As it’s Spring, I figured it might be exciting to give an Easter Basket filled with the usual suspects, plus weave in one or two home items to fit the occasion. I gathered peeps, jelly candies packaged like a carrot, a sleeve of popcorn, chocolate egg crisps, some chocolate marshmallows and Dubai style chocolate marshmallows. I nearly gasped when I found those on shelf. Staying on theme for the home items, I found dish towels with bunnies embroidered and a glass bunny trinket dish for candy or decor. Both in white to play it safe. Once all the goodies were in the shredded paper stuffed basket, the only decision left was to leave it as is or wrap it with cellophane. Both work nicely!

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Here’s how it came together

I had a lot of fun putting this together. If you were to make one for that new homeowner in your life, what would you add? Let me know in the comments below or if anything else comes to mind - happy to brainstorm!

Last October was the second time I visited Austin, which confirmed the love I have for this city. With that said, I thought I could share my favorite places thus farrr. These are places I would build an itinerary around if I had the chance to go back.

1. Barton Springs - woahhhhhh. While I have Raynaud’s and my rheumatologist has strict guidelines on cold plunges (I learned my lesson), I still believe the energy here is what keeps me coming back. It’s number 1 for a reason. Find a place to lie on the lawn and enjoy the diving board trick show.

2. Rosita’s Al Pastor is a food truck on the side of the road. If you see a building nearby oddly reminiscent to a Taco Bell with a different name than you’ll know you’re in the right place. Rule 1. Order the breakfast taco. Rule 2. Refer to rule number 1.

   

3. Suerte for their homemade tacos. I still think about the first time I had their suadero tacos with confit wagyu brisket, black magic oil, avocado crudo, onion and cilantro.

4. Birdie’s for their mozzarella sticks and southern hospitality and not to mention the wine! I knew from the moment we were presented the wine menu while waiting to be seated that we were in for a treat. Last year, they were awarded the James Beard award for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. I didn’t take any pictures of our meal. The sign of a very good meal.

5. Terry Black’s gets a lot of love on social media and for good reason. Don’t let the Texas heat and the line that trickles into the parking lot detour you. It moves fast. The real feat here will be getting a table once you have your food. My favorites were the creamed corn, the sausage, and pork.

Back to the drinks I was heading up. Every year we blend all the ingredients together and pour into glasses. Sometimes we wind up having to make more. I knew if I was going to be in charge of them, I wanted to have enough for all 15 of us and dress up the pouring aspect. I thought back to my friend’s bachelorette and… the fountain her now sister in law brought to serve margaritas.1 So I got my hands on a fountain and set it up on Thanksgiving

I realize doing this added one more step to the process, but I think it was worth it. Also the sound that comes along with a fountain is unmatched.

Highly recommend!

I think we’re all caught up.

Now I’m going to enjoy some family time in New Hampshire. Hope you have some nice R&R time.

Thankful for you!
Helena

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Everything I wanted to do

• Get my Thanksgiving ingredients in check

• Run around the city

• Visit the new Frank & Eileen store on the Upper East Side

• Work out

• Thread dried oranges -

• Start on a paper garland 1

• Hang some bows

• Go pick up a print

• Organize what I’m gifting my family and friends

Rather than tell you about my work out and threading dried oranges, I thought I could tell you about my visit to Frank and Eileen. To be frank2, the first time I heard of them was when I saw their coming soon signage a few months ago while walking by. The photographs displayed brought me to the Irish countryside. I dog-eared it

Fast forward to this past Sunday, I found out it’s a clothing brand that’s been around since 2009 and this Madison Ave store is their only store, making it the flagship.

The space was gorgeous. What I loved most is that you could ease through the store as if you were going to room to room in your home. It felt like I was in someone’s colonial. Warm, timeless and exceptionally decorated. There was a rustic kitchen straight out of a Plain English showroom, memories lined the stairwell and wallpapered walls and the waiting area for the fitting rooms had a fireplace in the center with chairs and couches adjacent.

I took these photos

See what I mean? Feels lived in ❤️

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Here’s what I want to do tomorrow

• Get my Thanksgiving ingredients in check

• Run around the city

• Visit the new Frank & Eileen store on the Upper East Side

• Work out

• Thread dried oranges

• Start on a paper garland

• Hang some bows

• Go pick up a print

• Organize what I’m gifting my family and friends

Am I biting off more than I can chew? I might be, but that’s the fun in a wishlist?

Hope you’re having a good weekend and taking time where it’s needed

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I love the drinks, the appetizers and the desserts. This year, I wanted to bring my favorite apple pie, but since we’ll have three apple pies, four sounded excessive. So I had to pivot

Here’s what I have up my (sweater) sleeve

1. Pears with goat cheese, pecans, honey and rosemary.

   This is my “I want to bring an appetizer and I also can’t cook (lol I can’t), but I want to contribute”. You can’t mess up this recipe.
   

