Happy Friday!
Heading into the true dog days of summer — and as much as I hate wishing time away, I can almost feel the early fall breezes and the background humming of college football if I close my eyes tightly enough.
So what’s going to get me through these last few sweltering weeks? As you’re reading this, I’m on a plane to the North Shore of Chicago to visit my brother and sister-in-law. Turns out the only thing that can bust a hotlanta August is a midwestern late-summer night.
Excited for lake-effect breeze, temperatures not in the 90s, and maybe even some deep dish pizza!
Until our next correspondence,
xx Lauren
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 | Quince Bella Rigid Straight Jeans
The first jeans I’ve put on in a long time and just felt good in! I ended up buying two more colors, and at a $60 price point, you can do the same and not feel guilty about it. Pro tip: size up, as there’s no stretch.
Eating | Garlic & Herb Rotisserie Chicken Pasta
A doctored-up rotisserie is my go-to for a lazy yet healthy-ish dinner. This recipe was as easy as could be: as the pasta drains, heat up freshly chopped herbs, tomatoes, garlic, squeezed lemon, and a jar of your favorite alfredo sauce. Throw in rotisserie chicken and the pasta, and mix it all together. Feeling devious? Top with freshly grated parm.
Reading | Whistler by Ann Patchett
Just cracked open this month’s The Lauren Letter Book Club selection! I have never seen a book with such high ratings on Goodreads (4.4?!) — so I am tucked in.
Watching | Ted Lasso Season 4
This is my absolute number one comfort show — I’ll never forget watching the first season with Carter in the throes of Bar Exam prep — so I’ll be honest, a revisit made me nervous. But I have to say . . . it’s good! I’m so excited to follow along in this chapter with my favorite optimist.
Listening | “Mini Bar” by Gracie Abrams
I cannot get this song out of my head! It is so catchy and fizzy.
Trying | Giving Myself a God Damn Break (or, a Meditation on Being in Your 30s)
I know this section typically features a sexy new restaurant that serves caviar bumps on a ruffle chip or laundry oil that smells like a Tahitian getaway. But, as I sat down to think about what I am really trying this week, this was the honest truth: I am trying to give myself a god damn break.
I am going to be vulnerable: My weight has been fluctuating like a yo-yo this spring and summer, thanks to hormones that have essentially buckled in to the Coney Island Cyclone for a 24-7 joyride. I recently shared that Carter and I have been suffering from recurrent pregnancy loss, and, from both a physical and emotional standpoint, I logically understand that a human cannot be experiencing this and remain their “normal” self.
Nevertheless, it still pricks to put on favorite smocks that least season glided on and this season pucker. I’m seeing sizes in the cart that I am embarrassed by. I look in the mirror and don’t feel like I recognize myself. But, as self-absorbed as I immediately am, I am still conscientious I am not alone. In fact, I am beginning to posit: Is this just what being in your 30s is?
It’s a fucking lot! We are shimmying up the corporate ladder, because we received our degrees and developed frontal lobes in the era of #girlboss, but we also need to bake sourdough bread from scratch (anyone have a connect for good starter?). We need to return to the office, but we also need to go to a reproductive center for blood draws every day (that will be $7 for parking; no they do not validate). We need to scream into the unsettling void at a government that doesn’t care about our bodies, because you can’t be complicit, but also protect your peace and turn off the news – social security checks won’t be around for us anyways. We chide ourselves as we scroll past beautiful, and skinny, and perfect images while our Oura rings tell us “GO TO SLEEP” (*please read in a Bethenny Frankel voice*). But we need some sort of escape from the reality that our parents are ageing and we have so much more responsibility while not wielding any sort of actual executive power at all. Oh and don’t fucking go to chipotle! You wanted to have a salad so maybe you could feel good about how you look? You literally will die. What are you worried about, you are so young? But also, you need to freeze your eggs you geriatric gremlin.
And I’m just exhausted! I’m fucking exhausted!!! I am exhausted of the way I speak to myself; I can be so mean. I am exhausted of squeezing in and trying to button up and sucking all the way in. I am exhausted of feeling I am not good enough
So, I’ve decided to change the narrative: that being in your 30s means, for the first time in a lifetime, trying to give yourself a god damn break.
Champagne | Gucci Jackie 1961
A white whale for me — such a gorgeous, iconic handbag named after the inimitable Jackie Kennedy Onassis.
Frites | Amazon Shoulder Bag
I got this bag last summer to gap-fill my need for a white purse without being ready to pull the trigger on a designer investment. It has held up so well, and reads so much more expensive than it is. I’m now eyeing the wine color for fall!
1. Hunter Bell Jemma Short and Hayes Top in Cotswold Check Rust
2. Heaven Mayhem Prize Earrings
3. Marc Fisher Dark Brown Zala Heel
4. Gap Cotton-Blend Fringe Shawl Cardigan
5. Tuckernuck Chestnut Taffeta Cynthia Bubble Skirt
7. MacKenzie-Childs Mocha Check 2 Quart Tea Kettle
9. Polo Ralph Lauren Corduroy Pleated Shirtdress
10. Tuckernuck Chocolate Faux Suede Button Bitsy Dress
@janie_lately
A friend with the best, brightest taste! Currently splitting her time between New England and Florida, she is a must-follow for the chicest new finds and absolute beautiful visuals from her daily life. She’s also sweet as could be, which doesn’t hurt! :)
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.
