The Pleasure Lists Q&A: Lilli Elias of Autumn Sonata

Pleasures, Curated by Lilli Elias

We’re back with another installment of

The Pleasure Lists

: Pleasures, Curated.

I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy getting to know members of the Pleasure Lists community and what makes their Pleasures tick.

Pleasures, Curated by Lilli Elias of Autumn Sonata

Lilli Elias founded textile brand Autumn Sonata in 2022. With a background in archival practice, she draws from her abiding passion for antique prints to develop the brand’s collections of modern home furnishings.

Social: @autumnsonata.co

Location: Amsterdam

Pleasures

1. Talking to strangers

   Rarely a day goes by where I don’t come home with a stranger’s life story. It’s a privilege and a curse.

2. Leftover cake

   It always tastes better the next morning!

   

3. Being recognized by my neighbors

   A large percentage of my energy is dedicated to complaining about Amsterdam. What typically pulls me out of my spiral is when my butcher waves to me, or my elderly neighbors greet me, or the barista at my local coffee shop asks me if it's matcha time. My dry cleaner brings me a popsicle if he spots me outside enjoying the sun, and my bike repair man comments on the new plants on my terrace. A waitress at my favorite local restaurant stops to tell me that my favorite dish is back on the menu. My octogenarian tennis friends wave to me from the courts as I ride by on my bike. There’s something so pleasurable and life affirming about these interactions.

4. Staying in bed for as long as possible

   I have been known to stretch this time to impossible lengths. The absolute height of luxury is sitting in bed with a book or a rainy Saturday morning.

5. Writing in cursive

   People have been disappointed by my handwriting for as long as I can remember, but that doesn’t take away the pleasure of taking notes in cursive during my calls, or writing (admittedly hard to decipher) postcards to my grandmother.

6. A big salad

   Any time I see a big salad on a menu my eyes light up. The novelty has yet to wear out.

7. House museums

   I don’t know how to emphasize how much I love house museums. Whenever I plan any travels, the first thing I look up is a house museum in the respective city.

   

   

8. Online Radio

   Such a fantastic invention that I often take for granted, but would be lost without. Sometimes I can’t believe how lucky we are to have some many options at our fingertips, and how beautiful it is to be able to have such a diverse soundtrack to my everyday.

9. My collections

   I’ve been collecting useless items for as long as I can remember. I’m so proud of my collections and like to line them up and admire them from time to time! Stickers, post cards, broken vases, silver bowls, tiny trays, scraps of fabrics, salad tongs…

   

10. Tea

    I have amassed such an expansive (and growing!) collection of tea that it is now stored in three different spaces in my house. It is one of the few products that I can’t resist, and it infuses so much joy into my daily life.

    

What does Pleasure mean to you?

The luxury of being able to enjoy the smallest details.

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Who do you want to see next? Send me suggestions for who to feature in the next Q&A!

What Is “Pleasures, Curated”?

Each week, a new Pleasure-seeker will document their personal Pleasures and ruminate a bit on what Pleasure means to them. True to

The Pleasure Lists

style, I keep the list-maker’s je ne sais quoi in as much as I can — only minor editorial changes are made when necessary. I do this intentionally so that the writer’s inner world really comes through. The style of the list says as much about the writer as the list itself.

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Read Previous Q&A’s:

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Why submit a list?

Pleasure Lists are a summary of what you need, want, or have, or see at a particular moment in time. They are a survey, an overview, a summary of the crucial facts of the state of one aspect of your life. It’s a kind of blueprint that can be a guide to the future. 

Mull it over and if you’re moved to, send me a list.

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Questions? Comments? Send any recommendations or suggestions for what you’d like to see in these newsletters my way. I’d love to hear more about what you’re currently finding pleasure in.

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