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092. Back to Basics

A “Vlog” and Newsletter Happiness
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Hi, I’m Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a bi-weekly newsletter on all things slow: beauty, fashion, living. Links in this newsletter may include affiliate links or discount referrals. If you enjoy and would like to support this newsletter, click the button below or shop through my links! No pressure but thank you if you do.

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Highly recommend watching through the Substack app or you can AirPlay it on a big screen too if you’d like!

Read Tender Forms Off-Camera in the Substack app
Available for iOS and Android

I’ve missed vlogging. And I mean the most stripped-down version—one where I just talk to you, minimal editing, minimal music, and catchup. A quick look back at my YouTube channel has confirmed that the last time I spoke to camera in long-form was back in early 2020!

I would call this a preliminary, welcome-back message versus a proper vlog, haha! I apologize for the super rusty and slow nature of this one. I promise these will get better. It’s a very informal “hello,” so there’s a lot of no makeup, raspy morning voice, morning brain, and nothing but loungewear. In other words, real life! That means there are also no real graphics either. Comment or reply to this email if there’s any detail or object you’d like to know more about.

I hope you enjoy it!



If videos aren’t your thing, I thought I’d share a few newsletters I’ve really been enjoying. Each of these brings me a form of happiness; we can always use some extra joy. And clearly, I have a soft spot for newsletters. I’ve rounded out these top four with a recent(ish) newsletter to check out in case you don’t want to start from the beginning to get a taste.


The following are available on Substack (and easily accessible on the app). I’ll likely be adding recommendations every so often. You can check out the complete list here.

Read Tender Forms Off-Camera in the Substack app
Available for iOS and Android

The Cereal Aisle by Leandra Medine Cohen 

First and top of mind is one that I have been binge-reading. You may already know Leandra as the founder of Man Repeller, an OG content creator before the term was ever coined, or as that one guest judge seen on Project Runway. And if you ever read or heard her podcast back when it was on Soundcloud (who remembers and still loves Soundcloud?), then you’re already familiar with her insightful candor and witty humor. She’s unforgettable in all the best ways, and her newsletter is a direct path to that and her incredible sense of fashion and style. If you’re in a rut with what to wear, she’ll change the way you think about fashion, your wardrobe, and how to curate a look. Laugh out loud humor AND marvelous fashion? Sign me up. 

The Cereal Aisle by Leandra Medine Cohen
Bermuda shorts and ways to wear them
Last year I developed a series of editorial franchises for Matchesfashion, including one called “Unlikely Closet Staple,” based on the premise that sometimes the most unlikely pieces become our wardrobe heroes, making for the best staples because they give life to everything else that’s already in there (your closet, I mean). This is a feature from thei…
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Cartoons by Hilary 

This is new to me but brings me such joy; a modern take on the Sunday Cartoon. I love Hilary’s illustration style and humor. New Yorkers (current and exes) will particularly enjoy these; it was a stroll down memory lane for me. This one just had me rolling laughter:

Cartoons by Hilary
Diary Comic: Mom in Town
There’s lots of new subscribers this week, so I am dipping into some old diary comics to give y’all a taste of what a paid level subscription looks like! Behind the paywall you’ll find tons of long form, personal comics that date back to about 2017 or so. Here is one from my mom’s second trip to New York in the fall of 2018…
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Maybe Baby 

This is the first Substack I subscribed to and remains one of my absolute favorites. It’s become synonymous with Substack in my brain. I’ve followed Haley’s writing since she wrote for Man Repeller (yes, another alum!). Aside from Leandra’s, her editorial pieces always stuck with me, which is why I stuck with her when she moved over here to Substack. Haley is a formidable writer. Her writing holds a powerful combo of a down-to-earth voice, best friend intimacy and insight, mixed with fun internet and pop-culture banter. Might I also suggest her Instagram? Lucky for me, Haley’s already compiled a sample platter of her most popular newsletters:

Maybe Baby
A Maybe Baby sample platter
If you’d like to get familiar with Maybe Baby, here are 10 of my most popular newsletters: #24: The Emily Ratajkowski effect #42: Are you nice or kind? #45: Rage against self-checkout #53: Cope culture #70: When I was an influencer #71: Always watching…
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MOVIEPUDDING 

For those who enjoy film criticism, Elissa undoubtedly brings fast takes and new perspectives while pairing them with delicious food. Trust me; you have to experience it for yourself. Don’t go in on an empty stomach, but go in for food and film inspiration. 

MOVIEPUDDING
Heartburn & pasta primavera
I. Short takes II. Heartburn (1986) III. “Seasonal” spaghetti IV. Other things I ate…
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Thanks so much for watching and reading! I would love your feedback: how do you like (or not like) this vlog-style format? Anything, in particular, you’d like to see? *Apologies again for ending the video on a cliffhanger. The closet declutter turned out to be a larger undertaking, and there’s a lot of footage to get through. This vlog might have turned out to be hours long if I added it, haha!

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As always, I hope you have a great start to your week. See you July 3!

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Maggie | Tender Forms