NEWSLETTER | Eight forks later, and Bar Liberty on a Sunday
Hi Bestie,
When I told you last week I was splurging on cutlery, I planned to buy just one set: 4 forks, 4 knives, 4 spoons, 4 teaspoons. But I kept thinking about hosting. My table seats six (eight, at a push), and six of anything never feels quite enough.
So, I went for eight. My 40th birthday gift from my parents. A full Sabre Paris set in ivory.
It’s been even better than I imagined. They look beautiful in the drawer, elegant drying on the rack, and somehow make even toast feel chic. These are the small rituals I dreamed of, eating, entertaining, washing up, made extra special.
ADVENTURE FRIDAY, HUNGOVER EDITION
We bent the rules this week and moved Adventure Friday to Sunday. Why? Because Bar Liberty does a Sunday set lunch, and we needed it.
Sam’s brother’s 40th was the night before. We were very hungover. Sunday became exactly what it should be: bikes in the morning, bread from Falco, a new book from Happy Valley (Everyday Wonder: How to Find Beauty in the Ordinary, I opened it, read two quotes, and felt seen), hooks from Bunnings, then a slow, 1pm lunch at Bar Liberty.
Everyone’s been telling us to go. Sam had never been, so that’s how we decided. And it lived up to it: delicious food, excellent service, the kind of lunch where you feel restored by the end. I’ll try to post the Receipt Observed for it today.
JULY IN MOMENTS
I posted my July recap: drawings, receipts, theatre nights, birthdays, small objects (that croissant print framed at Candied Bakery, the bow earrings spotted on Emma, the Bou Bag that lingered in my mind for weeks).
A month goes fast, but pulling it together like that reminded me why I track these things: to notice patterns, see what’s shaping me slowly, and feel the weight of time in the best way. It’s less about lists and more about layers.
[Read it here →]
COMING UP
MECCA3000 preview: I’ve been invited to their launch event this week (the old David Jones building where I had my first fashion job.) Josh Wood, who has a new salon on level 3, DM’d to say he’s excited to meet me there.
Friendship (the film): Watching it tonight.
READER CORNER
After I shared my Wardrobe Report on the GANNI Bou Bag, some beautiful replies came in:
@parttimeinkingston: "Juliet, I'm loving these reports. They are a great nudge to stop moving through my wardrobe (& life) like a zombie."
@styledbysallly: "Love this approach!"
@wasted_world: "I love this report! I’m a silver girl too and totally understand your hesitation towards gold hardware. Perfect result though!"
The zombie comment stayed with me. This is exactly why I started Wardrobe Report: to resist autopilot, pause, and look closely, not just at clothes, but at the decisions and rituals shaping daily life.
[Read it here →]
A SMALL WONDER
That book I mentioned, Everyday Wonder by Sophie Howarth, is about finding beauty in the ordinary. I flicked through it in Happy Valley, read two lines, and immediately thought, this is me. It’s stunningly designed too, and I can already feel it seeping into my writing.
LIST NO. 50 MILLION AND 5 (WHY I LOVE SAM)
I’ve been having these recurring dreams (not often, but for a while) where I’m trying to find and call Sam, but I can’t. Every time I go to type his name or scroll through my contacts, he’s just not there. It’s horrible.
When I bought a new phone at the end of last year, we joked that maybe now I’d be able to call him in my dreams. It didn’t help.
The other night, he was so sweet. He said: “Let’s both learn each other’s phone numbers by heart. That way, if you need to call me in your dream, you’ll know it and everything will be fine.”
I almost cried at the thought. So now we both know each other’s numbers. We also laughed about how the only numbers we remember these days are our parents’, because we learned them before smartphones.
Do you remember anyone’s number off by heart?
Love,
Juliet
This newsletter was 28% personal rituals, 22% food, 15% cultural notes, 15% creative reflection, 10% reader replies, and 10% books and inspiration. All 100% me.
P.S. Since sending this letter, I’ve written more on two of the moments I mentioned, the Mecca3000 preview, the joy of my new Sabre Paris cutlery and dinner at Bar Liberty.
Explore the full stories:
JULIET WAS HERE | Mecca3000 Preview
THE KITCHEN REPORT | Sabre Paris Cutlery
JULIET ATE HERE | Receipt No. 9 — Bar Liberty
Originally shared as a The Juliet Report Newsletter.
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