening to the new Noah Kahn album, then take a class on Range by Kara Duval, my favorite movement platform of all time!

9:00 AM: Up to the cafe for a matcha and breakfast wrap while going through my inbox and getting organized for the day. It’s Friday, so not too many meetings on the books, but so many small things to get over the finish line before the weekend.

10:00 AM: Back home to sit at my desk and stare at a screen for the rest of this gorgeous Friday!

Victoria, 29. Lives on Long Island with her husband Chris, her 6-week-old son Nolan, and her 4-year-old golden retriever Marshall. She’s a lawyer currently on maternity leave.

5:35 AM: Good morning! First-time mom, part-time cow here. I was woken up bright and early by my sweet, hungry son. Fed him and got him back to sleep so I could catch a couple more Z’s myself.

7:45 AM: Morning stroll with baby, husband, and dog. I carried our son for 10 months so my husband can carry everything else forever.

9:00 AM: Feeding & reading! Like I said—part time cow. Six weeks in and I’m just getting skilled enough to multitask while I feed him. Currently reading Strangers by Belle Burden and I couldn’t recommend it more!

10:45 AM: Left my son for the first time ever for my 6-week postpartum checkup! As you can see I handled it well.

12:00 PM: All went well, but I was subjected to an unreasonably long time in the waiting room and a surprise Pap smear, so I needed a treat before I rushed home. Insert Tatte.

12:35 PM: Reunited!

Michaela, 27. Lives in Manhattan with her BF, works as a graphic designer/aspiring funny girl comedian.

8:30 AM: Wake up and make eye contact with last nights mistakes aka the two diet doctor browns I chugged before bed.

8:34 AM: Morning pages before anything else since I’m an artist or whatever.

8:40 AM: Brush teeth wash face and gua sha - gua shaing happens to be one of the only “health” habits I stick to cause I can physically feel it deflating my face it feels awesome.

8:59 AM: Dress and try to make a TikTok so I can live out my real dreams of writing a Bring It On remake one day. Log on and start working because I still have to pay the rent.

10:13 AM: Run downstairs to my local coffee shop (no literally I live right above a coffee shop, it’s so Friends of me) to get my current hyperfixation drink, a vanilla cappuccino.

10:24 AM: Work and eat a leftover burrito. Apparently you shouldn’t have caffeine on an empty stomach so I always try and eat before having coffee but I do feel like the carne asada burrito at 10 AM may be canceling the healthy habit out. Guess we’ll never know.

11:00 AM: Me & my capp waiting to start a meeting

12:20 PM: Byeee time to werk from home.

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This one’s for all my procrastination princesses. If you’re like us and run a little last minute but you still wanna shop the Sephora sale that ends today, here’s a list of some low maintenance beauty faves that can have you ready to go in fifteen minutes.

My qualifications include:

• I’m the sister’s appointed makeup artist for every event large or small; I can to do all three of our faces in under forty-five minutes.

• I’m the self appointed laziest girl in the world. I wake up thirty minutes before work and almost make it on time everyday.

Here’s the low maintenance part—you don’t need a hundred products, just a few heavy hitters. My routine is usually eight-ish steps. For each category, I included a bunch of options that I’ve used and loved, but you really only need a few solid picks to get out the door (or nothing at all, you do you!).

1. Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer | L’Oréal Paris Lumi Glotion

2. WESTMAN ATELIER | Sun Tone Bronzing Drops

3. PATRICK TA | Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo | RHODE | Pocket Blush

4. L’OREAL PARIS | Infaillible 24H More Than Concealer

5. ONE/SIZE BY PATRICK STARRR | Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder

6. GLOSSIER | Boy Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel

7. TARTE | Tartelette Tubing Mascara

8. WONDERSKIN | Wonder Blading All-Day Lip Stain | HOURGLASS | Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm

• Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer

• ELTAMD | UV Restore Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 40

• L’Oréal Paris Lumi Glotion

• SAIE | Glowy Super Gel

• E.L.F. COSMETICS | Halo Glow

• CLINIQUE Even Better Makeup

• MAKEUP BY MARIO | SoftSculpt Shaping Stick

• VICTORIA BECKHAM BEAUTY | Contour Stick

• MERIT BEAUTY | The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick

• WESTMAN ATELIER | Face Trace Contour Stick

• MAKEUP BY MARIO | SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer

• WESTMAN ATELIER | Sun Tone Bronzing Drops

• RHODE | Pocket Blush

• BENEFIT COSMETICS | Benetint

• GLOSSIER | Cloud Paint Gel Blush - Haze

• PATRICK TA | Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo

• FENTY BEAUTY | Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter

• HOURGLASS | Ambient Lighting Blush

• MAYBELLINE | Instant Age Rewind Eraser Color Correcting Concealer

• NATASHA DENONA | HY-Glam Corrector

• L’OREAL PARIS | Infaillible 24H More Than Concealer

• KOSAS | Revealer Concealer

• NARS | Radiant Creamy Concealer

• TOWER 28 | Swipe Serum Concealer

• ONE/SIZE BY PATRICK STARRR | Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder

