October: Sam's List

Step into the world of my personal favorites. Explore a monthly curated selection of my top picks, from inspiring podcasts to delightful table decor to the app I can't put down. Join me on a journey of discovery and find your new sources of inspiration and enjoyment.

1. The Outliers - I've always been a non-fiction book girlie and truth be told, I just flat out hated reading until about 3 years ago. It was always too difficult for me, my mind would wander every few paragraphs so you can imagine how long it would take to even get through a chapter.  What I soon realized is that pairing the physical book with an audiobook in my ears keeps me focused, retaining the book, and most importantly, I actually enjoy reading it.  Recently, I've picked up Malcolm Gladwell's The Outliers and absolutely loved his insight on success. He goes beyond the traditional idea that “hard word” and “passion” are why people are successful and focuses on a of a variety of other factors such as the month they were born and the city they grew up in. He gives tangible examples like 'Why are a majority of major league hockey players born in November and December?". He goes into exactly why and it makes complete sense why anyone born in those months have a significantly higher chance of becoming a professional hockey player. This is just one of the many examples and it really reframes how you look at success. 

As someone starting a company, it just gives a new outlook on how success of a company can happen and takes a bit of stress off of feeling like you should just naturally have it all together.

2. MENU DESIGN - I've always been a Pinterest girlie (even back in 2012 when it was very not cool to be that). I have countless boards but recently have made a few public for & the Table women. I mean, who doesn't like looking a dinner party pins, i could do it for hours.

Recently, my obsession has been dinner party menu's and my boards on the menu designs. Because, menu's can make of break a dinner party table. Whether it be typed out, scripted, or painted on the back of a news article, your menu is the way to introduce the evening when everyone sits down at the table. It can be a pop of color or the line of cohesion around the table. 

I will constantly be adding to this pinterest board because I'm continuously inspired by new designs of what I can bring to the table with a new menu. I hope you love them as much as I do. 

3. LINNEN TABLE CLOTH - If there's one staple you need for a night it's a good table cloth. I've received a lot of questions recently about which one I love most. A white table cloth is great and can go a long way, but my personal favorite (and most versatile) has been a cream linen tablecloth. It works across all different seasons, all different table wear, and honestly, it looks great wrinkled as well. You will see it on most of my tables (even though it may photograph with the flash photography as white) and I don't see that changing anytime soon. 

4. Chez Rosie - Opened by Rose Déglon in July of 2023 in Amsterdam, this French bakery makes my dreams of waking up as a French girl become a little more real (even if it's just for a second while taking a bite into one of her freshly baked pastries). All of her goods are 100% homemade & she only uses products that are both fresh and in season. She worships simple food because it is the only kind she never gets tired of. I mean, how lucky are we that she chose The Netherlands as her home and to bring this delicious bakery to Amsterdam West. She loves speaking to everyone who comes in and hearing what you think about what she baked that day, so this weekend go by, say hi, and say Sam sent you in.

Before that, you can always check out what she's baking on her Instagram.

5.Fused  - Now this one personally means a lot to me. Kim, pictured on the right here, is one of the first 10 hosts for & the Table. She had one of her first tables (The Perfect Blend & the Table) and met a group of women that bonded because of their blended backgrounds. At that first dinner, they hit it off sharing the stories of their different cultures coming together throughout their upbringing. They kept their connections building and now they've created “Fused" - for women living in Amsterdam from mixed/biracial/multicultural backgrounds coming together for community-focused events. 

Their first (soft launch) event is just around the corner, and it will be all about discussing “The Features That Make Us”. Learn more about them & shoot them a DM them for more information and to partake!

THIS for me is what & the Table is all about, building connections for women more consistently through their lives each and every day. We're not the end destination, but the starting point of where the beauty of creation in life occurs.