052424: Things that made life special this week
The ultimate Cobb Salad, a baseball hat wardrobe, adding character to your home, talking to neighbors, and more
Hello and welcome to Things That Made Life Special This Week, a celebration of the pursuits that add a little something extra to the everyday.
This week has been a blur of work deadlines—just as the weather turned warm in Boston, I have been in front of my laptop screen, typing away to get a number of articles for clients across the finish line.
As you may have noticed, I didn’t get my Wednesday newsletter out this week. I managed to stay on schedule throughout all kinds of crazy circumstances this winter and spring, and ultimately it was work deadlines that took me down. There comes a point sometimes, when you write for a living, that you just don’t have any words left in you. Back next week, I promise!
Making: Cobb Salad
Ahh, Cobb Salad. The salad of post-swimming, post-country-club sports, post-day-in-the-sun. Thanks to all the protein, it satisfies you like a burger or club sandwich would.
The above photo is a variation, but this one by Alison Roman for NYT Cooking is the classic. Definitely embrace the role of bacon fat in this recipe. It makes the chicken flavorful and the dressing rich!
Wearing: Baseball caps
It’s summer, so that means you’ll find me trying to walk the line between being outdoors as much as possible and hiding my face from the sun for the next 3-4 months. Baseball caps are basically part of my morning routine this time of year. Wash face, do skincare and sunscreen, brush hair, ponytail, put on baseball cap. I have somewhat of a baseball cap wardrobe, so I can find one to coordinate with any outfit.
Here are four hats to have in your wardrobe.
The classic: If you own one baseball hat, the preppy, minimalistic Polo Ralph Lauren unisex hat should be it. (I own three, lol.) The small polo pony on a solid color hat is the way to go. It’s an appropriate accessory for any outfit or occasion.
The sports fan: I like to search for a sort of vintage-looking, non-trucker, not-too-loud team logo hat for sports teams I like. I feel like you can get away with a Yankees or Dodgers hat even if you have no connection to the city/team because they’ve become kind of ubiquitous wardrobe staples. Just be aware you might get some comments if you’re wearing your hat in the city of a rival team!
The athletic: Make sure you have at least one in a breathable material that you can wear when you’re breaking a sweat: on the tennis court, golf course, running, sailing, hiking, wherever your adventures may take you this summer. I like to buy these at hotels in the pro shop/gift shop, but I also love the sound of this one from On Running. A bright white cap is surprisingly versatile.
(Optional) The designer: If you’re having an off day and look disheveled, throwing on a cover-all-sins piece of outerwear and a baseball cap with a designer logo can give the impression that you’re more pulled together than you are. I wear my one of my RL caps for this use case, but there are some really cute ones out there in the higher price range. See: Miu Miu, Isabel Marant, Moncler.
Reading: “Seven Simple Ways to Add More Charm and Character to Your Home” by Kate Arends on Wit & Delight
Kate and I are often aligned in our approach to decorating: the space has to be livable for your realistic life, comfortable, personal. I love her embrace of color and always feel joy when seeing photos of her interior.
This article shares approachable tips that you don’t have to have a huge designer budget for, such as displaying your collections and shopping secondhand.
Doing: Neighborhood Stoop Night
Our neighborhood association announced a “Stoop Night” where everyone was invited to come out onto their front stoops in the evening and meet and greet each other. Initially, my husband and I were feeling uncertain how successful this would be, since we’ve lived here for three years and hardly know any neighbors—people don’t exactly mingle much on our block.
But as we learned, it just takes one person with the personality and will to be a connector to change that. And we met her on Stoop Night. We ventured across the street to say hi to a couple in their sixties who moved in within the last year, and the wife quickly unlocked about five different neighbor introductions for us, including another woman who allegedly “knows everyone.”
We had the best night, staying out long past dark chatting and laughing with new friends that span generations. One friend of this new couple brought boxes of sweets from local favorite Tatte Bakery, and was offering cookies to every passerby. Because we live near a lot of restaurants, in a pleasant area to stroll, we have tons of foot traffic up and down the street. So people who don’t even live on the block, or anywhere nearby, stopped for dessert and a chat. Many phone numbers and New England vacation recommendations were exchanged, many life stories told.
That night was such an important lesson in inclusivity and greeting strangers. And sitting outside your house and showing your face! You never know who you’ll meet. And now I have someone to borrow a cup of sugar from, and to share my own surplus of baking with. Neighbors are awesome.
Share your own recommendations in my thread on Substack Chat whenever you think of/experience something that’s making life special.
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Have a great weekend!
xx Jane
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I just love the door stoop night idea! When you have multi-generational neighbors, life is that much more interesting!
The stoop night sounds so lovely and I like your baseball hat types! Thank you!