• HOURGLASS | Veil Translucent Setting Powder

• PHYSICIANS FORMULA | Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer

• CHARLOTTE TILBURY | Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder

• GLOSSIER | Boy Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel

• ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS | Brow Freeze Gel

• BOBBI BROWN | Dual-Ended Long-Wear Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow Stick

• RARE BEAUTY | All of the Above Weightless Eyeshadow Stick

• TARTE | Tartelette Tubing Mascara

• Thrive Causemetics® Liquid Lash™ Extensions Tubing Mascara

• HOURGLASS | Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm

• Rhode Peptide Lip Shape Contouring Lip Shaper

• Summer Fridays Flushed Lip Stain 12HR Long-Lasting Lip Tint

• CLINIQUE | Black Honey

• WONDERSKIN | Wonder Blading All-Day Lip Stain

• BENEFIT COSMETICS | Benetint – Liquid Stain for Cheeks and Lips

This one is a letter to future versions of me. I often do my creative work as the clock creeps towards 10pm, in between tying up the odds and ends of my 9-5, the hum of my daughter’s sound machine accompanying me through the Nanit.

Sometimes, frankly, I just don’t feel like it. My brain is foggy, my book beckons, and Margot could cry out at any minute. But after finishing The Artist’s Way (which was as life changing as everyone says it is), I stopped putting off the creative parts of my life.

Even if it means stretching my day out longer than I’d like. Even if it means putting out imperfect work. Even if it means being creative when I don’t really feel like it.

So, how? I’ve found a few ways to trick myself into the action of creating, no matter my mood.

How To Trick Yourself Into Being Creative

Pick your top three. Put them on your desk.

These are the three things that remind you of the work you want to do and why. It could be a journal entry you wrote about your deepest, fiercest desires. A picture of you as a child with a certain light in your eyes that you want to capture and keep. A copy of a book you’ve read hundreds of times, the spine creased into oblivion. One of mine is a postcard from my fourth-grade teacher that tells me to “keep on writing.”

Visit the work of your expanders.

You know who your expanders are. They’re the ones whose achievements make you grit your teeth because you know, you know, that could be you if youcouldjust… Well, prove it, then. Support whatever they’re doing—buy their book or like their content or go see their movies—and let your jealousy be the life raft that brings you from where you are to where you want to be.

Do it really badly.

When I’m at my lowest motivation, I let myself write garbage sentences. I close no loops. I don’t edit one word, I move in one direction, forward. It’s painful for me—I thrive while chopping sentences up with the precision of a line chef. But as I put these horrible words down, something miraculous happens. There’s something there. It’s usually underdeveloped and wrong in a thousand different ways. But I can see it, it’s a start. And then it’s off to the races.

Watch/read things that make you happy.

Inspiration is EVERYWHERE, if you’re looking. Whether your poison is Joan Didion’s The White Album or Bravo’s Summer House, embrace it. And why can’t it be both? I never feel guilty for getting lost in a romance novel or binging six episodes of my favorite show. As Nora Ephron said, everything is copy.

Separate action from outcome.

You can’t control what happens when your creative baby toddles out into the world. I’ve listened to this advice all my life, but I never really heard it until recently. If you’re doing it for the applause, you’re never going to feel satisfied, because life isn’t like the Cannes Film Festival. Not everything you do is going to get a ten-minute standing ovation. If you’re doing it for you, that won’t matter.

When I really need rest, I take it.

I skip a night, or sleep in past my allotted time for morning pages, or let a project fall off my radar. I used to punish myself for this. Get in a really bad cycle of I didn’t so I won’t ever. Now, kind of like working out, I just start again the next day, without chastising myself or assigning meaning to it. Another day, another chance.

If you haven’t gotten the memo yet, we’re sisters. And not only are we sisters, we’re sisters who happen born a few days apart exactly two years apart, which is really helpful for me as I can barely remember my age or anyone else’s. April is our birth month and I may be biased, but I think it’s the best one. Despite the incessant rain, it’s a month filled with hope!! Spring break, summer on the horizon, yet you still get to celebrate with cupcakes in class (apologies to those with summer birthdays I know it’s a sore subject), and a diamond birthstone <3.

Growing up, on April 4th, 9th, and 12th, we each got breakfast in bed, the same present in pink, purple, and blue respectively, and a Funfetti cake. What more could a girl ask for?

Most people are shocked to hear about our back-to-back birthdays, but if you’re clued into horoscopes you may be even more shocked that three Aries girls survived in one house. Thankfully, we grew out of boxing each other on the stairs and grew into a codependent adult relationship instead. Although sometimes I remember sneaking into a sister’s room to steal a piece of clothing before school and a shiver runs down my spine.

