Monthly REPORT: November overview

ft. Dutch winter treats, Parisian souvenirs, and more

Nov 29, 2024

As November comes to a close, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the little joys that have kept me warm, entertained, and inspired over the last few weeks.

From books that reignited my love of reading to seasonal treats and small indulgences that made the gray days feel brighter, here’s the best of what I’ve been reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating myself to this past month.

Reading: COZY MURDER MYSTERIES

Sometimes, you need a book—or four—to remind you why you love reading in the first place. That’s exactly what Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series (and his latest unrelated release, We Solve Murders) did for me this November. After weeks of feeling uninspired to pick up anything, these clever, heartwarming mysteries swooped in like a comforting cuppa on a rainy day.

Set in a charming English retirement village, the books follow a quirky quartet of amateur sleuths solving crimes while grappling with life’s joys and sorrows. Osman’s signature humor, heartfelt character moments, and ingenious twists make them utterly bingeable. They're mysteries, yes, but also deeply human stories about friendship, resilience, and finding purpose at any age.

By the time I’d devoured all of Osman’s books, I was reminded why I love a good mystery: the escapism, the connection, and the sheer fun of a page-turner you just can’t put down. If you’re stuck in a reading rut, let this be your sign to let Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim pull you back in.

Eating: DUTCH WINTER TREATS

It’s oliebollen season, baby!

These fluffy, deep-fried dough balls reappear around the start of November each year in the Netherlands. Often dusted with powdered sugar and sometimes filled with raisins or apples, they’re a festive favorite sold at street stalls, winter markets, and bakeries. Think of them like a Dutch equivalent to doughnuts, but with a holiday twist.

Practical tip, if you decide to indulge: oliebollen are best eaten fresh and warm, but you can always pop them in the oven to revive the magic. And don’t be shy about the powdered sugar—it’s part of the fun (and part of the mess).

Playing: FEEL-GOOD TV SHOWS

Lately, I’ve been swaddling myself in comfy shows, including but not limited to:

Man on the Inside, season 1 (Netflix)
Shrinking, season 2 (Apple TV)
English Teacher, season 1 (Hulu)
Heartstopper, season 3 (Netflix)
Bob’s Burgers, season 15 (Hulu)
and obviously, The Great British Baking Show, season 15 (Netflix)

But I’m excited to shift into all Christmas movies all the time mode as we head into December, so stay tuned for a recap of all our holiday favorites next month.

Obsessing over: MY BOOK (IRL!!!)

ICYMI, my debut book with Lonely Planet, The LGBTQ+ Travel Guide: Interviews, Itineraries, & Inspiration from Insiders in 50 Proud Places Around the Globe, is now officially available for pre-order.

But beyond that, some more exciting news: I officially received an advanced copy of the book that I can physically touch and hold and flip through and read!

We had the foresight to take a video of me unboxing it, during which I (unsurprisingly) cried happy tears when I saw the cover for the first time in real life. If I can get over myself about how my crying face looks, I’ll share that on social media.

But AHHH! It’s here! I keep hugging it to my heart, and I can’t stop running my fingers over the letters of my own last name embossed along the spine. I am so, so excited for you all to see it in person in a few short months.

Recommending: SO MANY GIFT IDEAS

I’ve been sharing gift guides every other week, chock full of thoughtful gift ideas that I curated for the key niches that Carry On caters to, including:

If you’re planning to shop for anyone who fits into one (or more) of these categories this holiday season, I hope you’ll take a peek at these lists for inspiration! I very narrowly avoided falling into the classic trap of buying things for myself throughout this process, but honestly, I’m here to encourage you to treat yourself, too!

Treating myself to: PARISIAN SOUVENIRS

Speaking of treating oneself, I did plenty of that during a girls’ trip to Paris this month.

This indulgent holiday was planned almost entirely by my friend Ali, who has perhaps the best taste of anyone I know—she deserves full credit for suggesting that we stop at each place where I acquired the following (mostly) non-touristy Parisian souvenirs:

Love, Don’t Be Shy perfume by Kilian Paris

I told Ali I wanted to find a new signature scent, so we made our way to concept store and niche perfumery Nose Paris for an olfactive diagnosis.

