*substack* has entered the sunday series chat
october IN/OUT reflections to kick off my first send of my thirties!!
hello from my west village studio apartment, where I come to you with a slice of magnolia chocolate cake laid out before me, and west side highway sunset walk awaiting outside–just as soon as I manage to share what has me so energized today: launching my Substack!
in may 2020, I launched my newsletter, the sunday series, as a way to lean into creativity during what was an otherwise tough period of uncertainty for so many of us. ironically, I look back on those months with a deep fondness–with the risk of offending those who perhaps didn’t have the most comfortable quarantine experience, I know I’m not alone in saying that I had a silver-lined pandemic. among so many other blessings, slowing down allowed me to delve into my newsletter journey.
more than three years (!!) and a thirtieth birthday later, I still love long-form content as an outlet, but I’m ready to approach it with a bit of a different twist moving forward. having been a long-time Substack subscriber–some of my faves include Hi Everyone with Hillary Kerr, Grace Atwood’s Saturday Salad, and Link In Bio with Rachel Karten–I appreciate how this platform brings newsletter-esque content and microblogs together in one ecosystem. but as a creator, what I really love about Substack is its easy-to-access archive. because while I didn’t necessarily want my previous newsletters to live in a permanent blog format on my website, I also have been increasingly grated by the idea of investing time and effort into creating content that essentially disappears. so I decided to switch it up!
as a part of my shift to Substack, you can consume this content in their app or continue to read it directly in your inbox. one of the things I’m most looking forward to as I reshape the sunday series is reviving my Q&As with inspiring women! next sunday, look out for my interview with fellow new yorker, voracious reader, and writer, Sarah Lyon. our sunday coffee date (pictured above!) at one of my neighborhood faves, Sogno Toscano, found us chatting about our creative endeavors which got me reinvigorated to share snippets of these conversations with this beautiful community. I can’t wait for you to glean some inspo from the queen of vintage finds and all things interior design in next week’s edition of the sunday series.
I’ll continue to do book roundups (speaking of archives, I created a post about my top twenty books of 2021 and 2022), as well as recap my new york city adventures and some travel musings, too. beyond that, I’m going to start delving into more niche topics like my perfect weekend itinerary for when your parents are in town but it’s raining, our west village book club rules, and even IN/OUT lists.
october reflections
I’ve long looked at the first day of a fresh month as a forced reset. all the better when it happens on a sunday–my favorite day of the week–to provide even more time to dedicate to mindfulness!! october 1st is extra special for me as it’s my nana’s 86th birthday and the one-year milestone of beginning a creative endeavor I can’t wait to share more about soon. I looked back on my journal from last october 1st and it was so grounding to realize how much has transpired in the past year…I can’t recommend journaling enough for this reason alone. sometimes, the only person who can show you how far you’ve come is your past self.
here’s what we’re welcoming IN in october as well as what’s OUT…
inspired by Eli Rallo–a must follow on TT who has a book coming out that I’m super excited to read–I wanted to try my hand at an IN/OUT list. me and my friend made one back in december going into the new year that lived in my notes app (where else?), and looking back on it, I cherish how it serves as a time capsule for trends and just things that were on my mind at the time. below, I’ve borrow a few we brainstormed back then (thanks, Bren) and sprinkled in plenty more that feel right going into fall. since 26 is my lucky number, we’ve got 26 on each list. let me know which ones you agree with, and better yet, which ones you don’t?
IN in October
“cricket” as a term of endearment
unreliable narrators
asking for olive oil and flaky salt with bread baskets
breaking all your sweaters out of storage and falling back in love with them
getting witchy and manifesting your wildest dreams
being BASIC and putting pumpkin spice in everything
diving back into pinterest (refer back to manifestation bullet)
being delulu at every turn–you are the main character
renaming group chats, adding contact pics, and reorganizing your pinned texts
sleep hygiene–as in, charging your phone in the kitchen
DNF-ing books that just aren’t it. your goodreads count doesn’t matter
making that doctor’s apt you’ve been putting off–just do it!!
telling your friends you love them at the end of a phonecall
early bedtimes and even earlier mornings
climbing CRINGE MOUNTAIN
forming inter-generational friendships
actually talking to your neighbors
blazers as jackets
rejection: because it means you shot your shot
remember it’s NOT THAT SERIOUS (whatever “it” is for you)
pretending you’re in a nancy meyers movie at all times
emailing yourself your own brilliant ideas so you don’t forget
when your friend says, “that name is on my baby list” without hesitation
documenting your deepest desires in your notes app on the subway
being cheugy and going apple picking followed by inhaling warm donuts covered in cinnamon sugar
always having a pen in your purse
OUT in october
saying you’re bicoastal. you’re just, not.
staying in your lane. make a new lane!!!!
anyone asking, “where should we go next?” when out
boys who never cry
dangling the carrot
late night doom scrolling
being indecisive–just go with your gut, sweetie.
trying to be a chill girl when you’re NOT.
“sent from iPhone” email signatures
rushing to get literally anywhere
asking people how old they are
caring about your grid aesthetic
“we don’t take Amex” on repeat on a euro trip
ragging on gen z for not making their job their entire personality
when the cortado was $6.48 and they ask if you’d like to tip 25%
feeling like you need a whole new wardrobe when the weather changes
comparing yourself to that girl on Instagram whose parents pay her rent
having a snapchat in your thirties
“sorry, I think you froze” (WHY ARE WE SORRY FOR THIS??)
almond milk in any iced beverage
stressing about hitting an airline status tier before the end of the year
exchanging instagrams instead of phone numbers
online shopping–yeah, I said it.
getting packages stolen (see above)
parasocial relationships with fitness instructors
taking ubers when there are taxis literally everywhere
in my cringe tiktok era 💅🏻
as referenced above, I’m embracing all things cringe as of late. this tiktok explaining cringe mountain really inspired me! speaking of, tiktok has possibly been one of my favorite creative outlets as of late. there’s truly something so freeing about knowing that it’s a space where you’re not being followed by your peers and being judged based on how beautifully you craft the highlight reel version of your life. in fact, it’s the opposite! I’m still retraining my brain to get OUT of the curation mode and aim to keep making myself uncomfortable as I create more videos that I’d *never* post on Instagram.
we did daily vlogs on our Turkey trip (ICYMI: Jenna and Chelsea went to Istanbul, Cappadocia and Bodrum for ten days!) and had the most fun looking back at the daily recaps as the trip progressed. less so than views or engagement, I’ll cherish that series of videos as our own personal diary documenting what did, who we met, and the little moments that would have otherwise been forgotten. if we aren’t TT besties yet, check out my channel for more of these types of vids!
in conclusion
I’m not really sure what to expect with this platform switchup! but we’re going to give Substack a try. as always, if you know someone who would appreciate my content, please do feel free to share the subscriber love! so grateful for this community and looking forward to all that’s ahead in this cringe era together. love you!! xoxo