Welcome to The Simple Things, a newsletter inspired by one of my favorite Oscar Wilde quotes. Here’s where I remind you to tell your friends you love them, fantasize about all the food I can eat without the consequences, and try not to think how my inner thighs are on fire from Pilates.
Today’s titular quote is from theologian and philosopher Saint Augustine of Hippo.
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’m starting this from my mom’s cabin’s kitchen in the North Georgia mountains, surrounded by trays of homemade granola cooling on the counter and the gentle farts of Scotty’s indigestion — the unfortunate result of some moron thinking it was safe to set a plate of madeleine cookies on the coffee table. It’s me. I’m the moron.
How climate change is affecting family-run coffee farms in Columbia. [Atmos]
Really enjoying Tim McKeough’s “Living Small” series on NYTimes: This cabin in Ontario is perfectly sized for the owner and his dog. Guests are great, but sometimes you just want to hang with your dog. I get it! A one bedroom house on Fishers Island may be difficult to sell down the line, but I think the view says otherwise. A modern house in Carnation, WA with an office wing that lets you work from home and roll away if you want (“Sorry Nancy, I can’t hear yoooouuu…”). And this personal favorite (mostly because it reminds me of a much more put together version of the 400 sq. ft. studio I lived in in SF), a bright, 475 sq. ft. apartment in Carroll Gardens.
Another NYTimes feature I’ve been loving is “By the Book” where authors sound off on their favorite books and reading habits. From Edan Lepucki, “Have you ever smoked a joint and read Toni Morrison’s ‘Sula’ in a very hot bath, reveling in a single, rich paragraph for what feels like an hour? If not, may I suggest you try it?”
I liked this sentiment from Sara Peterson’s
:Listen, I am on a lifelong quest to live a more present life and derive meaning outside of striving and doing and consuming. But just as I don’t think everyone should be forced into loving their bodies, I don’t think we should view “seeing the beauty in the everyday” as synonymous with moral goodness. Missing in this equation is any mention of the luxury of time. It takes time to locate a field full of daisies; it takes time to walk through it. It takes time to register the beauty of any given moment, daisy-filled or not. And I think there’s something ludicrously obtuse and a little cruel in assuming that all people, regardless of life circumstances or level of access to privileges, can be made “better” by choosing to locate beauty, magic, or wonder in any given moment. Some moments aren’t magical, some moments kind of suck, and they’re only going to suck more if we feel guilty about our inability to trick ourselves into viewing them as wondrous.
I'd love to get lost in the blues and greens in this summer cottage in Maine. [House & Garden UK]
I’ve never felt the need to smoke anything, but if I did I’d probably get this Nordic Ware Kettle Smoker recommended by
. So far she’s smoked a whole chicken, ribs, and a brisket.Instead of saying you’re daydreaming, you could say “Pensando en la immortalidad del cangrejo”, which translates to “I’m thinking about the immortality of the crab”. Are crabs immortal? I don’t know! [Twitter]
A woman in Australia invited 4 people over for lunch. A week later, 3 were dead. While authorities confirmed that the guests ingested the poisonous death cap mushroom at the memorable lunch, it’s not clear whether this was an unfortunate accident or premeditated murder. This sounds like the plot for season 2 of Deadloch. [Washington Post]
This made to order shirt is $350 and can be worn 3 ways, so technically it’s a steal, right? [Chava]
Many thanks to
for reminding us all of this gem. It’s only 46 seconds, but my god the cinematography! The suspense! The payoff! That one of the commenters said Fenton the labrador was marked as unsuitable for guide dog service makes this clip even more delicious. I just watched it two more times as I’m typing this and it just gets better. I love her recent 5 Delights post which also includes this delightful Tiktok of a group of young dragonslayers. [YouTube]Related: this write-up about Fenton’s human in the Telegraph, who was mortified by the viral video and more worried about the park trust coming after him. Could that be any more British?
I’m a strong believer that gift shopping is a year-round thing, not just something to do in the rushed lead up to the holidays. So may I recommend this handsome book valet for the booklover in your life? [Uncommon Goods]
loved how a podcaster who dislikes Las Vegas said “That is a place that is incommensurate with my personhood” and now I love it too.Facebook can be an okay place if you completely ignore your news feed and go straight to Marketplace or private groups like this Dogspotting, where people post photos of the dogs they happen to cross paths with. Very wholesome.
