Edition XVIII

There is a point toward the end of every summer when I seem to develop a series of extremely specific new obsessions. Though who am I kidding, that is really a year-round condition.

Perhaps it’s my brain sensing that the long, loose days are numbered, but like, I just discovered that I want to wear a tiny silver woven basket hanging off my actual woven basket and is it basically too late?

My goal before September comes along and everyone starts talking about schedules and being “back in the swing of things” was to actually read a few of the books on my list. I always go into summer with a stack and then August rolls around and I realize I haven’t picked up a single one.

That said, with my sleepaway child’s return came the fear and reminder of summer’s end, and I urgently plowed my way through The Inner Game of Tennis, Roman Stories, and Villa Coco, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

So, in the spirit of making the most of what’s left: find my end-of-summer obsessions herein.

Skall Studio staged its SS27 runway collection, La Piscine, in the most beautiful lush countryside setting. Obviously the clothes were gorgeous, in a sort of Victorian-prairie way that I deeply appreciate, but what I really noticed were the accessories: tiny vintage silver baskets clipped to belt loops and larger wicker baskets carried by the models.

Apparently they were sourced from Berlin antique and vintage dealer Out of Use Berlin, which naturally sent me straight down a rabbit hole of Etsy, 1stDibs and eBay searches for antique silver baskets of my own.

Do I need a miniature silver basket hanging from my belt loop? No but.... YES.

Collecting will commence... now.

I am nothing if not a ridiculous person who likes ridiculous things. My appreciation for aesthetically pleasing objects extends far beyond my home and clothes and into deeply niche categories: the water bottle that sits on my nightstand, hair clips, random pouches, luggage, and yes, even tech accessories.

Ask my husband how I influenced him after he became jealous of how, dare I say the forbidden word, chic my water bottle looked next to my pillow.

So when I randomly spotted these friendship-bracelet-wrapped wired Apple headphones, I knew immediately that I needed them. I am old school and still use wired headphones because I know with absolute certainty that I would lose an AirPod within approximately 48 hours.

Anyway, I am now a person whose phone is tricked out with both a chain and ridiculously over-the-top, but quite honestly gorgeous, headphones.

So sue me for thinking life is better when we surround ourselves with things that spark joy, even the small, absurd ones.

For starters, where I really want to go is always the place I really can’t go.

And right now that is to see The Odyssey in IMAX 75mm.

Yes, I am a huge dork, and yes, I have tried essentially every method of acquiring tickets short of paying hundreds of dollars for a regular-ass movie theater seat on a resale site, which I find to be completely insane. Please do not judge me if I ultimately do this.

Anyway, if you have any hot tips for getting tickets, I am all ears.

BUT that is not actually what this post is about.

Happy Medium recently shared an Instagram post with a self-guided tour of The Met highlighting all of the Odyssey-related art throughout the museum, from pottery fragments depicting the fall of Troy, to spear tips and helmets, to paintings of Calypso’s island in the European Wing.

So basically my ideal plan is now: see The Odyssey in IMAX 75mm, then go straight to The Met and do the entire self-guided tour.

Who’s in?!

Tennis! Groundbreaking, right?

To be fair, I really have gone all in this summer. I upgraded my tennis outfits, learned the players, started actually following matches, and generally soaked up the whole very specific energy of playing and watching tennis in the summer. We’re going to the US Open for the first time this year and I am VERY excited about it. And about the Honey Deuces.

Turns out I am into sports! Who knew?

Pro tip for my fellow late adopters: during Wimbledon, I had ChatGPT send me a daily recap of everything notable that had happened that day, since there was no universe in which I was going to watch every match. It was the perfect cheat sheet and made following the tournament infinitely more fun.

I also bought Paradise Courts, which took forever to arrive but was well worth the wait. My husband and I immediately sat down and flipped through it together, bookmarking all of the wildly beautiful, exotic courts we hope to someday play on.

So apparently I’m a sports person now. Or at least a person who likes to wear cute sports outfits and play sports in beautiful places....

For dinner downtown at the new restaurant Graciela with my best friend and her husband, I wore my favorite super-wide-leg jeans from TWP. I know people say short people shouldn’t wear huge pants, but I do not care. They make me feel cool and swishy and I love them. I paired them with my favorite Still Here tank, which I have literally lived in all summer. It is probably time to buy another color, but the grey is just so easy.

Then, TWP x 2 with the Dawson jacket, which I bought earlier this summer and have already worn in Maine, Bridgehampton, and around the city approximately a million times. If you have been following along, you know I have a major aversion to any sort of tight denim, which makes finding a jean jacket surprisingly difficult. This one is loose and passes my very important test: you have to be able to button it and still have some room. This is trickier than it sounds, but this jacket is IT.

Accessories were the SLB by Pura Utz that I wrote about a few weeks ago, my favorite Manolo Maysale flats, and a Toteme necklace I bought last year that I always get so many questions about. It’s my only piece of silver jewelry and perfect for jazzing up a white tee and jeans.

More threads next week!

Sarah