✍🏻 In Good Company: Volume 2 ✍🏻 • A spontaneous LA getaway • How novelty stretches perception • Street snowboarding • And so much more Read my full reflection and subscribe for more: leaisabelle.substack.com/p/in-good-company-volume-2

“It's easier to put on a pair of shoes than to wrap the earth in leather.” ― Chogyam Trungpa

I appreciate writing that doesn’t scold, but also doesn’t let us off the hook. This essay by @ellishendrix.bsky.social on supporting Black sex workers is one of those pieces. ellishendrix.substack.com/p/do-more-su...

“It's easier to put on a pair of shoes than to wrap the earth in leather.” ― Chogyam Trungpa

To the wonderful people who have pledged a paid subscription to my Substack: THANK YOU. While I am still working through how to do so while maintaining my personal privacy, I am incredibly flattered that you feel my writing is worth supporting. You'll be the first to know! ❤️

With algorithms changing and social accounts vanishing, now felt like the perfect moment to explore a new storytelling medium: Substack. ✍🏻 Subscribe (FREE) for recommendations, moments worth sharing, and where to find me. leaisabelle.substack.com

🍀 EXCITING NEWS 🍀 I've moved to Boston! I’m beyond thrilled to start this next chapter in the NE, while keeping NC as my 2nd home. (Want to see me in NC? I'm happy to plan a return trip around your schedule; NO FMTY FEE.) BOS 1/12–16 NC 1/17–19 BOS 1/20–31 NC 2/1–3 (1/2)

Spent the afternoon personalizing cards (each complete with little watercolor touches!) for my friends. Handwritten notes feel like a lost art, but I refuse to let them disappear. Does anyone else still write them? 💌

Arriving to find that little bar of soap already unwrapped? A small detail, but a quietly promising start to the evening. 🧼

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” — Confucius

Not everything is meant to return, and sometimes absence says more than presence ever could.

A long weekend FMTY in Portland, ME, where every moment lingered: 🦞 Savoring the city’s growing food scene 📚 Exploring a vintage cookbook paradise ⛺️ Wandering the LL Bean flagship store 🌊 Taking in the icy Atlantic at Portland Head Light 🖼️ Touring the Portland Art Museum

I love places that trust you. One of my NC hidden gems is a tiny wine bar where every (VERY generous) pour is $8 and you pay on the honor system — just tell them how many glasses you had at the end of the night and settle up. That quiet belief in people is exactly why it works.🍷

A little love for the talented women behind my favorite images: @inamorataphoto.bsky.social in LA and @taryncarterphoto.bsky.social in NC. If you want photos that feel honest, alive, and unmistakably personal, they’re the names I trust time and time again. 📸

While I try to block sketchy accounts when I see them, please know I can’t personally vouch for everyone that interacts w/my content. There are amazing women here, but also bots, AI, and even real companions I don’t necessarily endorse. Always do your own research! 🤓

Giving thanks for comfort, warmth, and a hint of mischief. 📸: @taryncarterphoto.bsky.social

The NYT crossword is normally so prim and proper that seeing “orgy” yesterday felt like watching a librarian swear.

Dinner dates are a favorite of mine, but a slow, indulgent brunch can be just as tempting... 🍳

“Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself.” — George Bernard Shaw

Sure, I could fill a wishlist with lace and fantasy, but I’d rather let it reflect the real things that make my days brighter. I adore beautiful lingerie, of course — but the practical gifts that quietly support my life? Those quite often mean even more. ❤️

Year two, and my little tree gave me a single, perfect apple. Somehow that makes it even better.

Today’s first: homemade cinnamon rolls made with the tangzhong method. My kitchen smells like butter and sugar, and I’m already thinking about a chai variation. (No icing — perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I think they’re plenty sweet as is.)

