Monday Memos // 108

Listening:

“Summer Girl” by HAIM

“Golden Babyland” by Lina Tullgren

“True Blue” by Mark Ronson ft. Angel Olsen

Reading:

There There by Tommy Orange. “Tommy Orange’s groundbreaking, extraordinaryThere There is the brilliant, propulsive story of twelve unforgettable characters, Urban Indians living in Oakland, California, who converge and collide on one fateful day.” I have about a third left and it’s blowing me away.

I haven’t sobbed from a Modern Love story in a long time and who knew a dog named Dusty would do me in. Must read: She Wanted a Man With a Good Job Who Is Nice to Animals

Craving:

Essentially my summer diet has been a whole lot of pizza. Specifically the best homemade rooftop pizza. I’ve also been on a kick of melon, plums, smoothies, seedy crackers, almond butter, spicy noodles, and Guittard’s Super Cookie chocolate chips .

That jor-dough!

Recent memorable dining out experiences include: Superiority Burger (a wrap that lasted two meals, realllly good sorbet/gelato, and good laughs), The Turk’s Inn (the decor alone is worth a visit, but the food is great too), General Deb’s (so spicy and so good), Best Pizza (sharing a bowl of garlic rolls with your brother and blabbing about all your anxieties is highly recommended).

The Turk’s Inn interior doesn’t even look real. (image via turksnyc.com)

Wearing:

Digging into my shirt collection, I’ve been wearing a lot of old Gainesville establishment tees, old graphic gems, and breezy button ups. Unearthed some overalls recently and wore them despite the weather being way too hot for so much denim. Also, I’ve been wearing the same billowy chambray dress on repeat—often two or three days in a row because it’s just all I want to wear.

Watching:

Recently watched: Four Weddings and a Funeral. I’m surprised I never saw this. I also never considered myself much of a Hugh Grant fan, but this movie made me realize the appeal—particularly when he’s learning about his great love’s sexual history and wearing a pretty great shirt-short-sock-shoe combo. Really enjoyed!

Scarlett, on the left, has the best outfits, too. On the right, this is the best I could find, so go watch the movie.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette. Not as good as the book, but the book was just so good. Still, a great cast, great soundtrack, and nice for a big cry at the end. Plus, the wild architectural moments are fabulous.

Girls. It took me two months to finish the series. I forgot how weird the ending is, but hey, still a solid show.

Want to watch: Joker. I think Joaquin Phoenix is going to win something for this. Looks brilliant and terrifying.

Treasuring:

Love and support: From the sweetest text messages to answering frantic phone calls to back rubs to big hugs to silly pictures to dinners with laughter to long drives with sick pets, I feel so much care and affection from so many different people. Summer can be sweaty, exhasting, and emotionally draining for me, so extra thankful for all these wonderful peeps.

Lounging in the nearby park is one of my new pastimes and I thoroughly enjoy.

Monday Memos // 107

Listening:

“Coming Home” by Leon Bridges.

“There Is Something In My Heart” by Ghetto Brothers.

“The Dark Don't Hide It” by Kevin Morby & Waxahatchee.

Reading:

Terrible but important: Hideous Men | Donald Trump assaulted me in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room 23 years ago. But he’s not alone on the list of awful men in my life.

A positive male celebrity spotlight: Keanu Reeves Is Too Good for This World

Thank you for reminding me that walking around the neighborhood with no prerogative is important: You Are Doing Something Important When You Aren’t Doing Anything

Shameless self-promotion (Cup of Jo and Sight Unseen posted it too!): Experiments and Shapes Fill Oscar Piccolo’s One-Room Studio

Craving:

I’m still eating so much pizza. In Sweden and Denmark I ate so much amazing sourdough bread. Currently I’m downing oatmilk and cashewmilk ice creams and containers of fruit and cold coffee. (I.e. summer)

Not just so much pizza, so much fabulous rooftop pizza!

Wearing:

All the shortest dresses. Summer is fully here and I cannot handle pants. Plus, a recent move means I’ve unearthed all my forgotten clothes and I’m finding a lot of (short) gems. Black, plaid, floral, more black, chambray, I’m going through it all.

