Ciao ciao from my annual summer break! I am supposed to be at the breakfast buffet scarfing down infinite amounts of Nutella pancakes made by handsome Italian chefs but my family isn’t awake yet and eating alone on vacation feels sad.
I follow a lot of Instagram therapy (it’s cheaper than real lol and kind of does the trick although sometimes it also just makes you MAD at your family so I also sometimes delete all those therapy accounts I follow) but according to my Internet therapists I should write down things that make me happy. Herewith:
Getting through a velvet rope. (ie being a member at private clubs like Soho, San Vicente, check. My husband has said I cannot add any more clubs and it’s annoying. Although maybe Bird Street is over? I just heard about another one from a new friend we made the other night at Chateau. The name escapes me at the moment. Might have to investigate.)
Shopping for the most trendy in-the-know, right at this moment, fashion-y outfits. (Check.)
Going to places where people recognize the labels and the concept behind said trendy, super fashion-y outfits. (Check, check.) I mean you can wear your Loewe post-it shorts but if no one recognizes it does it even count? NO. I want to wear THE THING and then have someone say OMG YOU ARE WEARING THE THING I LOVE THE THING! And you go YES AND YOU ARE ALSO WEARING THE THING and you coo at each other and it’s great. I have made many kindred spirit fashion friends by WEARING THE THING at the PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALSO WEARING THE THINGS.
Traveling to Italy. (Prego. Pronto. Grazie.)
Yeah, I’m not going to do well on a budget am I? But I am TRYING! And hey that’s all you can do. No one ever changes. But you can change A TINY BIT to make someone happy. Like right now, I am NOT going to investigate the other new private club that just opened in LA to keep the hubs happy.
Where was I? Oh I was going to tell you about the B&N Preorder sale! Here are two of my amazing books that you can order:
TA-DAH!
Aren’t they gorgeous? One is a romantasy romp that makes me laugh and swoon and the other is beautiful dark academia gothic lusciousness about three friends who got rejected from the magical Ivy League and what they do about it.
Here are a few snapshots from Lugano e Como:
Yeah there was a freaking rainbow the other night at dinner. I MEAN!
Here I am in a caftan I bought from St. Barth’s. I love this brand: super chic and super reasonable. I actually didn’t buy any new clothes for this trip. SEE I AM TRYING!
And here I am in an H&M bikini. I think the one I have is sold out but there are other cute ones! Adina Reyter necklace, another necklace I bought from St. Barth’s, and pearls on a leather string my fabulous and stylish friend Vic actually MADE for me for my birthday. The earrings are from XIV Karats, the only jeweler in Beverly Hills you need to know about.
Although I plan to rampage through Rome and buy ALL THE THINGS. On a budget!
If you email me right now, you get my vacation responder:
Ciao amici!
I am on my annual summer break after turning in a record five deadlines in five months, on the shores of Lake Como and Lake Lugano, then off to Sicily for a minuscola White Lotus moment, then ROMA where a table at Roscioli (I booked it in January!!!) awaits!
If I respond to your email you can chastise me and tell me to drink more negronis!! Unless you're Mary, Mary, I got you.
I return to the grind soon enough.
Grazie!!
BACI BACI!!
Melissima
It’s obnoxious. I know. But it makes me laugh. And writing this Substack is fun. I get to please my publishers and sing for my supper. Tonight we dine by the lake AGAIN. The struggle is real.
Have a wonderful summer. Don’t work so hard. Order the books. Make an author happy.
XOXO
Mel