2021, Wrapped.
Hello and welcome to what I consider to be the first real day of 2022. I usually spend January 2-8 getting my life back to baseline after the holidays: unpacking, laundry, taking down Christmas, and sorting my inbox, my closet, my brain! I also gave myself a break from cranking out content, thanks for giving me a minute to rest.
We begin 2022 largely hunkered down, collectively hiding (or recovering) from Omicron. A few homey things getting me through right now:
Bragg Sprinkle Seasoning on like, everything. On popcorn, in soup, on chicken, on salad. Everything. HOW IS IT THIS GOOD?
Baroncini Imports Olive Oil. I have a fancy olive oil kink as it is, but this one is transcendent. (A gift package with olive oil from Pineapple Collaborative arrived today as well, I will let you know what I think.)
A very slinky lace Eres bra.
Comfortable over-ear headphones for conference calls — bonus, they double as earmuffs when taking Hot Girl Walks.
This fuzzy Toteme sweater (yeti, but make it chic!)
This diary-style planner. I prefer to use a paper planner for list-making, goal-setting, and to-dos, so the flexible format of this datebook really works for me. (I rely on Google Calendar for the appointment stuff). One thing I will not be writing in there? Resolutions. (Over it. Staying home and vibing with what I already have is cooler. Seriously.) Join me on Instagram this week for some community goal-setting, though!
Settling back into that #WFH life.
Big, delicious new bed pillows to prop my head up while I nuzzle under my beloved Sleep Crown.
My new 6qt. InstantPot. It’s soup season, baby!
These excellent daily supplements to fight back endometriosis symptoms, kindly gifted to me by the women at Semaine Health.
Joining the cult of Peloton.
And what of the year behind us? The Love List was raised from the dead in 2021! Many were supportive, a few groaned. Nevertheless, we persist. Here’s what you might have missed.
We introduced the “My List” and “Bag Spill” features, and got to peek inside the shopping carts, suitcases, makeup kits, and handbags of celeb organizers The Home Edit, Journalist Suchin Pak, YOLO Magazine’s Yolanda Edwards, makeup artist Corianne Cowan, and Gen Z furniture designer Lulu LaFortune — we’ve got more amazing people lined up for the months to come, too.
Through the miracle of a Slate Magazine article (and Substack), I was able to connect and collaborate with one of my adolescent heroes, legendary magazine editor Atoosa Rubenstein. Many tears ensued.
The year’s top-performing post was an Exhaustive Guide to Skincare Lessons Learned. I’ll be revising and updating this again in 2022. I’ll be doing a “Kitchen Lessons Learned” newsletter this year, as well, especially given how much our food content (iconic lunches!) recipes (the perfect martini! the dinner popcorn!), and drinking games are shared.
Y’all also really liked the Amazon roundups — whether I’ve dug up some bougie laundry detergent or a soothing ice roller for your visage — so much that we plan to make them a monthly thing moving forward.
We did a lot of trend reporting last year, but nothing traumatized me quite like the comeback of the Skinny Brow. The Clean Look, however, is an aesthetic trend I warmly welcome, along with Meg Ryan Fall.
The Hot Girl Walk took OVER — thank you for tagging me in so many Instagram stories! May this trend live on well into 2022!
One piece of feedback I keep hearing: “More Look Book outfit posts!” (Followed closely by “More playlists!”). HEARD, y’all. We are on it.
We also launched a paid subscription tier this year, and with it, our Member’s Only Slack Channel, which has become one of my favorite parts of this community.
There are so many cool women there chatting about everything from work woes and the music they like to what pajamas they’re buying and how to use the damn Dyson Air Wrap. I asked them what the best recommendation The Love List gave them was in 2021.
Thank you so much for reading, sharing, and subscribing in 2021. We’re planning big growth in 2022, and I can’t tell you how much it means that you were here from the beginning. I won’t forget. Remember, you can always message me on Instagram @jessnellgraves or reply directly to this email — I’m here!
