january letter from the editor (me)

mems, small things bucket list, favorites, thinking about, active projects, and favorite outfits

note: scroll down if you’re just here for the mems, small things bucket list, favorites, thinking about, active projects, and favorite outfits lists 🤎

Dear reader,

One month down, eleven months of 2025 to go. The first month of 2025 has fulfilled its promises and brought its challenges.

The biggest challenge of all has been a self-inflicted constant state of feeling overwhelmed. In my previous essay i’m quitting social media and content creation is dead to me, I talked about how my social media consumption habits were clouding my mind, leaving me unable to think clearly about what I wanted to do with a simple Sunday — or my life. Now that I’m 3 months into my new life without social media, it’s like I’ve unleashed the dams of my previously constipated brain. I feel a sense of urgency like everything should have been done yesterday and at the same time, all these new ideas are constantly conflicting with my current obligations that seem to take up all my time (my job that pays the bills, going to the gym, all the chores it takes to maintain a home, cooking meals, etc.) I’m overdue for some re-prioritization. And I think watching the movie Perfect Days would help remind me to appreciate the simple moments.

On the other hand, January has also brought its blessings that balance the challenges. I’ve had my first couple of “normal routine” weeks in my new home in New York City, I had two friends come and visit and stay with me on two separate occasions, I’ve made it to the halfway point of my first knitting project, and for the first time in my life, the idea of having kids in the future is not so repelling.

All in all, I wanted to give you all an update on the state of the union and share what I’ve been up to, what I’ve been loving, and what I’m looking forward to.

💌 mems

• went to my first knitting club hosted by ReCreate Collective in Brooklyn, NY

  

  above. knitting club!!

• fulfilled my small things bucket list item of writing from a dreamy corner in a boutique hotel at The Copley House in Boston, MA

  

  above. does a winter morning get any more perfect than this?

• my friend connie visited, and we read and scrapbooked in cute cafes like Rhythm Zero in greenpoint, ny and had the coolest sushi experience at Ume in williamsburg, ny

  

  (left) connie <3 (middle) scrapbook spread from the week connie visited (right) yours truly

• my fiancée’s friend Abid visited the city for a night, and we had a teeny tiny sample of the New York bar scene (a rare occasion for me - I’m more of a cozy craft night in kind of girly)

🌱 adding to my small things bucket list

• read, reflect, and write at one of these 6 Spots to Read, Write, & Reflect in New York by Claudia Williams

• watch the movies Perfect Days and Anora

  

  above. still from the movie Perfect Days

• create an “accomplishments binder” to look back on whenever I feel like I haven’t done enough in life (pictures from college graduation, core memories you’ve made, any news articles about the work you’ve done, etc.)

• a solo retreat to a boutique hotel in upstate NY this year - I’ve been eyeing a 3 day stay at Hemlock Neversink in the Catskills

  

  above. hemlock neversink in catskills, ny

• I heard about reading books A-Z from one of my favorite current YouTubers Gabrielle Aihara - the goal is to read a title starting with each letter of the alphabet this year and so far, in January, I’ve read:

  • O - Onyx Storm

  • F - A Fate Inked in Blood

  • P - Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (In Progress)

• a trip to Mexico City in which I’ve bookmarked the CDMX City Guide by Ro to read later

• start writing letters to my future kids to read

  

  above. thinking about writing a letter to give to my future kid every year (and including a picture of myself at the time of writing that letter)

🤎 favorites

• my favorite substack this month is Closely Reading by Haley Larson. Haley has a PhD in modernist literature and absolutely BLESSING us with free guides into literary analysis this year. She’s starting off with Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen and I’ve been following along and learning so much

• another favorite substack this month is City Happenings by Alexa Weis - Alexa writes EVERY WEEK about art events happening around nyc

• my coworker put me onto crybaby blind bags and my new pink crybaby is on my purse

  

  above. crybaby!!

📝 thinking about

• stationary design: I’ve started planning my wedding and as an avid stationary fan, I am most excited about designing and handmaking the save-the-dates and invitations

  

  above. wedding stationary inspiration

• little white fluffy dogs (I frequently refer to my lwfd pinterest board throughout the day)

  

  above. from my little white fluffy dogs pinterest board

• creative website design and everything intersection of art and tech that @empowa on tik tok talks about - been thinking about building a website for fun

🗂️ active projects

• knitting the sophie shawl

  

  above. my progress on the sophie shawl & my first knitting project!

• reading books from A to Z

• figuring out my career path/getting unstuck (I hired a career coach…more on this soon)

⭐️ favorite outfits

Love,

Sarah

P.S. if you’d like to send me any virtual mail, you can write to me here or leave a comment below!