february fun: all the f-words we're bringing into this month
plus, a Q&A with Sarah Jacobson of big feelings
hi, lovers!
I’m back from the Canadian tundra (thanks for capturing the above moment warming up on the dance floor, Leila Brewster!) and am fully back into the New York swing. we’ve got a fun edition of the newsletter to delve into today, so let’s not dilly-dally!! also, for maximum impact, I recommend reading this within Substack as it’s too long for email.
[2.2.25] table of contents
sharing details on our Winter Literary Salon
v-day gift guide: everything ‘the girl about town’ in your life is coveting
february intentions: the f-words we’re bringing into this month
Q&A: meet , the writer behind
paid subscriber exclusive: the Hinge fresh start secret that’s going to blow your mind
paid subscriber exclusive: inviting my dearest community members to weigh in about some changes I’m thinking of making to this weekly love letter to you
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West Village Book Club: february updates
over the past two years, an unexpected outcome of sharing what we’ve been up to with the evolution of has been that no matter where in the world I go, WVBC comes up in conversation!
I’m continually in awe as I’m met by comments (sometimes from near strangers) like…
“OMG, I’m obsessed with your book club!”
“I read the book you guys shared last month. I loved it!”
“your book club is SO cute. you inspired me to start one!”
it means so much for people to share that they’ve been following along with WVBC and in turn, have been inspired to read more and even start their own book clubs. in equal measure to these kind words, we’ve been fielding lots of questions about whether WVBC is looking to expand—unfortunately, we’re not physically able to host more people in our New York apartments, but we did want to find a way to help cultivate community IRL.
so, our little New York baby is growing up! we’re hosting our first Literary Salon on February 19th at Bedford Studio, a neighborhood café. we just shared all the details with our WVBC subscribers in yesterday’s february edition of our monthly newsletter in case you’re curious about learning more! there are just a handful of spots left, so if you’re interested in joining, snag your spot soon. we can’t wait to meet more New York readers IRL!
v-day gift guide: everything ‘the girl about town’ in your life is coveting
when it comes to holidays, I really do love what valentine’s brings out in us. sure, it’s commercial. and yes, it can be especially difficult if you’re single. but it’s also a time of year when store windows get covered in hearts, you have an excuse to send your friends a card about how much you love them, and of course, the requisite galentines festivities await. in the spirit of what we’re going to get into below about the energy I’m welcoming in this month, I wanted to compile a fun little gift guide for the girl about town…
here are some bits and bobs I’m coveting this month:
Fleur du Mal Lily | Embroidery Plunge Demi Bra in limited edition shade amarena. I’ve been wearing FDM for years and swear by this bra to elevate any outfit, especially if your top is sheer!
FLEUR DU MAL | Rib And Bouquet Lace Boned Dress in black. their ready-to-wear line is also so gorgeous (do you remember when Taylor wore this outfit? that was an FDM dress!). the boning on this one is so hot.
Nili Lotan | Shon boyfriend jeans. I’m upset about how much I covet every pair of Nili Lotan pants. ugh!!
Polo Ralph Lauren | Polo ID Small Suede Shoulder Bag in black. dare I say the marketing Tinx is doing with Ralph Lauren is really working?? I love the simplicity of the silhouette of this bag.
Olympia Le-Tan | Love Letters Book Clutch. okay if we’re talking DREAM romantic gesture, it’s this bag for me. so unique and fun!!
STAUD | Brigitte Sequined Mules - Multi It. these sequined mules are so Carried-coded to me in the impractical way that just begs you to throw in the towel and purchase them for that first unseasonably warm spring day.
Tory Burch | Genuine Calf Hair Loafer (currently 35% off). Tory Burch is seemingly really making a comeback, and the fashion girlies I follow say that leopard print better step aside to make room for cowprint, so these feel right.
RÓHE | Wool Boat-Neck Waistcoat (currently marked down from $495 to $248). this top is the ultimate cool girl vibe for a day-to-night transition.
AUREUM | No. 2 Belt. these belts have infiltrated my brain to an unfair degree. adore everything Aureum is doing!
L'AGENCE | Aura Crop Faux Fur Coat. if you want to do fur without having to vintage shop for the perfect second-hand moment, this faux fur is stunning.
La Bonne Brosse | N.01 The Universal Hair Care Brush. talk about the chicest of chic. this brush has a cult following, and it’s not hard to see why—the link I’m sharing actually has them in stock (a rarity!).
Emi Jay Popstar Clip Set in Creme Brulee. couldn’t imagine a more fun way to pull your strands back, even if it’s just at home while you get ready.
Westman Atelier | Eye Pods. this natural beauty line is beloved by the fashion community—I’m obsessed with this trio of shimmery colors.