Take a look at Copenhagen’s charming tiny 1 room hotel, located above a popular neighborhood cafe. [Centralhotelogcafe.dk, via Conde Nast Traveler]
Highly recommend subscribing to
‘s newsletter, Cappuccino Thoughts, which is filled with frothy NYC adventures but with substance. I especially love reading updates to her bag project, where she repairs and relines vintage bags to give them new life. Carrying one will show that you’re an arbiter of taste, not a chaser of trends. [Washington Post]This summer, writer
collaborated with friends and neighbors (who happen to own an inn down her street in the Catskills) to pool their collective parenting resources and give their kids a camp-like experience. It was a brilliant way to save money (camps are so expensive!) and entertain the kids while everyone could get their respective work done in shifts. They had t-shirts (NO WHINING is the motto), badges, science lessons, drawing classes, rock climbing, fishing, etc. The kids even helped with some hotel maintenance, taking room trash out with glee.Do you ever wonder what happens to the stuff you return? Most if it never make it back to the shelves. [The New Yorker]
I LOVE MINIATURES. If we’re going to dive into the pathology of my obsession, I’m sure it has something to do with my parents not letting me have a dollhouse because “it’s not practical” (eye roll). Don’t worry, they caved and let me have a Polly Pocket so I wasn’t deprived. Anyways, an interior designer in the UK bought one as a baby present and completely redid it and it’s every bit as lovely as you’d think it would be. [House and Garden UK]
Growing up, Nancy always repeated this adage, “A smart person learns from their mistakes. A clever person learns from other people’s mistakes.” So maybe that’s why I love reading people’s essays and lists of things they’ve learned? Or maybe when Mari Andrews at
compiles a list of 100 things she knows, you shut up and read it.10/10 positive that if you had this butter candle at your dinner party, I would think it was real and try to spread it on my carbs. [Nonna’s Grocer]
A charming French man buys and restores an old French chateau. Yes, of course I would watch it. [YouTube via Habitually Chic]
How about a leather carrier for your hot dog or pizza? Brilliant ideas from artists Nik Bentel and Kortney Hinden.
”One thing we can control is striving to be the best versions of ourselves. That requires faith in our capacity to navigate the unknown.” - My super full moon horoscope getting deep. [W Magazine]
I saw Taylor Swift wear these Gucci slingbacks with an Erdem dress in robin’s egg blue to Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley’s wedding and now I can’t stop thinking about them. [Ebay]
Campbell’s bought Rao’s. I don’t care as long as they don’t mess with the recipe or mark up the price in crazy ways. [The Atlantic]
Pronoia is the belief that the universe is conspiring in your favor, the opposite of paranoia. [Wikipedia]
Currently watching Mr. Inbetween, an Australian dramedy on FX about a guy balancing a new relationship, co-parenting a daughter, and his career as a criminal hitman. One moment he’s saving a ladybug from drowning in his shower, the next moment he’s kicking a guy down a flight of stairs. Dark but entertaining. [YouTube]
Also entertaining is the Real Housewives of New York City reboot. I’m totally into it. I relate to Erin and Jenna the most and I’m absolutely mesmerized by Brynn. How is it humanly possible to be that bubbly and flirty??
Highlight of the week: There was an auction at a recently closed Atlanta restaurant recently and I won a couple bids! I never win anything! For liability reasons, they can remove anything for me, so fingers crossed I can dismantle and disassemble the things I got to fit in my car.
Might try to make these Sesame Cheddar Wafers this weekend. [Saveur]
When I lived in SF, I loved stopping by
‘s shop in Hayes Valley so I get really excited whenever I see her newsletter in my inbox. She has the most excellent taste and eye for the best things. She recently recommended Curio Home Goods which has the most stylish dishwashing sponges and brushes. The art direction is swoony and the brushes are designed to stand upright on a magnetic base.For anyone grieving the loss of a pet: “The one silver lining I can see in the discrepancy between human and dog life expectancies is that you will have me forever. And that is more important.” - Kelly Conaboy via
Yes to this DSNY Trash Can Pen Holder. [OnlyNY]
Reprise health takes traditional Chinese medicine and turns them into yummy gummies. If you’ve ever taken Chinese medicine, then you know this is a huge breakthrough!
In love with this 1980s Novo Rumo sofa that transforms into what looks like a fairly comfy bed! (Instagram via
)
Thanks for sharing my Sustack and for sharing the love of Curio Home! xx
FENTON FOREVER