off-season & the in-between
a little life update & a lot of good recs
I was never first when my classmates picked teams in middle school and I lied to my parents about when Field Day (the worst day of the school year, second only to the Presidential fitness test) was in an attempt to get them to book our spring break trip a day early so I could miss it. I didn’t do cheerleading for my love of sports but instead for my love of the cute skirts we got to wear in place of our ugly school uniforms. I did soccer when I was younger and scored a goal…. for the other team. I left my graduate journalism program after one semester because I thought the program was too focused on sports and was turned off by the building being adjacent to a football stadium (the irony is not lost on me).
So you can see why, when confronted IRL with the fact that my husband works in the athletic world, I tend to change the subject or smile and nod politely. It’s not indifference, it’s the fact that I feel unqualified to say anything of substance. I am full of team spirit but lacking in expertise. Surely there’s an instagram therapist out there who would applaud me for overcoming my past wounds (team sports) and becoming such a loyal fan though, right?
When what would turn out to be the last season of the game wasn’t going our way and I felt complete and utter heartbreak I put it on mute, turned on some Chappell Roan and had a dance party with my daughter. Not because I wasn’t in despair, but because compartmentalizing my grief allowed me to be a present parent. Though I do look forward to someday teaching my daughter that you can love Prada and also absolutely lose your sh!t over a game. Duality is key.
Something parenthood has given me is a pretty healthy “onto the next” mentality. I didn’t reply to the texts about what could have or should have happened because I was putting the kids to sleep and thinking about what our schedules would look like now that things had come to an end. We are booking trips and having fun family weekends and maximizing our time together because the next season will be here before we know it.
This is also what could potentially be my time to dive head first (back) into work. I know I need to “get back out there” but… what is “there”? I’m not sure, but I’ll try to find out soon.
In the meantime, I’ll be here. Writing about what I’m eyeing and buying and how I’m organizing my closet. Using clothes as my creative outlet. Texting my friends about things they should buy and being a bad influence.
I did a DEEP dive into my substack subscriptions- aka I finally caught up on my reading. Semi-Sustainable shared some amazing styling inspo re: cropped jackets, Emma Rose Thatcher inspired me so much with her letter on how she’s bringing herself out of a style rut (though I must note she always looks amazing), and my best friend wrote about how saving is sexy.
Not a lot of exciting clothing purchases on my end save for this denim jacket and a pair of Margiela pants from TRR that were somehow only $150 new with tags. I’m very tempted by this 30% off Lemaire jacket, though.
Working on my January spending recap- favorite under $50 purchase here - wearing it in the pic above.
Wellness- I’m not on a health reset but always love to find a new product that keeps me hydrated and energized. In addition to this supplement for cognitive help, these two powders are actually adding to your routine- the Kroma cranberry elixir during the day and the Proper calming aid at night. Got my best night of sleep in awhile after trying Proper - the flavor is Lemon Lavendar and mixes well with something sparkling.
Recs I’m taking- Was influenced to buy this mask bc cool new mom (& Vogue writer, casual) Alessandra Codinha said it saved her hair and works for everyone. Have needed new lampshades for a vintage set I bought on Chairish nearly a year ago and Virginia Chamlee (artist, collector, cool girl, writer, etc.) linked these and I’m obsessed. Finally, Jacey Duprie linked these linen pants and I bought them immediately. I’m always in search of an easy pull-on pant and I love the shape.
Hair: The Crown Affair mousse is saving me. I woke up with soft, wavy hair after applying it to my ends and letting it air dry overnight. I got fancy and had a house call a few weeks ago to get my roots done and my good friend/hair stylist Aubry introduced me to this product that added an amazing shine & smoothed over my flyaways- instant order.
I am NOT a professional chef by any means but I did make my friend Saureh’s probean salad the other night for dinner and it was delicious. Sharing the recipe below- it’s even better the next day for lunch.
If you’re v-day shopping for yourself or someone else, Laura Lombardi and Monica Vinader both have beautiful offerings, as does Dorsey per usual.
Currently testing two beauty products I really like so far: the Versed Gentle Clearing Serum and The Outset’s dark spot serum. The Versed serum is under $20 and formulated with mandelic and salicylic acids, making it a good alternative for some of the pricier mandelic serums out there. I’m using the Outset serum in place of my holy grail Caudalie dark spot serum so it has a lot to live up to.
Still some very fun pieces left from last week’s Miu Miu edit here (& lots that have been marked down!) and Shopbop hearts up to date here- very fun new arrivals lately, especially if you’re headed somewhere warm.
Browsing this edit of cute v-day stuff for the kids.
Jewelry brand I’ve admired for a long time, Ochre Objects, is holding a raffle for Immigrant Rights. Tickets are $20 and you’re automatically entered to win a gorgeous rare sapphire pendant. 100% of proceeds will be donated to The National Immigration Project and The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. Personally, I made a direct donation here in addition to purchasing a few tickets.
Have a great week! Thanks for reading & please DM me any letter requests here :)
XO, Liz
Eeee my name in one of my fave substacks!!
I love how honest you are, how YOU you are. You would be my top pick for my team.