In December, I announced that I was creating a greeting card company. On the surface, this news seems straightforward, or fun even. But underneath the glacier of the colorful announcement are years of working through loss, grief, and having to (impatiently) wait for my imagination to turn back on after a prolonged season in survival mode.

I’ve shared with you many times about losing my stationery store in the collateral of the pandemic, and worse, losing a loved one unexpectedly at the same time. The late-night grief felt like a hollowing out of my guts, a loss of an ocean of tears that makes me still wonder if I have enough water in my body now. I’ve described to you before what it felt like to be in my early twenties and having to light fire to the thing I dreamed about the most; we’ve commemorated, related, and experienced this type of loss together.

My colors, my bend toward hope and joy, down to how I decorate my apartment and prepare a latte, are responses toward my experience of tremendous loss. Sometimes, it’s so bad, you have to just do one day, one hour at a time. And in that state, I found that very very simple things were a balm. A fresh bowl of oranges on the counter, believe it or not. One call from a friend. A delicious Earl Grey, the way I like it. I needed, desperately, to have things in front of me that pointed to a greater hope. Not in a way where you need to buy more things, or that objects are a solution to pain, no, but in a way where having beauty around me uplifted my heart when it needed every boost it could get.

I started drawing these little things, writing about how to fill a day with that sort of sunshine, and found a wonderful group of people who understood the need for intentional, stubborn hope in this microscopic lifestyle level. Hope is a muscle to strengthen, a conscious decision to choose an alternative to despair, a sort of daily surrender, a focus on delighting those around me, and giving away what I felt I was lacking. It’s an effort toward beauty, intentionality in designing our own homes, from the rug color to the way we shop for groceries. And then ultimately, hope extends outside of us in how we live in our communities, from the way we feed someone hungry to the plants we grow in the ground.

Feeling! Magazine was started by a stubborn version of me in 2023, who lost her big dream, but started writing again.

I’ve now wept tears of joy for this reconnection to creativity I thought I had lost — and further, a reception from you that is touching, heartfelt, and surprising. Every week, I am excited to write, design, and connect with you. This is a miracle, because this is not at all how I used to live. A million dreams woke up again in me.

I am starting with Feeling! Press, an e-commerce greeting card company that I am opening this summer, from my 700 sq. ft. apartment.

The written word, now more than ever, holds a power that transcends centuries, oceans, and deep wounds. Words keep people alive. Handwritten notes preserve our humanity in a time where we often have no idea if we are reading something written by coding bots.

I am excited to make Feeling! Press your favorite place to pick out thoughtfully designed cards that inspire you to write more.

I am knee-deep in start-up mode, but here to give a report from the trenches:

Logistics: The largest hurdle to starting, specifically in New York, is how to ship and store my product. I researched storage units, third-party shipping partners, dropshipping — all of it. Ultimately, I’ve made a call that feels a bit absurd, but somehow right. I am going to turn my apartment into my shipping unit. I want to keep overhead costs as low as possible, have maximum control over the packaging experience, and not have to lug supplies back and forth from a unit.

So, in perhaps the most challenging home design task I’ve ever had, I am trying to figure out how to maintain the homey feel of a small apartment while dedicating space to a shipping facility. The simplicity of working from home cannot sacrifice the feeling of peace in our own space, so we will have to strike an innovative balance. Stay tuned. (This is hard!)

Designs: The first 20 cards are conceptualized, many sketched, and will be turned into digital versions soon. I’ve selected the first printing partner I’d like to try out, and now I’m spending evenings designing.

Brand build-out: I was absolutely stuck for a while. I knew what I wanted in terms of visual branding, but couldn’t do it for myself because I was too in the weeds (in my head). Hailey, who you are secretly familiar with because she does a lot of graphics for this newsletter, developed a brilliant new logo for me. Hallelujah.

In the process, we are rebranding Feeling! Magazine’s visual identity too. Next week, the new logo for the magazine will be unveiled! Hailey did amazing work, per usual, and it is my dream logo!

A One-Week-Only Celebration:

I have been trying to think through a way to thank you for your support and simultaneously invite you to join this next exciting chapter of Feeling!

I have kept my monthly rate for subscriptions at $5 since 2023, which is the lowest Substack lets you go. Since I’ve kept my subscription rate so low, I’ve never offered a sale.

But for one week, I will do this massive sale, and then I will never do it again. Here’s why:

I am building something new, and I’d really like to make it accessible to you. If you’ve enjoyed this publication for a while, this drastic discount is a way to jump on board for the best experience possible.

This is the cusp, the perfect time to join in, because so many new features are coming out (starting in May).

The paid annual subscription ($25) will offer:

• Access to the new “Hosting with Feeling!” column, all about how to do the human parts of hosting

• Full access to the “Design Dive” column, which includes how-to guides for designing your space with intention

• Access to the up-and-coming full-service graphic design and digital design workshops

• A membership to our card-writing matchmaking service (launching in May), which included exclusive discounts to Feeling! Press products)

• My entrepreneurship diary of sorts, detailing this new brand launch from behind the scenes, and direct access to “office hours” for any of your burning creative small business questions

I am grateful for your support every day, work hard to create a publication that is of value to you, and I am hopeful that a half-off discount will allow as many readers as possible to join in the party without a strain.

There are so many great publications on Substack, and I am very grateful you would ever choose to support mine. To join Feeling! with this never-happening again offer, click here.

And I’ll see you all next Monday for the new branding reveal!

I am giving you an early introduction to the Feeling! Magazine, new brand colors. I am enamored with them, and want to simultaneously paint all my walls in their hues and dress only in these colors. Do you have a favorite?

I have a running list of creators running small businesses that have caught my eye. Today, I am sharing some of my recently discovered favorites with you.

Soft Good is a jewelry studio producing this sort of elevated whimsy that marries the sophistication of heirloom pieces with a full dose of sparkly magic. She produces incredible necklaces, rings, bracelets, charms, and even bespoke engagement rings. This award ribbon necklace allows for full customization of material, chain, and charm.

Pink Lemon Ceramics is a Charleston-based studio, offering these vivid and uncommon sculptural candle holders for your wall. They would make a wonderful stand-alone statement or break up a gallery wall with something visually interesting.

Joiana Jewelry offers these beautifully crafted birthstone charm necklaces. The shape of the gem with the accompanying colorful hug is a style that feels refreshingly new. I am bookmarking this for all my friends’ birthday gifts.

SonderHaus is a brand that combines two of my favorite things: colorful clothing and stationery. If you are looking for something to wear this summer that is breathable, not just denim shorts every day, SonderHaus’ new collection of gingham pants is a perfect option. The color selections have my seal of approval.

Hattie Buzzard makes jewelry that feels like a candy shop. Truly remarkable color combinations, materials, and compositions. I love a statement necklace or bracelet; I am always looking for them. I feel like this brand has figured out how to design pieces in a way unlike other brands. Everything they produce, including phone wristlets, feels unique to them.

Joyn is my favorite tote company for a number of reasons. Each canvas bag is block-printed by hand meticulously, and you can tell. The quality of thick canvas and thick ink prints is evident the minute you open the package. Their spring polka dot collection is an absolute wonder.

Goldie Ceramics has a floral-forward spring collection out right now. Perhaps known for her brightly colored pieces or the sipping features of her ceramic cups, each collection feels cohesive to the brand, yet fresh enought ot make you shuffle around the cupboard to fit one more mug.

✸ I am hosting a giveaway with Herman Miller that will end on 4/30. You can enter the competition on this post, and one reader of Feeling! will walk away with a FREE Sayl armchair. And better posture for it, haha!

✸ I think parties need more play. But, there is a strategy to picking a board game that doesn’t make everyone immediately check out. I wrote out my strategy and my tried-and-true board games for livening up any gathering.

✸ Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching, and I have made you a very thorough list of gift ideas, including a chunky birthstone ring and custom candy boxes.

✸ I recently interviewed the CEO of my favorite fragrance brand, Dedcool, about how a fragrance is designed through the lens of feelings. Her experience of making the intangible, tangible is a fascinating read.

Hello! I am here to enthusiastically share some things I am loving in my creative start-up phase.

1. I got a large Moleskine sketchbook that houses all the mock-up sketches of every greeting card design. Lately, I’ve felt compelled to start everything on paper before I go digital. It’s made a significant improvement in my focus and productivity, and reconnected me to the little girl who used to color in her notebook for hours at a time.

2. I will confess I have never been a pencil girl. I am a gel pen and marker kind of person, but my mind may have been changed. I got Blackwing colored pencils, and they are wonderful. The brand is notorious amongst stationery lovers, and so I thought I’d give it a try. I now fully understand the hype!

3. Connor gifted me a gelato ballpoint pen from Levenger Pens, and I just stare at it sometimes in my hand with awe. The brand carries delicious tortoise shell and terrazzo-esque pens and prices that are surprisingly affordable for the luxury pen space.

4. This is my woven shoulder bag, which I bring everywhere with me. It is full of three notebooks, solid perfume, 5 lip glosses, and probably crumbled napkins from a coffee shop. And it holds it all with ease. The woven texture elicits more compliments than any other bag I carry.

5. I will be wearing these linen track pants for long writing days when I need to be comfy, but also grocery runs, park picnics, and really anywhere out-and-about this summer. They have a breezy, linen fabric that fits true to size. I like that it is a piece more elevated that athetic pants, but still delightfully casual.

6. New York oat milk matchas are running at a crisp $8.50 these days. So I’ve become quite the expert at making my favorite drink at home. Dona, based in Brooklyn, makes my favorite matcha, if you are looking to make your own lattes at home.

7. Herman Miller’s Sayl chair has singlehandedly saved my back. I searched high and low for a work-from-home chair that could actually support me, but wasn’t an eyesore. It is a worthy investment to have ergonomic support, but with a bit of Herman Miller’s classic midcentury design flair. You can also enter to win one for free here, before 4/30!

✸ FREE ADVICE!

I asked the Feeling! chat if they had any creative entrepreneurship questions to phone in this week. Here were your thoughts:

Q from :
So excited to see your creations. I have a few questions!
1. Because of tariffs, are you using printers in the USA or internationally? I’m trying to find printers for my business, and China has the best gold foil options, but the tariffs make it so unreasonable!
2. Is it better to do seasonal drops or themed drops (if that makes sense)?

A: When I had a brick-and-mortar stationery shop, I used a printer down the street from me. Being able to talk about ideas in person was a benefit. There is a simplicity in saving time and shipping costs by being able to have an in-person conversation and pick up samples when needed. I plan to print in the USA this go-round for the straightforward reasons: simplified conversation and bolstering another small business!

I love that second question. I think it depends on what product you sell and who your customers are, but usually, successful product launches are a combination of both seasonality and timely themes.

Q from : I always look forward to seeing how other creatives handle the behind-the-scenes part of their businesses - how they plan their time, stay organized, coordinate schedules & launches, balance responsibilities, and so on.

A: I love to hear about this from others, too! I have a blue notebook that holds my days together. I write everything in it. And I operate off a daily handwritten to-do list with a highlighter, marking things off as I go. My schedule is kept on a custom-colored Google Calendar. I try to move through things with a “one day at a time” mentality. I have a lot of project-based work, and often, the projects overlap. Every hour is about making small dents in big things over time.

Most days are spent behind the computer at my desk, dog walk breaks, homemade matcha stops, dinner with Connor, and a brand event in the evening. Weekends are for writing, cleaning, catch-up, time with friends, and I’ve been trying to categorize days of the week as a “writing day” or a “design day,” where my primary time focus is on one or the other. Turns out, I’m rather temperamental and have to play by ear what the focus will be each day. Every day is quite different, dictated by deadlines, meetings, and events, but I really like that!

Q from : How do you balance wanting to stay competitive in a market that is becoming overrun by mass-produced AI slop with not wanting to devalue your work or cheapen your process just to keep up? As a fellow creative, it can personally feel exhausting and daunting to look at the current creative product landscape and feel like I have any chance to keep up, but also not wanting to do things poorly just to try to stay competitive.

A: I understand how you feel, and I bet so many others do too! I try to spend very little time focusing on or studying the current creative product landscape, and if I do, I only look at people, brands, and projects that ignite a creative optimism inside of me (i.e., it leaves me feeling more equipped to do my work than when I found it).

I am not worried about competing with AI, because I understand my readers are not interested in quick & cheap work.

My best advice is to spend minimal time scrolling, strive for true excellence in your work (even if that costs you time), and reference material that is timeless and distinctly human (museums, music, classic movies, even deep conversations with friends, etc.).

No one can be you, and no one can have your unique perspective. And in an increasingly artificial world, I’m betting on the value of human connection rising tremendously. Keep creating with a sense of hope about what could be and what you could uniquely change. Also, get really good at your craft. Read books, watch tutorials, get better and better. It’s not about keeping up; it’s about producing work you are proud to make.

Q from : Hi! I’m new to your Substack, so I’m not sure if you’ve already talked about this. But do you sell through other stores or brands as well? And if so, how is that process? Thank you!

A: Yes, I will be offering greeting cards wholesale! I have relationships with some small business owners I will be reaching out to them personally near the time I launch the brand. Faire is a great platform for finding new wholesale partners. I will also be going door-to-door in New York with samples this summer and asking shops if they’d like to sell my cards. Catch me sweaty and determined on Orchard St.!

Q from : What keeps you inspired? Especially in the early moments of building your brand! I definitely second-guess every substack I post and feel a little low on my own mojo. What keeps you going? Inspired?

A: I, too, often feel low on my own mojo. I think this is part of doing something you care about. I have to constantly remind myself that it is good for something to take time. Good things take time. I produce consistently, even when I get in my own head or feel daunted by the numbers. I have done this long enough to know there are ebbs and flows, and my feelings should not steer the ship, or I’d never post anything at all.

Always come back to the joy of it. Are you creating something you would love to create without sharing it online? You have to love it, it has to bring a sense of joy, or it’s very difficult to sustain — at least in my creative experience! I write about things I love and feel inspired by, which helps me stay afloat through waves of self-doubt.

And if you are not feeling any joy in the creation process of your work, it’s a good time to step back and get curious about why you are making it at all. I had to do that at different points, and it’s unpleasant to get the mirror out, but that kind of precise reflection helps you refine focus.

Q from : For entrepreneurs looking to do most of their own branding/packaging design/etc, what would you recommend keeping in mind in order to have a beautiful brand without needing to have all of the graphic design skills?

And! What are some surprising ways that entrepreneurship can positively impact other areas of your life?

A: Source ideas from timelessly excellent design. Start with packaging at antique stores or old book covers at the library — take pictures and create a gallery. As you are refining your personal style, start with inspiration outside of Pinterest, or else you may unintentionally make a copy of someone’s work. Adobe Express and Canva are both excellent design tools for getting started!

Good design is clear and communicates what you need it to — don’t get lost in the aesthetics. Oh, and compelling color combinations are essential!

For part 2: The freedom in my schedule and flexibility in my work style are fabulous perks of being self-employed. Now, to be fair, I work 10+ hour days often, even on weekends. So I am working a lot, but I love it and want to! I like that if I feel a little sick or tired, I can work from bed or take a day to recover. I can work from the train, the beach, an airplane, the couch, or my favorite coffee shop. I also like setting up my own metrics, goals, and projects. I am the kind of person who made a lot of new goals at work that no one asked me to, and drove everyone else a bit crazy about it — so now that I am back to being a full-time entrepreneur, for better or worse, I feel like a horse out of its stall, I can RUN!

Thank you all for your thoughtful questions. My favorite part of making this newsletter is talking to you directly. It means a lot to me when you leave a comment, thought, or feeling. Truly, the best place on the internet.

To join Feeling! with this never-happening-again offer, click here before Monday, May 4th.

Thank you, Hailey Howe, for your lovely work on Feeling! Magazine Graphics! You made this Monday Letter magical!

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🪄 Shop all my favorite things

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The first time I saw my apartment was on move-in day. It was a lovely, sunlit, small white box in the sky. It felt smaller than the pictures I had memorized from the listing. I timidly watched it shrink as we filled it with our boxes and belongings.

The superintendent handed us the keys, showed us a few things, and the door shut behind him.

It was just us. We caught our breath. The sun faded across the walls. I felt like a little kid. Stranded in some unfamiliar place, far from everyone I knew, far from familiar street names.

Connor and I ordered takeout from somewhere we didn’t recognize and pushed two cardboard boxes together as a table. We sat criss-cross, eating off the boxes. Between bites, we pointed to the walls and schemed where things would go. Our things are the only familiar part of this whole endeavor, after all. We dreamed of the life we would live, the new chapter we’ve found ourselves in. We guessed which window the dog would prefer to look out. The potential was palpable.

We found the box with blankets and made a bed on the floor. No bed frame yet, no couch, no mattress. It was a true inaugural night in New York City.

In the weeks that followed, we tried many arrangements to fit a living, dining, and working space in our small home. Arranging, living, re-arranging in a constant loop. A small space becomes a canvas for experimentation, as every event, even simple daily routines, disrupts the delicate balance of placement.

Behind the chaos and clutter of our space was an anxious heart. I was in a pivotal moment in my work. I had transitioned from a full-time in-person job to a fully remote curriculum writing fellowship. Not only was my high-intensity, people-filled work setting gone (14 hours away), but my new position also had a time stamp. I knew it would end after one year…and then what?

We watched the leaves fade to orange with wonder as boxes began to empty and disappear. We finally got a mattress, then a bed frame, and our belongings began to find their places.

I’d often run through the exact same conversation with Connor each night. What will I do after the fellowship ends? I still had many months to go. It’s probably all going to work out. But it may not! What will happen? Do you know? I don’t know.

I had been in education for four years, after closing my small business during COVID. My very reasonable and safe plan was to find a job in education in New York when my position ended.

But something strange and sparkly was looming inside me.

What if I reopened that box I had buried my dreams in? It was a nauseating thought. There was a lot of grief, bad memories, and hurt packed in with those dreams.

I decided it was best to keep the box tucked to the side.

But sometimes ideas chase us despite our best efforts to play it safe.

One idea, in particular, wouldn’t leave me alone.

A magazine.

I had wanted to make a magazine since elementary school. I had a stagnant Substack sitting there. I had an itch to write again. I’d jot down ideas in a notebook for articles, but never actually write them.

The spring sunshine arrived, and we had settled into the space. Our apartment had come together colorfully, and I figured out ways to still host friends despite the confined space. It began to look like us, and even the city started to feel right. Simultaneously, something in me shifted. I started to believe the ideas I had been avoiding could possibly work.

I had a reckoning with myself. Who is stopping me from making a magazine? Who is stopping me from making an editorial schedule, pretending to be an editor, and just going for it?

I would give myself until the end of my full-time job to burn the candle at both ends. I would keep my job and build my dream in the evening train commutes, weekends, and early mornings. I was going to try hard.

This meant the apartment had to change, too.

If I were really going to do this, I needed a space that supported me. Good design invites us to arrive fully and functionally as ourselves, and then prompts us to aim for who we aspire to be.

I knew I needed a space that encouraged me to write and design if I was really going to stick with it. I wanted a workspace that looked and felt like it sat the writer I was aiming to be. I really wanted a magazine studio!

It just needed to fit in my one-bedroom apartment somehow.

I believe anyone’s space, within any budget or size constraints, can be tuned to support their dreams — whether that be writing, art, cooking, parenting, fashion, anything! All it takes is good design.

I got to work on both the magazine and designing a space that would make the dream feel possible. Here’s how I did it:

Start with a palette. (I always start with color.) I recommend choosing 3-4 colors you really love, and staying within their color family. You can use a balance of all four colors, evenly. Or if you really want to make a statement, lead with a main character color that takes over a bit! I have a whole archive of color palettes here, to help.

✷ For more color inspiration, the iconic picnic posters of Steve Frykholm are my favorite.

Identify the design motifs and themes I wanted to be represented. I’d grab a pen and write down an intention for the space, clearly, just for you. This can be very practical, or very abstract. For me, I wanted a clean space free from distraction that makes me want to immerse myself in my art. I wanted it to feel like me (colorful) with an edge of New York magazine. Modern, bold, and clean.

✷ For inspiration, I look to Alexander Girard’s work.

Invest in one serious piece. You do not have to furnish the space all at once, and certainly, it can be a mix of things you already own, or hunt and gather. But one piece needs to feel extremely considered. The focal point, if you will. That perfect piece that represents both your color and your intention best — that’s the one to invest in. My signature magazine studio piece is my Herman Miller chair. I have been bewitched by Herman Miller’s designs for a very long time — the midcentury legacy, the work of their graphic designer Steve Frykholm, and the colors of Alexander Girard. I also have to sit for many hours at a time to do my work, so I knew my comfort was a priority. The Sayl chair design, with a “berry blue” seat, was the perfect editor’s chair for me to build this dream from. It feels midcentury (modern), the blue pops against the white desk (bold), and the sleek back design supports my posture (clean).

