BUT FIRST
Hi! It feels so good to be back in your inboxes after a refreshing break. I spent the time deep in our family love cocoon, away from my phone, traveling back and forth to LA, and savoring the farm with friends—we’ve had a steady stream of visitors, which has been such a joy! We celebrated birthdays (Leo season!), baby showers, weddings, learned how to make sourdough as a family (Ballerina Farm starter and all), and my baby turned 10 months (how?!). During the few quiet moments I had, I worked on this newsletter—a labor of love that I’m so excited to continue in year two.
I know I say this often, but gratitude can never be overstated: thank you! Thank you for subscribing and for being part of The In-Between. I hope my newsletter brings you joy, sparks meaningful conversations and feelings, and fosters connection—all the things I experience when creating it.
To kick off year two, we’re diving into the theme of forward motion—a natural desire many of us share and the kernel of this newsletter. I hope you enjoy the read, have had a wonderful summer, finished strong, and dare I say… happy almost fall!
xx,
G
THE WEEKLY EDIT
Reading: Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health
Want to feel better and live longer? Then this book by Stanford MD, Dr. Casey Means, is a must read! A #1 NYT bestseller for good reason.
Watching: Tell Me Lies Season 2 & Diane von Furstenberg: Woman In Charge
Season 2 of Tell Me Lies (Hulu) is here! Who else is watching? Also, the Diane von Furstenberg (on Hulu) is great.
Wearing: Barrel Jeans, Patent Loafers, The Crescent Bag, Barn Jackets, Jelly Dupes & More
Jelly dupes: I bought the jelly dupes in red and love these things. TTS and fun closet additions. These meshhhh guys are fun too.
Barrel Jeans: Ordered Frame’s barrel jeans for a current and cool cut this fall and they’re everything I hoped for.
Déhanche Belts: Can’t stop, won’t stop wearing my Déhanche belts. Once it cools down, Tetra with a black oversized blazer is going to be a go-to uniform.
Patent Loafers: In advance of fall, I finally satisfied my patent loafers dreams with these!
Crescent Shoulder Bag: I’ve been carrying this Jenni Kayne bag everywhere and it’s a great black leather essential. It works day or night, the rope shoulder detail is quite elegant and it’s a bit Mary Poppins-like as it fits more than expected. (GERI15 for 15% off Jenni Kayne anytime).
Barn Jackets: I went shopping in my husband’s closet for great barn jackets and hit the jackpot! If you haven’t already, this is your sign to go shop your husband’s, brother’s, dad’s or boyfriend’s closets. And if not, this DÔEN one is pretty great, as is this one from Mango, or this one from Everlane. And in the same vein, I ordered this H&M jacket which is a cross between a barn jacket and a car coat.
Muting: Notes
Those little notes above DMs? Ya, I can’t. I’ve been muting every single one of them to de-clutter my DMs.
Packing: School Lunches
And we’re back to the lunch-packing grind! Truthfully, I love packing lunches—small joys, you know? This year, we’re trying out these water bottles, and we’re on year four with these lunch boxes (the best!). After consuming Dr. Casey Means' content, my goal this school year is to avoid seed oils in packaged snacks, which is harder than I thought it would be. They’re so sneaky, popping up in things like dried cranberries and nut mixes…why?!
Applying: The Refreshed Vacation Look & a Best of Beauty Mascara
The Refreshed Vacation Look: If the goal is to look less dewy from product and more so refreshed as if you just returned from vacation with a little bit of a tan then this Westman Atelier product is it!
Best of Beauty Mascara: I finished my first tube of the Iris & Romeo mascara and am declaring it my favorite clean mascara. It volumizes, lenghtens and makes the most out of my lashes. I just LOVE it—it gets my “Best of Beauty Award.”
ALRIGHT, LET’S GET INTO IT
Forward Motion
For most of my life, I’ve been in forward motion. From the trajectory of school to going to college, internships every summer, studying abroad, moving back to LA, first job, first apartment, launching a blog (in 2005!), second and third jobs, bigger apartments, raising money for a startup, getting married, selling said startup, first child, helping open our family coffee shop, launching a beauty brand, second child, moving to Santa Ynez, blah blah blah. And when I found myself in Santa Ynez, post-pandemic, with two children in school and a career slowdown, for the first time in a very long time, I didn’t have a sense of forward motion. I felt stagnant and a bit stuck—a foreign feeling and an uncomfortable place to find myself. It was in the discomfort that one thing became very clear: I’m someone who thrives on being efficacious. It gives me a real sense of purpose.
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