Discover more from All's Well by Nadine Zylberberg
Hi! For those of you who are new here, I’m Nadine and this is All’s Well, a weekly newsletter of things to read, watch, do, eat, and buy—with occasional musings on life and motherhood, as well as interviews with creative women I admire. You know, a little of everything. Take what you like and leave the rest. You can find past issues here.
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If you’re thinking something looks a little different around here, you’re not wrong! New logo, same me. As we race towards the end of the year, I wanted to take a little think about this space and what I want it to be and look like. More consistency! More interviews! More, more, more! And it all starts with my humble header. It’s just the beginning! I hope you like it. And thanks, as ever, for being here. It makes me so happy.
Before we dive in, a quick reminder that my holiday gift guide is coming your way in the next couple of weeks. I know, another gift guide in your inbox, how original. I promise I’ll make it worth your while. If you haven’t yet, subscribe and stay tuned 👀.
Speaking of “more,” next week, we have a special, sparkly (hint!) interview I’m excited about. Until then, here are a few oldies but goodies. Onward:
Hugh Grant is on a press tour for his new horror film, Heretic. I have not yet watched the movie, but I did re-watch Two Weeks Notice, his 2002 rom-com opposite Sandra Bullock. A classic! Lately, every Hugh Grant interview is a total, unexpected delight. The Times profile of this beloved (but lately, also a little curmudgeonly?) British actor is no exception. The Notting Hill, Love Actually, and Music and Lyrics alum discusses “the freak-show era” of his career, in which he plays some rogue characters—think handsome psychopaths, theatrical villains, Oompa-Loompas. He tells writer Sarah Lyall of his early days in the biz:
“‘My mistake was that I suddenly got this massive success with ‘Four Weddings’ and I thought, ah, well, if that’s what people love so much, I’ll be that person in real life, too,’ he said. ‘So I used to do interviews where I was Mr. Stuttery Blinky, and it’s my fault that I was then shoved into a box marked ‘Mr. Stuttery Blinky.’ And people were, quite rightly, repelled by it in the end.’”
I’m very into this era of Hugh Grant, and the openness and vulnerability he’s leaned into with age. If only his peers would follow suit—but also, it does feel quintessentially British. Anyway, his closing scene dance in Paddington 2 is perfection. These answers to his Vanity Fair Proust Questionnaire are, too:
Not quite ready, but here we are. [Veers right.] Cartoon by Christopher Weyant for The New Yorker.
SPOILERS AHEAD: The brightest spot in this season’s Great British Baking Show has been Nelly Ghaffar, a palliative care assistant from Dorset (who grew up in Slovakia) with the best one-liners, the best headwear, and the kindest disposition in the game. The way she speaks about her husband—whom she met at a kebab shop! You never know!—and her marriage warms by heart. I can hardly remember her bakes, but her personality shines. As she says in Autumn Week, “In each of your hearts is a piece of Nelly and you’re never gonna forget me.” And so it is!
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It finally happened. I’ve reached the point of parenthood where sometimes, not all the time, meals can be daunting. Where the only thing that works is a combination of bread and cheese (quesadilla, pizza, bagel and schmear). Where anything green ends up on the floor or regurgitated into my hand. Where I resort to coaxing little bites into their little mouths through sheer stealth. I’ve since busted out a cookbook my mom got us when Pella was first born called Healthy Cooking for Kids by Shelly Null. It’s old-school. I also made healthy-ish pumpkin muffins to soothe my soul (they were a hit with one kid, not the other, and so I was left with a dozen muffins to myself). And I ordered Mark Bittman’s new book, Kids Cook Everything, which brings kids into the cooking process, something that feels like the best way to build healthy eating habits. So far, we only make cookies together, but I’m sure we can parlay the experience into goldfish-laden “egg pizzas” or multi-colored spaghetti…
Lastly,
recommended pizza bagels with cottage cheese in a recent newsletter and, even as a reluctant eater of cottage cheese (the curds—and the word “curds” even—get me), I’m curious. There is nothing I won’t try and I will certainly share what works. Loyal readers, you are here for this journey.As I previewed last week… It’s getting cold and it’s the humble cardigan’s time to shine (in some cases, literally). In my mind, cardigans are not sweaters and, therefore, they deserve their own spotlight. This is it. See below for the ones I’m after:
This Donni cotton cardigan is my platonic ideal, but it’s also more expensive than it needs to be. I got it in red on The RealReal for $60, which felt very good. It’s spent a fair amount of time on my clothing chair lately, which means it’s been in heavy rotation. Alex Mill makes a great one, too. I don’t know what it is about red, but in cardigan form, it works so well. One more by Danton that I also like.
I saw a photo on stylist Danielle Goldberg’s Instagram Story and I have been on the hunt for a brown fuzzy cropped cardigan ever since. (Any leads?!) As a close second, I found this fuzzy cropped navy cardigan from Etro, which may fit the bill. In any case, this feels like an aughts anti-trend that I’m very on board with.
Agnès b. is a cardigan innovator. Per the brand’s website (which I came to from Becky Malinsky’s Substack long ago), Agnès wanted to make her sweatshirts more practical, so she cut them down the middle with a large pair of scissors – et voila! The iconic snap cardigan was born. Fall/winter probably begs for more muted colors, but I can’t help being drawn to the brighter shades. I tried on the teal sweater in store last week and, help, I want it.
I love the subtle embroidery on this J.Crew x Holiday Magazine cable knit cardigan.
Classic. Added bonus? Match your kid. Speaking of kids, don’t sleep on great mini cardigans! Truly.
If you’re expecting, I don’t know a garment better suited to take you through colder months than Jenni Kayne’s cashmere cocoon cardigan. Put it on your wishlist, heck, your baby registry. You will come back to it again and again. And by some kind of wizardry, it doesn’t stain (or at least, not visibly) despite many a milk spill.
Fair isle to winter is florals to spring. Expected, but probably enduring for a reason? The gold standard is this Khaite, but the price reflects it. I like the frosty blue on this Alex Mill number and the cropped sleeve length on this one from Skall Studio.
Some wildcards: animal print, unisex florals, and a party cardigan, if you can believe it.
Signing off with a refreshingly unique Vogue cover (more images in the cover story), featuring Kaia Gerber and guest edited by Marc Jacobs:
More soon!