Lisa Sanchez

In Print

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:16:57 -0400

Behind the scenes at Elisabeth Thurston Fraser and Miya Hirabayashi’s bicoastal workshop, a beautiful anthology is bumping its way along the trail from imaginary-dream-book to real-book-on-paper-in-hands. I can think of a few reasons why you might like to reserve your copy right this very minute.

First of all, the cover. You should definitely buy it for the cover, which features a dreamy image by Judy Pak. You are definitely going to want this baby on your coffee table (and probably on your mom’s coffee table too).

Secondly, this print edition is an extension of The Equals Record, a digital window into the stories of women living life, making art, and thinking hard about the world. The anthology includes 30 original essays around the theme of “exploration,” accompanied by illustrations and photography and divided into sections on cartography, uncharted territory, nostalgia, and souvenirs. The essays and art are the work of many wonderfully talented women, including Erin Loechner, Emily Matchar, Erin Boyle, Kathleen Shannon, and many others. Prepare to be inspired.

Finally, if that’s not enough to seal the deal, you will find an essay of my own nestled between those two covers. It’s longer than what you’ll usually find on this blog and will transport you (I hope) over landscapes on screen and underfoot. For now, it’s in the able hands of Elisabeth and Miya, and I’m looking forward to meeting it again on the printed page.

Outside the Lines

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:02:34 -0400

When I took my first workshop with the poet who became my thesis adviser, his first advice to me was to get a bigger notebook. Like, a really big one.

I had a thing for poetry in very short lines and was totally overusing the line break. I really didn’t think my notebook had much to do with it (That’s just how I write. Short lines! It’s my thing!) and couldn’t see the logic in carrying around a giant drawing pad for the purpose of writing poetry.

Still, I tried it. And it changed everything. All of a sudden, the page was so big that I wasn’t seeing the page anymore. I was seeing unbounded possibility.

When Editorially was first announced, my heart leapt. The fact that someone was trying to reinvent writing on screens for screens and was doing it so thoughtfully—well, it just made my heart sing.

I tried it out first in my work with Brian on Uncommon. It took a moment or two to readjust to working in a new way, in a new kind of space, but oh, it was such a clean and beautiful space, so I kept going.

I was such a Pages person for a while and then a Google Docs person. But lately I’ve been writing everything I can Editorially.

The collaborative aspects work really well, and Markdown makes the editing process about a million times easier. But the thing that really sold me? No page breaks.

Have you ever tried writing on an infinite page? Well, let me tell you, it is a wonderful thing. In fact, let’s scrap the idea of “pages” altogether, shall we? It’s so freeing to write and edit a piece as a whole, instead of worrying the whole time about the page count.

It’s as much fun as coloring outside the lines and then just tossing out your coloring book and painting on the walls.

P.S. Speaking of coloring outside the lines and painting on the walls, have you seen what Elle’s working on lately? Amazing.

You could hear a pin drop

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:29:00 -0500

Things have been very quiet around here lately. As in, literally, very quiet. There are two main rooms in our apartment, and there’s a desk in each. From mine, in the bedroom, I can hear my sweetheart typing away at his, in the living room.

The only other sound is the pup, who occasionally rolls over and lets out a big sigh, or trots back and forth between the desks, in hopes of rounding up at least one of us for a walk.

This is how we’ve been spending our afternoons and evenings over the past few weeks, typing and clicking away, noses pressed firmly to the grindstone, except when we meet up at the table for dinner, or sometimes, cheese (thank you, Granpa).

Austin Kleon was so right when he wrote that sometimes you just have to be boring in order to get things done.

In other news, my latest post, “On learning new things,” is up on the Equals Project today. Also, sometimes I wish I were typing away on one of these.

Typewriter via Gallivanting Girls

Music to my ears

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 07:30:13 -0500

When it comes to music, I have to confess that I’m a little like a toddler. I tend to listen to the same handful of songs over and over and over again, until I get tired of them, which sometimes takes months or years.

In fact, a couple of mixed CDs I made when my husband and I first started dating are still in constant rotation in the car. What can I say? When I find something I like, I can’t help but love it to pieces. Sometimes it’s hard to make room for new things when you feel like you’ve already found the best thing ever.

But last weekend, a new album arrived in the mail from my fabulous friend, Rory Michelle, and immediately took up residence as the new soundtrack for my life.