2. This piece for antipasto

   

   It caught 300 people's attention

3. A fountain

   This sounds extreme. I will share photos and/or a video documenting the vision. Just trust me

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving tradition? Also open to hearing if you had any ideas for what I should put on the tiered stand!

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving!!
Helena

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The morning started at the 90th and 2nd Ave farmers market. SO. MUCH. GOOD. PRODUCE. There was a line for one of the farm stands too. It kept growing. There were also hydrangas that I arm wrestled myself out of getting. I was this close. There was also apple butter, which I was delighted to find because that was the only thing I came for.

Afterwards, I zig-zagged my way through the Upper East Side in search of townhouses dressed up for Halloween. Here’s what I found

I kept walking and trained it downtown to Michaels. I was in search of Christmas decorations and wrapping supplies. They had everything I was looking for except fake snow. 2

And then it was time to plant myself at S&P. You don’t know how long I’ve longed to sit down at the counter by myself there. I enjoyed a lemonade and an omelette. It was perfect. I have a picture, but it doesn’t just do it justice.

Back to the apple butter… I used that to create Giada De Laurentiis’ Fried Nutella. She packs wonton wrappers with Nutella and then fries it. I thought I could replace the Nutella with apple butter and top with cinnamon. More to come

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Just last month, I was in New Hampshire and out of the corner of my eye saw a pair that made me gush. “Is that sea glass?” I thought to myself “But how?” For the remainder of the trip, my mind was racing with how I would create something similar with my own collection.

Here’s how mine turned out

Here’s what you need

• Crocs

• Sea glass

• E600

• Toothpicks

• Buckle Plastic Button

Here’s how it all comes together

• I dropped a pea sized amount of E600 on the large side of the plastic button and then went in with a toothpick to spread the glue evenly. You don’t want it to be sparse. You want there to be enough glue that the sea glass can settle into.

• Next, I took a piece of sea glass, found the smooth side and held that down on the glue for 30 seconds.

• I repeated that a few times and then popped them in my crocs.

I’m happy to report when I look at my sea glass crocs they make me smile so much. I hope you have just as much fun as I did creating them and wearing them too!

And with that,
We’ll always have Sunday

Under “To Make” is where I house projects I want to take a stab at recreating like a Werner Bronkhorst original or a bobbin frame. I found a bobbin frame from Target and bought 3 so I don’t think I will be making my own anytime soon.

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And then there’s pieces like this that feel like low-hanging fruit. A little less elbow grease to recreate

The inspiration

My stab at it
I repurposed some jeans that no longer fit me.

As you can see mine’s a little more raw and rough. I think I understand why the original costs $250.00

I like both!

And with that,
We’ll always have Sunday

And then when you stand back

If you’re looking for a simple and quick summer craft, I highly recommend. You only need a few supplies like

• Glue

• Paper

• A ruler

• A pencil

• A gel pen

• Sea glass

• A frame

Alsoo Pinterest and TikTok have such good inspiration to get your wheels going

Hope you’re having a great Summer!
Helena

I nearly walked by the booth because it fit so well into the neighborhood.

The line was maybe 5 people deep, which I don’t consider a line. A couple was taking photos for their save the dates with their wedding info sharpied on a piece of paper. How sweet

And then it was my turn,

If you’re in the city and feeling spontaneous, I’d highly recommend. Their Instagram is helpful outlining posing and background instructions.

117 Orchard St, New York, NY / Open everyday 10AM -10PM

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One more thing, I really enjoyed this piece by Mikala Jamison on pilates culture. The discussion in the comments is worth reading too.

Body Type

The long con of Pilates culture

Body Type brings you insights about body image and body culture from me, Mikala Jamison, an independent writer who’s been through big body changes and worked in the fitness industry…

Read more

2 years ago · 360 likes · 112 comments · Mikala Jamison

Growing up, I also believed there was only one way to make stromboli. My dad’s way

Like my Dad, I’m particular about the meat to cheese to dough ratio. If there’s two much meat, I’m out. This Summer, I was invited to a very special first birthday. It was then that my world got a little bit bigger. There were two kinds of stromboli up for grabs - Philly Cheesesteak and Chicken Parm. I think I cleared the Chicken Parm dish and left the party wanting to make my own with a twist.

Growing up, football was rarely on in our household. It’s my sister and I. Two girls. My dad’s a girl dad. Dance recitals. Soccer games. Basketball blip. Walk on ski teams (for one of us ;). You get it

When I was invited to watch football yesterday. I thought this stromboli twist could be my contribution.

