Nestled deep into this week’s regular missive, I mentioned that not only did my pals Nate and Marjory get married, but they also went on an After Marriage Vacation (some people have another word for this, but, I digress).

In the lead up to their departure, Marjory texted…

Reader, I was off the races.

It turns out (surprising absolutely no one), I have a lot of thoughts about packing. What follows are some of my general rules/thoughts/ideas, some products I love, and some products I’m admiring…

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It’s been a real one. Some moments positively pulsing with joy; others, well, not as much. But somehow, as I’m looking over and putting together this patchwork of a month, a pretty sweet cohesion has actually come together…

Here’s Everything In October~~

Illness!

For just a little longer than a year, some parents and faculty members at my kids’ school have been working on and planning a 40th anniversary party for the school, which happened on October 3rd. It was a huge lift, even when you applied the wisdom of “many hands”—but we pulled it off! And just when we were all feeling collective pride at the (successful and beautiful!!) event, I looked over to see Russ, semi-slumped over, lying in the sun. Uh, oh.

We moved over to the school’s ‘wellness room,’ which frankly was the perfect place for us, stocked with a thermometer (101°, by the way), barf bags (filled, by the way), paper towels (used, by the way)… While this seemed like misery at the time, it was a far, far better response to Some Kind of Gastro Bug than James had: three+ weeks of low (really low) temperature, aches, fatigue, and (as yet still unresolved) upset stomach.

While James was out of school for a whole week (and Jesse and my mom were both out of town, ayyyee!), the priorities re-shuffled, as they do, and I was reminded of the essential, the pinch-hitting recipe for chicken soup (or ‘liquid gold’ or ‘Jewish penicillin’) from Leah Koenig’s cookbook. It seems like all cultures have a version of this, but I do find this particular brew to be hearty, effective and, frankly, so simple to make I can’t see why I’d do it any other way.

Cool-Guy Outfit

Illness can’t stop the drip, so we also investigated how to have a “cool look” (his words, not mine) at 11-years-old. I ordered these baggy-ish pants for James and this fleece (ordered a size up, so it’s also pretty baggy) and they have been met with approval. I have to say, he does look pretty cool. Now I think he needs some Sambas, too, right?

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A Couple Nice-To-Haves

For one, I pimped my ride. Rural (or “exurb” I guess) living is all about driving, which is a drawback for some, although I actually do love to zip around. Anyway—this recent post on Innere (a really good cross-over read, but the way, for fans of Treehouse!) inspired me in all kinds of ways. I couldn’t hit ‘Upgrade To Paid’ fast enough. Extra water tank in the car? Yes! Lil’ vaccum, certainly! Fancy chapstick—you had me at fancy! I skipped the car fragrance, because, as many of you know, I have that part dialed… :)

Meanwhile, the fitted sheet to our favorite sheet set from Piglet in Bed ripped (I will not say too much more for fear of casting blame-shame, but I will just say that whether or not you have a regular old Tweezerman or a special Japanese nail clipper… you still need to use it). Anyway, our plaid pattern no longer exists, so I found a complimentary solid color. It’s just so nice to be back in these sheets. Can’t recommend them enough. And clip your toenails!!

Last, I got myself a nice little powder-coated box for holding feminine products, so roving boxes and deflated plastic bags don’t drift all over. It’s from Best Made, too, which makes me happy, using something with such masc undertones (“strongbox”) for this particular job!

I Went To Some Things!

This has been a month of ATTENDANCE, really. A lot going on…

For one, oldest, bestest Louise had an opening at everyone’s favorite optical shop that’s also a gallery. She showed some new work with a new (I think? at least I hadn’t seen her do this) monotype technique. The works are so beautiful and vibrant and her. If you’re in Portland or anywhere near there, head over, it’s up through January.

Across the street hosted the first of three events dedicated to perimenopause at her shop, The Post Supply. She called in Dr. Emily Hill, who ran us through the (terrifying, good god) basics of what’s to come or, frankly, apparently is already happening. There are two more sessions coming up, with Zoom attendance available! Very and especially excited for the next installment, which includes information about nutrition, exercise, and other kinds of lifestyle supports.

FRIENDS GOT MARRIED! Nate and Marjory got married, just them and witnesses in far off Lubec, two weeks prior, then threw a big party for the rest of us to bask in our mutual love and admiration. God—WEDDINGS, guys! So fun. Love to dance; love to love other people and their love. Marjory convinced me to get ~something new~ for the occasion, I ended up going with this layer cake from Batsheva. Marjory’s mom, Jeanne, told me to wear the silver shoes I also wore to Julia’s wedding—and so it was.

Then, I Packed!

The newly betrothed left for something that would be called a honeymoon by basically anyone else, but let’s just say A Vacation After Your Wedding, and called me in for packing help (side note: honored?!). Honestly, of all the little pockets of joy over this month, this may have been the most exuberant. Halfway through helping Marjory, Nate called over “Hey Zinzi, can you help me too?” Turns out: I can pack. And so ~little preview here~ I’m going to dedicate this week’s Click On This to all the packing wisdoms I apparently have and didn’t know were there!

Goodbye, Spooky Season

You know, I tried. I did! And now the end is in sight. Russ is learning the Waltz of the Flowers on piano and, a few days ago, while he was practicing, I thought, “OK, I’m done now; let’s move on!”

Tonight we have the school’s All Hallows pumpkin walk (jack-o-lanterns, carved by the kids, scattered through the woods, where eerie little scenes and vignettes play out); followed by well-earned pizza; finally, actual Halloween tomorrow—and then we’re home free, baby!

How’d your October go, pals? Are you dressing up this weekend—or moving on to sugarplum fairies?

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Years ago, Jesse was having somewhat of an awakening when it came to scent. For one, our friends’ house always smells incredible—markedly so. Later, he went to a Bode store and was transported, scent-wise. Then, he went to a menswear store in Pasadena, was equally transported and (from what it sounds like) a little romanced, as well—and a new pursuit was born.

I wouldn’t say our house smells amazing, we cohabitate with two small(ish) boys and two large(ish) dogs, but we do dabble in maintaining a scent landscape around here.

What follows are some of the things we’ve tried and some of the things we’ve tried and to which we’ve remained true—for the airspace, for clothing, and for one’s personal person.

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What follows is an issue preview for the October print edition, which is winging its way mailbox-ward this week!

If you…

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I’m waiting on a tulip bulb delivery and the motivation to go get seaweed for mulch, but otherwise, the garden’s pretty well put to bed. Meanwhile, I find myself lock-step with all the frantic woodland creatures outside, my neighbors, as I unknowingly, just instinctually have started prepping for Indoor Season.

Mostly what that’s looked like is (1) noticing how cruddy it’s become in here while we were busy outside all the time and (2) watching time-lapsed tidying up videos on social. Would that I had a calm type-a voiceover to narrate as I put stuff away—I think I could really right this ship in one and a half minutes.

