Happy Friday!
This week, I was delighted to watch The Grammy Museum’s Icon Sessions installment starring Taylor Swift, an intimate evening presented by the Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composers Wing, in which she sat down with Recording Academy president Harvey Mason Jr. for a career-spanning conversation before closing with a stripped-down, Eras Tour–style piano mashup. I was left breathless — not only by the performance itself, but by how poetically she distilled two decades of songwriting into something that felt like universally applicable advice.
Two lines in particular left their mark on my heart. The first: her encouragement to be a “yes, and” person in creative work — someone who builds on an idea rather than someone who only knows how to shoot one down without offering anything in its place. The second, her closing thought of the night: “enthusiasm can protect you from anything.” What a gorgeous, generous way to move through the world.
Looking ahead to this weekend, I am getting ready for two of my best friends to marry each other! Carter and I are both standing up in the wedding this weekend — I’ll be a bridesmaid, he’ll be a groomsman — and there is something singularly joyful about watching two people you and your husband each love separately find their way to loving each other. I have a feeling I’ll need extra tissues for the toasts!!!
Until our next correspondence,
xx Lauren
P.S. Happy birthday to my big brother, Nick! I hope you’re spending it doing more fun things than reading emails from me!!!
The Lauren Letter will always be free. But if this space has become something you look forward to—a small ritual in your week, a source of inspiration, a reminder to approach life with more intention—you now have the option to support it.
Wearing | Ruti Non-Iron Refine Oversized Tunic
Such a great cotton poplin. There’s nothing splashy about a white button-down, but this take is just chic and elevated — there’s a je ne sais quoi that some pieces simply have, and this one has it in spades. I wore it yesterday with a simple pair of trousers and got so many compliments! I can’t wait to continue to style throughout fall.
Eating | Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
A brainless recipe that can be repackaged into a dozen different meals throughout the week — tacos, a grain bowl, a salad topper, you name it! Set your oven to 375°F. In a bowl, combine sliced red onion, sliced bell peppers, thinly sliced chicken breast, a glug of olive oil, and a packet of taco seasoning. Toss to coat, then spread everything across a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes, shifting the pan halfway through so everything gets a little color.
Reading | Beth Tomashoff & Nan Philip’s Guide to NYC
One of my favorite NYC follows just published her guide to the Big Apple! Nan Philip has built such a lovely, honest corner of the internet around fashion, beauty, and city life — her Substack, Nan’s Notebook, and her podcast, Noteworthy with Nan, are both regulars in my rotation!
Watching | The Real Housewives of London
Bravo/Hayu’s newest international edition is bloody brilliant! So many interesting personalities with genuinely fascinating backgrounds and plenty of royal-tea! I just hate that it is on a one-year airing delay here in the U.S.!
Listening | Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret
From the brain behind the delectable Q: A Voyage Around the Queen comes Craig Brown’s similarly irreverent, witty, fascinating, and — at times — loosely-based-in-reality portrait of the Queen’s younger sister. If you loved his kaleidoscopic take on Elizabeth II, this earlier release (his first foray into the Windsor family, in fact) is the perfect audiobook companion.
Trying | Perelel Cellular Hydration Powder
I was gifted these a while back and candidly forgot about them until a pantry cleanout unearthed the box! It may be a placebo effect, but especially in the Atlanta heat of late, the extra hydration has made me feel brighter and clearer.
Champagne | Sezane Clyde Coat
An original, effortless French look with an autumnal check.
Frites | Quince Comfort Stretch Mac Coat
My favorite no-frills brand’s take on the checkered trench.
1. AllModern Amelia Crystal Red Wine Glass
3. Cathy Kincaid Memorable Rooms: Artisanal Collaborations
4. Tuckernuck Wine Stripe Rohan Shirt Dress
6. Tuckernuck Winetasting Long Sleeve Pique Holmes Boyfriend Polo
7. Maison Lecomte Flament Bandana Burgundy
8. Tuckernuck Winetasting Cashmere Bodie Boyfriend Crewneck
9. Tuckernuck Winetasting Cotton Mabel Maxi Dress
10. DeMellier London The New York Burgundy
Diva Sharma
A fellow Atlanta-based creator turned friend, Diva is a go-to for fashion and Buckhead living. She’s also remarkably bright, bubbly, and warm in real life, too, which is just the best!
P.S. I promise to always keep The Lauren Letter free as my little exercise of trying to make the world a bit more beautiful. If, in return, you could considering giving this post a “like” or share with a friend, it would just mean the world to me.
