This month we're kicking off "My Perfect Ten", which features interviews with tastemakers and people who inspire us, diving deep into their 10 favorite places, people, objects, products, books, films, songs...any ten things that speak to them. We're launching the first in this series with our beloved co-founder, Nadine Abramcyk. Stay tuned on the 10th of each month for the next interview.
1) My favorite place to be is tucked into my bed with perfectly slubby Matteo vintage white linen sheets and a good book. I love every single aspect of reading. I love the storytelling, the writing, getting to know the characters and the space it gives me to be by myself. I read almost all fiction. Some of my favorites from this year were A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami and Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart. I have just bought a pile of books by female authors that I cannot wait to disappear into. I also believe so wholeheartedly in supporting local booksellers so try to only buy from our local bookstore Three Lives. The book I am most looking forward to reading in 2022 is Hanya Yanagihara's To Paradise.
2) The best thing I've ever bought for myself is a membership to The Whitney Museum. It is a short walk from my home and I often go there on my own during off hours to get a hit of inspiration. Not only is the art inspiring but the building is so serene to walk through. I also find I can get lost in my favorite piece of art at home by the New York artist Robert Kelly whom I adore.
3) My favorite place in the world is Jose Ignacio, Uruguay. My father is Uruguayan and all our family on his side still live in this beautiful country. It feels so special is truly a place you can disconnect from the world and reconnect with oneself and nature. It's arguably the best beach town in the world and is also surrounded by undulating vast land creating the perfect canvas for exploratory day trips. My favorite day trip is to the off-the-grid national park Cabo Polonio and I'm most looking forward to trying Posada Del Faro boutique hotel on my next visit during the off season in March.
4) My favorite podcasts are the NY Times The Daily to get a deeper look at a timely news topic, Smartless for a light yet insightful conversation amongst friends and Elise Loehnen's Pulling The Thread which offers a glimpse into humanity often through the lens of an author.
5) My favorite way to end the day is with a warm bath containing Dr. Signha's Mustard Bath powder that detoxifies by opening up pores to eliminate any impurities. It can be quite intense but I feel amazing afterward.
6) I have a weakness for massages, specifically lymphatic drainage massages to boost my lymphatic system function and to help remove waste from my system. It's all about the flow in your body and prevention against future disease which often comes from stagnation.
7) My favorite activity is playing tennis. I find the tennis court to be the one place where I can literally halt my mind and have pure focus on simply hitting the ball. I play religiously 3 times-a-week, which is hard to do in NYC, but it is too good for my mental health to give up. I also love anything Wilson makes from their racquets to their balls and even some of their clothes. I typically play in leggings but just converted over to tennis dresses because of Club and Court and their uniquely non sports-like material dresses.
8) I am happiest when I am with my 3 children and husband. They certainly drive me up the wall at times, however there is nothing better than sharing life experiences with them. Nothing really matters more than one's relationships at the end of the day.
9) My favorite Tenoverten color is Watts. It is a very muted dusty mauve that I wear all year round on my toes. For some reason I am a loyalist with pedicure colors but will change up my manicure color as often as possible.
10) My favorite Tenoverten product is The Cocoon. I suffer from very dry skin and have eczema that flares up due to the environment or even stress and this formula helps me keep it at bay. I also love that it is a natural alternative to the controversial lanolin ingredient.