I’ve always felt like a big fall clean-up makes more sense than spring cleaning (although, I’ve heard it’s a good idea to clean your house more than twice a year—research still pending).

Here’s what I’m doing to get ready for The Great Indoors.

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It’s a romp! It’s informative! It’ll help you make better choices about what your burn in your home! And it’s coming in the next week.

If you’d like to upgrade to a Paid + Print subscription and get this issue, plus an entire year after that, it’s easy to do… Just click the button below.

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The deadline to get this particular issue of Treehouse in print is Monday, October 19th. So get in while the gettin’s good!

Now, let’s dive in…

Hold onto your hats—we’re continuing to embrace Halloween this year (attempting! really trying!). In case you missed it: First, we decorated.

Now—we’ll get dressed up.

After last week’s post went out, I found myself side-barred with the ultimate person you’d want to sidebar with, , in mutual Halloween lament. Why, I said, are the options always only sexy or scary? How about some other options, if those don’t happen to appeal?!

Then, while flipping around—both literally, in some past issues of the zine, and figuratively, in the brain—I recalled a fun little photo series I put out in the Sept/Oct 2024 print edition. I made a handful of masks and asked friends and relations to wear them in absurdly pedestrian locations.

These, I thought, are neither sexy nor scary. In fact, they’re funny. And a little eerie. But mostly just weird.

So, this week, I’m offering these six masks, plus a light-handed description of how I made each, since this is our DIY vertical after all.

Let’s get going~~

Maeve as the owl

You will need:

Paper plates—a larger and a smaller size
Ribbon or some sort of tie-off for the back
Paint—these are acrylic
Glue of some variety

How I did it:

So simple! Just fold a larger paper plate in half. Secure it flat with the glue-type of your choosing. Hold this part up to your face and generally feel around and use a pencil to X out where the eyes should be. Cut small eye holes (you can always make them larger—but you can’t make them smaller!) Cut two of the smaller plates into a Pac-Man shape (basically, cut a very little, acute triangle out of the circle), then secure that into a wide-ish cone with glue. Cut off the tip of the cone, then attach these around the original eyeholes. You may need to consult a mirror to get this all just-so and aligned with your actual eyes.

Then it’s simple—just use a hole punch on the very sides to attach ribbon for tying it on. Paint it to look like an owl you prefer.

Jesse as the fox

You wil need:

Felt in a variety of colors
Fabric glue
Scissors
Ribbon or a tie-off of some variety

How I did it:

This one is pretty self explanatory—I looked at a picture of a fox, figured out all the shapes and colors I’d need, then glued it all together! It’s truly a miracle the ears stay up.

Marcy as the mountain

You will need:

Paper, shredded into 2-inch wide strips
Elmer’s glue + water (or the papier maché mixture of your preference—I am not a purist here!)
Chicken wire
Paint!
Ribbon or some tie-off of your choice

How I did it:

Take a fairly large piece of chicken wire (~3’ x 4’) and start crinkling it into a mountain shape. In fact, the more folds and valleys and hills, the better. Mix up your paper maché goop and start covering the wire-mountain with the paper strips dipped in goop. Once it’s dry, paint it however you like! For the ribbon/tie-off, just tie one end of the ribbon directly to the chicken wire.

Nate as the tree

You will need:

Large-ish box
Box cutter and/ror sharp scissors
Glue of your preference
Paint!

How I did it:

Take the box and score it every few inches. Cut one (top) end into smaller tabs and push them around to encourage them to splay out. Connect the two sides together and glue shut. Depending on how well you scored it to start, you may have to hold it closed for a few minutes while the glue sets. Hold the tube over your head and let it rest on your shoulders. Make a few marks on either side of each shoulder, then remove the tube and cut out notches for your shoulders to rest. Put the tube back on and do your best to locate and mark off where your eyeholes should go; then remove and cut those, too. Finally, decorate your tree! Add branches and leaves, paint the trunk.

Allison as the monster

You will need:

Paper grocery bag
Foam balls
Paint
Fun bits and bobs

How I did it:

Cut the foam balls in half, then paint them to look like eyeballs. Hold the bag over your head, find and mark off holes for your eyes (these will be the monster’s nostrils!); then cut the holes. I didn’t do this, but the costume could benefit from notches for the shoulder, like the tree. Then set about decorating it! Paint it, glue fun stuff on it. I made the mouth with some leftover felt from the fox.

The chickens were surprisingly neutral about the mask.

Ty as the celestial body

You will need:

Cardboard
Ribbon or tie-off
Paint
Other fun bits and bobs
Glue
(Wetsuit)

How I did it:

Potentially the simplest one for the biggest payoff here? Cut a big circle of cardboard. Find where they eyeholes should be and cut those out too. Add on your ribbon to the back—I just secured it with hot glue (although I knew the thing would get thrashed in the water, so you may want to investigate better longer-term adhesion options). Then decorate it as you wish! I painted the crescent, added puff-balls and plastic gems with the glue gun. The eyebrows were cut from craft felt and also glued on.

Buds, I think we’re finally figuring this whole Halloween thing out!

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

It was Back to School 2026, and rife with illness.

I‘m writing this to you, for instance, from the floor of my living room, while my eldest son and I watch the Simpsons Movie (the best of times). We just got back from having his blood drawn for a mystery illness he can’t quite seem to kick (the worst of times).

Meanwhile, a few weeks ago, and only a few days before leaving for a bachelorette weekend, I sat in a meeting where everyone else present seemed to be in various stages of a cold. I messaged a friend asking for advice—listing what I was doing to prevent infection—and she said, Uh zinc? But, I think you’ve got it?

What I came to find out is that, after all, I’ve developed a pretty good illness defense arsenal. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do but sleep well and let your body do its thing, but sometimes it seems you can nudge it along a little. (And, because this isn’t medical advice in the least, I’ll also say—the placebo effect is real and, bonus, all of the below gives you something to do while you panic about whether or not you’re about to be sick.1)

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But, when he was a littler guy, and he asked if we could decorate—my cold heart melted and I said, Of course. We got a little plastic skeleton to hang from the front door, named Mr. Bones ever since, and an outdoor light that shines flitting and flying purple bats against the house. And so began my nearly decade-long quest to embrace this truly confounding holiday enough to add orange, purple, and black decor here and there.

For whatever reason, this time, year eleven of parenthood, I’m kind of into it. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I get it, but even I see: It’s fun. And there is something so sweet about their interest in decorating for these things. Especially James, on the cusp of adolescence, still wanting to do this feels special in it’s obvious fleetingness. So, I’m leaning a little further in.

What follows is a wee edit of some Halloween-ish decorations and do-dads, some of which I did, in fact, Add To Cart—and others I left behind. Because, after all, I really am still learning.

