The November Edit
Growing my affordable art collection, European holiday decor, a wedding anniversary, and The Handmaid's Tale!
outside our bedroom window at the start of the month—bursting with golden leaves and filling the room with a warm glow, like nature’s lamp. All the roads around the lake were lined with colour too, turning simple drives to town into scenes from of a Hallmark movie. Now, the branches are bare, the leaves have fallen, and that familiar early-winter hush blankets our home.
November was quiet, and I welcomed the wide-open pockets of time it offered. I tended to the house, rearranged art on the walls, and did a bit of holiday prep. We visited with friends, enjoying spontaneous dinners together around the table, and tried a few new recipes. I had an epic month in the world of literary fiction and accepted that a few of my goals for the year won’t be achieved. Even though I felt a bit tired and unproductive, there was something nice about letting the quieter moments be what they were and allowing that to be enough.
Here’s how it all went…
“People need art in their homes. They don’t need Bed Bath & Beyond dentist office art. They need weird stuff.” —Ezra Croft
My artwork collection has grown a lot these past few months, and it’s something I’m starting to feel really proud of. As someone without a fancy budget, I’ve figured out several clever ways to make fine art accessible: always getting used (or super cheap) frames, purchasing mattes online in bulk, and getting gallery-grade glass custom cut. Bringing real, meaningful art into homes brings me so much joy… maybe it’s time for an updated post on affordable art collecting. What do you think?
First up: Vogue Italia released their 2026 agendas featuring a young up-and-coming artist, and I fell hard for the silver shoes on the cover. They remind me of being a little girl, running down the halls of the hospital in my fancy “clicky” shoes to meet my baby brother—biggest smile on my Dad’s face. I emailed the artist, Ollie White, right away and somehow secured one of his limited edition prints, which he signed and shipped from the UK. I had to old-school wire transfer his bank overseas…the whole experience was as wholesale as they come. “Even the pair of shoes I painted doesn’t just represent footwear, but can have a more anthropomorphic look, almost as if they were two bodies lying next to each other in bed.”
Secondly: the art subscription that I get each month (which is very affordable and the best investment ever) included a signed print of Colt Seager’s prairie paintings for October. His work isn’t available like this online, which makes it very special, and it looks so sophisticated on my gallery wall—ahh!
Love these tableware gift tags!
A 1930s home in Sydney that has me weak in the knees.
More art on my (I wish) wishlist.
Cute guest bathroom soap dish.
I loved reading about SJP’s experience judging the Booker Prize
+ the stories behind this year’s finalists.
A shortcut to feeling posh before 8AM.
Staying connected vs. being connected.
These high waisted sleep shorts.
I’ve been enjoying this matcha incense.
Bookmarked most of these easy holiday sewing projects for next year.
Printable paper garlands.
Maybe this hat is as festive as you’ll get?
Loved this essay on the democratization of good taste.
PS. Quince now ships to Canada.
They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey. The cover had me sold before I even read the synopsis for this one (an impressionist ballerina does it for me), and I’m so glad it did. It’s a story about art, ambition, and the complicated kind of love that threads through families. The book moves between the world of professional ballet, New York City during the AIDS crisis, and present-day Los Angeles. We follow Carlisle Martin as she navigates her relationship with each of her parents and makes choices that ultimately shape who she becomes. I loved the psychological nuances and, of course, the incorporation of the house on Bank Street. A sad but very enjoyable read—I recommend!
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Wow. I’m late to this party, but here we are—on the 40th anniversary of this unforgettable classic—and I cannot say enough about it. Set in a near-dystopian future, it follows life in what was once the United States and is now the Republic of Gilead. Through the voice of Offred, a woman forced into reproductive servitude, we witness the terrifying new social order she must navigate. It’s horrific and unexpected, but somehow also funny (in a dark satire kind of way) and frighteningly convincing. I’ve since been enjoying a few podcasts and binging the TV series… needless to say, a new favourite!
