ASSSK:// No. 5
Your questions answered, every Saturday on mycyberspace!
Welcome to the exclusive Saturday soirée of inquiries here at mycyberspace. Every week, we dive into your most intriguing questions, shedding light on topics big and small. Join me, as we indulge in a weekly rendezvous of insights, surprises, and engaging discussions! xx sSs
Spring Style Must Haves (Shannon’s Version!)
So right now, in Texas, we have entered the point of no return with heat… meaning, things won’t get cool now until around October. So it’s time for the wardrobe to reflect that!
Here’s what I’m loving this spring
Denim Jackets
Relaxed Denim Jeans
Easy Tank Tops — these are my favorite!
The color Golf Green (aka Simply Green at the Gap)
Acid Wash Denim
Cowboy Hats
Western belts (I want a custom one made with my initials!)
Turquoise Stone decals
Tall Cowboy Boots— My husband got me the Lucchese Priscillas for my birthday last year, and they are easily the most beautiful thing I own. I will be living in these all SS2024. I especially love how they look with anything mini!
lightweight trench coats — especially in Navy
Navy / White / Black / Tan / Yellow / Grew
Pastel Uggs
Brown & or Blue eyeliner
Recent purchases I am obsessed with for Spring:
This Gap Denim Jacket is SO INCREDIBLY good. The photos do not do it justice. It's easily my favorite purchase of the season. I will make a TikTok because it’s one of those things you have to see on. It is so retro dramatic and chic. Your true size will fit great, but I’m toying with the idea of getting a size or two bigger because the waist is as cinchable as you need it to be no matter what size, and I love those dramatic 80s silhouettes.
This Gap Modern Rib Halter Tank is my absolute 100% #1 favorite tank. I love it so much that I’m getting every color I love — so far, I have it in Simply Green, New Off White, Black, & Grey. The ribbed fabric is soft and slinky, the hem is nice and thick, and it fits exactly how I want things in my size to fit. It’s perfectly oversized, and going up one size would be too big. Don’t sleep on this tank!!!
These Dolphin Gap shorts are a modern take on the retro silhouette. They are beyond comfortable and like the above, my true size fits exactly how I want them to. The fabric is nice and plush, and the waistband is comfortable. I have it in Simply Green, New Off White, Black, & Grey (seeing a pattern? lol)
These Gap Modern Crewneck T-Shirts. I love these because they are fitted, feminine, and comfortable. I especially love the sleeve length! It’s between a 3/4 sleeve and a tee. These are so easy to dress up and down. I especially love how it looks with denim and a belt! I have them in grey, new off white, and navy.
Favorite Footwear for Spring?
Cowboy boots and anything Western-inspired are my obsessions! I will be wearing my Lucchese Priscillas all Summer and Spring.
Other footwear on my radar:
Lucchese Gina Boot (I want these so bad)
I also love Uggs! I will wear my Ultra Minis (I have the color Goose!) and my classic short II (I have shell pink) ankle boots! I also have the talls in Mustard Seed that I plan on wearing this Spring. These pastel hues in the classic silhouettes give me all the Y2K vibes. In fact, I am hoping Ugg comes out with the talls in pastel pink and blue again, just like in the 2000s!
& finally, my New Balance 530s. I love this colorway for Spring!
Do you cook a lot?
I do, indeed! I cook 80-100% at home a week.
I love to cook. And I’ll admit I’m a pretty good home cook. But it’s one of my greatest passions and I spend a lot of my free time reading and learning about cooking. It’s one of my hobbies that makes me the happiest. Cooking is a huge priority of mine, and I try my best to stay disciplined with it. I also like to learn new cooking techniques and play with flavor affinities!
I also have a meal plan and grocery list. It makes it so much easier to stick to the plan! This is all logged in my cooking journal!
I enjoy going out to eat, but I love cooking at home. When we go out to eat, it’s usually because I crave something better than what I can cook—like sushi, pizza, BBQ, steakhouse, etc. Or it’s for a hospitality experience of its own! Of course, there are days when I don’t have the energy for it, so I try not to beat myself up over it!
I also like to go out to eat to find inspiration for cooking! I’ll record that in my Cooking Journal and keep it on deck for recipe inspo! If you ever have any cooking &/or journaling questions, just let me know!
What life change has made the biggest impact on your health recently?
My health and wellness have been my biggest and sole focus lately. My relationship with alcohol has completely changed, and it’s shocking how much my health has improved because of it. This all took years to get to.
For decades, I’ve had a very unbalanced relationship with alcohol. Some of it was my gluttony, some of it was becoming a sommelier at only 20, some of it was industry, some of it was coping mechanisms, some of it was lack of discipline, some of it was lack of control… the list goes on and only gets more and more unbalanced.
It was challenging at first, but as soon as the wellness (physical & mental) benefits kick in, it was easier to get on board. & fwiw: since early 2023, I also no longer drink hard liquor or beer, so all my alcohol consumption in general these days is only wine.
I’m not sober, but I prefer to go long periods (weeks/months) without it and I no longer overindulge. I don’t have the connection and attachment to it I once had with it. That said, I still have the appreciation and love for it.
Again, this took me years to get to, and I had a lot of demons to slay to get here. Now that I’m here, I don’t plan to leave. I also appreciate it more as a sommelier — abstaining has improved my palate.
