Life's Accessories

By Rachel Levy Lesser

Author Rachel Levy Lesser remembers what she wore on pretty much every meaningful occasion. In Life's Accessories, The Podcast, she digs deep into her closets and her memory to tell the stories behind... more

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How many episodes does Life's Accessories have?

The podcast currently has 81 episodes available.

Life's Accessories episodes:

July 02, 2024It's All About the Stack: Beetle and Magnolia's Melissa Ross and Her Mother's Grownup Ring
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 Instagram

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31min
June 18, 2024Lindsey Mead's Brass Rat and On Being Any Age (ish)
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 Instagram
Check out Lindsey's Blog, A Design So Vast

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27min
June 11, 2024Shannon Sarna on Headbands, Evil Eyes and Channeling your Inner Pizza Person
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 Instagram
Check out Shannon's cookbooks Modern Jewish Baker and Modern Jewish Comfort Food

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...more
32min
June 04, 2024When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Julie Satow and A Letter from Henri Bendel's
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 Satow
Follow Julie on Instagram
Order Julie's new book, When Women Ran Fifth Avenue

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...more
28min
April 24, 2024Dreams Do Come True: Lawyer and Entrepreneur Tim Levy and His Prized Putter
On this episode of Life's Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie welcome Tim Levy. Does the last name sound familiar to you? Well, it should, because Tim is Rachel Levy Lesser's first cousin (and by the end of this episode, Tim is Stephanie's cousin too)! Tim is the owner and founder of Fairways & Dreams Indoor Golf, the premier indoor golf facility in the Philadelphia area. Tim is also a practicing lawyer who advises emerging entrepreneurs. He graduated from Columbia University – where he was co-captain of the varsity golf team – and the George Washington University Law School. Cousin Tim tells the story of how Fairways & Dreams came to be, and gives Rachel and Stephanie the hope and encouragement they need to dream big about their own golf games.

Learn more about Fairways & Dreams (or even book a tee time)! Follow Fairways & Dreams on Instagram.

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Life's Accessories Podcast Website
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Email to [email protected] with comments, questions, guest/episode ideas or tell us about a meaningful item from your closet!
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30min
April 10, 2024International Woman of Many Accomplishments: Tullan Holmqvist and Her Tibetan Turqoise Earrings
Tullan Holmqvist is a rock star. Okay not literally, but she is a writer, actor, and investigator. She's the author of award-winning thrillers and screenplays including The Woman in the Park, and Lacie's Secrets. She's written an Italian TV thriller series, and other essays and stories. As a private investigator, Tullan has worked on global fraud and art cases. Rachel and Stephanie loved getting to know Tullan and learn more about her journey. Of course, the conversation begins with the big reveal about the accessory Tullan has chosen to share; a beautiful pair of Tibetan turquoise earrings which she once gave to her mother, but since her passing, now wears them when she wants to carry a piece of her mother with her throughout the day. Tullan is a wonderful and accomplished human being. Enjoy tuning in to this episode of Life's Accessories.

Learn more about Tullan here or follow her on Instagram.

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Life's Accessories Podcast Website
Join the Life's Accessories Facebook Group
Email to [email protected] with comments, questions, guest/episode ideas or tell us about a meaningful item from your closet!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
26min
March 27, 2024Menopause Maven: An Accessory From Board-Certified OBGYN Dr. Mary Claire Haver's Menopause Toolkit
You will hear a lot of extremely important information from this week's guest, Board-Certified OBGYN Dr. Mary Claire Haver, who is at the forefront of a menopause movement shining a spotlight on the importance of talking about and treating menopause. Dr. Haver has devoted her career to women's health. Her science-educated approach to demystifying menopause has put her on the map for providing women the tools and resources they need for their menopause journey. Dr. Haver is the author of The Galveston Diet. Her second book, The New Menopause, comes out next month and is available for pre-order now. Dr. Haver's accessory? Hint: a tool from her menopause toolkit. Which one? You'll have to listen to find out!