Giant Woven Rattan Snake Set: I can’t stop thinking about this rattan snake. It’s so extra and incredible and Tim Burton-y. I want it so much.

Bat Garland!: I have this very garland hanging in our house right now. I feel like this is a good, subtle way to ease into Halloween decor. Have had and used for a bunch of years now.

Mountain Weavers Halloween Placemats: Vermont Country Store is ON TOP OF Halloween (we see you, Peanuts collab) and these chunky cotton placemats seem like just the thing.

Tru-Tone Lights in “Candy Corn": These just arrived! It’s been wicked windy, so waiting to put them up, but very excited for it.

Poppy Pod Candlesticks: I’ll be perfectly honest: At first I thought these were pomegranates and I was thinking ~Persephone~ about them. They turn out to be poppy pods, but are still striking the right amount of beautiful and spooky.

Snake Pillow: JA always has the good slinky snake-themed decor and this time around is no different.

Wool Felted Witch’s Hat: I always roll up to our school’s All Hallows Pumpkin Walk dressed as myself and it only occurs to me as I alight the driveway how totally lame it is! This year, I’m learning my lesson and getting this wool witch’s hat, which I think I can use again and again, too.

Antique Bird Cage: If you are looking to go maximal in scary decor and have the budget to match: behold. Absolutely terrifying.

Frankenstein Mugs: These are so bonkers and bizarre that when I first came across them I laughed, out loud and alone (!!), then texted them to my friend. I love them.

Beeswax Tapers in Ink: I just swapped out the candles in our house with black ones and, wow, I have to say, it’s instantly Halloween in here.

Mushroom Candy Bucket: Before beginning this quest, I had no idea there’s an entire section of shopping devoted to bizarro, paper maché candy buckets. Now I know!

Googly Eyes!! : I learned this trick from my friend Elizabeth, who animates the inanimates around the house with googly eyes. It’s funny to see which ones really come alive.

Rattan Jug: A nice-looking vessel to arrange some dried flowers (and something you won’t immediately put away on November 1st). It’s giving Wicker Man.

Toile Halloween Runner: I like how subtle this is, especially as a runner.

Celestial Moon Garland: “Halloween” decor is in the eye of the beholder. It’s not all spiders and snakes! How about a few moons?

Schijngelaten: An ongoing project by two Antwerp-based artists, these paper maché masks can serve a dual purpose and also you can just leave them up because, you know, it’s art.

Owl Bookends: Sure, they can hold up books, but walk with me: A fireplace mantle, festooned with dried marigolds and pimply little gourds, plus these bookends. As figures, less for literally holding up books. Right?

Flocked Morel Mushroom: King of all things over-the-top and eerie, I should have just linked this entire post to John Derian. But here’s a glittery, flocked morel mushroom as a stand in.

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For those who are new here (which is quite a few!! welcome!!), every month I get a little more personal with this monthly recap. Despite the fact that it tends to be highly rewarding, starts lots of conversations and points of connection, and is by far the breeziest type of post to write, I tend to have a hard time sharing with the class online—so this gives me a nice little structure to do all those things.

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Let’s get into it!

Bulk Shopping & Taking It Slow

I have been positively lapping up ’s newsletters about shopping the bulk aisle. The first post is all about the reasons why (and the how’s of arriving there at all) and the second post goes into microscopic detail in terms of cost and how each item gets used at home. There are two things here: One, I love this type of content. Truly, the more boring the detail—how much was paid in tax, for instance—the more onboard I am.

Two, it’s just so inspiring on several levels. There’s the cost benefit and the refusal to fall prey to the seductive powers of packaging and novelty ingredients, which I love. But there’s also a slow-down element for me. I tend to race into our local co-op, grab the things I need and then race out again. Often that means I’ll pick up bagged rice, rather than taking the time to fill from the bulk aisle.

I’ve spoken at length about my stepdad’s passing, but I don’t think I’ve mentioned the thing that I said I was going to take with me after he left. He was methodical, thoughtful and—at times painfully!!—slow-going. (If we’re continuing with our slight shadow of astrology here, a Taurus, naturally.) When he passed, I thought OK, the biggest lesson he’s given me is: don’t rush, take it slow, there is time. Maybe it’s a little trite, but thinking about the bulk aisle reminds me of that promise I’d make to myself back at the end of 2024 and is inspiring me to recommit to it.

Apples! And pears! And Pressing Them

Unlike The Great Wood Stove Reckoning of 2023-24, a stunning success by the way, my post about various apple presses last year did not yield an ultimate purchase. But! We managed to get one anyway because this year, just a few weeks ago, a friend decided to unload his and we bought it off of him! (!!!!!!!!!!!!)

It’s still taking some getting used to (and needs a little repair to its ratcheting functionality), but we’ve been happily pressing away and figuring it out. The previous owners of our house put in two apple trees which put out a lot of fruit AND three pear trees, which have just started to bear. I mentioned in my last monthly missive that the pears were weird and misshapen—a tree person my aunt knows said it was insect damage from early in the season and perfect for pressing, since the bugs were gone and the fruit is too small to make a real snack anyway. Pear juice, coming soon!

Astounding Acts of Friendship

It was Jesse’s birthday on the 18th and it also coincided with the once-per-week dinner service at our friends Marcy and Marjory’s cafe, so he asked if they could include some of his favorites on the menu. My jaw dropped when I found out they’d agreed to dish out CPK-inspired barbecue chicken pizza, Houston’s-y artichoke dip, and cheesecake. My heart burst when I saw the shoutout at the top of the menu. Friendship! Pizza! It’s all we really need.

Soccer game on Islesboro

My eldest’s soccer team plays a middle school team on a nearby island, so we cut out early from our workdays and took the ferry to watch him play. Not too much to add here, except that I truly wonder when the novelty and magic of Maine living will wear off… It’s year seven (?).

Cuppa New Kids

One of the most major things of September was, of course, my house tour and the flow of new readers that have come along with it. I’m really excited to have you all here and can’t wait to rip it up and chat with you all. (Say hi below?) Thanks for being here and thanks to , and for putting it together. 🤍

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Subscriptions for this particular edition close Friday 9/25!

The September zine features a project wherein you’ll make a clay lampshade. But, it’s also an experiment about zine cadence, testing a theory that I’ve had.

Essentially, if I split the year into thirds—four guest editors, four interviews, (only! just!) four DIYs—each of those has the potential to be much, much better (for you), given the way vaster attention they’d each be able to receive. From me.

But! Those who have been here a while, will note—haven’t you been doing this for the past year and already bent our ears about it?

It’s true! But this was the first production period I’ve had where I thought, wow this was actually a good (even crucial) idea.

Reason being: figuring out how to make this lampshade wasn’t easy. And so, as a result of all my trials and errors (and errors and errors and errors), I was able to put together a sequence of instructions that builds on my many mistakes and gives you, reader, a fully fleshed out, fully evolved, fully useable package.

