Fall A to Z
A bucket list, kind of
Back in June I wrote a post called “Summer A to Z” during a week when I was supposed to share a mood board, but I was feeling uninspired and needed to mix it up. Sure enough, heading into fall I’m feeling similarly spread thin, albeit for different reasons, so I’m resurrecting it for round 2!
Looking back, summer’s “A to Z” was a bit wistful—slumpy, even—but I’m a certified fall/winter girl through and through!!! It’s when I feel most energized and full of ideas, ready to start projects and pack my schedule with plans. I don’t know why, but I feel like my brain switches on this time of year. Suddenly I’m excited to get dressed again, to cook elaborate meals, and to book back-to-back trips to anywhere the leaves might be changing. I actually love that it gets dark earlier and earlier each day. Me, insufferably, for the foreseeable future:
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So, a real vibe shift ahead with this part bucket-, part things-I’m-excited-about-right-now list, in A to Z format.
A — Alexa Chung for Barbour, again, which is as predictably autumnal as you’d imagine and yet never seems to get old. A lot of it isn’t available for purchase in the US so it looks like those of us stateside will all be fighting for scraps on the secondhand sites.
B — Bread pudding. I was lucky enough to be invited to a dinner hosted by Nancy Silverton at Osteria Mozza this week, and for dessert we were served this incredible bread pudding situation that absolutely rocked my world. It reminded me that I recently found this recipe for Melissa Clark’s Savory Bread Pudding with Artichokes, Cheddar, and Scallions, which I will be making as soon as the weather drops below 80*F in LA. (Global warming is ruining the vibe.)
C — Cardinal red, which I recently discovered looks significantly better on me than a bright orange-y red. This has resolved years of wondering why my lipstick never seems quite right or why I look sort of ill when I wear anything of the tomato variety. Do I need to do one of those color analysis things?
D — Danny’s Mud Shop, which opens its retail store here in LA tomorrow, September 28th. Danny is such an insanely talented ceramicist and I’m so excited to be able to shop his work in person! His ceramics are available online too for you out-of-towners.
E — Eau Thermale Avène, which no one will ever convince me is not the best drugstore beauty brand we’ve got (in the US, at least.) My skin barrier was completely obliterated this summer by the hot, dry weather, and between Eau Thermale Avène’s XeraCalm Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil and Magic Molecule’s hypochlorous acid, I managed to really turn things around.
F — The smell of my neighbor’s fireplace burning at night. <3
G — Gap’s Oversized Boyfriend Sweater. I’ve ordered two so far—navy and cardinal red!—and they’re already some of my most worn sweaters of the season. You have to check Gap’s site every day to see if your size and preferred color is in stock because in true Gap fashion their inventory changes on a dime, but it’s worth the stalk because this is a great, easy sweater at a great, easy price. I wear a medium.
H — Holiday planning. I know, I know, everyone complains that Target’s already got their Christmas stuff out and that the season seems to get earlier every year, but I personally love it. I might not be playing my holiday playlist quite yet, but the moment Halloween is behind us all bets are off.
I — Italian lessons. I am on day 626 of my Duolingo streak and somehow I still don’t speak even a little Italian? But I'm going to keep working at it, if for no other reason than so I can continue to learn phrases like “Our boyfriends only give us trash.”
J — “Jazz in the Background,” my go-to Spotify playlist for doing just about anything.
K — Painter Karyn Lyons, whose work I’ve shared here before because it just gives me that “I’ll see you at the Homecoming game on Friday” feeling.
L — Another Lyons, Jenna Lyons, who has been making these educational TikToks lately about different fabrics and their qualities that are riiiight up my alley. So far she’s done videos on silk, wool, and cashmere. I love her.
M — Maison Louis Marie No. 4, a candle that burns in my home year-round but even more so at this time of year. It’s not an especially unique recommendation—it’s like the Santal 33 of home scents—but it’s my tried and true favorite.
N — New Jersey, as in, The Real Housewives of New Jersey. I’m watching for the first time and it is an upside-down roller coaster of a wild ride. I’m in season 7: Teresa’s back from “camp,” Joe’s about to go “away,” Jacqueline’s losing it, and Melissa is opening a boutique. I love it here. (I’m also watching the current seasons of RHOC and RHOSLC, and RHONY is about to return, so I’ve got a BUSY season ahead.)
O — @oldralphlaurenads on Instagram, my number one source of styling inspiration for the season.
wrote a great piece on vintage RL just yesterday!P — Pasta Girlfriend, because I’ve got some fun stuff up my sleeve this season for the PGFs. (Especially if you’re in New York City… Keep your eyes peeled next week!)
Q — Speaking of NYC, Q is for Quarters, a home store by the founders of In Common With that I will FINALLY be visiting when I’m in town next month. I get a pang of jealousy any time I see someone posting from their Tribeca showroom.
R — ‘Round the Round, Leanne Ford and Grace Mitchell’s new vacation rental property in Round Top, Texas. I’m manifesting a stay at this stunning property with seven of my most antique-loving friends as soon as possible.
S — Stripes, always. I think summer is historically known as stripe season but I’ve been drawn to moodier patterns with darker tones lately, like this wallpaper from Chris Benz.
T — Santa Maria Novella’s Tabacco Toscano cologne, which I took a break from for a bit (in favor of Regime des Fleurs’ Falling Trees, another great sort of smoky, woody scent,) but it’s back in the rotation.
U —Dressing like a UPS driver. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of chocolate brown from head to toe; my go-tos have been the Leset Margo Tee (sorry, I won’t shut up about it,) this &Daughter sweater, and the Donni Pointelle Simple Crop Pants. Even my phone case is brown (as it has been for years.)
V — Vintage breakfast accessories curated by Gohar World. I always love the Gohar Old World collection on their site, and right now it includes antique toast racks, tea strainers, and egg cups that look like they floated right off the Titanic.
W — Wide-calf boots. I’m still looking.
X — I skipped X in the summer edition, so let’s keep the tradition alive.
Y — You’ve Got Mail, the movie (obviously) but also the newsletter by
, a pop culture writer and the author of I’ll Have What She’s Having: How Nora Ephron’s Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy. I especially loved her recent piece “The Unsung Inventors of ‘Meg Ryan Fall’”, which gives us a peek into the costume design process behind some of Meg Ryan’s most iconic characters.Z — I’ve got nothing. But here’s one more of these for the road:
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Croissant, matcha latte, pasta pasta pasta…
x
Ali
In case you missed it:
Our boyfriends only give us trash is an excellent sentence to know in every language.
🇫🇷 French version if anyone is interested: [Nos petits amis ne nous donnent que des ordures.]
Ali!! Thank you so much for including me on this brilliant list. I’m obsessed with your newsletter and your impeccable taste and I am so honored