Hi! There’s A LOT of sparkly stuff in here today! First up: a new audio segment.
mom talk
Recently I was chatting with a reader who said she didn’t know I was a mom, and I was like ~*record scratch*~ what?! Here’s what I realized about sharing motherhood here, and the two questions people always ask me:
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“There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life.”
– Tara Brach
special guest: marie elliott-hansen
Our guest curator today is Marie Elliott-Hansen, who has the best style and so many sisters (like me!). She’s got a bunch of excellent links for us, including 3 cozy recipes and some dreamy paintings…
Hi Handpicked readers! I’m Marie, an aesthetics-obsessed former style blogger from the midwest living and loving in California. These links are a collection of things I’m currently obsessed with, and I hope you draw a bit of joy from them too.
The perfect tee shirt, $20 from Uniqlo. I love the timelessness of outfits styled around a simple tee, but I’ve always had a hard time finding a tee that felt substantial enough to stand on its own without looking flimsy. This one is boxy, and features a cotton so thick that even the white one isn’t see-through. I love the elbow-length sleeve, too. My husband also has it in several colors.
The paintings of Nikodem Szpunar. The swooping, curvy and unbroken lines scratch an itch in my brain that is hard to describe, but I can’t look away from them!
A brilliant, informative, fun book recommendation: Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee. This book is an exploration of all the ways seeing and cultivating moments of aesthetic joy in our outer lives can be a meaningful path to happiness, rather than the more austere approach that involves seeking an “inner” (read: solitary) peace, and thinking that will make us happy.
As we enter the post-holiday winter slog, three of my all-time favorite chicken recipes to brighten a weeknight: 1) Anchovy Butter Chicken for when you want a whole-roasted herb-y flavor bomb (I double the amount of torn bread/shallots/onions), 2) Poached Chicken for when you want a restorative, soothing hug, and 3) Thai-inspired Chicken Meatball Soup for something saucy, cozy, and bright.
This website from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides maps of where the Northern Lights are predicted to be viewable on the next two nights! As a star-gazing and delusional Angeleno, I check it every single day. Haven’t seen them yet but I bet any of you who live a bit further north will have better luck than me!
Found my new favorite pen, Sharpie Roller 0.5 in black. It’s inky and smooth and feels like a pen Jo March would use if she were here. Hopefully no one in my house will steal it (unlikely).
Loving the new-to-me newsletter Word Daily. I’ve been trying to work ‘aesculapian’ into a casual conversation 😅 (via)
My favorite pair of Madewell skinny jeans finally bit the dust after six years, so I upgraded to this aptly-named pair and my first flare-adjacent jeans since 2009 (nervously). Madewell consistently fits me best, even though my weight/ size has changed so many times over the last ten years. (PS: here’s 2% cash for your purchase)
If you’re pregnant or postpartum: Storq is having a big warehouse sale. This cabana shorts set will be so cute when it warms up. And no one plans ahead like the pregnant, amiright?
The Portrait of Britain 2023 Winners are beautiful pieces, each is so moving. If I had to choose, this photo would be my winner:
I’m going to start asking my kids this question after school.
Listen. Do not leave Trader Joe’s without 1. pretzel bread pudding (pic) and 2. crackling citrus green tea candle (pic). You simply HAVE TO HAVE THESE.
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Dr. Kimmerer teaches that the strawberry is the leader of the berries. Sometimes I think of Eleanor as a strawberry, the leader of my little pack. This delicate sculpture reminds me of her in that way.
Would you, could you with the fish? I would not *could not* with the fish.
practice
Sigh, Sunday’s organ practice did not go great; hoping tonight’s goes a little better. Hymn 172 is getting shelved right now while I work on some simpler ones.
Piano: Easier Piano Hymns II, Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, pg 4; LDS Hymns 192, 195 and 196
Organ: LDS Hymns 116, 117, and 125
“You may not be able to alter reality, but you can alter your attitude towards it, and this, paradoxically, alters reality. Try it and see.”
Our Handpicked reader of the week is Jenny T., who has been here since the beginning! Jenny is a girl mom, photography enthusiast, and fellow BYU alum. We had a great Office Hours chat about shooting film and making photography a regular practice, even if you’re not trying to become a pro. Thanks for the kind notes, links, and years of support, Jenny!
last thing
Most clicked link from last week: the earplugs I’m wearing to the Super Bowl. I tested them out at Sunday’s game and loved them. Highly recommend if you’re sensitive to loud noise like me.
Readers today: 1,384
Grateful for you!!! xo
Not pictured: Taylor Swift (who was not there) or Donna Kelce (who we spotted at the end!)
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every moment with love, grace, and gratitude.
I love that pen. I buy it by the dozen like a reckless luxury grande dame. Also that Uniqlo shirt - any tips on sizing for women?
YESS to the TJ's candle!!