On My Mind: Greek Mattresses and Snoopy Doormats

Particularly because I’m having a pretty DIY affair, I’ve ended up purchasing several items I didn’t originally anticipate needing — like this cake stand. I spent hours scouring Etsy and eBay for cool vintage ones, because most of the “wedding” ones I found online either looked cheap or didn’t fit my style. But I ended up choosing this scalloped design from Magnolia because it wasn’t too expensive and I liked the simple but charming design. It’s also versatile enough that I can hang onto it for any future dessert-displaying needs.

Here’s a vintage glass floral cake stand I found on Etsy that I didn’t end up buying. Someone else should, though, because it’s gorgeous.

Right after the wedding, we’re heading to Greece for our honeymoon. As a wedding gift to myself and my fiancé, I bought each of us one of these Calpak carry-ons to bring on the trip. They’ll replace a shared hand-me-down suitcase that is slightly too large for most airlines’ specifications and doesn’t have 360-degree spinner wheels, making it basically a nightmare to actually use. After a lot of research, I chose the Calpaks because of the price, the design, and the cute color options. I got the “orchid” purple one for me and the “key lime” green for him.

Because I’m doing my own makeup for the wedding, I decided to upgrade some of my products. I found this Fenty highlighter at Ulta, and it’s hard to even describe how beautiful it is — it gives the most dainty, delicate sparkle. I think if you ground up diamonds into a fine powder, it would look like this highlighter, but in a not-too-flashy way.

I briefly got really fixated on the idea of a wedding necklace that has both of our birthstones. The vibe of the wedding is very nature- and wildflower-inspired, which is why I nearly bought these flower charms with tiny birthstones. I ultimately passed because all my other wedding-jewelry pieces are silver or white gold, and these only come in yellow gold. But I still think they are absolutely darling, so maybe I’ll get them as an anniversary gift or something in the future.

This is my favorite moisturizer that I recently went back to after trying a cheaper one and my skin got super dry and flaky. Its ultrathick formula is key to keeping my skin from drying out while using prescription tretinoin. I was excited to find the travel size in Target’s display of mini beauty products, because it will be super easy to bring to Greece.

When I was searching for places to stay for the honeymoon, I kept noticing that lots of Greek hotels advertise the fact that they have COCO-MAT mattresses. As a sleep writer, this piqued my interest. Turns out COCO-MAT is a Greek company that specializes in natural mattresses made with a variety of materials, including latex, cactus fibers, horsehair, wool, cotton, seaweed, and eucalyptus leaves. It sounds kinda like the Greek version of Avocado, but with even more interesting materials. Not only is the brand all over the Greek hotel market (you can search for places that use its mattresses here), it even has its own hotel in Athens. I ended up booking a place that features the mattresses, and even though I’m hoping to turn my work brain off on vacation, I’m really excited to sleep on one. (COCO-MAT doesn’t sell its mattresses online, but the brand does have two New York showrooms where you can test out and purchase their mattresses.)

Ostrichpillow sent me this weighted eye mask that you can heat up in the microwave or chill in the freezer. I’ve tried heatable, weighted eye masks before and felt like they mostly made my face sweaty, but this one doesn’t seem to get steamy, just warm. I’ve actually been loving it even more when it’s cold, though. It comes with a zipper-sealed pouch, which you close it in before freezing so it doesn’t get wet or icy in the freezer. Then you pop it out, stick it on your eyes, and let the stress relief sink in. It’s filled with clay beads, which apply a very gentle amount of pressure. And the coldness is so refreshing on my eyes and lower forehead — like putting on an ice pack, but without the inevitable burn of too cold. Pre-wedding, it’s been getting a lot of use.

Here’s something non-wedding-related: I recently visited a friend in Vermont, which naturally required several trips to the Vermont Country Store, a country general-store-inspired haven of all things charming, rustic, and dairy-based. We picked up an array of cheeses and crackers to eat for dinner, along with this pretzel dip. My friends hyped this stuff up, and I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s delicious — tangy, sweet, and mustardy.

I also spent a not-insignificant amount of time browsing the Vermont Country Store’s section of Peanuts merch. I’m definitely not beating the Snoopy-pilled Gen-Z allegations, but I stayed strong and didn’t buy anything (in part because I already indulged in some packing cubes from Baggu’s latest Peanuts collection). The seasonal items, like this Halloween doormat, are especially fun.