I present to you…

BUFFALO CHICKEN STROMBOLI

The result: The Jets and I fumbled

I made the mistake of heating it up too long. I put it in the oven once right after baking it and then again at the game to heat it up. I thought the cheese would ooze out of it the same way it did the first time I put it in the oven. This was incorrect. The chicken was dry, the dough flakiness was gone and I couldn’t taste the blue cheese crumbles. Sometimes you swing and you miss - this was one of those times.

Yikes

And with that,
We’ll always have Sunday

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Up until Saturday, I had every intention of visiting Thea, a newly opened bakery in Fort Greene. I didn’t take the Q to Fort Greene on Sunday, I took the L to Bedford Ave and walked towards Berry and North 6th.

With any Everlane bottom purchase, embroidery was complimentary. At first, I thought I could get my name, but I already own an article of clothing with my name on it. Growing up, I remember my Mom was against my sister and I getting a L.L.Bean backpacks with our name on it for safety reasons. I also stopped looking for my name in gift shops. Every time I scanned the H section of a store fixture for either a bicycle license plate or a keychain in search of Helena, I was out of luck.

I spiced things up and went with a four word phrase you might know by now.

It was a joy to watch Megan in her craft. She’s exceptionally good at it and easy to talk to. We also had a lot of parallels in common - both FIT grads and spoke fondly of our majors, hers Fashion and mine Packaging.

…and then I saw Kacey Musgraves

I found my way over to Cornershop, a specialty stationery store that shares a storefront with The Moss & Green. On the outside, it looks like nothing more than a store with plants, when in fact it’s 50% Japaense bonsai store and 50% an office organization store.

Dropping some photos to fill in the blanks…

The exterior

1 Part of the store

Just as a I described my stationery store habits in my last letter, they were no different here. My favorite treasures and stocking stuffers exist on the display shelves and peg boards that live in these establishments. I went home with not one, but two metal stands (one for a cookbook of sorts and a smaller one for my phone). It made sense in the moment. Stickers. A clip for potato chips. Cool cool and a mechanical Ticonderoga like pencil dupe.

Still planning on going to Thea one of these Sundays…

And with that,
We’ll always have Sunday

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These were some things that made my world a little bit sunnier. Maybe they’ll have the same effect for you. If you found any new discoveries or even rediscoveries, I’d love to hear ‘em in the comments below.

The footwear

• When I bought these shoes, I promised myself they couldn’t sit in my closet the whole summer and they definitely couldn’t just be worn for a special occasion. Considering the worn of these heels, I think that’s a promise I kept. I wore them everywhere and found myself building outfits around them. Perfect for dressing up a good pair of jeans and a white tee, any slip dress or that leopard skirt. Every time I slipped these on, I was not just a little excited, I was GIDDY (yes, all caps) to wear them, which is a feeling I’ve yet to experience when it comes to a heel. I will bring them to the cobbler this week.

The hair

• This time last year, my hair was falling out. The guy I was seeing made it a point to tell me my hair was still in his bathroom. This felt not so great. Anywho, if it wasn’t for medication and my childhood hair stylist’s guidance, I don’t think I would have had any confidence on my sister’s wedding day. Hair extensions made a world of a difference. I was hesitant at first. I might wear them to every wedding going forward until my hair grows evenly back.

  

Proud of

• Sanding - I sanded my parents wrap around porch. Who knew?

• Book Club - I joined a book club. Helena, who? I think my therapist almost fell off her chair.

Self care

• I’ve always been the “I do my own nails” type of person. As of this Summer and all life’s functions I’ve been sprinkling nail sessions in. What I like about it is my nails and bare nails look good plus it’s a half an hour of me sitting there with my thoughts and just existing. It’s given me two things: (1) something to look forward to and (2) routine depending on how often if I build it into my schedule

  

• In July, I had a cleaning lady come to my apartment. Not because I was moving, but because after playing mental ping pong with my own pros and cons list, I told myself “let’s see”. And let me tell you my life will never be the same. Here’s to doing more things in my thirties that fill that cup.

• I have a love/hate relationship with Orange theory. It hasn’t stuck. For the past two weeks, I’ve been slowly weaving in ClassPass workouts. Last week I went to twice in one week, which is huge for me. Groundbreaking, in fact. So far, I’m loving bodē and Heatwise. At bodē, I like the Hot Sculpt class and at Heatwise I like Some Like It Hot

The sounds - in the exact order I heard them

• Kacey Musgraves - Rainbow. In May, a friend invited me to see Ben Platt. Kacey Musgraves made an appearance and the two of them sung “Rainbow”. I’ve also been enjoying “Butterflies” and “Slow Burn”

• “Almost” by Hozier - this one pulls at my heart strings for that person I wished it worked out with

• “Part of Your World” - I heard a violinist play this song from The Little Mermaid on the 96th St subway platform. It brought tears to my eyes. Happy ones. All I could think about was what it might look like when my sister walked down the aisle on her wedding day. A dramatic song for a dramatic moment. There’s a couple of instrumental versions out there. My favorite is by Karaoke All Keys on Spotify.

