Doing my best

usually involves anchovies, some sort of cracker and a hard, salty cheese

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HI! We are entering into a very stressful week. I know you’ve all voted and/or have a plan to on Tuesday— it’s actually quite fun. The waiting in line with your community, the chic sticker, the post-voting selfie to let others know you’ve completed your civic duty (sexy)…Thank you for your service! If you know someone in a swing state, reach out. Say hi. Make sure they have a plan, too. Thank you to everyone on the ground canvassing this weekend. Take care of yourselves and each other out there.

This is also the sweater I voted in! Very good sweater (not itchy, very soft, no pilling so far).

We moved into a new apartment the same week I found out I was pregnant, which felt…kismet? Neither was planned to happen when it did, but we leaned in. I wasn’t feeling super “well” during this time, and pretty much unable to fulfill my immediate need to nest (usually achieved by a manic blitz of unpacking and buying THINGS). From day one, this pregnancy has told me to SLOW DOWN and LET GO OF PLANS and the idea that ANYTHING WILL EVER GO ACCORDING TO PLAN EVER AGAIN. Truly a great lesson for me. And you know me…I love to learn.

Anyway, five months later, we’re sort of still moving in. We got rid of a lot of furniture that no longer served us/the new space/things I had owned since my first apartment in Williamsburg 15 years ago, which means a lot of space is empty. It felt good to purge, and it also felt really good to not immediately replace items if they weren’t “the right” items. “Better to live with no seating than the wrong seating” - a lesson I have learned finally at 39 (even though now…there is nowhere to sit…). I realize now, with a sort of blank space, interior design doesn’t come effortlessly to me. I know what I like and what I don’t (no shortage of opinions), but always feel a sense of panic when choosing a rug or like, knowing what length of curtains is correct or picking a shade of paint to commit to. So many options, probably too many. I blame lack of focus— both my own and the general onslaught of “inspiration” available. All that to say, it’s taken us longer than I’d like to “get settled.”

The one area that made the move without much change was the dining room. I bought my burl dining table a few years ago from a now defunct second-hand instagram shop based out of Greenpoint— something I searched specifically for for months before finding. It’s the same one I had in the old apartment, but is admittedly a bit large for this new space. That will not stop me from enjoying the patina’d burl til the day I die.

my precious table. here’ s one on Charish (I think the exact one I have), here’s a similar and more affordable version from RH (also via Chairish). Susan is wearing this cardigan with matching cami and Michael is wearing this jacket! Potato chips models own.

If you’re looking for one similar, just cruise the internet for “large burl dining table,” (that’s what I did, and one day, I found one). Well-made, wonderfully designed old vintage tables aren’t cheap, but there’s always one out there to be had. And I will say as a person who likes to ruin their furniture on accident, they’re built to last (don’t make them like they used to etc.). Keep searching till you find your right price point, it’s out there.

I don’t know if it’s the lack of furnishings or my out-of-character disinterest in cooking large meals, but I have yet to host a proper dinner party— only three meals have been served in this apartment to people other than my husband and myself. But doing snacks feels manageable, even though I have a lot of guilt associated with “come over for dinner” and then I just serve snacks. But I’m settling into “I’m doing my best,” and right now, my best is doing a little less than usual.

“My Best” anchovies/parmesan/artichoke hearts on a plate, 2024

I also put out some nice, thin slices of prosciutto and sopressata (lovingly sliced by my favorites at Paisano’s), shockingly affordable caviar from Fish Tales (with potato chips and sour cream, the only way caviar should be eaten, I think), olives, warm lupini beans and a quick little dish of soft goat cheese with calabrian chili swirled over. I had three types of crackers (carta di musica, norwegian crispbread and taralli) because I believe in an abundant variety of crackers, and put out a few bottles of wine. None of this took very long and still filled the table nicely. I had ambitions of making some sort of lamb stew and a simple salad, but didn’t get that far, so we had snacks all night. And we were full, it was great, and it was enough.

Max is wearing this jacket (he sizes up in most European brands to accommodate his handsome broad shoulders)

Many thanks to Sézane for sponsoring this week’s newsletter. I have been resisting “maternity clothes” for as long as I can (even though I’m reaching my limits). Stretchy fabrics and good, cozy sweaters are still working for me, and I can wear them post-bebe as well. I don’t have any photos, but I was wearing this skirt that night which is GREAT and I think I can squeeze a few more weeks out of it. Also of note: Their menswear brand, Octobré Editions makes nice clothes for the lads, and their home goods brand, Les Composantes has my current favorite vase.

vase here, sweet little napkins here, gorgeous flowers by fleurvoyant

Thank you and see you real soon for THANKSGIVING CONTENT (!!!!), for which I am also “doing my best” lol (no anchovies on the menu though). Be sure to be subscribed, lest you miss anything for the big day.