My favorite track is “Funny Little Thing.” It’s playful and sweet, and it sounds like it just dropped into this world from another time.

How about you? How do you discover new music, and what are you listening to lately?

For the love of it

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:28:24 -0500

On Sunday, I started reading David Foster Wallace’s essay collection, Both Flesh and Not, with the 24-Hour Bookclub. I had never read his work before, so I had no idea what to expect. I just downloaded the Kindle book and started right in.

After ploughing my way through a couple of essays about tennis, an assessment of the American literary scene of 1987, and a very philosophical review of a very philosophical book based on another philosophical book, I had to stop and wikipedia the guy. I felt as if I were rummaging around in his attic, catching glimpses of a delightful, albeit disparate, collection of his Most Favorite Things.

I wanted to go back and rename all of the essays. Chapter 1: “My All-Time Favorite Tennis Moment.” Chapter 2: “My Most Favorite and Least Favorite Things About Writers These Days.” Chapter 3: “My Favorite Book of the Year.” You get the idea.

If I could find one thing in common among the various components of the collection, it was that David Foster Wallace loved all of these things. My favorite essays were the tennis essays. I highlighted the heck out of them over on Readmill, if you’d like to see.

Here’s one of my favorite lines:

For reasons that are not well understood, war’s codes are safer for most of us than love’s.

And another gem, also from one of the tennis essays:

Genius is not replicable. Inspiration, though, is contagious, and multiform—and even just to see, close up, power and aggression made vulnerable to beauty is to feel inspired and (in a fleeting, mortal way) reconciled.

Although I don’t know a thing about tennis (and can’t say I’ve ever seen an entire match), I came away from these pieces floating and teary-eyed and practically signed up for tennis lessons.

But after my superficial tennis love wore off, I wondered why these essays worked so well, while the others seemed praiseworthy but less compelling alongside them. In every case, I was relatively ignorant about the subject matter, perhaps even more so for tennis than for the others. And although each essay was rooted in love, it seemed that for tennis, all other concerns and pretentions melted away. What was left was uninhibited passion and masterful storytelling.

I started blogging in earnest one summer after a trip to San Francisco to visit my friend Diana. I had told her I was considering it but had no idea what to write about. All of those “How to Blog” blog posts I’d been reading told me I needed an angle, a common thread, a topic, a niche. But Diana told me, simply, “Just write about things you like. The common thread is you.”

That was all I needed to hit the ground running. And I think, for the most part, I’ve been able to do just that—writing about things I like and enjoying myself thoroughly in the process—here in this lovely space.

Sometimes, though, it’s easy to lose sight of love as the driving force behind writing and sharing that writing. This is especially true when I get caught up in reading blog posts about how to blog (I know! Why do I keep reading those?!? The titles are just so catchy!) and start worrying that I need to write about Very Important Things or keep up with trends or package everything I like into a neat little package of things-that-go-together.

In fact, the things I love do not necessarily match one another, and they are mostly not so new and trendy. The things I love are sometimes a little random and often a little old school. So this is just a little reminder to myself and to you that the focus of this blog, for 2013 and forever after, is to simply share with you my favorite things.

All at once

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 14:39:25 -0500

Our wedding photos arrived just in time to reflect on what a busy, beautiful year 2012 has been. There was engagement and graduation and moving and at last, a very sweet and simple wedding. I can hardly believe all of it took place in the very same year. Do you ever feel like things are happening all at once?

Photos by Rylee Hitchner. Flowers by Joy Thigpen.

After so much transition and excitement, I’m looking forward to cozying up and putting down roots in 2013. My New Year’s Eve plans include a quiet evening with my sweetheart, fancy cheese, chocolate truffles, and Maisie.

Speaking of quiet, have you read Quiet? It’s a quiet book about quiet people, and I can’t recommend it enough. Especially if you consider yourself an introvert, it’ll make your day.

Wishing you a happy new year!

Photos by Rylee Hitchner. Flowers by Joy Thigpen.

Poetry for this time

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 07:30:00 -0500

It’s hard to know what to say in the wake of tragedies, great and small, but I’ve been thankful for the poetry that’s been offered up since Friday. When news streams seem too chatty or sensationalist and expressions of sympathy sometimes fall short, a few gentle lines drift quietly above the noise.

Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand.
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.

—Yeats, “The Stolen Child”

Bring me all of your dreams,
You dreamer,
Bring me all your
Heart melodies
That I may wrap them
In a blue cloud-cloth
Away from the too-rough fingers
Of the world.

—Langston Hughes, via Sturdy for Common Things

Morning arrives in a sleeveless dress
apples tumble all over the earth
my daughter is drawing a picture
how vast is a five-year-old sky
your name has two windows
one opens towards a sun with no clock-hands
the other opens towards your father
who has become a hedgehog in exile
taking with him a few unintelligible characters
and a bright red apple
he has left your painting
how vast is a five-year-old sky

—Bei Dao, “A Picture”

Here’s a little glimpse of the impromptu latke-frying...

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:06:08 -0500

Here’s a little glimpse of the impromptu latke-frying session that happened at our place last night. We used Jess and Eli’s recipe, of course, but we used baby potatoes instead of regular-sized, which worked really well. The little ones were easy to work with, didn’t brown as easily, and seemed to have less moisture in them.

And for background music, The Maccabeats. Obviously. Candlelight is my favorite, but their latest is pretty great too.

P.S. We made the video with Directr, a wonderfully beautiful and simple app (also a product of the aforementioned Eli).

Handmade Holiday

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 07:27:32 -0500

Here are a few of my latest favorite handmade finds for a bit of holiday gift-giving inspiration. In related news, Chanukah begins on Saturday night, and I am just. so. excited. It’s the simplest holiday (twinkly candles, potato pancakes—what more do you really need??), which is probably why it’s my favorite.

Happy weekend :)

For your sweetheart.

Hello, sunshine mug by Oh Leander, $25.

For your awesome sister.

Wooden v42 necklace by Kim Dulaney, $37.

For your crafty best friend.

Calligraphy starter kit by Linea Carta, $35.

For your mom.

French country home botanical sachets by Gardenmis, $50.

Dreamiest invitations ever

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 07:55:34 -0500

You need a little dose of pretty for your Friday morning, don’t you? I thought so. How about these?

For a while, I was convinced that there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to wedding invitations. Then I saw these. They’re Joy Laforme’s creation for Love vs. Design, and they are just so dreamy. Wouldn’t they be perfect for an outdoor soirée?

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Two books to read out loud

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:04:22 -0500

I love a story that speaks, a text I can really hear while I’m reading it. The two books below are just that—the sort of gritty, pulsing, expertly crafted tales that practically sing themselves off the page. Whenever you’re ready for it, they’ll knock the wind out of you and teach you a thing or two about the human condition.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao lingered at the top of my reading list for a while before I finally encountered it as an audio book. Encountered is probably the best way to describe my experience of this story and the unforgettable voices within it. I laughed and cried, usually at the same time, as it poured through my headphones on my way to and from work one summer. It’s just one of those brilliant stories that begs to be read aloud, and if you’re interested in the audio book, it’s beautifully done.

A Visit from the Goon Squad sat on my shelf for months after I received it from a friend. I don’t know a lot about music, so I wasn’t quite sure how to approach it. But it didn’t take long to realize that the musicality of the writing itself would carry me right along. Jennifer Egan dragged me all over the place in this book—from New York to Italy to Florida to California, and in and out of so many characters’ tumultuous lives—and I just had to let her do it. She’s that good.

Slow Tech: A Manifesto

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 08:25:50 -0500

The phrase, “Slow Tech,” has been humming along in the back of my mind for some time now. I’ve even started using it in conversation as if it’s a real thing. This weekend, I finally settled in to wade through some google searches on the topic and then woke up several hours later to find myself many links deep in vaguely relevant and disparate information.

In my search for “Slow Tech,” I came across a few blogs that had not been updated for at least a year. I read a bit about carpentry. I learned a little about design philosophies. But mostly I encountered articles describing the potential pitfalls of fast technology. I found little information about a cohesive movement, intention, or trend that responds substantively to the challenges of living in a fast-paced, hyper-connected, and often very distracting digital world.

