Monday Memos // 73

Listening:

"This Stuff" by Frankie Cosmos.

"Thanks 4 Nothing" by Nilüfer Yanya.

"Goodbye" by Porches.

Reading:

Finding My Florida - I came across this Florida story in the New York Times and thought it was an accurate and enjoyable journey through the state. There are so many worlds, great Cuban sandwiches, and lots of mossy oaks. 

Pizza Horoscope. - Because I exist on the cusp, looks like I need to eat a whole white pizza—"an exquisite pairing of garlic and ricotta"—with a variety of spontaneous toppings from the fridge AND a Grandma pie. Done.

The Orlando house where Jack Kerouac wrote “The Dharma Bums.” Looks like my old FL home! (image by Zack Wittman for The New York Times)

Craving:

I crossed another Brooklyn Blackout cake off my list last week, this one from Little Cupcake Bakeshop. It looked heavenly and there was a framed plaque showing off Food & Wine's description of this particular cake as "one of the best chocolate cakes in the U.S."

I have to disagree. It was delicious, but the frosting was a far too sweet and the cake was a bit too airy. I'd still be down to try more of their baked goods. The carrot was tempting and the banana Nutella looked lovely.

Wearing:

Dug into my storage unit and it was like going on a shopping spree. I got so excited about shoes and dresses and shirts I forgot about. I gathered several pink tees and green dresses. Pink, red, and black boots. A glorious leather fringe vest. Maybe it's to my advantage to slowly have access to my things over a span of time. I'm ready to shed the coats and sleeves. 

Youth fashion inspiration below. Digging the overalls and chucks. My mom and I at a May Fair is very spring-floral-forward. 

Watching:

I want to watch Barry on HBO—Bill Hader is always wonderful. I'm ready for Westworld to return. I've been catching up with the last season of Atlanta so I can get back into the new one.

I'm sad I'm done with High Maintenance and caught up with Queer Eye. 

I'm curious about the movie Chappaquiddick. Having lived on that island, I'm curious to see the familiar places in the film. Kate Mara, Ed Helms, and Jim Gaffigan—interesting selection for a cast.

Ted Kennedy's car being pulled from the water next to the Dike Bridge on Chappaquiddick Island in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. (AP photo)

Treasuring:

Open Windows: I love hearing the violinists and singers in my building. I love having open windows WITHOUT SCREENS because there aren't a thousand bugs ready to swarm inside. I love hanging with my family, the breeze coming in, the cats all sitting in the sunshine, and it feeling like spring is here. 

Illustration by Monica Lynch via thehousethatlarsbuilt

Monday Memos // 51

Listening:

"Forgiven/Forgotten" by Angel Olsen. "If there's one thing I fear / It's knowing you're around / So close but not here / So close / Oh, but not with me here / So close / But not with me here"

"New York" by St. Vincent. This video is good.

"Milestones" by Buddy Rich. I love this song in all forms and iterations. Birdland in it's entirety is really groovy too.

Reading:

This week brought to you by The New Yorker's humor section—

The Dark Truth Behind the Making of Pumpkin-Spice Lattes

Lesser-Known Roomba Error Codes

Your Content Will Resume Shortly

 By Farley Katz.

As a bonus: For the Rock Star, Love Has Finally Landed. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for reading the Weddings section of the New York Times. It's like my inner romantic is constantly trying to melt the nonchalant/fear of rejection/un-celebratory parts of me. Anyways, in a long and winding path, I found my way to this wedding from a year ago (I went to get lunch at Eleven36 and was looking though their Instagram page and saw this photo and went to the source and it had to do with this sweet and magical love story with a record store and a musician and long distance and triumph).

“Matthew floats just above the earth,” said their officiant, Ms. de Wilde. “I think that he needs someone like Emily to help bring him down to earth and make the ground less punishing.”

The couple recited personalized vows before approximately 130 friends and family. “You already think the world’s in color, and then it’s really in color,” the groom said of his bride. “You already think you’re a loving person, and then you feel like your heart doubles in size.”  (image by Lauren Lancaster for The New York Times

Craving:

There are rare times in life when I do not want chocolate cake. So as a celebratory treat for my successful move to New York on Saturday, I got myself a slice of Brooklyn blackout cake from Cinnamon Girl. It was light and rich, cakey and puddingy, I could hardly savor it—I completely devoured it. 

"Blackout cake, sometimes called Brooklyn Blackout cake, is an American chocolate cake filled with chocolate pudding and chocolate cake crumbs, and frosted with chocolate icing. It was invented during World War II by a Brooklyn-based bakery chain named Ebinger's, in recognition of the mandatory blackouts to protect the Brooklyn Navy Yard."

I think I could make it my quest to find all the best blackout cakes in the city.

On my list is Ovenly's version—a favorite for the Village Voice (image via Adam Robb for the villiagevoice)

Wearing:

It's like I have a uniform. Stripes. Denim. Slip-on, solid-colored shoes. 

I'm ready for fall gear, though the heat seems to have followed me up north thus far. Lusting for layers. Scarves. Jackets. Boots. 

Ready for primping. (image by leah goren)

Watching:

Keeping up with: "This Is Us" (crying and bonding); "Project Runway" (so much drama and twists this season!); "The Deuce" (entertained but not entirely sold).

Recently viewed: "The Meyerowitz Stories" (typical Baumbach—lots of laughing and cringing)

Want to see: "Blade Runner 2049" (positive recommendations and Gosling); "Mindhunter" (I like Jonathan Groff and David Fincher).

Treasuring:

My cat. Considering the variety of sensitivities he has (loud noises terrify him, knocks on the door terrify him, plastic bags terrify him, the presence of most large men terrify him), I was hoping for an okay experience driving 12-13 hours straight with his company. Turns out he's a phenomenal travel partner. He was patient and quiet and easy—he never made a single terrible noise! We chatted, I sang to him, I cried to him, I felt so grateful for his companionship. 

His first days versus these days. 

A majority of my life was spent wishing I lived elsewhere. I made it out of my hometown for a few years, then found myself back—a stay that was longer than anticipated. Yet, this last stint was one of the best. I made some of the most amazing relationships. I felt joy and excitement and satisfaction. I discovered so many things about the place and myself. What a relief (and some serious heartache) to leave on such terms. 

My feet in Florida.