And, whereas I would only dedicate a spread or two (at most!) to projects in the earlier days, dedicating the whole zine to a single project means that now I can offer something I truly think you can and hope you will pick up and make yourself. Which is really exciting.

Plus—it’s really so very cute.

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All you’ll need—in addition to a paid + print subscription—is air dry clay, a rolling pin, a ruler would help, and a lampshade frame, ideally excavated from a tattered, old one. Paint or lacquer of your choosing, too.

For this, I was inspired by a whole group of really special ceramic lamps coming out these days—a few of my favorites will come in this week’s Click On This, on Sunday. After seeing so many I loved, I just wondered, Can I make that? It’s not as perfect and wonderful as the pros, and my best is always going to err on the side of wabi-sabi, but I happen to think the homemade one is pretty delightful.

And! I had a thought: If you start in now, you could definitely churn out a few of these before the holidays. Thrift yourself a couples bases for these to attach to and that’s a pretty spectacular gift.

As ever—if you end up making one, please send me an email. You can hit respond to this one. I would love to see it.

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Good price on a Ny chair in Austin! (LINK)

Sort of stunning free piano in Beverly, MA. (LINK)

Um, oh my god?(LINK)

Backyard observatory (!) in Portland, OR. (LINK)

🤍

I’ve touched on the mild panic this induced. It’s one thing to put a few heavily cropped images up on social media; yet another to invite the over to take photos. I’d worked with Greta in the past, during the Knit Wit era, and knew her commitment to journalistic integrity. While I admire and support this type of integrity, I was not necessarily looking to apply it to my personal home. 🙃

We jzuzged; we finished a few projects. Mostly, we got through about 5% of the full list of what I thought needed to happen before our photo date and, eventually, had to succumb to one friend’s advice: That people would like to (even prefer to) see it just how it is. So that is what they got!

And it turned out so, so well. I’ve been really impressed by the CoJ team—not hurried; just looking to get it all right. The editor even said, “I want to make it so good for them,” referring to the readers. Most of the publications I have worked for, I’m pretty sure never even thought about what the readers might like. Such a breath of fresh air.

Anyway—the full tour and all my random musings and ramblings live here.

But, even in the digital realm, there’s finite space (time?) and so, there were inevitably some things that didn’t show up on the tour. Some little moments in the house that I happen to love. So I thought I’d share them with you today—here we go!

One little corner of the guest room. This room is not exactly stunning, but it is exactly where everyone is always trying to spend the night. There’s a special alchemy that happened in here between the DTC mattress, IKEA bed, and, frankly, very cozy linens. In fact, now that we’re back in school and kicking of cold season, it means we’re also kicking off the “I’m not feeling great, I’ll sleep in the guest room” season—one of the best times of the year.

Also! Worth noting and loving are the side tables, made by furniture designer and long-time-ago zine participant, Gregory Beson!

Off the living room/den zone, there’s a smaller flex room. It probably should’ve been an office and maybe someday it will be. When we moved in and the boys were littler (and we were previously used to single story living), a playroom with all the toys on the first floor seemed like a good idea.

My favorite part of this room are these toy cabinets I put together. I got these classic IKEA cabinets, painted them India Yellow by Farrow & Ball, lined the inside with a fun wrapping paper of zillions of eyeballs, and added Block Shop snail knobs.

My mom refers to our downstairs half-bath as “the best room in the house” and I have to agree. She was casting off this desk, which had always been wherever we were living (we moved a lot)—and I couldn’t bear to see it gone. So I brought it home and tried it in various spots. Can you believe how crazy-well/perfectly it fits in this particular corner?

Meanwhile, we amass a lot of stuff from out in nature. I don’t have the stamina to keep up with a curated nature table for the seasons, but whenever this gets too grody and dusty, I’ll sweep things off, dust the table, and make some editorial decisions.

This mudroom was a major project that my stepdad and I completed about a year before he passed. It was a really special time together (I wrote a little about it here) and, you know, the mudroom is cute now, too. The demo on it was pretty extensive. There were all these cubbies and closets that created a bottleneck (not what anyone needs at 7:45a when we are panicked, trying to get out the door). We ripped it all up, added the v-match and peg rail. Caulked and painted. (One of my favorite Nimmy phrases that he picked up on a job somewhere was: ‘Caulk and paint; make ‘er what she ain’t!’)

Finally! We recently swapped in this new front door, completing the thought.

This one is more personal, potentially less universal. I got this clear table for my first solo apartment (Echo Park, 2008—check the history books!), inspired by something I’d seen in Domino magazine and, overall, feeling very cool and very adult about it. It’s woven its way into every home of mine since then and something about its omnipresence (despite, you know, being clear) feels cozy. The photo above is of the mantle my family’s ancient cottage, taken by friend Laure. The micro-hamper I got and put relatively close to the front door because, for whatever reason, soggy socks seem to accumulate there.

The hardware and hookup for the outdoor shower was already installed when we bought the house, but I was hoping for just a little modesty, so we built the enclosure. Yes, despite the fact that there are no visible neighbors.

Jesse recently dialed in this little grill nook, with a workbench he found at an architectural salvage (truly, it doesn’t take much to elevate the grill nook!). Add to that that the clematis is IN BLOOM at the moment—it’s one of my new favorite corners to gaze at.

I’m lucky enough that there are no utilities and a somewhat scary staircase up to the third floor, rendering it not-entirely-or-broadly-useful… Therefore, it gets to be my studio—where I get to write to all of you. I think of it as part studio, part laboratory because as many of you know, and all you new people will come to find out, I am almost always up to something.

Glad all of you new, old, and in-between are here!

(lol, she’s serious 👋)

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The September print edition of Treehouse is receiving her finishing touches (💅) and subscriptions are still open to get a copy. This month is a DIY installment—I’ll give you step-by-step instructions for making your own clay lampshade. These are so cute and pretty easy once you get it down—if you start now, you could probably churn a bunch out for the holidays (too soon?).

Upgrade your subscription to ‘Paid + Print’ by clicking below::

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SO CUTE quilt in PA. (LINK)

Synagogue turned art studio for sale in NYC. (LINK)

Pretty damn good for $100 in Chicago! (LINK)

Maybe, this winter, you’re inventing your own personal artist’s retreat? (LINK)

🤍

And it’s written by me, Zinzi; me, who has been a writer and editor for almost two decades, who has worked for big glossy magazines in refrigerated high rises, for smaller indie titles (one of which I founded and edited) with no AC at all, created printed matter for brands—plus a brief-ish (not that brief) foray into indie rock in the meantime.

In addition to Treehouse’s digital offerings, every single month I send the print edition to “paid + print” subscribers because, as if this wasn’t already obvious, I love print—and I just think it’s better. More about subscription tiers and pricing here.