Jack Cheng does a wonderful job of describing what the “Slow Web” can be, contrasting it with the “Fast Web,” and explaining why it matters. In the spirit of transforming some of this possibility into a personal practice, I’ve written out a few statements and intentions for what “Slow” means for my own use of the internet and technology in general:

I will seek to create and share quality content, rather than simply massive quantities of content.
It is ok to be quiet.
Slow tech is not anti-tech.
Before acquiring new technology, I will figure out how to responsibly donate, resell, or dispose of my old technology.
I will designate time to disconnect.
I will not confuse aspiration with inspiration.
Slow Tech is an ongoing process, not an information diet.
It is impossible to keep up with everything.
Life is not as linear as all of those feeds and timelines would have me believe.
I will always attend to the living beings in my presence before I attend to my buzzing/blinking/vibrating technology.

How about you? What does Slow Tech mean for you? What would you write in your own Slow Tech Manifesto?

Resources for simple weddings

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:58:28 -0500

Before I launch into simplicity here, I have to admit that prior to our engagement, I could have earned a gold medal in a pinterest wedding pins championship (please tell me that does not exist). I was pinning pretty, sparkly things to wedding pinboards as if my life depended on it. I knew there was deeper significance at stake, but I was easily distracted: “Oh, but the lights! The dresses! The sparkly things!”

I was surprised to find that from the moment our engagement began, all the pretty inspiration I’d been collecting drifted wistfully into the background. Unlike a dream wedding, a real-life wedding is serious business, and I was determined not to let the main event—a lifelong commitment—get buried under too many layers of tulle and color-coordinated bows.

As I quickly discovered, creating a simple and meaningful celebration often involves wading through many layers of traditions, expectations, and assumptions about what a wedding should be. It can be quite a daunting task to unravel the influences of family, friends, culture, religion, and media and discover what’s most important for the two lucky souls seeking to acknowledge a new chapter of their life together.

I found this process really challenging, but there were a few things that saved my sanity: 1) conversations with my sweetheart and my ladies, 2) dessert, and 3) a few fantastic books about weddings. If you (or your mom or your friend or your dog) is getting married anytime in the next ten years, you will certainly need a copy (or two!) of at least one of these gems.

A Practical Wedding by Meg Keene

I already knew about Meg from her fantastic blog, but this book takes no-nonsense wedding planning to a whole new level. Meg’s reassuring voice is like a security blanket, guiding your chaotic, almost-married crazy brain toward what matters and away from what doesn’t. Even if you are a great big celebrity planning a not-so-simple wedding dripping in diamonds, you probably still need this book. Meg will tell you what to freak out about and what not to freak out about. Listen to Meg. She is the voice of wedding planning wisdom. And unlike many other wedding resources, this book is wonderfully inclusive of the many diverse voices of people getting hitched.

The New Jewish Wedding by Anita Diamant

If you’re planning a Jewish (or Jew-ish) wedding, Anita Diamant is your girl. This book has been a classic since its first printing in 1986, and for good reason. Whether you and your partner (and your families) are perfectly aligned or perfectly unaligned in your understanding of Jewish practice, this book offers thoughtful and practical insight into the hows and whys of Jewish weddings. Complete with stories, suggested translations, and even contact information, The New Jewish Wedding is at once helpful, inspiring, and delightful to read. It is clearly written with love and shaped by a gentle awareness of the many shades of Jewish tradition.

One Perfect Day by Rebecca Mead

If you are the least bit concerned about drowning in wedding bills and etiquette rules, or perhaps bewildered by wedding jargon (trousseau? stylist? bustle? vendor?), this book is for you. It is not a guidebook, but rather an unveiling (if you will) of wedding culture and consumerism in America. It’s an insightful and eye-opening examination of everything from “bridezilla” myths to registries, ball gowns to elopements. Mead not only sheds light on the spectacle of weddings but seeks to understand the deeper fears and desires which compel us toward extravagance and complexity. Although I think this book is important, I’d recommend it for early on, rather than in the thick of the wedding planning process, when engaged persons are particularly susceptible to second-guessing their every move.

The Conscious Bride by Sheryl Paul

While this book is not as inclusive as those above (its conception of “Brides” and “Grooms” is rather narrow), I found the author’s attention to the emotional aspect of wedding planning incredibly helpful. Using psychological principles, ancient mythology, and real women’s stories, she argues that we often lack adequate language and rituals to guide us through the transition into marriage and easily displace our complex feelings onto seemingly insignificant aspects of wedding planning. In short, it is much easier to throw a fit over a tablecloth than to mourn the losses and embrace the newness that accompanies such a significant life transition.

