Love Notes- October 2026
I’ve decided that giving a talk or facilitating a workshop is a lot like firing a cannonball.
You spend weeks pulling back, preparing, envisioning, and gathering your energy. Then you fire away, landing pretty hard afterward. Absolutely no thinking can be required the next day. Just favorite foods and time for a long nap.
Since spring, I’ve been doing about one a month. But in September I did three. And two of them were on the same day! It’s been incredibly expansive. And exhausting.
One of my favorite things to share with clients is this graph about growth. We expand, contract, and expand again. Even though we wish growth was more linear.
We know this, of course. But somehow we always forget.
Something else I’ve been paying attention to is how my energy changes throughout the year. I love tracking the astrological seasons through the houses they activate in my birth chart.
Cancer season moves through my 8th house, Leo through my 9th, Virgo through my 10th, and Libra through my 11th. It’s interesting to notice how I usually spend the summer turning inward, exploring, enjoying myself, and feeling into what’s possible. And then, almost like clockwork, fall arrives and I suddenly feel called to take all that energy out into the world through my work and community.
And that’s exactly what September felt like. I ended the month on a panel at The Hivery, alongside friends and a room full of writers.
Grace, the founder and moderator, opened with a big question: Why do we write? What is our purpose?
I shared that I write on Substack to get to know myself better and learn to trust what I discover. That’s what so much of my coaching work is about too.
Earlier that month, I led a workshop at The Hivery about using Human Design to understand our creative processes. We explored how easy it is to create from the outside in, looking to what other people are doing, what we should be sharing, how we should be growing, and what the algorithm wants from us.
All useful reference points, sure. But none of them can replace the clarity that comes from exploring our own curiosity, recognizing what energizes us, and discovering what feels most true to who we are.
After the panel, a woman came up to me and said, “I don’t even know if you realize you do this, but I love how you give yourself permission to just try things.”
Wow. YES! That’s me in true 3/5 MG fashion.
But I think I’ve spent so much of my life trying to understand things before experiencing them. And lately, I’m realizing how much more I can open myself up to when I trust that things will unfold along the way.
And somewhere in the middle of all this, I’ve started to see how the pieces of my work are coming together. What began as individual presentations has grown into a collection of ideas and frameworks I can bring to leaders, creative teams, and entrepreneurs who want to better understand their natural strengths.
One of my favorite developments has been team mapping, using Human Design to explore how different people naturally contribute, collaborate, and support one another. It’s been everyone’s favorite part so far!
If you’d like to bring something like this into your workplace, you can always email me. I’d love to explore what’s possible.
Anyways, enough about work! Here’s what I’ve been enjoying on the other side of it all.
Watching + Reading
I’m not a huge a TV or pop culture gal, but I’ve found that a little here and there really is a nice way to decompress in the evenings. Red light face mask on, heating pad wrapped around the hips or shoulders, and a cup of tea. I love curling up under a good cable knit throw too.
I’ve been on an old movie kick lately. What Women Want, Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 (she really was such a breath of air!), and apparently a little thriller phase too. I loved Gone Girl and Verity.
And I’m officially obsessed with Virgin River. Probably a little late to the party, but the character development is so good! I was excited to hear that another season is coming out in 2027.
Sitting on my nightstand is The Flow Habit by my new friend Laurie Smith, who I had coffee with last week. We have so much in common when it comes to creativity, and I’m excited to dive into her perspective.
A Few Fall Finds
I’ve been living in these Donni taffeta pants. One of those purchases that just keeps on giving! So glad I went for them, I like to do that once or twice a season with pieces I know I’ll treasure for a while. I think this, this, and these could be worth the splurge too.
I also picked up a zingy violet sweater (also love this one) and a faux suede jacket that feels way more expensive than it is. I’m drawn to pieces that add a little richness and texture to my closet right now. These flats in navy suede are high on my list next, and so is this chocolate brown cashmere sweater!
On the beauty front, I recently discovered this shimmery Saie eyeshadow (easy to apply with your finger) and Caliray face illuminator, which I’ve been using under my tinted moisturizer. I’m always in the mood for a little glow!
This body butter has been a delicious little post-shower luxury too.
Antiquing + Collecting
I tend to go in waves. A couple of weekends in a row exploring, discovering, bringing things home, and then giving myself time to let it all sink in. There’s really so much antiquing to explore in the bay!
Lately, I’ve been especially fascinated by art.
Not necessarily buying everything that speaks to me, but really studying the category snapping pics as I go. What’s out there? What am I pulled towards? Why does one piece stop me in my tracks while another does absolutely nothing for me?
It’s similar to what I’ve been exploring with vintage Chanel bags and other categories. The more I look, the more I begin to recognize my own taste. That instinctive uh-huh, nuh-uh.
I’m planning a bigger post on this soon, and one day I’d love to bring art into The Vintage Shop too. Much like a beautiful scarf can transform an outfit, I love how a piece of art can completely change the feeling of a room.
A couple of weeks ago, I found the framed horse textile, and I am absolutely obsessed. It’s still the Year of the Horse, after all! A little reminder to sink into the saddle and enjoy the ride.
Meanwhile, I’m still hunting for the perfect TV stand. Nothing has popped up on FB Marketplace, and I’ve been looking every day. So I’ve been eyeing this one and this one. Ugh. So good. I want something beautiful but practical, ideally with enough storage for some of my vintage inventory too.
I’ve like to take my home projects one at a time. This summer was all about refreshing the entryway with this rug and updating all the overhead lighting. I cannot tell you how much pleasure I get from looking up at a beautiful fixture while lying on my yoga mat. This one is so pretty to look at even when it’s not on—the light bounces off it just right.
Notes from The Vintage Shop
I don’t think I’ve shared this yet, but recently I worked on a special project for the Mayflower Inn in Connecticut, curating a collection of vintage Hermès scarves for their gift shop! It was so much fun to dive into the archives and curate an assortment that captured the property’s timeless New England elegance.
I’ve been having so much fun developing my point of view on print and color through vintage scarves this year. And lately, I’ve been expanding beyond silk into cashmere, wool, and oversized wraps for the cooler months. So much more to come!
I just added a few new beauties to the shop, including this dreamy 140cm Hermès shawl. What I would do to keep this one! I especially love how it combines warm and cool tones, making it so versatile to wear with different outfits and jackets.
I did find this wonderfully artful Oscar de la Renta scarf (pictured right), and this one’s staying with me!
A Few Things Coming Up
I’ve also been slowly putting together a big San Francisco City Guide with all my favorite places around town. It’s been therapeutic to revisit neighborhoods, rediscover old favorites, and collect all the little places that make this city so special to me.
This week, I’m headed to the SF Fall Show with a client. We’re going to see Charlotte Moss, whose collected aeshetic I’ve admired for years.
And then I’ll be ending the week over in Noe Valley with a facial at the dreamy Monastery Made.
After so much time developing, preparing, and sharing my work, it sure feels good to prioritize a little pleasure.
Thank you for being here. Much love!
