Happy August, and apologies this one is late! I usually send the memo out at the beginning of the month, but I was in New England soaking up summer and visiting family, and I decided to just let it be late rather than rush it. A few of the things below came directly from that trip. Here’s what’s been on my mind, on my table and in my ears this month.
Every Leaf, Every Stem by Pierce Abernathy. I’ve been following Pierce on Instagram forever and I love all of his recipes, so I’m so excited for his first book, which comes out on Tuesday. It’s organized around cooking seasonal produce, with a foreword by Alice Waters, and his whole superpower is making overlooked vegetables feel thrilling. Panzanella with peaches and fried basil in the summer, squash soup with kimchi and nori croutons in the winter. Also, apparently, a lot of dips. Sold.
Cotton knits from babaa. These are my favorite summer sweaters for rainy season here in Mexico. So soft, so breathable, and they just get better with wear. There’s a summer sale happening right now too, which makes it a great time to stock up.
I just got the matcha set of my dreams from OWIU Goods. I’ve been drinking matcha every single day for almost 10 years and somehow I’ve never owned an actual matcha bowl, so I’m ridiculously excited that this is my first one. I went with the Meadows colorway. It feels like a small ceremony upgrade to something I already do daily.
In case you missed it: The Self After. This one is about the identity that disappears when you become a mother, and the one that slowly comes back. I wrote it in early January and had it slated for July all year, and it ended up publishing right after my big announcement, which made it feel even more relevant. It’s about the loss I didn’t see coming. Not the physical changes, but losing my creative self after ten years of my life and my work being the same thing. The response to this one was really something. If you haven’t read it yet, this essay is free for all.
Featured in Part Two of my pregnancy Q+A, all the supplements I’m taking in pregnancy. I get asked about this constantly, so I put together the full list in one place. Everything I’m actually using, nothing I’m not.
And my current pregnancy skincare lineup. I’ve simplified a lot this time around and stuck to things I feel good about using while pregnant. All linked here.
Tony, the A24 Anthony Bourdain biopic. I’ve been hearing mixed things, not so much about the film itself (the reviews are strong) but about the bigger question of whether Anthony would have wanted this at all. It covers one formative summer in Provincetown in the seventies, before the fame and the leather jacket, and it doesn’t try to make him likable. I’m curious about it and conflicted about it in equal measure, which is maybe the most Bourdain response possible.
The Lozi and Gabe pop-up beach tent. This was perfect for our Cape Cod beach days. SPF 50, pops up in seconds, and gave Tedros a shady spot to nap and play. If you’re doing beach days with a little one, this is the thing.
We checked out Great Barrington as a potential place to live and it’s so cute. We really loved it. Walkable, beautiful, that particular Berkshires quality of feeling both remote and completely alive. Bonus that they have an amazing Waldorf school nearby. We’re in the thick of figuring out our next chapter and this one is high on the list. If you live here or have any feedback, would love to hear from you!
Acorn Toy Shop in Great Barrington is the cutest and best toy shop ever. I’ve ordered from them online before, but getting to visit in person while we were in the area was so sweet. If you’re anywhere near the Berkshires, go.
I’ve seen these online for ages and finally found them in person at Acorn: Ostheimer wooden animals. We started a collection for Tedros and the baby on the way. So far we have a giraffe, a tiger, a horse and a squirrel, and I’m on the hunt for an owl because Tedros is OBSESSED with owls. I’m saving them all to give to him for Christmas, since it’s hard to find really nice toys here in Mexico.
This episode of The Nature Of with Willow Defebaugh. Willow sits down with Vivien Sansour, seed keeper and founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, and they talk about what seeds can teach us about memory, resilience and renewal. How seeds carry stories across generations, and why protecting threatened varieties is a way of protecting the knowledge and traditions they hold, especially in times of loss. Vivien reflects on childhoods spent foraging in the hills and the way food connects us to place. It’s about remembering our connection to land, to each other and to the stories that keep shaping us. Beautiful and necessary.
That’s the memo! What are you loving this month? Tell me in the comments. I always find the best stuff from you all.
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