A Love Letter to the Little Things 💫

The seven of us huddled around a table full of spicy margs at one of our favorite pubs in London. It was nearly midnight, and we were passing around rings we had gotten at a little jewelry store around the corner. Not fancy rings, just $10 rings that you could basically get anywhere.

We were blessing them through tear-filled eyes—infusing them with positive thoughts and vibes for every individual that would wear them. It was our last night as RADA students, and we soon would go our separate ways. But now we all had matching rings, tying us together and filled with good energy. We probably looked a bit bonkers to everyone around us, but we made our own magic at the pub that night, and it hardly cost us anything.

As I settle back to life in America after living in London for three months (sigh), I’ve been thinking about all the magic that was made out of seemingly nothing. How we as humans can make meaning out of the simplest of things, and how something as simple as a piece of inexpensive jewelry can be turned into something priceless. 🥹

Now, I say this knowing London is one of the most expensive cities to live in (omg) but my point is we are magic makers. We can infuse anything we like with beauty and significance, so all of a sudden we can be surrounded by things that mean more than what they are. It truly is magic, and it inspires me to be more intentional with everyday essentials. Because why not? You don’t need to live abroad to do this, and you don’t even need to buy anything new, or if you do—it doesn’t have to be expensive.

Today, as I re-kick off my Sunday Substack (good morningggg!) I thought I’d share some everyday objects that are now extra special and infused with magic, in hopes of inspiring you to do the same, especially this summer. This will also include some cutie peeks into life in London (eeee!) and I hope you enjoy! 💫

Ok, so I know I started this post with our matching ring story, but there have been so many other times in my life where jewelry has been made into something special. Engagement and wedding rings obviously, but friendship bracelets with your besties, heirloom jewelry, the necklace you treat yourself to when you receive the promotion, or the crystal bracelet you wear to help open your throat chakra (Just me? Anyone looking to find courage sharing your voice, try wearing blue crystals like turquoise, aquamarine, or blue lace agate hehe).

My husband and I had a ring warming ceremony as part of our wedding—our wedding bands were passed around in a little dish and our guests got to bless them. This is exactly what we did in the pub, and this is something you can do yourself! You can literally infuse any kind of meaning you want into a piece of jewelry. It’s like wearing an intention. I’m in love.

I have not had a Monster energy drink since I think, um, high school. I ended up buying one on a whim to use as a prop for one of our acting assignments (I was Hedda in Hedda Gabler for anyone curious and wowowowow was it fun and wild hahaha) and was completely buzzed the entire day.

Fast forward a few weeks later and we were tasked with putting up a selection of scenes in five days. On paper, this doesn’t seem like much—but it was 90 minutes of theatre, and I played four different characters in four different scenes, where I did most of the talking in two of them. Eeeeek!

Tbh I was completely overwhelmed. It was crazy challenging and the task required working and memorizing the entire weekend. And I mean, the entire weekend. My classmates and I pulled 8+ hour Saturday and Sunday work sessions, and by the end of it, my brain had turned to mush. But on Saturday, one of my friends and I decided the work sesh required a little something extra… in the form of a Monster energy drink. So naturally, we made our way to Tesco and left bopping down the street each carrying matching pink cans of Monster.

Ok, so are Monster energy drinks our usual form of caffeine?

No way.

Will I now forever associate Pipeline Punch Monster with my cutie friend and our insane working weekend in London?

Absolutely.

Performing this selection of scenes was a highlight of my 12 weeks in London. I’ve never worked harder, and was so insanely proud of myself, and my classmates, for pulling it off. And a pink can of Monster will always remind of that accomplishment.

Food memories are the best memories 🥹

Food carries so much meaning. Food has the ability to transport you to a different time and place, all in one bite, and I knew I was creating a food memory the week I ate nothing but chicken laksa soup from Pret A Manger.

I had caught the plague and was so sick.

My throat was on fire, I lost my voice and I’m pretty sure I was feverish the day I cried on the floor because I was so happy to be in London, while simultaneously being so sad I wasn’t feeling good enough to enjoy it. Oop.

I didn’t have the energy to make my sick day meal of choice—just pastina with parm and butter—but I did have the energy to drag myself to Pret to get soup. I had never had chicken laksa soup before (it’s not at Pret in the states!) and it was exactly what I needed at that exact moment. Warm, slightly spicy, and totally delicious. I’ll have to make it myself the next sick day I have at home.

Pret A Manger should actually get a special shout-out because they’re obvi everywhere in London, and even though I swore I’d branch out since Pret is in America too…my classmates and I were at Pret every damn day. Iced lattes, sunshine bowls, and big apple bowls (little cup of goodness here at home!) regularly fueled us. I even joined the subscription, which gave me half off drinks for the month. A dream. Long live Pret!

Let me shout this from the rooftops—if you travel somewhere fun, or experience something special, give the moment a signature scent! Of course, it can also be a signature scent for summer 2026, but wow, scent anchors you in a moment just like food can.

I’m so happy I treated myself to a London fragrance. For my birthday, I made my way to Jo Malone in Covent Garden. I’m a Jo Malone girlie, and obvi needed my London signature scent to come from a British brand—and I’m so happy I ended up with Poppy and Barley.

It’s floral and sweet, but not too sweet and not too floral-y. Its feminine and bright without being saccharine. I totally thought I would end up with a more masculine fragrance, but ya girl likes what she likes, and Poppy and Barley is perfect. I got the small size for traveling, but will buy the full size one as soon as I’m out of the little bottle. Yay!

Also, if you don’t want to splurge on a perfume, even a scent from a body wash can anchor you. I also just bought this Method body wash bc I used it in London and it’s delish.

On my last night in London, I had a cutie sleepover with one of my RADA classmates. She very generously opened her flat to me when I wasn’t able to stay an extra night at my own teeny flat, and to my surprise, she offered me a set of her pjs to wear for the night. Why? Well because she had two sets, and I could wear the pink one and she could wear the green one. Duh!

One of the first things I did when I got home was order myself the same pajamas. They’re from Amazon and not crazy expensive, but they’re so much more than a pj set. They’re the cutie pjs I wore on my last night in London, and my bestie has the same set. How special! How cute! Take this as your sign to get a cute matching set of pjs with your friends! It’s perfect 😭

I hope you enjoyed this cozy Sunday morning read, and I hope this inspires you to infuse a little more magic into your everyday essentials. Or maybe it’s just time for you and your friends to get some matching things. 😂

I’m settling back into a routine here at home (jet lag be damned) and will be back with some more updates on all the things! I’m back home a completely different person, and I’m still figuring out what the means—currently melding London Kristen with at-home Kristen. It’s exciting!

Thank you, as always, for being here. And please let me know how you’re doing, what I’ve missed, how the summer has been!

Sending so much love!

xx, Kristen

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