Balancing It All + What Caught My Eye (No. 19)
This weekend, I attended a luncheon for a family friend’s 90th birthday. I had not seen the Birthday Girl for a few years, so the conversation during appetizers was catching her up on all the pots I have boiling on the hob at the moment: the book out in the Fall, my second book out next year, my work in menswear writing, my full-time job in luxury pens, and even this newsletter.
Winded after rattling off my own CV, her only response was, “How do you find the time?” This, of course, is the question I get asked most when it comes to balancing it all. In fact, when I surveyed Instagram on what to write about this week, it was the only submission received.
The reality is that there is no magic bullet. I simply like to keep busy. It helps that my hobbies double as my job. If I am reading before bed, then my mind is usually looking at the turns of phrases I find. If I am shopping for stationery, then I am usually thinking about my company’s own pens and how other brands are marketed on a website. If I am getting dressed, I am thinking about what to pitch to my editors based on my own closet. Perhaps this is undiagnosed ADHD or perhaps its a good work ethic or perhaps it’s pure luck, but my mind never shuts off and this means I’m usually very tired by bedtime.
I also fill the crevices in my day to ensure that my to-do list gets done. An example: My publisher asked that I begin some press videos leading up to my book launch (you can see the video below). To accommodate this request and ensure I filmed when the lighting was good, I set up a camera and took some videos while a rather large image file was being uploaded to WeTransfer for a client of mine in my full-time job. That 20 minutes would have been wasted with my scrolling on my phone otherwise.
I also swear by to-do lists. Exclusively handwritten, so it feels like I accomplished something when I get to strike off tasks one-by-one. And when I am doing one mindless chore, I’ll turn it into at least a little bit of an opportunity accomplish something else. Another example: When I drive home from my studio (exactly 32 minutes from door to door), I usually listen to a language podcast. When I do the dishes, I throw on something from NPR or Monocle. I am the consummate student. It’s very hard for me to be mindless.
But, let me tell you this: I am exhausted a lot of the time. I average about 60-70 hours of work a week. I watch maybe an hour or two of television a week. I fall asleep on the couch and order take-out and I have a cleaning lady come twice a month to help out. I can only do so much, so I’m not afraid to share how I balance it all, but I know it’s not sustainable forever. But I’m quite addicted to seeing my name in bylines and print, so I keep feeding this bad habit of mine, for better or for worse.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
TOAST Garment Dyed Linen Bag
I need another tote like I need a hole in my head (or, for that matter, another notebook), but the vibrancy of this garment-dyed linen bag by a favourite brand of mine, TOAST, was too good not to share here. I’m sure it ages wonderfully and with farmers’ market season fast approaching, I recommend a deep-bellied bag like this one.
Buy: Here
Ichizawa Kyoto Tote #76
Another option would be this roll-top tote from Ichizawa, a Japanese brand with a great array of designs and colorways. I particularly like this toned-down olive green trim and khaki number myself, but there are more exciting colors for those who are more adventurous than me.
Buy: Here
Piglet in Bed Bedtime Bundle in “Honey”
I never really gave yellow a chance when I was younger and, boy, I now know what I was missing out on. Piglet makes a gorgeous linen set that has such a warmth to it. I simply adore it.
Buy: Here
Roccbox Portable Pizza Oven
And while we’re on the subject of yellow, here’s the latest gadget for my backyard. We added a courtyard last year and never got around to hosting anyone, due to my work schedule and Covid and all that. But this year, we hope to have at least one pizza party and so it was a great excuse to buy a pizza oven, n’est pas?
Buy: Here
Vault by Vans x Nicole McLaughlin
How clever are these? These Vans are an adorable reinterpretation of the gardening tote. It’s a brilliant way to keep the classic Vans silhouette but market for a new audience in a fun way. I may just have to get them when they’re available this month.
Learn More: Here
London Mole “Moley” Blue Blocker Glasses
I love the shape of these frames and would opt for the shiny black material myself here. I don’t actually need any blue blocking lenses, but they’re a bit fun, so I’m including here for others in the market.
Buy: Here
New Selected Stories by Thomas Mann
As you know, my next book (out Christmas 2024) will be a collection of short stories. I’m doing a bit of research by going to some of my favourites. Now that I’ve exhausted Salinger, it’s onto Mann. I do love his meandering little sentences.
Buy: Here
Tasting Rome by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill
For the warmer months, I am always looking to Italian cuisine for inspiration. While nothing has compared in terms of quality for me as Old World Italian by Mimi Thorisson, I’m hoping this one is a close second.
Buy: Here
Portraits of the Modern Gentleman by Mr. Slowboy
I also think it’s time to bite the proverbial bullet and hit “Add to Cart” on this one by one of my favourite menswear illustrators, Mr. Slowboy. It’s been haunting my wishlist for a few months and after seeing it reappear on a few people’s Instagram Stories lately, I am taking that as a sign from the universe to buy, buy, buy.
Buy: Here
The New Farmer’s Almanac, Vol. VI
And the final book on this list is The New Farmer’s Almanac, in which I contributed a piece. Many of you only know me as a writer here, but for years I owned a flock of hens, which I loved dearly. Unfortunately, they were all killed by a weasel and I wrote about that experience for the Almanac. Maybe you can relate or maybe you can’t, but it surely tells you a bit more about me and how deeply I care about animals.
Buy: Here