Hello all—

Greetings from the Manuscript Room in the Library of Congress. Unlike a number of gorgeous reading rooms (including the iconic Main Reading Room), the Manuscript is out of some 1970s hellscape. BUT, it gives readers access to incredible objects like the private papers of politicians and celebrities. I’m here working on a feature about something that almost happened to the White House—and can’t wait to share it with you all.

This week’s lead feature is from our once-a-month series on the world’s most beautiful libraries. This time it’s Seattle’s Central Library that has the spotlight shone upon it. Designed by none other than Rem Koolhaas it was once described by the New York Times as a building that “puts on its fishnets and hits the disco.”

We’re also dipping back into the Rodin well, this time by taking one of Monet’s paintings hanging in the Musee Rodin and zooming out to examine their friendship in this piece by Erin Zaleski. The two actually had a massive falling out after Rodin messed with Monet’s paintings at an exhibition, and the libidinous Rodin even lusted after Monet’s daughters!

—William O’Connor, Travel Editor

Enjoy the Best Sleep of Your Life With This Luxe Weighted Blanket

Scouting Report: This Bearaby weighted blanket been cuddling me to sleep every single night and it actually looks chic in my bedroom.

Weighted blankets stepped onto the scene a few years back, being touted for their alleged anxiety-reducing and sleep-improving benefits. As a bonafide skeptic (and a chronic insomniac), I wasn’t convinced that sleeping with a 20-pound weighted blanket was going to help me fall asleep fast—especially because I assumed that all of that extra weight was going to simply make me downright sweaty—not sleepy.

Enter Bearaby, one of the first weighted blanket brands to enter the market—and without a doubt, the chicest. Their flagship blanket, the Tree Napper blanket is designed with cooling and super-soft fibers that help hot sleepers (raising my hand) sleep soundly. It’s available in fifteen, twenty and twenty-five weight options, so I opted for the middle ground, which turned out to be the perfect fit for me. When I slept with it the first night, it literally felt like I was being cuddled by a loved one—only without all the downsides of cuddling—my blessed Bearaby didn’t make me sweaty and it also didn’t snore unlike former cuddle partners in my past.

It comes in a range of colors, including autumnal hues like tarragon and canary yellow, as well as neutrals and even some fun options like hot pink. For reference, I own the color “amber,” and it looks gorgeous draped across my bed regardless of the season or time of year.

I’m utterly in love with this game-changing blanket. In fact, when I travel and stay in hotels, the absence of my Bearaby is palpable—I know, dramatic, but true nonetheless. This weighted blanket has been my go-to gift too, and I’ve received nothing but glowing reviews from everyone who I’ve gifted it to. Is it pricey for a blanket? Yes, but trust me, it’s a worthy investment you won’t regret.

— Scouted by Mia Maguire

SHOP AT BEARABY >>>

“This week marks the beginning of Hanukkah, the ‘festival of lights.’ The holiday commemorates an event during the Maccabean revolt in the second century BCE, when the candelabrum in the Jerusalem Temple miraculously burned for eight days despite only having enough oil for one. Broadly speaking it celebrates the successful struggle for Jewish independence. Now archaeologists have unearthed the charred remains of a fort destroyed by Jewish rebels more that 2,000 years ago and claim that it offers evidence of the Hanukkah-related rebellion.”

—historian Candida Moss casts a skeptical eye over new findings out of Israel.

OMG I Want to Rent This House!

Whistler, Canada (Vrbo): There are two rules we believe should govern the winter holidays: 1. Christmas decorations are not to be seen nor heard until after Thanksgiving 2. Black Friday should be rebranded from the International Day of Shopping to the International Day of Planning Your Next Ski Trip. This year, hum “O Canada” to the tune of “O Christmas Tree” while you book a stay at this luxury mountain chalet in Whistler. While the price tag is a little hefty, if you invite your 25 closest friends, it becomes downright affordable, even after the financial disaster that is the gifting season.

Whenever anything ridiculous happens in the U.S.—and, let’s be honest, that’s quite often—everyone always talks about running away to Canada. If we can have these outdoor accommodations and this view for the rest of our lives, then count us in for the Great American Exodus.

Book Your Stay: Mountain Chalet, Whistler, Canada $2,200/night via Vrbo

Don’t miss previous OMG, I Want to Rent This House posts, which spotlight the most spectacular and unique homes that you can actually stay in. Check out the full archives.

See the Coolest New Buildings From Japanese Architects

To say that contemporary Japanese architecture is cool would be an understatement—it might just be the world’s coolest. The face of the country’s building designs is Tadao Ando, one of the world’s most sought after starchitects. A total of seven of its architects have won the Pritzker and its architects’ designs, both at home and abroad, remain some of the most cutting edge, creative, and beautiful globally. It’s no surprise, then, that Taschen’s sleek new survey, Contemporary Japanese Architecture, is our latest selection for Just Booked, our series on exciting new travel-related coffee table books.

Edited by Philip Jodidio, the extra large tome hops around Japan and around the globe, from France to the U.S. to China, to introduce readers to some of the more spectacular recent buildings from Japanese architects. There’s the Mount Fuji World Heritage Center by Sigeru Ban, with its mesmerizing wood lattice inverted cone that graces the book’s cover or the totally unexpected Mosaic Tile Museum from Terunobu Fujimori that looks like a giant earthwork with an almost giggle-inducing fringe of pine trees running along its edges. And for pure fun, don’t miss Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP’s Ribbon Chapel.

Check out our previous selections for our series on gorgeous travel-related coffee table books, Just Booked.

BUY AT TASCHEN >>

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