Present Joys Featured Guest: Leigh Patterson
This week we welcome Leigh Patterson to share her present joys with us.
Leigh Patterson is the founder and owner of Lucca, a research-based creative studio focused on editorial direction, distinct content development, and special projects. You may also know her from her ongoing project, Moon Lists, which offers prompts (via workbooks and newsletter) to inspire a more thoughtful way of living. Our appreciation for Leigh is threefold: her acute eye for detail is delightful, her careful way of archiving is impressive, and how she generously shares this all with her community is inspiring. Read on to learn what’s been bringing Leigh joy lately!
Highly Specific Notebook Systems
The method to my madness. I am a big believer in writing things down, but maybe more importantly I am an advocate of developing systems so the things I write down and save in various folders across multiple devices don’t exist in eternal purgatory. Creative clutter is still clutter! I loosely follow the GTD principles which is like…a whole religion of its own, but in short the concept centers around developing a personalized flow between collecting information, processing it, and applying it. Life is really just a collection of where you’ve decided to direct your attention; I’ve realized that without the discipline to develop a process around coming back to what you love…it feels harder and harder to prioritize.
Ecos / Oda Al Silencio
My husband Michael introduced me to the work of Andrés Arochi, a Mexico City-based, self-taught cinematographer who recently has come into wider recognition for shooting the movie “Longlegs” (which I refuse to see—way too scary). Anyway, he also directed a short piece called “Ecos / Oda Al Silencio” (“Echoes / Ode to Silence”), shot at Casa Studio Luis Barragan. Blending architecture, film, performance, and music, it is playful, colorful, beautiful; I can’t get out of my brain!
A Solid Gold Carabiner
A couple years ago I admitted I am in fact a “jewelry person.” I’m not particularly nostalgic but there is something incredibly tender in the act of selecting pieces that represent certain ideas to me; to wear things that hold secret significance. I have collected a little pile of charms and trinkets during my travels, and on auction websites, and at antique markets—I like to wear them all together and recently started piling them onto a small gold carabiner, which feels a little silly—like drinking water from of a Nalgene made of diamonds or something—but I have to admit it’s really a smart design.
Axel Vervoordt’s Stories & Reflections
I’m planning for an upcoming trip to Belgium and went into a bit of an Axel wormhole. I picked up a book of his “Stories & Reflections,” which is kind of a simplified memoir told in fragments of place and detail. I love the way he describes his family, and particularly his mother—who would often host at-home salons where friends could gather and listen to music on weekend afternoons. Vervoordt recalls these instances as formatively offering him an “inherited joy,” which is a concept I quite like.
Manuka Honey, 2 Ways
For my birthday I received some raw Manuka honey in a squeeze tube. I’ve been using it nightly as a face wash or mask, which is truly heaven (dampen your hands with a little water, add a dime-sized amount of the honey to your fingertips then massage into your face. Leave on for 10-20 minutes then remove with a warm towel). But also…this is fancy honey! I feel a little bad about just washing it all down the drain so I’ve been multi purposing it as an afternoon snack. A combo I recommend: a thimbleful of Manuka with the most crystalized-crumbly cheese you can find (I like Dutch Gouda and/or aged cheddar).
A few more joys from Joyce and Michelle...
Trinket Display (for lack of a better term). I love the way that jeweler Inger Grubbe displays these smaller items in her home. I’ve amassed a collection of my own and I think something like that would give them the perfect home.
The Perfect Salad I know I’ve shared this before, but I will never not be smiling from ear to ear eating this. It takes effort and time to make, but it’s worth every minute. Add fresh snap peas or bell peppers for added crunch.
Doma Cafe I was in Chicago recently and the breakfast at Doma was one of the highlights of the trip. It was my first time trying ćevapi which was delicious! Another highlight was working from the gorgeous Winter Garden at the Chicago Public Library.
Archived Interiors If shipping art wasn’t so expensive, I’d be spending all my money here. Recommended for anyone in the MidWest : )
Bean Club Now a newly minted member of the Rancho Gordo Bean Club after having been on the waitlist for years!
Shu Loves Chairs Concluded my birthday by attending this lovely show held at Waka Waka’s studio space in Atwater. The performance felt like a tour of various genres, seamlessly moving from comedic to tender to emotional. When I asked Shu what kinds of movies he watches, he replied, “I don’t watch movies, I read comics!”
Petitgrain Boulangerie Finally visited my friends Tony and Clémence’s bakery, Petitgrain Boulangerie. They’ve been receiving tons of press since they’ve opened–a testament to the quality of both their pastries as well as the relationships they’ve fostered during their time working in food and hospitality. So happy to witness their success and can confirm their pastries are 👌.
Life at the Dumpling Shoutout to Trisha for reading our newsletter and reaching out to introduce us to her book, Life at the Dumpling. What started as a way to keep in touch during the pandemic evolved into “a remembrance of an historic time in our collective recent history; a cookbook; and a manual of how to’s on topics ranging from car camping to throwing a party.” Very inspired by Trisha (and Leigh!) to take record of all the small things I savor.
Wait so cute! Trisha and the Cuyama team are very close ❤️ Life at the Dumpling is perfect!
what is GSD? i need to know!!