I’ll get right to the big news: Jules is going on hiatus. I love you, I love Substack, and I love this community—but I’m starting an exciting new job on Monday, and that’s where my focus will be for the foreseeable future. The silver lining: You can still follow along with everything I’m reading, eating, cooking, and seeing on IG at @julievadnal.

And because I’m not sure when we’ll chat next, I’m sharing some of Jules’s greatest hits from the past few months—plus a few new non-boring things I’m into. Consider it a Jules cheat sheet.

I will miss you, truly! Please don’t be a stranger.

xx Julie

READ

• Good Material by Dolly Alderton. A very funny book about…a breakup? (Trust me!)

• Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. Also very funny—and dark.

• Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino. You know I loved this one.

• The Coin by Yasmin Zaher. Surreal, and I learned a lot about Birkin resale value.

• Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson. Reliably upbeat and heartwarming.

• The Tell by Amy Griffin. A fascinating look at survivorhood.

ATE

• All the pasta and pesto at Tortelli, a new fresh pasta counter on my block.

• Midtown tacos at Taqueria by El Prieto. Dying to go back.

• The dreamiest French (but not fussy) meal at Le Chêne.

• An adorable strawberry ice cream sandwich at Naro in Rockefeller Center.

STAYED

• At Prospect Berkshires, where you can literally go jump in a lake.

WATCHED

• The Studio (on AppleTV+). A cringe watch (in a good way) I can’t get enough of.

• Poker Face (on Peacock), which remains perfectly art-directed and acted.

• Materialists, and I couldn’t get over the silk sheets with no comforter.

WORE

• This breezy linen top and shorts all summer—I have the set in black.

• This GAP striped top and shorts all summer, now on major sale.

• These under-$50 chinos, a Jules bestseller.

• Salomons. Finally.

• Ridiculously expensive—put perfectly polished—jeans, but I found them 50% off here.

• Violette FR Lip Nectar in Rose de Moab (a Dakota Johnson-like brown nude) and Bêtise (your lip color, but better).

COOKED

• This roasted cauliflower salad forever and ever, amen.

• This chickpea salad inspired by Poppy’s.

• My absolute favorite grain salad of all time, this one.

SET THE TABLE

• With my Goldie Home Green Marble Tablecloth. Acid green is just so cool.

• With the Hamkke The Grande Plate in Moss.

• Also: Sabre Bistrot Flatware. Over the years, I’ve built up a collection of tortoiseshell, ivory, and fern, which I mix and match. Next on my wishlist: unexpected red.

• Don’t forget Suay Linen Napkins in Citron.

• With adorable cherry tumblers.

MADE THE BED

• With Morrow Soft Goods Organic Matte Sateen Sheets in Afina. If I could only buy one set for the rest of my life, this would be it.

• But also: Quince Organic Luxe Waffle Duvet Cover Set in Olive. It feels like sleeping in a waffle robe, and the price is so right.

• With Schoolhouse Stillwater Quilt in Juniper (a Jules bestseller!) but also the Tulbend Quilt.

At Prospect Berkshires, a new hotel with pine-walled cabins, a fourth wall of windows, and major Scandi vibes—sound familiar? If all that seems like an Upstate trope at this point, well…it is, but the difference here is that Prospect has a massive lake for dipping, lakeside saunas for sweating, and and a wholly unpretentious vibe. All 49 cabins are the same square footage (democratic!), boast cooling marble floors, and are outfitted with best in-room instant coffee I have ever tried by Share. Would go again and stay for longer than just two days.

WASHED

My body twice a day (the only acceptable amount right now) with the Goshi Exfoliating Shower Towel, which I bought blindly but is a total win. It’s looooong and lathers like no other, while also being just abrasive enough to make your skin feel brand new. It also looks stylish hanging in my shower.

SAW

Duke & Roya, an Off-Broadway play that stars Jay Ellis (hot!) but has excellent AC (cool!). It’s a rom-com that takes place in Kabul—stay with me here—and follows the love story between a rapper visiting U.S. troops and his local translator. It’s only fair to let you know that Jay raps in it, but also: the excellent Noma Dumezweni (from Only Murders and Hermione in Harry Potter & The Cursed Child) plays his mom, and that makes up for everything.

ATE

A piece of cake from Poppy’s with Just a Fork, which is exactly what it sounds like: an acrylic fork for stashing in your bag because it has a silicone “glove” to protect it from purse gunk. The colors are incredible, it’s only $20, and you can also bring it to work so you never have to eat a desk salad with single-use cutlery again. It’s from Forks Plus, my new flatware obsession by artist Kelsey Fairhurst, whose work I anticipate will be in every cool retailer real soon.

READ

Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino, a book with a main character so lovable that I truly wanted to cancel plans so I could stay in and “hang out with Adina.” She’s a girl who’s born on earth but also born of another planet, and every night after school, she retreats to her bedroom and sends faxes about human life to her extraterrestrial family. This book is a gut-punch in the best way, and it reveals truth about people, love, and New York, such as: “Living in New York, she writes, is like sitting at a nine-million-person blackjack table. We all work together against the dealer. If you call on 11 (request a fresh bagel to be toasted), the table scowls at you. You can trust the group.”