HERMÈS BEAUTY | Plein Air Blotting Papers. the way I sent my sister a link to this freaking out of its existence as a teenager who lived and died by the Clean&Clear blue blotting pads…it’s just so cheeky and fun that Hermès makes their own, far classier, version.
JAY STRONGWATER | Schuyler Maltese Bejeweled Double-Sided Square Compact Mirror. I would actually faint if someone got this as a gift for me. what could be cooler than pulling out this compact to fix your lipstick at the table?
SANIA'S BROW BAR | Mechanical Brow Pencil - Light. my girls at Sania’s Brow Bar DON’T MISS, and if there is one product in my makeup bag that’s changed my life, it’s this pencil. run, don’t walk!!!
Jonathan Adler Xanax Brass Pill Box. last but not least, for when our ‘girl about town’ gets home well past midnight, she has to have something fun on display….for me, it’s so obviously this pillbox.
last night, I sat at the buzzy counter of Lelabar, deeply engrossed in conversation with a friend about all the things we’re looking to bring into February. the chat had real range (creativity, dating, boundaries at work, etc.), and as all brainstorms do, it ended up with me furiously typing in my notes app. here’s what we came up with for the f-words we’re bringing into the next 26 or so days…
february [f-word] intentions
fun
free
flirty
frivolous
fling!!!!!!
frivolous (spending)
feeling (up?)
f*cking (around and finding out)
perhaps these intentions, particularly if you’re in a season of life where you’re feeling like you need to take it all a little less seriously—as I am. for me, I’m in the midst of an energetic shift that’s all about taking the pressure off to achieve and instead, just f*ck around (excuse my french and SORRY DAD IF YOU’RE READING!!!!!) and find out.
meet Sarah Jacobson
when it comes to leaning into our feelings this month, there are few people who come to mind faster than Sarah. I’ve been a huge fan and paid subscriber of her Substack,
for awhile now, so it only seemed fitting to bring her on the sunday series to hear more about her origin story and the creative approach she brings to her friday installations. I can’t wait for you to get to know her below! xKD
Kayla Douglas: Sarah, tell us about how you wound up in New York and your relationship with the city.
Sarah Jacobson: I moved here straight from college to work in advertising. I’d interned at Deutsch, an agency, the summer before, and the guy I’d worked for had promised me that if I got myself to New York, he’d hire me. The only problem? I graduated in May 2008, and…well, we all know how that went. As such, I spent my first year in New York cobbling together “writing” jobs that I found on Craigslist, writing 800-word SEO-optimized articles about watches and email campaigns about commercial real estate. I think that first year, I made about $25,000. My parents helped me pay my rent (something I think happens A LOT here but isn’t talked about enough!), telling me that they saw it as “this or grad school.” As a perfectionist, I struggled with this. I had a roof over my head and I could cover my basic living expenses, but I hadn’t “made it” in the way I’d imagined (not on my own, nor in the way that my college friends—who’d been raised wealthier than I had and never had to worry about money—seemed to take for granted).
I could tell my New York origin story for HOURS (couldn’t we all?!), but the TLDR is this: about a year in, I got a real job. It paid 52,000, and I COULD NOT BELIEVE THEY’D GIVEN IT TO ME. Then, about a year into that, they dissolved my department and I got laid off. I cried in a taxi, convinced my life was over before it had even began. About 2 months after that, I got another job—turns out, life doesn’t alway send when you think it will—one that kickstarted the career in advertising I have today. Around that same time, I was dumped by my college friends, and so I clung to my job—and the work friends I’d made—like a lifeline. I began attending group fitness classes, and attempting to make friends in the locker room. I joined multiple book clubs. In short, I rebuilt my life in New York from scratch.
If you had asked 2010 Sarah if she’d still be living in New York City at 39, she would’ve laughed in your face. NO WAY! New York was too crazy, too gritty, too expensive, too hard. My first five years here were all of those things, and then some. I always expected I’d move somewhere more reasonable. But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with the city. I fell in love with the person that I was here. Strong, and independent, and kind.
Sure, New York is loud, and pricey, and there are too many rats and too much sh*t on the streets. But there is a vibrational energy to the city that I’ve yet to find anywhere else (and I’ve been lucky to travel a lot!). There is true diversity, and every type of food you can imagine, there is music, and theater, sparkling water all around you. It is a tough place, and it is a magical place, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
KD: Your Instagram handle is a nod to your renovated pre-war Lower East Side apartment—how did that project impact your creative life?
SJ: I was a diehard HGTV girl in high school, and getting to renovate an apartment here was an absolute dream for me. Though I never made it big on Instagram as a content creator, documenting my renovation did lead to a handful of other interior design projects, the largest being the gut reno + design of a dispensary on Main Street in my hometown. I dream of being able to breathe new life into an old, rambling farmhouse upstate someday, but in the meantime, I make moodboards for friends, advise on small design projects here and there, and undertake projects in my own (now “done”) apartment when the spirit moves me.