All said: if there’s anything we know, it’s what an Aries wants for her birthday. Please enjoy this semi-serious list.

What An Aries Actually Wants For Her Birthday

• A print subscription to The New Yorker so she can tell her friends she has a print subscription to The New Yorker.

• A copy of ’s Famesick so she can keep up with the voice of a generation.

• A pair of New Balance sneakers to compliment her practical-yet-trendy nature.

  

• An expensive sweat set so she can look cute without thinking too much about looking cute.

• You to make her a personalized playlist on Spotify. A 2026 mix tape, if you will.

• Her 100th pair of Lake pajamas because if there’s one thing an Aries can do, it’s commit to a brand.

• An expensive candle (she’s a fire sign, duh).

• Diamonds. She takes her April birthstone seriously.

• A chic raincoat to weather the April showers.

  

• Hot sauce (self explanatory).

• Bose headphones, chic and practical.

• A three-minute voice note with your thoughts on the West/Amanda/Ciara situation. She is obviously team Ciara.

• A monogrammed journal so she can rant about you and swiftly move on (it doesn’t count as talking shit if you write it down in your journal).

What are you rewearing/refreshing this spring?

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Alex rewears: It’s funny, I have every kind of spring pant except for a linen pant. My most-worn pants of spring and summer are these cotton gauze pants from Gap (01). I have them in black and white, and they serve me similarly to a linen pant. I also have these poplin pants from LESET (02) (they’re $$ but a hand-me-down from Victoria so lucky me). Do I really need to add in a linen pant? Right now I’m going with no!

Michaela refreshes: I have a few pairs of affordable linen pants, one light and easy pair from Mango Outlet (03), a statement red pair from Target (04), and a black pair from H&M. While they do the job, I’m looking for an upgrade this season. I’ve been eyeing this pair, and am willing to spend a little more since I tend to reach for linen pants so much. I’m hoping that upping the quality will lower the chance that you can see through them in direct sunlight!

Alex rewears + refreshes: Light jacket season is my favorite season! I love this cropped denim jacket (05) and this green chore jacket (06), both from Madewell a few years ago, so that means you can find them on Poshmark, too. I refreshed my collection just a bit this spring with a perfect white barn jacket from Old Navy.

Michaela rewears: Sorry, but I’m anti light jacket season. I’m a summer lover so I’m itching for it to be as warm as possible once spring hits. That said, I have a solid trench (07) from Gap Factory and just bought a suede jacket (08) at Nordstrom Rack when I was down in Charleston, so I’m feeling all set.

Alex rewears: Ballet flats are the undisputed shoe of spring. I love seeing ankles out and about again! I have plenty of flats, so I will be rewearing my blue suede flats from Madewell, my green velvet Cayumas, and my black ballerinas from Tony Bianco.

Michaela refreshes: As a NYC girlie I walk a lot in flats. Also as an NYC girlie, I don’t have a lot of extra cash to throw around, so the flats I buy are normally on the affordable side. These H&M and Matisse Flats were my staples all year and I really beat them up, so I’m overdue for a refresh. In our last Sisterly Advice letter, recommended the Alex Mil Prince Street Ballet Flat and the blue one are calling my name. But they are pricey, so I’m on the hunt for a dupe and will report back.

Alex refreshes: It’s so nice to pop on a dress, throw a sweater over my shoulders, and be ready for the day. I think it’s time for me to invest in the DÔEN Ischia dress (13) that always raves about. I’m considering the navy + polka-dot when it comes back in stock—do we think this color way would still act as a neutral in my wardrobe? I want to get as many rewears as possible for this kind of price point!

Michaela rewears: My current throw on dress collection is solid. This Gap x Doen collab (14) has been my most-worn, so much so that I splurged on the Doen Sofia (15) because I loved the shape so much. I have a good mix of H&M, Aritzia, and Marshalls basics to get me through the season. Plus I have around eight weddings coming up this year so I’m saving up and stressing about buying formal dresses (pray 4 me).

Alex rewears: My flowy white skirt with a stretchy waist from Madewell (18) (similar here) was the best while postpartum last summer and I know I’ll wear it a million times this spring, too. Speaking of white skirts, I’m excited to break out my GAP x DÔEN (17) skirt. It has a more structured waist, so it wasn’t postpartum friendly, but we’re back babyyyyy. Sadly it’s sold out but keep your eye on Poshmark/resale sites!

Michaela rewears + refreshes: I am a jean shorts hater so skirts are my everything once it gets warm out. Throwing on this Target maxi or Aerie gingham skirt was my go to and I will be outfit repeating over and over. They’re so easy to put on over a swimsuit, wear to the office, or dress up for dinner. I love my Target one so much I have been meaning to get another—I’m thinking this black one would be good for spring and I am open to any other if anyone has a rec!