• The whole Zach Bryan album especially “Bass Boat” and “Boons”. Something about that one reminds me of Phillip Phillips’ “Home”

• “Growin’ Up” by Bruce Springsteen. I heard this amongst family at a surprise birthday party my sister threw for me. It came on just after everyone sung Happy Birthday

The food

• Lord’s (506 LaGuardia Pl, New York, NY) - wowww. We ordered just enough - the oysters kilpatrick, curried lamb scotch egg, a salad, bread, and the steak.

  

• Babbler’s Restaurant (19 NY-296, Windham, NY) - My sister’s second surprise was a weekend getaway to Windham for my birthday. We stayed at the Wylder. I was blown away by her planning. I was also blown away by their restaurant, Babbler’s. I find it rare when a hotel restaurant and bar measures up to the rest of the hotel experience. It shows me that the restaurant wasn’t an after thought. If I lived in Windham or in the surrounding area, I think I would be a regular dinner guest at Babbler’s. The Bang Bang Cauliflower Bites were the favorite, think sweet chili tossed crispy florets with tahini yogurt dip.

The drinks

• Baxter Brewery Blueberry Ale - I had this in New Hampshire and miss it.

• The Melon Dew drink at Reception Bar (45 Orchard St, New York, NY) is unreal. I don’t have a photo, but I’ll do you one better with a video. The drink consisted of makgeolli, honeydew, honey, and soju (basically every drink there had soju).

The hack

• I love stationery. There are days where I walk into McNally Jackson like it’s Target and walk out with one or two things I didn’t need. The difference between McNally and Target is that at Target the impulse purchases I make are from the $5 or less section and that’s unheard of inside a stationery shop. The next best thing is something free. And that is this digital collection I stumbled upon. It’s from Appointed, so you know it’s good. My favorites are the calendar sheets and the daily time tracker.

In closing, I know this list is a list of well… things. Some are practices that I have to make a habit of. Key word: habit. I also know you don’t eat the fruit once you plant the seed. To me, these are all seeds. I’m watering them

A special shout out to my sister for not listening to me when I said I didn’t want a 30th birthday celebration and insisting on finding time to celebrate me. I love you

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When I think of Summer I think of Montauk. Yet, if we’re being honest over the past few years, my interest in The End has slowly been coming to an end. It’s a mix of the long lines and the fashion shows. However, I’ve heard that September and October in Montauk are not to be slept on, swapping peak for off peak and chaotic for slow.

Sounds delightful. I found an Airbnb that was up the road from one of Montauk’s classics. No, not the Shagwong. If The Surf Lodge was Raya, this place is your friend’s friend - familiar and approachable. Something tells me they don’t clap for the sunset at The Surf Lodge. Dropping some pics of that stunner

As for Sunday we woke up. No real itinerary other than the beach and breakfast sandwiches. Made a wrong turn and then a right one. Swooned at the homes on Ditch Plains Road. Relived stories from childhood. Found Ditch Witch. Picked up a top tier BEC on a bagel and planted ourselves in the sand. People watched. No fashion influencers in sight. Exchanged beach reads. My mom was reading “Airbnb for Dummies” and I couldn’t put down a NYT bestseller. We freshened up (i.e. took one more outdoor shower) and made our way west.

We popped by Carissa’s Bakery, a spot that’s lived on my list for years. I first laid eyes on the brand at my old job, who was responsible for the identity. Think dainty, warm and elevated artisanal. Ever since then I kept tabs on the bakery as they expanded to a couple of grab and go outposts and another in Amagansett that’s sit down. We split the falafel platter and zucchini and mozzarella sandwich. I’ll drop some photos to fill in the blanks

Sunday morning

Carissa’s

The End

I get it… Montauk in September or October is the move.

And with that,
We’ll always have Sunday

He wasn’t that far off. The heat was similar to the subway platform on a hot Summer’s day. It was sweaty, it was steamy. You know when you’re sweating so much the sweat rolls down your face to your lips and you taste it. That was it. It was nonstop movement to a superb playlist - think TikTok Finance mash up meets HOT TO GO! meets Hozier. I was singing along at one point. That never happens. Also laugh out loud. Time flew, until it didn’t. Thank God my row was the row that would lie in child’s pose from time to time. I took my own water breaks and wish I brought two more bottles. One to drink, another to throw on myself and another to throw on my face towel to wipe my face. My fingers were pruny by the end. Maybe this could help my Raynaud’s….

My review sounded like this

I’m going to go back.

And with that,
We’ll always have Sunday

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