MADE

My bed with my “I Can’t Sleep When It’s Hot” starter pack:

Bed Threads Linen Sheets in White. I know. I know! I always say I’m all about non-boring bedding, but these are my favorite linen sheets for the way they’re breathable but don’t stretch out when you roll over. They just so happen to be white. I swear there are more exciting bedding choices coming…

Schoolhouse Tulbend Quilt. We are in a no-comforter zone right now, and this lightweight quilt barely registers as a layer. Speaking of quilts, Schoolhouse just released new Stillwater colors (this is kind of a big deal!) and the Cobalt one is so good.

Bed Threads Percale Pillowcases in Berry. So. Many. Good. Colors. I’m no color wheel expert but I can assure you that percale Berry looks great against linen Turmeric. Plus, new pillowcases are a low-stakes way to add some verve.

Stay cool, and see you next week!

xx Julie

The Tell by Amy Griffin, a memoir by the G9 cofounder and daily runner who always felt like there was something (a secret memory, one she couldn’t totally place) that she was trying to outpace. Then, at her husband’s urging, she tried MDMA therapy and within minutes, she remembered. While I don’t want to spoil this book for you, I definitely want to let you know that it involves flashbacks to sexual violence, and for me, it was a heavy story about perfectionism (and being a “perfect victim”) and how our brains try to protect us from pain. But is it really protection if it’s keeping us from healing?

ATE

At Le Chêne, an achingly stylish French restaurant in the West Village that serves a surf and turf pithivier (a stuffed puff pastry filled with potatoes, pork, and eel) that in any other context would be Instagram bait, but in this case is the chicest thing you can order right now in New York City. It’s sliced up like a pie and must be ordered with French fries (my rule, not theirs).

ARRANGED

Multiple bouquets courtesy of The Bouqs, who I recently learned will send you an entire bucket of buds (I got roses, carnations, snap dragons, among other draping greens) that you can DIY into all kinds of arrangements. I brought half to a gossip party. Another bunch to friends hosting us for dinner. And I still had enough left over for three full arrangements at home. It’s like taking a trip to the flower market, except you didn’t. And in a time where everything feels out of control, it felt nice to be at the helm of something—even if it was just which flower went where.

WROTE

About my completely modular Cozey sofa for Domino, then I went to the Cozey pop-up in Flatiron to see my exact style (the Atmosphere) in a color blocked arrangement that had me rethinking our white bouclé. I really do love this sofa—so much that we just got the long ottoman to add on to it. If they offered a baby blue fabric (like this), I’d switch to those covers in a heartbeat.

TOOK

A bath with these new-to-me soaks called Flewd (don’t ask me to pronounce it), which are essentially packets of bath salts—if bath salts could alter your entire personality and make you a better person. You just cut open the packet and dump the entire thing in the tub. I like Ache Erasing after a run, but Fatigue Defeating is their newest one, and I can confirm that after 20 mins of simmering myself in a hot bath of Flewd, I felt more awake and alive. I also smelled incredible.

Take a bath, and I’ll see you next week!

xx Julie

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READ

Now Is Not The Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson, who’s quickly becoming one of my favorite authors for the way he combines quirky plot lines with heavy doses of humanity. This one is about two teenagers in the ’90s who draw a poster with a nonsensical phrase and image on it, then Xerox a zillion copies and leave them all over their small town. The poster goes viral, the town leaders think a cult is behind it, and the two teens fall in love (kind of). It’s sweet and fun and fast—highly recommend for you next flight somewhere. You’ll finish it by the time you land.

WORKED

From the Malin Flatiron, the newest location of the most stylish coworking space to ever exist. (WeWork could never!) At this two-floor space in the Equinox building, there’s wallpapered phone booths, velvet banquettes, and a quiet library that’s ideal for writers like me who need complete silence to get it done. Ironic, then, that I am typing this from a hotel lobby that’s hosting an epic drag brunch, so apologies in advance if I accidentally type a lyric from Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” in this letter. Oh gosh, Ariana is playing now. This is…the part where…I tell you a fun fact: Lucy’s “office” in Materialists was filmed at the Malin Soho—did anyone else clock that? Of course I did because baby I was born this way-ayyyyy.

MADE

This so-easy salad based on Poppy’s famous version and adapted by one of my favorite Substackers, . This is the third time in as many weeks that I’ve made it, so please trust me when I say that you need a good nonstick pan for frying halloumi. (I use this one.)

WROTE

About designer Sarah Sherman Samuels’s family home, aka #ItalianOnTheBlvd, in East Grand Rapids for Architectural Digest. She and her husband spent a year restoring and renovating it before their family moved in, and one thing you won’t read in the story is about the home’s proximity to what Sarah and I agree is the absolute best burger place in the U.S., Black Napkin Burger. Also, I’m getting this $24 print she has in her daughter’s room.