Learn more about Dr. Mary Claire Haver here or connect with her on Instagram.
Pre-order The New Menopause
Order The Galveston Diet

Connect with Life’s Accessories!
Instagram
Facebook
Life's Accessories Podcast Website
Join the Life's Accessories Facebook Group
Email to [email protected] with comments, questions, guest/episode ideas or tell us about a meaningful item from your closet!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
36min
March 13, 2024The Graduate's Pen and the Start of Something New: Author Jacqueline Friedland's Tiffany Pen
On today's episode of Life's Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie were delighted to welcome lawyer-turned-prolific-writer Jacqueline Friedland. Jackie tells the story of how she felt like she was playing "dress up" as she put on her work clothes each day. Hear the story behind what prompted Jackie to settle in to a new career as a writer of both historical and contemporary fiction. Her latest book, The Stockwell Letters, was published in August 2023. Her other three books include That's Not a Thing, Trouble the Water, and He Gets That From Me. Jackie's accessory? A special Tiffany pen which a group of friends gave to her when she graduated from her Masters of Fine Arts program at Sarah Lawrence College, which helped to launch her new career in writing.

Check out Jackie Friedland's website or connect with her on Instagram.

Connect with Life’s Accessories!
Instagram
Facebook
Life's Accessories Podcast Website
Join the Life's Accessories Facebook Group
Email to [email protected] with comments, questions, guest/episode ideas or tell us about a meaningful item from your closet!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
31min
February 28, 2024Theatre Professor, Costume and Set Designer Kiki Smith and Her Great Earrings
Kiki Smith has said that she wants her gravestone to read, "She had good earrings." On today's episode of Life's Accessories, Kiki certainly delivered with a pair of great earrings. Actually, they are more than great, and you'll have to tune in to find out why because they are one-of-a-kind, just like Kiki. Kiki is a professor in the Theatre Department at Smith College in Northampton, MA, as well as a professional costume and set designer. She is also the Director of the Smith College Historic Clothing Collection that was founded 42 years ago by a student and is based there in the basement of the Theatre Building near the Costume Shop. Her book, Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore, documents garments and accessories that are what she calls "real” clothes worn by “real” women for all aspects of their lives. It has developed a focus on the “uniforms” of women’s many roles and jobs.

And, for the first time ever on Life's Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie had a surprise guest join in the middle of the episode recording! Rachel, Stephanie, and Kiki were joined by Paula Deitz, the editor of The Hudson Review. Paula is a writer and cultural critic, and has contributed frequently to The New York Times, The Architectural Review, and Gardens Illustrated. Paula has been a helpful advisor and friend to Kiki and the collection. In fact one of Paula's dresses is in Kiki's new book.

Check out Kiki Smith's book, Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore. An exhibition based on many of the pieces in Kiki's book will be on display at the New-York Historical Society in the Women's History Gallery from September 28, 2024-June 2024.

Connect with Life’s Accessories!
Instagram
Facebook
Life's Accessories Podcast Website
Join the Life's Accessories Facebook Group
Email to [email protected] with comments, questions, guest/episode ideas or tell us about a meaningful item from your closet!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
32min
February 14, 2024Darcey Gohring's Birks Were Made for Writing
On today's episode of Life's Accessories, Rachel and Stephanie chat with writer and teacher Darcey Gohring, who shares her must-have and beloved Birkenstocks -- a first on Life's Accessories! Are they shoes? Are they sandals? Does it even matter? They're comfortable, and maybe that is what matters most. Darcey shares her story about being diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown. She wrote about her journey and all the feelings along the way. What's incredible about Darcey, as listeners will hear in this episode, is her gratitude, and how she focused on finding the positives during such a difficult and uncertain time. Darcey is a prolific writer who now teaches online and in-person classes.

Learn more about Darcey Gohring here or follow her on Instagram.

Connect with Life’s Accessories!
Instagram
Facebook
Life's Accessories Podcast Website
Join the Life's Accessories Facebook Group
Email to [email protected] with comments, questions, guest/episode ideas or tell us about a meaningful item from your closet!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
...more
32min

FAQs about Life's Accessories:

How many episodes does Life's Accessories have?

The podcast currently has 81 episodes available.