A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica

Claire Mazur & Erica Cerulo

Hosts Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo, who you might know as the co-founders of the website Of a Kind (RIP!) or the co-authors of the book Work Wife, are all about discovery and enthusiasm. We've heard this weekly podcast described as a 'unique mix of urgent discussions of non-urgent things and thoughtful discussions of important, and often otherwise ignored, things,' and we're very much on board with that take. read less

Our Editor's Take

The A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica podcast is an entertaining lifestyle podcast. Show hosts Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo are pioneers. They started an ecommerce business that combined blogging and shopping. With this podcast, they continue this tradition.

A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica showcases the hosts' curating talent. The women know fashion, lifestyle, and gift-giving. They share this knowledge with enthusiasm. On the podcast, they discuss the stories behind brands, authors, and entrepreneurs. They also share gift guides, beauty products, lifestyle, cuisine, and fashion. The conversations on the show are light, informative, and humorous. Their storytelling is engaging and candid.

Erica and Claire cowrote the popular business book Work Wife. It examines the positives of relying on a trusted female friend to start and run a business. There are plans to make a movie and TV series about the book. The cohosts met in college in 2002 and formed a bond that spurred entrepreneurship as co-founders of the e-commerce website Of A Kind. Bed Bath & Beyond bought the website in 2015. Since debuting the A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica podcast, the duo has built a large following.

Claire and Erica's reputations as influential curators are well-deserved. They display unrivaled insight into what's going to be popular. Whether fashion, lifestyle, or gifts, the cohosts have an innate aptitude. On A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica, they have a warm camaraderie that could only develop through years of friendship. Personal anecdotes are interwoven with interviews, advice, and discussions.

Guests on the show have included authors, entrepreneurs, fashion pundits, and other influencers. They discuss CBD with Jeremy Goldstein, founder of Caliper Foods. They talk about art with Mimi O Chun in one episode. Elle staffer Veronique Hyland discusses her book with the girls in another episode. Wit, humor, and friendship are the hallmarks of the podcast. The A Thing or Two with Claire and Erica podcast is engaging and informative. New episodes drop each week.