BOUGHT

Violette FR Lip Nectar in Rose de Moab (a Dakota Johnson-like brown nude) and Bêtise (your lip color, but better), which are technically lip stains but they give off an imperfect blurred sheen first. Dream summer situation. They also look chic in a tray on your dresser.

See you next week!

xx Julie

And a major thank you to , , , , and many others for tuning in!

xx Julie

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Halfway through Materialists, during a scene where Pedro Pascal, a finance guy, and Dakota Johnson, a matchmaker, wake up in his Tribeca apartment, my sister noticed something odd.

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READ

Matrix by Lauren Groff, which I picked up from a stoop because it was 250 pages short, and I thought it would be a quick read. (I’m behind on my yearly goal of 24 books.) BOY WAS I WRONG. It took me weeks to get through the Middle English references and nun shenanigans. So yes, it’s a book about horny nuns during the Crusades, but it’s obviously about so much more than that, and a slow book was a good reminder that we should all give ourselves some grace when things don’t come fast or easy. Speaking of…

SHOT

Hoops, as in, basketball, at Carroll Park with my friend Sam. Yes, there were children around, and yes, we ended up playing 2-on-2 against a couple of seven-year-olds for a few minutes. And yet—there is no better feeling than buying a new basketball, inflating it at the bike shop, and running drills at your local park. (I got this ball for less than a cocktail and all the kids ask to use it, insert side-eye emoji here.) Remember: As rusty as you may be, you’ll always be able to block a seven-year-old.

And so! Sam and I are looking for a couple of age-appropriate players to shoot with, but we have a couple of requirements: You cannot have touched a basketball in at least five to ten years, and you cannot, under any circumstances, have played in high school, college, or beyond. This is for pure fun. Think The Pistol Shrimps. Reply to this email or let us know in the comments if you’re in!

ATE

An adorable strawberry ice cream sandwich at Naro in Rockefeller Center. The cookies are shortbread, and the sweet little seeds are white sesame. Summer is almost here—I can taste it.

SPOTTED

The coolest floor lamp—it does light up!—at the brand new Loeffler Randall store in the West Village. When I Instagrammed it, my designer friend Ellen tipped me off that it’s by her designer friend, Hey Murphy, who makes them in her East Austin studio. Filing it under: Need.

BOUGHT

This matching set from GAP that feels like what HAY would design if they made clothing, and by that I mean it looks Copenhagen cool. The whole look, with the boxers, cost $120, and you’ll see me in it all summer. In fact, I’m wearing it again as I type.

See you next week!

xx Julie

Secondly, this week I tested a paid post of Jules, and I’m going to continue to do one every week. These paid posts will go a little deeper on specific design topics like: How To Visit Las Vegas Without Losing Your Design Dignity, and What Comes After Butter Yellow? I’d love for you to consider a paid subscription, but if that’s not in your life plan, never fear! The Friday Jules will always be free.

Let’s get to it!

SPRAYED

My counters with the brand-new Alter:Bio, which says that its plant-based cleaning power lasts for six days—great news for someone who loves trying new things but hates maintenance. My issue with cleaning is that you have to keep doing it, sometimes every day, so I try to buy the most fun and functional supplies possible. The spray has a light citrus-y scent and the cornflower blue bottle looks great on the countertop. Love.

WASHED

My face (something else I have to clean every day, apparently) with a new-to-me cleanser, Remedy For Cleansing. I’m suspicious of anything for oily skin, but this truly doesn’t make your skin feel tight, and the salicylic acid exfoliates just enough. 10/10, second only to Sofie Pavitt’s perfect gel cleanser, a more design-y choice.

DID

My laundry with the only soap that actually gets me excited to do laundry: Dedtergent Xtra Milk (top note: bergamot), a cool-girl scent in a cool-girl aluminum tin that reminds me of gallon of Backdrop. I switch between that and The Laundress Beauty Sleep, a lavender (but not too) scented soap that’s meant for your sheets and pajamas, which perhaps explains why I’m tired all the time? Both smell expensive—maybe because they are expensive—but to me, they’re worth it, and Dedtergent even lasts 60 loads.

WROTE

About these Midwest-on-the-outside, Scandi-on-the-inside cabins up north in Michigan for Domino. Lately, the whole vacation cabin industry has gotten a little too “nature-inspired” for my liking, so I appreciate the way the owners injected Scandi style via posters from Copenhagen and sofas by Hay, a Danish furniture brand. De-boring (de-boring-ing?) the vacation cabin is possible!

ATE

At Lele’s Roman, a new Italian (obviously) restaurant in the Ace Hotel Brooklyn, where my sister and I scarfed down fried squash blossoms, a mortadella pizza, an amatriciana pasta, and turbot. Studio Tre did the brualist-inspired interiors (a great improvement from the previously awkward space), but what I really want to know is who designed the custom plates, and how do I make my own version at home? It’s the kind of personalization that would take Tuesday night takeout to the next level. Please leave all suggestions in the comments!

And that’s it! See you next week!

xx Julie

When my husband, Paul, and I got engaged on Thanksgiving in 2022, we didn’t plan a single thing for a few blissful months. And I’m glad, because the minute I sent my first exploratory email to a potential vendor, I realized something that Big Weddings wants you to believe (but obviously isn’t true): You can only design the wedding of your dreams if you’re willing to pay big bucks for it.