Mid-session, my therapist — entirely unprompted — asked if I’ve had any Botox or fillers because my face was “unusually symmetrical.” ...I haven’t, but I’ll share that unsolicited compliment with you all as an expert testimonial. 😆

Cleaning out my closet and found this ski bib. Sadly, it’s a little too short for me... which feels unfair, because it does look good, doesn’t it? 👀⛷️

To whoever emptied my wishlist last night… I’m both speechless and so deeply touched. If you’re comfortable revealing yourself, please send me an email — I’d love to thank you in a more personal way. ❤️

Diwali reminds me that light isn’t just something we see, it’s something we share. Here’s to the kind that lingers softly, long after the flame. 🪔

Meticulously named attachments tell me you notice the details… and I can’t help wondering where else that exacting touch shows up. 😉

“There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” — Leonard Cohen

A park ranger once described the struggle of designing bear-proof trash cans: “there’s significant overlap between the smartest bears and the dumbest humans.” My DMs are basically the field study.

I may never love waking up at 6am for workouts with my trainer, but I do love what they remind me: discomfort and progress often share the same space.

Note to self: always double check which Portland. Nearly booked a flight clear across the country instead of up the coast last night — seconds from confirming before I caught it. That would’ve been an unforgettable FMTY… for all the wrong reasons. 😅

🎃 Pumpkin picked (fresh from the farm!) 👻 Halloween reads acquired (and wishlist-ready should anyone feel inspired to sponsor the spooky season!)

TIP: Avoiding stage names on giftcards protects BOTH our privacy. (Initials are perfect.) I also have a discreet email just for them — if we’ve met and you don’t have it, just ask! No need for a third-party company seeing a gift to Léa tied to another name AND YOURS. 😳❤️

“Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.” ― Lemony Snicket

Luxury, for me, has never been about labels or logos. It’s about quality: of attention, of conversation, of time. A silk dress that fits just right. A meal lingered over. A connection that feels rare. If you value that too, we’re already off to a good start. #NationalLuxuryDay

With everyone trading booze for mocktails, consider this my contribution: no shots, just a cone of vanilla bean nestled between my thighs and your full attention. 🍦

Caught myself stopping to admire an unusually bright-blue bird today. Didn't even hesitate. This is how getting older begins, huh? 😆🐦

Don’t let the heels fool you; I charm humans and WordPress alike. (Website glitch resolved!) 😉

Cookbooks line my bookshelf — mementos from people I’ve adored. Flavors and stories pressed into pages, each one an invitation into someone else’s world. On #CulturalDiversityDay, I’m reminded how beautifully this work has broadened my world. Thank you. 🍽️

She’s packing her heels and her lace, To tempt in some faraway place. You think it’s all beaches? It’s secrets and peaches. And trouble you’re eager to chase. Happy #NationalLimerickDay! 🍑

A beautiful afternoon with a beautiful friend, all thanks to a special someone who made sure we felt their admiration from afar. So grateful for the generosity that brought @thenataliebyrne.bsky.social and me (and oh-so-fresh oysters!) together in San Francisco. 💞

The 57th NorCal Cherry Blossom Festival was a whirlwind of people, music, and color. Watching the Taru Mikoshi procession was unforgettable — the 1,000+ lb Mikoshi is carried by 150+ volunteers across five city blocks! And matcha ice cream made the day even sweeter. 🍵🍦🌸

Desire delayed is desire denied. 😉

California, I’m almost there. If you’ve been dreaming of a night where time stands still, now’s the moment to make it real. 🌉 SF • 4/19–25 🌇 LA • 4/25-30 ☀️ SD • 4/30–5/3 Don’t wonder what could’ve been... the only wrong time is too late.

Today's breakfast: homemade creamy cauliflower soup with coconut milk, finished with crisp shiitake “bacon” marinated in coconut aminos — comfort food with restraint. Anyone else love a savory breakfast? 🥣

Trick for museum visits: hit the gift shop FIRST. If you still want that book or print after you've wandered through the whole place, it's probably worth it. If not? You just saved $40 and some closet space. 🖼️

Earlier this week was Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s: wait in line… or donate to Tiny House Greensboro and skip ahead. Ice cream’s even sweeter when it supports a good cause. 🍦💛

Brains, beauty, and tech support. 🔌😆

I took two versions of this photo: one with my hand covering, and one without. A little generosity and the second one might find its way to you. 😉

Sweaty start, sweet finish. Sunday began with hot yoga and a bookstore run for the newly released Hunger Games (hello, nostalgia). Cherry chai in hand, I settled onto the porch at Cava and didn’t budge until a few chapters slipped by. 💘