Life's Accessories

Christie Tate shares her childhood baby doll, Blue Baby with Rachel on this episode of Life's Accessories. Blue Baby is well loved and that is evident in her tattered appearance. Christie and Rachel discuss why we love things and people so hard even after we believe them to be ruined. Christie tells the stories that inspired her to write GROUP and B.F.F. revealing how and why she can be so open and vulnerable in her writing.Christie Tate is a Chicago-based writer and essayist. Her work has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Pithead Chapel, McSweeney’s, Motherwell, Entropy Magazine, A Perfect Wedding, Together.com, Brain, Child and others. Her debut memoir, Group, published in October 2020 was a Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller.Follow Christie on Instagram Check out Christie's WritingOrder GROUP, a Reese's book club pick and instant NYT bestsellerOrder BFFConnect with Life's Accessories and RachelFollow Life's Accessories on InstagramJoin the Life's Accessories Facebook GroupSign up for the Life's Accessories newsletter on Substack

Jennifer Cramer Miller has been living with an incurable kidney autoimmune disease for over 30 years. She's also been living with incurable optimism. Perhaps this is why when her wedding ring was stolen from her on the first night of her honeymoon, she did not let it get to her. Jennifer shares with Rachel the second wedding ring (a replica of the first one) on this episode of Life's Accessories as well as her journey (because it is A JOURNEY!) through four kidney transplants, living a life she could have never imagined or planned for and so many lessons learned along the way. Jennifer is an author and speaker focusing on hope. Her book, Incurable Optimist received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly. Jennifer serves as a board chair for the Minnesota National Kidney Foundation and as a Donate Life Ambassador.Follow Jennifer on Instagram and FacebookOrder Jennifer's book, Incurable OptimistLearn more about JenniferConnect with Life's Accessories and RachelFollow Life's Accessories on InstagramJoin the Life's Accessories Facebook GroupSign up for the Life's Accessories newsletter on Substack

Jamie Banks has designed for iconic brands including Kate Spade, Shoshanna and Milly. She founded Change of Scenery, a women’s luxury, sustainable Resortwear brand which has been featured in WWD, Vogue, Oprah, InStyle, and more. Jamie brought on the pod a needlepoint piece that her mom gave her back when she was a teenager and was first learning how to sew. She keeps this very special accessory with her when designing new collections and lines and Jamie recognizes her mom as her biggest supporter and fan. Jamie and Rachel covered a lot in this episode — the preppy/Gossip Girl era of Kate Spade, how 80s movies taught them a lot, why they are big fans of bikini tops and bottoms sold separately, the old mom bathing suits with the skirts and more.Follow Change of Scenery on InstagramShop Change of Scenery online. Use code Accessory15 at checkout for 15% off site wide available through the end of August 2024.Connect with Life's Accessories and RachelFollow Life's Accessories on InstagramJoin the Life's Accessories Facebook GroupSign up for the Life's Accessories newsletter on Substack

In this crossover episode of Life's Accessories and Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, Rachel is joined by Nina Badzin, podcast host, writer, writer instructor, friendship and seasoned blazer enthusiast. Nina wore a blazer for this recording, and she has a lot to say about blazers, jackets and of course friendship. Rachel shares a story of a friendship meet cute with a life long BFF that has to do with...a jacket. It always comes back to the outfit! Rachel and Nina go deep on friendship meet cutes plus Nina offers tips on how to start a new friendship, take it to the next level and how and why friendships may change over time. Tune in for all of this and more.Follow Dear Nina Friendship on InstagramJoin Dear Nina: The Group on FacebookCheck out the podcast, Dear Nina: Conversations About FriendshipSubscribe to Nina's SubstackConnect with Life's Accessories and RachelFollow Life's Accessories on InstagramJoin the Life's Accessories Facebook GroupSign up for the Life's Accessories newsletter on Substack

Jewelry designer, serial entrepreneur and former blue team captain (from Camp Tapawingo in 1983!) Melissa Ross joined Rachel for this episode of Life's Accessories and shared her mother's sapphire ring. It's a beautiful piece of jewelry but the story behind it is even more beautiful. Melissa tells Rachel how all of her entrepreneurial ventures have led to this moment of running her Maine based jewelry company Beetle and Magnolia. Melissa explains why friendship bracelets are having a moment and how creating custom jewelry can be the ultimate gesture of love friendship.Follow Beetle and Magnolia on InstagramConnect with Life's Accessories and Rachel!Follow Life's Accessories on InstagramJoin the Life's Accessories Facebook GroupSign up for the Life's Accessories newsletter on Substack

Writer, editor and financial services professional Lindsey Mead came on Life's Accessories and shared her father's brass rat with Rachel. What is a brass rat exactly? Tune in and find out! Lindsey's writing work has been anthologized in a wide variety of print and online sources including Quiet Revolution, Literary Mama and Huffington Post. She edited the anthology On Being 40 (ish) which was published by Simon and Schuster. Lindsey and Rachel covered being 40 (ish), being 50 (ish), what one chooses to write about, what we know now but didn't know then and a whole lot more.Follow Lindsey on InstagramCheck out Lindsey's Blog, A Design So VastConnect with Life's Accessories and Rachel!Follow Life's Accessories on InstagramJoin the Life's Accessories Facebook GroupSign up for the Life's Accessories newsletter on Substack

Shannon Sarna brought along a fabulous evil eye headband that she purchased on Etsy to this episode of Life's Accessories. Rachel and Shannon discuss all things headbands, evil eyes and Etsy plus cooking, baking, writing and the evolution of Shannon's creative and inspiring career. Shannon is the founding editor of the Nosher as well as the author of Modern Jewish Baker and Modern Jewish Comfort Food. More recently Shannon has been leaning into the pizza side of her identity working alongside chef Dan Richer at Razza Pizza while also helping to lead The Nosher's first ever fellowship for Food Writers and Content Creators to elevate diverse Jewish voices in the food media landscape. Tune in to hear about all of this and more including the latest in food trends. It seems that brulee-ing is having a moment.Follow Shannon on InstagramCheck out Shannon's cookbooks Modern Jewish Baker and Modern Jewish Comfort FoodConnect with Life's Accessories and Rachel!Follow Life's Accessories on InstagramJoin the Life's Accessories Facebook GroupSign up for the Life's Accessories newsletter on Substack

Award winning author and journalist Julie Satow joins Rachel for the very first episode of season two of Life's Accessories to discuss a letter that was sent to Julie's grandmother in 1958 from the iconic department store, Henri Bendel's. This letter is quite fitting as Julie's latest book When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion chronicles the lives of three fascinating and inspiring women who rose to the top ranks at the height of the glamour in the 20th century world of department stores, which were then places "where every wish could be met under one roof." Julie explains how so much has changed in the word of fashion and retail in the last century but also how little has changed in some respects when it comes to women in the workplace. Julie and Rachel go deep into their own department store shopping days and reveal their love for some of the stores. Think Barney's warehouse sale, Guess Jeans at Bloomingdales and accessories displays at Bendel's!Learn more about Julie SatowFollow Julie on InstagramOrder Julie's new book, When Women Ran Fifth AvenueConnect with Life's Accessories and RachelFollow Life's Accessories on InstagramJoin the Life's Accessories Facebook GroupSign up for the Life's Accessories newsletter on Substack