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A latke slider (not a typo) at Pancakes, a popup at S&P Lunch that ends this weekend, so this is your chance! (Get in line around 6:30 p.m; it opens at 7.) Also order the Fines [Herb] Gibson, which your server will pour from a syrup dispenser, then also get a round of olive and cream cheese sandwiches for the table. Finish the whole experience with a Lowly Linguanatto, their mascarpone-topped version of an espresso martini.

WATCHED

The season 3 premiere of And Just Like That… and spotted, to my delight, a mint green Smeg fridge in Carrie’s new Gramercy Park kitchen. Everyone knows that Smegs are stylish, slim, and only hold about one non-cooking person’s takeout and condiments, so bravo to the production designer on that spot-on appliance choice. (Obviously Miranda would own a sensible SubZero, and Charlotte is a Miele girl. Samantha, a Rocco.) Drop your own fridge personality in the comments!

VISITED

The Travel Agency in Soho, a legal dispensary with interiors by Leong Leong, who has designed exhibits for the Met (nbd). Most importantly, TTA sells my favorite brand of edibles, 1906. I swear by their Sleep ones, which are weeknight-friendly because they knock you out without ruining your next day. The staff is super nice (I’m biased), and the space itself feels like walking into a stylish cave with gray limewashed walls and curvy countertops. But yeah, 1906. Trust me, I’m a lightweight when it comes to this stuff!

WROTE

About two bar owners (and BFFs) who went in on a Brooklyn townhouse together for Architectural Digest. I have dreamed of doing this with my pals pretty much as soon as I moved to New York 18 years ago. So, who’s with me?

TRIED

The new Fur Trim System, which is an unsexy name for something that looks like a regal Greco Roman column on your bathroom counter. It’s rechargeable and has a trimmer and razor attachment, so it’s a real “choose your own adventure” in hair care. I tend to think that multi-use products do a lot of things just mediocrely, but this one makes me happy I never sprung for a cheaper version served to me on IG. Plus, it’s rechargeable, so no cords.

See you next week—a little earlier than usual—for a fun surprise!

xx Julie

At Binx, a new wine bar in the West Village that has a disco ball, a ton of orange wines, ceramic wall creatures, and something I’ve been noticing a lot lately: Sabre Bistrot flatware. It used to be rare to spot the French forks at a restaurant, but lately I’ve clocked the cutlery at Pitt’s in Red Hook, F&F Pizzeria in Carroll Gardens, and even at Cafe Mamo in Grand Rapids, MI. It’s also our silverware of choice at home, where we mix-and-match tortoiseshell, ivory, and fern green (all in antique finish) to make it feel like we’re dining out. The best shiny selection is at Big Night (they even have gold!).

COOKED

My absolute favorite grain salad of all time, this one. Bring it to a BBQ this weekend. Serve it as a side with salmon during the week. Devour it in a bowl on the sofa while you catch up on Poker Face.

VISITED

The Frick Collection, which, as a Gilded Age fan, I was excited to wander. But first you have to wait outside in a long line to be let in with a timed ticket, then you get shuffled inside only to be sardined into small rooms where cranky retired New Yorkers aggressively shout “Excuse me!” if you pause too long to look at a portrait. Yes, the atrium is gorgeous, and you must get your photo there because that's the only place where you’re allowed to take one. It’s also the most peaceful room in the whole place. I’d say you should go on a less crowded day, but this was Wednesday at 1 p.m., so I really don’t know what to tell you!

WROTE

For InStyle about Shana Stephenson, the chief brand officer for the New York Liberty, aka the woman who helped come up with everyone’s favorite mascot, Ellie the Elephant. (Worth the follow.) One new-to-me nugget I uncovered was that Ellie was almost a dog named Barkley—can you imagine?

BOUGHT

The most darling mushroom lamp for a room I’m designing at my parents’ house. It’s sturdy, cordless, and has three brightness settings. Plus, $40!

See you next week, and have a great long weekend!

Xx Julie

To Las Vegas to try all the things on the menu at Pisces, a new seafood-focused restaurant, though I spent most of my time there looking up at the hand-blown Murano glass light fixtures and down at the—wait for it—glitter in the grout. (Glitter. In. The. Grout.) I also went to Delilah, which you should star on Google Maps for having the absolutely best $29 chicken tenders I’ve ever had, ever.

WATERED

My indoor plants with a magical new elixir call Bleume, which must be pronounced “bloom” (right?). The packaging is chicer than any plant food you’ll find at Lowe’s, and it couldn’t be easier to use: just add four pumps to a liter of water (the starter kit comes with a nifty beaker), then pour it over your plants per usual. What makes it so great? According to my research, it’s packed with nitrogen, which helps plants photosynthesize. ::pushes glasses up nose:: All I can say is that my spotted begonia has never looked better.

