"Between The Lines" with Tinx
Plus, unveiling the new look of The Sunday Series (!!) and Mother's Day gift ideas
Happy Sunday, lovers!
I’ve been flirting with the idea of a rebrand for months, and the time has finally come to share where we landed. It’s official—my baby is growing up. I mean, did you notice I’m even using proper capitalization now? Honestly, this evolution is possibly even more groundbreaking than florals for spring.
But all jokes aside, allow me to reintroduce my pride and joy…Meet The Sunday Series: Curated by Kayla.
The heart remains the same—part love letter to New York, part cultural time capsule, and always, a celebration of the thoughtful details that make life feel richer. The Sunday Series is your weekly pause—a permission slip to savor your coffee and sink into stories that make the world feel a bit more connected, a bit more considered.
There felt like no better moment to reveal the new look and feel of my favorite corner of the internet than the start of the month that marks my fifth anniversary (!!!!!) of sending The Sunday Series. I sent my first edition in May 2020—also known as peak “uncertain times.” For a reminder of where we were at back then, there was a banana bread recipe in that first issue…I sent it to maybe forty people, probably half of whom I was somehow related.
After five years of evolving with you (thankfully, out of pandemic and into much more certain times…though, no less confusing ones?), a glow-up was in order. It was time for a refined look and a recommitment to what’s always been at the core: my obsession with aesthetics, both grand and granular. Because I firmly believe the way your cappuccino is served matters. A friend taking the time to handwrite a thank you card matters. Minimal overhead lighting, the familiar scent that envelopes you when you hug someone you love, and the just-right stack of books by your bedside—it all adds up to a life that feels more intentional. More romantic. More intrinsically and irrefutably you.
Since that first lo-fi send, this weekly love letter has grown into a global community of curious readers who crave the same things I do: connection, introspection, and discovery. No, really, we’re global. Substack has a cool tool that allows me to see audience location—turns out, TSS has readers across the U.K., Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Oman, India, Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Mexico…to name a few! These readership stats are so humbling, a reminder of why I’ll never take the privilege of sharing stories from my movie set neighborhood of the West Village for granted.
In recent years through countless editions of The Sunday Series, I’ve been able to bring you conversations on craft with writers I’ve long admired—Rebecca Serle, Robinne Lee, Carola Lovering, Grace Atwood, and more. These interviews have become some of my favorite sections of the newsletter to work on, so I decided to give them their own spotlight—and a new name to match. Introducing In Between The Lines: a Q&A series where I go deeper with the voices that inspire me most. We’re kicking In Between The Lines off with none other than Christina Najjar—aka Tinx—who opens up about writing her first novel, which hits shelves on Tuesday. And in true TSS fashion, she’s also dishing where she’d take us for the perfect New York Sunday together.
The Mother’s Day Gift Guide: an edit for every type of mom (or maternal figure) in your life—including the one who swears she doesn’t need anything. Expect a mix of chic, sentimental, and straight-up spoil-worthy picks.
WVBC Things: A snippet from my interview in this month’s newsletter, including a breakdown of our event with Gary Janetti!
In Between the Lines: A conversation with Tinx on the inspiration behind her forthcoming novel Hotter In The Hamptons, which hits on themes of self-discovery, exploration, and the importance of friendship
The Vault (Paid Subscriber Exclusive): My latest cultural deep dive—featuring the show I’ve been bingeing, the articles I can’t stop thinking about, and the Substacks I forward to my friends this week.
But, before we dive in, to access the complete version of this and future posts, upgrade today! Paid subscribers of The Sunday Series unlock an exclusive section of paywalled content in each send, access to the full archives (including Your Ultimate Paris Guide, 100 Hotels I’m Dying to Check Into, My Holy Grail Rules for an Overnight Flight, 31 Ideas for Your Next Birthday Trip, A Playbook for How to Make Friends As An Adult, and 16 Prompts for a Personal Quarterly Review), the commenting feature on each post, exclusive giveaways, and more. Plus, your support directly helps ensure this newsletter can continue to grow! Subscriptions are $8/month or less than $7/month if paid annually—also known as less than one fancy Starb*cks order. But don’t let me be the one to tell you why you should upgrade! I’ll leave that to a fellow reader…
"I decided to become a paid subscriber because I appreciate how much info you still give to free subscribers *before* they get to the paywalled part of your email. Counter-intuitive? Maybe! So often a writer turns on paid subs and EVERYTHING is behind the paywall. That's how I thought yours would be too, but I've been pleasantly surprised. It made me make the jump to converting to paid!" – Alison Z., paid subscriber of The Sunday Series
So, something slightly problematic for me is that my mom is definitely reading this. Hi, mom! She and I both got gifted TheraBody Depuffing Wand (currently $20 off) when we went to a live taping of Jimmy Fallon earlier this year, and are obsessed. If your mom is also into biohacking and you are feeling a bit more splurgey, I’m seriously enamoured with the idea of and Red Light Therapy Face Mask (up to $200 off if you get yourself and a friend one too!) and I have friends who swear by their Infrared Sauna Blanket (currently $140 off). If we’re going for more reasonable beauty buys, the Crown Affair Towel is a fave. I also finally got my hands on a friend’s La Bonne Brosse hairbrush, and I officially understand the hype.
