Is this thing on?

The lights are on and I'm always home.

Taps mic…hello? I’m coming to you, not from a stage in a hot pink feathered frock with a single spotlight on me, but from my couch. I’m still wearing my pajamas and I’m wrapped in a blanket, even though it's going to reach 90°F+ degrees today. (Or 32°C for my nonexistent readers outside of the U.S.)

This is my office now. No laminated desk. No desk chair touting its ergonomic benefits, which we all know is a polite way of saying ugly. No unflattering overhead lighting. Just a deep sofa, two blankets (in case I get bored with the one that I’m currently using), a TV that I can turn on whenever I want, a coconut-scented candle that I can burn whenever I want, and floor-to-ceiling windows that invite plenty of natural light. I love it here.

Let’s cut to the chase—about a month ago, I got laid off (no really, it’s okay!!!) and I decided that one of my many new ventures would be this newsletter. Ingenious, right?

I’m still figuring it out, much like everything else about this new chapter of my professional life, but I’m excited and energized by what’s to come. I’m also completely overwhelmed. There are the big questions like how do I find new projects to fill my time and where do I find an accountant and how many days in a row can I wear the same sweatshirt? There are also the questions that don’t exactly keep me up at night but I still want answers to. Like, how do I change this font style? Where do I write a post? How do I publish said post? Will anyone read said post? (If you’re reading this, I guess that means I figured out the answer to some of those questions).

Grate Ideas will be a newsletter where I’ll talk about everything from my experience working as a writer and editor for some of the top food and lifestyle publications in New York to my stint as a line cook to now, my month-long experience as a freelance food writer/editor/cookbook collaborator/paperwork extraordinaire from my home in Connecticut.

Each week (maybe more, maybe less—like I said, I’m still figuring it out), I’ll share tips on how to break into the media industry, what happens when you break out of it, shopping guides featuring my favorite kitchen tools and ingredients (and also shoes, because who doesn’t love a good pair of shoes), recipes, restaurant and travel guides, and more.

If you’re the type of person who likes to wear pajamas while working from home and would take a Microplane to a desert island, then I hope you’ll subscribe to keep reading.

Talk soon!