Vibe Check: February 2025
Your Monthly Mood Board 🧚
WELP. We did it, gang. We made it through all 7,9471283621 days of the longest January ever. I’m not even on time with this post because sometimes you just don’t have the bandwidth, and the days are gone of me pushing myself directly into my own burnout. After a stressful and heavy start to the new year, I couldn't be more excited for a take-two on 2025.
It’s February! A weird and wonderful compact little month. Valentine’s Day brings fuzzy, sparkly pops of pink and red and sugar-fueled sentimentality, whether you love it or roll your eyes at it. (You can probably guess I love it.) Whether it’s heart-shaped cookies, love notes on post-its, or an excuse to wear that fire engine red sweater, it’s a month for leaning into things that make life a little sweeter.
SPEAKING of love, I would be remiss if I didn’t share the wildly exciting publication of a New York Times feature in which I was interviewed about upcycling my mom’s wedding dress! (If you’re not a subscriber, psst, here’s a free link.) The NYT has always been a mecca in my household - as a kid, when I asked my parents why we didn’t go to church, they told me we went to the church of newspapers on Sunday. So, to be featured is exciting, but to be featured side by side with my husband and parents is basically the biggest thrill I can imagine. 🥹
Thank you for the overwhelming outpour of love for this feature. It was a good omen and burst of positive love I needed to kick off the new month in a beautiful way. 💕
With all the love in the air, along with all that big creative Aquarius energy, it’s the perfect time for dreaming up something new or showing love in unexpected ways.
Here’s a roundup of some links, reads, and recs for the month!
Brazilian ceramics artist Sarah Outerio makes the most wonderful Instax frame jewelry and key hooks! I can’t decide which one to get but I’m leaning towards this little mouse one! 🐭
Footage of bicycling flower vendors in Hanoi, Vietnam is my favorite thing. 💐
My favorite recent follows:
I’m obsessing over the dance videos by David Vu and Yasmin Hero. Think Kendrick Lamar meets Wes Anderson in Tokyo. 💃🕺
Girl in Blue Studios, a brand design & creative direction page. She creates fun graphics, design challenges, trend commentary, and more. 📈
Dan Rosen, a comedian and writer for the New Yorker, makes the best videos commenting on the design of celebrity homes, along with other art and design-forward content that is as funny as it is insightful. 🖼️
I’m also just starting to dive into his podcast Middlebrow, a “pseudo-intellectual podcast hosted by two comedians who know nothing about a lot.” 🎧
My friend Amalia sent me this video about the House of Dreams, a London-based museum built in the home of artist Stephen Wright. Its giving interior Salvation Mountain vibes, and it looks like an incredible journey into Wright’s living diary. I want to visit so much! ⛅️
Ok, this is kind of boring, BUT. After 15 years of scrounging around in the dark for my phone charger, I invested the whopping $3.99 and got these little cable clips for my nightstand. Major low-level luxury unlocked. No more cable scrounging, losing cords, or rummaging. 😎
Dying to try this Green Salad With Sour Cream and Onion Dressing recipe from NYT Cooking by Jesse Szewczyk! 🥗
99% Invisible is one of my all-time favorite podcasts, and I finally listened to this fascinating episode about movie title sequences! Fellow Substack friend Jacob Reed produces it, and every movie buff should definitely listen! 🍿
How NEAT are these colorful rings made from old billiard balls?! 🎱
OK… and in the complete and total center of my Venn, the internet figured out which notebook Chappell Roan used for her Grammy speech, and it’s the same brand and model I use! 📒
From The Atlantic: Behind the Brain Rot. I was shocked to learn that Thoreau originated the term in 1854?! 🧠
On Sunday, Beyoncé finally received her first Grammy for Album of the Year, and the hive — me included — rejoiced. It’s perfect timing to share the recent Billboard piece naming her the Greatest Pop Star of the Century, with which I couldn’t agree more. “A performer and creator whose commitment to innovation, evolution, and all-around excellence has made her the bar against which all other pop stars this century have long been measured.” 🐝
In Vogue, 15 Archive Photos of Original Rock Chick Marianne Faithfull 👩🎤
Rick Steves Refuses to Get Cynical About the World from NYT Mag 🌎
And from Substack:
Absolutely loved this post from Journaling Dan: You’re not Going to “Ruin” Your Notebook. An important reminder to avoid perfectionism. 📓
Why People Unfollow Me by Amie McNee articulated so many feelings of mine about the complexities of friendship and making art. ✨️
This line, in particular, struck me: “I am not for everyone. I feel comfortable with this truth. A lot of people don’t want to be harassed by an enthusiastic woman who over gesticulates violently while telling them why they need to create! And that makes a lot of sense to me. I begrudge no one, but I am curious about specifically why people choose to click unfollow.”
In Defense of Horrible Botox by Celeste Davis dives deeply into the historical and systemic factors that fuel women’s insecurities around beauty, showing how deeply entrenched these pressures are in society. She discusses how breaking free from this obsession isn’t easy when pretty privilege and societal norms still demand we conform, but proposes that recognizing the game is the first step toward reclaiming our energy and power. 💉
I would appreciate if someone could please bake me this Blackberry & Sage Chocolate Cake from The Clove Coterie 🍰
LOVE this idea of a “Things I Know About Myself” list from Pay Attention, Be Astonished!
And over on notes, Substacker Kayla Roolaart is posting the most fun series “a color combination I love, a food pairing I’d hate.” Some of my faves: Split Pea & Persimmon, Strawberry Milk + Bell Pepper, and Blueberry + Endive
Wishing you all loads of love in every form! What are you most excited about for February?! ❤️🌹❣️🍒♥️💋
Once you go Leuchtturm, you never go back! Also, I was so happy to see this in my inbox. I very much appreciate your time and energy in crafting these newsletters, even in the face of extremely difficult times. They are such a bright spot in my day! ❤
“They famously were the last wedding that venue allowed because it was so rock ’n’ roll.”
My parents too! But it wasn't because they were so rock 'n roll...It was because my Grandpa was! His buddies drank the whole venue and they never did an all inclusive wedding ever again.