I was paired with one of the in-house perfumers, who asked me questions about perfumes I’ve worn in the past, as well as scents I love and those I can’t stand. I told her I love the scent of vanilla but that I don’t like to lean too gourmand—I prefer it to be paired with something floral and citrus-y to balance it out, like orange blossom (which reminds me of my time living in Sevilla) and honeysuckle (which makes me think of childhood summers in my hometown).

She all but sprinted to the Kilian Paris display to spray a sample of Love, Don’t Be Shy for me. I breathed it in as she explained that one of the perfumiers behind this fragrance was making a heavenly French dessert called guimauves à la fleur d'oranger, or orange blossom marshmallows, with her grandma’s recipe when she was inspired to create this perfume. The scent featured three important notes:

Sticky-sweet marshmallow and vanilla
Citrus-y florals from orange blossom, honeysuckle, and neroli
Leather-y, amber-y labdanum in the drydown

Basically, she nailed it. This was just the complex, sweet-but-sophisticated-with-a-hint-of-sultry scent I was looking for. But when she added that it was also the same perfume Rihanna wore—and pop culture enthusiast that she is, Ali shook me by the arm and told me that celebrities famously talk about how amazing Rihanna smells in interviews—that sealed the deal. I brought home my first bottle of big girl perfume and my new signature scent for the foreseeable future.

Gifts from Shakespeare & Company

Yes, I waited in line to get inside of this iconic English-language bookshop in the heart of Paris on the banks of the Seine, opposite Notre-Dame—and I’d do it again, too! It’s a small independent shop, but the staff runs a tight ship, so it didn’t feel crowded once I got inside to browse.

No photos or videos were allowed inside the store, so I wandered around trying to memorize every detail of the cozy interior before finally making my way to find the book, bag, and pin I knew I wanted to bring home with me:

If you don’t have plans to visit Paris anytime soon, you can buy those things from their online shop (they even offer worldwide shipping). But for me, there was something so special about watching the clerk thwack the special in-store-only stamp on the inside cover of a poetic anthology written about the very city in which I stood making this purchase.

Now every time I open up that book, I’ll remember how I felt the first time I flipped through its pages while drinking cafe au lait and eating a croissant in the Shakespeare & Company cafe, catching snippets of French conversation all around me as an autumn rain fell.

A customized lip balm compact from Officine Universelle Buly

Officine Universelle Buly is a storied apothecary that has been renowned for its artisanal beauty products since 1803. At the Buly location in the Marais, creating a custom Baume des Muses lip balm is just the kind of fancy-yet-fun indulgence Paris does best.

For my compact, I picked an ivory case, adding my initials (AV, naturally) in gold gilt on the sage green leather-like paper exterior. Along with the lip balm inside—packed with shea butter, castor oil, rice bran, sesame oil, and plum kernel oil and rich in vitamin E and antioxidants for soft, moisturized, protected lips—there was also a tiny mirror that’s perfect for checking if I have anything in my teeth after a meal.

When we returned to pick up the final product, it was sheathed in a little pink velvet pouch, a practical addition that made it easy to toss it into my bag without worrying about damaging it the case.

Once the lip balm is gone, I’ll repurpose the monogrammed case as a pill box or container for mints, because nothing this pretty should ever go to waste!

Other souvenirs I brought back from Paris

A custom book stamp from Ex-Libris Paris ft. my name on a book (!)
A bag of Zeste Blanc tea from feminist, lesbian, and LGBTQ+ bookshop and cafe Violette and Co
Bras from Paris-born brand Chantelle following a fitting at Le Bon Marché
A classic black one-piece from Poolday Paris
A tin of L’Hiver au Ritz tea following afternoon tea in Salon Proust at the Ritz Paris
Notebooks and pens from Papier Tigre
A box of Les sablés pur beurre de la mère Poulard—pure butter shortbread biscuits from Mother Poulard—from La Grande Épicerie de Paris

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What’s in your November report?

Even if you’re not someone who enjoys “journaling” per se, this kind of guided reflection is a fun way to think about how you’ve been spending your time and energy lately. So, what have you been reading, eating, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating yourself to in the past month? I’d love to know!