Weekend Update

1. This is the part of sale season that I love – when almost everything is on sale, and there are lots of finds still remaining. Like this gorgeous waxed leather tote from The Row, currently 30% off and sold out except for on Net-A-Porter.

Really, this tote is beautiful right? The waxed leather reminds me of Hermes, and given that it’s The Row, I’d guess that the quality is near comparable. I love how modern and clean this looks, and the inside has a zip pocket for valuables. Unlined, so super light as well. You can wear year round. The more I write the more I am selling myself on purchasing this.

2. Another “slower” news week (aka holiday season), another week of trawling the Vanity Fair archives. Let’s relive the Gary Hart campaign implosion in this excellent piece (I still giggle whenever I remember Monkey Business was the name of the boat).

3. An interesting article, via the Atlantic, on the mystery of Japan’s declining birth rate.

4. I loved this speech, via Glamour, by Tracee Ellis Ross about what defines her as a successful person (hint: it’s not whether she’s had kids). A great read for everyone.

5. Did you know that Phoebe Philo is exiting Celine? This NY Times article, via the always excellent Vanessa Friedman, examines her legacy and what might be next.

6. This week I finished Hourglass, by Dani Shapiro.

I’m not normally a memoir reader, not because I don’t like it, but I tend to gravitate towards fiction. I picked up Hourglass in our local bookstore however, and was struck by the title and image and decided to try it. And I’m so glad I did. The book is essentially a memoir on marriage – jumping back and forth through time, and wandering through the highs and lows of Shapiro’s life and marriage. Shapiro is a wonderful writer, and anyone who has been in a longer relationship can relate to the minutia of the give and take between two people that she describes so well here. Recommended!