Currently

A handful of good things

While house renovations and garden upkeep are still very much consuming my days, I thought I'd take a brief detour and share a handful of things that have found their way into my orbit lately. Consider this a little snapshot of what’s currently occupying my brain beyond floor stain choices and pruning decisions.

An inspiring watch: This stunning video for Castello di Casole – a Belmond property in Tuscany. The composition, pacing, and color grading are utterly transportive; every frame feels worthy of a screenshot. I could get lost in their channel for days.

A skincare recommendation: I was genuinely devastated to pump out the last few drops of this serum from NakedBeauty. It was kindly gifted, but I’ve bought their face masks in the past and love them as a treat on any long haul flight. If skincare splurges are your thing, I wholeheartedly recommend the serum — the texture of my skin noticeably improved while using it. Alas, I have a house to renovate, so I’ll be waiting for a sale.

A fun thing I bought this week: A totally frivolous silky “dress” to cover up ugly tissue boxes. I’ve always hated having a tissue box out in the open, and now it’s something I actually want to look at.

How charming is this! And you can style the drape in so many ways.

A dish I made this week: An AG original, born mostly from “what do I have and can eke out from my pantry” — and more recently, “what can I easily make after hours of yard work that won’t deplete me even more.” I tend to always have wild salmon in the freezer, so I defrosted two filets and dried them as best as possible. Generously salted and peppered, then seared skin-down for a few minutes on medium heat with avocado oil, flipped for another 30 seconds, and taken off the heat. Meanwhile I cooked some dried soba noodles for about 4 minutes. For the sauce: soy sauce (2 tbsp), rice vinegar (1.5 tbsp), sesame oil (1 tsp), maple syrup (1–2 tsp), and hot chili oil to taste. Tossed the soba in the sauce, placed the salmon on top with some Bordier seaweed butter and sliced green garlic. Delicious and low effort.

A mistake I made in the garden: I dug out some sad, dried-up looking things that I was convinced were dead — turns out they may have just been summer dormant. D’oh! Lesson learned: consult the internet before removing anything that looks suspicious.

A show I’ve been enjoying: I’m late to the Shrinking train, but the best part of that is having so many episodes and seasons to binge through. Friends described it as a feel-good show, which is true, but it also manages to land some surprisingly heavy emotional punches. I definitely bawled during some episodes.

An upgrade to a tool I already own: I’ve had cheap pruning shears for years that more or less got the job done, since I was only dealing with the occasional cut flower for home arranging. I finally pulled the trigger on the Niwaki GR Pro secateurs (one of many garden purchases lately… but more on that another day) and they’ve already made pruning so much more enjoyable.

A wishlisted item: Everything Underwater Weaving produces is a dream. In my ideal vision, I’m bringing all my garden bounty home in this basket. This striped version feels especially playful, and I can easily imagine it pulling double duty as a decor piece when it's not accompanying me to the farmers market or garden.

A new (to us) lunch spot: While at the house last week, we popped over to Homeroom in Gladwyne (about 15 minutes away) for a really delicious lunch. Exactly the kind of food I always want: seasonal grain bowls, a great sandwich. That kind of place.

A read: A friend shared this thoughtful piece on the China Unread substack. Many of the lines capture feelings I’ve struggled to articulate myself: the sensation of floating slightly untethered, of existing between places, and the disillusionment that can follow a return home after extended travel. A worthwhile read.