I gotta say the reason The DM has been away for so long is because Devon has been so kind to let me gallivant around France conveniently forgetting week after week to write or call or email or text y’all. However, this relationship is far from abandoned, though it is now bilingual as I just completed my fourth French class where I learned to say Je préfère l'Europe à l'Amérique. And you know I mean it.
Anyway, I’m in Vienna today and I just told my waiter I needed two minutes, and she brought me two omelets. My French is bad but my English is apparently much, much worse. Let’s do this!
From Meg
Reading: I’m really in Paris to reset and help me think more creatively. My friend (and talented illustrator!) Kimothy recommended The Creative Act and I read it in a single day. I think it’s a good book to remind yourself why you started being creative while also giving you some formal organization to get started on a new project. If you’re flowing, keep going!
Listening to: I love Jess Graves’ Substack The Love List for the amazing fashion but she also makes some pretty bomb playlists. I think her September one is the perfect walk around the city but in a grown-up nostalgic kind of way. Points for a little rain. Points for a baby cappuccino.
Buying: I really should just focus on this section entirely because THE SHOPPING IN PARIS. You know. I know. It’s fine. Here’s a few recs to start…I want to buy a bag from l/uniform but I simply can’t decide. They’re all cute and a really durable canvas and leather. Leaning red trim, blonde canvas. A monogram? Who have I become?
In the interim, I bought these earrings from Boutique Elise Tsikis. Not normally one to stray from my gold tried and true look but I want to wear them with a checkered black and white dress (this isn’t mine, but as an example) and let them be the main event as sometimes earrings should. Finally, this red 100% wool sweater from Loulou Studio because red is the color of the season and natural fibers are the only type of material you should buy one in. You heard it here second, but you can read that point here first.
Wearing: the most comfortable sneakers I’ve ever had!!!! I bought them on a whim a couple of weeks ago when I realized I didn’t want to destroy my gym shoes while walking around Paris. I’ve always heard Camper shoes are comfortable and now I can confirm. I’ve been wearing them with all my fits with an array of socks in every color from Colorful Standard.
Travel hot tip(ping?): Something I like to do when I go to a new place is to find the coolest vintage store I can find and go there— not just for the vintage (which I love)— but also because these stores are usually surrounded by other unique places, and are where the cool kids go in whatever city you’re in. De rein!
Saying: Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard…. Meaning: Leave nothing to chance. Especially true on a sabbatical in Paris. Also true in vintage stores, or waiting in line for the last chocolate croissant.
From Devon
Listening to: Hermanos Gutérriz, all the time, but especially at night, with a light fall breeze rustling through the trees, and perhaps with a little mezcal, too. Also, plus one from me on the Jess Graves’ September playlist Meg linked above. I’ll add this fall playlist to the chat, too.
Leaning in to: tomato girl fall (though, tbh, I was already just having a tomato girl year, so I’m just gonna keep going hard in the paint on whatever Vogue is calling a trend). I’m already a red lip color and red nail kind of gal - so, check check there - but I now also have a sweater, a hat, and splurge-y flats in my virtual shopping bag, so, ya know, stay tuned.
Hoping you’ll come meet me: at this cafe in Spain, or this tented camp in Costa Rica.
Refreshing: my conversation-starting skills by resurfacing the question of ‘Kill, fuck (or, *kiss*, pending the PG level of your audience), marry - rice, pasta, and potatoes?’, and re-learning as many untranslatable words as I can remember or, really, pronounce.
Reading: the comments section. On recipes, on clothing reviews, and always - always - on Cup of Jo. I make my way back to one Cup of Jo comment thread in particular when I'm feeling a little sad or tired or restless about life or whatever - 'what’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever read?’. I strongly suggest (nay, I insist!) that you scroll through it with your cocktail tonight or coffee tomorrow morning; however, if this is just a TLDR situation for you, may I present a few that I particularly loved for no particular reason: