Every Delicious Moment

A Note from Teri

A lot of people have hobbies, and mine is that I like to make meaning out items by upcycling and recycling things that I already have. Let me give you three ways that I do that, because it’s kind of miraculous. The truth is there’s not much new that we need because we have it!

I feel like my son Patrick’s closet has been quietly waiting for me to rediscover it. Patrick moved out after high school, but for years and years, I saved his clothes: beautiful blazers, nice jackets with structure and a story, pieces that felt too special to donate. That closet was like a little time capsule. And then one day, I thought, why am I not enjoying these items? So I opened his closet and started playing.

Putting on one of Patrick’s jackets felt unexpectedly right! It was a little oversized, giving it an effortless look—a full Diane Keaton moment. A tuxedo jacket is like a wardrobe essential. It’s fantastic with jeans, but it’s also black tie, and you can literally do it with sweats. I don’t know how I existed before adding one to my wardrobe. Funny story: September and I have totally different tastes in clothing but they tried on Patrick’s jacket when I wore it to LA, and they were obsessed and wanted it. I was like, “You can have almost anything in my closet, except this.”

I’ve long loved the idea of reimagining items I already have. My friend Kate calls it a “merge and purge” approach to the closet. What can I unexpectedly merge? What can I purge? If I’ve held onto a dress for years and it never quite fit, I don’t view it as a failure—I see it as potential. Maybe it would work as a top! That’s where the magic is.

One of my favorite little transformations lives in the Susan Suite bathroom. A jacket of Patrick’s that I couldn’t part with became the fabric for a stool I got re-covered! It’s subtle, but every time I see it, it makes me happy. It’s familiar in a new way. That’s really what I love to do—keep the feeling, but give it a new life.

Another very favorite is a chair in Susan’s Suite. The fabric was originally a dress that I reimagined into a chair! I realized that I would never wear that dress again, but I loved the fabric, so now it’s a chair I see and sit on practically every day. It’s one of those daily little delights that just make me so happy.

Discovering Suay Sew Shop was a complete turning point for me. They take any and all clothing pieces—clothes that are stained, or the wrong color for you, or just not quite right anymore—and they transform them. They are naturally dyed, reworked, and made into a garment you actually want to wear.

I love sending things off to Suay. And when the pieces come back, it feels like a little gift to myself. Making “new” old clothes has taken on its own rhythm. If I come across a fabric that feels special, I keep it. Whether it’s a shirt of Roy’s, a skirt that holds a memory, I don’t rush to decide what it should be. I just let it wait until the right idea emerges.

Even the smallest details, like wearing my dad’s cufflinks with a shirt I had reworked by a tailor to fit me, carry that feeling forward. I love to feel a little history woven into my everyday life. Plus nothing has been wasted. It’s been recycled, ready to be loved, just a little bit differently. Here’s a Substack issue where I talk about how I used items I already had to level up rooms in my house!

And if you don’t have the energy to embark on a whole project, adding an embroidered custom patch from Moogie to an item you already love is a great way to give an item new life.

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The Last Crumb

I love my Cara Brown Life Jacket. People get these jackets as reflections of their lives, and for me, mine is a quiet act of manifesting luck. Each detail was chosen with intention—little symbols that felt like home and love stitched into fabric. I added a fish for my dad, a rooster and a ukulele for my mom—tiny emblems of the people and moments that shaped me. I worked closely with Cara to bring it all to life, and the result feels magical. It’s truly so special. Not sponsored, just genuine love. This jacket is an indulgence, but if you’re ever looking for a meaningful gift, for yourself or someone you love, this is something extraordinary.

Follow Along with Teri

xoxo,