Whimsy Dispatch: Cherry vanilla matcha lattes, sweet ginger bowls, and feel-better chicken noodle soup.

Your weekly guide to becoming the Creative Director of your house, including: a weekly menu, recipes, and other whimsical takes on the mundane.

Jun 01, 2025

∙ Paid

What if your home felt less like a to-do list... and more like a creative project?

Every week, I will send out a paid subscriber-only post that functions like a Creative Director’s Briefing for your space and your heart! It's a curated mix of both organized structure and unexpected delight (my sweet spot).

You can read more about the heart of the idea here.

It always includes weekly inspiration for:

Fruits, florals, colors
A complete weekly menu for 5 meals, café items, and grab & go food (with recipes)
A list of ideas to make home a little more fun
A list of creative ideas for play, journaling, and making things with your hands

(Sidebar: I also think if you have children, everything on the list could be very fun to include them in! I’ve kept kids in mind!)

I think pursuing joy and whimsy is an act of hope. And I really hope I can help you in that pursuit!

Here is a preview of what you will get every week if you subscribe: (Enjoy!)

⋆⭒˚.⋆ THIS WEEK:

The June 2-7 theme is: “Cozy in the Kitchen”

This week is all about staying in, softening your pace, and finding comfort in the ritual of preparing food. Think: warm mugs on chilly mornings, oven heat filling the room, the rhythm of chopping vegetables, and slow music playing while soup simmers. We’re leaning into gentle textures, candlelight, and nourishing dinners — a full-body exhale, held within the walls of home.

image source board here

✦ Color of the Week: Warm Oat

Hex: #D8CAB0
A soft, toasty neutral that feels like morning light on a wooden table. Warm Oat lives in the steam of a just-poured cup of tea, the crumb of a fresh loaf, the worn pages of a favorite recipe card. It’s a grounding backdrop — gentle, unassuming, and deeply comforting.

Pair With:

Toasted honey
Vintage denim
Soft sage
Deep cocoa
Unbleached linen

Style Cue: Bring this color into your week through hand towels, baking parchment, wooden spoons, old cookbooks, or your go-to cozy sweater.

Style Cue: Use it in a bowl of citrus, a cloth napkin, or a painted stripe on a reused jar.

✦ Flavors of the Week: Cozy in the Kitchen

Think: stovetop warmth, tender textures, and ingredients that invite slowness.

Brown Butter – nutty and golden, instantly transforms the ordinary
Maple Syrup – earthy sweetness, ideal for glazes, lattes, and roasting
Cinnamon – grounding and nostalgic, especially paired with oats or apples
Roasted Garlic – mellow, sweet, and deeply savory
Thyme – delicate and herbal, the softest of the winter herbs
Oat Milk – creamy and light, perfect in drinks or porridge
Vanilla Bean – adds softness and depth to any sweet dish
Caramelized Onion – sweet-savory magic for soups, sandwiches, and bowls
Toasted Nuts – texture and warmth in one spoonful
Black Pepper – sharp contrast for all the mellow comfort above

Try a flavor pairing:

Brown butter + maple
Oat milk + cinnamon
Roasted garlic + thyme
Caramelized onion + black pepper

✶ WEEKLY FRUITS:

Pears – crisp yet delicate, with a cinnamon-honey note when baked
Honeycrisp Apples – cold and crunchy, or soft and syrupy in warm dishes
Medjool Dates – nature’s caramel; rich, chewy, and deeply sweet
Dried Figs – jammy and grounding, perfect chopped into oatmeal or buttered toast
Cranberries (fresh or dried) – tart contrast for roasts, bakes, and cheese boards
Lemons – brightening everything from tea to vinaigrettes
Bananas – comfort food in every form: blended, baked, or eaten standing in the kitchen
Oranges (especially Cara Cara) – sweet, blush-toned, and perfect for a little midday joy

Tip: Keep a small wooden bowl of citrus and pears near your prep space — it doubles as a still life and a snack station.

✶ WEEKLY FLORALS

Go loose, fragrant, and a little sun-drowsy, like something you’d gather on your walk home.

Dried Lavender – calming and classic, perfect in a jar by your stovetop or steeped into tea
Chamomile – daisy-like and delicate; use dried for steeping or scatter fresh on plates
Rosemary (flowering or not) – herbal, woodsy, and grounding — belongs in both a vase and a roast
Bay Leaves – fragrant and forest-toned, beautiful fresh or dried in an apothecary jar
Paperwhites – if blooming, place near the kitchen window for the scent alone
Dried Wheat or Oats – textural and seasonal, lovely in a jug or tied in a bundle
Dusty Miller – silvery and soft, it plays well with any neutral kitchen palette
White Ranunculus – full and fluttery, like a good apron — bring in just one stem

Arrangement idea: Place a tiny vintage glass or jelly jar near your stove with a single herb sprig, dried lavender, or small bloom — a still life you get to live inside.

THE WEEKLY MENU:

CAFÉ RECIPES:

✦ Cherry Vanilla Matcha Latte

Makes: ~¾ cup syrup
Keeps: 1–2 weeks in the fridge

Syrup Ingredients:

1 cup frozen cherries
⅓ cup water
⅓ cup cane sugar (or maple syrup for a softer finish)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Syrup Instructions:

In a small saucepan, combine cherries, water, and sugar.
Bring to a simmer and mash the cherries as they soften.
Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, until the syrup thickens slightly.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and salt.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a jar — press the fruit gently to extract all the flavor.
Let cool. Store in the fridge.

Cherry Vanilla Matcha Latte

Ingredients:

½ tsp ceremonial matcha
1 tbsp hot water
1–2 tbsp cherry vanilla syrup (to taste)
¾ cup oat milk (or other milk of choice)
Optional: dried cherry garnish or a dash of cinnamon

Instructions:

Whisk matcha and hot water together until smooth and vibrant.
In a separate cup, steam or heat oat milk until warm and frothy.
Add cherry vanilla syrup to your matcha, stir, then pour in the warm milk.
Top with a dried cherry or a swirl of extra syrup if desired

✦ Simple Honey Cinnamon Latte