brain dump, vol. 3

this week's thoughts & favorites. also, am I spiraling??

pinterest, baby.

Good morning! I’m sitting in my favorite spot, our screened in porch, with a hot coffee in my hand, thinking about how all of this ‘work’ i’m doing is supposed to be fun. Writing these posts shouldn’t feel like a deadline. Thinking of ideas shouldn’t make me question if they are good enough. Creative projects with friends shouldn’t feel overwhelming. I should just do - and any doing at all is great. So, here I am.

I wrote a frustrated note last night as I was closing my laptop about my lack of time and how i’m jealous of these modern day influencers who’s full time job is to create beautiful, thoughtful content. I know the immediate reaction is well, why don’t you try? You’ll never know if you don’t try!

Like so many Tiktokers who have reached a moment of ‘I’m just going to post my content because so-and-so just bought a house in the Hamptons’, it is so easy to look at social media, these influencers day-to-day lives filled with free travel and brand deals and PR boxes and completely spiral.

I may also be spiraling?

Does it feel frustrating that we’ve created a world where influencers are living a life of luxury that gen-z (and not gen-z, hi) is dreaming about and shooting for and us people grinding in corporate America are drowning? Yes.

And I think for me, it circles back to this: I just want to shoot the beautiful content. Whenever i’m on a trip, I am the one who has a camera glued to my hand and is taking photos. My favorite parts are the documentation, combing through what I captured, curating and editing, and loving what I see. I am able to see exactly where you should stand, where the light is just right, and capture it. I need to figure out how to be bold and put myself in more positions where I can do just that in my day-to-day life. Even if its just for me, I think i’ve decided that I’ll bring my camera and just start trying.

Kind of like this Substack - just keep doing. Not because I’m trying to be an influencer, but because it scratches my creative itch and we need more of that every day vs. scrolling and scrolling and comparing our lives.

reading,

• this summer will be different by carly fortune - I zoomed through this and liked it, but I also really liked her previous books too so it wasn’t surprising.

• just for the summer by abby jimenez - Obviously I’m sucked into summer reads right now. This one was just ok, it didn’t really do it for me to be honest.

• the paradise problem by christina lauren - I just finished this last night and loved it. A great story, a lot of romance, some laugh-out-loud lines - one of those that I struggled to put down.

• big night: dinners, parties and dinner parties by katherine lewin - it wouldn’t be an after hours reading update without a cookbook! I just got this after lusting over the big night store in NYC. I’m excited to dive into it this week!

“Anyone can be a host-and any night can be a big night. A big night is about experiencing something together.”

@bignightshop is on my must-visit list!

eating,

• I’ve been planning dinners around if they are grill-able, like this hibachi chicken rice bowl. Give me allll of the grilled veggies!

• A random buy, but if you spot these caramelized onion + white cheddar chicken burgers at Costco, get them. So easy, sooo flavorful and good. The perfect easy weeknight dinner.

• puma detroit - sister restaurant of one of our favorites, barda detroit, and in an equally cool spot in detroit’s core city neighborhood, I cannot wait to go here (maybe this week!).

• callisto farms - on a recent trip to upstate new york, we spent an evening at callisto hudson valley and had the simplest, yet dream-worthy dinner. Full postcard on this trip coming soon, but wow.

devouring a meal at callisto hudson valley, stalking puma detroits instagram, and what I aspire all dinners to look like lately.

proud of,

I’m working on a really fun branding project with two close friends and am leaving our conversations super inspired. They are following a badass dream and I’m so lucky that I get to collaborate with them. We’re having so much fun making the brand feel rebellious and bold yet understandable. Can’t wait to show you all where it lands and talk about their amazing new adventure!

some photo styles that are providing so much inspiration!

obsessing + recommending,

• heather taylor home - these colorful linens (particularly loving the juicy colored tablecloths) scream “host a dinner party in your backyard”. I love them!

• featherweight logan wide-leg rag and bone jeans - I actually went to the mall with one mission in mind - find one new pair of jeans that I love. Something in style and not rigid, I need to be able to wear these bad boys in the office all day. I went to all of the usuals (Zara, Madewell, etc.) and completely struck out, then went to Saks to try on brands like Agolde, Frame, Mother, etc. These Rag and Bone jeans are IT and I’m getting endless compliments. Try them on!

• tower 28 spray, kiehls uv serum, summer fridays jet lag eye cream - my summer beauty MVPs. I swear with this combo my skin has never been happier. Like many, I’m loving keeping my summer routine lightweight and easy and these products are absolutely doing it for me.

• curated casita coffee cup - a random instagram purchase, but this mug is my new favorite. Nothing like having a new favorite mug to reach for in the mornings!

my summer MVPs.

traveling,

I went on a bachelorette trip to the Hudson Valley in New York for one of my best friends and it was an absolute dream. I’ll do a full postcard on the trip soon because quite honestly I’m dying to go back. I think my girl gang has checked off the best bachelorette spots but this one was so unique - days by the pool at our farm house, mornings with fresh sourdough and eggs from the roadside stand, dinners at the most incredible farm to table restaurants, strolling through the cutest downtowns. I miss it!

I’m going to San Francisco for a design conference (Config, IYKYK) in a few weeks and am looking forward to my time there! Comment with any of your favorite coffee shops or places to snag a drink. I don’t think I’ll have much time to explore, but looking forward to it nonetheless.

Lenny Rachitsky

, can’t wait for your session!

moments in hudson valley NY.

listening to,

• We went to the Khruangbin concert last week and spent the night swaying to funky instrumentals.

• Need to listen to the new KAYTRANADA album on my commutes this week.

• I’ve fallen off of my podcast game, anyone have any that they’ve been loving recently? Give me all of the recs.

• My latest on-repeat song is ‘Ready For You’ by Black Coffee + Celeste. Naturally I started a station from it, and it slaps.

on my mind,

• I threw out my back last weekend doing yard work (lolz, this is 32) but at least our yard is looking cute. We had to move a few things and do some adjusting - I love learning all about landscaping and seeing what works (as you know from my home edit post).

• I got the crown affair air dry mouse but have yet to try it - do we think rope braids actually work?

• This tiktok trend had me lol-ing.

• Archdigest is getting me with their posts lately. Give me these interiors! And a cut flower garden!! Constantly torn between living in a city and the middle of no where (and Detroit - brb, off to go look at a house!).

the inside of my mind lately.

Always appreciate you listening to my ramblings! Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend! & If you enjoyed this, subscribe and you’ll get my posts right on your Substack home feed or inbox. Here’s my last brain dump, if you want more.

a brain dump, vol. 2

x, em
instagram + pinterest