Cozying up and staying in

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 11:37:00 -0400

As I write to you today, I am wrapped in a sweater, bewildered that it’s already November and delighted that the whole wedding thing has come and gone. We’ve been practicing saying “husband” and “wife” and admiring our shiny new rings.

I’d love to share a bit more about that lovely occasion once I’ve got some visuals in hand. For now, feel free to hop over to The Equals Record for a brief post-wedding reflection, if you’d like.

I know we’ve got a lot to catch up on, but I thought I’d ease back into things today with a few favorite things I’ve been wanting to share with you.

First: blankets that look like sweaters. Also known as “cable knit throws.” Do these scream cozy or what?

Hand-knit cream cable blanket by Vero Gobet (via Etsy).

Pottery Barn cable-knit throw.

I smiled when I heard this sound portrait of a man who knits on his daily bus ride in Atlanta. It’s completely charming and beautifully told. And if you’ve ever tried knitting in public, you’ll totally empathize.

My friend Diana has a new interview series on her blog, and her first profile is on Jane Chun, a girl who wrote a thesis on the history of blue jeans. It’s a brief and lovely glimpse into the various components of someone else’s world.

Finally, my latest favorite Everygirl article is this beginner’s guide to entertaining. It’s the perfect introduction to staying in.

All the things

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:54:00 -0400

I hope you’ll excuse my spotty appearances here over the past few weeks. Weddings have a tendency to absorb one’s creative energy. And by “creative energy,” I don’t mean the DIY, make-your-own-everything sort of energy, but more of the logistical, where do we need to be when sort of energy and the what does this all mean sort of energy too.

Throughout the process, I think my sweetheart and I have realized that we’re not so used to exercising our multi-tasking, big picture, people managing muscles. We both prefer quiet, detail-oriented tasks, like editing, for example. And most of the time, that’s just peachy, but for the sake of seeing all of our most favorite people in one place at one very special time, we’ve been stretching ourselves a little and doing all the things.

Print by Marc Johns.

The excitement and exhaustion of doing all the things culminated last week in a very important, very non-wedding-related task. On Thursday morning, we woke up very early so I could go to the DMV and take my driver’s test. I was very nervous, but thank goodness, I passed!

When I got home, I slumped into a chair and thought about why I haven’t visited this space much lately. I suppose I haven’t had very much to say, except, “Ouf.”

I guess that’s what happens when you’re trying to do all the things—favorite things, like writing, for example, and not-so-favorite things, like event planning and spatial reasoning (i.e. driving).

Anyways, I was so relieved to check this very big thing off of my very long to-do list (now a much more organized list, thanks to Todoist), so I stopped by the store after work on Friday and brought home all of my favorite things for a late summer, two-person celebratory dinner.

Ice cream
Tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella
Chardonnay

When I came home, I found my sweetheart in the kitchen, baking bread, and Maisie with her head on her paws, having an afternoon snooze. It was the sweetest thing.

Then, over the weekend, I read a brilliant and beautiful book called Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, which found its way to me through Jack. It’s something like a contemporary Gulliver’s Travels, which winds winds its way through brief, imaginative visions of the afterlife.

After all that, I’m ready for another exciting week of doing many things. Sometimes there are periods of less doing and more reflecting, I think, and summer has always felt that way for me. Fall, on the other hand, tends to ramp up a little, with more doing and a little less time for reflecting. Thank goodness for all the seasons, and for all the things that restore us and keep us on our toes.

P.S. I can’t help but recommend Uncommon, a slow web experiment that encompasses so many of the things I love. It’s just beginning. If you decide to sign up for the weekly newsletter, you might just receive a little surprise in your inbox very soon.

Late summer favorites

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:56:00 -0400

Hello, dear readers. I hope you’re staying cool as summer winds down. I’m doing my best, sweating my way through the Southern summer initiation process. Besides basking in A/C, here are a few of the things I love most about late summer.

Simple meals

Some of the best meals I’ve ever had consisted of only three simple things—no cooking required. This works especially well if one of those three things is a really good hunk of cheese and another is a really good hunk of bread. For the third item, I’d suggest some wine or some fruit (see next item) or some really extra super dark chocolate.

Photo by What Katie Ate.

