Sister, Sister

Bury me at Sea Ranch

After the insanity of the past few weeks with the visiting kids, where my only function seemed to be managing small humans and serving as a kind of short-order cook (mostly of the snack variety), I felt completely stalled creatively, unable to focus on anything resembling work. I'm sure a thousand things slipped through the cracks at the bookstore. Aside from this newsletter, I didn't write a single word. The horoscope app told me that I was supposed to be planting seeds for my future, that August is a big month for me, that I should be publishing and pushing myself to grow. Only none of that was happening.

This past weekend we celebrated my birthday at Sea Ranch, arguably one of my favorite places on earth. The drive up is winding and endless but then you get spit out on the rim of the Pacific and it is glorious. The wooden, nearly identical houses are that perfect shade of gray from all of the sun and wind. There are trails snaking along the cliffs and you have to be careful not to disturb the seal pups and nesting cormorants.

We rented a place with an excellent kitchen and, after serving nothing but popcorn and dried mangoes for days, I was like Stella getting my groove back. It felt so good to feed myself again, to give into true appetite. I sautéed thick slabs of sourdough in olive oil until they were chewy and golden for the most magnificent avocado toasts. I slow roasted cherry tomatoes and spooned them on wedges of Morbier. There were lots of fried eggs, bowls of parmesan gnocchi, a radicchio and basil salad, fat Italian sausages. One of the best things I made was a pot of Chickpeas al Limone with Burrata (recipe below). My goodness, I could eat that every single day.

• My mom got Nell a pair of Rothy’s red sandals for summer and I love them so much that I’m now eyeing these new Mary Jane sneakers in the same tomato shade.

• These new soft cardigans and pants from Alex Mill come in a handful of delicious colors and look impossibly soft. I’d never want to take them off. I also love how they styled the looks with the sweaters around the waist — the chocolate and yellow!

• I’ve worn a pair of Tory Burch fish earrings for years and they always get a million compliments. This pair from Éliou has a similar feel.

• I’ve been trying these perimenopause supplements for the past month and have to say, I never seem to notice a difference with any of the two dozen things I take, but I am actually sleeping through the night since starting Perelel!! It’s the only thing I’ve done differently and, yes, I am officially sleeping deeply for the first time in years. I’ve also been sampling Libido Support and (mom, close your eyes) things are a little bit spicier.

• I’m looking for something to fill the Widow’s Bay shaped hole in my heart and I think The Boroughs might just be it! I don’t usually like sci-fi, but it has the same weird, funny, small town charm as Widow’s Bay. Just swap the New England setting for a retirement community in the desert and the jump scares become a creepy alien thingy. Alfred Molina! Also, can we talk about Geena Davis’s 20 year old looking arms?? What is her secret?

• As promised, I made this in Sea Ranch and it was outrageously simple and delicious. It was especially good the next morning, warmed up with a fried egg on top. Chickpeas al Limone with Burrata (gift link).

The Seekers of Deer Creek by Thao Thai

What a beautiful book. The Seekers of Deer Creek is about two sisters with a vaguely troubled past, brought together by art and a family mystery. I think it can be hard to write believable sibling relationships, particularly between sisters, but Thao Thai got it completely. The dialogue is exactly right and full of those sisterly barbs that are at once teasing and loving.

Vivi is a Type A art historian, while Calla is an untamed, occasionally reckless artist, recently divorced from her childhood sweetheart and on the other side of her most recent stint in rehab. The two have a falling out after their father's death, and Calla's debut gallery exhibit spectacularly implodes.

I won't give a full synopsis — you can read the description — but we end up following the two sisters on a search for a lost painting that potentially links them to their family's past. Their search takes them to Provence and Việt Nam, and also into the past, as they revisit their childhood in the Wisconsin woods.

It's a bit of a mystery and a family saga alongside the slow unfurling of self-discovery. Women figuring out what they want in life while freeing themselves from the moments in the past that keep one feeling small or stuck. I adored it.

1. Just the kind of shirt — cotton with a little bit of cashmere — Vivi would wear to the museum. Comfortable but smart.

2. Calla undoubtedly loves a red nail and this set with a very good red, plus a protective base coat and glassy top coat is just the thing. I also need this badly!

3. Gap is crushing it right now and this long fringe cardigan looks like something you’d find for hundreds of dollars on The Great. I can see Calla wearing it with a short dark miniskirt or over some slouchy black jeans.

4. This entire sweatsuit (chic!!) for all of the traveling the sisters do.

5. The Seekers of Deer Creek by Thao Thai

6. The sisters take turns wearing a ring with antlers, swapping each time they see each other. This Chan Luu bracelet with the little frog clasp feels equally shareable.

7. In one scene, Vivi kicks off her loafers and this is the pair that I imagine she’s wearing.

8. Chan Luu is one of my favorite designers and, like the sisters in the novel, she happens to be Vietnamese. I could do the entire round up with just her things, but this chiffon wrap skirt and matching top are high on my list.

9. J. Crew has jumped on the ballet sneaker trend and I love them. Necessary for navigating airports and sprawling French estates.

10. Durable, cool pants to wear while restoring art. Would look even better covered in unintentional paint splatters.

A reminder that I am talking to national treasure, Catherine Newman, on August 23rd!!! We’ll sip and nibble and chat and laugh at the famously gorgeous Auberge du Soleil. If you don’t already have a ticket, there are only 10 seats left so I’d suggest you hurry up and grab one. HERE ←

Hope you’re reading something good 💚