ATE

At Bandits Burger & Dive, which I’m told used to be just a bar in the West Village, but now they take reservations and serve very good burgers in a space that feels like your parents’ wood-paneled basement. They also have a frozen rum and Coke with a secret ingredient (shhh, it’s maraschino cherry juice). And now for our order, which our waiter called perfect: French Onion Dip, Bacon Deviled Eggs & Cheese, Chopped Caesar Wedge, Double Smash Burger, and the Filet o’Bedford, which, very unlike McDonald’s, comes with smoked roe tartar sauce.

MARVELED

At two stunning party spreads:

• One by my talented friend Woldy Reyes, who put his fashion-y bites on a bed of chia seeds at Sight Unseen x Petra Hardware’s design week party. And seriously—why not try this at home? Do it on a wooden serving tray! You have a good vacuum, right? It’s a non-boring inexpensive display, and I love it. (Sidebar: Some of the food was from his fantastic cookbook, which we use frequently in our kitchen.)

  

• The second included a personal party tray of Italian snacks (more parties should give you your own tray of food!) at a design week party for Casa Lawa, a color-splashed residency/kitchen/retreat in the Sicilian countryside by creative director Lukas Lewandowski. There are striped umbrellas near the pool and not a white bedsheet in sight. I must go.

PAINTED

My nails in Pink Goldfish, a iridescent top coat that is perfect on bare, short nails in the summer. It feels like a french mani’s cool old sister, and I’m on my third bottle.

See you at the stoop sale tomorrow!

xx Julie

A quote from Meredith Hayden (aka Wishbone Kitchen) in InStyle that stopped me in my tracks:

“So much of hosting and throwing a dinner party is not about the food,” Hayden says. “I would argue the food is kind of the least important part sometimes.”

I can overlook her floor-grazing dress (pretty!), the slightly sad shrimp tower (needs more shrimp!), and even the caviar she’s carrying on a silver tray (I’m allergic). But I was stunned to hear someone who is promoting a cookbook say that the food is sometimes the least important thing at her parties.

I was just as surprised to hear that so many of my stylish party-throwing friends agree with Hayden, one even DMing me: “A dinner party with fantastic food and, like, Blink-182 is not a party I want to attend.” (Ha.)

Look, you don’t need to cook a fancy three-course meal for your friends. In fact, one of my favorite hosting memories was when my husband and I had our families over at our apartment two nights before our wedding. We ordered pizzas from F&F, and everyone loved the clam pie so much that my dad tossed me a $100 bill and said, “Order two more.” No one, including myself, remembers what music was playing, what plates we ate on, or which taper candles I chose. But we all remember that pizza.

Food, whether it’s homemade or delivery, brings people together—and it can set the theme of your night. Yes, vibes and guest list matter, too. I’m not saying I would rather eat the best meal of my life seated next to, say, Elon Musk while listening to Nickelback in a bright room. But what I am saying is that almost every dinner party I attend (or throw) usually revolves around the food being served. But maybe that’s just me? I would love to hear you thoughts below! Is hosting about the food? And if not, what is it actually about?

WATCHED

Another Simple Favor (on Amazon Prime). It’s camp, it’s unhinged, and Blake Lively continues to teach me new ways to style a pantsuit—and my hair. No notes. If you’ve ever wanted to do a deep dive into the first movie, this pandemic-era podcast is supreme.

ATE

The Fussy Hussy, an absolutely perfect olive smashburger at Black Napkin Burger in Grand Rapids, Michigan. First you bite into the salty crispy edges that halo the challah bun. Heaven. Then you get to the briny olive mayo thats up against shredded lettuce, a tomato, and swiss cheese. Holy. I devoured it in the front seat of my mom’s car and saw god. If this place were in New York, you’d have to fight the TikTokers and wait hours, but to be fair, there was a line around the corner on a Saturday afternoon. Still, all praise goes to designer Sarah Sherman Samuel, who turned me on to it when she posted about their fries, which are also otherworldly.

MADE

My bed again! This time with block printing artist Caroline Z Hurley’s new Brooklinen sheets, which have a sweet floral pattern that feels vintage and fresh all at once. I love the blue color the most.

GOT

Stuck at Newark for three hours (and counting!) and I could not have made it this far without a few essentials:

• Baggu Cloud Carry-on, a recycled nylon bag that slips over a roller bag handle and has four outer pockets (two that fit water bottles; two that fit hardcover books). The straps are long enough to wear it like a tote, and it’s roomy enough to be the only bag I took for a weekend in Michigan last week.

• Counterpart Charger, which looks like a pale blue cinnamon roll but has a retractable cord that works for both my iPhone and MacBook Air. It never gets tangled in my bag, and it’s so much more stylish than anything you’ll find at the airport. I carry it with me always.

• Lanolips Strawberry 101 Ointment, the most long-lasting lip balm I’ve ever used, ever. I’ll put it on at night and still feel it when I wake up, which is why it’s always in my pocket when I fly. And it will be if I ever make it out of Newark. Send good thoughts!

