Hi from Elyse.

Welcome to Field Blend - a mix of musings and finds.

Hi there! I’m so glad you’re here.  I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a long time, but I could never figure out how to narrow down the scope of what I want to talk about and the beautiful things I’d like to share.  Instead, I’m simply diving in and will figure it out along the way. 

If you’re new to me, here are some very broad strokes that will help set the tone for what this newsletter will be.  Not to be all cancer, cancer, cancer which sounds pretty depressing, but it’s been a big part of the past few years. I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when my oldest daughter was 10 months old. Then there was remission.  Then there was another pregnancy and with it the cancer came back very aggressively. I received chemo on the maternity ward in my third trimester. Things got ugly. Scary, actually. I made my way into a clinical trial and emerged just in time to enter lockdown in March 2020 with my then three-year-old and five-month-old girls.

Here I am getting chemo on the maternity ward. I had just had my eyebrows microbladed before all of my hair fell out. One of my better decisions – they look great. Thumbs up to good eyebrows.

And you know what else started during the pandemic?  I started writing. I signed up for a class online – something out of New York with the cachet of real writers! Published authors!  Success, success, success.  One that never met over Zoom office hours or in one of those horrible group chats full of quiet strangers. Instead we sent in our completed homework assignments and my fellow classmates would tentatively critique it.  We were so careful with one another.  Delicate egos and all (because, of course, we’re all Joan Didion in our heads).  And, let me tell you, I absolutely loved it.  I even found the courage to submit an essay that somebody liked enough to publish.

Then I found my way to the big, beautiful brain that is Natalie Serber and, as luck would have it, she brought me into the fold of her weekly writing group, of which I am happily still a member. You can check out my other piece on Today.com. I am now deep in the throes of finishing my manuscript. 

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Which brings me here. I love writing, but I also need to give my brain a break from time to time. In between edits I scour the world wide web for beautiful things – interiors, clothing, skincare, wellness tools, books, recipes.  Not to sound too much like Quentin from White Lotus, but “a world without beauty is not a world I’d want to live in.”

And because friends often ask for help finding this or that, I thought I’d round up all of the things that bring a little more beauty into my world (eye-candy and actual purchases).   You’ll get musings about motherhood (I promise not to bore you!), bits about my life in Napa Valley married to my winemaker husband, maybe some manuscript excerpts, thoughts on wellness and anything else that comes to mind.  Come, climb inside my brain.

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I’m forever inspired by Lauren Hutton and Kristin Scott Thomas in the English Patient. Give me a tonal look any day. I mean, chic, chic, chic.

Now, onto things for bodies!

1. These Apiece Apart pants are giving me the exact right amount of Lauren Hutton. Pair them with #11 in a size too big for the full look.

2. I’ve always been a gold jewelry kind of girl, but lately silver makes me feel young! And sexy. These have a Copenhagen-cool-girl thing going for them that I’m very into.

3. A gorgeous, classic belt to break up that all white look. See #1.

4. I recently purchased this and immediately bought another, it’s that good. Serum-y, cushion-y, a little bit of color. Makes my lips so happy.

5. Comfort! In fun, punchy colors. Great for lounging (maybe with that white button down shirt thrown over), sleeping and general living. Never rides up.

6. I have long been a devoted fan of Marie Veronique, ever since we brought the line on at the super luxury hotel where I worked. The newest addition to their offerings is as good as I expected it to be. My skin has never looked better.

7. I normally avoid fast fashion given the state of landfills and all, but this is a jacket that I will have for years (also, my favorite pair of off-white denim happens to be from Mango too). It’s a complete knock-off of the Totême version that was everywhere this winter, but that is ALL of the money. This one gives me the same feel and comes in under $200. It’s forever sold out so I suggest you RUN. Last I checked there were still a few sizes available.

8. Nothing has ever made the skin on my body softer or smoother than a combination of the Soft Services Carea Cream and the Smoothing Solution, so when a friend raved about their new overnight hand treatment with retinol and colloidal oatmeal, I immediately ordered it for myself. Transformative.

9. A friend who happens to be an exceptional gift-giver gave me this delightful little pearl ring with the instructions to pair it with my Oura ring. Genius.

10. A perfect everyday bag. Cross-body so your hands are free to do all of the things that your hands need to do. And that avocado color is just right. Also available in a gorgeous yellow (or classic black if that’s more your speed).

11. I wear this button down non-stop. It’s a great weight, has an unexpected oversized pocket, the button placements are superb. Win, win, win. I do find it a little short so it’s best tucked in.

12. Another Mango knock-off of those incredible Brother Vellies birkenstock-esque clogs that you can no longer find anywhere in brown unless you’re a size 5. I will wear these to punch up my all white outfit.

SUBSCRIBE and get access to more finds – interior inspo for our 1880’s farmhouse, kid things, the world’s greatest tahini, etc.! Thanks for being here.

xo

Elyse

*Some of these are affiliate links so I might earn a commission if you purchase something – lovely!

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