Worth Noting Courier 24

The monthly Worth Noting Courier, delivered every first Sunday, is where I gather the things that have delighted, inspired, intrigued, or distracted me throughout the month… from beautiful homes and thoughtful articles to stylish people and brands, internet rabbit holes, and a few personal updates along the way. Enjoy!

Hello, readers, and happy Sunday. I’m back home in my apartment after spending a delightful week at Bethany Beach in Delaware with lots of family. Every year, I look forward to this vacation. A true vacation. One where there’s very little planning, getting dressed, putting on makeup, planning meals, healthy meals. And lots of sunbathing, ocean swims, salty hair, ice cream, boardwalk fries doused in Old Bay and vinegar, reading, napping, laughing. So good.

It was my 37th Bethany week, and it never gets old to me. I love family traditions like this one. The familiar house. The familiar stretch of beach. The comforting sense that, for one week, time has politely agreed to stand still. It always feels like a proper winding down of summer. Although, because we rent the same house during the same week every year, the dates have shifted a bit over time. And while we used to settle in around mid-August, I was shocked and dismayed to realize that our entire week has now shifted entirely into July! GASP. A calendar betrayal I’m still processing. I’ve always returned home from Bethany week with a little pep in my step because I’m ready for fall.

I know... the f word. I said it. But fear not, I won’t dive in just yet. Unfortunately for myself and autumnal lovers everywhere, August has only just begun. And we’ve still got much of September before the season truly changes and the air finally loses its warm, soupy quality. Still, I’m ready, as I always am after our beach week, for a changing of the seasons. For the light to soften, the evenings to arrive a little earlier, and life to begin gathering itself back into some semblance of a routine.

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I’ll stop there! We must save the full splendor of fall for later. For now, I’ll continue embracing the long sunny days, afternoon thunderstorms that roll in like clockwork, linen and cotton, and all the other good summer things.

I’m excited to discover, after staring at my calendar, that August is a full month spent at home with really zero plans. To be honest, I’m kind of thrilled about it. Sometimes we need several uninterrupted weeks simply to potter around our own homes, don’t we? To sleep in our own beds, revisit favorite local shops and restaurants, water the plants (I have none), wander the farmers market, and remember that a perfectly ordinary Saturday can be rather lovely.

While I’m happily planless, I will be doing some research and booking for a weekend trip to Savannah in early September. I’m somewhat tagging along on a cousin’s bachelorette, but I’ve decided to book myself into a really charming bed-and-breakfast and will certainly be antiquing and, if I can manage it, touring a few beautiful homes while I’m there. Something lovely to look forward to. I’m really excited about it and wholeheartedly welcome any recommendations!

I’m also hoping to use the month for a few other creative endeavors. Perhaps taking a small step back from freelance design to chase some other paper dreams of mine. We’ll see. I think I’ve discovered that keeping projects to myself until they’re about 90% of the way to fruition might be best (LOL). I simply get too excited. I want to tell you everything, ask your opinions, gauge your interest, and generally chatter about ideas before they’ve had a proper chance to become real. But I also want to make things happen because I really want them to happen... and in exactly the way I imagine them. Anyhow... more on that later, I suppose.

Speaking of! I’m so, so grateful for all the love you’ve shown my printed zine. It’s been such a delight to see you buying it, sharing it, reading it, using pages for displaying as art or your own journals, using the print as a card for a friend, leaving it open on your desk or bedside table, or honestly, doing whatever you please with it. I love that it’s begun to take on little lives of its own in your homes. It brings me so much joy, truly. I just love creating these small, tangible treasures for you all.

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I’m planning to continue selling the zine through the end of August or until it sells out, whichever comes first. I’m also working out how to make future issues happen on a smaller scale, so I can price them lower while also preserving my sanity. Maybe just 100 copies at a time, so each edition feels especially limited and special to those who purchase.

Something else on the horizon for paid subscribers is an apartment tour. I feel like it’s time for me to share a more intimate look at my home. And I mean just me filming on my phone, chatting to you all as I walk around. No filtering or heavy editing. I’ll show you around, talk about my antiques, chat about what I’d do if I owned the place, chat about projects I want to do during the colder months, give you a behind the scenes of all the imperfections and creaky floors and crooked walls. I think it could be fun!

Okay, let’s dive into some beautiful things I’ve saved over the past month. Extra packed this round.

A Dream Resource for Fashion History Lovers
I stumbled across Diktats recently and immediately lost an embarrassing amount of time browsing. An online resource for rare fashion books, antique fashion plates, vintage magazines, photographs, and beautiful ephemera spanning centuries. Such a niche resource for research and treasure that I’ll be returning to over and over again. If, like me, you could happily spend an afternoon admiring 19th-century fashion illustrations, consider yourself warned.

On Antiques Being the Most Modern Things We Own
I loved this essay. It discusses how many antiques don’t actually feel old at all, but instead, strangely more forward-thinking than much of what we produce today. We’ve become far too content borrowing the aesthetics of the past without embracing the ideas that made them meaningful in the first place. “Old things are neither pretty décor nor nostalgic souvenirs but evidence of the world, and ourselves, at our unoptimised best.” If you love antiques, craftsmanship, or simply need someone to validate your ever-growing collection of old things, this is well worth the read.

Inspired Dressing from The Sound of Music
I lovedddd this playful exercise in treating The Sound of Music as a fashion moodboard by Erika Veurink. It’s everything I needed and more. Sailor collars, tiny jackets, flutter sleeves, curtain dressing, and of course, the Baroness in all her cool, immaculate glory. As a fellow lifelong lover of the film, I was thoroughly charmed and now feel a strong urge to dress like I’m fleeing across the Alps or arriving for cocktails at the von Trapp villa.