See you next week, hopefully at the Julie & Julia stoop sale on Saturday!

xx Julie

Crush by Ada Calhoun, a new book that has so much voice that I honestly questioned if it was non-fiction at one point. Nope, it’s definitely a novel. Crush follows a married woman who starts crushing—duh—on a man who’s not her husband, though her husbands is okay with it, mostly, until, well—read it! Her references range from Leslie Knope (who also appeared in my wedding vows, FYI) to Virginia Woolf, and lines like this really got me: One thing though, that’s good to keep in mind, is that love is infinite, but time and energy aren’t.

PAINTED

A guest room in my parents’ house in Benjamin Moore’s Good Vibrations, a perfect butter yellow shade. Don’t be scared of yellow—this is more than a cream, but less than a mustard. (Wow, food is a great color descriptor!) It’s clean and cool and truly goes with anything, from sexy wine-colored sofas to every wood shade imaginable.

COOKED

Caroline Gelen’s Everything Salmon with Creamy Caper Sauce. Cream cheese, salmon, everything bagel spice, capers: It’s brunch, but for dinner. I made it in the smoothest, most non-stick cast iron I’ve ever used—as in, I’ve even scrambled eggs in this thing. After Field Company sent me an 8-inch one (#transparency!), I realized that the only other cast iron pan we own—and have loved for years—is by Field Company, too. (Plus, the whole site is 15% off right now when you use code JULIEVADNAL.) Trust me, you will have this thing forever.

BOUGHT

Nothing (yet) from GAP x Doen, and I think that deserves an award? The striped PJ shirt and shorts are the kind of set I would 100 percent wear all summer long. They’re almost sold out, so instead I’ll pivot and get another color of my fave summer set: this linen button down with these matching high-waisted shorts.

P.S.

My dear friend and former Domino colleague Julia Stevens and I are hosting a design stoop sale on May 17 in Carroll Gardens. We’ll be selling new and vintage housewares (so much glassware and tons of textiles), all tariff-free!

On tissues because it’s allergy szn and I’m doing a pack (of tissues) a day at this point. In fact, I can’t ever be more than three feet from the good stuff (aka Kleenex Soothing Lotion, second only to the discontinued Kleenex Cool Touch, #iykyk). But most importantly: How has there never been an actually good tissue box design? Why doesn’t Kleenex collab with artists? In the meantime, I’m hiding my sad boxes behind one of these:

• Dusen Dusen Everybody Tissue Box Holder. It’s a colorful cool-girl classic that can make even a springtime cold less dreary.

• DAE Burlap Tissue Case. Truly nothing chicer, from a cafe in my neighborhood.

• Pierce & Ward Toffee Plaid Tissue Box Cover. Cottagecore girlies, rejoice! The tassel makes it extra special.

COOKED

A bowl of cheesy Alfredo beans with fried garlic on top. There is no such thing as too much garlic. Garlic is like leopard print—a neutral. Which brings me to my next point…

WASHED

My hands post-Alfredo with this new hand soap, Naomi, that gets garlic/onion/other food smells out of your hands. It’s like Aesop Reverence in that it lightly exfoliates with pumice, but there’s also an enzyme in it that breaks down food odors. Plus, it looks so cool on my countertop and smells rich.

HAD

The biggest night at Big Night, a dinner party store that makes you want to have friends over and redecorate your home all at once. Maybe it’s because of their pistachio green bar with squiggle cabinets (by East Otis) that mimic the handle of a Sophie Lou Jacobsen Wave Pitcher. Maybe it’s because the Schoolhouse Forma Dining Table is set with striped napkins and so much Sabre. Or maybe it’s the new Lucy Muss mural. No matter the reason(s), here’s what I swiped at the newly-expanded Greenpoint, Brooklyn, store:

• Ichendorf Milano Cherry Tumblers. Two for stoop season, which is finally here. One would also make an adorable birthday/host/anytime gift.

• Truffle Italia Popcorn. Sourced by my friend Stacey, the store’s grocery buyer, who said: “Girl, you have no idea what I did to get this.” She didn’t actually tell me what she did, but I love a mystery! (Submit your theories in comments.)

• Beeswax Cherry Birthday Candles. And it’s not even my birthday.

See you next week!

xx Julie

The Keith Haring Journals. Normally I find diaries a little boring—ok, ok, you did this, then this, then this, I get it—but Haring’s sharp observations make you want to take pictures of the pages, which I did frequently. One of my favorite passages was about how people don’t mind change as long as it’s unnatural. He writes that people around him seem to think:

Change is acceptable as long as it is controllable.
Change can be predicted.
Changes can be contrived and/or altered and/or planned.

Oh god I feel seen.

DRANK

Two THC bevvies in the name of science and the upcoming holiday:

• Houseplant’s Pineapple Seltzer, a RTD (that’s industry lingo for Ready to Drink, which, coincidentally, I always am) that has 3mg of THC but is so delicious that you’ll chug down two and then immediately have a hard time reading the Sequence board during game night.

• Wims Pocket Tonics, these little unflavored packets of liquid that you snap in half to add 4mg of THC and CBD to literally any drink, like a Ghia Soda. No game nights were altered in the drinking of a Wims—yet.

