Author: Josie Girl

Currently Loving September 2025

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Sorry for my absence last week — back in New York, back to school (for both me and the kids!), back to figuring out the schedule and the flow. And hardest part — back to waking up so early! but now, I AM BAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKKKKK. Here is what I am currently loving this month.

 

1. US Open

 

Yes, the US Open just ended yesterday, but it is my favorite two weeks in the city. And my favorite night is always with my favorite lady, Mrs. Mason. This night is hands down, so fun, and now I get to enjoy it with Tusia who LOVES Mrs. Mason, and LOVES tennis.

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Yaks on the 5

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Last week, we dropped of my son, Cruz, at his boarding school in Ojai, California. Per his request, he asked to drive down from Oregon. He had never been on a “road trip” before so we crammed 14 hours of driving in two days. One of the highlights of the drive was asking chatGPT to find the best spot for lunch in between Eugene and San Francisco. And sure enough, it found a winner (thank you, AI!) We had a truly enjoyable lunch, right off the 5 (Interstate 5) — Yaks on the 5.

 

The drive.

Thank you, Ken for driving! I made a basket. 🙂

We made it to California!

And finally to Yaks on the 5 — a burger place! The line was manageable and we were able to eat outside, so win win all around.

Cruzzie and his burger.

Ken had a pastrami sandwich.

All of it so delicious.

Toosh and the burger, too.

 

I had a salad with wings and ribs on it (picture didn’t turn out) and they were the best ribs I have. ever. ever. ever. eaten. So highly suggest Yaks on the 5 if you happen to be in that neck of the woods, and also suggest chatGPT for recommending such a great spot!

Belt – Look for Less

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Usually when someone shares a dupe with me, I don’t believe it until I see it in person — and if it is good, then I will copy the fake. So last month when I was in the Bay Area and saw my bestie in a studded belt — I told her immediately I loved her Khaite Belt — she told me it was an amazon fake for 15 dollars. I couldn’t believe it. Everything about the dupe looked EXACTLY like the real deal.

 

The real. For 650 plus dollars.

15 dollars — OMG YES YES YES YES. Same same but different!

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Currently Loving August 2025

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So basically, my August loves are the same as July’s loves. I mean, same same different. Same type of thing, but different at same time. But in the spirit of sharing (over sharing sometimes, too!), here are my loves for August.

 

1. Fresh Peaches

 

The problem is trying to figure out what to do with all the peaches. We had a bake off and had three different types of desserts with peaches — so delicious.

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Basket Weaving Classes

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Last summer, my mom got me interested in making baskets — it was a great creative outlet that was different than needlepointing (which I do all the time). I took a 9 month sabbatical from making baskets (I.e. the school year), but this summer, once again, I have found myself interested in making baskets. I LOVE IT. It is so fun, different, challenging, and you get a pretty basket at the end. The best place to get all the kits / equipment / videos is Flax and Twine — this online store is amazing and beautiful, and I love everything they sell. In the past two weeks, I have made two different baskets.

 

Jessie Twined Rope Bowl

 

It is WAY more complicated than you think it is. And takes a lot of patience.

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Holbox + California Science Center

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Apparently all I do is eat, but when in Los Angeles last week, every activity was planned around where we would eat. My (extremely cute) 90 year old uncle is so adventureous and doesn’t just sit at home — quite the contrary, he is out and about all the time, in touch with the best restaurants and exhibitions, etc….So he suggested going to the ONLY MEXICAN RESTAURANT with a MICHELIN STAR (Holbox) which was right next to the California Science Center — and we jumped on both.  We LOVE science museums (interactive, fun, interesting) and we love Mexican food — so win win win!

First of all, this cliche view never gets old. But I loved it on this particular night because you could see a sliver of the moon — nothing makes me happier than pretty skies.

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Gjusta + Getty Villa

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Ok, so going with my theory of always doing something cultural and eating something delicious, we had a great day at Gjusta Bakery and visiting the Getty Villa (different than the Getty Center!) in Los Angeles. These are not next to each other, but it was a quick drive from the bakery to the villa. And we wanted to do both (and recommend both, too!)

 

GJUSTA BAKERY

 

Gjusta is the sister restaurant of Gjelina (which is forever my favorite restaurant in LA, and also has the best cookbook and best sticky toffee pudding you will ever eat). It is located in Venice and everything in it is just beautiful and delicious.

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George’s

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It has been a minute since I posted — not because I didn’t want to or because I didn’t try, but because I was having issues with the website and uploading images. All that to say, sorry! And I am back! And with so much content! In the past two weeks I have spent time in San Francisco area, Oregon, Los Angeles, and back to Oregon — and I have found some incredible things to share! So stay tuned and report back to the blog! In the meantime, I wanted to first share with you an incredibly tasty donut shop in San Francisco. So good that if you are anywhere in the area, you will want to go to George’s. They don’t just sell donuts, but also cocktails, champagne, and meals too. But we went for the donuts.

 

So cute — love George’s donuts and merriment.

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Mango Sorbet

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I might as well make this a baking blog now because that is all I have been wanting to post about recently! HA! I am the worst cook, but I love baking and experimenting in the kitchen. Recently, we made mango sorbet AND mango ice cream in a bake off — and hands down, the winner was the mango sorbet.  So if you feel like making something SUPER easy, delicious, and refreshing, make this!

 

First, you peel the mangos (make sure they are good ones — it makes all the difference). Then, you blend them with water, a little sugar, some lime juice, and THAT IS IT!