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Anyway, I thought I’d dig a little deeper on all of the above here, given the newcomers. Onward!

This past weekend, some friends came to pick up their son from our house, post-sleepover, and ended up lingering for a while. We drank lots of coffee and got really revved up on opinions, several of which had to do with media, mostly streamable. Julie had an idea: a streaming platform, perhaps, where you get four channels, chosen and themed to your liking, which just play various programs, in a row, ongoing. Back to broadcast, essentially; back to limited choices.

A lot of these daydreams are coming up right now as, I think, we forge through the dilemma of too much content, too often, too culturally bifurcated (and too dominated by hateful CEO bros). We are downright wistful for the simplicity we imagine the 90s must have held (yet, how could we really know? we were kids). And yes, meanwhile, this week’s AI headlines are at a minimum haunting. I can’t think of anyone, at least in my circles, who isn’t thinking, Something has got to give.

OK, you may be thinking, this is all really convenient for someone like me to say, me who never fully gave up on print in the first place. And who has been relentlessly slinging printed matter since 8 years old (ilysm MacWrite II newsletter template!!).

The fact is, I wish I had a better, more prescient, more timely, more apocalypse-relevant reason for loving print. (Mostly, it’s an unnamed compulsion!) That said, I do, actually, think we could be onto something here.

I remember bringing a particular editorial shoot into my favorite professor and advisor in college, a pal, who I saw pretty eye-to-eye with normally, but who looked at me bewildered and said—you really believe in magazines, don’t you?

Surprised as I was by his surprise, he was right! I do—I really believe in magazines. (A helpful reminder when I stood at the proverbial fork in the road—one leading to academia and one leading to Condé Nast!) And this is why: I believe we can make elevated, thoughtful, meaningful work (uh, content) that potential millions could literally pick up, literally sit down with, and use their own precious time enjoying, even learning from. And, if I’m being totally honest, I think the only way to do it right is on paper.1

And so, while Treehouse itself has a vague aim (building meaning in our lived environment, I’m sorry what?), I actually think it’s pretty closely related to Julie’s streamer idea. We’ve got stuff to do! It’s not that we don’t want the entertainment, it’s that we, at least some of us, don’t want it to be the dominant flavor of living. More of a dressing-on-the-side scenario.

Because—more and more it feels like the way we entertain ourselves takes away from our lives and what we hope to build, whereas, when it’s working correctly, our media could be adding value in. In other words, less consumption—or rather, meaningful, additive consumption—should only help in our goal towards living with creativity; perhaps, in a perfect, editorial dream, it even aids you in that type of personal world-building.

All of the above, which somehow turned mini-manifesto, I had intended as an introduction to the “real” “article” about how I produce the zine (risograph printed cover + digital four-color process innards, hand-stapled by yours truly2). Maybe we’ll do it another time! Maybe we won’t.

And even though I especially love when things are on paper, I’m curious: have you come across a piece of media recently—a story, a meme, a book (!), an article, a Reel, a fortune cookie, truly whatever—that had an additive effect? If you have one, drop it in the comments because we all know there’s value and meaning out there for those who are looking.

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P.S. I’m really glad you’re here, whether in print or digitally, and I promise to always try to be additive in both scenarios.

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I’d consider life as a van mom for this one in Seattle. (LINK)

Near complete vintage Dansk flatware set in Santa Fe! (LINK)

If anyone else besides me is still thinking about Lizzie’s patio table piece… (LINK)

Cute lil lamp in Austin. (LINK)

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Sometimes it’s a bit of a relief, sometimes it elicits grief. But whatever it is: September is when a lot of our produce is feeling PEAK and that means, it’s time to put it up for later.

Several years ago, I turned to my friend, a person who’s really dedicated her career to preserving things, to ask her for some ideas. These ideas (recipes, really) ran in the August/September 2023 ::print edition:: of Treehouse—and I’m re-publishing them here now, for the rest of you!

Jessica Koslow and the team at Save Summer

When you don’t want to let go, you hold on. To wit: We asked the preservationist at SQIRL for some ideas and recipes for saving the season.

Piccalilli
(by Jessica Koslow and the SQIRL Team)

INGREDIENTS

1843g/64oz Chopped Mix of Vegetables: Carrots, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Green Beans
905 g Distilled White Vinegar
307.5g Sugar
10.5 g Yellow Mustard Seeds
31.5 g Mustard Powder
1.5 T Turmeric Powder
2% Weight of Veggies of Salt

DAY 1

+ Cut veggies, around the same size. 1/2”coins are nice.
+ Mix with salt, then transfer to 1 gallon jar.
+ Pour filtered water over the top, close lid and place in fridge overnight. This step keeps things crispy.

DAY 2

+ Drain water, but keep veggies in jar.
+ Heat and stir vinegar, sugar, mustards, and turmeric until sugar dissolves.
+ Pour over veggies and let cool.
+ Once cooled, transfer to fridge and there you have it!

Enjoy until your next batch, which will be soon.

Peach Jam
(by Jessica Koslow)

YOU WILL NEED

Peaches
Sugar
Lemon Juice

+ Save your lemon rinds!
+ Long spatula
+ 7qt Jam Pan or Dutch Oven
+ Skimmer
+ Cheese Cloth
+ Thermometer

YOU WILL DO

JAM-MATH | MATH-JAM
Grams of sugar = weight of pitted, peeled peaches x .50 (50%)
Grams of lemon juice = weight of pitted, peeled peaches x .04 (4%)

PLATE TEST
When jam is ready, it will pass the plate test.
+ Put plate in freezer.
+ When you think jam is ready, put a dollop on frozen plate and return to freezer for 1 minute.
+ When you take the plate back out, run your finger through the middle. Jam that is ready to can will stay separated and not run back together.

PROCESS

+ Prepare a large ice bath and set aside. Score peaches with a sharp knife, starting at the pointed end and scoring an X all the way up through the center, not cutting too deeply. Boil for 30 seconds, then use skimmer to transfer to ice bath for 15 seconds. Remove skins and discard.
+ Cut peaches in half. Remove pits and interior stones. Weigh to determine sugar and lemon juice amount (see JAM-MATH).
+ Put peach halves in a large bowl andsmash with your hands.

DAY 1

+ Combine peaches, sugar and lemon juice in pot and boil at high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, place into a heat proof container, and let cool. Store in fridge, covered, overnight.

DAY 2

+ Place contents back in pot on high heat. Add lemon rinds, tied in cheesecloth, with any flavorings you desire.
+ Cook down peaches about 15 minutes, until soft. You can use a potato masher or spatula to smash down large pieces, though I like to maintain the fruit’s texture.Skim any scum that rises to the top. Dip skimmer in a bowl of water and shake off excess between skims to keep it clean.
+ The jam is finished when it’s thickened and the temperature reaches 211°F (99°C), just over 25 minutes. Always test temperature from the bottom of pan first.
+ When jam is a few degrees from temperature, remove from heat and perform plate test. If the jam does not pass the plate test, cook for a minute more and with a new cold plate, try again!

