What I love this week
The week between Christmas and New Year’s has always been my favorite part of the holidays. The pressure’s off, traffic’s lighter, and crowds have thinned. But it still feels festive with holiday decorations still up, and celebration of a New Year still lies ahead.
I’ve really been enjoying the peace (and the leftovers) and thinking about ideas and projects for the new year. (I’ll be sharing more of my thoughts on this next week.) But in the meantime, here are a few things I’m appreciating this week…
Lightweight layers
It was sunny and warm over the Christmas weekend, but has turned damp and chilly again. Even with a sweater on indoors, I tend to feel cold most of the time. (And our house is older and not well-insulated.) I find adding a lightweight base layer keeps me warm without feeling too bundled up.
My friend Lisa has been recommending these “tissue turtlenecks” for some time, and I finally picked up a couple of them. They keep my neck warm without being too snug or bulky, and are soft, light, and comfortable underneath a sweater or cardigan. I sized up to a Medium and the fit is close but not tight.
They’re available in a bunch of colors, and currently marked down. Sizes XX-Small to 3X.
I’m always on the lookout for socks that are warm and soft but not bulky, and these from Falke hit that trifecta. They’re knit with cotton on the inside and merino wool on the outside. They’re thin enough to wear with more of my shoes and boots, and don’t bunch up. Several neutral colors available.
What we’ve been watching…
Emily in Paris, Season 3
Never mind the totally implausible plot points, characters that are often caricatures, and absurdly over-the-top outfits that at times make Carrie Bradshaw look like a bastion of restraint. Emily in Paris is light, frothy fun. Yes, I’ve softened my stance.
And even the French may have softened their stance, as Lily Collins graces the Dec/Jan cover of French Vogue. Vraiment!
Season 3 just landed on Netflix a few days ago, and we’ve already breezed through it. Of course, the gorgeous shots of Paris sprinkled through each episode are a big draw for me. But I have to admit, I’m even finding some snippets of style inspiration among the 48-car-pileup of eye-searing outfits (will be writing more on this later)…
Slow Horses
I LOVE a good spy thriller, and this one is another reason to try out an Apple+ subscription (“The Morning Show” is another.) The premise: Slough House is a dumping ground for MI5 f’ups (the “Slow Horses”), where they presumably will be kept occupied with administrative busywork until they quit or retire. But they somehow find themselves in the middle of active operations and must rise to the occasion.
The cast is excellent, including Gary Oldman (as Jackson Lamb, in charge of the Slow Horses) and Kristin Scott Thomas, who is #2 at MI5. Their scenes together are always a treat as they verbally joust and try to stay one step ahead of each other. Though there’s some action, there’s not much overt violence, though it’s still quite suspenseful. We’re anxiously awaiting the episode that drops tonight!
A quiet New Year’s Eve
We’ll probably settle in with some bubbly and a movie, my kind of NYE! I hope your celebration is exactly what you want, and wish you a healthy & prosperous 2023. Happy New Year! 🥳
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Loved your Carrie Bradshaw as a bastion of restraint comparison!
I am in complete agreement on how this week is my favorite part of the holidays. I ran some errands yesterday and realized that I didn’t have to strategize my entrance to and exit from the mall parking lot for maximum efficiency. So nice. And if you’re looking for another reason to try Apple TV, I highly recommend Acapulco! It is the story of a sweet Mexican family in the 1980s trying to pay the bills by working at the local resort, Las Colinas and the son’s love interest at the resort. The show is laugh out loud funny yet touching. The Season 2 finale was such a feel good episode it brought a tear to our eyes.
Happy New Year, Susan!
My husband and I loved the two seasons of Slow Horses! Can’t say the same about Emily in Paris, but we’re slogging through it for the scenery (and Ashley Park’s singing). I’m all for fun and frothy, but I fear with all the eye rolling I may detach a retina.
Happy New Year, Sue. And thanks for all your efforts to continually inspire us and by keeping your blog so fun and fresh! You are always a ‘must read’ plus I enjoy posts like today’s sharing favorite TV series. Looking forward to more in 2023 along with good health for you and all your readers!
“48-car-pileup of eye-searing outfits” LOL! You mean that isn’t real French fashion? I too have breezed through the third season of Emily in Paris for the scenery and being able to say, “I’ve been there!” Looking forward to what you glean from the fashion.
