Things I'm Loving: Sensory, Scrumptious, Sublime

Things that made my 4th of July weekend extra special

We spent the holiday in Iowa City with my dad, and I’m en route back to Chicago feeling enlivened and grateful. Lots of laughs, good food, long walks, lingering conversations, and a bit of shopping. My favorite kind of Iowa City weekend.

It always makes me laugh: when I tell people in Chicago we’re headed to Iowa for the weekend, they either give me a confused look or think I’ve said Ohio (it happens every single time). I don’t think people really get it. So, here’s the lowdown.

Yes, I’m from Iowa. But Iowa City is a little different: a pocket of eclectic energy, built around the university but defined by so much more — indie bookstores, mid-century storefronts, coffee shops that actually do good coffee, a riverwalk that feels almost cinematic in the early morning, and shops that feel equal parts small town glory and hidden gem. The best kind of Midwest cool: understated, slightly nostalgic, and endlessly walkable.

So, things that made my holiday in Iowa City feel simply special:

Ice cold water post humid summer walks
We do a 3-mile loop by the river, then up through shady, oak-lined neighborhoods on the way home. That first sip of cold water when we get back is just heaven.

Tuna tartare at Joseph’s bar
My forever favorite — the only tartare I’ll order when I’m not by the sea. Perfectly fresh, tossed in basil oil, layered with creamy avocado, slightly sweet brioche and just the right hit of salt.

Cotton-silk blends
A timeless luxury. I picked up a dress from Merlette while bopping around this weekend, and I can’t take it off. Soft, airy, feels like nothing on your skin but still so put together.

Study Bibles
The Bible, but more digestible: footnotes, history, context. AKA — a bible I can actually understand. There, I said it!

Homegrown meals
My family friend stocked me up on garden-fresh produce and we picked up so many goodies from our favorite farmers: pickling cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes that taste like summer itself. Early corn season this year — sweet and perfect. Fresh bread made with local Chicago flour from Publican. And berries, destined for dessert.

Tres Leches
A July Fourth treat that I spent the afternoon in the kitchen for. We joked this weekend that we might not think about anything else all year. Light sponge, creamy milk soak, homemade whipped cream, and fresh farmer’s market berries. Simply sublime.

Summer linens
Light and fresh, always. I ran into my mom’s chic best friend (IYKYK) at the farmer’s market in a perfectly oversized button-up; later that night at Joseph’s bar in an all-white linen set — absolutely no makeup, but glowing skin. Effortless holiday weekend perfection. I found a new linen cover-up this weekend, with the most beautiful button details; I know I’ll wear it all summer, far beyond the beach.

Live worship music
A truly sensory experience — you feel the bass in your chest, hear voices lifted together, sometimes even smell the faint sweetness of candles or incense. It makes you feel closer to God, grounded yet lifted at the same time. Enter: Legacy Nashville.

Yacht Rock Radio
Played in the kitchen while prepping our 4th of July dinner. Sometimes (all the time), I think I was born in the wrong era. I go crazy for oldies — the perfect soundtrack for slicing bread, marinating shrimp, and sipping something cold (a Topo, perhaps? Or non alc beers if you’re my dad and Blake. Their current fav is Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Golden IPA).

Grilled shrimp dunked in butter
Briny, buttery, slightly smoky from the grill — a simple pleasure that never gets old. A longtime signature in my dad’s grilling repertoire!

Our 4th of July dinner, course by course:
– Grilled shrimp, dunked generously in melted butter while we put the finishing touches on dinner.

Then…

– Three kinds of bread (whole wheat sourdough, regular sourdough, francese), because obviously you need options — served with the good French butter.
– Ribeye & filet, seared by me to a perfect medium rare.
– A roasted local mushroom medley with bacon — trumpet, oyster, lion’s mane, shiitake, crimini — earthy and savory.
– Steamed broccoli, again with good french butter and lots of Jacobsen salt.
– And finally, that tres leches, adorned with berries.

That’s what made my weekend feel deliciously full.
Sensory, scrumptious, sublime!!