weekly r.e.p.o.r.t. c.a.r.d. #32

no-recipe recipes, the art of the handwritten note, and gifting SOS

Happy Sunday! Is everyone in full holiday mode?! I am.

My (mini) tree is up, my kitchen is a lab for holiday recipe testing, and I’m slowly pulling out all of the velvet and sequins from my closet.

This cookbook is my go-to for failproof dessert recipes! I got it as a gift for my wedding shower and every single recipe has been a hit. I paired my baking last night with OH. WHAT. FUN on Prime—an adorable Christmas movie that isn’t too predictable.

One of my favorite holiday traditions every year is a friend’s white elephant dinner. It’s a group of my husband’s friends from business school (that I’ve become close with as well). As the group is mixed gender, it makes the gifting a bit more challenging (and fun). What I’m bringing this year:

• A box of homemade Christmas crack…boxed up in this cute Christmas box. IMO, gifting is 50% about the gift, 50% about the presentation!

• A no-recipe recipe book. A friend gave this cookbook to me as part of her wedding gift, and I absolutely love it! It has really helped me build my cooking muscle and not be so reliant on recipes all the time. Yes, of course there’s always ChatGPT for cooking inspiration…but there’s nothing quite like flipping through (and soaking knowledge from) a book.

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): I’ve DNF’d (did not finish) two books this week. I simply couldn’t get through them, though they were highly recommended and lauded in the press.

I have been thinking a lot recently about how the TikTok attention span era is impacting authors. I do think the pressure is on for authors to craft plots that are snappier and sharper—if someone is going to take time away from a screen, it better hook them immediately.

As I don’t share negative book reviews on my platform (that’s someone’s baby!), here are all of the books I’ve read and loved. Only the hits!

Reading (article): A fun New Yorker article about the airport lounge wars. Relatedly, it seems like everyone is fixated on getting lounge time in an airport (even if it doesn’t make sense).

I’d rather get to the gate with twenty minutes to spare vs. leaving my apartment earlier to ensure I can spend time in a lounge. What camp are you in?

Eating: I’m all about easy recipes, but often, recipes that are marketed as such simply…aren’t. My go-to for having people over is this Maple Mustard Chicken.

Actually comes together in fifteen minutes (and you definitely have all of the required condiments in your fridge already!)

Playing: With good gifting! Something I’ve noticed when buying gifts is that there’s a real gap in the “add gift note” experience. If I’m sending a gift to a client or faraway friend, I don’t have the time to buy a gift, get it delivered to me, unpack it, write a pretty note, and repack it.

And most retailers don’t do this well…they simply accompany your gift (no matter how nice!) with a flimsy piece of paper with your gift message. Flamingo Estate is the only company I’ve found that’s deeply committed to the art of the gift note!

Franci (an amazing graphic designer who has helped me with many design projects, including the VARSITY READER logo!) sent me this sweet note before my wedding. Flamingo Estate definitely has some great calligraphers on hand—isn’t this so much more personal than a typed gift note? And the candle she picked out for me was equally great!

I could go on and on about this brand—the creative, the messaging, and the copy are also top-notch. They’ve really mastered the art of brand world-building vs. being just another gift destination. A few things I’ve gifted (or received) and loved:

• This candle is inspired by the famous Sant Ambroeus Principessa cake. Smells incredible—and the scent feels rich, not like the cloying Bath & Body Works Vanilla Birthday Cake scents that were middle school staples.

• This olive oil & fuyu persimmon vinegar set is beautifully packaged (and both products are a great addition to your kitchen).

• This fig balsamic vinegar looks amazing on your kitchen counter (I own this!) and is the perfect accompaniment to salads or cheeses.

And for more curated gift recs, my tightly edited gift guides have even more!

Obsessing: Over this zebra-printed coat. It’s the kind of piece that isn’t merchandised properly…but I’ve seen it sported on TikTok by a few women and I’m beyond impressed. IMO, there’s nothing I love more than a funky statement coat in the winter. Your base layers should be focused on keeping you warm—and a fun coat can do all the work to make you look put together!

And on the brand front, I’m always on the hunt for unique designers that can’t be found on affiliate platforms. I spoke about this a bit yesterday, and the response was massive—affiliate platforms have led to a sense of sameness in fashion. What are your favorite independent designers?

Admiring: Some things, people, and content I’ve been loving this week:

• A good NYMag read about elder millennials. Though I’m not quite in that age group, sometimes I feel like one with a 23 year-old sister (who constantly tells me how old I am).

• This $30 olive cable-knit cardigan is adorable (and just the right touch of holiday!)

• I am a new owner of a KitchenAid mixer (my aunt generously gifted it to me for my wedding shower). And I absolutely love using it…but it can be a bit pesky to unhook the mixing bowl for cleaning every single time I make something. I discovered these plastic liners on TikTok and immediately purchased. Makes the mixer way easier to use and cuts cleanup time!

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