Hello Soft Crafters!

I’m currently on the AMTRAK from BOS —> NY, enjoying the power lunch of train goers: a hotdog, a Blue Moon, and Peanut M&M’s. Personally, I’m a condiment freak and like to use the dog as a vehicle for mustard and relish. I put mayo on it this time, which felt new and weird—the verdict’s still out on whether it was a yay or a nay.

Trying out a bit of a different format here. I’ve been having this weird urge to write more and figure out what I like. I spent so much of my life being a classic “I hate writing” naysayer, but as I get older (and more removed from educational environments), I’ve started finding it as cathartic as knitting.

My friend

1. Do more fun things just for the fun of it, and

2. Use writing as a way to reflect on what I’ve done.

It’s so easy to just do something, post it, and not really exist in it in a thoughtful way—or even look back at the positive effect it had on you.

I definitely needed this trip. I usually need to get out of New York about once a month. I don’t always get the opportunity, but when I do, I want to start jumping on it more. I truly love living in NY and love my community there, but recently it’s felt harder to go through the day-to-day grind that New Yorkers do. I’ve never not lived in a major city, so taking trips like this—where I get to see more of America, especially small towns—is really refreshing.

Charlie, Jerry, two of his friends, their dog, and I decided to head to his friend’s sister’s home in Rye, NH. I had been extremely busy leading up to the trip, so when travel day came, I felt a bit all over the place and unclear on where exactly we were going—or how long the drive would be.

We pulled up to their place in Brooklyn to load up the car and start the 4.5-hour journey. Our dogs had met once but hadn’t really spent much time together. Jerry’s usually great with other dogs (on-leash and at daycare), but he’s never vacationed with one before—like, fully sharing a space and getting into each other’s shit, literally and figuratively. I was more nervous than usual. He’s a spicy guy and likes to snap when someone tries to steal his stuff, while Curly is just 10 months old and a jumpy little man.

Jerry, Charlie, and I were holding court in the backseat, with Jerry taking up most of the space in his dog car seat. Curly was so excited and kept trying to jump into the back to hang out, but every time, Jerry would bare his teeth and make this gurgly growl. (Jerry’s bark hasn’t really developed yet, so he still sounds like a baby most of the time.) I spent most of the ride holding him by his harness, making sure he didn’t bitch Curly out. After a couple of hours, they mellowed and just stared at each other for the rest of the trip.

The place was an insanely cute beach house with a wood-burning oven and an endless amount of sea-themed decor. Think: “Sandy toes, salty kisses” painted on wooden slabs. Seashells everywhere. We stayed in his nephew’s room, complete with the longest longboards I’ve ever seen. Our room was in a lofted space with a narrow staircase leading up to the bed. Each stair was a half-step, which had Jerry (and me) terrified. I served as his personal elevator for most of the trip

After settling in, we locked the dogs up and hit the road to grab some fried seafood at one of the quaint little spots off the main road. We chose Petey’s.

I love small-town seafood joints during the off-season. It was almost empty when we went, but you could easily imagine it being packed in the summer. It reminded me of the seafood spots we went to last summer in Destin, Florida. I posted this on my Notes too, but—what do we call this graphic design style? I’m obsessed. It reminds me of the collages I used to make on PiZap.

The food was insane. We asked the waitress what was good, and she listed every single item on the menu. She really sold it—especially the onion rings. Honestly, some of the best I’ve ever had. Top spot still goes to the almost $15 onion rings at The Waverly Inn (insane, but worth it in the moment).

We also got two fry baskets: one with haddock and calamari, and one with baby shrimp and scallops. When I say these were the best scallops I’ve ever eaten—I’m not lying. Lightly battered, sweet, and juicy. Haddock was a close second—real seaside fish-and-chips energy.

We ended the night cuddling the pups and watching the White Lotus finale. (I was very pleased with it.)

We woke up with the sun and were instantly ready for the day. Jerry and Curly went at it the second we came downstairs. We had scrambled eggs, sausage, avo, and potatoes for breakfast before setting sail for a day of antiquing. We stayed fairly local and stopped at a tiny mid-century modern spot that didn’t look like much at first. I wasn’t expecting anything wild, but I always have that glimmer of hope. I wandered into what I assume used to be a back office and found the two most amazing novelty phones. One was the Rolling Stones mouth—amazing but out of budget ($175). The other? Olive Oyl and her baby (no clue the name)—$28. These are the little things that make me happy. It’ll live on my wall as art.

