“Strategist Brain” is a series where staffers share the stores they’ve stopped into, stuff they’ve spotted, and extra tidbits from stories they’ve worked on. You’ll hear from a different writer every week.
I just got back from a week in midcoast Maine with my mom. Before I left, I was thinking of the trip as a summer extension — but in reality, it made fall come into clear focus. (Not complaining.) I packed my carry-on with a couple of pairs of my favorite J.Crew cotton boxer shorts but lived in pants and sweaters.
The real standout items were the two pairs of Eileen Fisher socks I bought to reach a birthday-discount minimum in store several months ago that feel truly luxe to wear, and my (embarrassingly large) collection of Old Navy long-sleeve shirts. I own several colors in petite small, which fit well as an underlayer, and several in petite large, which I went with for an oversize, boxy look. They are — even outside of vacation — in truly constant rotation. They’re soft and a nice weight (not too thin, not too thick). The best part is they look the perfect amount of worn in after a couple of washes.
Here’s everything else I’ve seen recently:
While in Maine, I picked up some souvenirs: a gorgeous counter broom handmade by an artist named Eric McIntyre and sold in his shop, Village Handcraft, as well as a couple of items from a well-curated home-goods store called the Kingfisher & the Queen (it doesn’t sell online, so I’ve linked the products from other retailers). The first were these Kaf Home Monaco Washed Dish Towels (I got two of the stripes, which were sold separately from the other pattern) and this tote bag. Like most people, I have a lot of totes at home — more than I know what to do with — but they’re all old and branded, collected randomly instead of intentionally. This one is adorably striped, roomy, and has two lengths of handles.
I want a nicer hook (meaning not a nail) to hang my new Village Handcraft broom on a sliver of wall in my kitchen, so I ordered this cheap pack from Etsy. I’m going to use one for my apron, too.
There were a couple of rainy days, which reminded me that I don’t own a raincoat and could definitely use one. I’m shopping around, and so far I’m leaning toward this one from Rains that my colleague Kat has tested and recommends. It’s a bit more than I’d like to spend but by far the best-looking one I’ve found.
A delightful discovery: Our friend and host introduced me to this whole rye bread, which I promptly picked up for myself at Whole Foods yesterday. It’s dense, nutty, and toasts up somewhere between bread and a cracker (toasting is necessary). Really delicious for snacking with various toppings.
My mom uses and brought with her Jones Road’s Miracle Balm in Dusty Rose, so I got to try it out. I had heard about it but never took the plunge. Technically you can use it all over your face, but I just dabbed some on as a blush each day. I am historically blush-averse (every time I try one, I feel like it’s just too much), but this is subtle and blends beautifully.
We went to dinner one night at the Alna Store, a restaurant converted from an old general store. It kept a small part of the space set up as a market, which mostly has wine and pantry staples, but also a selection of Areaware’s mini food puzzles (there are a ton of designs, some on Areaware’s site, others sold through various retailers). We bought the Chicago dog (there was a Chicagoan in our crew), and two of us put it together in about 15 minutes when we got home. Fun activity, cute gift idea.
This was also spotted at the Alna Store, and is, I think, another cute gift idea (for a host, or as a holiday stocking stuffer). It’s a mix of garlic, calabrian chile, parsley, and sea salt, which, yes, you could make yourself — but then it wouldn’t be in this A-plus packaging.
During our meal, our waiter set down steak knives to cut through rib eye. At first glance I thought they were the classic Jean Dubost Laguiole Steak Knives, but further inspection revealed them to be these slightly simpler ones from Fortessa. They cut nicely.
While I was gone, we ran Tabletop Week on the Strategist — a massive deep dive into plates, bowls, flatware, linens, and more — which I put together with a few of my fellow Strategist writers over the last several months. There were many takeaways, but one I’ve been enjoying is the Duralex tumblers, which I decided to try out because they were recommended by so many people. They’re durable as hell, and I love the classic look. I guess I have a thing for Parisian-bistro-inspired design, as also evidenced by my cabinet full of these plates.
As for what I’m coveting from Tabletop Week but don’t yet own: literally anything from Porta, a shop on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn (it’s generally the best street to meander down and ogle at things I can’t afford). I especially love the various sets of dinnerware with white centers (so as not to compete with food!) and decorated borders.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
