Quarantine Chic? Not So Much
This week’s post was supposed to be different, but I’m pulling the rip cord & instead sharing some hilarious & useful tips for essentially muddling through this time in one piece. There will be no exhortations to color code your spice bottles or any kind of virtual fitness challenge. There will, however, be wise & often comedic observations that hopefully make you feel a little lighter when you’re done reading this post.
First up is my friend the amazingly wry & knowledgable Sophie Dow Donelson who penned this Op-ed for the NY Times: “Self Quarantine is No Time for an Instagram-Ready Kitchen.”
As former Editor in Chief of House Beautiful, Sophie knows a thing or two about good design and has seen some of the world’s most glamorous spaces...
An image from Sophie’s book Style Secrets of a room designed by Benjamin Dhong, photographed by House Beautiful
Another image from Sophie’s book, a Benjamin Dhong-designed kitchen (photographed by House Beautiful).
BUT working from home alongside her husband & their two young sons means Sophie also knows a lot about improvising. And stress. And how important it is to solve for the MAIN issues - function, not style! - when you’re in a period like this. One of my favorite lines from her piece: “What this time calls for is flexibility and imagination — not keeping up with the Joneses, not stylistic cartwheels. Just small comforts. A home to bend to your will and not the other way around.” Love that!!
Flowers for the Home - by Lilac & Page
Another article that REALLY rang true to me was sent from my friend Ginny Wydler, a floral designer with insanely beautiful Instagram feed (@lilacandpage) - see image above & below….
Ginny’s gorgeous home with one of her floral designs
This NY Times piece had me at hello with its title: “Stop Trying To Be Productive.” The author interviews people from all different fields who are suddenly working from home & dealing with the stress and disruption of this pandemic….so NO, perhaps this is not the ideal time to brush up on your Swahili lessons!
In need of comic relief? My go-to is the unflappable comedienne Jill Kargman — follow her on Insta: @jillkargman.
Jill has created a signature character named “Dzanielle,” a New Yorker dealing with the challenges of self-quarantine — laugh out loud bits you can see on her Instagram. Love Jill & her pitch perfect ability to observe the light side even in dark times. (Check out her Bravo sitcom, “Odd Mom Out” if you haven’t already binged it!)
Bravo series “Odd Mom Out'“
Last but not least, my friend Lindsay has put two more AWESOME articles on my radar:
Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-inspired Productivity Pressure - a brilliant piece by Political Science professor that guides us through 3 stages of healthy perspective & coping tips for this extraordinary time
The Virus Is a Reminder of Something Lost Long Ago - this article from the Atlantic makes the case for seeing this time as an universal “re-set” button to engineer a slower, more thoughtful world. Really compelling.
Ok that’s all for now - stay safe & healthy & keep me posted if there are other bits you think I should share to help us all get through this!
xoxo
Lee