✷ For chair inspiration and a history of ergonomic work chairs.

Use light to your advantage. Are you a cozy, work-by-lamp person? Or a natural window light person? Or maybe a mix of both? Consider carefully what natural light your space will get, and arrange accordingly. Light is a very impactful design tool, and window light is free!

✷ For inspiring images of natural window light that make me want to live near a giant body of water.

Create a visual boundary. In a small space, framing off your work area will help it feel distinct — even if your couch is sitting right there. You can make it feel like its own space with a rug (especially a solid color one), shelves above your desk, a large framed artwork, a room divider, or a bookshelf.

Choose objects that inspire, not distract. Of course, if you are designing a space to encourage a dream, you need to surround yourself with pieces that feel as if they call you to that aspiration. The words of a writer you love, a scent that reminds you of somewhere you want to go, a meaningful photo, or modern “heirlooms” from your field of work. Inspiration bolts!

✷ For inspiring organization as a creative practice.

Edit constantly. Be meticulous about visual clutter. There is a way to make things feel eccentric and colorful while still focused. Sort by color or type, tuck things in drawers rather than having them sit out, stack neatly (even big stacks) — but most importantly, keep your direct working space clear, whether that’s around your keyboard or a notebook. Give your imagination some breathing room.

My apartment is still a small white box. It requires a lot of compromise, sorting, and late-night re-arranging to make it work. But it is, truly, the place where I do my work best, and where the magazine I’ve dreamed about making since I was a kid is coming to fruition.

It took intention, a willingness to get gritty and creative, and a belief that creative space isn’t just reserved for down-the-road spaces, careers, or budgets, but can happen right now.

You can always just decide to make a studio of your dreams!

Giveaway!

This is so exciting, I can hardly believe it!

I’m partnering with Herman Miller to give away a Sayl Chair. Yes, we can be Herman Miller chair twins. The winner will be able to select their preferred finish and upholstery color, to make it custom to you.

To enter, ensure you are subscribed to Feeling! Magazine, and leave a comment about your dream creative workspace in the comments. The winner will be announced on 4/30.

(For an additional entry, you can also follow the instructions on this Instagram post!)

This giveaway is hosted and administered by me. The prize is provided by Herman Miller. Herman Miller is not responsible for the administration of this giveaway, including entry collection, winner selection, or communication with entrants.

No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. residents, 18+. To enter, follow me and @hermanmiller and tag a friend in the comments on this post on Instagram. For an additional entry, comment on my latest Substack post. Giveaway ends 4/30 ET. Winner will be selected at random and contacted directly.

This giveaway is not affiliated with or endorsed by Substack or Instagram.

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I knew I would write a hosting column for Feeling! but felt like Goldilocks in the process. I’ve hesitated to publish because nothing has felt quite right.

I penciled thoughts down for a while, but didn’t feel compelled by any of them. I have a habit of rushing ideas, but I tried to give this one space.

During these months of trying to get it right, I’ve simultaneously experienced a weird relationship with hosting. And I’ll tell you about it.

When we first moved to the city, we fell into friendships with a shocking ease. In mere months, I developed relationships with new friends that went deeper than friendships I had had for years. It was immersive, fast, and unbelievable. It felt like a sitcom.

Seasons passed, and life evolved the way it always does. The transience of a place like New York kicked in. People moved. People changed. Dynamics changed. Jobs changed. Schedules changed. RSVP’s often don’t mean much. That brief moment where it felt like everyone was always available, food was always being shared, and the sun was always shining became more complex and fleeting.

Good friendships endured, and I’m fortunate to have them. But that easy-breezy gathering flow I stumbled upon in the summer wasn’t as easy breezy by the fall. It actually takes a lot of work to maintain.

And THAT is what I’m curious about.

I want to write about it because I am living through it and want to find the answers.

How do you maintain community?

How do I host a dinner party when my feelings are hurt?

How do I make a gathering impactful beyond the photos taken?

What can I do, very practically, to make a table people feel connected to? How do I mix friend groups? What should I pull out if everyone stops talking? What do I do if people keep cancelling on me?

Gathering is more about the feeling in your gut after the party than the moodboard preparation beforehand. This friction is what is compelling to me.

My experience as a teacher orchestrating awkward middle school gatherings will serve as my primary guiding force. I have wiped tears away from a left-out student too many times to put my experience to waste. It turns out adults are a lot like middle schoolers.

Welcome to Hosting with Feeling! A column exclusively for paying subscribers, full of practical advice, realistic ideas, and straightforward methods for handling the most un-aesthetic parts of hosting. (The heart parts!)

Today, we discuss the essential art of the appetizer game.

Your next gathering needs an “appetizer game.” Which is a definition I made up for the short and easy-to-play, but super social board games. These work for people who hate sitting through instructions but love a lively conversation.

I completely changed my mind about board games at gatherings because I found a way to implement them to foster authentic connections better than conversation alone could.

I will teach you how to use a board game to speed up friendship building like it’s a magic spell. There is a bit of strategy involved, of course.

Read more

On Saturday, the sun was shining across Brooklyn sidewalks. After waiting in a brief line, Maci and I politely asked for details on Nako’s “signature latte” we had been eyeing on the menu. The barista smiled and said it was “Earl Grey sea salt flavored,” and we tapped to pay faster than they sling guns in Western movies.

We walked, debriefed, and sat in the sun with the East River glistening in the background. There were a million dogs out and about, which I usually stopped the conversation to acknowledge the really outstanding ones (all of them).

We talked a lot about the effort it takes to build community in a big city. I shared that I had been a bit burned out by my own efforts, had taken the winter to hole up and recover, and was now curious about the path forward. It’s one of those things where we can stand on the cusp and wonder if you should withdraw and play it safe, or give it all you've got and get beat up in the process. Life is made of a lot of those forks in the road. I think I’ve incurred the most damage on the path of giving it all I’ve got, yet the path of less resistance is where I’ve accumulated most regrets.

“So I guess I just keep trying?” I ask my friend. She nods behind her sunglasses.

It’s a wonder what a walk and talk can do for the heart. And perhaps, what an Earl Grey matcha can do for me personally. It was a precious reminder to keep trying with any hope that can be mustered. It may hurt, but I will not wonder “what if?” This feels reflective of my design journey as well, as I am preparing to go back into the “belly of the beast” of entrepreneurship. I am working on my first collection of greeting cards in five years, knee-deep in the design process, wrapping up branding, and starting to build out the website. I often feel the panic of the fork in the road: am I really going to open myself up to all this risk? Or should I play it safe? I’ve decided I’d like to be the kind of older woman who did really brave things throughout her life, so I suppose I have to do the scary part right now.

One thing that makes the scary parts more manageable is a table full of other people creating, dreaming, and scheming. I got together with Hetta Home, who graciously hosted us (, , , , , ) over a warmly vibrant table. I realized I love gingham tablecloths more than I thought, namecards are an underrated joy, and being around inspiring people will help you do the creative work.

Among many women doing many exciting things at the table was Lucie from the iconic East Village bakery, From Lucie. Her inaugural cookbook comes out tomorrow, and I got to hear a bit of their amazing process, shooting the cover in film over in Paris, testing recipes for three years, and understanding her process as a baker.

I knew I would be sharing a Mother’s Day gift guide this week, so I just wanted to include her cookbook as a top recommendation for mom. It is gorgeous, and gifting a cookbook can include the caveat of quality time, as you could make a recipe together! Moms will love.

Making a book is grueling, and I was so inspired to see her in action right before it releases. It is full of the actual recipes she uses in her bakery.

I asked Lucie where readers should start once they get the book. She said, “First, the carrot cake, then flourless chocolate cake, and then the chocolate chip cookies.”

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SHOPPING FOR MOM

I am sharing an early Mother’s Day Gift Guide for you today! This was especially fun to put together, and I hope you can tell I had a blast doing so.

Mother’s Day is May 10th! The holiday can sneak up on you, so I wanted to give everyone a head start to be more intentional. Of all the holidays, it should probably be taken the most seriously, yet we are all the least prepared for it because we don’t have the magical force of moms to back us up on this one.

I’d also encourage you to use the holiday as an excuse to love the other moms in your life, not just your own. Friends, aunts, grandparents, siblings, etc., who are moms doing their thing could also use a boost, certainly. If you have lost your mother, maybe this year could start a tradition of generously loving another mom in some way.

Per usual, my biggest piece of advice is: do not neglect a handwritten card. A thoughtful message, memory, or feeling written by hand is likely going to be the gift she loves the most.

Set a timer for 20 minutes, sit down, and order a gift for your mom so it will arrive in time for you to wrap and attach that thoughtful card!

I aimed to pick gifts from a variety of price points, with many ideas that could be bundled together as a bigger gift. Here are some ideas for gifts I believe women will actually like and use:

✸ This is a fun cherry-colored heart keychain that could be gifted alongside a new tote, a note about your own heart (she will cry), or used as a gift wrap topper for some extra sweet pizzazz.

✸ A compact pearlescent mirror keychain is for the elegant mom. It is one of those really nice-to-haves for travel, sliding in the car, or storing in her purse. The pearly glow of the compact gives the practical an edge of sophistication.

✸ These ribbed pearl earrings are like a really good pair of dark jeans: they can be dressed up or down. They are the type of dangly earring that could be worn to work or a wedding. The best gifts are ones they can actually use.

✸ The boar-bristle oribe brush is peak useful luxury. It’s taking something she uses every day and giving her the best version of it. I personally use this brush, so let me tell you about it! The combination of boar bristles and nylon pins feels incredible against the scalp and makes your hair silky smooth. Like, silky silky. And shiny. Plus, the resin tortoise-shell-esque design is exquisite.

✸ Papier makes a custom recipe journal where you can choose your own cover photo. The journal is full of blank recipe pages you could fill with some family classics beforehand if you want to make her tear up a bit.

✸ Small business, Stamped & Finch, makes this stunning glimmer of hope necklace. The designer states, “My heart for this necklace is to be a piece that stands as a declaration of hope and a reminder of lovely things coming.” I feel this could be a lovely gift for moms who have experienced heartache and loss, and need a reminder of something good and tangible to hold on to.

✸ Stamped & Finch also makes this stunning heirloom necklace, which you can customize with an initial.

✸ I found this Etsy shop that makes such a good monochromatic frame for your photos, available in so many wonderful shades. It’s a standout decorative piece that will also make her sentimental.

✸ These custom birthstone earrings are lovely for everyday wear. Here is my idea: get them in HER mom’s birthstone. Write a note revealing this, and put it in her gift.

✸ Good Weather just made a glossy SPF lip gloss in two shades that remind me of popular lip colors in the early 2000s in the best way. Berry is my favorite. This little treat is perfect for a beach/outdoor-loving mom who may still listen to Martina McBride on her long walks.

✸ Dedcool perfume is my very favorite scent brand. For moms, I think Mineral Milk or Xtra Milk will absolutely hit the spot. The travel sizes are $30 and perfect for adding on to another gift. (P.S. Readers of Feeling! like Dedcool so much, they gave me a discount just for you. JENNA15 for 15% off)

✸ A custom waffle pouch from Abodde allows you to choose any color and an embroidered initial or fun symbol, just for her. The waffle fabric is super soft, while the bag structure is durable (and spacious).

✸ Shiny silver Puma flats for moms who are on the MOVE just felt like a very good option. Pairs well with a baseball cap from their favorite vacation spot.

✸ For women with many things in their purses, I present a little cow coin purse made on Etsy.

✸ It’s hard to stroll through Brooklyn without seeing a mom with a custom initial weekday tote bag from Alex Mill. The monograms make them unique to the individual, and they can seriously haul some loot.

✸ Dona’s cardamom rose concentrate makes for an at-home sweet treat. Pairs really well with an enticing new chapter book.

✸ Harney & Sons’ Victorian London fog is like a more complex, vanilla-centric Earl Grey tea. Tea is really the perfect mom gift. You could include a stainless steel tea steeper, a new thermos, or specialty honey alongside the blend.

✸ This beautiful espresso cup from Il Buco Vita is wonderful for the mom who is a bit of an at-home barista.

✸ Another recommendation from Harney & Sons is Earl Grey Matcha, a loose-leaf blend coated in matcha powder. I was a skeptic, but it tastes absolutely wonderful. You could gift it with a cute bottle of homemade lavender syrup.

✸ A temperature-controlled Fellow electric kettle is the ultimate gift for the tea-loving mom. Call in the siblings and go in together on a kettle, with a basket of teas!

✸ Dona’s chai concentrate is simply the best. You keep it in the fridge, pour over ice, and top with milk for iced chai lattes all summer long (you can also serve it hot). A sweet treat for moms who are into sweet treats.

✸ Manicurists’ glow nail polish strengthens your nails while giving them a “jelly” pink glow. Just a necessary tool for any woman’s nail rotation. I think any mom would be into this gift because it is so practical! It’s a safe bet.

✸ Krewe gelato readers are so cool. You can buy the frames as readers or blue light filters. I feel like they are the kind of glasses coastal chic mothers in rom coms wear while doing crosswords on their hydrangea-filled porches.

✸ Soft Services’ nighttime hand cream is a dream because: 1.) It comes in this cool pink pump vessel that is also a little jewelry tray 2.) It smells like “spa” 3.) It is thick and serious and has retinol for overnight hand cream

✸ Okay, so this one works best for moms of three. Look at this custom birthstone ring! You can pick any three birthstones to go in it! I suppose this would work for two kids + dads or + moms as well! Just so special to wear around her finger.

✸ A polka-dotted custom photo book is the right move, for sure. Fill it with recent memories, or put a “theme” together for photos from the years. Ideas: cooking together, best trips, mom fashion, newborn years, etc. Roping in siblings and extended family to contribute photos will add to the impact of the gift.

✸ BonBon is a Swedish candy store that feels like if Wes Anderson said, “let’s make a candy store.” Every element, down to the gummies themselves, is designed with color and Wonka-level magic. A BonBon box is like a mystery box of flavors that are as fun to eat as they are to put in a bowl and stare at for hours.

✸ If your mom would not like a big box of sweets, and you just need a little somethin-somethin, sour blackberry fish is my pick.

✸ Margauex’s () woven mary janes are a luxury shoe pick that will last her seasons to come. Margauex’s thing, if you will, is the balance of elegance with comfort. Their shoes notoriously feel like wearing socks. I know a fashionable mom would appreciate the craftsmanship and detail of the flat.

✸ This Waverly tote cinches at the top, so her books, glasses, lipstick, baked goods, weapons, etc., do not spill out. It is made of a sleek recycled nylon material that makes it a marvelous everyday bag, in a color she likely does not have!

✸ For moms who cook, these floral pasta bowls are a decadent canvas for her art. They look like heirloom material.

✸ For colorful moms who enjoy either an iced coffee, midday juice, or evening cocktail, Anthropologie’s howdy glassware is a playful gift she will smile about. Pairs well with some drinks/snacks from the grocery store tucked in a basket together.

✸ I know that Big Night’s bold, red butter dish is perfect for someone’s mom out there. I just have this confidence that one of you will see it, and it will exactly resonate with who your mom is.

✸ Pair the incredible ceramic butter dish with a pearly bistrot spreader, and deliciously thick butter from the farmer’s market, of course.

✸ Another tea recommendation for a mom who likes a good wind-down, yellow & blue chamomile tea is a cozy fit. I imagine pairing this with a new fuzzy blanket or nighttime read.

✸ I have an activity to go along with this paint by number kit. Buy two, one for you, one for her, a bottle of wine, and make an at-home “paint & sip” situation. She will like the quality time the most, but the art is frameable and lovely too.

✸ Soft Services’ carea cream is a lightweight body lotion with no fragrance that hydrates like magic. If your mom endured a long winter, this is a very practical gift she will use to the full! Plus, the bottle packaging is so beautiful, it feels decorative on the nightstand.

✸ This jade bead statement necklace comes in multiple bold colors, and it’s one of those things an accessory-forward mom longs to have in her rotation.

✸ Another crafty project, this pretty punch needle kit, is ideal for an at-home craft night together. She will remember your time spent with fondness. Bonus points if you bake her cookies.

Happy shopping! If you want to click through all the links together, I put them here.

✸ I wrote 10 practical ideas to help you get your zest back for life. I know, often, these types of lists are unrealistic, but I thought of things that can be implemented easily with nearly no budget needed. I hope it hits you right where you need it.

✸ I announced that I am launching a greeting card brand back in February in this post. The process of starting up a business (after having my heart broken by stationery years prior) has been both creatively exciting and intimidating. I have a branding reveal coming for you soon that we have been working on for months. I am hoping to document the process of building this business (very bootstrappy) in my apartment, and the feelings that come along with it. That is, if you would find it interesting!

✸ If you need a list of movies that will not make you feel awful, but leave you feeling inspired, we made one!

Greetings from the best spot on the internet, the Feeling! Magazine chat room! I recently asked:

“When you have been a guest at someone else’s party...what did they do that made you feel instantly more comfortable?

And if you want to dish...when were you invited over and made UNCOMFORTABLE immediately? What did they do to make you feel that way?”

The answers were very revealing. For making a guest more comfortable:

says her hosts, “Introduced me to the group and then connected me with someone over a common interest so we instantly had something to talk about.”

reports from the sidelines of bounce-houses, “This is uniquely a kid party thing- but typically at kid parties, there are tons of people you don’t know. But the kid party I truly enjoyed stands out in my memory! There was a jewelry-making table & all the moms sat & made jewelry and opened our hearts as we focused on the craft in our hands. Having a big table to ground us & a thing to keep us busy took away the awkwardness of being strangers immediately.”

shares, “Being offered a drink is always appreciated. As is being introduced, if you don’t know anyone.”

added in, “This one isn’t always applicable, of course - but I love when I show up to a party and the host asks me to help with something (big or small)! It could be restocking a platter or helping to finish setting something up - sometimes I’m helping alongside someone, idk, which makes it a fun ice breaker :) Haha, it sounds random, but I think it’s a really charming way to make things feel a lot more casual/comfortable and builds a nice sense of community. Also, this taps into a bit of what was said earlier, but it’s nice to have something to do with your hands!”

said plainly, “I love when I go to someone’s house for dinner, and their kitchen is a disaster. It’s so relatable and it helps me relax.” Amen.

shared that her “Hostess brought out a Slipper Basket! So cozy, so homey.”

poignantly stated what is necessary: “Introductions and making sure to engage someone in conversation until it’s clear it’s flowing naturally without intervention. If someone is new to the group.”

shared as the host: “At one of my own parties, I set out a couple of sheets of temporary tattoos for guests to put on as everyone arrived. Beats the awkward standing-around period and made things instantly fun!”

shared the magic of table games: “I was invited to a party where I knew no one and they immediately introduced me to everyone in the room. Minutes later, we were all laughing over a game of UNO.”

And in dinner party horror stories:

details, “Not cool was the time I arrived at a rather small gathering and there weren’t enough chairs or glasses and no one seemed to care, including the host. I left after 15 minutes.”

weighed in, “Perhaps the worst gathering experiences are when people immediately bring up past drama and hurts harbored against other guests. It sets the scene for a horribly awkward time!”

made my jaw drop with this one: “Walking in to the hosts serving dinner to 2 other couples. No introductions, no offer to join them, rather we were directed to the basement to hang out, they would join us when they were finished.”

made me think about breakfast logistics, stating: “My cousin was at a pancake brunch without knives…”

summed it up well, “I was immediately uncomfortable at a party when there was no music playing, and the host didn’t invite me to a single person, and I was forced to have a conversation with the only two people I knew (who weren’t that fun to talk to lol).”

Excited to share more on hosting this week with the newest Feeling! Magazine column:

Thank you, Hailey Howe, for your lovely work on Feeling! Magazine Graphics! You made this Monday Letter magical!

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I decided to start sneaking things in at the bottom of the newsletter just for the real ones that make it to the end.

Today’s post is free for everyone because Book of the Month sponsored it!

The spring, despite the excitement of blooming flowers and warm sunshine, can feel like a sort of Groundhog Day. The excitement from the start of the year and the setting of ambitious goals all fade into a pastel mundanity, where the frustration of unmet hopes simmers politely in the background. Sure, you are on the patio with an iced drink, finally. But something desperate burns in the background. The year is passing by, and the repetition of days feels more like a drag than a routine. Some are angst-filled for something different, something better.

