weekly r.e.p.o.r.t. c.a.r.d. #24

a new book obsession, a fun ChatGPT hack, and classic-yet-funky fashion finds

Hi! Happy Sunday from somewhere over the Midwest. On my way back to NYC from an amazing wedding in San Diego. I always cherish being a part of the cultural traditions that accompany weddings!

Last night was a Persian Jewish wedding, so a few standouts I’ve never experienced before—lamb kofta at cocktail hour, the bridal party dancing down the aisle vs. the traditional processional walk, and napkin-swinging all night on the dance floor.

If you’re in San Diego, this sweet treat is a must. An’s Hatmakers is touted as one of the best gelato shops in the country, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. I opted for the pistachio and midnight chocolate.

P.S. If you’re new around here—welcome to the weekly r.e.p.o.r.t c.a.r.d! It’s a weekly grab bag of the ideas, things, and people that I’m loving. Check out the last issue here. It’s a fun, light addition to the VARSITY READER fold.

Reading (book): Not an uplifting read, but one that will stick with you. I started this book on my mini-moon—which is by a therapist who recounts her patients’ childhood trauma (and how they ultimately overcame their wounds). If you liked the famed MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE, you’ll also enjoy this book.

Lighter reads I’ve loved recently: this fun thriller about a momfluencer, another thriller about a friends’ weekend in the Hamptons gone wrong, and a thriller about motherhood that is like no other book you’ve ever read before.

Eating: In the months leading up to my wedding, I was pretty disciplined about what I ate (and my workout routine). But now that the madness of fall has set in and the looming threat of dress fittings are behind me, I’ve gotten a bit lax—and am in need of a reset.

I recently restocked my freezer with my favorite healthy Trader Joe’s frozen meals. Great for days when I’m pressed for time, need something nutritious, and don’t want to spend a fortune on DoorDash.

My sister-in-law (also named Julia!) is a huge fan of Sakara, and gifted me a delivery a few months ago when she was traveling and missed the cancellation window. This protein-packed granola came as part of her order, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve been mixing with plain Greek yogurt and a drop of this liquid vanilla stevia sweetener. A breakfast that keeps me full all morning without much effort.

When I restocked on the granola a few weeks ago, I was suckered into buying the brand’s relaxation gummies. I’ve never really been one for gummies (besides the Haribo kind), but on a particularly packed week, I took one before heading to bed and did feel a bit calmer. The experiment will continue, but I may have opened up a new portal here.

Playing: My incredible stylist Nicole came over earlier this week. I hired her at the top of this year when I felt like I was getting stuck in certain style uniforms—and wanted a thought partner to help me amplify my personal style and create elevated looks that can flex across casual and more professional settings (speaking on panels, brand events, in-office meetings, and more). It was so fun to play in my closet and put looks together. She has an eye for pairing pieces you never would have yourself…which is why she’s the expert and I trust her immensely.

Nicole splits her time between NYC and LA, and is truly fantastic. I can’t recommend working with her enough! A worthy self-development investment.

During our time together, we identified some major gaps in my wardrobe. Nicole noted that while I’m all set on casual tank tops (this is my favorite one, which I went into detail about in this week’s TEN BEST), I’m in need of tank tops / layering pieces in dressier fabrics. If I pair a velvet jacket with a cotton tank top vs. a more elegant shell, it completely changes the entire look.

This shell is just the piece I was missing. Different fabrics…completely different style perceptions! The price is right, and it’s exactly the weave and weight that will work alongside fancy blazers / jackets.

Obsessing: I’m still lusting over the pieces I pulled for my chocolate brown edit—all well-priced picks in this season’s trending hue.

Beyond that, my time with Nicole reiterated my personal style aesthetic—classic with a twist and completely unfussy. I gravitate towards pieces with traditional silhouettes, but with a bit of funk (like my beloved zebra calf-hair loafers, this accordion-pleated white shirt, and this metallic oyster clutch).

In addition, I detest any item that necessitates a ton of maintenance. Hence why I don’t like linen (I much prefer gauze and have loved this gauze shirt for many seasons) and have limited silk items (but these pants made the cut).

A few classic with a twist fall selects that have caught my eye (even more linked here):

• I love barrel pants, but this piece is the first time I’ve seen the silhouette translated into a button-down shirt. Comes in olive and white!

• These brown multi-tone Mary Janes are super comfy and (safely) add a bit of height to your look. Funky but not too out there!

• The ruffle detail on this denim jacket feels very GANNI / DÔEN for a fraction of the price.

• Absolutely love this black velvet jacket. I have a similar jacket I wear all the time in fall / winter. The silver embroidery detail brings it to another level. Another well-priced find!

• These zebra-printed Mary Janes are on-trend for a great price. $140 and an easy way to amp up any outfit.

Recommending: A wild read about AI. Many people use ChatGPT (and other AI tools) as a pseudo-therapist. (Personally, I’ve found it helpful as an objective third-party to bounce off ideas, but it’s absolutely not a replacement for a trained professional). In this New Yorker article, a writer puts ChatGPT in the patient hotseat…and the real-life problems it confesses should concern all of us.

Treating: I’m headed to Korea and Japan in two weeks with my friend

Julia Casella

. We’re exploring all things Korean skincare / beauty treatments (and will be sharing it all). We’re not doing anything surgical (just treatments like laser hair removal, lymphatic drainage massages, and ultrasound technologies like SofWave, which I’ve had in the U.S. before). More to come!

Admiring: How AI can be used for kids’ activities! I’m not a parent, but am in the stage of life where my friends are starting to have kids—and I love being an honorary aunt. As my friends’ kids have gotten older, it’s been fun to engage them via activities vs. simply reading them books (though that’s great too). (As an aside, here’s the hilarious kids’ book I’ve gifted over and over).

A new favorite has been creating customized coloring pages. How to do it:

1. Prompt ChatGPT as follows: “Create a black-and-white coloring page in bubble letter style. At the top, write “[NAME]!” in large bubble letters. Below and around the name, include: dinosaurs, basketball, hockey, and a Bernedoodle dog (customize with your kids’ own interests!) Keep everything as line art, no shading or pre-color. Make sure all elements can be colored in.”

3. It will probably taken ~5 minutes for ChatGPT to spit out a response. In addition, be patient—it will take a few back-and-forths to get to a result you’re happy with.

4. All in all, it will likely take you ~20 minutes to create a coloring page. Once you do, you’ll have a template you can easily re-use for the future.

Here’s a snippet of one coloring page I recently created. ChatGPT is a good graphic designer, but you just need to give it very specific direction.

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