Bookworm Cottage Style

Last week I shared some concrete goals for 2026, but here is a peek at some of the intentions and inspirations that are floating through my mind right now.

Mending & Repairing: I loved Laura Fenton’s recent Substack on why she chose to spend $47 in parts to repair an $88 scooter for her kid. This part especially struck a chord with me: “This kind of practical everyday knowledge is also something I have been thinking about a lot. I’ll try not to veer too off course with this, but amidst all that has been written about declining test scores and IQ scores, I have seen little handwringing over our loss of basic life skills.” YES! I also like when she talked about how “culture reinforces the idea that broken things cannot be or are not worth fixing” and why that is problematic. My husband is great about contacting companies for replacement parts for home items that break, but I’ve been inspired lately to continue to think about the things in our home that could use a little extra care (like sweaters that need to be de-pilled or mended).

Interesting Styling vs Interesting Pieces: Grace Atwood recently wrote about wanting to do more interesting styling vs just wearing interesting pieces (referencing this Substack) and it perfectly articulated my current closet conundrum. I have a closet full of interesting pieces, but I struggle to put them together in creative ways. I think I am due for a Pinterest session to find some surprising outfit formulas and sparks of inspiration. Ex..  Socks with loafers. Belts over shirts or sweaters. Flares with a nice jacket.

The 5 Calls App: I used the 5 Calls App this week to contact my representatives and was reminded how incredibly easy-to-use it is. I want to make an effort to do this weekly.  It is so easy to doomscroll and fall into despair. But leaving voicemails for both of my senators and my representative took all of 2 minutes. If you haven’t used it before, you type in your zipcode and then the app lists numbers for each of your senators and your representative, and also includes scripts about current issues. Highly recommend!! (Also… with the January 30 appropriations bill coming up, now is a really good time to apply some pressure!)

Speaking of intentions and inspirations… I preordered this book for myself and for my mom. A little treat for the springtime 🙂