Others are in the most interesting place, with the job they dreamed of, with good people, and still feeling a grinding sense of, “Is this it?”

It sounds like you, my friend, may have lost your zest. Your zest for life, your zest for today. Where did it go? Was it ground down in the fire of loss? Washed away in extreme disappointment? Churned to a knub with daily headlines? Hollowed out by the circumstances that nearly hollowed you out? Spat out by cruelty? Where is that ambitious yet optimistic feeling that there is work to be done, and further, the gumption to do it? That Phineas and Ferb type of problem-solving, youthful ambition, extreme hope, the simple miracle of a “hey, I know what I am going to do today.”

Symptoms of zest-loss may include:

• General malaise

• An increase in dwelling on how many views your social media post has received recently

• Multi-tasking to the extent of forgetting tasks in the middle of them

• Hyper-focusing, nay, obsessing on parts of your appearance you want to change

• Emotional numbness to the point that you even have a hard time feeling someone else’s pain with them

• An increase in online shopping, a fixation on products

• Disordered priorities where it feels you are giving more time to things you don’t actually care about

• Increased disappointment; even your favorite restaurant tastes worse than usual

• Escapism

• The need for constant distraction

Many more symptoms may follow, but you generally know when the flavor has drained out of you. You can tell.

A zest for life does not equal positive feelings 24/7. I mean a curiosity, a will to live, a drive to discover, and a future in mind. This does not mean you are bright, bubbly, and blind to all pain; tone deaf to suffering around you. It means you have the oomph to move forward through it all at a timely pace. You have a desire to savor each day, absorbing them as they come, tasting them fully and presently. When’s the last time you focused on completely drying your hands after washing them? Really felt the towel? What about deeply tasting a meal? Or memorizing someone’s laugh?

I present, kindly, ten ideas for bringing zest back to your days. Ten things to help you incorporate a newfound fervor for daily living. NONE of them require you to buy a product, take a course, or do something superficial to self-improve. Some ideas may help, others may not be for you. Life is made up of days, moments, and how you spend your time right now, after all.

Also, be gentle with yourself. There may be incredibly difficult personal circumstances you’ve waded through that have left you feeling how you do — so I am not suggesting you immediately see the glass as half full. It took years to feel better and heal after loss. Even if you aren’t feeling yourself right now, you still need to be nice to yourself rather than expecting perfect feelings. Deal?

Okay, here are ten ideas for getting your zest back:

1. Take it upon yourself to make someone else’s day better

Often, when I am unusually anxious, bitter, low, or stressed it directly correlates to how much I am thinking about myself. In seasons where there is an extreme focus on my performance, appearance, or work, I am the most unstable. We are all likely thinking of ourselves more than is good.

The media we consume teaches us that extreme self-focus is not just necessary but should be celebrated. This is because they know that if we continually fixate on every aspect of ourselves, we will ultimately buy more products to fill the gaps we perceive. More, more, more. But there is a way to take care of your body, mind, and spirit without the unhappy buzz of ingratitude and constant refinement nagging at the corners of your mind each night as you reach for glowing Google to find the next thing to buy to fix a problem that does not exist. (Your chin, your nose, your legs, your hair, your smile, the way you talk, your posture, your jawline, your makeup…the list goes on.)

I have a remedy for the pressure to absorb into oneself and simultaneously be dissatisfied: Give away what you feel you do not currently have. If you feel sad, give someone else joy. If you feel unappealing, give away something beautiful. If you feel bitter, give someone else sweetness. If you feel hopeless, give someone a sense of hope. When you feel unwelcome, welcome someone in. I’m unsure if it is the same for you, but in my experience, in times where my hands are full, occupied, and my mind is on those around me, I go to bed with a happy sense of exhaustion about the day rather than that nagging self-centrism.

Take it upon yourself to go out of your way to make someone else’s day better. This will be like a dunk in crisp salt water for your senses. Bake a cake, call someone, write an intentional note, talk to a stranger, bend over backwards to help someone move, or offer to help a co-worker with something they hate doing. Invite the new kid to your lunch table, for goodness sake. Be like a joy detective, constantly sleuthing for moments you can make better for someone who may very much need that simple action to feel seen. Watch what this practice does to your spirit.

2. Join an assembly line

When was the last time you participated in some type of manual labor that put you in an assembly line? Probably far too long. I used to teach middle school, and sometimes I’d pull out an assembly line. Each student would diligently play a part in packing a donation, organizing a workbook, or even a car wash, etc. Do your small part, and pass it down the line. They would fall into this melodic silence, humming, focusing contentedly. I’d watch the more anxious students ease into it like a balm to their racing thoughts.

Throughout my life, when my anxiety has been untamable, it was often simple repetitive work with my hands that could put my mind at ease when no additional “thinking about it” could do. I remember the morning after I lost a loved one, I sat on the floor and assembled small boxes for my tea brand silently. Coping with it. My suggestion is that you rapidly find a way to get into an assembly line.

Our hands long for the tangible. And our spirits lift at rhythmic work. Knitting, embroidery, sewing, and such skills are like this. Cooking in the kitchen, especially with others, is an assembly line of sorts.

Probably the best way to do it is to volunteer for an afternoon at a non-profit and actually be in a line with other people. Organize donations, serve food cafeteria-style, clean rhythmically, sort paperwork, etc. See what happens to your thoughts when you find something purposeful, rhythmic, and simple to do with your hands. Revisit the assembly line often.

3. Make something big & bold for others

Make something fantastic for the sake of someone else. My very favorite episode of Phineas and Ferb is when they reassemble their parents’ favorite 80s band to perform for their anniversary. It was so ridiculously loving, and this is what I am talking about. Effort, intentionality, and absurdity for the sake of delighting someone you love.

Handcraft a large communal dinner for people who mean a great deal to you. Sew something by hand with someone in mind. Write a story, print it, and give it to someone who inspired it. Write a song and play it for them. Plan a scavenger hunt full of their favorite things. Throw a rock concert in your backyard. Using your time to both plan and execute acts of absurd love will absolutely change you for the better.

4. Reconnect with art, tangibly

Likely, you will not randomly happen upon free time. You will actually have to demand something important of your calendar: time for reconnecting with art, tangibly. Visit a museum, library, craft fair, art show, gallery, concert, or movie theater with the intention of finding work and artists that speak to you. All this will cost is your time and maybe an entry ticket or two. Learn about artistic movements of the past. Find times in history that feel similar to this one, and see what makers made — learn the vocabulary of the movements and the names of the artists who stand out to you.

Further, find and speak directly to artists alive now, making work that speaks to you. Go to a local art fair and just talk to the artists, ask them thoughtful questions, and engage in their work. Invest time in discovering music, writing, and visual work that strikes some specific chord within you. Compile a list to revisit. Make a direct effort to engage in person when possible. Artists often make with this resounding undercurrent of resiliency and possibility that will leave you seeing the world differently. Zest will begin zesting.

5. Intentionally write cards & send them

Once a week, set a timer for 30-60 minutes and write a thoughtful card to 3- 5 people. It could be for an upcoming birthday, a thank you, or just because. Speak to things you appreciate about them, qualities you admire, or memories you share. Think of people who are going through a big change, have been working really hard under the radar, need a boost of hope, or have recently experienced a loss.

Our words hold more power than we know. People are hurting more than we know. Use your words to pour life into others. Putting them on paper makes them a permanent comfort that a person can revisit countless times. With every envelope in the mail, your passion for the people in your life will glow a bit brighter.

6. Self-teach a new skill

How fabulous does it feel to figure something out on your own? When you nail a really good dinner? Or finally got that paint color that makes your living room feel exactly correct? One time I learned some really basic code to get my website to have an effect I really wanted, and I was exuberant. It was a thrill! Never before in history have we had complete access to learn nearly any skill we set our heart on. I think they say if you read seven books on a subject, you are essentially an expert. Not sure what applies to heart surgery, but maybe some home gardening or photo editing, sure.

I often say I want to truly learn how to cook. I could read books, watch online tutorials, and learn the technical skillset I am lacking with relative ease, just time and focus. Have you ever learned something from scratch because you were fascinated with it? I would love to hear about what you taught yourself in the comments and be inspired by you.

7. Connect with someone older than you, younger than you, or preferably both

Do you nearly exclusively spend time with other people your own age? Or just your own nuclear family? I am challenging you to find an “Up” situation and befriend a Carl. Volunteer at a nursing home, join a bingo night (seriously), or meet an older neighbor and intentionally look out for them. Additionally, try helping a family member or friend by babysitting for a night or volunteering as a tutor for students.

There is something deeply human we lose when we disconnect from our roots (childhood) and neglect to think about our future (seniorhood) and live exclusively in an unrooted “right now.” It can make things wildly bland. The richness of a long, beautifully wrinkled and grey life-lived juxtaposed with the colors and screeches of the child who just arrived is a beauty hard to capture. The “village” mentality of our ancestors, where generations are mixed together, is a way of life we have to maintain with effort if we want to experience it.

8. The ol’ fiction and walk

I recommend immersing in a very good fictional audiobook and going on a walk. Look at the world around you; every dog, every cloud, every building, every person. Sink into a story that truly grips your heart. I made a list of recommendations here. Recently, I took one from the list, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and became enraptured by it. The simplicity of a story well told inspires us to face dragons in our own lives. It allows for a healthy escape from our circumstances to encounter characters and places we can relate to our own lives and ponder. It is good to occasionally be really moved by a fairytale.

9. Be in dirt

The sandy beach, a forest creek, your own backyard: whatever it takes. Get your legs and hands dirty. Kick mud. Get your hair wet. Do a cannonball. Embrace an outdoor space for some hours with no screens or devices, just feel the earth deeply. Pay attention to the sun on your skin, the sound the water makes, and the exact shade of the color of the sky. Be in dirt, even briefly, to feel the life come back in your bones.

10. The space cleanse

Reimagine your space in terms of working with what you already have. Our environments deeply affect how we feel. You might spend the majority of your time at home. Reduce visual clutter. Remove things that feel sad, hard, or you associate with hard memories. You don’t have to throw them away, but really think through what you look at daily and sort items out if they sting.

Add color and life where you can. Put fun stuff on your fridge. Frame memories. Pull objects, books, and images that remind you of the best times to the forefront of your space as focal points. Hope is not something you stumble into; it is a muscle to strengthen and a skill to practice. Reorienting your space to fill you with hope will make that skill sharpen further.

In perfect timing for the outdoor and beach reading season, Book of the Month is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary! In April, they are offering new members their first book for just 100 cents!

Use the code HUNDRED at checkout with this link to join in the celebration and get reading! (Preferably, outside with a sparkling drink and a nearby body of water)

I think the Book of the Month puts you at the forefront of discovering new fiction work and new writers. Their subscription plan also allows you to skip over months with no charge, so you can source books as you please.

For my April read, I picked The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke, for a page-turning mystery thriller I am eager to dig into.

Hello! I am here to enthusiastically share some favorite things I’ve recently used/worn with you!

1. If I were a cartoon character who wore the same outfit every episode, I would be drawn in this striped Alex Mill cardigan. It is marvelous in style, and it is of supreme quality. I will be wearing this piece for the long haul.

2. I keep wearing this bracelet because it looks like candy. I feel like when I throw it on, my outfit instantly becomes more intentional and FUN. I’m trying to make getting dressed more fun (it’s working).

3. I’ve been using the “sandy pink” Toasty Tint from Thirsty Cowboy (a favorite small business based in Brooklyn) as blush. I always feel like blush fades off my face throughout the day for some reason, but their formula stays on all the way until the end of the day. Genuinely recommend for a sunshiney spring look.

4. My favorite coasters are from Coming Soon New York. They are this brilliant, flexible resin material, and available in so many vibrant color pairings. These are probably the pieces of home decor I get comments on the most when people come over.

5. I want to share a genuine, personal recommendation that this serum made my (dry) skin clear up and glow after some rough winter months. Might be the best product I’ve ever used for my face, as it made a noticeable, almost instant difference.

6. These are jelly ballet flats that smell like BUBBLEGUM. I wear them and feel like Polly Pocket, and that’s a really wonderful feeling.

7. I really love this brand, Du & Berry, based in Chinatown, NY. I was able to briefly meet the owner/designer and equally enjoyed her spirit and design eye. This knit, which reminds me of jam in the best way, is going to make many appearances in my spring wardrobe.

A Few Notes:

✸ A really exciting giveaway is going on right now in the comments of this post. Be sure to enter soon for a chance to win the newest fragrance from Dedcool!

✸ A new, really exciting secret website for paying subscribers of Feeling! Magazine is now live! The site is being built-out, but a really wonderful section of Feeling! Wallpapers for desktop and mobile are now live. Only paying subscribers can access, so if you’d like to get the password, check the chat!

✸ Just a thank you for reading and an ask to consider supporting Feeling! with a subscription. If you’ve been reading for a while and really enjoying it, I would appreciate your support as I work on building out some really new, big, and wonderful work this year. I have been able to keep the subscription price the most accessible (the lowest I’m able to go on Substack: $5/month) for you. For $89/yr — you also join the mailing club and receive a greeting card in the mail each month!

Thank you, Hailey Howe, for your lovely work on Feeling! Magazine Graphics! You made this Monday Letter magical!

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Fragrance is fascinating to me. Perhaps because, like color, it is this ambiguous, wordless storyteller that lives alongside us. Sometimes, a scent crosses my path that is so viscerally memorable, it is nearly like time travel.

I walked into the hallway where my ninth-grade locker was many years after high school, and the musty smell of the cinderblock hall brought back memories I had long forgotten.

Some scents transport us through space and time. The laundry detergent I used in my dorm, the inside of a certain leather purse, my husband’s flannel shirt collar from college, the coastal air at a specific beach, and the way my home smells after coming back from a trip.

Certain fragrances enter our lives and stick with us; a bond to memories, people, and places we can no longer access.

But could you craft a fragrance that captures these intangible, wordless feelings and bottle it up?

My scent collection throughout life has evolved with me.

The glitter Bath & Body Works Charmin’ Cherry spray is something I can close my eyes and still smell.

Pink’s Fresh & Clean makes me imagine P.E. class and a red iPod shuffle.

A few years ago, I became obsessed with finding a “signature scent” and tried many on to no avail.

One day, I discovered “Xtra Milk” from Dedcool, and that was it. I had an immediate all-time favorite. Now, I will always associate the fragrance with moving to New York, starting something new, and nights at home just my husband and me. It is a fragrance I associate with becoming me.

So, you can imagine how excited I am that I got to interview the creator of the scent and CEO of the company, and ask her all my burning questions about how their iconic fragrances come to life.

Meet Carina Chaz, the founder and CEO of Dedcool, the fragrance brand with a cult-following she built as a college student.

Carina called me from her sun-filled Los Angeles office with glowing gradient shades of orange and pink behind her. She seemed to radiate the same colors as the artwork.

“The fragrances are really personal to me,” she explains.

In the early years of Dedcool, inefficiency reigned. It was all grit.

Carina ended up back home in Los Angeles for college and found herself with a lot of time on her hands. She began mixing and playing with scents, which was not entirely unfamiliar territory, as her entrepreneurial parents manufactured all-natural spa and massage oils.

She started posting photos of the scents she was making on Instagram when she was only 21. Her friends became intrigued and began sampling and wearing her fragrances, which seemed to fall outside of the traditional perfume mold. Dedcool is innovative in the fragrance industry. The scents are not targeted to sell to one gender, and the price point is approachable (distinctions they still maintain).

Carina never anticipated her ideas would transform into a business, but demand grew.

The scents felt more fit for living real life: not overpowering, wonderfully layerable, and playful. She calls Xtra Milk, the fragrance she developed as a junior in college, “your favorite white t-shirt in a scent.”

The massively popular brand, Nasty Gal, reached out directly to her one day, unexpectedly requesting a sample of the fragrance to feature. Amazed and in shock, Carina hustled to manufacture samples in professional packaging, which was a new feat, and successfully delivered the kit to Nasty Gal. It felt like her one big shot to get Dedcool out there. But in waiting for a response, she saw online that Nasty Gal had announced a complete business closure. She took the loss and thought, “If they saw something in this, so will others.”

Carina knocked on every mom & pop shop in Los Angeles to try to get her perfume in their store. She brought her scents to trade shows, trunk shows, and across the city. This is truly her passion, she explains to me; it was not an incubator idea or celebrity-backed. It was just her, a college-student with a trunk of handmade perfume, and a passion for natural ingredients and memorable scents.

It was only a matter of time before Dedcool’s scents were picked up by major retailers. Notably, the brand entered Barneys New York in 2018 and Sephora in 2022. Even last year, they collaborated with Erewhon on an Xtra Milk smoothie release! The world she built as a student has become a major player in the fragrance market.

The team aims to launch two thoughtful scents into their collection each year. Mineral Milk is the newest in the family. The notes are: golden nectar, passionfruit, coastal lavender, ocean air, marine salt, amber milk, virginia cedar, and Australian sandalwood.

I asked Carina where this scent came from. Dedcool stays unique, not by following scent trends, but by telling personal stories. Every scent, she explains, is a representation of a memory. Mineral Milk came from the early days of her relationship, falling in love by the ocean. The salt air, the saltwater in her hair, the wild lavender growing on the beach. It was all so lovely, she asked herself, “How do I bottle this?”

It seems the secret recipe of Dedcool is a mix of personal memories, grit, authenticity, and a deep understanding of their community.

How marvelous that we can make feelings more tangible through scent when words fall short. We can transport across time and space with just a whiff of a memory.

Dedcool is the very best at crafting these fragrance experiences, and it was an honor to talk to the woman who crafted the scent that lives with me every day and brings such rich memories and joy alongside it.

It’s also an honor to introduce you to Dedcool’s new scent (and give one of you) a Mineral Milk perfume to try!

A Coastal Giveaway:

Win a bottle of ocean memories in the form of Dedcool’s coastal Mineral Milk perfume. The bottle will ship directly to the winner, with love from Feeling!

To win: Ensure you are a subscriber of Feeling! Magazine, then leave a comment on this article sharing what fragrance you’d turn into a perfume if you could.

Is it your first day in your favorite place to travel? The scent of your wedding morning? Your grandma’s coat? What feeling would you bottle? Detail scent notes in the comments!

*Paying subscribers who comment will be entered in the running twice as a thank you for their support!

Introducing the Secret Society of Feeling! Magazine

We are going offsite, everyone! Time for a URL field trip!

Welcome to the Secret Society of Feeling! Magazine, a members-only website exclusively for paid subscribers of Feeling! It will host a variety of exciting, wonderful activities just for you. Built on Squarespace, the website will house custom mini games, our complete collection of all our downloadable desktop and phone wallpapers, and even a color palette generator for your next creative project.

I am still building out the space, but I want to welcome subscribers inside early for the first time to access the April wallpaper collection. (The password to enter is in the chat!)

It’s really nice to have a place online that is not owned by anyone but you, and completely open to your creative ideas with no limitations. I have used Squarespace for my personal website for years, because the visuals are already beautiful and therefore simple to adapt and customize to my creative vision.

Specifically, the ability to password-protect this space will keep it like a clubhouse, with the password changing monthly for any supporting subscriber of Feeling! to access. The custom code features will allow us to inject custom mini games for you to play that will be reminiscent of the Disney Channel ones from the 2000s.

Squarespace also offered to take 10% off your website project, just for readers of Feeling! You can click here for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use code “FEELING” to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. So now you can get started right away on your creative website project, too!

An exciting spoiler: I am also building a matchmaking system to find you a perfect match for letter-writing. No algorithms, no formulas, no robots. You can apply to be in the letter-writing club this spring, and a panel of real people will meticulously review your profile and find you a friendship match. The panel so far has a professional HR rep, an education consultant, a marketing expert, and a UX designer. It’s serious business.

I am so excited to see the real-life friendships bloom from this new endeavor, exclusively available on the new Secret Society of Feeling! Magazine. More on that, coming very soon.

For now, sign up for a paid subscription ($5/month, $50/year, or $89/year to join the mailing club too! You receive a greeting card in the mail every month), and you’ll get the password to enter the secret society right away.

Adding in some condensed, but classic Design Dive reporting below. Consider this a digest of fascinating new products, brands, and people to enjoy. I genuinely want to make something that you love to read.

Join me as I traverse through New York to discover new brands.

✷ Ceramics brand, Small Things, collaborated with Ithica Humus to make a limited-release olive-holding spiral in a bright pink color, inspired by the beet hummus blend.