Hi Susan and happy new year to you and your family! I’ve been waiting to hear what you thought about the tissue weight tees—I remember wearing them to Europe many years ago. They’re good for layering and lightweight for packing! The socks are a great find also! We don’t have Apple TV so I’ve been reading the Slow Horses books through Libby—Mick Herron is a wonderful writer and I love that Gary Oldman is Jackson Lamb!
Thanks for the perspective of this week being a quiet lull during the holidays. I usually feel a sense of letdown after Christmas. I’m not sure how we’ll celebrate New Years, but now I’m starting to think about it!
The Watcher is a show on Netflix. It gets poor reviews, but I watched the first episode, and I must say that the characters played by Bobby Cannavale and Naomi Watts have the most enviable style! Not sure where the show is going, but love checking out the outfits.
Happy New Year ! I appreciate all your insights, finds and style inspiration all year long but one frustration is that now some of your text and photos are completely covered over by ads.
Hi Penelope, sorry about that and I’ll look into it. Are you reading on a phone or desktop?
I want to add my voice to Penelope’s – I have to constantly close the ads that pop up and cover the text. Terribly annoying. On a happier note – Happy New Year to you & yours 🙂
Thanks, if you can let me know if you’re reading on a mobile device or desktop, that will help me troubleshoot the issue.
I, too, have your page populated with ads (I read your blog on my desktop). Also, your page automatically shuts down for some unknown reason, then when I go onto your page a second time, it remains open. Any fix for this issue?
On a more positive note, many thanks for your wonderful blog and all your efforts to keep us stylin’. Bonne annee et bonne sante!
Mobile device, for me anyway!
Laptop! And thanks for looking into it 🙂
I’ve identified the source of this issue and have requested to have those type of ads disabled. Thanks for letting me know.
Thank you for looking into it! Happy New Year!
I enjoyed reading your post, and I wanted to weigh in on the Falke socks. I purchased the Falke Sensitive London, and I love them. I have sensitivity issues with my feet, and these socks are the best. They are costly – but they are comfortable, long lasting and definitely worth the cost to me! Best wishes for a wonderful 2023, and I look forward to reading your posts in the new year!
Alexis or Susan – can you please advise the sizing on the Falke Socks? I’m an 8, right on the cusp…I would hang them to dry…thanks for any insight
Hi Téa, I’m a size 7-7.5 and the 37-38 are a good fit for me (snug, but not tight, no extra fabric anywhere).
Hello Téa, I wear a size 9 shoe and I purchase the larger size (39-42). They fit smooth but not tight or binding.
I loved watching the first season of Slough Horses. Gary Oldman might inspire a trend for dirty trench coats, reflective of the dark times we live in.
Speaking of punk style, I was saddened to learn that Vivienne Westwood has passed away.
Sad here, too, about Vivienne.
Thank you for the sock recommendation!! I knew you would come through!
Pop up ads still happening fyi.
As always fun great blog and your outfits beat Emily in Paris,
It might take a few hours for them to clear out of the queue. And thank you!
Happy New Year. I enjoy your blog and look forward to every post. Thank-you for all you do.
Well, hello! Turtlenecks forever;). I was wearing my tissue tneck just this weekend. So versatile. And I absolutely ADORE Slow Horses and think Gary Oldham is a genius.
Happy new year!
Pop ups are covering your text on both my iPad and iPhone 13.
And I have subscribed to your site 4 times, I get one or two posts, then they disappear. I have checked spam, they are not there.
Any ideas?
I am googling your site at this point.
Thanks, I love your posts
Hi Eileen, I’m so sorry about the email issue. From what I can determine, your email platform is “bouncing” my emails, which tells my service that it’s not a valid address or that my sending service has been blocked. I’ll check again and see if there’s anything on my end that can remedy.
Happy New Year, Susan! Thank you for the excellent content and wit, as always. Can you comment on the sock sizing? I’m an 8 – right on the cusp! Appreciate all the recommendations …the gal in the ad of the tissue turtleneck reminded me of the amazing 80’s preppy style I loved back in college…I “think” I wore a white turtle neck, a button-down Oxford shirt and a Fair Isle sweater on most winter days…such a fun memory!
I confess to watching “Emily…” for the clothes. Such fashion! Happy New Year.