At Home
"Creative people need time to sit around and do nothing"
Perhaps not the most exciting place to start, but here we are.
I’ve spent the last few weeks at home with my kids while we passed coughs and colds back and forth to each other. ’Tis the season. And while it is never fun to be sick, I did enjoy the slower pace of life that comes with it. Of just being at home with my family, without the morning school rush or the afternoon extracurricular and homework chaos; without the never-ending To Do list of tasks to check off and errands to run before the kids arrive. Instead, that cosy, quiet, slow, rain-outside-movie-afternoon feeling. Staying in pyjamas. Making soup.
And from this comfortable spot, here are my very favourite things of late:
Comfy, but make it chic
Every Sunday, I look forward to reading Becky Malinsky’s newsletter, 5 Things You Should Buy. I enjoy her writing and her approach to personal style and I appreciate the way that her words encourage me to think differently about getting dressed.
This week she wrote about “What To Wear to Entertain at Home” and it filled me with that wonderfully cosy-at-home feeling, which she suggests we can achieve even while hosting guests. Her solution was surprising simple: wear stretchy pants, but make it chic. Wear clothes that, “you can sit on the ground comfortably. Should all the sofas be taken, you want to be able to simply say, ‘Please sit! I’m fine right here!’”. This is the kind of host that I long to be; at ease, wearing great clothes, sitting on the floor if need be, drink in hand. If you like to entertain (or if you find entertaining stressful!), it is well worth the read.
Ginger & tumeric brew
Whenever anyone in my house is sick, I immediately leap into an action of vitamins, warm drinks with honey, soup, lemon water and citrus fruits, and any other witchy home remedies that I’ve collected over the years. Our secret weapon is ginger & tumeric tea:
Buy about 500g of fresh ginger and tumeric. I buy ours from here. Empty the ginger and turmeric into a bowl and cover with water. Let it soak for a bit and then drain and rinse. Juice the ginger and turmeric (no need to peel it). Freeze the juice into small ice cube trays (you’ll have a large quantity of juice, so you’ll need to do this in stages).
Once frozen, pop the cubes into a plastic freezer bag and store. As soon as you feel the tiniest tickle of a sore throat or a sniffle, or the rumblings of a bad stomach, or even a headache (or even a Tuesday), make yourself a cup of tea by pouring boiling water over the frozen cube and add a teaspoon of Manuka honey. Repeat as needed.
The Swans
I recently read Swan Song, a historical novel by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott. It charts the rise and fall of the friendships between renowned American writer, Truman Capote, and his “swans”, the beautiful, wealthy women socialites, who he collected like fine china and eventually betrayed, by publishing all of their secrets in black and white.
While Babe Paley was Truman’s numero uno, he doted on all of his swans: Slim Keith, Lee Radziwill (sister of Jackie O), C. Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness and Marella Agnelli. Truman inserted himself into their lives, becoming the ultimate gay best friend, confidante, companion, partner through life. The story is impeccably researched and presents such a finely drawn portrait of this chapter of literary, social and sartorial history.
I am particularly interested in modern American literature (it was the focus of my Masters thesis, many moons ago), so I could quite possibly read anything from or about this time period and enjoy it, however, this story is one with wide appeal.
These women were the epitome of glamour and wealth, living unimaginably exotic and opulent lives. They were ladies who sent handwritten notes. Many came from humble beginnings to become the gatekeepers of elite American (and European) society; they were international style icons, with impeccable taste in fashion and interiors, and yet, unlike today’s most famous women, they were also something of a mystery, embodying this notion that privacy truly is the last remaining luxury.
Silk scarves for the win
I am a recent convert to silk neck scarves. I bought my first one two winters ago, my second last winter and now I am due for a third. My interest in them stems mostly from my mum who has worn them forever and from Leandra Medine (of Man Repeller fame, now fashion newsletter aficionado).
I like wearing one in lieu of a turtleneck to keep my neck warm, while also adding visual interest to an otherwise neutral and monochromatic outfit. This paisley one from Swedish brand lescarf is at the top of my list, as is this checkerboard one from Bembien (love a check!) and this neutral-with-a-hint-of-lime one from Dutti.
(Fun fact: the tying of silk scarves around the handles of handbags, as seen here, originated with a swan: Babe Paley. She arrived at lunch, removed her neck scarf and somewhat distractedly tied it to her handbag – talk about a style icon).
If you need a lesson on how to tie your silk scarf (as I did), Leandra breaks it down for us so perfectly here.
That’s all from me for now, thank you for taking the time to read my note. Wishing you a happy weekend ahead ~ x.
“Creative people need time to sit around and do nothing”–Austin Kleon
You write beautifully Sacha. Love this x