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Remember when “borrowing” your sister’s clothes meant running for your life when she caught a glimpse of you in the school hallway? As the oldest sister, I must admit that I was not always benevolent about sharing my things with Victoria or Michaela. It was me they were running from.

Thankfully, we’ve evolved in adulthood, and now our dresses make the rounds from closet to closet, shipped from Long Island to Maine and back for whatever baby shower or wedding or event one of us needs them for.

I just got back from vacation in the Turks & Caicos (highly recommend, so kid-friendly and warm and delightful!), and I won’t lie, I felt the pull of online shopping for new clothes ahead of the trip. Instead, I fished my warm weather clothing out of storage, and I went shopping in my sisters’ closets. Here’s what I wore:

• Started vacation off strong with one of my favorite DÔEN dresses (not on their site anymore, found here on TheRealReal) paired with Steve Madden sandals via Nordstrom rack, the only sweater I brought to throw over my shoulders, and the woven bag I borrowed from Michaela, which is currently on e-bay for $29!

• Night two, tacos on the beach in a La Maregold wrap skirt (size up!), Club Monaco top (similar here), and the same sandals and bag as last night. Added this fun necklace I got last spring from Anthropologie.

• It’s within my mom rights to coordinate with my baby while she’s still young enough not to complain, right?! I’m wearing a linen dress from Reformation. It’s out of stock in the shell print, but Few Moda and Staud have fun patterns, too. My flats are from Old Navy—they’re similar to these expensive flats I’ve been eyeing, so I want to see if I’ll wear them enough to justify the purchase. The Old Navy flats are out of stock, but here’s a similar pair from Target.

• For our last night of vacation I brought out another DÔEN dress (purchased during their Snow Day Sale for $123 and worn to an engagement party in New York). I love how versatile and flattering it is and already know it’ll be one of the most-worn pieces in my closet.

• How cute is this JCrew dress I borrowed from Michaela? So easy to throw on to run down to the pool with the baby. Paired here with the straw bucket hat I got last summer from Aritzia.

• Don’t get mad at me for the price of this glorious Frank & Eileen dress. I borrowed it from Victoria and I never want to give it back. I felt like a lady of luxury wearing it and reading on our balcony while my daughter napped. Sadly this pattern seems to be out of stock, but I’d stalk Poshmark if you’re interested!

• I don’t usually shop on Amazon, but I was desperate for a sarong that didn’t cost $300. I paired it with Michaela’s JCrew top from last summer. My sunglasses are THE BEST from Izi-Pizi. I’ve had them for years!

• I really loved this outfit! I felt like the lead in a Nancy Meyers movie. These pants are my favorite crinkle gauze pants from Gap (only available in pink right now but I bet they’ll bring them back before summer). and my shirt is older from Madewell but for sale on Poshmark. You can’t see my necklace in this picture but it’s this one from Mejuri with a dangling fish charm.

• The mornings we walked into town, I kept it simple with the black version of the Gap crinkle gauze pant, a t-shirt from Everlane I’ve had for a few years, the LOFT bag, and the colorful necklace.

• Last but not least, I wore these sporty red shorts from Gap. I’m so into them. They have built in underwear and fit me at an ideal length (I’m 5’3). My sneakers are new but not purchased specifically for this vacation! Beneath the fluorescent lighting of my local DSW, I thought they were beige but it turns out they’re light pink, oops. They’re so comfortable that I’ll be wearing them regardless.

• GUYS. I tried The Crown Affair leave-in conditioner for the first time and I can confirm it is incredible. I am not a hair products person (I shampoo, I use conditioner, and that’s it), but wow, this changed my mind. My hair has been especially curly postpartum—has this happened to anyone else?—and I felt like this tamed my frizz exponentially, even in the humid weather.

• The LOFT woven bucket bag was such a star this vacation. I wore it with every outfit. Again, here’s the link to purchase on e-bay (be fast because I’m tempted to buy it since I have to return this one to Michaela!)

• PSA for all the small-headed girls like me—Izipizi sunglasses are for you. I look like a bug in every other pair I try. They’re so light and comfortable, and have held up for years.

Now I’m in need of some advice. I’m seeking bathing suit recommendations! My go-to for the past several years has been Youswim. I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve recommended these suits to. Whenever I go to the beach with my family/friends it looks like we’re in a weird Youswim cult.

BUT. My newer Youswim bikinis have been wearing down really fast—I’m talking full on see-through patches over my nipples. And this has happened to two people I know, too.

Are bathing suits just not made to last more than one summer anymore? If this is the case, then why am I paying over $150 for a bikini top alone? It feels absurd! Please help a gal out!