4+ day, 3+ hour ago (338+ words) Happy Thanksgiving! What are you up to this week? The boys left this morning, and I already miss spotting their random socks around the house. But my dad arrives in a few hours, and I'm excited to see him. Hope you have a good one "eat all the potatoes! " and here are a few links from around the web" The Secret Agent, a new Brazilian political thriller, looks great. This is #1 on my holiday wishlist. Sex had become a chore. Then they started reading romantasy. "It's not that I'm fantasizing about fake men," explained Ms. Morton, who has read 82 romantasy books so far this year, and is active on BookTok. "I'm connecting with these female main characters and the way that they feel wholly seen." (NYTimes gift link) Now THAT'S a winter garden! My all-time favorite sheets are 25% off. I'm…...

5+ day, 23+ hour ago (312+ words) Everyday sunglasses to protect his kind eyes " or a gift card and trip to the store to try on frames together (how fun would that be?). From $95. A New Yorker cartoon mug to make him laugh. $22. Chipmunk shortbreads holding cashews, orange peels, and pecans. $10 for all three. A French terry half zip that comes in five colors, or a pine green cashmere sweater he can toss in the wash. From $118. The sneakers that cool dads wear, $80 " or massage sandals, $24, to make his feet feel good at home. A wallet edit, where an expert works with him to create a brilliant strategy for credit cards and points, $50. (I did this myself recently, and it was amazing.) A puzzle to transport him to the mountains, $40. Chopsticks he can use for years (so much better than the take-out ones!), $33 for two. A non-stick…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (179+ words) What are you up to this weekend? Tonight the boys and I are ordering Thai food and watching a movie. We're thinking Eighth Grade? Hope you have a good one and here are a few fun links from around the web" I'd love to wear this outfit to Thanksgiving dinner. How lovely is this 530-square-foot London apartment? I'd love to try writing a newspaper blackout poem. Here are three cool ones: house, teenager, and time. Alexa Chung's Madewell collection is so good. This Irish comedian can make even stone walls funny. Dark chocolate snobbery. "This one is so intense, it comes with a list of side effects." "Mine comes with a therapist." "The taste is so grown up." "Oh, mine's massively grown up." Cool building wrapping paper. This gift set is on my wishlist. Plus, two reader comments: Says Joy…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (50+ words) By the lovely Grace Farris. P.S. Bedtime board game, and apple picking. They'll rub your feet and CHARGE ONLY $1 PER MINUTE!!! "A girl named Clara must have lived here because she carved her name into all the wooden doors." The one meal that everyone in my household loves....

1+ week, 2+ day ago (238+ words) The kind of triangle scarf "red, gray, or brown " you keep spotting cool women wearing around NYC. From $13. Delicious hot chocolate with a twist, likecinnamon or ginger. $14. Pick a Color, $26, a propulsive novel that reveals the inner monologue of a nail-salon owner. (I tore through it this fall.) A beautiful speckled sweater, $90, that comes in five colors. (This one is so cozy, too.) John Derian's new sticker book "with more than 800 stickers "for craft nights and vision boards. $35. A beloved serum, which visibly plumps fine lines and wrinkles (It's cheap as chips, and I LOVE it," says Gemma), because you'll do any beauty thing she says. $17. This winter set also looks amazing. A pair of earrings that feel just like her, $48. (So many fun combos. The jam and toast! The tomato soup and grilled cheese!) Two bedroom trays for her…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (1180+ words) Tina Tuason and her husband, Jeffrey, have always had a playful sense of style. "We love graphic artwork and toys," she says. Three years ago, they bought Jeffrey's childhood home, in Lakewood, California, from his parents " and got to work designing the colorful home of their dreams. Here, Tina gives us a tour" Sofa: Hay. Throw pillow: Verloop, similar. Rug: Ikea. Coffee table: Ikea. Lounge chair: Valyou. Blanket on chair: Slowdown Studio, similar. Rocker: Downtown Modernism, similar. Side table: Heller. Red stool: MoMA Design Store. Table lamp: MoMA Design Store. On a multicolor sofa: This couch comes in a few color combinations. I'd planned on getting the beige one, because I figured a neutral couch would be easier to play around with " but it was sold out. My husband who suggested the blue and green, and I was like, "Don't…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (263+ words) A red beanie (everyone looks cute in one), $58, or gloves from an alpaca farm in Montana, $23, to keep him warm all winter. A "rip-roaring" "gorgeously reported" book about New York from 1986-1990, $30, or one of the best novels you read this year, so you can hear his thoughts. The Magic Eye book we all went nuts over in the "90s. (Do you think we can still do it???) $10. Taiwanese dried fruit you know he"d love, $31 for three. Candle table lamp, from $20, for cozy nights and mornings. A pocket puzzle, like a ripple, love, or rocket. From $15. A gorgeous monogrammed weekender bag. I absolutely love these (it"s on my wishlist, too!). I gave one to Freddie early on in our relationship, and he"s used it for so many weekend adventures, plus everyday errands and bookstore runs. They"re 100% cotton and…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago (634+ words) I wrote a whole chapter of these recipes in my cookbook, What Can I Bring? They're especially handy this time of year "the stretch between Halloween and New Year's Day, which I like to call the Gathering Season. Between the cocktail parties and cookie swaps, I like to have something quick up my sleeve. This year, I'm bringing my homemade hot fudge. Not to brag, but this fudge is a masterpiece. It's glossy, decadent, and elevates every occasion. It's also so simple that chopping a bar of chocolate is the hardest part. Obviously, it's ideal on ice cream, but there are so many ways to enjoy it: stirred into coffee, drizzled on pumpkin bread, or eaten straight from the jar. Homemade Hot Fudge From What Can I Bring? by Casey Elsass Makes 1 pint jar, plus a little extra for you…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (302+ words) A giant alpaca scarf to keep her cozy all winter, available in 14 beautiful colors, $105; or a gift set of the scarf plus a beanie. A French butter spreader, $19, (or a cute standing one, $10) with a block of small-batch butter. (This would make a great signature gift.) Or a nice bottle of wine, along with an Italian bottle stopper, $15. A 40-minute scalp massage and hair wash, $48. (I went with my mom this fall, and it's amaaaaaaaaazing.) Or a sandalwood scalp massager to use while watching Only Murders, $12. Striped, tartan, or classic pajamas, for padding around the house over the holidays. From $75. An olive tree to green up her home, $40. (And how gorgeous is this amaryllis planter from Vermont?) One of the year's best cookbooks, like Good Things, What Can I Bring, and Let's Party. From $26. And a stunning stand for displaying…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (153+ words) I've been loving soap bricks " especially this one. Our whole bathroom smells like basil and mint. The teaser trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2. Would you want to sleep in the Goodnight Moon hotel room in Boston? We're getting ready for our annual cookie swap. Should we do double-chocolate thumbprints or peanut butter blossoms? Or something else entirely? Would love any recs! (NYTimes gift links) Gahhhh, this Scottish garden. I'm halfway through the novel James and am already blown away. Have you read it? A 420-square-foot apartment in Normandy, France, where IKEA cabinets coexist with historic beams. Is having a boyfriend embarrassing now? "Why does having a boyfriend feel Republican?' read a top comment, with 12,000 likes." (British Vogue) Plus, two reader comments: Just add fluffy hair. "The kitchen table is the one spot that my dog can see my car…...