To Sqirl away your jam, please follow USDA Guide For Home Canning easily found online.

Pomegranate Water Kefir
(by Jessica Koslow)

BASE

+ 3oz Live Water Kefir Grains,i n a cheese cloth
+ 64oz High mineral, dechlorinated water
+ 3.5oz Organic Cane Sugar

ADDITIONS

+ 5oz Seasonal Fruit Juice
+ 3oz Lemon Juice
+ Any other additions (ginger juice, spices, herbs, rose petals)

PROCESS

DAY 1

+ Combine sugar and water into a glass gallon jug. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add some “feedings” as well - a pinch of salt, a date or dried fruit, if the grains seem to be hungry.
+ Add live water kefir grains and let sit overnight, 12-24 hours.

DAY 2

+ Remove bag of grains, repeat Day 1 in a second glass jug. Transfer to fridge, until you’re ready to make a second batch.
+ I urge you to start by using pre-juiced juices, as they have been clarified. You may find, for example, a great organic pomegranate or cherry juice off the shelf that is ready to transcend its current self. You’ll also want to taste to make sure it is delicious prior to starting the second round of fermentation.
+ Combine liquid from yesterday with fruit juice, lemon juice, and any additions. Stir.

DAY 3

+ 24 hours later, pour into swing top bottles that can be ‘burped.’
+ Place on counter and de-gas every 8 hours until it starts to build carbonation.
+ Then test until you’re satisfied with the fizz.
+ Chill and serve.

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Here’s what happened over here this month:::

(Previously: July; June; May)

I Explored Ranch Dust Territory

Huh?

I picked up a can of this (presumably Shaker-made?) Ranch Dip Mix. You’re meant to add sour cream and mayonnaise to swirl up what is supposedly some top notch ranch dressing.

As you can probably discern, I have yet to actually do this. Instead, I’ve been using it to make incredible slaw. It’s not technically creamy (although there’s buttermilk powder in there), but it definitely adds that certain quality without gunking the whole operation up with actual, full-hydration dairy. (You can also discern, from this, which Slaw Team I’m a member of!) Just add it to a simple oil/lemon combo and be amazed! Also, please add mustard seeds.

I Am Growing Deformed Pears

There are three pear trees at my house and they are fruiting for the second year (!!). However, they’re all dimply and belly-button-y. Backyard Orchard Reddit couldn’t seem to agree (lol) on what’s going on here, but I thought, perhaps, my intrepid readers might. You know everything (?)! What’s happening to these pears?

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I Decamped To The Coast

Admittedly, I do live down the block from the coast. However, I (and Jesse and kids and mom) decamped to a different part of the coast, where our family’s ancient cottage/camp teeters on shingled granite ledge. We were there for just over two weeks and here’s what happened…

There Were Whales (!)

We all got whale fever and feverishly watched the water for weeks, seeing little poofs of blowhole exhales and a breech or two. It was fun. Whales are cool.

We Found A Message In A Bottle

WE REALLY DID.

It was sent by a teen two peninsulas over, a couple weeks prior. They included their phone number and said to text because “this could be destiny!” I’m not sure it was destiny, but it was pretty fun.

On Your Radar: Witches Brew

My eldest is always cooking up some sort of business idea and during this trip, he invented Witches Brew—a soda syrup (flavored simple syrup, essentially) to make “healthy” sodas [sic]. The first flavor is orange. Keep a lookout for further business development and drops.

NB: What’s fun about the name he chose is that there was one summer where everyone got sick and Louise cured us all with her “witches brew,” which I think was essentially just very well-steeped rose hips.

Monopoly vs. Uno

Personalities were on full display while playing Monopoly (me and James: ruthless and manipulative; mom: horrified; Russ: exasperated) and Uno (all: Joyful! Aw shucks-y!).

Why is it that I will refuse to play games in real life, but put me in a creaky old beach cabin and I’ll gladly get really weird about Park Place?

I Stretched Out

The bed where I sleep at said creaky cabin had a double bed and after years of kicking and elbowing each other, we finally got a queen, from Roseland. This isn’t really big news, but I thought people would appreciate this part—on the interior, where the bed is stamped with the company name, it’s also signed and dated by the woodworker who made it. Truly. 🥹

I Was (Somewhat) Bite Free

Last year, I bought this mosquito coil holder and these mosquito coil incense, but I never quite got them working (a word to the wise: you have to separate the coils from each other or they don’t light….). Well! I figured that big stumper out and lo! They actually do work. You can’t go far from where the smoke is, but if you want to light this up and put it at the center of a table you’re sitting around, success is heading your way. If you stray from the incense smoke, you will be brutalized by mosquitos; I don’t make the rules.

I Separated My Coreopsis

I returned home to newly planted coreopsis (tickseed) that was so dried up it was black and looked like it had been lit on fire. I also returned home to fall-minded flower catalogues, which were willing to sell me new ones. So—I went to their website and nearly added to cart before I saw advice that established coreopsis could and should be dug up, separated, and replanted after three years, in the late summer/early fall. Right now!

I had several plants on their third year and so, reeling after my success propagating geraniums, I gave it a go. If it takes, next year’s perennial bed will be a veritable cloud of slithering, lithe dark green leaves, and sweet yellow flowers. (This is my variety, fwiw.)

Tis The Season

For temporary (external) housemates.

And that, I suppose, was August.

Weird.

I’m ready and not ready for September and all the Virgoid order she brings. What about you?

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It’s a list of summer things—to do, to eat, to think about—to make the most of this season while it’s waning, but still decidedly here. It’s structured like a scavenger hunt, for added fun (and to avoid aforementioned weird and cryptic mention of bucket list).

In honor and support of this newest issue, I thought I’d do a special ode-to-summer installment of The Source—loosier and goosier and decidedly more sans graphic elements than usual. Just a list of great things that have been useful or just boosted the mood this summer.

And if you’d like to subscribe to the ::print:: edition of Treehouse, which comes every (!) month, to your own personal mailbox, you can do so very easily by clicking below and upgrading to a “founding membership” a.k.a. “paid + print.”

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And now—a bit of a list.

(Primarily for laziness reasons, I usually don’t do a lot of affiliate links, but there are some sprinkled throughout here. It may earn me a commission, if you choose to buy anything, but it doesn’t affect your end price and it definitely doesn’t affect my choices here. Thanks!)

Something Like A Uniform

I like clothes well enough, but I do find the problem of getting dressed, well, kind of a problem. People love the idea of a uniform and, as someone who spent 10 years in one, I can attest to their simplicity! Putting some things on that you know feel good and hopefully look alright is a good feeling.

