Big Feelings, Book Recs, Jewelry.

but also: helping one reader find Dôen-ish dresses under $100, and another to find her summer bag. FEB 2 A quick housekeeping thing: I have turned on paid subscriptions. Don’t freak out! All content remains free; paid subscriptions are a tip jar? To be transparent, I only did this because it is a big goal to grow here this year and I have heard that Substack’s algorithm favors creators who offer paid subscriptions. Makes sense as that’s how the platform makes money (they take 10%). The option is there but there is no pressure and nothing is paywalled. (What is more meaningful to me than a paid subscription? When you share my posts or tap the little heart icon if you enjoy reading something I’ve written. Or when you leave me a comment. The best!) Thank you for reading Grace’s Substack. This post is public so feel free to share it. Share This week was one of those weeks that likely looked great on the ole’ highlight reel but was actually pretty hard. There is no easy way to write this but there was a death in my family. We had been prepared, known it was coming, but it’s still a loss; hard to process. I just feel really sad. My boyfriend had a rough week as well and we both just felt gloomy. Our schedules have not been synching up very well lately and I sort of just said eff it and booked a short trip to see him, heading there tomorrow. That will be a relief, just to hug him. New York makes me feel a lot, too. There is sadness, there is longing, there is questioning of life choices, nostalgia, old memories, ETC. I miss my friends and the culture and walking out the door and feeling inspired and energized. I miss the restaurants and being able to eat any sort of cuisine I wanted. I miss street style. I miss inexpensive (but still excellent) sushi. I miss spontaneous museum days. I miss feeling semi “hip” and “in the know.” Feeling… cool-adjacent? There is a feeling that I was “young” when I lived in New York, and “old” now that I have moved away. These are all just feelings; they are hard to navigate and harder to articulate. They are also temporary! I love my house in Charleston and have built a really nice life for myself here with some amazing friends. I feel a real sense of community here, which I love. And I love living so close to my parents. I don’t miss my Brooklyn apartment one bit, but I do miss living in the same building as my two best friends. I don’t miss finding Tyrion playing with winged cockroaches (this happened at least once a week), I don’t miss winter, I don’t miss hoofing it to the subway in wellies, wading through ankle deep puddles of muddy slush. New York is hard, it’s expensive, there is always some sort of inconvenient friction in your day, you really appreciate the easy days and little wins in a way that you might take things for granted living somewhere else. I remember the joy I felt when I was finally, at age 28, able to afford to live alone. I also remember being 35 years old, climbing up a ladder every night to get into my lofted bed. I remember the sense of accomplishment when I was able to trade that ladder for a door; moving out of that studio and into a one bedroom. I will never take conveniences like laundry, a dishwasher, and a garbage disposal for granted. I still marvel over the garbage disposal; it feels like magic. (Where does all that stuff even go!?) There are tradeoffs with everything. I felt introspective on the flight home. I wouldn’t change a thing but there’s also the inevitable nostalgia and yearning for my younger years that can creep in at times. I am rambling! I had a slow and gentle day yesterday; my family is coming over tonight for an early dinner. And tomorrow morning I head to LA. I hope you have a great weekend. xx On The Stripe (my blog!) this week. A bit more about my jewelry collection and my most worn pieces. A BIG Valentine’s Day gift guide, with ideas for both him and her. Ten dreamy Palm Springs Vrbo rentals (dying to go back!). Everything I read in January. Hosting a Valentine’s Day party? Here’s a little inspiration from the party I hosted last year. This Week in Reading: Over the weekend I finished reading What Napoleon Could Not Do, by DK Nnuro. This is hard to read at times (but important, and beautifully written), surrounding the Black experience in America and the disappointments suffered by three very different characters. After that, I wanted something light and fun so I read First Lie Wins, by Ashley Elston. This is a fun cat & mouse hunt novel that reads more like action and spies vs. thriller. There are so many favorite thriller tropes. Woman who is not who she says she is, boyfriend who many not be who he says he is either, scary anonymous boss… I could go on. I really enjoyed it. Then I read Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst. The characters, the writing… I couldn’t put this down. It is about a young Black woman working in the publishing industry. When she finds out she is being replaced, her world is upended. Her relationship begins to flounder. She publishes a letter on twitter, detailing the racism she experienced as Black woman in media. When she is met with overwhelming silence (even from her girlfriend), she flees New York for her hometown. I will leave it at that but I loved this book. Now I am reading I am a Fan which I have to be honest I honestly hate (I’m sorry) but I also can’t stop reading? It is dark and it is toxic and it opens with the line, “I stalk a woman on the internet who is sleeping with the same man as I am.” That tells you pretty much all you need to know. Two Reader Questions! (if you have a question for a future newsletter, please email grace@thestripe.com - it helps if you are specific and include budget, your personal style, etc.) Q. I am traveling to Punta Mita at the end of February and am looking for a nice summer/beach bag. Doesn’t need to be huge but something I can bring to the pool/beach (can hold a book, some sunscreen, phone, hat, etc.) hopefully it can be a bag that can then transition into a summer bag once the weather turns in Chicago and if not a go to bag for warm vacations. Would love to stay between $400-$800 definitely under a $1,000. Trying to find something more unique than the classic Prada crochet tote, Anine Bing tote, etc. A. I think I would do something from Dragon Diffusion! I love their bags. Several girlfriends have them and the quality is really good. I have been eyeing this one (love the color and the shape) but for summer I’d do something lighter in color. Personally, this is what I would get if I were you. But I love this one too - cool shape! Also, slightly below your price range and more fun than classic - I LOVE this (slightly) colorful one from Sezane. Q. I would love your help shopping for long, easy dresses to wear this summer. I really love the look of the Doen and Anthro dresses you shared on stories recently, but I'm a stay at home mom of two, so don't want to invest that much in daily wear dresses that will likely end up with food or finger paint stains. Do you have any recs for places to buy similar styles on a budget? Definitely under $100 but preferably under $75. I'm big on neutrals and don't want anything too flashy, but would like some more colorful options as well. Thanks so much! A. Here are some ideas! How about this Quince dress? Extremely cute and a great price. This linen floral maxi is $42 and STUNNING. This $35 Old Navy dress is gorgeous. I am partial to the green but love the black one and the floral one too. Also from Old Navy: this $31 dress isn’t quite as cute (in my opinion) but it would be a good backup, especially running around w/kids. This puff sleeve dress is so cute and $90. I love every color! If you are a size XS, this is a gem from The RealReal. Might be too flashy but I personally love the pattern and details on this one. How fun is this? And last but not least, Quince has a $70 dress that feels a LOT like our beloved Anthropologie Somerset. Thanks for reading Grace’s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Grace’s Substack © 2024 Grace Atwood 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104