Does Santa Read Substacks?
My mostly reasonable Christmas list (+ some last minute Cyber sales)
Shitters! If culling your inbox over the past week or so has left you feeling haggard, please know that I come in peace!!!!
Whether you’re all shopped out or are scouring the internet for the last of the Cyber deals (since we last spoke, our favorite soft pants went on sale as did a few colors of the most comfortable bralette of all time), as is tradition around here, I’m using today to share my (mostly reasonable) Christmas list. Take it, leave it—the choice is entirely yours! Either way, if you’re shopping for me or (more likely) someone who’d like this newsletter, you’re in the right place.
Personalized Stationery! Stationery can get expensive, but there are some beautiful options via Etsy that won’t break the bank. I found this chic, simple set via The Love List—the single initial makes the pricing considerably more manageable, but you’d never be able to tell!
I wasn’t lying when I said this Leather Passport Cover was one of my favorite options in our Gift Guide! Forte makes gorgeous croc-stamped leather pieces that look like vintage finds!
By now you know I love a good PJ set, and the way I need this one is not healthy. The fact that it’s still under $50 with the added monogram… This will not last on this list because I will probably order it for myself before the day is over (unless you want to do it for me!).
A NYMag print subscription. Print never died in this house (plus some of those psychotic Cut articles are long!). I can’t keep up with which papers we’re beefing with lately (all of them?), but I also would not mind curling up with the Sunday Styles section offline.
I’m a sucker for anything home/entertaining these days, and the latest things to catch my eye are these curved martini glasses and these perfect cheese knives.
This gorgeous velvet jewelry box by Sophie Bille Brahe has also been on my eye for years now. I’ve been using this travel case (now on super sale!) for the past few years, but there’s something special about a full-sized box for all of your treasures. Honorable mention to her insane tennis bracelet which is nowhere near reasonable, but very fun to look at.
I love watercoloring cards for birthdays, the holidays, engagement parties, etc. I’m not particularly good, but simple designs are easy enough, and it’s a nice way to get off your phone and do something with your hands. I’d been using a set that I’m pretty sure came in my school supply from first grade, but I just ordered this one for myself. Do I need 100 paints? Not really, but the set looks pretty compact, and I’m excited about some of these metallics! If you’re shopping for me, I beat you to the punch, but this could be a good (and affordable!) option for someone else on your list!
Vyrao The Sixth, aka the witchiest fragrance on the market, has been hiding at 30% off on Net-a-Porter all week! This is supposed to promote mindfulness, intuition, and ~good vibes~ via herbal ingredients like apple, basil, cypress and patchouli for positivity, juniper, rosemary, peppermint, cedarwood and fir balsam for balance, and angelica, fennel and wormwood for dispersing negativity. I’m not sure how successful it is at all of that, but I do know that it smells fantastic (and doesn’t have a lot of the same not-so-great ingredients most perfumes do). I first tried it at the Goop store (where else?), and have been coveting it ever since.
A re-upped Babbel subscription. I fell off on my French journey this year, but some of it stuck (notable phrases include “combien ca coute?,” “je ne parle pas Francais,” and the very useful “las cacahuetes,” though that is not exactly a phrase). Hoping to add more than three to my arsenal in the new year!
With great pans come great responsibility, which is why I’ve been hesitant to add a cast iron to my collection. But Smithey pieces are stunning, and when the time (or Santa) comes, I’d love to add one to my kitchen. (Speaking of pans, I just ordered this organizer for my cabinets so I don’t have to pull all of them out every time I want to get to my bigger/heavier ones. Not exactly an amazing gift, but perhaps helpful if you have the same issue.)
I have wanted this Rhode Glazing Milk for a year and still have not purchased… calling all secret Santa’s!!! Throw in their Pocket Blush if you’re shooting for a $50ish gift.
Had to get splurge-y on you for a minute—I’m newly obsessed with Marfa Stance and their gorgeous coats. This shearling one in particular is stunning, and it reverses to the perfect anthracite grey (dark enough to not feel out of place during NYC winters, but different from the rest of the pack). Each of the brand’s coats are reversible and modular, and I love how unique they are compared to most everything else out there. They have a popup on the Upper East Side that’s worth stopping by if you’re in NYC and intrigued!
What could be a better little luxury than this Bottega key ring? If you’re a cost per use person, know that this will be in the cents by this time next year.
The Coravin! A truly genius invention for those of us who don’t want to waste a whole bottle of wine when we only want a glass or two. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve wished I had one of these. My parents have had one sitting in their basement for YEARS (Dads in Costco are the world’s easiest marks), but I am making a very convincing case to give it a better home.
Do we think Santa reads Substacks? You do, so give the guy a hand!
Here’s hoping that all of you experienced the thrill of the perfect sale find at some point in this crazy season! And if you’ve been taking advantage of the deals this past week, try to set aside some money for Giving Tuesday tomorrow! A few of the places I come back to year after year include World Central Kitchen, Boys and Girls Clubs in your city, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and The Equal Justice Initiative.