weekly r.e.p.o.r.t. c.a.r.d. #51

a viral take on friendship, brands that deserve more hype, and snack obsessions

Happy Monday from the country of Georgia! Took a few (blissful!) days offline to fully soak up an incredible wedding here—and then my husband and I extended our trip to include a stay at a wellness resort. The concept of Georgian wellness is very much sauna —> consume meat dumplings —> endure meat sweats —> sauna again. Certainly not Goop-approved…but it’s been fun to experience.

My idea of wellness is sitting by a pool and reading. Dug into this memoir over the past day and have loved it. Very controversial…but absolutely worth reading.

I wish I had more time in Georgia! Definitely a place I’m planning on coming back to…and was worth every minute of my 18-hour journey.

One aspect of Georgia I really loved—the topographic diversity! Similar to Argentina, it’s a country that spans vineyards, ski areas, canyons, and more. But Georgia truly packs it all in, as it’s roughly the size of South Carolina. On this trip, I only experienced the city of Tbilisi, Tsinandali Estate (a hotel in the heart of wine country), and our wellness retreat (also in the wine region). More exploration to come!

The last r.e.p.o.r.t. c.a.r.d. is here. This week, a TV show that deserves way more hype, the farce of friendship, and the hobby taking over our lives (and feeds).

Reading (book): I’m a sucker for a juicy thriller. And if it teaches me something, even better! That’s how I felt about this gripping thriller, which was released a few years ago (but somehow it’s only coming on my radar now). It centers around one of my most beloved reading pillars—rich people doing bad things—but is also set in the art world, an industry I know very little about. Will hook you until the very last page!

(True story: in high school, I convinced my art teacher to complete my ceramics projects while I took over her quiz grading. It was a better use of our talents! I’m creative, but I’ve never been good in an art-making sort of way…so I’ve never had a particularly deep knowledge of art).

Other thrillers I love (that are fantastic beach reads!): this one about extremely catty NYC moms, this one about a pair of frenemies gone wrong, and this one about a Hamptons grifter.

Reading (article): Everyone seems to have taken up mahjong lately. Have you?! This Bloomberg article dives into the phenomenon of mahjong retreats replacing spa weekends. If you’re a mahjong player, how long does it take to learn? Pitch me in the comments…color me intrigued.

Also really enjoyed this one about friend groups. Social media has normalized everyone having a gangbusters-large friend “group.” But in fact, that’s not the norm whatsoever! Quality > quantity, always.

Eating: If I can find a healthy swap that doesn’t taste like dust, I’m in. This snack absolutely delivers…and will completely replace your chip craving. Have a handful of these at night or during an angsty travel day, and you’ll instantly be happy (and full). I also love the salt & vinegar flavor!

A few other food picks I’ve been into lately:

• This is the best seltzer around. I never used to be into seltzer, but in the last year, this brand flipped me. In particular, I love the lemon and blood orange. Literally tastes like fresh fruit was squeezed right into the can. Why aren’t more people talking about the magic of this brand?!

• Budget for these poppable healthy ice cream bites. A little pricey, but worth every penny. This brand totally underwent some major food science—I tried out this product a few years ago and couldn’t stomach one. Not my thing. But now, put a bag in front of me and I will totally destroy it! Only five ingredients (coconut milk, coconut cream, vegan chocolate, coconut oil, and coconut sugar).

• These lemon wafer bites taste like Italian summer. Portion-controlled in 100-calorie packs, they’re a great late-night indulgence. But they actually have some heft to them (vs. the ultra-light SnackWell’s varieties of the ‘90s and ‘00s). Who remembers those?!

Playing: Summer! ‘Tis the season of fun statement jewelry. I snagged this collar necklace a few weeks back and have gotten so many compliments on it.

Well under $100…and comes equipped with a ton of charms. I wore the large shell charm to the wedding welcome party in Georgia, and the fish charm to the casual farewell brunch. So many looks (and didn’t take up a ton of space in my jewelry case).

I also love these threaded pearl earrings and this green beaded necklace. Both super affordable additions to your summer jewelry stack that will garner lots of attention!

Recommending: This 100% cashmere cardigan was on repeat during my Georgia trip. Lightweight enough to be your go-to “office sweater,” but cute enough to be styled again and again on an extended trip (especially when you’re like me and only pack in a carry-on). Under $100 and the quality is excellent.

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

A great reminder via Marina Cooley that in the U.S., working 24/7 is the norm. But in other parts of the world, rest is celebrated (and encouraged!)

• I just snagged this stunning blue set. The quality (and price) is so right. Veronica Beard better watch out.

• For some reason, MAXIMUM PLEASURE GUARANTEED isn’t getting the hype it deserves! An Apple TV thriller about a single mom who gets herself embroiled in some dark trouble, it’s a fast and fun watch.

• I can’t get enough of this perfect pointelle tee (and evidently, neither can you). It’s from a retailer I haven’t shopped in years, but was lured in by the tee. I also love this statement-making bandana bag!

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And finally, Substack Saves—a new section spotlighting the pieces worth your time.

• Sarah Shapiro is back on Substack! I’m so excited to have her back in my feed every week. If you don’t already know Sarah, she sold her first Substack (Retail Diary) to Puck in 2024, where she’s stayed on as a contributor ever since. She missed the day-to-day rhythm of Substack and decided to start a new one from scratch earlier this week…Private Label by Sarah Shapiro. I loved her inaugural issue, where she dove into a $450M retailer you’ve probably never heard of.

• I’m a total superfan of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, so I lapped up every bit of this interview with Jeni Britton on Alexis | The Breadwinners.

  • I couldn’t agree more with this: “When I’m 98 years old, I want to be wrecked. I want to be so happy and wrecked. I want to be exhausted. I want to get the most out of whatever this experience is before going on to the next one.”

• I’m sure you saw the takedown of Steven Bartlett and his obsession with optimization culture. This piece by The Talent Director is a great reflection on why it happened.

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