✷ Pink Lemon Ceramics makes wonderful candle holder sculptures for mounting to the wall. I spotted one at a friend’s apartment and was enamored by it. There’s this really lovely cozy effect the flickering candles give off on the ceramic shine that really makes the room glow for such a small object.

✷ Feeling! Magazine’s Design Dive interview series is launching in April. I will be interviewing small business owners, designers, and inspiring artists on VIDEO to accompany the article! Why video? I am married to a documentary filmmaker, and he is my very favorite person to work with. As I scheme the future of Feeling!, there is no way to tell the stories I want to tell without his distinct eye, storytelling, and medium. The series will bring articles to life. Documentaries forever. Thoughtful, artistic documentaries should totally be married to imaginative, editorial magazine publications. A perfect match. The first interview has already come together wonderfully with an artist I have mentioned many times here! Get your popcorn ready.

✷ Not quite home design, but home adjacent — I tried another game from my favorite game makers, CMYK Games, called Hot Streak. They make beautifully designed games for people who don’t want to sit through a lot of instructions and just want to play. Hootin’ and hollerin’ ensued.

✷ Loeffler Randall released a wonderfully patterned and colored rain jacket collection. The designs make me want to frolic with some ducks in the countryside rain.

✷ One of my favorite brands, Joyn, released a fabulous polka dot collection of totes and purses. The canvas material is printed by hand with a block printing technique, making an incredibly durable bag.

✷ The Daughter Club is a small jewelry business I have watched for years, based in Austin, Texas. The way she pairs colors, textures, and charm motifs together really inspires me. The classic red dottie choker really has my eye. Daughter Club also made a “mini me” series for some of the jewelry, which makes a really unique and thoughtful gift for a mom you love on Mother’s Day. Matching with your cute baby in cute jewelry?!

✷ Underwater Weaving x Loeffler Randall collaborated on breath-taking colorful basket totes. A luxury splurge for spring fashion, the collection combines distinctively modern colors with traditional basket textiles. The color combinations truly inspired so many wonderful ideas for me. Vibrant seafoam and cherry red, rustic brown and butter yellow. Yum.

✷ If you like stripes, primary colors, and classic silhouettes, I’d like to introduce you to a new favorite brand of mine: Alex Mill. I first stumbled upon the brand by wandering through their store’s door near the Rockefeller Center. Connor remarked that the whole store looked like me. It’s true. Brightly colored classics! Their new spring collection came out today, and it is full of fun-colored crisp linens.

I hope that inspired you to create something, enjoy a new brand, or just immerse yourself in color for a bit. Be back soon with more reports. XO Jenna O.

If you know a brand that fits the bill of whimsy, color, and story — send me an email at jennaisfeeling@gmail.com, I’d love to work with you!

FOR JOY-SCROLLING:

🐚 Read more thoughtfully created articles here

🪄 Shop all my favorite things

🍒 Let’s be internet friends, please! @ jennaisfeeling

🪄 Get more inspiration

A note: Working with brands and businesses helps make this magazine dream come true. If I do work on a paid basis with a brand, I disclose the partnership to my readers. A few of the links I included in this article are from ShopMy, which gives the curator a little payment if someone buys a product from their recommendation. If you shop from my links, you directly support my creative work. Thank you!

Yesterday I ventured outside for the first time without my BC (big coat). This marks a momentous celebration. I can feel the sun on my skin and imagine an iced beverage in my hand once more.

We took the train to Rockaway Beach with our friends last summer. While sitting on a picnic blanket in the sand, my friend Emmae remarked she’d never seen me smile so big. I thought that surely couldn’t be, but then I realized it was because she had only ever known me in the fall and winter. She was probably right.

One inkling of summer, one gust of salt air, one patio tea, and I become fully Jenna once more. I’m baaaaack.

Seasonal arrangements are in order, everyone! Fall and winter lovers alike, come along for a dose of spring sunshine. It’s time to refresh.

If you would, recall your elementary school teacher’s meticulous attention to seasonal detail. The changing of the bulletin board art, perhaps some new wax warmer on her desk, and the fresh books on display after you got back from spring break. Those teachers were so tired, yet so intentional because they cared about us.

The joy of seasonality as motivation to keep moving forward has always inspired me, which is so magnified in the classroom setting. When a gust of fall hit, it felt like you could make it to the end of the year. When spring sunshine returned, it felt possible to make it to summer break.

It’s strange that when we become grown-ups, with our own space, we seem to mostly drop that practice of embracing the changing seasons unless it’s December.

So here’s a pitch to channel that favorite school teacher and make the season a celebration for those around you. You don’t need to get a bulletin board (although…?), you can incorporate that celebratory attitude into more practical aspects of life. Beautifying everything around you. Here are some simple things I am doing:

The kitchen: I am prominently displaying a tray of brightly colored fruit in my kitchen/dining space all season. Edible decor. A blue bowl of clementines. A jar of vibrant radish. A pink bowl of bananas. I am making produce a statement piece.

Florals for spring, of course: I will visit the closest farmer’s market for a fresh bouquet of tulips this season. I will fill my funkiest vase with them.

Coffee/tea: I am leaning towards Earl Grey, lavender, and lemon slices this time of year. I’ve found an espresso tonic with pineapple cold foam at my favorite coffee shop, and I am ready to sit outside and sip.

Card games: The sun is setting later, so I have the itch for some rounds of cards at the next game night. I’d like to get into that peak game night flow.

My spring wardrobe: If you don’t mind, I would like to try something new!

Feeling! Magazine’s first “lookbook.”

Emulating my favorite old print magazine styles, I played dress-up and put some inspiration together for you as a lookbook. I hope you glean some inspiration from these spring looks. It was very fun. All the clothes are from my genuinely favorite store, Sézane.

I am interested in combining stone pastels with vibrant colors this year. This year, I am not going all light and bright for spring; I am leading with strong color stories.

I combined a classic dark-wash high-waisted denim with an olive top. The breezy texture of the top with the comfortable stretch of these jeans means I can go outside for hours and still feel great. I styled the combo with a pop of red (my favorite kind of pop) in the form of jelly shoes.

Finally, I paired the look with a thick beaded necklace and bracelet that I will likely wear all summer too, because they look like candy and go with everything.

Rolling cuffs for spring! Wearing chunky jewelry for spring! Too many buttons to count for spring! This bracelet is especially fun to wear over a sleeve. I will have to show you what it looks like over sweater sleeves soon.

If you are feeling pastels, may I introduce you to stone pastels? Light blue is currently all over my space and my closet.

I paired a big collar denim top with embroidered cream denim trousers. Every piece of fabric touching me is soft; this is essential to me as a person.

I feel like myself in a fun collar and denim. These pants can be dressed up for spring events or more casual for simple get-togethers. I am excited to try them out with a lot of different top/shoe combos. I have a very small IKEA wardrobe, so any piece I get has to be able to be worn again & again with so many combinations. It’s ruthless to make the cut. Both of these pieces will do just that. (I already love how the collar looks peaking out over a sweater!)

I hope the colors, cuts, and fabrics inspire you to get excited about your spring outfitting. What we wear is a part of celebrating the season, too. If the lookbook was helpful in any way, let me know if you have any thoughts for future dressing themes. I’d love to do it again.

To me, spring represents newness. I am aiming to make new things, try new things, befriend new people, and discover new ways to be me.

It’s time to start something new.

✸ Thinking about flowers for spring is certainly not groundbreaking. But flowers are on my mind nonetheless. Did you know flowers have different symbolic meanings? Gifting certain types of flowers traditionally communicates something specific. The Farmer’s Almanac has a guide for what each type of flower represents, if you’d like to brush up before Mother’s Day and spring events.

✸ I found this very fun color game, which has you guess the exact shade of a color to test your memory. I shared it in the Feeling! chat this week, where everyone shared their scores. The response proves to me that we are all longing for pleasant internet mini games again. (I have some ideas)

✸ I have been on the hunt for a thick hand cream to recover my skin from winter and Soft Services made their signature overnight pump cream into my favorite scent, Xtra Milk! The soft blue color vessel fits in my stone pastel theme and looks decorative on a nightstand.

✸ Do you have an itch for a new nightly crafting ritual? Somewhere between knitting, embroidery, and needlepoint lies punch needling. It’s fun because it’s both fuzzy and a little violent. This punch needle kit has my color scheme stamp-of-approval.

✸ This is irrelevant, yet might be specifically very timely for someone. So I will share. I found a banana bread mix that I love. It’s good stuff. I put the mix in a muffin tin, and it makes the yummiest treats to pick at throughout the week (or sometimes in 48 hours).

✸ I made some unique drink recipes to try out for spring, including a banana cold foam topper for your homemade matcha lattes!

✸ This is a piece I wrote last year that is a bit of an ethos for Feeling! Magazine. Wild how much growth has happened since the article was first published. I am so grateful you are all interested in becoming the creative director of your own space! I just know if we were all in the same room, we could move mountains (with a color-coded system, likely).

✸ I made you this crossword puzzle, by the way. Feel free to print it out or fill it out on an iPad for a leisurely evening wind-down:

Greetings from the best spot on the internet, the Feeling! Magazine chat room! We hosted our first show + tell.

I recently wrote about what makes a home truly feel lived-in versus just designed well. One key feature is objects/art that tell a story that means something to you.

I asked the chat, “Do you have a favorite piece with a story? And will you share it with us?

: How fun!!! In my very first apartment in NYC, my roommate broke her key in our very old door, which effectively locked me in / her out. Our landlord was nowhere to be found, so we called a locksmith who promptly charged us $1,300 to rip off our door handle entirely and replace it (we were 22 and broke and yet just went along with it!).

We moved to a new apartment shortly after and have since lived in multiple apartments separately, but we each kept half of the ripped off door handle to remind of us of those silly and broke 22-year-olds who have in fact, since upgraded to doors/locks that work.

Mine hangs on a gallery wall, and it’s always such a fun and unique conversation piece (plus a sweet memory!)

: “Mine is more of a gallery wall art in our living room that my husband and I collected during our month long elopement while we backpacked around Europe! This is an immediate conversation piece when we have people come over.”

: I spent a few months living in Greece and wondered how I might bring some of that historic character, wood, and texture to my home in the States when I returned.
A few years later, always scouring Facebook marketplace for unique finds, a gentleman posted this stunning piece…it was handmade in the Mediterranean and then shipped here as a custom piece that was used in their family for a few generations. As much as the gentleman wanted to keep it, he didn’t have the space for it anymore.
As you can imagine with a piece like this, hundreds of people messaged him practically begging for it. But he happened to click on my message in which I poured my heart and soul out (practically wrote a letter) about how this piece would become part of the heart of my home and kitchen and the feeling I wish to create for my own family for generations to come.
“SOLD!” He said…
Only, to my husband’s surprise, the piece was 2 hours away (one way). Though I’ve often had pieces sold out from under me on marketplace before, I had a feeling this one was meant to be ours so we braved the drive, and the seller trusted that we would indeed arrive. And we both kept our word. So on a rainy Sunday afternoon, we made the drive and my husband and brother kindly hauled it up to our third floor apartment where it has become a treasure since.
The thing with this piece and this story is that the story is only going to continue! More life will be lived in its presence, and more homes will hold it, as we hope and pray to one day build our own kitchen around it in a home of our own someday.
We’re so grateful that we were its chosen keepers!

: “When I moved to LA after college, I randomly bought this chair at the Los Feliz Goodwill for $6. It unexpectedly became a key styling piece for me—a cute little nook for me to stack books and hang umbrellas—and has followed me from apartment to apartment and coast to coast.

Now, living in Brooklyn seven years later, I’m still strangely attached to this chair. And while thrifting in Jersey, I found a miniature version of it that I’ve since grown (almost as) attached to. It makes me want to own mini versions of all my most cherished objects.”

: “My husband’s grandmother was a master doing needlepoint. When we engaged, she brought out a huge album of her work and said, “Pick one for your wedding present.” We choose this one, but she said “No, that’s too small. That won’t do.” I was stunned, but okay. So we choose another of sunflowers.
Two years later, we had graduated, got adult jobs,and moved to Los Angeles. My in-laws and his grandmother came for Thanksgiving. After they’d gotten settled, she pulled this out and gave it to us. It’s hung prominently ever since.”

: “My mom and I have both always loved a beach vacation, but since growing up and getting older, many of our vacations are now separate. We gave up on the idea of buying each other silly souvenirs that will sit and collect dust. We instead have this large, shared jar in her house, and we bring back a few seashells from each of our trips, then combine them into the jar. Neither of us can remember where any specific shell came from, and that’s the beauty of it. It simply sits there and gets fuller and fuller each time one of us gets back from a vacation. (The best part is opening up and getting a subtle whiff of ocean air.)”

: “I designed this departure board to be the cafe menu at my bike shop/ coffee shop. The whole spirit of the space was exploration and adventure. When my research showed that an actual vintage departure board was going to be way out of budget, I worked with a fabricator to create this. It actually went sort of viral, got featured in design magazines, and got knocked off by several other local businesses (a compliment?)

When we closed the shop, I moved it into our house, and now it’s a sort of vision board of bucket list places we want to visit. It’s one of the few things we held onto.

I’m still so proud of it, and I love watching guests’ eyes light up when they see it for the first time- just like they did at the shop. More and more, I’m making friends who didn’t know me when the shop was open, so it’s (mostly) fun to retell the story.”

It was so fun to engage with your beautiful homes and pieces, and an honor to hear your stories. I love the place we get to interact, here, together!

This Friday, you are invited to join the chat for my first-ever “Office Hours.”

I often get messages I accidentally miss throughout the week with thoughtful questions, and I want to create an organized space to converse with you. I am going to do my best to keep Fridays open for “Office Hours” where you can bring questions, thoughts, and feelings regarding home, color, design, Substack, and living — and we can discuss together. See you there Friday!!!

Thank you, Hailey Howe, for your lovely work on Feeling! Magazine Graphics! You made this Monday Letter magical!

JOY-SCROLLING:

🐚 Read more thoughtfully created articles here

🪄 Shop all my favorite things

🍒 Let’s be internet friends, please! @ jennaisfeeling

🪄 Get more inspiration

In 2021, I closed my storefront. It housed a large space for retail, and the back of the space was a full-functioning loose-leaf & matcha tea bar. The experience of being a shop owner introduced me to fascinating tasks that I grew to love. Things that taught me how fun work can truly be when you love what you are doing.

Perhaps my favorite was developing the seasonal menu for the tea bar. A small team would gather to discuss flavors, make samples, test out recipes, and dream about what customers would delight in most. Naming the beverage was my favorite part. (We had a whole collection of Wes Anderson-inspired specials)

After the pandemic forced me to close down my dream, I was most grieved by the realization that the work I had discovered I loved to do was over. It felt like a one-sided break-up, with no chance to return to the life I had come to enjoy; I just had to move on.

Years later, one night in my apartment kitchen, something in me came back online. I could make a seasonal menu for myself. I had never considered the possibility of bringing back the work I really liked to do, just for me. But the idea struck, so I considered, why not?

I whipped up lavender syrup and declared to my husband our “coffee shop” would have lavender lattes for spring.

The creative practice has transpired into a communal activity. For my birthday, we invited 10 or so friends over with a menu of funfetti cake and strawberry lattes. I “hired” Connor and some friends to take orders.

I realized I often prioritize creative work that directly brings in income or makes a perceived career difference, and neglect creative work I love just because I love it. A balance of both is healthy, but the scale was so tipped to the work side that there was no room for play.

Making seasonal drinks is something that connects me back to that work I used to love so much and allows me to give something delicious to my friends. It’s fun to make purely for joy.

So I am inviting you into this joy with me today, with some fun recipes to consider for your spring drinks. On the menu:

• How to make a perfect pour-over

• How to batch brew iced chamomile yuzu tea

• How to make cloudy banana foam for a matcha latte (including a non-dairy version)

• How to make blackberry lavender syrup for iced lattes

The Pour Over

A pour-over is often considered the purest way to drink coffee. It slows you down and is more methodical than just touching a button. Similar to the at-home matcha movement, I think people are generally longing for more hands-on ways to live out daily routines. The process of making a pour-over slows you down, but also brews an authentic cup of coffee, letting the tasting notes truly shine. It’s a really calming and beautiful ritual in the kitchen. Connor makes a pour-over most days. I asked to watch his process and document.

We are big Fellow people for all things coffee and tea. Here is exactly what we use:

• Coffee Grinder: We have this beautiful grinder in white. It’s more like an object in the kitchen than an appliance — sleek, simple, and compact.

• Pour Over Setup: This small setup is such a thoughtful design, including a vessel for measuring beans and a drip tray. I like that it hardly takes up any space, which is necessary in a tight apartment kitchen.

• Temperature-controlled kettle: The best investment for getting serious about coffee and tea is being able to control the temperature of your water. This is the same kettle I used in my tea bar, though those were pink!

• To-go thermos: I talk about it often — it’s the only thermos I can put in my purse, take on the train, it doesn’t spill, AND it’s still ice cold or super hot. Plus, it comes in fun colors.

• Scale: If you are making pour-overs regularly, a digital scale for weighing ratios is a key part of the process. You will feel like a coffee scientist.

Here is a guide, per Fellow’s amazing instructions, that we use to make a perfect pour-over at home (with photos!):

Please always feel free to leave any hiccups, questions, or thoughts in the comments — always happy to problem-solve recipes with you.

Let’s dig into the more seasonal menu, starting with a refreshing blackberry lavender syrup:

Read more

Hello and welcome to another edition of Feeling! Magazine.

Feeling! (with the exclamation point) is a lifestyle magazine about creating, designing, and living with more zest for life. It’s the kind of thing I think Phineas and Ferb would likely read. Within years in the throes of grief, I started making joyful things, like color palettes and hand-sketched reminders of hope. I did so instinctively, like a survival mechanism, despite how I felt. When I started sharing my work online, a community grew of people who also needed some hope and beauty.

I became a middle school teacher, and for the first time, realized what we are truly up against. I saw the epidemic of anxiety and depression firsthand in kids who should be playing on the playground, but were gripped in despair. My colorful resolve strengthened in the classroom as I sought to make a place on campus where kids felt hopeful about the future.

Somehow, even on really hard days for me, I was able to find hope outside of me and channel every ounce of it towards them. We solved real problems, we made things with our hands, and we worked. Creative work, for me, has always been a balm to panic — and it turns out it’s the same for twelve-year-olds, and maybe for all of us.

Things like preparing food, decorating a space, or even choosing what color to wear are dismissed as frivolous or meaningless. But I’ve experienced the exact opposite. The remembrance of a birthday, a shared meal in a tiny apartment, a handwritten note, a shared moment over coffee — these are the things that matter immensely. These are things that push back against an epidemic of despair; these are things that keep people alive, I believe.

I’ve combined my love for design and writing to make a magazine I wish always existed. I write about making a life that intentionally echoes hope, as hope is a muscle to strengthen and fight for, not something you stumble upon when you have a really good day. It’s not about buying new things or rebranding yourself monthly. You, just the way you are, are quite lovely. You’re not a vessel for spending money, you’re not a KPI, you’re YOU!

I hope whatever it is that feels like bouyancy to you — dedicated time to create in the kitchen, re-arranging your space, making things with your hands, or connecting with your community — is simply enhanced by reading this publication. My goal is that when you get a notification from Feeling! it feels like fresh air.

I want to thank you sincerely for being here and reading. If you’d like to support this publication and my goal of turning it into print, you can do so by subscribing. I deeply appreciate your comments, too! I don’t know if you realize how much they mean to me. I always say the comment sections here are the best part of the entire internet, as we truly engage with one another, offer advice, and send encouragements. If you are a frequent commenter, I know you by name, and you truly make all the hours I spend making a newsletter feel welcomed. Thank you. If you have yet to dabble in the magic of the comment section, I would love to invite you to join in. It’s really a wonderful community, and we’d love to get to know you.

Coming to Feeling! this week: homemade coffee/tea recipes, including a banana foam matcha & blackberry lavender latte, an announcement of a new secret club for paid subscribers, and a guide for spring dressing!

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A pale pink meets a jewel-toned plum. Perfect for stripes, polka dots, and extravagant floral patterns.

Every year, I sell a limited amount of color dot calendars. I set aside a small stash to cover for any postal losses, weather damage, etc. And this year I have leftovers! I’ve listed them online for half off, and have about 15 left. Every month is a full spread of colors, serving as fun decor for the whole year! I’ve never placed them on sale before, but I would love to send you some color! Get one here.

