July, marked

My first Substack Best Sellers party, a love letter to The Snail and Shelter Island, and my increasingly busy self-employed summer.

Quick disclosure: the “In my shower” section is in paid partnership with Dove.

Hi! If you’re new here, this is my monthly recap on Marked: what I actually did, ate, bought, and read.

July was busy, and August is shaping up to be even busier. I’m fully in my self-employed summer era, and it turns out that’s a different kind of busy than a 9-5 ever was. I’ll grab coffee with someone I’ve been meaning to see, spend an afternoon checking out a new neighborhood for a Marked guide, catch part of an event before it gets dark, and then realize that I haven’t touched my laptop all day, so I’m scrambling to answer emails or actually post something before bed.

My weeks have started to feel as social as my weekends, and my weekends have started to carry as much work as my weeks. Everything is blurring together, and mostly I don’t mind. I’ve been taking every summer trip on my bucket list, with plenty coming up in August and September. The through line is trying to be present wherever I am.

This month

I started the month at a family lake house in New Hampshire, celebrating July 4th weekend and my brother-in-law’s birthday. It’s always so nice to have weekends away where we’re in swimsuits or sweatpants the whole time, and we lose our phones. This is also the first month I’ve had the luxury of an Equinox membership, and I’ve been loving mixing up my typical heated sculpt class routine with last minute trips to walk on the treadmill, or trying out new classes. I’m on an unofficial journey to try the best breakfast burritos in the city, and I checked off Bluelight Speakcheesy in Greenpoint this month. They only do theirs on Thursdays and it’s a good one – if you have a favorite breakfast burrito I need to try, please don’t be shy! I was also on a more official journey (wrote Outdoor pools, marked) to try the pool passes of the city. My favorites are probably Bathhouse and Arlo.

I also celebrated my one year wedding anniversary this month, which meant figuring out what our anniversary “thing” is going to be. On Valentine’s Day, we always try a different burger spot (highly recommend experiencing a romantic Valentine’s Day at JG Melon, surrounded by a bunch of single dudes at dinner together). On my birthday, we try a new spot that’s been on my list for a while. For our anniversary, doing a return trip to our favorite restaurant from the past year felt like the natural fit, so for us that was The Snail. I can’t sing the praises of this place enough. Of course, you need to get the burger and a martini. But I also dream of their chips and ham appetizer, and their chocosu (a mash-up of chocolate cake and tiramisu) for dessert. This month I also tried Plus de Vin and Comal, and did a deep dive in Prospect Heights for my neighborhood guide, including a date night that started at Farm.One and ended at Cafe Mado. I do think this neighborhood is going to be the next hot spot to move to. Between Canyon Coffee and Radio Bakery opening there, along with the existing strong scene of neighborhood spots, proximity to Prospect Park and beautiful brownstones, I can see why people love it.

In the middle of the month, I went to my first Substack Best Sellers party! Apparently they do these approximately once a quarter, and it was my first time qualifying for an invite. I thought for sure I wouldn’t know anyone there, but I finally got to meet Shannon from Cobble Hill Collective in person. I immediately connected with writers like Alexa McDonald, who also is in the Travel category, Mia Sherin from Railed, who writes about sex and dating, and Evie, who writes personal essays about her life. I don’t personally identify as a writer (I feel more like I curate, I guess?) but I was very inspired to be surrounded by kind, talented people.

I’m still working my way through my summer bucket list too. This month, I crossed off a concert at the Rockaway Hotel, did the Brooklyn Heights promenade walk (multiple times) and took a trip to the North Fork with friends. I have a lot left on my list, but we still have ~2 official months of summer left.

The North Fork deserves more than a passing mention. We stayed at our friend Courtney’s house (hi Courtney!) and spent the weekend seeing the area through her favorites, which is my preferred way to experience any place. It was also my first time on Shelter Island, and safe to say I will be back. We had dinner at Sunset Beach, which feels more like a beach restaurant somewhere in Europe. The rest was boat days and farm stand stops (Sep’s, Briermere Farms), but mostly it was laughs and dogs and babies. What could be better.

This month on Marked

Red Hook, marked · Marseille, marked · Outdoor pools, marked · Backyards & patios, marked · Prospect Heights, marked

In my shower

I’ve got a lot on the calendar this summer where I already know I’ll be in shorts or a bathing suit half the day, so I’ve been a little more attentive to anything shower-related than usual. Left to my own devices, I’m a soap, quick lotion afterward kind of person. It’s more of a task than a ritual.

This month, Dove sent me their Serum+ Soothing Oil Body Wash, and I used it as an excuse to slow down a bit. Since going self-employed I’ve had more flexibility in my days, and I’ve started putting some of it back into things like lighting a candle and taking the extra ten minutes, turning every regular shower into what the internet has lovingly branded an “everything shower.”

The wash itself works into an actual lather instead of the thin, runny suds I expect from most body washes, and my skin comes out moisturized but not greasy. It’s dermatologically tested too, which matters more to me these days than it used to. This is a great, affordable body wash that feels just as luxurious as the more expensive options.

My everything showers have become the daily self-care that has actually stuck – fifteen minutes that make the rest of the day feel a little more put together.

Available now at Amazon.

In my cart (and on my body)

I tend to hyperfixate on brands, and recently for me that’s been Leset. I already love their pointelle pajama sets, and I own their Margot tee in multiple colors and lengths, but I recently also got their long shorts and they are the perfect fit. I will be wearing mine into the fall. I’ve been stocking up on items for upcoming summer events and trips, like this brown beaded clutch for a Catskills wedding and Euro summer dinners. I also got this fun-colored bikini. I’ve seen multiple people post these wrap rope sandals and I finally got my own pair. Most have it in red, I went with this fun green color. I’ve never gotten more compliments in my life than I did in this low back top in the perfect blue color that I wore on my anniversary. I’ve also been loving my woven, square toe Freda Salvador flats. I perpetually have blisters from trying to walk too many steps in impractical shoes, but these have such soft leather. I can’t stop buying things in colorful stripes, and I got this Madewell tote – perfect for the beach but I also used it as a work bag last week.

Things in my cart that I’m not buying (yet): these bronze shorts from Chan Luu, a silk set from Same Los Angeles, these brown lounge pants from Adanola.

On my nightstand

I didn’t read a single book this month, if I’m being honest. Something always has to give, and lately it’s been the pre-bedtime reading hour. Back to it in August, probably? Hopefully?

Coming up

August is about to be BUSY. I will be in the Hamptons for a week, I have a friend’s wedding in the Catskills, a trip to see family, and will be prepping for a Euro Summer trip in September. I also have a few exciting concerts, dinner reservations, and an ambitious amount of my New York summer bucket list left.

That’s July. See you in August. – Morgan