Welcome to The Simple Things, a newsletter inspired by one of my favorite Oscar Wilde quotes. Here’s where I share recipes I’ll never make, clothes I’ll never buy (lies), and housewares I’ll never collect.
Today’s titular quote is from American poet Ada Limón.
I ramble, so you might have to expand this email to avoid missing anything. If you enjoy reading this newsletter, please let me know by hitting the heart button or subscribing!
I want to thank NARS Soft Matte Concealer in Canelle for working so hard to cover up a bruise I got from accidentally bumping the bridge of my nose against a metal shelf. You’re the real MVP!
Japanese ice cream bags featuring kitschy designs and joy (forgive the tone-deaf Inuit version for we know better now). [Casual Archivist]
The 4 things you should say before you die: Please forgive me. I forgive you. I’m going to miss you. I love you. [
]You know what you should missing from your anti-aging routine? Acceptance. [
]The Book Burn is a monthly book and candle subscription. Members get a newly published book and a pair of 13” hand-dipped taper candles to burn while they read. [Labor in Vain, via
]Getting my wisdom teeth out this week (finally!). Should I get one of artist Colette Bernard’s tooth clips as a treat? Her shop is filled with excellent things.
Speaking of my wisdom teeth, my plan and hope is to do nothing for this long weekend (see: bed/couch/house rot) and funnily enough, my horoscope agrees [The Cut]:
Life’s been wild for you lately, filled with change of all kinds. And even though you’re good at dealing with unexpected challenges as they arise, you might need some time to regroup at this point. This week, if your heart or body is telling you that you need to clear your schedule, listen to it. You’re in near constant motion, and that’s not sustainable in the long term. Try out stillness, rest, and quiet reflection for a little while.
Got a huge kick out of reading the comments on this post about most embarrassing moments. [Cup of Jo]
A rechargeable lamp + flower vase = ambiance! [Shop Decor]
One of the best modern interiors I’ve seen in a while. [House & Garden UK]
“The egg has a perfect shape, even if it’s laid from the ass” from House & Garden UK’s investigation into why artists and designers are obsessed with eggs. I think the better question is why are people not into eggs? [via
] is one of my favorite writers on Substack right now:…are you safe, are you feeling the warmth, are you feeling cared for, you know it’s okay to wallow and feel our misery sometimes right, you know it’s okay not to smile right, but do you remember it’s good to care, do you remember it’s okay to not like or love everything, you know it’s human to change our minds, do you remember that being good does not always mean being good, when was the last time you crossed your fingers for yourself and others, do you ever hold your own hand, how is your heart, when was the last time you drove with all your windows down?
I cleared some space. I swept the floors. I lit some candles and set out a welcome mat so “Do you remember that being good does not always mean being good” can move in and live in my brain forever.
Did you ever read The Care and Keeping of You published by American Girl Books? It was one of the most formative books I’d ever read because the illustrations and writing made the book informative and approachable. I think it was the first source I came across that had a more detailed description of how to put in a tampon. For its 25th anniversary, the author of the book reflects on the time that’s passed and what it means for women. [ELLE]
Pistachios are quiet luxury, you know. [Taste]
Comedian Lawrence Leung listed the 10 funniest things he’s ever seen on the internet and one of them is People Selling Mirrors IG. It’s truly hilarious but I’m a bit traumatized by the one where the mirror shows someone’s foot taking the photo. That one will haunt me for a while.
Catherine Deneuve’s cover photo for Harper’s Bazaar France is ICONIC. Also loved her interview.
“This is not a letter. It is only my arms around you for a quick minute.” was written with sibling affection from Katherine Mansfield to her brother, but if a lover wrote that to me, I would collapse with swoon. [Letters of Note]
This explanation of how and why glass noodles and other ingredients were introduced to Korean mandu is fascinating. [Instagram via
]Writer’s block is trying to tell you something. [Austin Kleon]
“A Jacuzzi is a person, not a machine.” The frothy saga behind the invention of the hot tub. [NYTimes]
Conservationists are working to combat the widespread belief that honey bees are in danger: “If you overcrowd any space with honey bees, there is a competition for natural resources, and since bees have the largest numbers, they push out other pollinators, which actually harms biodiversity. I would say that the best thing you could do for honey bees right now is not take up beekeeping.” Additional alternatives: plant flowers to increase food supply for the pollinators, install hotels for solitary bees or bumblebees, or plant trees. [NYTimes Gift Link]
I love a portable watercolor set. [The Post Supply]
Floral basketball shorts? Okay! [John Elliott]
I saw Oppenheimer on $4 movie day with Nancy. It was beautifully shot and I loved Ludwig Göransson’s sweeping soundtrack. Think it could’ve been 40 minutes shorter and Nolan’s weakness for writing fully developed female characters shows. Jack Quaid as bongo-bashing Richard Feynman was a delight and criminally underused, in my humble opinion.
This conical burr coffee grinder, simply because I can’t stop laughing at its $1,999 price tag. My apologies to its designers and current owners. [Weber Workshops]
I’m trying to figure out if Duckbill is human powered or AI powered, but I’m tempted to try this service to plan a month-long work trip that I’m dreading. If you’ve used it before, let me know!
Force of Nature is a cleaning appliance that converts salt, water, and vinegar into a multi-purpose cleaner and medical-grade EPA-registered disinfectant.
Inspired by
‘s post on styling overalls for transition season!What a heat wave does to your body. [The New Yorker]
I think it’s really great that the late night hosts are doing a podcast together where the proceeds go to support the WGA strikes. [Hollywood Reporter]
Practice radical empathy. [The Bitter Southerner]
I really loved Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’s “I remember everything.”, but I became a fan after heard Bryan’s “Tourniquet”:
There’s delays on the planes out of eastern Montana
Where you told me you were leaving from
You’ve been stabbed in your back and the rest of your body
Won’t you tell me where you’re bleeding from
If you need a tourniquet or if you want to turn and quit
Know that I’ll be by your side
You bled your whole soul into things you can’t control
In a world you’ll never satisfy
“If you need a tourniquet or if you want to turn and quit…” goddamn. Also recommend Morgan Wade’s “Losers Like Me”
“Mending starts with the belief that things can be better. The understanding that the raw material you are given isn’t necessarily the end product. That we are all capable of transformation. That’s the point of it—identity, relationships, living. After all, we are given only this one life. In that way, we’re all constantly repairing. Tearing and mending; separating and finding our way back.” from Thao Thai’s
This is the wildest story I’ve heard about the 1% and the art world in a really long time. I hope they make a movie outta this. [NYTimes Gift Link]
Send all the mashed potatoes and ice cream you can. Please and thank you.
Wishing you a speedy recovery from wisdom tooth surgery and all of the soft things!
(I remember eating lots of soup and peanut noodles after, but in this heat ice cream is definitely the move)
❤️❤️❤️