This missive comes to you from sunny Scottsdale, Arizona; a town I can honestly admit I had no aspirations to visit in my lifetime, but I’m surprisingly glad that I did. Not worth a full issue of The Dispatch, but a few highlights included a visit to Taliesin West, trying the much-lauded French dip sandwich at Hillstone (can confirm: entirely worth the hype), the Strawberry Shortcake smoothie from Kaleidoscope, and a stop at Jones + Co Modern Mercantile, whose unique curation unearthed several exciting finds and put a number of brands on my radar.

But back to the matter at hand. Below, you’ll find a lighter collection of discoveries than in previous editions. While May was a big month of self-discovery (including some big life updates I’ll share next month), it was a little lower on the active pursuit of more culture-forward discoveries. But here are some of the highlights:

• A Swedish friend of my mother hosted one of my bridal showers, at which she served a Prinsesstårta, one of the most beautiful confections I’ve ever seen. With that memory in mind, I need to get my hands on this limited-edition candle.

• During a lunch date following a visit to the Gem Studio to make anklets on a recent weekend, I discovered that my dear friend Helen has been quietly working on a line of beautiful silk scarves that she designs featuring her own drawings. It’s recently been picked up by several boutiques and even received a custom commission from the University of Toronto! I immediately purchased two (this one and this one) and plan to wear one as a bandeau top and fashion the other into a furoshiki-style purse, my favourite evening handbag in the summer months.

  • This and this are great tutorials if you’d like to do the same.

• I had no idea my favourite meal had an official title: The New York Happy Meal.

• AI 2027 has been on my mind, and it’s hard not to feel a little bit doomsday about it. This article is great, as is this one, if you’re in the headspace for a bit of a dark forecast, and I also have been loving Zauey’s content, as she breaks it down in an easily digestible way.

• At the aforementioned Jones + Co, I was attracted to a fragrance vessel from across the room so viscerally that I made a beeline and spritzed myself without even sniffing first. I was immediately obsessed and feel equal parts the desire to gatekeep it (sharing signature scents does prevent them from being quite so signature) and the conviction to put it on your radar.

• I’m kicking myself for not buying a few of these hair clips there, too. They came in the most interesting colours and felt so high-quality and substantial.

• This is the only kind of cake I want to eat this summer.

• My fellow phillumenists will enjoy this Substack.

• If you are searching for the softest pair of lounge pants, look no further than Teayou. I paired mine with the cardigan and anticipate I’ll own the set in every colour before the end of June.

• A few resort-wear roundups following my trip to Anguilla:

  • This sarong was something I looked forward to putting on.

  • If you’re built like me, nothing beats this balconette top in terms of flattering bikini styles.

  • I also really, really liked wearing this skimpy bikini.

  • These sandals were an instant conversation-starter.

• My American friends put me onto this classic cracker and I don’t know that any trip south of the border will feel complete without grabbing a box from here on out.

• I can’t wait to visit this new store on my next trip to NYC.

• I’ll buy anything this campaign is trying to sell me.

Thanks for reading & see you next week! My Antwerp Dispatch is just about ready and I plan to put the finishing touches on it during my flight home tomorrow. Side note: how much of a game-changer is in-flight WiFi?! Why have I denied myself this pleasure for so long? I’ll leave you with my moodboard for May, its palette and talismans still feeling relevant as I move into June.

x E