Studio Sunday (no. 4)

Happy Sunday. We’re currently getting our first big snow of the year and it’s pretty exciting. I’m baking a chicken pot pie and we’re about to watch a family movie with popcorn. I’m grateful for snow days with my kids and all the nostalgia it brings.

In our living room we cleared two bookshelves and are turning them into a dollhouse for Maileg mice dolls. I spent a good part of my day painting “rooms”. I love projects like this that my kids will jump in and help with randomly. I have a soft spot for miniatures and get obsessed with projects like this. I’ll share it as soon as it’s complete.

I want to make more soup recipes this month. Thinking chicken noodle soup, taco soup and creamy sausage and kale soup. We also make pastina as our comfort pasta (garlic, lemon, butter noodles). What is your cold weather go-to?

I think about this often. Trying something new, at any age, is scary. But it can get much worse when you take long breaks from the experience of being a beginner. When I started learning to write fiction I discovered I’d been avoiding things that didn’t come fast to me. It was uncomfortable and sometimes miserable for a while. However, facing the feeling head-on and doing it anyway (scared. weird. alone.) changed me. I kept going and now, on the other side, I’m not so uncomfortable sucking at something new.

If you have something nagging at you, a dream you’ve been keeping on a shelf, this is your sign. Do it scared, weird, alone. It’s worth it.

I finally, reluctantly, put my Christmas tree candles away today. My favorite year-round candles are Lafco Feu De Bois and Salt & Stone’s Saffron & Cedar and Coven’s Cinépoème. I’d love to hear your suggestions.

When I was in high school I always wrote on the sides of my converse and now when I get a new pair I can’t wear them until they have some kind of customization. I set my kids free with a fresh new pair and now I’m the proud owner of shoes that say “Mama is the best” and I will wear them forever.

I got this cookbook for a friend and it’s completely delightful. It’s full of casual, but special, recipes. The photography and design are both gorgeous. I’m also enjoying Something From Nothing, which one of my kids bought for my birthday (I know… how cute, right? They saw me look at it at the bookstore and then went back and bought it with my husband).

I’m a big fan of gender neutral fragrances. The past year I wore Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille a ton, however I was stealing it from my husband and he’s not a fan of twinning with me in that way (or, let’s be honest, any other way). So I’ve been on the hunt for something else. I found the perfect replacement when Keiko recommended this french perfume. I almost never blind buy a full size bottle, but something in me was feeling lucky that day and I’m so glad because it’s my new favorite scent. If you’re curious they have a discovery set to try out.

I’m booking our family travel for the year. We’ve got a spring break trip booked and I’d like to book something for the week after school gets out and a week before school starts, to bookend the summer. We’re planning Paris and Rhode Island (Block Island, specifically). Does anyone have suggestions for the best time to travel to those places. Also, if you’ve traveled to those locations (especially with kids) I’d love to hear your recommendations for where to stay, restaurants and activities.

I think a good snow day activity would be to journal the rest of our travel bucket list (everywhere we want to go before our kids are adults). Join me if that sounds fun!

I’m trying to become a before-bed reader and I started The Correspondent two nights ago. It’s an epistolary novel (all letters) and it was giving “hell yes” after just a few pages. I’m not far in yet but I will say it’s feeling both cozy and unexpected in all the right places. I’m loving it. Next, I want to read Exit Zero.

Is there an art to which books you choose for bedtime reading or should I just go at random?

I think this tiny tarot necklace would make a great gift.

PS. We’ve got new A Beautiful Mess Podcast episodes every week. Listen on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.

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