Movies to Watch on a Rainy Spring Evening
with Guest Curator, Connor O’Brien

I do not know another person who enthusiastically takes time to research and diligently answer a text that says, “What movie should I watch tonight?” And he does get that text quite frequently!

Meet , the guest writer for this list of film recommendations, and the guy I’ve had a crush on for over 10 years. He’s a documentary filmmaker and a lifelong movie-lover. He is a legend amongst our friends for picking the exact right film for the exact right feeling.

I asked him to make a list of films that feel like a rainy spring day, maybe a little moody, but only leave you feeling warm and imaginative. After a long winter, the last thing I want to watch is something that will leave me in a glum tailspin. I want something lighter and brighter, but still with a depth of feeling.

Here are Connor’s recommendations and his notes to help you pick your next watch:

Ever just watch a city breathe while you look through a rain-streaked window? Wong Kar-wai crafts two love stories that barely touch but echo each other in longing and timing. While there’s a melancholic element at play here, the artful storytelling is so entertaining and beautiful that the credits roll and you’re still wearing a smile from a scene that happened twenty minutes ago.

The kind of film that reminds you how close we all are to being known, if only the timing were just slightly different.

A true whimsical tale with a few valuable life lessons. A son tries to make sense of his father’s life, but the truth seems to drift into myth. Tim Burton delivers something softer than his usual edge, giving us something more tender. Despite the cheer of the film, we remain grounded in the ache of wanting to understand someone you love before it’s too late.

Beneath this humorous and adventurous film that many of us have seen, there is a sobering story about stepping into the unknown and discovering who you are outside of fear. A modern animated classic, I’d say. It’s easy to celebrate spring when you know it came out of winter.

Closer to documentary than you might expect, Lee Isaac Chung brings this film to audiences with a lot of heart. A quiet story about a family trying to take root in unfamiliar soil. It’s about faith, disappointment, and a small, stubborn hope. Production is a bit stripped back, but it allows for a more human connection to be felt, something that A24 has been able to champion - especially in their early years.

The Japanese government literally wanted Wim Wenders (director of one of Jenna’s favorites, Paris, Texas) to show off their new toilets installed around Tokyo. Instead, he makes an Oscar-nominated feature-length film about a toilet cleaner living a simple, repetitive life in Tokyo, and somehow reveals how full that life can be. It invites you to slow down, to notice, to be content with what’s right in front of you. Don’t be surprised if I’m still talking about this movie when I’m 80 years old.

This film was a big, sweet surprise. I completely misunderstood the concept and therefore didn’t watch it until last week, but there’s something inherently tender about the idea of stepping into roles of care, even temporarily. If done well, stories like this tend to explore what makes human connection real in the first place. Fitting for a grey, rainy afternoon. Maybe you shed a tear, but it’s joy that ultimately wells up during this film.

The beginning of a worthwhile trilogy. Especially if you like dialogue-led character-exploration with a flirtatious lead duo. Two people connect for a few fleeting hours, and somehow it feels like an entire lifetime is being weighed in real time. Richard Linklater lets conversation carry everything here, and it provides a refreshing gap of spectacle, just presence.

Perhaps you’ve heard this all before. Totoro is a mascot for cozy, rainy-day movie watching, but it’s still a worthy pick here. Childlike wonder in its purest form. Hayao Miyazaki captures the magic of ordinary days, like just waiting at a bus stop, walking through trees, and listening to the rain. It’s comforting in a way that lifts your spirit.

This is one of those hear-me-out moments, because the mention of Adam Sandler isn’t what most people would expect to find here. But…hear me out. This is a beautifully strange, anxious kind of love story that lands on something very sincere. Paul Thomas Anderson (finally an Oscar winner) shows us a chaotic man with stunted emotional intelligence and lets him stumble into his own tale of unexpected love. It’s awkward, unpredictable, but so charming and funny.

Let’s give it up for Rob Reiner and this story that knows it’s a story. This film is easy to delight in. It’s romantic, funny, and even a rare rewatch for me. There’s something about its sincerity beneath the humor that makes it feel like soul food on a rainy day. Quote this with your friends if you’ve seen it before, or settle in for an incredible adventure if it’s your first time.

— Connor O.

✸ I made a recipe for earl grey cremé granola, and we have already devoured the entire batch. Making granola was so much easier than I expected, and honestly, kind of a meditative process. I also share a recipe for a citrus matcha blend, lavender honey almond, and one we dubbed the “coffee shop blend.”

✸ If you are hosting guests soon, perhaps you could find something useful in this piece where I detail turning 700 sq. ft. into a weekend boutique hotel for 5 guests.

✸ If you are decorating your space, revamping your spring wardrobe, or updating your Google Calendar, it’s helpful to have some reference palettes. I’ve made a whole collection here.

✸ Feel like taking a quiz to discover what early 2000s Windows XP icon you would be? Well, great news. I have the newsletter for you!

Hello! I am here to enthusiastically share some favorite things I’ve recently used/worn with you!

1. Bubblegum-Scented Jelly Shoes: Okay, I have the find of all finds. The perfect spring shoe, priced in a way that you want to get one in every color. Melissa’s jelly shoes are made with a signature bubblegum scent. Yes, bubblegum scent. Like you are a Polly Pocket. Mine arrived this week, and I can personally attest to the quality and comfort. I am absolutely confident they will last me until winter, and absolutely confident you will rarely see me without them on! They are also shockingly comfortable. I went for bright red!

2. King Sear Cast Iron: If you’ve been reading along, you know I have discovered my favorite hobby is cooking. I’ve been working to teach myself how to do it correctly and transform some of my basic skills into more serious ones. I recently got this cast-iron skillet, and it’s transformed the taste profile in my kitchen. I was always intimidated by cast-iron since I could not throw it in the dishwasher, but, like many things, it is much simpler than I assumed. I have been cooking most everything on it and am impressed with its quality and durability. (I have the olive green one!)

3. Polka Dot Tote Collection: Joyn released a new, adorable collection of polka dot totes and purses. The ruffles are simply fabulous. Even more so is their fair-trade production process and the heart behind the brand. I have some of their collection from winter, and I cannot believe the bags are block printed and sewn by hand! The canvas fabric makes for a much tougher tote you can hold on to for years to come.

4. Buffing Bar: Soft Services is a soap company that my skin really loves. My eyes also really love them, because everything they make is really beautifully designed and packaged. The buffing bar is a bar of soap with some serious grit. It’s an exfoliant that will clear your skin up as you gently scrub. A pop of cobalt blue in the shower could not hurt, either.

5. Oscar Wilde: I am on a classics kick and just finished “The Picture of Dorian Grey” for the first time. I’ve read Oscar Wilde’s short stories, but this one had me absolutely zeroed in until I finished it. I loved reading “The Scarlet Letter” (not sure what that says about me, haha), and the themes overlap remarkably.

6. Comfortable Jeans: Oh, these old things? These are just the jeans I have been wearing every day for a month. Sézane may have just become my favorite for denim. They are soft. And they are flattering. And the wash is the perfect denim shade. And they fit in the right spots and flare a bit at the feet.

7. Mineral Milk Perfume: Dedcool, my favorite fragrance brand, has made a signature scent for summer. Mineral Milk is a combination of passionfruit, lavender, ocean air, amber milk, and sandalwood. It smells like a memory of a trip to the sea — how it smelled to return to your room after staying out by the water all day. The travel size is only $30, and ready to go to the sea with you.

Fiction is magic, fiction is essential. Taking a note from my favorite magazines, fiction embedded in an editorial publication seems like a perfect match. I contracted D.B. Taylor of Paper Mirror to write a fictional story for you all to enjoy.

Inspired by American Girl’s Coconut and Licorice, a fictional tale of my own dog and cat, Genevieve & Rose, has been coming to you in small chapters. Here is the final chapter, along with the complete story, all in one place.

Follow a whimsical story of a dog and cat duo navigating New York City when no one is looking. The story will have you on the edge of your seat, and perhaps so invested in their joyful, silly world so much that you pause scrolling just to sit with them for a bit.

Enjoy thoroughly!

Rose and Genevieve and the Mysterious Pigeon Crisis

Chapter 1: A New Adventurer

“I can’t wait to see Mr. Owl!” barked Genevieve. The dog’s brown fur matched the golden hue of autumn leaves, which floated like tiny ships riding the breeze. She wagged her tail so hard it threw her off balance. Both she and Rose walked with purpose.

Central Park carried a crispness in the air. The fall chill was brisk enough to encourage a jacket, but only an unbuttoned one. Multitudes of people strolled the little forest, each holding a warm beverage in hand and a story on their lips.

It was easy for Rose to press forward; it was harder for Genevieve. There were simply too many smiles, and far too many potential pets. Still, her self-control proved true, for she only stopped for a dozen belly rubs.

“You hear me?” Genevieve bounced. “I can’t wait!”

Rose rolled her eyes. “We just saw him,” purred the cat. She didn’t understand her sister’s need to be so excitable.

“I know! But he’s so funny! Once we solve this, he’ll be happy, maybe he’ll even make us some of that special tea!”

Rose tried to remain indifferent. But for some reason, Mr. Owl’s tea came to mind, perfectly warm, perfectly sweet, and somehow... perfectly kind. The thought startled her. How could a drink be kind? And yet, it just made sense. Despite her cunning nature, she didn’t notice the smile creep across her face, slow and sneaky.

“You want some too, don’t you?” Genevieve grinned wide.

“No such thing,” hissed the cat, bending her smile into a frown. She had to be the serious one, after all. Daydreaming about tea would only delay them! But inside, her heart danced like the pigeons used to.

They trotted in silence, noticing the sky grow thin and lifeless.

“So why do you think the pigeons stopped dancing?” Genevieve asked, cocking her head in that very doggish way. “Where might they have gone?”

Rose said nothing; she too wondered. “How strange,” she finally purred.

Suddenly, a small pigeon darted low, nearly giving Rose a heart attack. Genevieve barked, “What’s the matter? Are you all sick?” The little white bird’s movements were sharp, frantic.

“Please! What’s wrong?” Genevieve cried. They chased after it, until the sound of jackhammers and power tools shattered their focus. Both cat and dog turned toward the noise, but when they looked back up, the pigeon was gone.

Rose petted her chin thoughtfully. “The noise, the construction, it’s messing with their rhythm.”

“You think?” Genevieve said, scanning the sky, hoping for the bird’s return.

“It’s a hunch,” the cat shrugged. “But I think it’s true. Think about it, ever since the noise started, all the animals have been acting strange. You can’t even find a squirrel on the edge of the park, it’s that loud.”

The construction seemed to be the culprit. The jazz musician who once played on the corner was now replaced by orange cones, the only kind of orange that clashed with fall.

“Look!” barked Genevieve. “That kind old man, the one with the breadcrumbs, he’s not here anymore!”

They both stared at the empty spot; it was lonely without his presence, cold even.

“Good eye,” meowed Rose. “Let’s start with him.”

Chapter 2: The Mouse with the Message

The old man was nowhere to be seen! And in the weeks that followed, as the air grew chillier and chillier, Rose and Genevieve found not a single lead.

“What on earth are we going to do?!” barked Genevieve. Her sister always had the answers, and this was a rare moment Genevieve actually wanted to hear one. But alas, like Genevieve, she had nothing.

The two sat under a bit of shelter in a dusty old alley. The rain poured down like pigeon tears, heavy, endless, and full of mystery. They sat and thought. And thought. And sat some more.

Then, squeak.

And again, squeak, squeak, squeeeak!

The sound grew louder, like tiny footsteps made of rubber bands. Rose noticed first, and to her great annoyance, she found the source: a mouse, waddling confidently their way.

“How funny!” Genevieve barked, noticing the earnest creature. “I love the noises he makes when he walks!”

Rose gave a strained smile, the kind reserved for other people’s strange enthusiasms. Truth be told, she hated mice. Most cats do. And most mice return the feeling with interest.

The mouse skidded to a stop and unfurled a tiny, rain-stained bit of paper from the clutches of his tail. To Genevieve’s shock, his voice came out deep and gravelly.

“You the ones lookin’ for Mr. Chester?” he said, refusing to meet Rose’s eyes.

Rose, in turn, refused to meet his. She lifted her nose so high it nearly sucked in a cloud.

“Rose! Don’t be rude!” Genevieve scolded.

But Rose remained frozen, a statue of feline pride and disdain.

Genevieve turned to the mouse. “That’s the old man who feeds the pigeons?”

The mouse nodded firmly, so firm in fact his body bounced.

“That’s Mr. Chester, all right.” He side-stepped closer to Genevieve and away from Rose. Then, puffing himself up to his full two inches, he pointed a trembling finger.

“Listen here, missy!” he squeaked in his gruffest voice. “You best leave Pops alone! He’s had enough of your kind!” Like an untied balloon, his demand started deep but ended with a shrill squeak.

The accusation shocked Genevieve. Her tail drooped. “My kind?” she whimpered.

“Yes, your kind! Dogs!” the mouse declared, stamping his tiny foot; a puddle of water kicked up and drenched the poor fellow. Mr. Mouse winced, but then continued as if nothing happened. “Always chasin’ away the pigeons. It’s a conspiracy, I tell ya! And you’re to blame. Poor Mr. Chester’s been heartbroken since his birdies left him!”

His tough exterior melted as his voice cracked. The mouse turned away, hiding his tears, but the trembling of his little shoulders betrayed him.

“Oh no...” Genevieve whispered. The thought broke her heart. Whatever tears the old man might be crying, oh how badly she wanted to just lick them all away! I tell you what, reader, the world would be a better place with a Genevieve present for each and every tear.

The mouse reluctantly turned, trying so hard to suck in his sadness.

“I’m so sorry, my friend.” She whimpered, stretching her paws forward until they were eye level. Her big brown eyes met his red, watery ones. “It wasn’t me,” she said softly. “Me and Rose were sent by Mr. Owl to find out what happened. We just want to help.”

Rose, who had been pretending not to care, finally lowered her gaze. All hostilities tend to dissolve when you see another cry. She gave a quiet, rumbling purr, flicking her tail just so, brushing away his tears.

The mouse blinked in surprise, then leaned into the soft rhythm of her tail. He even gave it a shy pat.

“I’ll take you to him,” the mouse sniffled at last.

And so, under the drizzle of rain and tears, a cat, a dog, and a soggy little mouse began their next adventure.

Chapter 3: The Rain, the Mouse, and the Pack

They were forced to find an alternative route. Some spaces were far too small for poor Genevieve to fit through, and nearly too small for Rose.

“Nobody gets left behind!” ordered the mouse.

So the three of them scurried through the rain. Genevieve had a sneaking suspicion that the mouse’s noble statement had less to do with wanting everyone together and more to do with not wanting to be alone with Rose.

They continued in silence, wet, chilly, soggy silence. The mouse darted only through alleys, no matter how narrow, no matter how mucky. Every few steps he would freeze at a sound, sniff the air dramatically, then, after a long minute, beckon them onward with a tiny wave.

“What is with this thing?” Rose muttered, flicking her drenched fur. Water dripped from her like a used towel. The mouse no longer cried, and she remained cold, wet, and grumpy.

Genevieve growled. “Rose, he’s helping us! I know you two have your differences, but could you please try to be kind for goodness’ sake?”

Rose recoiled. Genevieve almost never growled. The words hung heavy in the rain.

Dear reader, as much as we’d like to think otherwise, change takes time. Rose’s earlier sympathy for the little mouse had melted away, replaced by that old, mean whisper inside her head: Mice are stupid, smelly, tiny, and pointless. Unless she caught herself, she’d believe it again and again. Fortunately, Rose had a sister who loved her enough to tell her the truth, even when it stung.

The rain poured harder. Both Rose and the mouse began to shiver, the kind of full-body, silly shiver that shakes your ears and makes you smile after because, well, you must have looked ridiculous. By sheer coincidence, they both gave one of those shakes at the same moment, both noticing the other. For the first time, it seemed maybe cats and mice weren’t so different after all.

“Here!” barked Genevieve suddenly. She loved the rain; it reminded her of happy splashes and puddle days. But her friends were miserable, and she wanted to help.

Being the perfect height for such things, Genevieve trotted over to Rose and walked above her, matching her pace.

“What are you—” Rose began, but stopped when she realized she no longer felt the rain. Warmth covered her. “Thank you,” she said quietly. Purring, as silly as it sounds, Rose forgot what dryness felt like.

Beside her, the mouse hugged its tail, teeth rattling with every step.

“Mouse,” Rose called. “Come under me.”

Mr. Mouse hesitated for a moment. Cats love to play tricks on little mice, so he watched her with wary eyes.

“Come on, don’t be ridiculous! It’s freezing out there.” Rose smiled, beckoning the mouse once more.

Despite his fears, despite his past experiences with cats, he trusted Rose. Something about him just wanted to, maybe it was just the cold. Or maybe the want for a new friend. Either way, the miserable little mouse lit up like a lantern. He scurried under the cat, who walked under the dog, who took all the rain away. Genevieve smiled because they smiled.

The walk grew warmer, brighter, softer. Only Genevieve bore the rain now, but she didn’t mind. Nothing made her happier than seeing two friends become friends themselves.

But then, a low growl cut through the peace.

Before they knew it, they were surrounded.

Everywhere they turned, dogs stood in the rain, big, small, fluffy, muddy, and mean. Some had big fat heads, others narrow snouts; some flashed sharp teeth, others silly grins. But every last one growled the same ugly growl.

The mouse dared not peek out. Rose trembled under Genevieve’s belly, her tail puffed like a feather duster.

“What’s the matter with you? You’re scaring us!” Genevieve yipped.

“Good!” snarled the largest dog, slobber flying. “You’re the one trying to bring the pigeons back. Well, don’t! They’re nothing but rats with wings!” He stopped to grin at the mouse. “No offense.”

The pack erupted with cruel laughter, the kind that has no joy in it at all.

“Enough!” Genevieve barked. “We’ve done nothing to you! The pigeons have done nothing to you!”

More laughter.

A skinny dog with a high, whiny voice slunk close to Genevieve’s face. “You think we’re awful, don’t you?”

“It took you this long to figure that out?” hissed Rose.

The skinny dog snarled, lowering his head toward her. Rose instinctively recoiled, tucking Mr. Mouse safely beneath her.

“Stop it! Just stop it!” Genevieve cried, bouncing on her paws, desperate for the bullies to back away.

“You love those pigeons so much, huh?” one dog barked. “They’re a nuisance! Always hovering, always cooing, always—”

A fat-headed dog shoved his friend aside. “You don’t owe them an explanation.” He turned to the pack. “Let’s go.”

They all stepped closer, rain dripping off their snouts, eyes blazing. Genevieve stood tall, the rain pouring down her head. Rose and the mouse trembled beneath her, but Genevieve didn’t flinch. She wasn’t scared, just mad. Mad at the meanness.

“If you get in the middle of this,” the fat-headed dog growled, “we’ll stop you. The pigeons are our enemies. Don’t make yourselves one too.”

Then, as quickly as they appeared, the pack scattered into the shadows, leaving the three travelers alone again, their hearts pounding, the air heavy with what they’d just witnessed.

The rain fell softer now, but none of them felt quite as warm as before.

Chapter 4: The House of Dust and Quiet

The old man’s house was quiet and dusty. The orange paint on the walls had faded to a tired peach, chipped in spots like worn-out memories. A bookshelf leaned in the corner, sagging under the weight of too many books and too many years.

The old man sat in a rocking chair, swaying gently back and forth. In his hands he cradled a steaming cup of coffee as though it were a fragile treasure.

“I’m not going to scare any pigeons away!” Genevieve blurted suddenly.

The room was so still that her voice seemed to echo. The old man tilted his head, amused.

“We... we’re here to help,” Rose added, giving her sister a sharp look that clearly said: Try to act proper.

The man smiled. “I’m glad to hear that, little ones.”

Their mouse guide scurried up the man’s pant leg and perched on his shoulder. He whispered a series of squeaks into the old man’s ear.

“I see,” the man said, stroking his beard. “So, good old Mr. Owl sent you two. Fine fellow, that one. Why I didn’t ask for his help sooner, I’ll never know.”

“What’s going on, sir? How can we help?” Genevieve asked, her voice soft with worry.

“Easy now,” said the old man, resting a weathered hand on her head. “Some problems can’t be fixed. Some we must simply grieve. It’s the pigeons, they’ve fled. Once again, the city’s turned against them.”

Rose’s tail flicked in irritation. “It’s the construction,” she hissed. “Must they always tear down walls and use such loud machines? It’s a shame, truly a shame.”

