Monday Memos // 102

Listening:

“Dead Flowers” by Townes Van Zandt.

"Random Rules" by Silver Jews.

“No One's Easy to Love” by Sharon Van Etten.

Reading:

This was wild and crazy: A 4-Year-Old Trapped in a Teenager’s Body

This was true: 20 Things John Mayer Looks Like in This Photo

This was silly: Quiz: Who Wrote It: Edgar Allan Poe or an Emo Band?

This was funny and informative: Trader Joe’s Gets into Jackfruit in 2019: The Journey Begins

Craving:

Highlights: cumin-roasted carrots, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, a fresh Goldberg’s pumpernickel bagel with buttery spread and jam, tuna salad with Branston pickle, extra crunchy dill pickles, and homemade sesame chicken with broccoli.

A perfect New York bagel via Baltimore. (image via Goldberg’s)

Wearing:

It’s been cooooold, so lots of wool socks, turtlenecks, scarves, and beanies. I also wore my new red jumpsuit twice this week. I had a relaxing family weekend where I primarily wore sweatpants and sweatshirts. I looked in the mirror one day and thought I could be mistaken for dude in a 90s grunge band—lots of long disheveled hair and bagginess.

Watching:

TV: I watched the entirety of Sex Education on Netflix in roughly two sittings. I’m having withdrawals. It reminded me of The End of the F*cking World. Endearing characters, English accents, hilarity, really good music.

Gillian Anderson makes for a good wacky mom.

Movies: I rewatched The Big Lebowski over the weekend. It had been years since I had seen it—brilliant as always. I forgot how good the soundtrack is too. When I Googled the movie, this shopping link for the Dude’s sweater (from Dillard’s) came up: Pendleton sweater.

Treasuring:

Unwinding and nostalgia: A weekend in the suburbs means becoming so calm I have no worries or needs. Family laughs and baking cookies and dancing to bad music (We all have “Closing Time” stuck in our heads now, unfortunately). I made a visit to my storage unit for a stack of old journals from 2005-2008. Often painfully angsty and full of pointless minutiae, it’s been eye-opening and very humorous to revisit. So much and so little has changed.

I read a lot about this period of life—my sweet sixteen with Blake and a tandem bike.

Monday Memos // 97

Listening:

"Everything Apart" by Foxwarren.

“No No No” by Beirut.

“The Modern Things” by Björk.

Reading:

Destined to Marry the Cute Bartender - Sometimes you’re not meant to be with the guy who is always on time and has already bought the tickets.

Dear Friends, I think I figured out what I want to do for my birthday: Holiday Party Idea: Make Everyone Dress Like Cake

Dessert as fashion inspiration. (image by CYRUS MCCRIMMON/Denver Post via Getty Images)

Craving:

Delicious things I’ve consumed recently: pumpkin pie, apple pie, and chocolate pecan pie (slices, slivers, and crumbs). Broccoli rabe pesto pasta. A laminated baguette (that’s a baguette wrapped in croissant dough) from Arcade Bakery that I cannot stop thinking about (so flakey! so buttery!). Scarr’s Pizza grandma slice and vegan Caesar salad. Roasted scallops, fennel, and turnips. A flourless chocolate cake with butterscotch ice cream… Tis the seasoning for stuffing yourself with comfort.

Arcade Bakery, a magical place in the lobby of a Tribeca office building (image via thenewpotato)

Wearing:

Sweaters and sweatshirts. Coats and jackets. Hiker boots and thick socks. A red wool hat. Plus, my grandmother noted that I’ve worn the same thing three consecutive visits in a row—a billowy black dress. Hey, it’s classic and comfortable.

The winter look.

Watching:

I haven’t been on my solo movie dates like usual or really having too much time for television, but the Netflix series version of Get Shorty has been very entertaining to watch. GBBO is delightful and soothing as always. I can’t wait for the upcoming new seasons of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and High Maintenance.

Treasuring:

Family, family, and more family: To get to see my family so much this year has been a true treat. It’s nice when you don’t have to catch up on a thousand broad stories of “this is what I’ve been up to,” but rather fill in the fun details of recent adventures. I’m learning more. I’m laughing about whacky things. I’m relishing in the comfort when I just need someone I can be quiet around, and fully myself.

This sums it up. Myself in the middle.

Monday Memos // 89

Listening:

"Down in the Willow Garden" by The Everly Brothers.

"New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" by R.E.M.

"Charcoal Baby" by Blood Orange.

Reading:

Books I want to read:

No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNicol. "a fearless reckoning with modern womanhood and an exhilarating adventure that will resonate with anyone determined to live by their own rules."

Fresh Complaint by Jeffrey Eugenides. "Narratively compelling, beautifully written, and packed with a density of ideas despite their fluid grace, these stories chart the development and maturation of a major American writer."

The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon. "a fractured love story that explores what can befall those who lose what they love most."

image from an illustrated book review by Kristen Radtke (via nylon)

Craving:

Hanging in Maryland, which thus far means feasting on Joe Squared pizza and trying a newer spot in DC: A Rake's Progress. The latter is set in The Line hotel, which is beautiful itself — a cobbling together of restaurants, a radio station, and hotel housed inside a 110-year old massive-columned church. 

We had fresh Chesapeake oysters and salty, buttered bread. My mom and I shared a crab cake with shaved cucumber, red onion, tomato and smoked onion tartar; an heirloom tomato tart with puff pastry, vinaigrette and various basils; plus a farro salad with summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, nectarines and yogurt dressing.

We also had an incredible fudge brownie sundae: spelt brownie, mint chip ice cream, tiny homemade Oreos, whipped cream and hot fudge. A winner!

Pre- and post-saucing. 

Wearing:

Since I haven't been wearing anything particularly outlandish (denim, black, black, black), here are some beautiful images of things I love and would wear. 

Leandra Medine shoes (leandra medine via vogue)

Mara Hoffman delights.

Watching:

Last Friday I watched The End of the Tour on the bus ride to MD. It was slow but great, sad but soothing. Maybe one day I'll read Infinite Jest. 

Today I read that True Detective season 3 is back in January. Fingers crossed it's like the first season and renews our love of the show. 

I haven't been going to the movies or falling deep into shows much recently, so enthusiasm is currently in the ebb phase. 

Treasuring:

Giddiness and excitement: I experienced a few days last week where I couldn't contain my wild smiles. I took a ferry ride from the beach to the city — through the sunset hours. I was handed an It's-It out of the blue. I met a stranger in such a spectacular way. I shared stories with lots of details. I daydreamed on car rides. I'm letting the waves of emotions wash over me and I'm constantly pumped for the future and the now. 

Hello It's-It, my old friend / I've come to talk with you again

Monday Memos // 86

Listening:

"Nobody" by Mitski. I've listened to this about 600 times already. Very relatable. 

"Don't Call Me" by IAN SWEET. 

"Lockjaw" by Mothers. 

Reading:

The headline makes this seem like clickbait, but it's hilarious and worth a read if you love Gilmore Girls: 13 Things to Say to Get Her Totally Soaked

Maybe the Secret to Embracing Your Flaws Is Renaming Them

A Small Needful Fact by Ross Gay

Craving:

Last week was Family Time! in NYC so I went on many great food expeditions. Plus, I've been really spreading my social wings, which has included various restaurant outings. 

Memorable things I ate (as someone who doesn't eat out too much this is going to appear slightly EXTENSIVE):

• a lot of Giuseppina's pizza (mushroom and shallot pie, arugula and prosciutto pie, artichoke and ricotta pie)
• a superb Caribbean feast at The Islands (curry goat, jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, plantains, cabbage, rice and beans)
• delightful bar nuts at Tørst (red skin peanuts seasoned with togarashi, Szechuan and kaffir lime) 
• a veggie feast from Sea Wolf (grilled cauliflower steak, great veggie burger)
• another veg-forward meal at Peacefood Cafe (mushroom, kale, horseradish cauliflower puree, roasted chickpeas, fried lotus root, chickpea fries)
• a lovely dinner at Community Food and Juice (Crispy Wild Organic Salmon pan-seared with spring ragout of shiitakes, sugar snap peas, leeks & asparagus, with horseradish miso glaze)
• another outstanding dinner at Cafe Mogador (hummus, yogurt-marinated chicken, tabouli, naan)
• a fun lunch at Dimes Deli (kale polenta, chickpeas, roasted tomatoes, fried egg)
• many pastries from Ovenly (Brooklyn Blackout cake, chocolate chip sea salt cookie, lemon poppy seed loaf with raspberry glaze)

Dimes (in all iterations) is the cutest. (image via dimesnyc)

Wearing:

I like wearing this Outdoor Voices sports bra as a sort of neckline enhancer. It makes me feel comfortable in strapless things and various dresses. 

I pulled out various old things I haven't worn in awhile like a Dolce and Gabbana lemon print tee I thrifted years ago and a polo shirt with the name "Astre" stitched on.

I went to the Cloisters where half of the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination exhibit is up. I was blown away by how beautiful all the garments were. One of each please. 

Watching:

I finally saw Eighth Grade. It was very well done, but also gave me SO MUCH ANXIETY. Middle school, and honestly most of high school, was the worst time of life. 

I've been watching Sharp Objects. Wow, another anxiety inducing form of entertainment. It's disturbing on many levels. I think Chris Messina is helping me get through each episode.  

It makes me want to go roller-skating too. (image via HBO)

Treasuring:

Mom and Brother Hangs: To adventure around the city with my mom and my older brother was fantastic. Photobooths, museums, laughing a lot, eating all the things, seeing friends from years ago, sharing happiness...