Four Years of Long Live 🫶
Most popular letters! Your favorite recs! Notes on what's next!
Four years ago I’d just quit my job as a nanny, was refining a nonfiction collection of essays from grad school, and wanted an outlet.
I didn’t let the idea percolate. I didn’t talk about what it would look like or spend a lot of time with a designer working on a logo. I screenshot something in PowerPoint and sent an email to all fifty-three of my subscribers. And never looked back.
Today, Long Live is a massive part of my work life and my true pride and joy. And I’ve served my first presidential term! Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we?
2022 ✨
The vibe: The year of the bob. If you’ve had a bob, you understand how allconsuming those damn things are! I got my first job in tech. Christian and I moved planned our wedding. And I got laid off from my first tech job.
Most popular letter: To be clear, I spent most of this year writing to…500 readers…and loved every minute of it! I started a tradition of creating prompts for the new year.
What I couldn’t stop searching for on eBay: Your girl was obsessed with vintage overalls this year. Could not get enough! Try “vintage painters overalls” or “vintage big mac overalls.” I bought these for $44 and wore them to pieces.
Most popular link: Soft Services Buffing Bar (I’ve purchased this religiously since it came out in 2021)
The random rec that defined the year: This is the year I started using my beloved Vanicream. Cheap, clinical, and derm-approved. I can’t really imagine life without it <3
2023 👔
The vibe: Married the love of my life. Launched a Notion template! Wrote my first commercial. Went to Florence + Copenhagen! Started writing my romance novel!
Most popular letter: Walking, a true love of my life, was the most popular letter of the year! I’ve written so many essays about it, but think I’ll spend the rest of my life obsessing over a little stroll.
What I couldn’t stop searching for on eBay: I was doing a lot of vintage shopping IRL while I traveled. But I bought a bunch of Levis 501s and still own most of them today. I also bought my sister a vintage Gucci Jackie bag for her bday. These can be super affordable secondhand!
Most popular link: Etsy Puffer Scarf (I made a Tiktok that went off)
The random rec that defined the year: This is the year I started carrying a meat stick in every bag I packed. My favorite are Chomps. This works better than a granola bar for me!
2024 🌊
The vibe: EV Salon was born at the top of year, and I started working for myself again later in the Spring. I started taking this letter a lot more seriously and loving it. I found representation, which escalated brand partnerships. And I consulted for what felt like 230 companies.
Most popular letter: This was my vintage J.Crew catalog era. J.Crew relaunched their catalog a few months after this was published. And I felt smug and delighted.
What I couldn’t stop searching for on eBay: Thank God I bought a few vintage J.Crew rollnecks for Christian this year before they shot up in price. Geez! If you’re looking for the look now, search “vintage cotton rollneck sweater” instead.
Most popular link: J.Crew Heritage Rollneck Sweater (No surprise here! FWIW the new version is great)
The random rec that defined the year: I listened to so much Money With Katie this year. The podcast is sadly sunset, but Katie Gatti Tassin is killing it with my beloved caro claire burke on Diabolical Lies, which was integral to my 2025.
2025 💛
The vibe: Certainly the busiest year of my life!! Found out I was pregnant on the morning of my 29th birthday. Went to LA twice. Launched EV Enterprises. Became an author! Had a perfect baby girl. Made my first full time hire. (Not in that order)
Most popular letter: More letters like this next year! I’m always going on about how much I miss Lucky magazine, so this is my effort at a replacement.
What I couldn’t stop searching for on eBay: If you want to see everything I bought on the site in 2025, you can read all about it here. I thought a lot about vintage Eileen West nightgowns.
Most popular link: Lands’ End Cashmere Crewneck (turns out you all love affordable cashmere as much as I do…)
The random rec that defined the year: I started using my Notes app way more: for manifesting, staying grateful, and remembering book recommendations.
2026 🎬
The vibe: Adjusting to new mom/working mom life while building out Erika Veurink Enterprises. Writing my next romance novel. Partnering with brands I’ve been obsessed with since I was a teenager. And batching all my meetings on Wednesdays :)
Most popular link: Too early to say but my money’s on this Me + Em Cotton Sweater or this Donni Silk Jacket.
The random rec that defined the year: Carry over from last year, but I’m still on my Brick life. The only thing that works!
So what’s next? More of the same, plus some incredible guests, insights on writer life, and eBay search terms you’re not going to want to miss.
If you’re a Paid subscriber, thank you for making my dreams come true. You’ll still receive ~7 letters per month. If you’re a Free subscriber, you’ll have access to close to ~3 letters per month.
The best way to stay on top of all things Long Live is to take advantage of the sale I’m running for the next two days—an annual subscription for $48! That’s 20% off.
Think of it as an investment in learning to shop secondhand for yourself. And buckle in for another year of Long Live. I’m so thankful this is my JOB!
ALSO! I actually forgot about this. Comment below for a chance to win a Long Live favorites box (worth ~$1k) shipped to your door. I’ll send 3 runner ups EV Salon Lands’ End totes. And Paid subs are entered twice <3
Honorable Mentions
I mentioned this in notes, but Finding Grace rocked me.
I’m not a doctor, but I take a handful of these every morning in the winter and use these if I feel a sore throat coming on.
Thank you for reading Long Live. It means so much to me. You can order my romance novel, Exit Lane, on Amazon and Bookshop. Follow along on Instagram + Tiktok. Shop all my favs here. Get matched at EV Salon. If you’re interested in partnering, email evan@erikaveurink.com x
Love learning from and with you (and the LL community) ❤️ cheers to the next four!
A big fan of the relatable writing and very useful and practical tips. Glad to be here and excited to see what is in store for 2026.