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney. I had several other books on my list this month, but for some unknown reason I switched gears and went with this introspective, messy, and quintessentially ‘Rooney’ read! We follow four friends—Alice, Eileen, Felix, and Simon—as they navigate love, friendship, work, and the strange ache of trying to feel hopeful in a chaotic world. Several chapters unfold as long-form emails between Alice and Eileen, containing a uniquely millennial mix of dread and longing. Even though it’s set in warmer months, Rooney’s writing and the Irish landscape always feel like the dark and restorative months of winter to me. I enjoyed this thoughtful and melancholic read—her writing often feels like finishing up a little therapy session as I close the final page.
I’ve got most of my holiday decorating up. Nothing too “christmasy”—just some fall flourishes that set a festive hosting mood. Like silk bows on the water filter, citrus garlands down the hallways, a few felted gnomes here and there, and my most recent craft: patchwork stars in the windows. Although the photo doesn’t capture them fully, the stars are hanging from thin gold wire and bring a charming wonder to the living room. This was a very simple project I made using construction paper and glue. I prefer all my holiday decor to lean more European—earthy, natural, and hygge. You won’t find a blow up plastic Santa here. Next on my list: dressing the tree!
Scott and I celebrated our three year wedding anniversary this month. We got married on our three year anniversary—at 9:00am (the time we first met). We’ve now reached the point where we’ve been married longer than we dated, which feels very sweet. We wrote each other hand written letters, went on a hike, and had coffee and treats together. He also gifted me the Merit perfume I’ve been wanting to try… it’s so good!
A few recipes I’ve enjoyed lately:
From Alison Roman’s new cookbook: buttered tomato soup with lentils and fennel.
I’ve been doing Ina Garten’s perfect roast chicken with veg, then shredding the leftover chicken for future dishes: tacos, caesar wraps, ramen bowls, etc.
This green bean casserole!
We ate these crispy gingersnap cookies way too fast.
I’m making this spiced pear and cranberry crumble when my father in law comes to visit this weekend.
I would never have the patience for this, but if you’re a baker (or vegetarian) this turkey shaped bread looks amazing!
One of my goals this year was to start an in-person book club. With relocating to the lake this summer, I’m finally feeling settled enough to commit to hosting a small group. The problem however, is finding the group. I tried a couple weeks on Bumble BFF, but alas, that was fruitless. Any ideas on how to connect with a few like-minded peeps in your local who you trust enough to invite into your home and talk about books?
I’m working on setting up my reading goals for next year. This year was just a number (50 books—I’m only at 43 so I likely won’t make it), but next year I want to focus more on longer reads, re-reads, improving my vocabulary, translated books, a few non-fiction, and post-reading rabbit holes. If you make reading goals as well, let me know what you’re planning!
I hope you’ve had a meaningful November. Thank you so much for reading and as always, I would love to hear from you!
Will you be starting an advent calendar next week?
Are you currently in a book club? I’d love to hear about it.
Ciao ciao,
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In person book clubs have been a highlight of my year! I'm in Vancouver and have attended incredible events at both Nooroongji Books and Upstart & Crow on Granville Island. Perhaps peruse eventbrite on island to see where literary events are already being hosted? Otherwise I have just leaned hard into asking people for their contact information when we connect at galleries, musuems, etc. (Name Drop is such a handy, low stakes feature for iphone users!) In December I will be book clubbing with a woman I met at creative mornings at VAG and another new friend I met at a run club. I've also hosted in-person components for online bookclubs (ie morning person but I have guests at my home or book a meeting room at the central library). Bonne chance!
And thank you for the pocket art link - I adore the works of the December artist, Laurie Boudreault, and it turns out she is based out of Tofino.
This was so chock-full of goodness, Lauren! I love seeing how you collect affordable art and would love to read more about it from you. I love that painting of the shoes.
I've also been looking for an IRL book club, and it's so hard to make friends as an adult! I've had a little luck with local Reddit threads (I think it really depends on how active yours are), chatting it up with some booksellers, and attending local bookstore book clubs and author events to meet fellow readers. Maybe this year I'll leap, too, to invite a random group for our own!