We caught up with Anna and Garrett—proud new pet parents to Margot and the founders of Cool Stuff NYC—to chat about their weekly newsletter and the experience of raising a puppy in the city.
Tell us about yourselves!
Hi, I'm Anna Albury! I’m originally from Savannah Georgia, and I'm a rug designer, interior stylist, and co-founder of the Cool Stuff NYC newsletter and Instagram. And I'm Garrett Albury—a graphic designer, UX designer, and the other co-founder of the Cool Stuff NYC newsletter. Oh, and Anna's husband!
What’s your dog’s name and what do you *actually* call them?
Our dog's name is Margot. She's usually called by her full name, but we've been known to call her a whole slew of nicknames. Our most common one is Marge, my mom calls her Margogo, some friends call her Margisi, and when we're feeling really fancy, it's Margisimo.
What inspired you to start the Cool Stuff newsletter?
We started Cool Stuff in the winter of 2019 and it was originally a newsletter that we would send to friends letting them know about things in the city that were exciting us. The idea actually came to us when we were stuck on a subway for a very long time, and then it grew from there. We made it, we committed to it, and over the first six months through word of mouth, the newsletter grew far beyond our initial mailing list of 40 friends. We eventually shifted our focus to include a lot more recommendations, interviews, and travel guides.
What’s been the biggest challenge with running with Cool Stuff?
Balancing all the tasks and to-do’s with our full-time jobs can be challenging. We use our commuting time to send Cool Stuff emails, our nights going to fun events and restaurants, and any extra free time to write and edit.
Anna, your personal style and interior design are so colorful and expressive. What’s your typical thought process when creating an outfit or designing an interior space?
I always begin with the color palette. I love playing with a balance of bright colors and neutrals, like cobalt blue and a deep chocolate brown. Once I have my palette, I’ll layer on patterns like stripes, bold florals, or a funky color-blocked design. Honestly, if you have fun with it, you can do no wrong!
What's Margot’s favorite place in your apartment?
I wish we could say her favorite place was one of her many many dog beds but Margot loves our couch—specifically, she loves to nuzzle her body between the couch and the side bolster pillow. That was the first place in our apartment where we placed her down, and that first cozy nap spot must have really stuck with her.
Did you have any puppy woes or surprises?
We're lucky that Margot was basically house-trained by her foster, so we didn’t have many puppy woes. At first though, she was obsessed with pulling on the fringe of our vintage rugs… thankfully that’s subsided.
Our biggest surprise has been seeing how adaptable Margot is. It takes her mere minutes to become comfortable with new dog friends, human friends, and environments. If someone is willing to give her attention, she’ll willingly accept it.
Any helpful advice you’d give a new pet parent?
The 3-3-3 rule! It explains how rescue dogs tend to react to new homes. Hearts & Bones Rescue (where we adopted Margo) introduced us to this concept, and it helped us stay patient as Margot settled into her new life. Essentially, it takes a dog three days to decompress after getting adopted, three weeks for them to begin feeling comfortable, and three months before they're fully settled into their new home. That timeline completely matched how Margot grew into our space.
What’s something you never leave the house without on dog walks?
We're in walk training mode, so we use a lot of treats and a clicker for click training. We’ve been loving the Wild One Treat Pouch because it lets us easily grab treats or the clicker, so that’s been a must-have.
What’s your typical weekend routine?
We’ll usually start the morning with a little park playtime or puppy social class, and then afterward, the three of us will bop around the city! We don’t have a very typical routine because we’re always out and about trying something new like a restaurant opening or event, but it’s been so fun bringing Margot along for the ride.
Weirdest place you’ve brought Margot?
We brought her to a really swanky martini party and as we were giving our names at the door, we started wondering if they’d turn us away because of Margot. But then the event organizer looked down at her in her bag and said “Every party should have a puppy!” It was a special moment and we loved realizing how New York has really become a place that loves and embraces dogs.
Hottest take as a pet parent?
Every restaurant should allow dogs, especially if it's more of a bar than a restaurant.
Describe Margot in one word…
Silly!
If Margot described you in one word, what would it be?
Obsessive. We definitely obsess over her and everything she does.
Can we expect any dog-friendly NYC guides soon?
We have an older Best Dog-Friendly Places in NYC guide, but now that we have Margot, and with the city evolving every minute, definitely be on the lookout for some new Cool Stuff content highlighting the best dog-friendly spots in the city!
Favorite Wild One Walk Kit color?
We love the Walk Kit in Blush. It's Margot's color palette for life—it's sweet and cute and fits her personality perfectly. But also we wanted to give an honored mention to Lilac, because all of her toys are that color and she’s obsessed with each and every one of them.
Where can people find you and your work?
You can find us on the Cool Stuff NYC newsletter and @coolstuff.nyc, or our personal Instagrams @hello_anna_b and @alburynyc.