A three-things meal is the perfect way to dine at the end of a very long, very hot summer day. Not that you have to stop at three or anything. Just a suggestion.

Concord grapes

These little lovelies are rounder and grapier than other sorts of grapes, and I just can’t get enough of them.

Photo notecard by Shutter Bear.

They start appearing at farmer’s markets and in produce sections around this time of year and into the Fall. Be warned: they have seeds. Don’t even worry about that. They’re totally worth it.

Pretty Dresses

Of course, pretty dresses are for any time of year, but the sweetest, breeziest kind are perfect for the end of summer. This one’s my latest favorite.

Silk dotty dress, Madewell.

How about you? What are you loving lately?

Latest favorite things

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 18:22:20 -0400

Hello, dear readers. Can you believe it’s August already? It feels like just yesterday that we were road tripping it to our new place and setting up house.

Just wondering, what’s your favorite thing about summer? I’ve been roasting here in Atlanta, so I’ve actually been staying inside a lot. But even from indoors, I love eating summer foods, like homemade cole slaw, and watching summer thunderstorms shake things up outside.

Ferry from Androssan Harbor by Laura Bell.

I’m also having a lot of fun with a couple of sweet pre-wedding gifts that recently arrived on our doorstep. One is a milk frother, which transforms a regular old cup of coffee into a super fancy cappuccino. The other is a blue apron from Etsy. Isn’t it sweet?

Chambray apron by Dear Edna.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

P.S. I have a new post today over at the Equals Record, On baking bread (and losing track of time). Enjoy!

Weekend inspiration (also, an introduction)

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:28:56 -0400

Today I’d love to introduce you to The Equals Record, in case you haven’t stumbled upon it already. Created by Elisabeth Thurston Fraser and Miya Hirabayashi, it’s a beautiful collection of stories, thoughts, and images by women in different places (literally and figuratively). I’ve loved Meg Blocker’s thoughts on dating and reading lists, Roxanne Krystalli’s thoughts on home and away, and Erin Loechner’s letter to her mom. I’ll be writing a weekly column on Fridays, and my first post is up today! I hope you’ll stop by and wander around. You’ll certainly find something to sink into.

Wishing you a Happy Friday.

P.S. Do you have any weekend plans? Here are a few ideas.

I’d love to try these Vanilla Bean Cookies sometime.

Photo by 101 Cookbooks.

Lately, Stephen and I have been gravitating toward documentaries whenever we have a bit of downtime. We’ve loved Atom Smashers, Helvetica, and Mad Hot Ballroom, but our favorite was definitely The Buena Vista Social Club. Do you have any favorite movie recommendations? I’d love to know.

Also, here’s what Lisa Golightly made last weekend.

Handmade clay candle holders. Image by Lisa Golightly.

Recent reads and latest favorites

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 10:36:53 -0400

It’s been a busy week behind this blog, but I’ve felt lucky to absorb some beautiful words in in-between moments. Here are a few of my latest favorite reads from around the web.

Roxanne’s latest reflections on memory, nostalgia, and returning.

Jack’s piece on writing, innovation, and timing.

A breath of summer (and baked haddock) from Jess.

Diana’s reflection on museums.

Today’s Everygirl interview with Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co.

In other news, I’ve got the sweetest new friend keeping me company while I work.

Maisie enjoys long walks, afternoons by the window, and evenings under the bed. Isn’t she the cutest?

P.S. Check back tomorrow for a little surprise!

Taking the heat

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:38:20 -0400

I’ve mentioned before that I was worried about transitioning my respectable Boston wardrobe to a new climate (and culture) in Atlanta. And I have to admit, my lovely collection of wool skirts, black dresses, and long sleeves is not translating very well. Sometimes I peek into my closet and wonder if a Puritan lives here.

If I had my druthers, I’d trade the whole bunch for a slew of lighter fabrics and brighter colors. When the latest JCrew catalog arrived (somehow, JCrew and my college alumni association always seem to be the first to find me at a new address), I practically inhaled it with my eyes, hoping it might brighten things up just by being around.

Perfect shirt in chambray polka dot. No. 2 pencil skirt in double-serge cotton, golden sunflower, Jcrew.

I think if I had a summer uniform, this would be it. Because, of course, pencil skirts are always appropriate—it’s the color and fabric weight that depends on locale. How about you? What do you love to wear in midsummer, wherever you are?