Tea notes: Gen Z dinner parties, disappearing dining rooms, and wedding mood boards
What's on your summer bucket list?
Hi friends,
How was your week? Based on everything I know, “tea notes” is a terrible subject line—but you guys seem to really enjoy this series based on open rates and clickthroughs. So I’m thinking of adding weekly links to the mix instead of saving them for end of month—y/n?
Email me if you have feelings on this, big or small. Anyway, here’s what I’ve been clicking lately:
![Image may contain Art Collage Adult Person Wedding Accessories Bag Handbag Flower and Flower Arrangement Image may contain Art Collage Adult Person Wedding Accessories Bag Handbag Flower and Flower Arrangement](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F275548e9-5c5b-4e32-ae32-fca28278f17a_2000x1125.png)
Gen Z women are throwing more dinner parties. In the face of feeling more and more isolated, women are turning to gatherings at home. You know I’m a big proponent of a thoughtfully curated dinner party for deepening adult friendships.
But also: dining rooms are disappearing from American homes (gift link). Though I have a firm belief that you don’t need a lot of space to host, this trend does beg the question: Are we “designing loneliness into American floor plans”?
In response to my last piece on the enviable community design of the coastal Californian community of Sea Ranch,
linked me to a 1987(!) NYT article on how Nantucket is also preserved by a rigid building code (gift link)—fascinating. There’s also some great discussion happening in the comments:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8789f104-b8c8-420d-b3ca-d38477da6eb5_1224x794.png)
![The couple surrounded by guests sitting, standing, squatting on and by jeeps, dressed in a color palette of tans, browns, whites and khakis, assemble on rugged terrain with hills in background for a safari wedding in India. The groom, left center, with a beard and sunglasses, wearing a taupe suit and a tan hat, sits on the hood of one jeep with a young child in his lap, wearing a white shirt and taupe khaki pants. The bride, standing next to them, with long brown hair, and wearing a headpiece down the center of her forehead, leans on the jeep, wearing a long white dress trimmed with puffs of white feathers. The couple surrounded by guests sitting, standing, squatting on and by jeeps, dressed in a color palette of tans, browns, whites and khakis, assemble on rugged terrain with hills in background for a safari wedding in India. The groom, left center, with a beard and sunglasses, wearing a taupe suit and a tan hat, sits on the hood of one jeep with a young child in his lap, wearing a white shirt and taupe khaki pants. The bride, standing next to them, with long brown hair, and wearing a headpiece down the center of her forehead, leans on the jeep, wearing a long white dress trimmed with puffs of white feathers.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2a6d68c5-cc2d-4147-8e8c-2da8f4e653ad_600x400.jpeg)
What should you wear to our wedding? There’s a mood board for that (gift link). I have yet to have one land in my inbox, but think I’m aging out of wedding invites as of this past year—more of my friends are getting divorced than married. Honestly, I’m not opposed to a mood board if the suggested attire is classy and rewearable. Ralph Lauren safari = yes, Texas hoedown = no. Fact: When people look hot and cohesive, everyone has more fun.
The Away x La Ligne collab dropped… and it’s such a fun one, especially if you love a summer stripe.
gave us a first look and invited me to share my advice on travel style alongside , , La Ligne cofounder Valerie Macaula, and Away CEO Jen Rubio.
On the hunt for the perfect summer linen. Currently eyeing: this chic date-night twist on a waistcoat*, these reasonably priced shorts*, and a perfect button-down*. Have a favorite linen piece? Drop a link in the comments, please!
This Chez Panisse rhubarb crisp is on my to-make list this weekend. How divine does that sound with a scoop of slightly melty vanilla bean ice cream?
P.S. What’s on your summer bucket list? I’m making mine now. So far: a backyard apero party, a weekend getaway to Crested Butte, and a visit to Artemis Flower Farm.
*Affiliate links mean that in some cases, I may make a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for trusting my recommendations!
The article on dining rooms disappearing from homes is super interesting!
We went to a wedding recently that was black tie + wear black, which was pretty straightforward. However, the night before, the welcome party had a theme of "desert chic" which was quite confusing to decipher. I tend to prefer the simple dress codes, but completely understand brides wanting to execute a specific vision!