The old man gave her a long look, one of those glances that feel warm and piercing all at once, like a sip of coffee that’s so hot it prickles your throat, but somehow that’s what makes it good.

“Ah,” he said with a smile full of wrinkles. “Is that what you think?”

Rose blinked, caught off guard. Had she missed something? A calculation, a truth she hadn’t considered?

“It would be far easier if that were the case,” the man went on. His smile remained, but the shine in his eyes dimmed. “But no. It’s not the noise, or the cranes, or the jackhammers.”

Genevieve and Rose exchanged a puzzled look.

The mouse straightened on the man’s shoulder, clearing his throat with a squeaky authority. “The construction keeps my people safe,” he said. “Especially in winter. Mice aren’t welcome in many places, you know. New homes mean old homes get left behind, and that’s where we move in.”

The old man nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek. “It’s something deeper than the construction. There’s always noise in New York; those pigeons are tough enough to nap through a thunderstorm. No, it’s not the noise.” He sighed, voice trembling. “It’s the perception.”

Rose tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

The old man took one last sip of coffee, then set the cup down gently and leaned forward. The chair creaked, the air thickened, and even the mouse went silent.

“Let me tell you a story...”

Chapter 5: The Pigeon Got a Boy

Oh, he was so very excited to finally have one! He had heard that humans threw quite the party. You could fly and feast whenever you wanted. However, what the pigeon didn’t expect was the friendship.

He loved his boy. He would nestle into the boy’s soft hair and fall asleep while the boy read fairy tales aloud. Together they traveled all across New York, visiting bakeries, candy shops, art museums, and everything in between.

In those days, nearly everyone had a pigeon perched in their hair or proudly sitting on their shoulder. They didn’t beg for scraps or make a fuss. They were family, and they were welcome.

The boy had a friend named Trey. Trey didn’t have a pigeon, but he had a dog. The four of them, two boys, one dog, and one pigeon, met often in the park to play. They played tag, cops and robbers, all sorts of games. The boy laughed the hardest whenever the dog barked, how it yipped and yowled, woofed and whined, and the boy laughed and laughed and laughed.

This should have made the pigeon happy. But the more the boy laughed at the dog, the sadder the pigeon felt.

The more they played, the less the pigeon seemed to belong.

“I know!” thought the pigeon one night. “I’ll learn how to bark!”

So he tried. Oh, how he tried! He spent night after night practicing. But no matter how he strained, he could only

“Coo.”

Loud coos, soft coos, in-between coos, but never a bark. His nature simply wouldn’t allow it.

The boy grew frustrated. The louder the pigeon cooed, the more the boy woke in the night. “Stop it!” he’d shout, not knowing the pigeon was only trying to make him happy.

Then the pigeon noticed something else. The boy loved giving the dog treats, watching its slimy tongue scoop the snack from his hand, watching it bounce up and cover him in happy licks. The boy would squeal and laugh, and the pigeon’s heart would ache again.

So when supper came, the pigeon waited for his turn. He cooed and bounced around the table, trying to lick like the dog did, but his tongue was too small, and his beak too big. Instead of laughter, the boy frowned. Sometimes he’d swat the pigeon away as though it were a fly.

One night, desperate to get it right, the pigeon rushed at the boy, hoping to knock him over in a joyful, dog-like hug. But instead, poke! His beak jabbed the boy’s cheek.

The boy cried.

And the pigeon’s heart shattered.

He panicked, flapping wildly, wings a blur, and before he could think, he flew straight into the ceiling fan. Thwack! The blow sent him tumbling into the wall.

When he woke, everything hurt. His wing throbbed, his feathers bent at odd angles. But what hurt most wasn’t his body; it was the look on the boy’s face.

The boy sat frozen, clutching his cheek, his parents hovering behind him with anger in their eyes. The pigeon was no longer loved. No longer welcome. And he knew it.

So he left.

He flew out the open window into the night air, wounded and weeping, vowing not to return until he learned to be like a dog.

And so he practiced, cooing, begging, licking, over and over and over again.

But he was not alone. Other pigeons began to notice. They too had felt the same rejection. One by one, then two by two, the pigeons of New York began to change. Not in feathers or beaks or wings, but in heart. They thought, perhaps if we bark too, the humans will love us again.

So they gathered on rooftops and windowsills, in church towers and alleyways, and practiced together. Their voices filled the city nights, soft coos trying to curl into growls, gentle flaps trying to sound like paws on pavement.

And more joined, and more, and still more. Until every house, every home, every apartment in New York stood empty of pigeons.

Now it is the skies that hold them, flocks upon flocks of pigeons, circling and circling above the city, still practicing. Still trying to become dogs.

If you listen on a quiet morning, you might hear it.

Not a bark, not quite a coo, but something in between,

the sound of love misunderstood,

echoing across the rooftops.

Chapter 6: Where the Pigeons Danced Again

Genevieve couldn’t stop whining. Instinctively, she rested her head in the old man’s lap. He looked upward, petting her absently. At first, Genevieve thought the drops she felt were from a leaky roof, but then she realized. They were tears. So she stayed quiet.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” Rose purred, gently rubbing against the man’s foot. “You were the boy.”

“I was,” the old man whispered. His face was lined with age, but his eyes were full of childlike wonder.

Suddenly it all clicked! Genevieve leapt so high her head nearly grazed the ceiling.

“Come! I’ve got an idea!” she barked.

Rose thought her sister had gone mad, especially when Genevieve started tugging on the old man’s sleeve, spilling his coffee and dragging him from his chair.

“Genevieve! Manners!” Rose hissed.

“Come on! We don’t have much time, they might leave!” Genevieve said through sleeve-clenched teeth.

The old man, confused but curious, followed the dog and cat back into the chilly New York rain, with Mr. Mouse clutching his shoulder for dear life.

As expected, the growling began, just like before.

“I told you to stop this mission!” barked the fat-headed dog. “Why won’t you listen?! The pigeons are monsters! They might look cute and cuddly, but—”

“No!” Genevieve interrupted. “I think I’ve figured something out!”

The lead dog blinked, and one by one his friends stepped out from the shadows, surrounding the group again. Mr. Mouse fidgeted nervously with his tail.

Then, six simple words cut through the growls. Cheerful. Innocent. Disarming.

“Wow, you look just like Bruno!”

The lead dog froze. His eyes widened. “Bruno? How do you know my great-grandfather?” he asked the old man.

The old man chuckled. “I knew him as a boy! Me and my pigeon used to play—”

“Enough!” snapped the dog, cutting him off. “They need to leave, all of them!”

Genevieve gasped. “You think they’re dangerous, don’t you? Because of what your great-grandfather told you?”

The dog’s ears drooped. “He knew a pigeon that pecked...”

“A boy,” said the old man softly.

The dog nodded.

“I was that boy,” the old man said, his voice a whisper.

“Quick, tell them the story!” Genevieve urged.

Every dog cocked its head in unison, ears pricked upward like little spikes. And so the old man told them.

At first, they snarled and scoffed, unwilling to pity a “nasty” pigeon. But as the story went on, the boy, the laughter, the mistake, their shoulders began to sink. Ears drooped. Growls turned to sighs. Soon, they were lying flat on their bellies, heads between their paws, listening.

“...So you see,” the old man finished, “like you, the pigeons were pets, abandoned for trying to become something they were not. They weren’t trying to hurt anyone. They only wanted to be loved. And that was my fault. If I had loved my pigeon for being a pigeon, none of this would have happened.”

Tears spilled down the man’s face.

“I... I...” The fat-headed dog stammered, and then, to their astonishment, he began to cry. Big, round, floppy-eared dog tears.

“I understand this pain!” he wailed. “For I’ve wanted to be a pigeon!”

Rose blinked. “You’re kidding.”

But he wasn’t. In fact, every dog began crying, howling like wolves beneath the moon.

“We all have!” sobbed the fat-headed one. “Pigeons are free! They can fly! They always look so happy! I never knew they just wanted to be dogs. Why on earth would they want that?”

The old man placed a gentle hand on the dog’s head, steadying the poor pup’s tearful shake. “Because dogs are special, too, just like pigeons.”

The dog sniffled. “We said it was because of violence, that’s why we chased them away. But it wasn’t true. We wanted to replace them. My great-grandfather was mistaken. We all were.”

He bowed his great head in shame.

And then, the second most surprising, most wonderful, most magical thing happened.

A pigeon landed softly atop the dog’s head.

It didn’t bark or lick or pretend to be anything else. It simply ruffled its feathers, the way only a pigeon can.

And to everyone’s amazement, the bare gray sky began to fill, pigeons everywhere, swooping and gliding, cooing and dancing, filling New York once more.

This, dear reader, is where our story ends.

And what an ending it is! Rose and Genevieve, Mr. Mouse and the old man, the fat-headed dog, the skinny-headed one, even the slobbery one, they all gathered with Mr. Owl that evening for a kind and gentle cup of tea.

Together they watched the pigeons dance and dance and dance.

So, next time you see them, look up.

Notice their flight.

And give thanks for the courage and kindness of Mrs. Genevieve and Mrs. Rose.

The End

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Thank you, Hailey Howe, for your lovely work on Feeling! Magazine Graphics! You made this Monday Letter magical!

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Happy Monday, and welcome to Feeling! Magazine’s Monday Letter! This is a once-weekly letter made to feel like a magazine flip-through, purposefully designed to help you feel joy. This edition is free because Squarespace picked up the bill! Thanks, Squarespace!

Let’s start this edition with a riveting, scientifically-backed quiz that determines which classic Windows XP icon you would be. The accuracy and depth of the questions below will astound you as you reminisce on what it was like to build your account on the family desktop. An important choice was the wallpaper, yes, but even more so the icon that sat next to your name, identifying you for years to come in your family of origin.

The Results Are In:

Share your results in the comments!

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I was interviewed by Business Insider recently about whimsy. Here’s a fun clip of the article:

Jenna O’Brien, the 27-year-old designer behind the Substack Feeling Magazine, has written at length about whimsy. She has also worked as both a middle school teacher and the owner of a stationery store, which means she spent her days either painstakingly designing playful paper products or bringing smiles to the lives of 12-year-olds. She pretty much nailed the mental image I had of a whimsical person.

“Whimsy is what happens when you’re on the pursuit of joy,” O’Brien told me. “To me, whimsy is getting back into touch with the things you were excited about when you were a kid.”

As we discussed the rise in the trending word, my strong stance on “whimsy isn’t something you buy,” and explored the writer’s own journey infusing her lifestyle with creativity, another trending word came up: “analogue.”

Samantha asked if I believed technology prevents us from more creative living — basically, if I believed the “analogue” trend was a valid solution to a screen time crisis. Will hard restrictions on device usage and journals instead of laptops allow us to create freely once more?

I paused and thought a bit.

“Well, no,” I said, “I don’t think so.”

In fact, most of my creative work is done on the computer, and it’s been my favorite art tool since I was a kid. For me, like many growing up in the 2000s, a computer is synonymous with creativity (Substack, for example).

I was building websites in third grade for fun after school and making a Word Art magazine to print and pass around. Then came middle school iMovie music videos, which my friends and I meticulously directed like our lives were at stake. In high school, I learned Adobe programs as the Yearbook Editor, and when I found myself wanting to stay at school for extra hours, I realized this might be a career path I wanted to pursue. I went to college and studied Communications, taking as many Graphic Design courses as I could, and eventually started a design business from my dorm room.

Technology has been the tool that lets me develop what is in my brain and bring it to life, merging words and graphics. The same feeling I get when knitting, cooking, and drawing reverberates through me when I choose fonts and margins for a website. I believe they call that flow state. And boy, in fourth grade, I was in complete flow state, building a pink website with fireworks that went off when you clicked a button.

But why does it feel like that creative spark has faded for us? Why did the computer seem so fun for so long, and then one day it felt like an existential threat? When did everything go grey?

While it’s perhaps hard to pinpoint a single moment, as technology has developed so rapidly and doggedly, we’ve never taken a collective breath — I think a major turning point was when the computer stopped living on a shared family desk at home.

There, it sat peacefully, not ingrained in our social lives; it didn’t know our location or shopping preferences, it was just a tool to type, to design, to print, to communicate, and work. Your whole family used the same computer, and there were times we gathered around it to watch something together or play a Disney Channel game. It was just a tool.

In response to Samantha’s question, no, I don’t think complete avoidance of technology makes me more creative — but I do advocate bringing back the “home computer” as a solution for the pit in our stomachs we feel grow as screen time increases.

I think we can re-imagine a routine where our devices are once again just creative work tools, not appendages. It will take some friends and a like-minded community, but I’m curious and even optimistic about what would happen if we tried.

I've seen some incredible ways to reclaim the joy of creating digitally, recently. Here are ideas that sparked my creativity:

• writes about renovating her “digital home,” or personal website, and breaks down her tremendous creative process in a way that has me EAGER to build out my new site too.

• Marisa, of Mesh Times, makes incredible digital creations for the FUN of it! She coded a digital advent calendar you can customize and a voice note app you have to wind up to keep it playing.

• My friend Melody is a genius developer and started hosting “vibe-coding” workshops in her studio apartment to teach anyone who wants to learn how to develop a web app in 2.5 hours. It is incredible because she is using her knowledge to welcome others in an incredibly social and encouraging environment.

• Of course, I frequently visit ilovecreatives for web design inspiration. I am constantly blown away by the creativity behind so many of the sites they curate in their “internet gems” section. I also took their Squarespace and Graphic Design courses years ago and highly reccomend.

Ideas for making your digital space more thoughtful, interesting, challenging, and creative:

• Leave your devices in the same place as often as you can. Let them live there.

• Be intentional about things like desktop wallpapers, icons, and computer design elements. Design it like you would a physical space. I think it’s good to make any space we occupy feel beautiful.

• Many of my readers love using the color codes I share to decorate their Google Calendar seasonally. Here is a tutorial!

• Pick up a new skill: take a class on graphic design, learn to code, build a website, make a little app, and creatively challenge yourself. Devices are for more than scrolling. Stretch your brain.

• Build inspiration museums, digitally. is building an app called Sublime, which is perfect for finding and organizing inspiration for your creative projects. You can meticulously organize a digital space that inspires your writing and keeps you original.

• Use technology to be social, rather than being social by using technology. Get innovative! Make a summer bucket list for your friends on a calendar, and send lots of invites. Occasionally, my friends gather for PowerPoint nights where one of us teaches the rest a new skill while streaming to the TV.

• When’s the last time you played a computer game?

• The crux of all online creativity, to me, is building your digital home. It’s really nice to have a place online that is not owned by anyone but you, and completely open to your creative ideas with no limitations. I have used Squarespace for my personal website for years, because the visuals are so straightforwardly stunning. Specifically, the ability to update the colors and type all in one swoop using the “brand kit” tool is a gift to the person who rebrands frequently (me). Squarespace also offered to take 10% off your website project, just for readers of Feeling! You can click here for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use code “FEELING” to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. So now you can get started right away on your first creative website project!

*If you have built something digitally that you are proud of — like a cool app or website, or something lovely, PLEASE share in the comments. We would all love to see!

The thing about creative people is that they are going to create despite it all. Which is why I love knowing them; it’s constantly inspiring. I hope one idea sparked a new creative project for you. I’d love to know!

The beauty of the home computer is that it is stationary. It lives on a desk, where we can enjoy it when we’d like. Away from the desk is when the beautiful analogue moments of life do happen — full dinner tables, park picnics, scenic routes, and paper and pen.

I sent the group chat: “Settle this for me. What is the best, most life-giving, dance scene in a movie ever?!” And you really answered! I’ve rounded up some of your thoughts:

✸ voted for a classic number from White Christmas:

✸ Among many wonderful suggestions shared, “Isn’t It a Lovely Day?”

✸ “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” came up many times, of course!

✸ brought up “Dancing Queen” in Mamma Mia, which was a very good thing to bring up.

✸ Something that seems cheerful until you actually watch the whole movie and feel like you are being punched in your gut is the final scene in Jojo Rabbit, suggested by .

✸ I’m quickly going to throw in one of the best, in my opinion, “Roxanne” from Moulin Rouge.

✸ referenced the classic gym scene in West Side Story.

✸ suggested the finale of “Little Miss Sunshine” when the family rallies around Olive.

✸ “Singing in the Rain” was mentioned many times for a reason:

✸ shared a Bollywood spectacular, “Bunty Aur Babli:"

✸ shared the iconic prom dance-off scene in “She’s All That.”

✸ RRR’s dance battle scene, for your consideration:

✸ Okay, Corbin Bleu in “A Night to Remember,” right? Kenny Ortega was doing overtime on this one.

✸ threw “White Knights” tap scene into the chat:

There were SO many other fantastic suggestions in the chat, I wish I could fit them all in one newsletter. You can see the rest of the suggestions here:

I’ll leave you with this:

1. Sarah Cereal Eye Liner: I will confess to you that I wore black eyeliner nearly every day of high school. In college, I had some sort of eyeliner whiplash and stopped wearing it altogether. Sarah Cereal came out with a rose gold eyeliner that is a perfect solution. I get giddy when make-up works, you know? It’s a natural faded brown look, with a smidge of sparkle. Glides on beautifully in silver pencil packaging. I feel it would complement anyone’s eye color, but it certainly makes blue pop!

2. Fellow To-Go Mug: Since making it my mission to make my favorite coffee shop my own kitchen, I needed a to-go capability. The Fellow thermos is the answer. It keeps my drink hot or cold for hours, and has made it long distances in my purse without spilling. Plus, the color selection is the best.

3. Mini Alex Mill Tote: I’ve long had the Alex Mill initial tote on my wishlist, and just discovered they make a wonderful mini version. Just feels like a timeless gift. If you have someone’s birthday coming up soon and need a gift, I think it would be lovely.

4. Loafer of the Summer: Sézane sent me loafers, which is always risky because online shoe buying without trying on often doesn’t work well. BUT! I am here to report that not only were they true to size, but they are also lovely. The nicest pair I’ve ever had in terms of silhouette and quality. Plus, they have that wonderful leather smell when they arrive. Ready to wear them everywhere this spring.

5. Leather-bound notebook cover: If you are into the Louise Carmen style notebook cover, but not into the price point, you will be delighted to know I found a leather notebook cover in Paper Source. I snagged a cobalt blue one, and it fits my MD paper notebook perfectly. I like that it has a spot for my favorite pen, too.

6. Ruffle socks: I spotted these red ruffle socks on Bombas, and I think they would pair well with the black loafers.

7. Shave glaze: Okay, imagine Graza olive oil but in the shower. I tried Billie’s shave glaze, which is in a drizzle bottle, and it is miraculous. Starts oily, turns into foam, and comes in coconut or lavender scents. Works like a charm with my glitter Billie razor.

✸ I wrote a piece over the weekend filled with practical tips for turning your house into a home. I dig into step-by-step guides about intentionally designing spaces to feel warm, and recount a very interesting summer I spent on a trailer park renovation team.

✸ As part of the “Turning My Kitchen into My Favorite Restaurant” series, I made a recipe guide for homemade granola. The guide includes: citurs matcha granols, earl grey créme, coffee shop granola, and lavender honey almond granola.

✸ A reminder to make more lists as a creative practice.

✸ I made a helpful list of things to do when you don’t feel good.

✸ Here is a definitive guide for planning a birthday party without crying.

Puzzle Time

Back by popular demand — enjoy!

March Wallpapers:

Sharing a lovely March phone wallpaper with you all, but to get the whole collection of desktop and phone wallpapers for spring, you can become a paid subscriber of Feeling! Magazine and join our subscriber chat.

Subscribe now

˖⁺‧₊˚✦ Final, exciting Note: I am hosting my first in-person event in New York! I am co-hosting a block-printing party in the West Village with Joyn, where you will leave with handmade greeting cards and new friends. I would love to see you there, and I am excited to meet the Feeling! Magazine community in real life. We have very limited spaces available, and you can grab a ticket here!

I made a little video to show the addictively fun block-printing process:

*My husband and I met in Journalism class in high school, where he and I were assigned to make videos advertising the school paper. We grew up, and he became a documentary filmmaker, and I became a writer. And in our little apartment, we still play with cameras, lights, and every single video you will see me post looks like a little movie because he is behind it, making it fabulous. He has always believed in my dreams more than I even do, and he’s never let me give up.

The videos are only seconds long sometimes, but they represent an ongoing collaboration between two people who love to be together, creating. We are currently scheming some Substack-exclusive films to be in upcoming publications, and I am really excited to share more soon. Especially with the launch of the greeting card business, we see short films as a way to build an exceptional brand. Creativity abounds! Thanks for being here!