A Classic 1930s Brick Colonial
Absolutely swooned over this video home tour of Sarah Meyer’s restored 1936 brick Colonial. Every update feels like it’s always belonged. I was immediately charmed by the house architecture itself and the curb appeal… so good! The backyard scene reminds me of the movie Home Again and the gorgeous patio and family dinners al fresco. Sarah’s instagram has several feel-good scenes from dinners out back… I love it! Also, can’t get enough of the cozy built-in family den.

A 1994 Peek Inside Madonna’s Miami Beach House
I absolutely loved this rewind to the ‘90s. The World of Interiors republished its 1994 tour of Madonna’s Miami beach house, designed by her brother Christopher Ciccone, and it’s fascinating to see both how much has changed and how much still feels timeless. I (of course) love the soft neutrals, seagrass, antiques, ticking stripes, and gloriously unfussy rooms. Peep the big box TV in the bedroom! It feels worlds away from the glittering pop icon we tend to associate with Madonna, and that’s precisely what makes it such a fun read. So nostalgic!

A London Home with the Sweetest Garden Studio
Laura King’s charming retreat and London home is swoonworthy! The interiors have that elusive balance of fresh and timeless, layered with antiques, block prints, chintz, soft color, and thoughtful little details. Her studio, in particular, is everything I want a creative space to be. Cozy, inspiring, and far enough from the house to feel like its own tiny world! If you’ve ever dreamed of a room of your own, Virginia Woolf style, this one is well worth lingering over.

A Fresh Take on Classic American Style
Mark D. Sikes rarely misses, and this Virginia home is no exception. Rather than chasing trends or reinventing the wheel, he leans into what makes a house feel enduring. Meaningful antiques, beautifully layered textiles, hand-painted wallpapers, and rooms that feel collected over time rather than decorated all at once. I especially loved this entry above, the media room, and the dreamy conservatory. It’s a lovely reminder that traditional interiors needn’t feel stuffy.

{PS… I gave in and paid for a Veranda subscription after discovering what felt like a thousand inspiring home tours hidden behind the paywall. So, perhaps this is your sign to surrender as well… because I’m sharing a few very worth noting here!}

Tuckernuck CEO’s Georgetown Home
I have such a soft spot for Georgetown homes, and this one might be one of my favorites in recent memory. Tuckernuck founder Jocelyn Gailliot returned to her childhood home and, alongside the endlessly talented CeCe Barfield Thompson, transformed it into a house that feels deeply rooted in history without becoming precious. Every room tells a different story, yet somehow the whole thing feels effortless. The hand-painted Georgetown mural alone is worth the click, but I also found myself lingering over the trellised dining room and all the wonderfully unexpected pairings of antiques with modern pieces.

Julia Amory’s Southampton Cottage
Julia Amory’s Southampton home also caught my eye. There’s a familiar world here of chintz, wicker, antique furniture, garden greens, pretty table linens, and rooms designed around having people over rather than simply being admired. It feels closely related to the Tuckernuck house above in spirit, with that polished but unprecious mix of fashion, interiors, entertaining, and inherited style. I especially loved the idea that the house is less a decorating project than simply “how we live.” Though, to be fair, most of us do not live among hydrangeas, majolica, and a library wrapped in Colefax and Fowler. A pity, really.

A New-to-Me Brand I’m Already Swooning Over
I discovered Botteghe Oscure through Ali LaBelle’s Substack and immediately fell in love! Everything feels romantic and artisanal, with beautiful natural fabrics, feminine silhouettes, and pieces that look like they’ve been tucked away in an Italian wardrobe for years. Love that they favor craftsmanship, slower production, and objects meant to be kept forever. Suffice it to say, I now have several tabs open.

Talia Perla Jewelry
Another new-to-me discovery I’m very taken with. Talia Perla creates sculptural jewelry in small batches using freshwater pearls, shells, semi-precious stones, sterling silver, and gold. The pieces feel feminine but not overly delicate, with a slightly organic, collected quality that makes them perfect for layering. I also loved learning that the brand began with the founder making beaded necklaces with her Nona(!), which makes the whole thing feel even sweeter if you ask me.

The Lily Collection
Lucia Zolea (who I’ve long admired!) recently dropped a gorgeous collab with Na Nin. Lucia is the best at curating beautiful vintage, so I knew this would be good. Inspired by lily of the valley and a shared love of antique textiles, the collection includes embroidered net lace that looks soft and feminine. The top, shawl, and dress are all timeless pieces I imagine being kept for years then passed along. A truly lovely collaboration.

The Tragic Story of Kate Spade
This was such a fascinating read. It tells the story of how Kate Spade built one of fashion’s most recognizable brands, only to sell the rights to her own name and spend the rest of her life watching strangers design under it. Beyond the business lesson, it’s also a deeply sad reflection on identity, creativity, and what happens when the thing you create no longer belongs to you. Whether or not you agree with every conclusion the writer draws, it’s a compelling look at fashion, branding, and the extraordinary value of a name.

July Books
Slacking on my reading, not gonna lie… But I did manage to finish two books this past week that are worth mentioning. First, Saltwater by Katy Hays… SO GOOD. I’m a big thriller and murder mystery girl and tend to guess the ending too early, but this one genuinely kept me guessing. There’s wealth and greed and inheritance and mystery and family tragedy and Italian summers and Capri!!! So many twists right up until the end. The other is The Author Weekend by Laura Zigman. This was more of a fun murder, if you know what I mean. It was ridiculous. But good! It has all the behind-the-scenes maneuvering of the publishing industry, aging authors, rival authors, a cozy coastal hotel, and plenty of humor.

Comment Below: What’s one beautiful thing worth noting from your month? I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading, watching, collecting, or obsessing over lately.

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