Maybe your mom or a mother-like figure is more of a homemaker! You can’t go wrong with gifting some of these chic Sabre Pearly Bistro Spreader for hosting. Or if they are in the market for a reorganization of their chaotic spice drawer, this Evermill Countertop Spice Rack is dreamy. The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook (out Tuesday, but preorders help authors so much!) by would also make an incredible gift. For the woman who prefers to be in the garden versus kitchen (or maybe she does it all), this Gardening Tools: Set of 10, this cutie Gardening Caddy, or this practical Gardening Bench could be clutch.
Each month over in our monthly newsletter, we feature a spotlight on a member. Since I hosted in April, it was my turn to answer some questions, and it was so fun! From how WVBC came to what my dream Sunday would look like to the one book I’ll never stop recommending, I loved spilling so many recommendations. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes (or just want more recs, always), you can read the full feature here. Oh, and I’m still not over our meeting at The Mercer with writer Gary Janetti and his celebrity stylist husband, Brad Goreski—a true ‘pinch me’ New York moment.
Christina, the world knows you as Tinx, but to many, you're a big sister figure offering advice on your podcast and socials. What inspired you to translate your guidance into your first book, The Shift, which you've shared is a chronicle of the advice your younger self needed?
I wanted to write a sort of love letter to my followers. A manual for surviving dating and knowing your self-worth. It’s really the book that I needed when I was younger, so I wanted to put all my thoughts in one place. It also serves as somewhat of a mini memoir. I think that advice is best delivered with personal experience because then people know why it matters to you to share it!
Hotter in the Hamptons comes out this week. Congratulations! What's the premise behind your debut novel?
Hotter in the Hamptons is a spicy summer fling that follows Lola, a canceled influencer and fashion It girl, to East Hampton, where she tries to get her groove back after her life falls apart. Little does she know all the romance in store for her! There are themes of self-discovery, exploration, the importance of friendship and more!
You've shared that you wrote the book you wanted to read, with a complex protagonist and lots of sex (not all straight sex, either!). How has intuition played into creating a story that you feel will resonate in this cultural moment?
My community is my greatest inspiration. Some of the questions that they’ve asked me were the first kernels of idea for this book. This book is for anyone and everyone, but as usual I kept my followers in mind while creating it. Without giving too much away, it’s a romance novel for the courageous women of today.
Back in February, it was announced that Hotter in the Hamptons was optioned and set to be adapted by the Foster sisters with you as an executive producer. What's been the most meaningful part of your first TV adaption project?
Getting to learn an entirely new process is so thrilling for me. I’m soaking everything in and it’s so wonderful to be a student again. I couldn’t be more thrilled that the book is going to be turned into a show and is in such good hands. Erin and Sara are the smartest around and I am so lucky to learn from them.
Shifting to what you're reading! Tell us about something you read recently that left you with a book hangover.
I can’t stop thinking about Graydon Carter’s memoir, When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines. I worship Tina Brown and I didn’t think I would ever love any memoir as much as hers (The Vanity Fair Diaries), but Carter’s might be dethroning! The common denominator, obviously being Vanity Fair… I love getting a peek into the literary world of the 90s.
What book is on your TBR pile that you're most excited to pick up next?
I just got Amy Griffin’s The Tell.. I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews.
The Sunday Series was conceptualized as a love letter to my favorite day of the week. If we were with you in NY on a Sunday, where would you take us to spend the afternoon?
I’d take you to Frenchette for a long lunch with lots of pancakes and French bread and coffee and probably glass of wine. Then we’d walk it all off on the West Side Highway looking over the water! Perfection!
Well, now that I’m officially salivating thinking about the Frechette pancake, I supposed we can jump into our cultural deep of the week. We’ll begin with our guests’ pod, Its Me Tinx, which dove back into one of my friend group’s favorite topics: Summer of Outside!!!!
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