Footnotes

This week: a spiritual detour through the Dordogne, a recipe so good I made it thrice, the best beauty invention since sliced bread, and a word on book clubs (and the critics).

Hello! We officially survived Maycember! The end of the school year has become almost as loaded as the winter holiday season—and this year felt especially busy and bittersweet. We have a kiddo moving on to high school and the emotional roller coaster has been…phew. Watching your child grow into their own person, becoming more independent by the day, is equal parts breathtaking and hearttugging. I’m trying my best to soak it all up amidst the chaos, family in town, and gearing up for summer—which brings me to this week’s Footnotes:

Cool place I visited: The Dordogne region in France. We had a convention in Ghent and another in Paris the following weekend, so Jared and I were looking for somewhere to wander in between. I’d been pulled toward the caves I saw in Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams and we drove 9 hours to Sarlat thinking they were there… spoiler: they are not. The Lascaux caves are—and they did not disappoint. Honestly? Exploring the caves, walking the medieval city of Sarlat, perusing the farmer’s markets, and splunking into Grottes de Lecave caverns felt like a spiritual experience. I also came home with the most extraordinary saffron and two sticks of Parisian butter that may or may not have melted slightly in my suitcase. Worth it.

What I’m listening to I’ve been on an audiobook kick lately, thanks to all our travels. I just finished Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (what took me so long?!) and I am currently in the middle of Yesteryear. I also love Becca Tobin for her groundedness. She is the absolute best and I’ve been loving listening to her LadyGang podcast.

What’s nourishing me: I’m fully obsessed with Alison Roman’s Chicken pot pie recipe from her new cookbook Something from Nothing—thank you, Kelly! I’ve made it three times in the last month and I’m already craving it again. My kids convinced me to order from Doc B’s in Austin the other night and the burger and California kale salad were 10/10. Oh, and when I was working in Paris, I had the most amazing foodie experience at Ciasa Mia. It’s inspired by the Dolomites—one of my favorite places on Earth—and the space itself feels like a cozy dolomiti chalet. Come hungry and ready to fully indulge.

What we’re watching: Okay, I’m officially slow to the uptake on this one, but my 14-year-old just got me into The Walking Dead and…is that pilot wild or what?! Holy moly. Also, Shep—my middle kiddo—has been watching Season 1 of Supernatural with us. Dean Winchester tells Sam they have a “50% chance of dying,” and Shep goes, “If my coworker said that to me, I’d quit on the spot.” Haha. Not bad advice, honestly.

What I’m wearing. Jared, is 6’4” and change. I am, generously, 5’4.”, so I spent a lot of years (too many) in heels or wedges attempting to close the height gap. These days I’ve basically surrendered to flats, but I made an exception and splurged on these Chloe Estra kitten heel sandals and have zero regrets. I got mine in pink, but these brown ones are pretty killer too.

New discovery: This Summer Fridays Lip stain. I mean, why did it take humanity this long to invent a marker for lipstick??! GENIUS.

Current style inspo: Anything Sarah Pidgeon

Something that got me fired up: I came across this article from The Economist that really left me miffed. It dismissed “celebrity” book clubs as “irritating” that “involve a lot of gush—but not a lot of literary criticism.” Um. That’s because it’s a book club not a book review. I started our book club during the pandemic to share my love of reading and to inspire others to pick up a book alongside me. That feels more important than ever when you consider that the number of Americans who read for pleasure has fallen by 40% over the last 20 years, and Gen Z is the first generation in modern history that is scoring lower on standardized academic tests than the one before it. I’d argue the ‘gush’ is the point. Books make us feel things—they build critical thinking, empathy, and intellectual curiosity. In a world where fewer people are picking them up at all, I’ll take enthusiasm over criticism any day.