What's IN/OUT this week

As I was walking Dottie home from daycare last weekend, a man wearing headphones was walking toward us and began smiling at her. The two moved toward the other like magnets. He put his arms out, she put her paws on his midsection, and they had a sidewalk love session: pets, scratches, licks (not from him, just from the dog). After a few moments, he looked her in the eyes and quietly said, “I love you, too.” As they parted, he gave me a brief nod of acknowledgement. It constantly blows me away that I get to walk around with this little creature who can make a total stranger’s day. A dream!

IN: Jellies. Here I am, 30+ years after jelly sandals first entered my life — and subsequently taught me what a blister is — and I am purchasing an adult pair of jelly sandals. Mine are red Sam Edelman Mary Jane jellies and I am thrilled. I wore them when I biked to our neighborhood wine bar recently and I hope my youthful joy was radiating through the streets. OUT: All the heels I said I would wear this summer. I always forget that I am not a person who moves from Uber to destination to Uber. I am a person who walks. As such, the vintage cork Candies, the pink strappy Steve Maddens, and the peep-toe Coach slingbacks all stayed home. There’s always fall!

IN: Big support for little shops. I popped into Paper & Pencil for a couple of new notebooks, and that tiny shop was packed. It’s nearly always busy! With so much of their product coming from other countries, I know they’ve been feeling the tariffs. So it’s heartening to see people cramming in to buy ink and rubber stamps and stickers; just a bunch of lovely tactile perverts making hushed orgasmic sounds when they slide a $25 fountain pen over smooth Japanese paper. OUT: Bakeries without slicers. I love a great loaf of bread from a small bakery. I will unabashedly shell out $15 for your multigrain loaf made with hand-milled wheat and a sourdough starter that your great-grandmother snuck over on the steamer ship from France. But why won’t you offer the courtesy of slicing it for me?! The coffee shop will grind my beans, why won’t you slice my bread? When I do it, the top of the slice is very thick and the bottom is very thin, which wreaks havoc on toasts and sandwiches. I am simply trying to respect your work!

IN: Stumbling on a new phase. I have decided to be in a cafe au lait phase — but just when I order out, not at home (please, I will not be “steaming milk” at 7 a.m. when my eyelids are at half-mast). I based this decision on nothing in particular, but I like that it’s just “coffee and milk” in another language. OUT: Waste. Which is great, because for the second time this summer I happened to be at a cafe around closing time and got a free baguette! I used part of my free loaf (a real ba-GET, amiright??) to make an incredible sandwich: Manchego, thinly sliced salami, peaches, dijon mustard, mixed greens, and balsamic glaze. Business idea: We open a sandwich and natural wine shop and you always like the playlist I have on.

IN: Still going to the beach, no matter what the calendar says. Sunday was my dear pal Joan’s birthday and we had a get-together at the beach to celebrate. I hate that I had to leave early — it was such a gorgeous day. I never understand why people stop going to the beach once September hits. It’s like wearing a sweater just because we’ve passed the fall equinox, despite the temperatures still being toasty. We need to make choices based on the weather, not the calendar. OUT: Sand. I’ve become a devotee of Chicago’s rocky beaches and cement steps. You get lake time without brushing sand out of every crevice and bag. AND you can better see the shards of glass you might accidentally step on! Stick with me for more summer hacks.