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Chez Panisse Blueberry Cobbler

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Love nothing more than picking fresh fruit in the summer! So this past week, went to one of the many blueberry farms in the area and picked 6.5 pounds of blueberries! Since we always keep 1/3 fresh to eat, 1/3 freeze for future use, and bake something with the remaining 1/3, I went down the rabbit hole of what the best recipe would be to use with these delicious blueberries. Thankfully, found NYTimes recipe on Chez Panisse Blueberry Cobbler and knew that it was a winner. Sure enough, this dessert is incredible and easy to make (double win)

 

Blueberry picking! Literally half go in my mouth, the other half in the bucket.

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Flabelus Mary Janes

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Last month when I was in Paris, we had the privilege of bringing a good friend of Tusia’s with us. It was so much fun to explore Paris together and to share with her all our beloved spots. As a thank you, the friend’s mom bought us each Mary Janes from Flabelus — a European brand of shoes that is SUUUUUUPER popular with a million colors, styles, and a great price point. It was so much fun shopping the three of us to each pick out a shoe. As the mom told us, she wanted us to each pick out the shoe that best represented our personality. It was great fun to pick out the shoe all together — and a great souvenir of the trip. Thank you, Alice!

 

The shop is beautiful — so many colors, so many styles, loved them all.

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The Row Dupe Flip Flops

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OK, designer dupe for the win! I love love The Row red flip flops, but when I checked the price, I immediately knew that there was no way in h-e-double-l-l that I would ever purchase them. So when I came across an Amazon identical copy of the flip flop, I knew I needed to get it. And I am so happy that I did. This flip flop is everything and more. Surpasses my expectations and love of the flip flop that I was expecting. Ever since they arrived, it is the only shoe that I can put on. So yes, summer is halfway over (omg, don’t make me start sobbing), but you need this flip flop dupe now. Promise you.

 

Inspiration. minus the price tag (who in the right mind would buy this).

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Boteh Mini Shorts

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I have been living in these boteh mini shorts the past couple of weeks. It has been so hot and these are just so easy to throw on over a swimsuit. They are more booty shorts than I am used to, but they are so easy and comfortable, and no one sees me (except here, HELLO!) so here they are. Loving them.

 

SHORT SHORTS. But they cover your bootie. And they are the perfect thickness — not too thin, not too thick.

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Janessa Leon Bucket Hat

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As it is summer time, and I love being outdoors, I am constantly searching for new hats. When I came across the Janessa Leon Bucket hat that was easy to travel with, I immediately bought it. It is super packable, light, easy, and has a super wide brim to protect your face. Although my kids say I look like a light bulb, I LOVE IT.

 

You need to size up — I am wearing a medium and it is snug.

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La Bonne Brosse

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For the past several months, I have heard all about ‘La Bonne Brosse‘ — a new (3 years old) hairbrush that is uber expensive, and uber worth it. With a daughter in tow in Paris, and her being obsessed with beauty products and her hair — we were blown away to see a new addition to my in-law’s Parisian apartment’s neighborhood. So, of course, we drank the kool-aid by stepping in to the store, learning all about it, and leaving with a new brush.

 

Beautiful brushes — but you can’t just pick up any brush. You have to get your hair analyzed (or you need to know what your hair and scalp like) and then they choose the brush for you. There are 7 different types of brushes — for thick, thin, straight, curly, baby, etc…

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Giverny: Monet’s House and Gardens

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Sorry for the delay in posts — we are in Paris and have been nonstop with activities, museums, steps, and eating! The best! Anyways, I am now no longer jet lagged, no longer every second packed, and so I am baaaaaack. One highlight of the past week was a trip to Giverny, where Monet lived and painted. In all the years I have spent coming to Paris, I have never ever been to Giverny before. And it did not disappoint! Not only that, it exceeded expectations, and I highly suggest that everyone make a trip to Giverny if you have not yet been.

 

Every morning on our way out the door, we took our photos and did OOTD (outfits of the day) where we told each other our outfits.

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Muji Notebooks

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I am always on the search for the perfect little notebook to carry on — especially with summer travels approaching, I love having a notebook to quickly write down some thoughts / plans / to do lists / bucket lists, etc…so I have been on a long search for the perfect little notebook. Of course, Muji to the rescue! Not only are they the just-right size, but the price is unbeatable! 2 DOLLARS and 90 CENTS per journal. LESS THAN 3 dollars. Talk about a steal!

 

Black or tan. Or both

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Caffe Panna

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Nothing beats a scoop of ice cream on a hot day. Actually, even on a cool day, a scoop of GOOD ice cream makes everything better. Last week, I was introduced to Caffe Panna, an ice cream shop located on 19th and Irving, started by Hallie Meyer (the daughter of Danny Meyer, famous and fabulous restauranteur). I was super excited to try this ice cream, and it EXCEEDED my expectations. It was so so so delicious, and I want to go back and try multiple different flavors. And yes, I am lactose intolerant, and ice cream hurts my stomach, but this ice cream was worth it, trust me.

 

How cute is the store front? It Is just a window where you order and receive the ice cream.

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Currently Loving June 2025

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BLINK and here we are in June. In disbelief at how time flies, floats, and passes. So here is what I am loving right now.

 

1. My Boy Home

 

My boy is back from boarding school and I couldn’t be happier to have him home. And with me. And in my arms. He had the best year and I am forever grateful for this experience at his new school, but man, I have missed him. And so happy to be reunited.

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