The shop owner sent us to a magical tchotchke shop run by a younger woman. If I had five more hours and a chair, we could’ve yapped the day away. It was an 80s/90s/00s nostalgia dream. I was so cheesed I forgot to take photos. There were novelty keychains, pins, toy instruments, clothes, figurines—and the best novelty magnet collection I’ve ever seen. She had just bought someone’s whole collection. As a magnet collector myself, this was gold. My favorite was a pasta rig. Also found a doll play cup I’d seen years ago on Shelter Island and have been looking for ever since. It’s mine now.

Back at the house, I left Jerry in our room for a nap. He gets like a toddler—melts down when he’s overtired. I was gone for maybe 30 minutes. I come back… his special treat bag is on the floor, covered in bite marks. “Special” as in CBD treats. He’d done this before with other treats, but this time he ate 5–6 expired but still potent 10mg CBDs. I could tell he felt bad… and also very, very stoned. I brought him downstairs and started trip-sitting him. I’ve never seen him like that—even post-anesthesia. It reminded me of the first time I did edibles and was just a high little baby. At first, I was scared we’d need a vet, but I quickly realized he just needed cuddles.

This lasted into the next day.

We had French toast plans and wanted to take the dogs to the beach. It was gloomy and rainy. But honestly? I was glad. It’s rare to just exist with friends like that—like you’re roommates. It was really sweet. Just like the French toast I made. I love French toast, but as a dairy-free warrior, it’s hard to get that classic texture. I used this recipe! Highly recommend baking it post-pan cooking. If that makes sense. We used brioche and added berries and bacon. So good.

Jerry had been to the beach before, but not like this. Off-leash, sprinting through the sand with his best buddy? Pure joy. It’s stressful, though. Any dog owner knows that letting your dog off-leash is a unique kind of anxiety. He has great recall and is super bonded to me, but anything can happen. Thankfully, the beach was mostly fenced, minus the parking lot. I posted a video on IG if you want more Jerry content.

You’d think after a beach run the boys would be tired. Nope

We went out for lobster rolls (or “lahbstah” as I’ve been told). Slightly unpopular opinion: I don’t love the texture of lobster. I knew this going in, but figured if I was ever going to enjoy it, it’d be here. We each got a seafood chowder and a lobster roll.

The chowder was incredible. I was skeptical—seafood soup consistency kinda wigs me out—but the broth was smooth and flavorful, and the seafood tasted delicately poached. Best chowder I’ve had.

As for the lobster roll: objectively delicious, but I think I just don’t love lobster like that. Even a great one still doesn’t hit for me. But again, the spot, the menu, the vibe—fantastic. We sat on the second floor with a beautiful view.

Next up: we needed an activity. Bowling sounded good, so we found a Bowl-O-Rama 10 minutes away. We showed up ready for some classic pin-smashing… only to realize it was candlepin bowling. If you’ve never done it—it’s like pre-modern bowling. You use what’s basically a bocce ball to knock over skinny pins. Way harder than regular bowling. Charlie was the biggest skeptic, but ended up winning the second game.

For dinner, we were making steaks and stopped by this local grocer—but it was also like, a super butcher? You walk in and there’s a trough of meat bones for dogs—ranging from vertebrae-sized to thigh-sized. They also had a fridge full of beautifully dry-aged meat. We had a lovely night of laughs, food, and failed attempts at getting the fire going.

Special mention: I tried to chop wood and failed so miserably I cracked the handle.

The next day was our last. We did a little day trip to Portland, Maine for antiquing and food. I hadn’t been since my friend Irene’s family moved there years ago. It was exactly how I remembered. A lot of shops we wanted to visit were closed, but we still wandered, checked out records, and just enjoyed being there.

We ended up at Terlingua, a BBQ taco hybrid spot. They had a heated outdoor picnic area—already a win. I ordered a michelada and split Baja fish tacos and a meat board with a friend. The brisket on that board? Unbelievable. Total showstopper.

Shopping didn’t go super well. We were all way too full and the dogs were getting restless. I did find a Jack Russell Terrier shirt at Little Ghost, which felt like fate.

This trip really revolved around the dogs—which honestly is what having a dog is like. It’s so nice to have friends who also have dogs, especially young ones. There’s this mutual understanding that non-pet-owners don’t quite get. Not to sound snobby, but… you don’t. I didn’t either, until I had one. So we let them guide our plans—which is how we ended up back at the beach.

The weather was better this time—still chilly, but sunny. I’ve never seen Jerry run that fast or that much. Moments like that make me feel guilty about raising him in NY, but they also remind me why it’s important to get out more. Even just leave the apartment more.

We ended the trip with a cheese board and apple crumble for dinner.

Overall: much-needed, very loved trip.

Now I’m in bed, wrapping this up. That was fun! These aren’t supposed to be the most interesting posts, it feels very much so like a journal or scrapbook. Not everything can be about crafting.

Love you guys

Xx Ella