The Saturday Group Text, #31
my thoughts on The Idea of You film, a delicious new fragrance, a fantastic $32 home find from Amazon.
Hi friends. I hope your weekend is off to a good start :)
Weekend Reading is up on The Stripe. This week’s list is a (naturally!) a little bit Idea of You heavy. A roundup of the differences in the book vs. movie. A great interview with Nicholas Galitzine. Some thoughts on what inspired the book (and now film) from the author, Robinne Lee. But also: What to do if you are feeling that “summer body” pressure. (UGH) The battle for attention. The “rest gap,” and why women are so tired. Spring fashion trends. Gucci Westman’s beauty routine. And loads more. I hope you enjoy - I had fun putting it together.
Of course we had to start with thoughts on The Idea of You. No spoilers, don’t worry!
First, a little background. The book is a favorite. If you’ve been around since my podcasting days, you know this… but just in case: In February of 2019,
and I had on the pod and she enthusiastically endorsed the book. Becca devoured it and I (initially!) had no interest. She eventually wore me down and I wound up absolutely loving it. By June of that year, we were full on evangelists for the book. We did a book club episode about the book and then an entire separate episode with Robinne Lee. I was thrilled when I learned it was going to be adapted into a film.But then: when they announced the casting, my initial thought was “UGH.” While I don’t understand the hate Anne Hathaway gets (truly, it baffles me!), I didn’t think she was right for the role. I had pictured Olivia Wilde (maybe too close to reality), a young Marion Cotillard… or some unknown French sophisticate (again: young Marion Cotillard). I was even more unsure of whether Nicholas Galitzine (the Harry Styles-esque character) was up for the job. How would he go from playing the buttoned up prince in Red White and Royal Blue to this sexy musician with a penchant for older women!?
Over time, I put my doubts aside and my excitement built and built. The trailer looked great. I was extremely jealous of New York friends getting to attend early screenings. Everyone (except Vogue, lol) raved about it.
I watched it this week with
(she visited me with the express purpose of watching it together) and I have to tell you, I loved it! The chemistry between the two leads was palpable. It was sexy but not super steamy. And while the plot and characters sometimes diverge from the book/what I pictured (Anne is often a little goofy but it’s endearing, the daughter seemed too old for the role… minor little gripes), if you just look at it as its own separate entity, it’s fantastic. An absolute treat to watch.And while this isn’t about looks, it has to be said. Anne looks GREAT. The wardrobe. Her skin. Her hair. All just flawless.
Boden’s Newest Arrivals
I cannot get over Boden lately. It started with those loafers I love but this Spring’s collection? Just wow. Everything is so pretty. And well priced relative to the quality. A few highlights are above: embroidered rattan tote, floral kaftan, silver slides, yellow earrings, green + white dress.
Julia Berolzheimer x Jennifer Behr
This jewelry collab is just to die for. Julia is someone I think does a really incredible job with influencer collabs (she has such a strong POV) and she really hit it out of the park. They generously gifted me these incredible chandelier earrings (an instant favorite!) but I went back for these more delicate earrings and this turquoise necklace with my own money. Truly just perfect. While the pieces are definitely more of a splurge price point, everything is just exquisite.
An addictive new fragrance.
You know how much I love fragrance. For all my other fragrance obsessees, a fun new (at least new to me!) brand to check out (especially if you are a gourmand girlie) is called Snif. Their formulas are clean, the prices are great. And I love their Crumb Couture. LOVE. It is inspired by… croissants! It smells like a baked good. But also: vanilla, sandalwood, toasted vanilla. I am addicted. And I really want the candle. There was a months long wait list until more recently so if this looks interesting to you, don’t delay!
These Amazon Stools
I wanted an inexpensive but cute stool to go in my smaller closet as the top shelves are a bit hard for me to reach. I did not want to spend a lot of money here as it was literally going in my closet and meant to be stepped on a bunch. I found this for just $32 (in brown). It arrived in the mail the next day (!) and the quality is great. There’s some light assembly but it was easy to put together, it only took me about 5 minutes.
I realized it would also be perfect for my living room. The lid flips over and can be used as a small side table. And the storage is perfect for all those living room things you don’t want to keep out (glasses, hand cream, remotes, etc.) I ordered it in blue for downstairs and love it so much.
What I Watched This Week:
I finished Fallout! On Amazon Prime. The less you know, the better but it deals with a post-apocalyptic world several centuries from now. Ella Purnell stars (I loved her in Sweetbitter. There is a lot going on and it’s complex at times (not a needlepoint show; you really need to pay attention!) but I really enjoyed it. If you liked The Last of Us, you will enjoy this. They are totally different but similar vibe.
After that, I have started Sugar on Apple TV. Too soon to tell but my mom loved it and said it reminded her of The Lincoln Lawyer, which we all loved.
And of course The Idea of You, the star of the show… but we talked about that above.
Extras:
Did you see that
has a book coming out? A wellness tech startup thriller!? Just my cup of tea. I pre-ordered it this week.For my cat people: I kid you not when I tell you that this magical spray makes Jaime super cuddly. I spray a little bit on linens and he goes absolutely crazy for it. Weirdly, Tyrion is not affected by it. So it might depend on the cat.
Welcome to Substack,
! I enjoy following Nan on Instagram and love seeing more and more of my favorite creators take the leap and join in the fun over here.Did you see this epic deal on Clinique Black Honey? If you are a new customer you can get an extra $10 off which means you get two for $15!
I had the same feelings about Anne Hathaway as Solene when I first heard the casting. I think it's because she's SO Mia Thermopolis to me, while I envisioned Solene to be just really sophisticated and elegant. All that said, Anne with her bangs really grew on me, and I agree that the chemistry was great! Loved it!
I didn’t read TIOY but loved the casting and really enjoyed the movie :) “oh right did I not warn you people hate happy women” especially in our 40’s, this line gives me all the feels!