Hello! How are you this week? I’m here, just waiting for the next Nancy Meyers film to find its home and get going on production. (You may know her from The Parent Trap, Something’s Gotta Give, or her iconic movie kitchens.) We know the new project will be called Paris Paramount and follow a filmmaking duo’s story of falling in and out of love. And it reportedly stars Scarlett Johansson, Owen Wilson, Penelope Cruz, and Michael Fassbender, but I’ll have to see it to believe it! Luckily, the other queen of romantic dramedies, Nicole Holofcener (Lovely & Amazing, Friends with Money), has announced her new film’s release date (May 26) and trailer. So until then, we always have The Holiday and Enough Said and on and on…
More from this week:
Well Read
One day last week, I was reading Iggy Peck, Architect to our daughter. It’s a kids’ book that Pella received for her first birthday, about a young boy who can’t help but build things out of household items. But all I could really see was how chic Iggy’s mom was. Her bob, her shift dresses, her blue eyeliner, her pointy kitten heels. On one page, she’s wearing a gorgeous pink, off-the-shoulder gown that I wish existed in real life. Where is Iggy Peck’s mom off to?! I digress. Joanna Goddard of Cup of Jo read my mind. She picked out some of her favorite chic moms in children’s books and it’s worth a perusal. I never thought I’d take fashion advice from Sal’s mother, but here we are. The comments on the piece have even more suggestions of literary moms with style.
Well Made
Being born in Vancouver, I’d see totem poles everywhere; we even had a small one in our own home. In fact, the world’s largest, at 127 feet, lives in British Columbia. Naturally then, to me, a totem pole has always been specific to the Pacific Northwest, carved out of redwood by an indigenous community, commemorating their ancestors or family legends. A new piece in the FT proves otherwise, spotlighting several female artists whose totem poles range widely in materials, colors, and meaning. Lauren Baker makes hers out of LED lights, Celia Lindsell uses semi-precious stones, and Annie Morris uses spherical shapes. I love how familiar and accessible they all are. As artist Luna Paiva says in the piece, “Placing one stone on top of another is a very instinctive process, and I now see my child doing the same thing – it is a primary reaction to nature.”
Well Fed
For decades now, I’ve been a proponent of the idea that there is no one time of day for breakfast cereal. Sure, it works well in the morning, but also as a mid-day snack or an after-dinner treat. Heck, it’s even good in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep and get a little peckish. It has to be the right cereal, of course. I’m thinking Honey Bunches of Oats, Barbara’s Peanut Butter Puffins, or Frosted Mini Wheats. If you go too sweet (Cinnamon Toast Crunch) or too bland (Cheerios), it’s not quite as versatile a dish. (Can we call cereal a dish even?) Anyway, I’ve read that, now, Post Consumer Brands is in the business of making “bedtime cereals.” The two on offer are called Sweet Dreams Blueberry Midnight and Sweet Dreams Honey Moonglow. At least the marketing is effective! I haven’t yet gotten my hands on a box to review it here for you, but there’s a Washington Post article that explains all the ways this is a terrible idea, and it probably is. Still, I decided to use this as an opportunity to make a case for cereal as a solid round-the-clock meal, even if sales are declining and there are (much) healthier and fresher options. And also, to wonder aloud if it’s absolutely crazy to spend $50 on a box of cereal (well, cereale – it’s French). In the name of better sleep?
Well Drawn
Isn’t this a real conundrum?! To be out in the world, looking fresh and having superpowers—or to curl up with all things cozy. Speaking of cozy, I am absolutely addicted to the Barefoot Dreams blanket that was gifted to our daughter by her cousins, but lives on my bed and, well, wherever I go. I have no shame. Strong recommend!
Well Worn
Lucy Liu is The Cut’s latest cover star and while the story itself is good (I particularly like the way she believes “there’s never a good time to do anything, so it’s also always a good time to do something”), it’s the images that really struck me. There are so many celebrity profiles out there, all of their subjects wearing the latest expensive fashions, but this one said something. The tunic and sheer skirt, the sneakers and tube socks, the feathered halter dress… The styling is impeccable in that glossy magazine way, but it manages to remain both personable and playful at the same time. It all but screams, “Fashion is fun!” And it’s true. It’s good to be reminded sometimes. Here are a few images from the piece:
More next week!