KD: Why did you decide to go beyond sharing bits of your life on Instagram and launch a Substack?
SJ: Posting about my renovation on Instagram led to creating more “lifestyle” content, which led to more long form writing on a now defunct blog. I’ve been a writer since I was young (shoutout to my fellow LiveJournal nerds!), and while I technically “write” in my day job as a copywriter/Creative Director, writing for my online community reminded me just how much I love and need it as an outlet. As my career picked up, I let the blog die down, but when people started flocking to Substack, I decided to join them. Long-form writing, YAY!
Without my Instagram account, I never would’ve gotten back into the writerly flow, which led to my Substack, which in turn got me back into fiction writing, which I hadn’t done since college. In the last 2 years, I’ve written not one but two *unpublished* novels. Proof that when you start exercising your creative muscles, the floodgates open!
KD: Tell us about and how you've made it such an inspiring way to share your favorite books, shows, places, and purchases.
SJ: When I first launched my Substack, I called it The Grand Weekly. I saw it as an extension of my instagram, The Grand Apartment, and began sending out a weekly recommendations post, 5 things for Friday, where I opened with a short intro and then highlighted the things I was reading, watching, cooking, etc. Over time, I began to craft more personal essay content—writing about body image, self worth, dating, career—and I realized that the name no longer fit.
Last year, I worked with an art director to rebrand the newsletter into , a name and identity that feels way more me. I have always been FULL OF FEELINGS (it’s why I love writing so much), and as I was using the newsletter as a means of working through them, I thought it should be named accordingly.
Every so often, I’ll try a shopping roundup, or a gift guide, or a travel guide—what I like to think of as “influencer” content. And while there are certainly folks that enjoy that type of thing, I find that my personal essays (the ones in which I’m working through my big feelings in real time) are the ones that always hit the hardest.
KD: For someone considering starting their own Substack, what advice would you give them?
SJ: JUST START. Your voice is singular, and the world needs to hear it So many of us are told, from the time we’re itty bitty, to be less. To be less loud, to be less sensitive, to have less feelings, to have less opinions. And so when we think about starting something new, we doubt ourselves. Why me? We ask. WHY NOT YOU?!
KD: Shifting to what you're reading! Tell us about something you read and adored recently.
SJ: I just finished The Favorites by Layne Fargo, which was literally EVERYWHERE on the internet, and I’ll just say: I understand why. Its Wuthering Heights meets Olympic figure skaters, and it has it ALL. It reminded me a lot of Daisy Jones and the Six, but for ice dancers instead of musicians, and I couldn’t put it down. I think there’s a TV adaptation in the works, and I! Can’t! Wait!
KD: What book is on your TBR pile that you're most excited to pick up?
SJ: If I may, I have two! The first is Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson, who wrote Black Cake, which I LOVED. I preordered this on Kindle and it’s next up on my list! I’m also very much looking forward to Dream Count, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose Americanah is one of my favorite books, period. It comes out in March and is also on my pre-order list. Oh! And I just downloaded The Coin, which is about a Palestinian woman who moves to New York and gets caught up in a pyramid scheme reselling Birkin bags.
KD: The Sunday Series was conceptualized as a love letter to my favorite day of the week. If we were with you in New York on Sunday, where would you take us to spend the afternoon?
SJ: First, we’d get a coffee at my favorite neighborhood cafe, Little Canal. Because it’s Sunday and we have nowhere to be, we’d grab the corner table and order a breakfast plate, too. We could bring a book, but Dimes Square has such good people-watching that we don’t need one! In the warmer months, we’d walk up to Tompkins Square Park for the Sunday greenmarket, but since it’s winter, we’ll settle for Essex Market, where we’ll stock up on goodies to make some sort of “project meal”—whatever’s struck our fancy on the NYT Cooking app recently.
Since it’s chilly out, I’ve been making a lot of soups, so we’re most likely grabbing the ingredients for a hearty minestrone. We can’t forget a bit of really good parm to grate on top, which we’ll snag from Formaggio Essex, who also happens to carry my favorite olives (castelvetranos!) and the best caramels ever. We’ll bring our groceries back home, get the soup going, then leave it to simmer on the stove while I take a hot bubble bath. That part will be just me, for obvious reasons, so I’ll send you back on your merry way with a reminder to pop into The Swan Room at Nine Orchard hotel on your way out, because it’s the prettiest bar you’ve ever seen (once upon a time, the building was a bank, and the rehabilitated ornamental ceiling is something else).
now, back to the bar I was referencing last night. between bites of marinated castelvetrano (anyone else has so much trouble saying this word??) olives and sips of orange wine from Slovenia, my friend and I were exchanging our latest dating updates. I asked if she’d considered doing a ‘fresh start’ when her puzzled expression made it clear that this hack isn’t widely known, even to those most tapped into the dating game.
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