I’ll make myself a Pellegrino Spritz (fruit juice topped with Pellegrino) or serve good water from a large glass bottle at dinner. This may sound like a splurge, but the most expensive water will be cheaper than an inexpensive bottle of wine. I love pairing food and wine — it’s my greatest passion as a sommelier — but sometimes, the best pairing seriously is water… whether it be still or sparkling.
Another sub I love in lieu of red wine is the GT Kombucha in Elderflower Juniper. It has natural wine vibes, the color is similar to red wine, and it easily quenches that thirst. I wish they had these in the large bottle.
Other favorite non-alcoholic drinks I love and drink regularly: Diet Coke or Coke Zero (guilty pleasure!!), iced teas, hot teas, coffee, kombucha, juices in general, and I’m really loving fresh squeezed orange juice. I use this juicer and can get a cup out of two large oranges!
The benefits include: better mood, better mental space, better sleep, better physique, better skin, better digestion, less depression… the list goes on. Seriously, everything is better without alcohol.
I’ll admit coming to this realization was challenging for me as a sommelier. I’ve studied and worked with wine for decades plural now. I had a moment where I questioned everything and didn’t know how to move forward. What I do know is that wine is special, but it is far more special in moderation than as a regularity.
Is it still possible to build a blog from scratch?
I think it’s totally possible! I also think what’s more important is knowing what you want to build online.
Is it a blog (like where you write regular & up to date blog posts)? Is it a website (a destination for evergreen content?)? Is it an online portfolio of your work/UGC content? Is it a social media presence? Is it being an influencer? Sometimes, the word “blog” gets mistaken for all of the above. Also, there’s no right or wrong answer — just the one that’s right for you.
Websites are important and will never disappear. I strongly believe that if you want to be online, you must have a website. There must be a place to live online, not just on social media.
That said, a website doesn’t always equate to a blog. You can even buy a domain and link whatever social media profile (& bonus points: you don’t need to buy hosting). It just ensures you have a digital address online and something that search engines can pick up.
I sometimes like to think of a website as the “linkin.bio” - if you don’t know where to start, recreate that. You can have a personal website with evergreen content like your specific items, playlists, recipes, etc., and link to a blog/substack. The options are endless. It’s important to know what your end goal is with everything. It’s so much more than “to gain followers.” Either way, you’ll gain them, but you want to ensure you gain the right ones. Where do you want a blog (or online presence) to take you? Who do you even want to follow you, and more importantly, why?
Maybe I live in fantasyland, but I truly believe authenticity will always prevail. There’s something magnetic about it, especially in today’s and the future’s age of AI. There is something so human about authenticity in a world that gets more digital by the second.
I also think the social media landscape has changed. There is no “big” app anymore. Instead, they’re all big and it’s all recycling the same content and trends. I also think people are craving longer, unfiltered blog content. It’s also not a coincidence that Indie Sleaze and Bloghouse in music are trending. I think there’s a lot of nostalgia for this era from both the creators and the readers.
Also, substack as a platform is becoming the new “it” thing. I think you can totally dip your toes in the water on a platform like here, Instagram, or TikTok. You can hone in on that skill. Believe it or not, blogging/being online takes skills!
You will need to learn how to be consistent (a decade in, which is one of my greatest challenges), develop content, develop a thick skin, hone in on your niche/topics, learn SEO, be your marketing and PR… the list goes on!
You may also learn that it’s actually something you DON’T want to do (which is ok!), and maybe it’s another type of online presence. Those lessons are important too! Either way, you’ll still have fun.
More importantly, if you have any itch to blog or get digital… do it! There’s definitely a place for you online. It's better to try it than to keep it as nothing but a wistful daydream. It’s also easier & inexpensive than ever these days.
Finally, some personal advice from me for you:// Don’t take it all so seriously!!! Be in on the joke. The internet is an unserious place. why so serious? :)
What makes you happiest?
Right now, nesting and making our house a home. It’s my first time diving in and flexing my homemaker muscle. Work is important and will remain a major focus, but prioritizing my home life has brought me much joy. I like being home, and I love my home. Living in Houston is also bringing me a lot of joy. It’s such a pleasure to be back here. It truly is my home and always will be. It’s such a joy to live in a city I love so much.
It makes me happy to bring our personal style and memories into where we live while living there. It’s been so fun to play interior designer and home chef. Cooking every dinner, cleaning the house (oddly finding a lot of joy in cleaning), curating and collecting items, bringing memories from previous vacations and homes into our designs, and just being home and making our place a home truly brings me the most joy right now.
What is the best coffee you’ve ever had??
In Tokyo in the Spring of 2018, I had a beverage that I can’t stop thinking about! It was only offered at one of the Starbucks Reserves in Tokyo, and it was a Lemon Zest Macchiato. It’s a macchiato with housemade lemon-cinnamon milk served alongside dark chocolate.
When I was in Healdsburg this Spring, my favorite coffee shop, Black Oak Roasters, was serving something similar! Lemon Mereddo: iced double shot of espresso, housemade vanilla syrup, and topped with a lemon vanilla cold foam.
Plus, Black Oak is where I get all my coffee for our house!! I love their seasonal Redd blend for espresso and have it on a subscription.
I think about both of these daily. I’m working on recreating both, and once perfected, they will live on the Texaspacific website, which will be live very soon. :-)