VISITED

Two government agencies in one week: The Department of Labor and the Department of Motor Vehicles. The DOL was filled with helpful, kind people who showed me how to use a fax machine. The DMV was filled with…people! Still, my appointment to get a Real ID (you need one to fly after May 7) only took two hours, I was able to get a seat, and the 11 Greenwich office’s proximity to Printemps is a bonus. Sorry that my life is so sexy!

BECAME

A person who wears eyeliner? This one is fun to apply (it’s like painting!) and is stubborn when you need it to be, aka when you’re rushing to an 8:30 a.m. DMV appointment. That said, it washes off in a snap.

SET

My table! Story time: Back in my Domino days, I had breakfast with a founder of a dinnerware brand that makes the pale pink plates Mandy Moore put in her Sarah Sherman Samuel-designed kitchen. (Alliterative names only!) Curious, I asked her, “What’s your bestselling plate color?” Surely those millennial-coded rose plates would be the winner! “Julie,” she said to me flatly, “It’s obviously the white.”

It’s not that a white plate can’t make a statement—but, really, can it?* In my pursuit of the non-blah, I sold all my white dinnerware on Facebook Marketplace (it got claimed in about 9.5 seconds), and now I’m all about this colorful combo, below.

First: Goldie Home Green Marble Tablecloth. Acid green is just so cool. I like to think of a tablecloth as a backdrop to my meal, which makes this patterned one the ideal foundation to a cool-girl table. Plus, there’s blue and an inky green in there to balance out the funk.

Next: Hamkke The Grande Plate in Moss. This new-to-me brand sent me these Portuguese-made plates—transparency!—and they’re already the ones we reach for the most. Not too heavy (love you, East Fork, but I already did arms today), simple without being snoozy, and also available in a powdery blue. Truly great.

Or If You Prefer a Bowl: IKEA Silversida Deep Plate/Bowl. Um, $10 for two blue spatterware bowls? Absolutely worth the trip to Red Hook.

Then: Sabre Bistrot Flatware. Over the years, I’ve built up a collection of tortoiseshell, ivory, and fern, which I mix and match. Next on my wishlist: unexpected red.

Don’t Forget: Suay Linen Napkins in Citron. Ethically made from deadstock, and they wash (and dry!) without curling up like a lot of linen does.

Finally: Created Co. Cove Tumblers. I’m the host who will move your cocktail off the travertine coffee table to put it on a coaster. But with these double-walled glasses that don’t sweat, I don’t either.

*Excellent question! I’m going to challenge myself to make a roundup of non-blah white plates for a future issue of Jules. Stay tuned.

See you next week!

xx

Julie

“Amy Sherald: American Sublime” at the Whitney Museum, which is a collection of portraits of everyday Black Americans, plus the portrait of an iconic name you may have heard of, as in, Michelle Obama. (Yes, you will have to wait for someone to finish having their picture taken in front of it before you can get a closer look. It’s worth it.) My always-correct friend Leigh suggested I watch the short film there, and it truly helps put every piece into context. Not all of Sherald’s paintings feature famous subjects, but they are all moving.

ATE

At Hildur, a Swedish restaurant in Dumbo that makes you go, “IKEA could never.” (I take that back—I’ve had IKEA meatballs at IKEA HQ in Almhult, Sweden, and they were truly mind-blowing. Also, did you know IKEA is an acronym for Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd, a mix of the founder’s name and hometown?) Anyway, back to Brooklyn. You must order the pickled herring, which is surprisingly sweet. And the charred cabbage because it’s 2025 and suddenly we all love cabbage. And obviously, yes, the meatballs.

CELEBRATED

Nothing in particular with a Heap’s ice cream cake that makes you go “Carvel could never.” Chocolate Fudge. In Park Slope. No notes.

COOKED

This salad on this sunny sheet pan twice. Twice! My husband, who loves to quote The Simpsons, always sings, “You don’t make friends with salad,” but we indeed had a friend over the night we made this, and we’re still friends—so there, Homer! The veggies are warm, the feta is soft, and the mix of dates and capers makes it a briny sweet delight. I highly recommend you buy enough ingredients to make this more than once.

BOUGHT

R+Co Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste (randomly 30% off, you’re welcome!) because honestly, what was I thinking having bangs in this weather? This stuff rules, and it might just replace the dry shamp (not sure if that abbrev is working) I’ve been using for a decade, Klorane’s Non-Aerosol. You just rub some between your fingers and it de-greases your part while adding volume and holding wisps in place.

See you next week!

xx Julie

Real Americans by Rachel Khong. It grabbed me from the get-go because of its woman-in-media-meets-nice-guy-with-rich-family storyline (le sigh!), but it’s so much more than that. It spans generations, gets a little science-y, and has some mystery—plus, it’s further proof that of all the big splashy “book clubs,” Jenna’s remains the most reliable.

TRIED

A new hot honey ketchup from—wait for it—Glen Powell’s new condiment line, Smash, and honestly, it’ll be my new go-to for delivery fries. They make a mayo too, but for that, I’m a Ayoh girl forever.