Here’s what’s in rotation over here and is working (I think).

Linen Perfect T, Sold Out NYC | I wore this shirt too many days in a row to admit because once it was a part of me, it was hard to stop.

Kamakura “Vintage Ivy” Oxford Shirt | This is the perfect shirt. No silly darts (it’s men's), just the right weight, all the classic details. Easily worn open, closed, tucked, or un-!

Leset Kyoto Pants | When I am not in my beloved vintage cut-off 550s, there is almost nowhere I’d rather be than in a pair of these drawstring pants. I’m now on my second pair!!

Reformation Rio + Joy Swimsuits | I traipsed all over the JCrew swim section, knowing they’d at least attempted to reboot some of the classics. Anyway no success. Meanwhile, Reformation seems to have done the resurrecting on their behalf. Really great—and sustainable, deadstock?—swimsuits that harken back to the suit I had as a 90s tween.

For the inevitable schlep

I really dislike having a purse or a bag on my person, but in the summer there are just so many things to bring along with you. I find myself needing bags—usually pretty large—for various things. Markets! Beaches! Outings! Travel??

Alex Mill Perfect Weekend Tote | I think these bags have become something of a thing since I got the one I use… at least 5 years ago? It’s for good reason, though. It snaps up to be compact and structured, unsnaps to be floppy and adaptable. And apparently you can get it monogrammed now, which is fun and wasn’t the case back then!

High Tide Tarp Bag | THIS IS A VERY USEFUL BAG. Put your dank bathing suit and towel in there apres-swim! Did you pick some flowers? Put them in there! Do you have something that could splash while you’re driving? This will help. Right now I have my car collection of bug sprays and sunscreens in there because I know from previous years that when those misfire, it’s a horrible new problem to have to workshop in your upholstery. Also a big fan of the LL Bean game bags.

Big Night x Parker Thatch Mesh Bag | I’ve been carrying this bag everywhere this summer! I wish I had a more thoughtful and scientific explanation. It just comes in handy, fits whatever, and for one reason or another I just keep reaching for it.

Essential Goops

Freaks of Nature Sunscreen | I am fully and thoroughly on this bandwagon. That is all.

Sunkissed SPF 50 Stick | Also on the bandwagon (if there is one?) for this stick-based sunscreen I got at Merci in February, which has become an essential pack-along and makes the dreaded reapply that much simpler and likely to happen.

Manicurist Active Glow | I hadn’t painted my nails since, I think, moving to Maine 6 years ago UNTIL I came across this line. I love the idea of a sort of gummy-transparent nail that somehow, allegedly, infuses health in the process. Is it working? Absolutely no idea! But, it’s been a fun summer ritual to have some sweet nails.

Thanks for reading!! See you next week!

z

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And this is where we find ourselves, this second week of August.

Yet, luckily, this newsletter has been CHURNING for three years now—and there is a healthy archive of things for you, reader, who I imagine currently deep in repose, to enjoy. Plus, happily, there are a lot of new faces around here these days, so much of this hasn’t fully been worked over too, too much.

So here—here are a whole bunch of posts from the Treehouse archives you may enjoy! Don’t forget to reapply!

The Source

Deep Dives, Reveries & Miscellany

We’re Making

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During that time, we hosted a trip with Thread Caravan (still going! Still incredible! Book at trip! LYSM Caitlin!!) to Guatemala. The premise of Thread Caravan is essentially to meet two needs at once: Eager American fiber enthusiasts get access to tradition, techniques, communities, and co-ops (and fun friendship) in a way they couldn’t otherwise; artisans in these countries seamlessly keep fiber traditions alive while gaining access to money they otherwise wouldn’t. I could go on (should I go on?), but it was an unforgettable, fascinating, exciting trip and I recommend checking out Thread Caravan’s other offerings.

MEANWHILE, Guatemala is one of these countries that is plagued by blessed with street dogs. Anyone who knows me knows I can’t resist canine friendship and so, unfortunately, after maybe just being too much of a friend to one particularly fun pup—I was stricken (!) by a classic “American white lady goes to Central America” illness.

There’s always a silver lining: For one, I was immediately given the only single room, with en-suite. Excellent. And for two, after my fever broke, the housekeeper put a limey-salty-bubbly drink next to me. A reviver, unmatched.

As we in Maine creep into 90 degrees today (which also creeps us all out with dread and anxiety in the process), the salve, again, is probably this drink, which I want to call Guatemalan Gatorade, but is really called cimarrona.

I actually wrote about and published the recipe for cimarrona in the August 2025 print issue of Treehouse. The Guatemalan version of this drink is somewhat under reported. There’s another drink of the same name popular in Nicaragua and northern Brazil, but prepared with Yerba Mate. The etymology is hazy, but interesting: cimarrona is a decidedly Latin American word, a combination of Spanish cima for mountain peak, mixed with African and indigenous influences. It’s colloquially known to mean ‘mountain goat,’ which was used as a slur against enslaved people in Guatemala—squaring up with the country’s long civil war history and social divide between those who lived (hid, escaped) up in the mountains and those, you know, that didn’t. Before I left for Guatemala, my pal Janelle gave me the book I Rigoberta, Menchú—written by the activist and Nobel Prize Laureate—which is an informative, but also impassioned and compelling, account of the Guatemalan war and their insanely long, wildly fascinating struggle for independence.

Little did I know, swirling with dog-friendship induced fever and sickness, that I was handed a drink with so much social and cultural significance. But, in my limited experience there, that’s Guatemala.

If you need reviving—mix one of these up. If you’re just plain hot—do the same.

Cimarrona For One

• Juice of four limes

• Hearty pinch of salt

• Sparkling mineral water

Dissolve salt into lime juice as best you can. Fill glass with ice. Then fill with sparkling mineral water. Lime slices, too, because that’s fun!

** You can add simple syrup if it’s too tangy and salty for you—but my understanding is the above is the real deal.

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July has been stuffed to the gills, cooked over a raging fire, topped with a puckering, piquant, caper-heavy green sauce, and followed by ice cream and s’mores. It’s maximal; it’s absolutely too much in the best way possible. It’s HIGH SUMMER and I am saying yes to it all.

Here’s Everything In July~~

(previously: June; May)

The Odyssey

Wait! Don’t stop reading!

I know, I know “I saw The Odyssey”—we get it, so did quite literally everyone else. But, I would be disingenuous if I started a recap of this month with anything else, really. Here’s a fun fact: I love The Odyssey (the poem). I read it my sophomore year of high school and have read it over1 a dozen times and in 8 translations since then. I wrote about it for my honors thesis in college. In my head, I keep hearing the echo of my stepdad: Odysseus?! Not him again!