Thank you, Hailey Howe, for your lovely work on Feeling! Magazine Graphics! You made this Monday Letter magical!

🐚 Read more thoughtfully created articles here

🪄 Shop all my favorite things

🍒 Let’s be internet friends, please! @ jennaisfeeling

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What Makes a House a Home

Sleek, frictionless, devoid of chaos and clutter. You can speak a word, and the home will do it. A robot hums as it sweeps the dust of breakfast silently at your feet as though it were never there. Mess never happened. The cabinets close silently, and the door locks behind you.

For generations, the “ideal” home has merged with technological innovation. The marriage of home and technology promised us bliss. Silver, beige, and grey bliss. What we gained in convenience, we traded in some soul. In an effort to be frictionless, we lost a lot of human-ness.

In the summer of 2021, I worked on restoring a Florida trailer park with a small team of people. I was teaching middle school, and was looking to keep working over the summer. The trailer park housed residents who could not, often due to a mental or physical disability, provide housing for themselves. They often had no family or support and had spent years prior living on the streets, in temporary housing lotteries, or in jail. The idea was that true restoration from trauma could best happen if they were part of a neighborhood — a neighborhood with large family-style dinners, gardens with fresh produce, and a vibrant community. The home was their forever home, and they could stay as long as they liked.

The Florida heat was suffocating that summer. An afternoon thunderstorm came daily throughout July, which was expected, but seemed magnified that summer. Grey clouds always loomed at lunch, prompting a daily painting break.

I worked alongside Robyn, who was in charge of beautifying the landscape and making the community garden, and we both wore overalls. I was on the design side — working on mural projects (sweaty) and interior trailer designs (sweaty, also). We would sweat, side by side, as I painted an exterior wall and she harvested fresh okra from the garden.

My role was to meet with new residents and learn what they loved and what made them feel good, and interpret their personality into the interior design of their new home. I’d work alongside the construction team to decorate and customize the space for the resident. Trailers were gutted to their bones and re-constructed into tiny homes with new appliances and air conditioning. We fundraised a modest budget that would be used for decor, and I scoured thrift shops and flea markets to find pieces. That summer, I designed a community sewing space, an art room, corporate offices, and three very different trailers.

The first was Tupac-themed. Yes, Tupac Shakur. We had a local street artist make a spectacular piece to hang above her bed. I lit up her small sneaker collection with LED’s. And in a last-minute plan, I giddily located a Bluetooth speaker on site, so when she opened the door for the first time, Tupac would be blasting. Each time a resident moved in, the entire team had a key ceremony. We’d gather outside the home and pray a blessing over it and the new resident. Team members would recount the resident’s journey to their permanent home, giving them a chance to share more if they wanted. Other residents would often share what they enjoyed about getting to know this new neighbor. Then they’d be given the key and get to see inside for the first time. On cue, Tupac’s “California Love,” was pumping. And I watched the resident hang her head and wipe tears away when she saw her prized possession, her mother’s Bible, lying open on the nightstand. Turns out Tupac was her mom’s favorite, and her mom had passed recently.

The second request I had was a trailer themed as seventies afrodisco. I glued pink fur to a wall and made a vanity space with lights because she loved to do her nails as a hobby. I found red zebra wallpaper and a shag rug to complement. Oh, and a disco ball, of course.

The last was specifically Chip & Joanna Gaines themed. Magnolia all the way. Crisp white curtains, planters, and would have ship-lapped the walls if I could’ve.

It was a summer I wished lasted longer. It fundamentally changed the concept of “home” inside my heart. I used to think home was something to aesthetically aim for, as many twenty-somethings, I imagined my big grown-up life with a home far too big and exactly like my Pinterest boards. But that summer changed me. The modern and the flashy lost their flavor.

I wanted a home that reverberated with feeling. I wanted a home that anyone could step inside and feel reprieve. I wanted a home with a rotating door of inspiring guests to eat my food, drink my tea, and accidentally fall asleep on my couch if they needed to.

The up close reckoning that a safe home was a gift too good to imagine for many changed my perspective to one of gratitude.

Among many lessons, I also realized taste could be made regardless of where I was shopping; if a piece is well designed, it is well designed. Sometimes a luxury design brand makes something truly jaw-dropping, sometimes my jaw drops as some piece tucked back in a corner at Goodwill.

Home is really all about intention. It is the unseen emotion that truly makes it look like a home. Have you ever been somewhere grand, but it felt empty? I remember one time in elementary school, I got invited to a sleepover at a classmate’s house that was basically a mansion. I was so excited to see a home with a giant pool and game room, and then I remembered seeing her room. As a 10-year-old, I was perturbed. Where the heck was the Joe Jonas poster? (I think she was a Nick girl, actually.) The Limited Too lamps? Or something that looked like it belonged to a kid? It was straight out of Pottery Barn, but we were in 5th grade. She was in a sterile hotel, I thought to myself. I remember getting in my mom’s car and thanking her for letting me hang posters and drawings all over my walls.

I’ve thought about many homes in my life that were not my home, but felt like one. I also thought through what specifically mattered most in designing homes for residents. I have collected some of my thoughts about what truly makes a space feel like home, and how to engrain and facilitate that through design.

The good news is, after looking over my list again, these are all ideas anyone can implement, without a large budget or a lot of fuss — whether you are trying to make a dorm room feel like home, or trying to make your home the one your kids’ friends always want to hang out in. Many of the items on the list have little to do with decor and a lot to do with intention.

Here they are:

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When we moved to New York, I was panicked about the increased cost of living. And rightly so, honestly. Not just rent, which is its own thing entirely, but the actual cost of doing life.

I had sticker shock seeing grocery store prices at the market down the street versus the fluorescent glow of my hometown Publix. I stood in the aisle, looking at cereal prices in existential horror, the first time I ran out to grab some staples while we were still unpacking moving boxes. We’ve been here for over a year and a half now, and you do grow used to it, but in the first few months, I was shocked constantly.

I specifically noticed the markup on pantry items that I love. I skew toward healthy eating, and often avoid gluten when I can due to some health issues years prior. I was already buying snacky foods and pantry items at a premium back in Florida. In NY, it seemed like the packages got smaller and the prices of my favorite organic jams, granola, cereals, chips, and snacks doubled.

As often happens when backed into a financial corner, creativity began to abound. DoorDash every night is not an option. Grocery prices hurt my feelings. Thus, creative problem-solving was needed.

I decided my best bet was to turn my kitchen into my favorite restaurant. If I loved eating here, I wouldn’t be so tempted to eat out. And if I loved cooking, I’d get a lot better at buying ingredients I would use up.

If I were more thoughtful about my weekly menus, I could scale back my bad habit of over-buying. That method began working immediately. Next, I thought about style and creativity. Could I learn to make the kind of food I loved to buy from restaurants? What would keep me coming back, excited to cook? I started to track what we were drawn to, from flavor profiles to presentation. I researched my favorite restaurant’s seasonal menus and monitored their new items on social media, letting it inform what I made in my kitchen.

Turns out, I have a hobby! I love the process of developing weekly menus, cooking for friends, and creative flow in the kitchen. It scratched my brain in the way uninterrupted illustration or journaling time does.

Now that I’ve worked out some systems that brought genuine joy to my home cooking and eating routines, I am eager to share. I went from hardly ever cooking at all to dreading it, to now thinking of it as a creative hobby. I’ve transitioned from avoidance to getting giddy about kitchen tools. Seriously — just like I would get yarn and needles, or gouache or some other creative tools, I am nurturing my cooking practice. And to compound the fun, I get to write about it and make recipes to share with you!

This year, I am organizing the kitchen series exclusively for paying subscribers of Feeling! into a sort of curriculum (I was a curriculum writer, after all), and I’m starting the series with pantry basics. If you have marvelous things in your cabinets, you can make even more marvelous meals.

I noticed one item that was consistently draining on our grocery receipt was granola. Grain-free granola comes in 8-oz bags, with an $8+ pricepoint, yet we could eat 8 oz in one sitting. Also, the flavors are often a little boring.

So this weekend, I decided to learn how to make granola myself. I finished the project with bulk batches of granola that taste better than store-bought AND a newfound skill that will allow me to batch make seasonal flavors whenever I fancy in less than 30 minutes. Endless kitchen creativity!

I made the following blends:

• Earl Grey Creme: Using actual crushed tea leaves, the flavor of bergamot and black tea enhances a rich blend of nuts with no grains.

• Matcha Citrus: Using a matcha glaze and chunks of dried mango, this blend is bright and uplifting.

• Lavender Honey Almond: Inspired by a sweet French pastry, I made this blend with floral notes to accompany the spring season.

• Coffee Shop Granola: You know, when you stumble upon the perfect coffee shop in some quaint town you are visiting? And it is diabolically delicious and cozy, but you know you’ll never be back? This blend of cinnamon date granola is inspired by those magical small-town breakfasts in a local coffee shop.

Each set took about 10 minutes to chop up and 20-25 minutes to bake. It was also a delightfully simple system — repeatable and easy. I listened to an audiobook (Picture of Dorian Gray) as I chopped theraputically.

I am not near a Costco, but if you are, you should get the ingredients in bulk and make GIANT batches of granola, making this practice even more cost-effective.

I also cannot help but think how lovely homemade granola would be as a gift. You can make a large batch, jar or bag portions, and give them away!

Let’s dig into the recipes:

Read more

March 2: LISTING + LOGGING

As a young teenager, I was obsessed with a very specific section of my local craft store. I would beg my mom to take me to Joann Fabric (rest in true and complete peace, Joann) and gawk at the aisle adjacent to the scrapbook section. This trendy brand emerged, called “Smash*Book,” a timely, hipster response to modern scrapbooking.

Gone were the carefully measured and cut pages of our mother's baby books — this was a scrapbook book with flair. Every page was blank but themed and ready for you to decorate. There were no rules. You could cut lines that were not straight, scribble on details, and collage until you couldn’t see the page!

Packs of glue sticks, striped washi tape, and cut-outs filled my summers of only-child bliss, as I’d sit for hours making pages, completely content. I found the Listography Books and Wreck This Journal all around the same time. I don’t know what to call this specific pocket of creative genre that was prevalent at the time, but it really did have a lifelong impact on me, as a person.

A child with a propensity to perfectionism, nervous to play piano notes wrong, spell something wrong, or read a word wrong in class, discovers blank pages she can fill with whatever she thinks. I found a safe place to try things out, and in that safety, my creative perfectionism was put to rest. I have maintained freedom from perfectionism as a grown-up, miraculously, and I credit the summer of the “Wreck This Journal.”

It was the summer when I played creatively, safely, until I gained enough confidence to share. That’s the magic of the inside of notebooks: they are totally safe.

Last month, I was working on illustrations for my first published book, and the deadline coincided with a family trip. So I spent a good amount of the weekend drawing diligently, but trying to be present too. My niece is seven, and trying to figure out why I get to draw for my job. It looks like I am playing, and she understandably has a hard time believing me when I say I’m busy with work, but drawing dogs in scarves. She settled next to me, just to watch the pen strokes quietly; wobbly matcha mugs, quirky blooms from odd-shaped vases. After a while, she said about my drawing, “It’s not perfect.”

I then got to fully embody the cool-aunt-that-lives-in-New-York-wearing-a-black-turtleneck, toss my hair to the side, look in her little eyes, smile, and say, “Perfect is so boring!”

It’s true that, as grown-ups, we must unlearn many things taught in childhood. And for many, perfectionism in our creativity still has a chokehold. The words and images in our heads won’t come out because they are scared to perform under such scrutiny.

I have one big tip on how to help shake us out of this.

Make lists.

It’s natural for our brains to do, but it’s also a creative secret weapon. Utilize lists as resources for inspiration, memories, and ideas. Keep ongoing logs as a resource for you to jumpstart creativity. I think perfectionism makes getting started the hardest part, but lists will give your ideas a starting place, and your thoughts a safe place to land.

Your lists and logs can be stored in a trusty notebook, your notes app, or on scraps of paper. It’s just for you, so you can be as messy as you’d like. They are also ongoing — you can start lists and add to them forever. Here are some list prompts to build out your collection:

• Joy log: a list of truly joyful moments and memories, when your heart feels fullest

• Scent log: a list of smells that inspire you (especially fun to add to during travel)

• Love log: precious words, moments, and things exchanged between you and someone you love

• Beverage log: a list of coffee or tea shops you’ve tried, and what you ordered/thought

• Outfit log: when you have a day you feel really well-dressed, add it to a list with exactly what you wore (for reference on an uninspired day)

• Movie log: an ongoing list of movies you watched and your favorite quotes, scenes, or visuals

• Book log: an ongoing list of books you’ve read, what stood out to you

• Inspiration log: a list of things (with accompanying sketches or photos) that you see out and about in the world that strike a creative idea for you

• Friend log: memories with friends that lit your heart up, all in one big list

• Dinner log: a list of what you cooked for dinner (when it was a hit!)

• Hope log: whenever you feel a twinge of hope for something to come, write it in a list.

• Stranger log: a list of both pleasant and strange interactions with strangers

Now, be like a beaver and start making logs a priority in your creative life.

Also, is one of my favorite places to find journal prompts and lists!

Today, I am sharing a brief list of visual artists whose work feels like a warm hug:

• Amanda Cullin and her colorful, whimsical world of animal characters

• Alexa Grambush paints vibrant colorscapes that make your brain go “husssshhh”

• Phthalo Ruth evokes the same feelings I get when reading really wonderful children’s books — pure magic!

• Mazzal Studio’s black and white illustrations with too many dogs to count.

• Mary Lockin makes geometic, gradient paintings that feel just right.

• Angela Kirkwood illustrates vibrant, colorful, quirky characters.

✸ Business Insider interviewed me about whimsy. Like, the Business Insider. About “whimsy.” Can you believe it?!

✸ I wrote this for people who tend to beat themselves up.

✸ Here are some color palette ideas for an upcoming project you have (or a Google Calendar refresh)!

✸ This is a very colorful guide to setting the table properly, as taught by Emily Post.

✸ Here is a brand index for more colorful tableware, because life is too short to have boring plates.

I am writing today like the bunny in Goodnight Moon. I am cozy, but I am sick and very over it. You know when you catch something that just won’t go away? When it gets so bad and so prolonged that you start remembering with fondness when you used to wake up and could breathe through your nose?

When I am down and out for a while, I start to get really antsy. So I asked readers of Feeling! for their best advice about truly feeling better despite being sick. How do you embrace the sickness while staying upbeat?

As per usual, you all are the kindest, most thoughtful, and creative bunch on the internet. So the answers were kind, thoughtful, and creative, too.

You sent over some amazing thoughts that I recommend saving for later:

✸ said: “I watch *When Harry Met Sally* in my bed with a hot pack & sleep all day long. When I’m in a flare-up from chronic illness, I also like to make a list of things I’m looking forward to — a sweater I am excited to wear, the stretch of the park I am excited to see in bloom, etc. It’s nice to have something to look forward to.”

✸ shared: “For me, I keep nice bone broths stocked for the inevitable case when I do get sick. When I feel myself getting sick (and I know it’s going to get worse), I upfront get into comfies, clear my schedule, and make any apologies necessary for cancelling plans. Clearing my schedule and proactively managing expectations helps me take the time I need to feel better without feeling a sense of urgency to get ‘back to normal.’”

✸ said: "A long, hot bath followed by a fresh, clean pajama set is always soothing. I don’t know what it is about a matching PJ set, but I learned in middle school that matching PJs make me feel like I have my life together, and (apart from a brief stint in college of sleeping in sorority t-shirts) I have been a set girl since then. Another thing I will do is put a few servings of soup in the freezer whenever I make a big batch of soup. The next time I’m feeling down, I can just put premade homemade soup in the crockpot and have a comfort meal ready to go. Clean sheets and an early bedtime (maybe with a new, fun book to read to make everything seem a little happier) also go a long way. And never underestimate calling your mom, even as an adult.”

✸ said, “I try to enact a ‘poorly day protocol’ with the aim of doing the following without shame. Ideally, line up some nourishing foods, but depending on the situation, delivery might have to do (or help supplement groceries). Some kind of treat or something comforting is a good idea too. I’ve been poorly this week, and a crumpet with chocolate spread on it with a cup of tea was genuinely the highlight of the day! Shower/bath and fresh pajamas when it feels doable. Watch something mindless, wholesome, or funny on TV (I don’t normally watch TV during the day). Sleep as much as needed. Shower/bath again to reset. If it’s a few days of illness, then fresh air always feels good. All pressure off to reply to any messages or do ‘jobs.’”

✸ said: “I take a ‘nothing shower’ — where I get in the shower and let myself just sit in the hot, steamy water and relax every muscle in my body. Then I set up my bedside table for everything I might need: a book, phone charger, chapstick, drinking water, tissues, cough drops…you name it! Having everything close by so I don’t need to get up for something is very calming for me.”

✸ shared: “I try to recreate the nostalgic comfort of the sick day packs my childhood library would assemble: a cozy book, our favorite movies, some coloring pages, hot tea in a big steamy mug. Mostly, I try to tuck myself into soft, clean pajamas and blankets and channel that feeling of being safe and cared for. (Also a hot bath!).”

✸ wisely shared: “Number one overarching mindset shift for anyone who struggles with the slow down that’s necessary when being sick: Guilt-free rest. Slow down. Being sick is not a moral failure. You don’t have to have earned rest. You need rest because you’re human. Be gentle toward yourself.”

✸ shared: “I was sick last week! We have a shower lamp (highly recommend), so taking a long shower in the dark with just your shower lamp is the most relaxing way to shower and really helps your body and mind. Then, watching comfort movies bundled up. I also love listening to an audiobook of a book I’ve read (so it’s okay to fall asleep). Sometimes, even watching a movie is too much for the eyes, so it’s a way to mini drift into a story without effort and then allow yourself to drift off completely.”

If you are feeling down, I hope this brightened your day and that you feel better soon!

There were many more wonderful and wise recommendations in the chat, if you’d like to keep reading here:

Thank you, Hailey Howe, for your lovely work on Feeling! Magazine Graphics! You made this Monday Letter magical!

🐚 Read more thoughtfully created articles here

🪄 Shop all my favorite things

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🪄 Get more inspiration

It’s probably not proper to start a newsletter with an apology, but I’m sorry! Monday Letters have been few since the start of the new year. In early February, I had a deadline for the largest illustration project I’ve ever had. You could find me on planes, trains, and automobiles, attempting to meet this looming deadline that absorbed every spare minute I had. But…I made the mark! Soon I will get to tell you what the secret is! And now, finally, we are back on track for Mondays.

For members of the Color Club, this same deadline interfered with how quickly I got out January/February’s mail to you! March & on will be coming earlier in the month, and I appreciate your patience at the start of the year.

If you choose the “Color Club” subscription, for Feeling! Magazine ($89/yr), you receive one year of mail. Every month, you get an envelope filled with a “color of the month” selection, a postcard/art print for use as a letter or to frame, and a greeting card with its own envelope.

I just announced last week that I will be starting a new business, Feeling! Press, so many more greeting cards are to come! But the only place to receive a package every month AND have total access to Feeling! Magazine is in the Color Club. More details on how to sign up or upgrade your subscription are found here.

February 23rd: Still Wintering

I have beef with the groundhog. I am writing this with my heater blowing on my legs, my cat trying to stay warm next to me, and a blizzard forming outside my window.

I’ve tried to embrace the season for what it is — time indoors.

Trips out and about have been few. Short walks to grab groceries have become an event. I am most definitely a “summer.” I love to lie in the sun, light up at the chance to jump in a body of water, wear brighter colors, and enjoy the seasonality of social events over the summer months. I am still learning how to winter, but I am starting to see the magic in it.

It’s forced me to focus on my interior world. I am reorganizing, cleansing, and making my environment feel better. Cozy game nights, dinners in apartments, and time with dear friends have been plentiful. There’s something really magical about New York in the winter. Taking the train to someone’s apartment, throwing your coat on their bed, and sharing a warm meal — it feels like an honor to participate in the snow globe of the city.

It’s romantic and cozy, and maybe I like winter? Maybe I need to be forced to look inside and slow down. My natural pace is certainly not slow. But this time of year draws me to blankets, to journals, and to do a little less. It’s a push I probably need.

Here are some very specific things I’ve discovered that make winter feel a bit lighter:

• Watching movies from the list of movies I’ve always wanted to see, but never have! From classics to recent releases, I’ve taken advantage of early sunsets to watch films.

