The R.E.P.O.R.T
Read, Eat, Play, Obsess, Recommend, Treat...like a Duchess.
Gentle readers… we did it! We’ve reached 1,000 subscribers!
Sigh.
April Fools.
(But you know we manifest around here, right?)
In all seriousness, I’m genuinely thrilled about the 50+ subscribers who’ve joined this year—purely through word of mouth and a few well-placed nudges on Instagram and Facebook. That’s no small feat, and if I were in a room speaking to all of you—we’re manifesting that, too—it would be a packed house.
It’s been just about a year since I launched The Duchess Life, and as a true labor of love, I couldn’t be prouder.
Have I been the most consistent? Not quite.
Can I do better? Absolutely.
Do I strive for perfection? Never.
I strive for presence. For showing up. For building.
Today, we’re The Duchess Life.
Tomorrow? The Duchess Group, LLC.
Yes, the paperwork’s already in for that.
Done. Dusted.
The R.E.P.O.R.T persists…like a Duchess.
The Duchess READS:
I absolutely shredded all three books in The Spitfire Society by Darcy Burke—a delicious continuation of her twelve-book saga The Untouchables, which we devoured at the end of last year and carried straight into the new one.
Pure indulgence.
We’re now revisiting the Julia Quinn archives, as planned for this year, in chronological order. Following The Rokesby Series we would technically move to Book 1 (The Duke and I / Daphne) and Book 2 (The Viscount Who Loved Me / Anthony) of Bridgerton—but, we’re skipping Bridgerton. We've read those so many times the pages are practically fossilized. My copy of The Viscount Who Loved Me is literally held together with Scotch tape at this point. Clearly a good read.
Instead, we’re diving into the Agents of the Crown duo. I started To Catch An Heiress last week and immediately remembered: this book makes the eczema on my hand flare. I’m convinced it’s a used copy I conjured from Amazon in the depths of the COVID era—a little musky.
I sprayed it with Lysol.
(Probably for the second time. CDC guidelines and all.)
The Duchess EATS:
French Onion Stew
(Recipe courtesy of HelloFresh—where I am not yet paid to endorse, but someday I will be.)
It’s your classic beef stew at heart—but with two full onions and smaller cuts of beef, it came together in 40 mins, vs. 7 hours. I’ve officially saved this recipe and will absolutely be making it again.
And you know this Duchess loves a cheesy bread. Melted Swiss on top of some toasts? Yes, please.
Jumping ever so slightly ahead here, but the Mr. and I took an impromptu weekend adventure to the Little Italy of the Bronx and landed ourselves at Enzo’s on Arthur Ave (!!!).
While I did not cook any of what you’re about to see, I ate every bite of this braciole.
Not in one sitting, of course—I am a lady.
I’ve made braciole before, and now I’ll make it again. But nothing compares to watching my Grandma Nan in our kitchen growing up, delicately rolling thin-cut sirloin with a mix of pine nuts, raisins, Italian herbs, and parmigiano reggiano—her fingers moving with precision, securing the whole thing together with what can only be described as an Erector set made of toothpicks.
I had never even heard of braciole until she made it for us.
Mine doesn’t compare.
But Enzo’s came close. They added prosciutto, which was a lovely touch. I honestly can’t remember if that was something I did the last time I made it or Nan.
Either way, she’d have approved.
We also stopped at Madonia across the street where my sole purpose is to procure a loaf of bread stuffed with olives.
When I have a last meal, please make sure this is in the bread basket.
The Duchess PLAYS:
The New York Botanical Garden truly outdid itself this year with The Orchid Show. Absolutely stunning.
You know this Duchess cannot resist anything floral or floral-themed. It’s my kryptonite.
Did we go on the hottest day of the year since September—wading through crowds of New Yorkers gasping for fresh air and sunlight? Yes, yes we did.
Did I spend more time in the gift shop than in the conservatory, buying sachets of dried lavender and an unnecessary number of tote bags? Also yes.
I left with three orchids (I overbought!) for our greenhouse window in the kitchen, which I am determined to keep alive. The lovely proprietor of my nail salon (whose orchid game is strong) gave me her pro tip: 2–3 ice cubes per week, that’s it. Leave them alone. If the flowers fall off, don’t panic—they’ll return. And if I really destroy them, she offered to nurse them back to life.
I don’t have a green thumb. I love flowers, but the feeling isn’t always mutual. I keep what I refer to as a “nightshade garden” in the summer—any plant that thrives on neglect is welcome.
And when they inevitably wither? I simply go to my local farm and replace them.
Sshh... don’t tell anyone.
The Duchess OBSESSES:
I am truly only obsessed with popular culture at the moment—specifically what’s premiering or currently streaming in film and television.
The trailer for The Materialists? I’m hooked.
It looks so good. I mean, Pedro Pascal—of course. But Chris Evans? That’s Captain America’s ass! (IYKYK.) I can do this all day.
Also… it’s A24.
Maybe I’m being lured in by the use of Madonna’s Material Girl in the trailer?
I also want to watch The Studio. I feel like Seth Rogen is always at his best when he’s playing a version of himself—especially reflecting whatever stage of life he’s actually in. He was brilliant in Knocked Up because, let’s be honest, he probably was just sitting around smoking pot all day at that point.
Now? He’s a producer.
And, they just announced a four (!!!!) movie series about The Beatles, directed by Sam Mendes that will be released in 2028. Ec-squeeze me? A baking powder?
What?!!
Insane.
Cannot wait.
Finally, Season 2 of The Bucaneers on AppleTV+ is premiering in June! Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) is joining the cast. I am so excited for this. If you are looking for a more PG version of Bridgerton with an American twist, this is your game.
The Duchess RECOMMENDS:
I was floating through the ole TikTok last week and stumbled upon a video where someone posed the question: “What are little things you do to make your life more whimsical?”
Her answer?
Every morning, she walks into her home office and announces, “Let’s have a great day, everyone!” —to an audience of houseplants.
The comment section had me in stitches.
“Every time we see another dog walking, I ask my dog, ‘Do you know him?!’”
“My mom used to say, ‘Everybody in the pool!’ when she put pasta into boiling water. Now I say it too.”
“No matter what iced beverage I’m drinking, it’s always on the rocks—coffee on the rocks, Gatorade on the rocks, sparkling water on the rocks.”
“Whenever anyone mentions Paris, I say, ‘Ah yes, famed film location of Ratatouille.’”
I was dying.
So naturally, I started thinking: what do I do that makes my life whimsical?
Probably too many things—which honestly, I think is very healthy.
Anytime someone does something extra for themselves—or just goes above and beyond—I say, “Well, smoke if you got ’em.” I’m convinced I heard it in Ghostbusters, maybe from Rick Moranis? Don’t quote me. I haven’t researched.
At a recent Media Dinner Club I hosted in Westchester, I used this question as an ice-breaker.
One guest said, “Every night while I make dinner, my 2-year-old and I have a dance party.”
Precious.
So here’s my recommendation:
Ask yourself—what do you do to make your life more whimsical?
And if the answer is nothing, well… now’s a perfect time to start.
The Duchess TREATS:
I mean really, the olive bread was indulgent enough.
But a few weeks ago, I had the absolute treat of being a guest host on the podcast Back By Popular Demand with the wonderful Dennis Camlek. We dove into one of my all-time favorite films, Lost in Translation—and not only was it a joy to be part of the conversation, it was an honor to be asked back for a future episode.
So, stay tuned for more.
And in the meantime… go give the podcast a listen. Please.
