Hello and welcome!!! I’m thrilled you’re here.

A few years ago, I asked my best friend: “If you had to describe me in just one word, what would it be?” She paused for a moment, then answered with confidence: Curious. I laughed, delighted, as I realized she was completely spot-on. It was a better word to describe me than I could have come up with myself.

I’m kelly johnson, and you might know me as the marketing director at lifestyle blog turned e-commerce shop and content company, cupcakes and cashmere. I’ve been a part of the cupcakes universe since 2018, spilling my guts online about everything from living alone during lockdown right after ending an engagement to in-depth book reviews.

I started this newsletter to cultivate community outside of social media and share longer-form personal stories and thoughts on the latest media, trends, and cultural phenomenon. I’ll cover basically everything from Taylor Swift to existentialism; both the serious and not-so-serious stuff that makes up life these days. One week I might publish an essay about being in my mid 30s and not wanting children (and all that comes with that decision), directly followed by a reaction to the latest TV show everyone is watching. Much like life, every week will be different!

Some of my free Wednesday issues will end with my What’s Up This Week section, full of recommendations and reviews of what I’m reading, watching, buying, etc. Most issues will also include the much beloved “wine of the week” segment, courtesy of my partner, Paul: an almost-but-not-quite sommelier.

It must be said that this space is completely separate from the cupcakes and cashmere brand and represents myself and my personal thoughts, opinions, and feelings only. While this is in no way an “expert” newsletter of any kind, I will share my perspective on various topics, and give advice with an empathetic ear in my advice column, Let’s Dive In. If you find it useful, great. If you don’t, ignore me! Take what you need and throw the rest away. Question everything and consider every possibility. Isn’t that what we’re here for?

Also! I’m getting married this year. Most of my issues for paid subscribers will be wedding content (every other Wednesday), as well as a few other topics as they come up. Paid subscribers also have the ability to leave a comment on every post, and there will be occasional paid subscriber only “Chat” threads. For more on why I decided to turn on paid subscriptions to cover wedding content this year, head on over to issue #6.

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Thank you to everyone who has ever read an issue of this newsletter, I quite literally couldn’t do it without you.

Find me on the interwebs at @hey_kellyj, submit a question to my advice column here, or if you’re in need of some book recommendations, find those here.