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Episodes

Minimalist Shoes, Eat/Pray/Love, and Wrinkle Makeup
3d ago
Minimalist Shoes, Eat/Pray/Love, and Wrinkle Makeup
Another day, another kookalook collection of topics from us, including new lingo care of (honorary Bob) Jack Schlossberg, wrinkle makeup, minimalist shoes, LaGuardia Airport, and a straw cupdate.    Wrinkle makeup—not what you think, probably! Check out a couple of looks by @shine__rising and rachy_mua. Related: crackle lips.    In which we dip our toes into the minimalist shoes conversation: Gait Happens, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, and The Infinite Race 30 for 30 doc by Bernardo Ruiz are all relevant on the content front. Some brands of interest: Muki, Vivo Barefoot, and Groundies. They kind of remind us of Prada Sport from the late 90s/early aughts, Miu Miu rope sandals, and ballet flats with wide toe boxes from Sandy Liang and Proenza. Also: Let’s take this opportunity to shoutout Yoga Toes.    We’ve been considering giving our ComfiLife a break and trying a kneeling chair. Memor and Varier are good-looking options!   In the world of straw cups, Claire got a BrüMate and really likes it! (Don’t get her the MargTini though.)   Where do you stand on Eat/Pray/Love vs. FMK? Do you believe they can coexist? Let us know at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, our Geneva, or our Substack comments!   Care for your hair love with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Learn from the best with MasterClass and get up to 50% off when you use our link. YAY.
Soupstack and Selling Sexy, with Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez
Oct 21 2024
Soupstack and Selling Sexy, with Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez
Just a heads up, this episode will make you want to refresh your bra and underwear drawer! We’re talking Thingies with Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez, the authors of the smart, compelling, and fast-pased book Selling Sexy: Victoria's Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon. As mentioned, bra and underwear Thingies incoming! Chantal absolutely swears by the Tom Bra from the brand Mary Jo, and Lauren likes bras from Only Hearts, Notori Bliss underwear, and Bombas UItra Stretch Calf Socks. Also, shoutout to Le Bon Shoppe’s Her Socks.  Misc. Thingies include Chantal’s go-to assassin’s pasta and Lauren’s rejection of (most) kids' music.  Want more of Lauren and Chantal? Lauren writes Puck’s Line Sheet newsletter and hosts the companion podcast Fashion People, and you can find Chantal’s writing in The Cut (see: “The Unbranding of Abercrombie”), for starters. Friends, you gotta read Selling Sexy: Victoria's Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon. We are thinking and talking about it a lot, a lot. Finally, for those intrigued by Soupstack, check out Anne Helen Petersen’s 3rd annual soup roundup (4th annual coming…sometime, we’d bet?!). Ella Risbridger of You Get In Love And Then is also testing crowdsourced soups, and Becca Freeman shared her favorites too. A few of our own favorites: Ottolenghi’s curried lentil, tomato, and coconut, 101 Cookbook’s red lentil with lemon, Smitten Kitchen’s carrot with miso and sesame, Thomas Keller’s butternut squash.  Actually good: Souper Cubes.  Do you have bra and underwear recs we have to know about? Please share them at podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Count on Shopify for all your ecomm needs and get a $1-a-month trial with our link. Treat your teeth well with a Slate Electric Flosser and get 10% off when you use our link. Try L.A. Burdick’s delightful and individually handcrafted chocolates (the ghosts, the coffin!). Give your first Moonpig card for FREE with the code ATHINGORTWO.   YAY.
Crowd Favorite: Morning Baths, Workout Wear, Butter Money, and Kale Phones
Sep 2 2024
Crowd Favorite: Morning Baths, Workout Wear, Butter Money, and Kale Phones
In a true throw-back classic episode from last year: Make sure to double-knot your shoes because we’re running through a bunch of activewear brands, morning baths, kale phones, butter money, and COTC (corn on the cob, clearly).   You can read more about Vuori’s lore in Courier (and try out their Pose fitted polo, Daydream drew, and All the Feels bra for yourself). Other workout wear of interest: Splits59 (specifically their Raquel flared leggings), Wilson (how ‘bout these Wynne pleated pants and the pleated court short?), Tracksmith ( their Article One running sunglasses collab!), District Vision, Satisfy, On, Tory Sport, and Sweaty Betty. Curious about cool sports stores? We’ve heard good things about Distance in Paris, we love FrontRunners in L.A., and we have to hand it to Pete Carlson Golf and Tennis in Palm Desert for going *deep*.    The everything shower! Consider this reel from The Everygirl your primer.    If you’re looking to limit your oblivion time, check out the OneSec app…or consider the cocaine/kale phone, via George Mack by way of Trung Phan. Also, the to-google notepad, ℅ Courtney Martin.    Butter sculpture season, our Bama Rush? A great read: "The Secret Feminist History of Butter Cows” by Lyz Lenz.   What activewear brands do you like, how do you morning bath if you do such a thing?! Share with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva!   Show your hair the love with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. YAY.
Okay, So, We're Launching a Romance Company
Aug 19 2024
Okay, So, We're Launching a Romance Company
Some of you Detective Bobs have already caught on to this, but: We’re starting something new! It’s officially time to give you the scoop on our romantic fiction entertainment company, 831 Stories…and the first book we’re publishing, Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff. It comes out September 10…which means right this second is the perfect time to pre-order it.    Special thanks to Bea and Leah Koch, behind The Ripped Bodice, for kick-starting this journey! Our podcast episode with them from 2019 for a taste.   The authors and titles that made us fall hard for romance include Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You, Talia Hibbert (The Brown Sister Series—and our 2021 podcast interview here), Tia Williams's Seven Days in June, Tessa Bailey (start with It Happened One Summer…or our recent chat), Abby Jimenez (loved Yours Truly), Lyla Sage’s Rebel Blue Ranch series, and Yulin Kuang’s How to End a Love Story.    We also think about what Sanjana Basker shared about romance on the Care So Much podcast all the time.   Sign up for the 831 newsletter, follow 831 on Instagram, and pre-order Big Fan. We cannot WAIT to share it with you.   What was the romance novel that got you into the genre? Tell us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!   Show your hair the love with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Find your new fall shoes from Marc Fisher and use the code ATHINGORTWO to receive 20% off your purchase. YAY.
Crowd Favorite: Manicures and Mess
Jul 8 2024
Crowd Favorite: Manicures and Mess
Let this greatest-hits ep be all the proof you need that things are still a mess! Should you need supporting evidence, might we direct you to Leah Chernikoff’s recent article for Harper’s Bazaar on the topic? On gel manicures: Uché Blackstock is going to keep getting them, and Claire is too—but now with Maniglovz to protect her hands from those UV lights (and with CND Shellac whenever she can). For a one-coat at-home mani, Olive & June Cosmic, Pleasing Pearly Tops, and Dior Glow deliver a shimmery, sheer finish. A listener said Dazzle Dry is one of their Thingies, and multiple of y’all have called-out Londontown Kur Nail Concealer (Nailtiques. For setting yourself up for DIY success, arm yourself with  Olive & June dry drops and the brand’s clean up brush.  We have a lot of thoughts about mess, and so do some other people. Dig into For Scale’s “Exquisite Chaos” installment, "Girl Clutter" by Molly Soda, “What If You Just Didn’t Clean That Up?” by Kathryn Jezer-Morton for The Cut, and “This Trend Is a Mess” by Callie Holtermann for NYT. For a listen, check out "How to Keep House While Drowning" on Terrible, Thanks for Asking with guest KC Davis, the author of How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing.  Our convo also reminded us of the books All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior and In My Room: Teenagers in Their Bedrooms by Adrienne Salinger (a sampling of some of those pics here).  And a retaliation to the white-box era we’ve been living in can be found on @officialsadbeige. For a clustercore explainer, we’ve got Better Homes & Gardens. For primo examples, we always think of friend-of-the-pod Rumaan Alam and David Land’s collection of George Washington paintings in their dining room, and dip into Catherine Newman’s home tour on A Cup of Jo.  Two messfluencers to know: Alix Earle and Julia Fox.  On the topic of digital messiness, how many tabs do you have open right now? Let us know at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, or @athingortwohq—or join our Geneva! For more recommendations, try out a Secret Menu membership. Get good hair with Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO. Hire with Indeed and get a $75 sponsored job credit when you use our link. YAY.