Was the movie an accurate retelling? No! Were there things that irked me? Totally! But, I can’t describe the feeling of seeing your favorite story, a story you know so, so well, thoughtfully and lovingly and epically splayed out—WRIT LARGE—before you. It was overwhelming and it felt great. And if you are wondering, yes I did go to the first local showing, by myself, and sat smack in the middle.

For the record and because I have been asked this several times so far: My favorite translation is still the Fagles, that first reading from sophomore year. Modern language without being distractingly contemporary, it allows you to easily sink into the narrative, while maintaining the text’s beauty and poetry, to boot.

I Got Camera-Ready

Oh me, I just woke up like this—I have never said ever, once. And so, when a popular website contacted me, months ago, for a house tour, I said “Why yes of course” and immediately started panicking, seeing all the things that need fixing and doing around here.

At the time, the stone facade on our fireplace was spot-primed, with a few lime wash sample colors on top. So, the heaviest and most necessary lift was finishing that project: Priming the stones, applying lime wash, and cleaning up the insane mess that I made in the process.

To the left: More or less where I left things after I applied the lime wash samples. Left—mid-wash (I know you’re not supposed to stop, OK)!

What it looks like now:::

Then, lucky for me, I have —proprietress at The Post Supply and varsity shelf arranger—on speed dial, so she coached me on how to make a chaotic built-in look artfully arranged (but not too arranged, you know?).

It’s been a lot; I did NOT get to even halfway through my list; the inimitable came and took photos on Tuesday; someday soon I’ll be able to share the result—a perfectly imperfect version of my living situation—and hopefully, we think, you’ll like it anyway!!

I Became A Geranium Butcher

Last year, I bought a geranium with incredible dark leaves and DARK red flowers from Chase’s Daily. She’s really been thriving. So much so, I thought, OK she’s maybe getting a little out of control, frankly. So! I hacked her up and created about half a dozen geranium babies. It was so easy and so successful that I truly can’t wait for this next generation to also become massive so that I can do it again and give them away to all my pals.

This video is who taught me how to do it—she gives you a LOT of different approaches. I don’t do all the fussy steps recommended, but I have been using a rooting hormone, which I think may be the secret sauce of success.

I Read LGM On Socks

Many years ago, and I had a little brand agency outfit and one of our clients was a Japanese sock company. At some point in our delirium, we replaced the lyric “shots” with “socks” in the song “Shots,”2 something I have to admit, I think of frequently. Lizzie came back a few weeks ago with more stunning observations on socks, which I was delighted and little relieved to see. Thank goodness LGM is still thinking sock-wise!! I’d easily read another 10,000 words from her on socks, any day.

Buckle Up: Grocery Store Angel Food Cake!!

Remember when I said I was absolutely going to, had to, can’t stop me, gotta make an Eton Mess? Well, turns out I stink at meringue. I’m going to try again, but on the particular day I attempted it, we were due at some friends’ house for dinner. I had the whipped cream, I had the last-of-the-season local strawberries—and I also had a big meringue failure. I thought there may be meringue cookies at the store, but instead found *****ANGEL FOOD CAKE***** which is, obviously, heavenly and in this instance and likely many others, a dessert hero. Hopefully AFC makes an official comeback—it certainly is and will be in my world from now on.

Museum In The Mind

One of the best things about here, I think, about Maine is that there are so many little businesses and ideas that people put together in their own back yard. You might even find yourself with a favorable New York Times review of some pizzas you made next to your mom’s garden. It’s incredible to witness—and to stumble across—people’s creativity just ticking away in these personal corners. It also reminds us of our own ability to maybe someday do that too; it can inspire, in other words.

Here’s a great example: My friend Allison Cekala had been getting together with Tyler Weeks and Ryan Kish to paint the sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly unfurling of spring in Alison’s amazing perennial garden. She wanted to put a show of the work up in her barn studio and so WAM—The Warren Art Museum—was born. It’s still on view until the 9th, so if you find yourself nearby, arrange for a stop-in. Or swing by the closing reception and artists talk on the final day.

A Few More Bits And Then I’ll Leave You

I turned an errand into an INCREDIBLE moment by (1) bringing one of the dogs (canine) along with me, (2) ordering a hot dog (beef + bun) to go from my local watering hole, and (3) stopping at the beach with these two after said errand. We had fun.

We picked BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS and—again—ate hot dogs (a theme) at Half Hitch Flowers last Wednesday. If you find yourself in the area, they host a weekly u-pick, always with some sort of food accompaniment. Fun. And pretty.

I finally succumbed to the relentless advertising of the Beni bed and… Wow we all love it. It’s really, really unnecessary, but also a total delight to just sort of plop wherever you desire. Seeing this as a major asset for future kid sleepovers, too.

Taking a page from The King Of Summer, Jesse and Russ handed out leftover ice cream sandwiches and seltzers at the top of our road. Cute.

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You may wonder: Who is the Cake Queen? She’s Rachel Barrett, a friend, a photographer, and a maker of insanely beautiful, at times completely over the top—you guessed it—big-time celebration cakes.

Rachel started Cake Queen after I had already left LA, which means I have (hungrily) watched her build this thing—from scratch, at home—from afar. And it’s been really fun to watch. Rachel makes a lot of different cakes, but her signature, I would venture, is this really ornate, previously outmoded, but now back in a big way, vintage-style layer cake.

In the zine, I talk to Rachel about all things cake, elaborate and beautiful and, they say, delicious. How she went from photography to cakes (with a detour in nutrition in between).

Here, digitally, I asked Rachel to round up all her cake-making essentials: The tools, the recipes, the inspiration that keeps her churning out these little (actually sometimes quite huge) nuggets.

Zoe Bakes Cakes: “The cookbook that started it all and I use as my main resource.”

Watkins: “Natural food coloring! The best.”

If You Care: Parchment Sheets (Ed’s note: Duh, not a roll, smart!)

King Arthur Cake Strips: “For flat cake layers!” (Ed’s note: This is a thing?!!)

Offset spatulas: “I have multiple sizes but this is a must for any at home baker.”

Silicone Spatulas

Turntable: Take a look at CQLA’s Instagram and you’ll really see how big of a roll the turntable takes in cake decorating… (!)

Sally’s Baking Addiction: “Has been tremendously helpful.”

Bourbon Vanilla Extract: Favorite is just TJs!

In addition to the above clickables and resources, Rachel also shared some of the accounts she follows, draws inspiration from, even learns from…

Picnic Baked Goods | Gabby Bakes | Bodega Cakes | Lauren Schofield | Velvet Valley Cakes | Sugar And Sparrow (Rachel: “This helped me a LOT in the beginning”)

I’m not much of a cake baker, personally, but MAN if all this doesn’t make me (and maybe you) want to run out and get the stand mixer whirring…

🍰

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If you are having fun and would like to support my work, here are several ways to do that:

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Pretty self-explanatory here—the collection of things I keep nearby to make sure my sleep is ~just right~.

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