• Drawing and illustrating in bed. I prop up a bunch of pillows and draw for hours. Could swap out with your hobby — knitting, writing, crosswords, needlepoint, etc.

• Making countless cups of tea a day. Current rotation is a morning london fog, an afternoon matcha, and an herbal tea latte with honey at night.

• Play board games! Connor and I have played some fun two-player games, and have invited friends over for cards many times this season.

• Taking brisk walks. Having a dog helps me get outside multiple times a day, even in the snow.

• Intentional coffee dates with friends. It can feel a bit stir crazy sometimes. I’ve tried to be thoughtful in incorporating opportunities to get out and connect over warm drinks.

• Starting up new creative projects and ideas. I’m stuck inside, I might as well!

• Baking, duh. Banana bread muffins have been on repeat for me.

• De-cluttering my closet and cabinets and donating items I no longer use.

Colors of the week: Envelope crease + wax seal. A nod to some upcoming branding changes I’m excited to reveal.

Some inspiration of the duo in home decor:

And in fashion:

✸ Chiquita Banana released new sticker designs from Brooklyn-based artist Jiaqi Wang that highlight Miss Chiquita as an icon of pop culture.

✸ Design your own trinket mobile on self.img’s new website. Be sure to explore her new collection of mobiles released yesterday.

✸ Here is a tutorial detailing how to make flowers grow on a Google Sheet page to make your to-do lists pop! Some light coding/digital creativity.

✸ I found a tutorial for stitching your initial into your journal to customize it, and it looks therapeutic.

1. Silver Shelf: I picked up three of these small shelves from IKEA ($20!!) and have enjoyed styling them with my favorite plates, candles, and art books. Such a great way to add some interesting texture to your space — a metallic instead of another wood piece!

2. My Everything Bag: I carry this M.Z. Wallace bag everywhere I go. It fits my laptop (MacBook Air), two journals, a scarf, and whatever quantity of lip gloss I am currently carrying. I get so many compliments on it. But I really love how durable it is, because I am kind of rough on my totes.

3. A New Tea Discovery: My sister-in-law had this Earl Grey matcha on her counter, and I became bewitched by it. Absolutely delicious with foamy milk. Perfect tin of tea to have out and then ask guests, “Would you like a cup of tea?”

4. What Makes My Laundry Smell Like a Coastal Hotel: You already know I am a Dedcool enthusiast. I LOVE the Xtra Milk scent. But I tried their collaboration with Ouai, and it is heavenly. It’s rose-forward, but comes out very fresh and subtle. My clothes/sheets smell like a coastal resort. I have my clothes on a drying rack, and my entire apartment smells like a breezy summer hotel.

5. My Favorite Valentine’s Day Gift: Connor got me a REAL PEN! Sweetest boy in the world — he got me the “gelato” pen with a note saying I’m his favorite writer. Ugh. I can’t wait to write a million things with it. It writes like Alysa Liu skates.

6. The Shirt I Can’t Stop Wearing: This tomato top from Reformation is cropped in all the right places, and I love it. Will especially love it when the blizzards stop and I can wear my favorite clothes once more.

7. My Current Matcha Rotation: Dona’s ceremonial matcha is perfection. I’ve been using it every afternoon for a latte.

✸ I started a new column for on-the-ground design reporting. I am really excited about it, frankly. I write it like I am basically FaceTiming a friend with the colorful, exciting things I have found. Especially small businesses and independent artists, whom I love introducing to you!

✸ I made a list of things to do when you feel terrible. No paywall — just hopeful it meets you where you are at, and it’s maybe something you can use to help encourage someone else.

✸ I’ve been working on a large piece about friendships; it’s been top of mind. I found this thoughtful work from on the breaking of friendships and thought it was beautifully written.

✸ made a Beginner’s Guide to Knitting, which I am memorizing, because I’ve found I am not a natural in the yarn arts.

✸ If you are in a creative rut and need a little boost, I made this list of ideas as a reference.

✸ had me on as a guest writer over the weekend — I talk about my alternative to the “Brick” device for screentime, and thinking about things through the lens of seasonality

Thank you for reading and supporting Feeling! Magazine. I’ve decided to pursue this dream (making the magazine I always wished existed) harder than I ever have this year. I hope you’ll consider supporting. The best is yet to come!

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Thank you, Hailey Howe, for your lovely work on Feeling! Magazine Graphics! You made this Monday Letter magical!

🐚 Read more thoughtfully created articles here

🪄 Shop all my favorite things

🍒 Let’s be internet friends, please! @ jennaisfeeling

🪄 Get more inspiration

This edition of Feeling! Magazine is free for everyone because Squarespace sponsored it!

I think the most prized possession I have is a box of cards I’ve kept throughout my life. (I have scanned a precious portion of my archives to share with you in this article.)

I keep thinking about the juxtaposition of greeting cards. They accompany life’s most celebratory and life’s most devastating moments. Isn’t that such a fascinating thing? How traditions are similar at both ends of joy and grief? When there is cause to rejoice, cards and flowers arrive. When there is cause to mourn, cards and flowers arrive.

In jubilation, tears come unprompted. The birthday candles appear in a homemade cake, carried by someone you love from around the corner. He’s on his knee asking you a question. The call with good news finally comes. And in moments of sadness, tears come unprompted just the same. Gravesides, hospitals, sitting alone in the car.

For every color in the human spectrum of emotion, there is the written word in an envelope.

The currency of the handwritten letter is increasing in value. Do you ever read something online and wonder, did they actually write that? There is no way to tell whether a well-paid ghostwriter or a subscription bot etched the words out. We trace cadence and em dashes and wonder if a human is sharing their feelings with us, or if elaborate code is, and try to derive some sentiment either way.

But I have my dad’s handwriting memorized. From the letters penned on the outside of an envelope, I am able to discern if my grandmother, husband, mom, college roommate, or landlord has left me a note. From the way the ink hits the paper, I feel like I am able to discern the emotional state of my writer, like an extra layer of communication.

The practice of keeping cards has always felt instinctual. I’ve stored cards in a felt grey box in my closet that I brought with me to a dorm, into my first home, every home after that, and now it sits at the top of my wardrobe in New York. It holds birthday cards, notes from high school classmates, letters from my parents and family, and notes from students I taught. (I have a second box for every love letter from Connor since 2012.) According to an online test, my love language is words of affirmation. I agree, as evidenced by this lifelong practice of savoring and saving words that mean a lot to me.

In college, I started drawing greeting cards in my dorm and printing them, then selling them on campus. I had an iPad and a dream, and I did not have enough information to be daunted by starting a small business. Only blind hope reigned. I ended up building an entire business out of greeting cards after classes and on weekends. I graduated in May and signed a lease on a storefront in July.

The crowning glory of my storefront was the greeting card bar, where you could pick any of my cards, any colored envelope, and then a scoop of your choice of confetti. I’d sit at the register and watch guests meticulously choose their card, envelope, and confetti, and wonder how far the card would go. Who was it for? What would they write in it? Sympathy cards came to the register, congratulations cards stuffed with confetti, birthday cards, and romantic cards. It felt like such an honor to keep shop while all these moments were marked for others — an honor to play a small part.

My store closed about a year after the pandemic hit, because it couldn’t weather the absence of foot traffic. And since then, I’ve woefully daydreamed about greeting cards and that small part I got to play in that sacred practice of writing a letter for life’s big and little moments. I’ve really missed that role.

That’s why I am so excited to share with you that after a four-year hiatus from my dream and a life full of vibrantly colorful greeting cards, I am planning on bringing that vision back to life this spring.

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Feeling! Press will be a resurrection of a dream I’ve had in my heart for a very long time, but refined by my experience in the painful process of starting, closing, waiting, and conquering the fear of starting again. The designs will nod to the sunshiney illustrations of my early twenties, but somehow be formed by how I’ve become even more of myself in the losses. It is a true “belly of the beast” comeback to revisit this loss with a newfound hope. It took a long time to even admit out loud how badly I wanted to design cards again, but now I am setting up for a launch. It is a risk I’ve ultimately decided is worth taking, because it feels so intrinsically tied to me that I can’t ignore it.

From 2012 to 2013, Connor and I secretly stuffed notes in each other’s lockers when no one was looking. We told no one at school we were writing to one another, and we hardly spoke in person. But on paper, we revealed feelings toward each other. My heart would leap when I opened my locker door, and a folded-up piece of notebook paper would fall out.

It felt fitting to ask the man I’ve written love letters back and forth with for over a decade to join me in starting this new card venture. His expertise in documentary filmmaking will shine through as we plan to produce short films, even fictional stories, to accompany collections of cards and build a brand that feels like a world to enter. Think how the American Girl company made long pieces of fiction and fully realized characters to accompany their collections, but with greeting card designs. I think our little apartment may be on the verge of a creative renaissance.

I plan on launching this digital stationery store this spring, with new designs, global shipping, and I’m trying to work out how to build a digital confetti bar. (I’ll keep you posted!) I am planning on approaching this with more documentation and welcoming you into the process before the collections release. If you are so inclined, I’d really love your feedback on concept designs and how I can make greeting cards that feel like more than a last-minute pick, but a writing practice in your life. It would be an honor to make cards that accompany your monumental moments.

Right now, I am in the process of branding and refining the visual identity. I have selected colors and type, and am working to strike the right balance before I share anything.

As for the digital home of Feeling! Press, I’m still figuring out how to build it exactly to my imagination, but I know I want a digital space that feels as considered and beautiful as a physical space would be. If you’re in a similar boat and building something of your own, Squarespace is always worth exploring (I’ve used Squarespace for years for so many projects).

They’re offering something lovely to readers of this newsletter: a free trial to get started, and 10% off your first website or domain purchase with code FEELING. I thought that was worth passing along.

I am interested in exploring Squarespace's template & brand kit features, where I can update my branding and colors seamlessly across the whole site for a new look. And then, of course, I am exploring the e-commerce features for making a store that is as visually stunning as it will be easy to navigate. I’ve shipped my calendars for years from my Squarespace site, and know the internal tracking/shipping system is seamless. Which will be essential, as my plan is to ship them by hand from my apartment!

A fresh look for Feeling! Magazine will accompany the rebrand. I think it’s going to be our best look yet. Supporting subscribers of the Magazine will have exclusive access to new card designs, collections, and sales before anyone else.

I am excited to bring you inside of this new endeavor, and am hopeful to make beautiful things that can impact others with joy. In an increasingly digital world, there is nothing like a letter in the mail.

And in a world that feels dark, desperate, and defeated, my hope is to bring you work that feels like an alternative to despair. Joy and color abound, and I think so much of it lives in the words we share with one another, pressed in a greeting card.

And a note to anyone who had a dream that was shut down, lost, or otherwise taken away — take time to heal, but please don’t forget it. People like me need the beautiful things in your heart. Restorations and resurrections happen. Hold on to that hope while you wait.

XO Jenna O.

FURTHER READING:

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This letter is packed full of red, pink, and so many ideas. I made a Valentine’s gift guide with some creative ideas for delighting your Valentine, friend, or Galentine. Because this little red & pink day is the perfect time to remind the people around you that you care about them. We need more love, and this holiday is a perfect excuse to spread it around like confetti.

I’ve included a giveaway in the comments, too. I’d love to send you a Valentine!

At the end of this article, for supporting subscribers of Feeling!, I am including printable Valentine’s notecards, phone, and desktop wallpapers. One of my top pieces of advice for cultivating a lifestyle with a little more magic in it is leaning into seasons and embracing them. I utilize this Substack to the best of my ability to equip you with resources to delight.

Whether it’s changing your desktop wallpaper this week so your co-workers feel in the Valentine's mood, or printing little Valentines and dropping them off for friends, I hope you will do something a little extra pink this week.

A Gift Guide, Based on Love Language:

For the holiday all about love, I have organized some small gift ideas by love language. Everything does look a little extra red, but ideally, this is a resource you can use for upcoming birthdays or holidays too. The concept here is about expressing love, which transcends just February 14th.

These ideas are for your friends, family, or a special Valentine. I tried to include both shoppable items AND actions, ideas, and things that cannot be wrapped.

*How do you know someone’s love language? Well, you can probably guess. It is usually the way they most naturally express love. Do they show up with a gift in hand? Do they take on the role of coordinating time together? Do they reach out to hold your hand or give extra-long hugs? You can also have them take a quiz online, which loses your subtlety but guarantees accuracy. But no stress — everyone wants to be loved, and everyone needs a bit of every love language for a full dose of love! If a gift idea makes you think of them, you are probably right on track.

Words of Affirmation

For the ones whose hearts perk up when a loving word is spoken, here are some ideas that will surely feel like they are known and loved:

• First and foremost, a love letter. Make it long, recall memories, and detail what specifically about that person makes you appreciate them. Write it inside a gorgeous greeting card.

• Make photo books, filled with pictures of the two of you, customized with handwritten thoughts and memories. Write notes in pen about what you love about that person, what about that specific memory strikes you, or what you remember about their time together.

  • Papier makes beautiful printed photo albums — I like this classic fabric design and this photo booth-inspired design

  • Topdrawer sells traditional scrapbooks in vibrant fabric solids. This red one would be perfect for making a scrapbook for them.

    

• Urban Outfitters makes landline phones, and for someone who loves to debrief and talk, you could order a pair of matching landlines. It would be so special to have a ringing phone to reach only each other. One for you, one for them — a thoughtful gift for long-distance pairs.

• A word-lover will love this special print of Wuthering Heights, with a history of Emily Brontë’s life, special artworks, and gorgeous binding.

• Carry a piece of your Valentine with you wherever you go — Sézane makes beautiful initial bracelets with a simplistic chocolate-brown cord. Alternatively, they make gold initial pendants for necklaces. Pair with a thoughtful note explaining that you are always with them.

• Gift the wordy a fresh notebook, and leave a heartfelt letter inside for them to discover. I like Moleskine’s classic red notebook and Papier’s cherry spiral journal. Pair with a Levenger pen: the Gelato (magical) and Classic Carrara caught my eye.

• Reimagine using a digital frame for sending constant digital love notes. You can send photos, sure. But you can also write notes, take a photo of them, and then they will magically appear on your Valentine’s frame. I see this as a long-distance gift that keeps giving. I’ve used the Aura Frame, and cannot reccomend it enough.

• Print a booklet of quotes that make you think of them. Or paste quotes on the pages of a vintage book.

• Make them a playlist! Burn a CD, even! Just choose songs really thoughtfully, because they will be listening to every single word.

Acts of Service

Some people have hearts that soar when you thoughtfully take something off their plate. They feel deeply cared for through physical acts of devotion. Here are some ideas, many free or low-cost, to delight them:

• Prepare a multi-course homemade meal for them. Even print a little menu. The goal is not culinary excellence, but extreme thoughtfulness.

• Give them something especially helpful to a dream or goal they have. If they want to be a writer, gift a nice pen and paper. Maybe there is some piece of technology or a tool they need to further explore a passion — a specific knitting needle, SD card, camera, kitchen knife, baseball bat, lens, etc. It shows you believe in them, and you’ve heard when they share what they need.

• Give them a peaceful at-home spa. If you live together, you could draw a warm bath for them and fill it with relaxing epsom salts, a fluffed-up towel, and a candle burning. Or you could gift them with bath salts and shower steamers to enjoy.

• Pick up their very favorite treat from their very favorite place — a specific cake, latte, etc., and have it waiting at home for them.

• Plan an entire date so they do not have to coordinate one thing.

• Clean their space until it sparkles. Wait for them to come home. Surprise!

• Pick out some essentials they need and love, and put them into a basket. Just a bunch of little thoughtful gifts, all at once! (Think refills: their favorite face wash, candy, socks, lotion, snacks, candle, etc.)

• Offer your time to help them finish that thing they need to do, but always feel overwhelmed by — paint a room, organize receipts, write thank you notes, etc.

Quality Time

Someone in your life is probably a quality time lover, and you can tell because they are always putting plans together. Here are some ideas to make them feel extra special:

• Snakes of Wrath is a simple, beautiful, and fun two-player game that has some strategy, but will not take all night to play. You can gift the game with a promise to play frequently and keep an ongoing score. It is meaningful to have those traditions and routines together for someone who craves quality time.

• Document time together with a vintage-inspired digital video camera, inspired by classic Super-8’s. The camera doesn’t even have a playback screen, prompting you to be present as a real film camera would. You can pair this with an outing you’ve planned to a museum, botanical garden, or park — so they can immediately test out their gift.

• Imagine inviting them over, and then having this puzzle, themed “A Match Made in Heaven” on the table, cozy music going, and no other plans.

• Alex Mill makes a vibrant, iconic, customizable weekday bag. Order your Valentine one with their initials — but accompany it with a little trip. It could be a trip just to the park for a picnic, or a weekend away. You could stuff the bag with a few clues and let them guess where you are about to spend time together.

• If you want to take that idea to the next level and stay out of town longer, the Vera Bradley quilted duffle is a beautiful, larger option.

• Give them a new routine you can both delight in. Get really good at something, side-by-side. In my kitchen, we’ve both made an effort to invest in learning to make our favorite coffee shop drinks for one another. You could gift them a gorgeous matcha kit from Fellow, with the commitment of learning the new skill together until you perfect your lattes.

• An idea for your book-reading Galentine: Buy a set of matching books for you both to read together, and include a cute bookmark inside the pages. You could do this for a whole group! Quality time = book club.

Physical Touch

Ideas for the cuddly:

• Faux fur blanket + Oaui Detergent: Find the plushest, softest blanket you can and pair it with Dedcool x Oaui’s scented detergent. I’ve been using this laundry detergent, and it makes my house smell like a beach resort — notes of rose that are muted and coastal. The combo or blanket plus magical detergent is like a never-ending good-smelling hug.

• Plan an evening in, just the two of you, for maximum coziness. Matching pajamas, a movie ready to go, take-out ordered, and an abundance of snuggles.

  

• This Soft Services x Dedcool set includes a hand cream that is a muted blue pump vessel for the cream, and a travel-size perfume of Xtra Milk (my favorite scent). It looks like a decorative object sitting on your nightstand. It is a thoughtful touch for soft hands and warm aromas.

• For this never-ending winter, a hot water bottle is such a comforting gift. Dress it up with a really adorable cover like this quilted one, or this striped knitted one.

• This logic may not track, but I have a gut feeling that someone who likes physical touch would like a house plant. No science there, just feelings. A Norfolk Island Pine caught my eye, because it is wintery but can thrive all year.

• Give them a stuffy to hug when you are not there. Jellycat has an adorable Valentine’s collection out now. But really, you can never go wrong with any Jellycat.

• Matching cozy socks and slippers would be a hit, as long as there is an accompanying promise of cuddling on the couch. For the holiday, Bombas’ red “tomato” slippers caught my eye. And then I found they have red RUFFLE socks right now too! Bombas also has an incredible collection for men in both slippers and socks. Maybe a matching set?!

Gifts

If their love language is gift-giving, you are already on the right track. The key is to give gifts that keep giving. Give a bag, but make sure there are trinkets stuffed in the pockets too. Little surprises, good wrapping, and thoughtful intention will win their hearts. Also, be prepared for them to give YOU a really thoughtful gift — don’t come empty-handed.

• It’s hard to beat a Fujifilm Instax as a perfect gift. Wrap it with extra film, and a note about how you look forward to documenting memories together. You could even include a blank photo book to fill.

• For a Galentine, this cherry beaded necklace is so deliciously colored. Pair with a thoughtful greeting card (and maybe chocolate-covered cherries?).

  

• This shop on Etsy makes incredible monochromatic frames for your photos. I love this gift lets you capture a memory, but a decorative piece.

• You can order a custom locket signet ring for your Valentine. Lox & Chain allows you to choose an engraving font and initial, and includes instructions for printing a tiny photo that rests on the inside of the signet ring. Romantic!

  

• Thirsty Cowboy, based in Brooklyn, just released a “Strawberry Matcha Lip Butter,” and the scent is absolutely perfect. These are the only lip balms that do not chap my lips in the winter, and I have used them like a lifeline.

• This Joyn cherry bowler bag is the cutest Valentine’s Day pick — and it FEELS like the holiday! Make sure to secretly stuff it with candy and other trinkets, because they will notice and rejoice.

• Orchids are such beautifully timeless gifts. Pick out an orchid, and customize it with a pot that matches its personality. You can ship one directly from the Sill, with some custom options. This works for a grandparent, sibling, parent, best friend, or really anyone who could use some thoughtfulness this season.

Printable Cards & Wallpaper Downloads:

First, here are the phone wallpapers! Hand-drawn by yours truly:

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