SAW

The Picture of Dorian Gray on Broadway—which I honestly thought was The Portrait of Dorian Gray until this very moment, and I’m sorry if I said the wrong name to you in person! Apologies also to Oscar Wilde, who honestly would have written an incredible Substack had it existed in the 1870s. Anyway, the play stars Succession’s Sarah Snook (pronounced “snewk”—did you know?), who plays every. single. character. Twenty-six in total! Which means she’s on stage, changing looks (pronounced “lewks”—did you know?) and wigs for two solid hours, going from narrator to Dorian to Lord Henry to Sybil Vane without ever leaving the stage. It’s tragic, it’s funny, and it uses cameras and screens in a way that feels modern and non-gimmicky. Just give this woman the Tony already.

ATE

Truly one of the best sandwiches of my life—the Kale Salad Sandwich with Salami—at R&D Foods in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. It’s stacked high and served warm, which, as a person who knows how much greens can shrink when cooked down, leaves me wondering how many bunches of kale is in one of these things. Let’s just say a lot.

CHANGED

My sheets! I’m on a mission to eliminate boring white bedding from my home, and so here is the current lineup:

First: Morrow Soft Goods Organic Matte Sateen Sheets in Afina. I’ve tried a gazillion types of sheets over the years, and if I could only buy one set for the rest of my life, this would be it. Lightweight without being linen, and soft but not shiny. (You can even buy a set without a top sheet, if you’re a monster like that.) They’re truly perfect.

Then: Quince Organic Luxe Waffle Duvet Cover Set in Olive. It feels like sleeping in a waffle robe, and the price is so right.

Finally: Schoolhouse Stillwater Quilt in Juniper. Consider this an #iykyk piece that, once you start looking around, you’ll notice in all the cool girls’ homes. (My friend Anna has it in Auburn.) Plus, the quilt isn’t super heavy, so it works even during whatever this weather is right now.

See you next week!

xx Julie

The OGs here will remember that I started Jules in 2018 when I was freelance and—if you’ve ever really wondered about the origin story—I was writing for an editor whose notes didn’t love. (This iconic Hairpin piece helps paint the picture.) I wanted to write about what I wanted to write about, when I wanted to write about it. Plus, friends were always asking me about the things I was doing, seeing, and buying. So, Jules was born.

Then I took a couple of full time jobs, and Jules was just too much to maintain. Sorry. Still, you always asked when it was coming back. I love you for that!

Now, the moment has come. I’m freelance again (and this time, I absolutely adore all my editors). I’m excited to share what I’m reading, seeing, watching, thinking, and buying with you. Let’s get to it!

xx Jules

P.S. One of my favorite things about Jules of the past was sharing your email replies on my Instagram. Now we have comments, so let me know what you’re thinking there!

P.P.S. I plan to keep Jules free for the foreseeable future, which means I will be using affiliate links throughout. Just a heads up!

SAW

“Oh, Mary!” on Broadway starring Tituss Burgess, who is only in the show until April 6, so I’m sorry—but also not sorry—because seeing true artists in the roles they were born to play is worth every last cent in your wallet. (That includes seeing Cole Escola, who originated the part and is back on after Tituss.) Surely you’ve heard of “Oh, Mary!” at this point, but just in case, no, you should not bring your history-buff dad who loved Hamilton. Tituss brings a whole new level of chaotic mugging and athleticism (he wore kneepads!) to the bouncy curls and black bell skirt. Plus, he can really sing. Go, go, go.

READ

Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson, a quick, hilarious novel about two children who spontaneously combust when they get angry. That’s not a euphemism; they literally burst into flames. It’s sharp and funny but also “aww,” and I read it in just three days.

ATE

At Strange Delight, a casual seafood restaurant in Fort Greene where, for lunch, you can get a heaping cafeteria-style tray of fish and three sides (we got smoked fish dip, mac n cheese, and broccoli salad) for $28. What’s more, you can get a giant sandwich (fried shrimp) and a side (fried potatoes) for $25. You can also see Spike Lee talking on the phone a few tables down from you. I don’t know what else to say!

WATCHED

The first episode of The Studio on AppleTV+, which stars Seth Rogen as a studio exec with dreams of making films—not movies, films—until he gets hit with reality: Studios just want to make movies with I.P. (in this case, a Kool-Aid Man movie). Hoo boy, I can’t be the only one who got into magazines or [insert creative field here] to bring smart, original ideas to life, thinking that would be enough to cultivate an audience and make money. (It’s not.) I think about this every time Broadway transforms a random movie into a musical—first of all, who asked for Pretty Woman: The Musical? Only greenlighting projects that audiences will be familiar with rewards unoriginality, and it is why we see blah-ness everywhere: in our homes, on our screens, and in the clothes we wear. Fight the blah!

WORE

A pair of Banana Republic Factory chinos that were no-joke $30 at the time (and I promise are not blah!). They have gotten compliments from strangers, even from an influencer ballerina who stopped her photo shoot outside of Grand Central Station to shout, “I love your pants!”

See you next week!

xx Jules