Even in Sweden I went with my go-to short black dress.

Watching:

Recently watched: Yesterday (“A struggling musician realizes he's the only person on Earth who can remember The Beatles after waking up in an alternate timeline where they never existed.) I hadn’t even heard of this but was invited to see it and said why not. Yes, it’s cheesy, but it’s a solid, feel-good rom com that I would recommend. The cast is very lovable, too.

Years and Years. (“Follows a busy family from Manchester with their lives converging on one crucial night in 2019.”) Either I’m not keeping up with pop culture or films and tv aren’t doing much promotion, because I hadn’t heard of this either. The first two episodes are up on HBO and IT IS GOOOOD. There’s a little bit of Emma Thompson and I only hope there is more.

If you watch a lot of niche HBO shows and/or brit sitcoms you’ll recognize some of the cast. (image via HBO)

Girls. I decided to rewatch the show, see what it’s like now that I am a woman of New York (I didn’t even remember Hannah lived in Greenpoint, probably because I didn’t really know what Greenpoint was). I forgot it started in 2012, too, so the fashion is terrible and memorable. It holds up. Plus, fun cameos like Christopher from the Sopranos as one of Hannah’s old professors.

Want to watch: Booksmart. I’m hoping it’s Ladybird level teen movie. (“On the eve of their high school graduation, two academic superstars and best friends realize they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of fun into one night.”)

The Dead Don’t Die. Jim Jarmusch—amazing. Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tom Waits, Chloë Sevigny, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi—amazing. Zombies—sure why not?

Dream team. (photo via Abbot Genser/Focus Features)

Treasuring:

A Joyously Spectacular Life: I saw this quote and thoroughly enjoyed it: “If all you did was just looked for things to appreciate, you would live a joyously spectacular life.” ― Esther Abraham Hicks

Adventure: Finally leaving the country—to Canada and across the Atlantic Ocean—has encouraged and motivated me. Here’s to the beginning of passport stamps. Saying yes to adventure is highly recommended. Aka omg I am having so much fun!

Monday Memos // 88

Listening:

"Lonesome Love" by Mitski. Finally the whole album is out and it is superb.

"I See A Darkness" by Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

"Middle School Dance" by fthrsn.

Reading:

Beyoncé in Her Own Words: Her Life, Her Body, Her Heritage

The "It's Complicated" series from The Cut is one of my favorites

Graham Walzer's "Tools For Science," which entails images of his dad conducting "experiments"

These Vogue images are supreme. (Photographed by Tyler Mitchell, Vogue, September 2018

Craving:

Last week I got to eat some of my favorite things surrounded by some of my favorite people — comfort and grief wrapped up into a complex ball.

Carrot cranberry cake, vegan chocolate cake, Pop A Top brownies and blondies, plantain chips, blackened salmon salad... I didn't realize how much I missed it all and needed it all. 

Baby vegan chocolate cakes too. It looks like a flower. 

Wearing:

With all the heat and rain, it's dresses and sandals galore. I'm really dreaming about sweaters and socks.

Watching:

TV: Insecure is back: as good as ever. Binged several episodes of Claws: excellent Florida trash entertainment. Embarrassingly, but with the need of lighthearted junk television, I can't stop watching Insatiable on Netflix. 

Movies: I want to see We The Animals: looks emotional and beautiful). I saw To All the Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix: it was just the right amount of cheesy teen rom com that I needed. Read the IMDb page for The Goldfinch: I'm nervous to have my favorite book ruined by a movie, but the list of actors is so good (Nicole Kidman, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Ansel Elgort) fingers crossed it'll be amazing. 

Issa and Molly. (image via HBO)

Treasuring:

Gainesville: I was reminded of how comforting and beautiful and nurturing and supportive this little city is. I wish I could've visited under happier circumstances, but it still managed to bring so much brightness to a dark spot. Thankful for my home and my swampy Florida family. So many wonderful hugs.

I mean come on!

Monday Memos // 87

Listening:

"Tranquillo" by Eric V. Hachikian. 

"Doctor Doctor" by Oh Pep!

"Clean Jeans" by Remember Sports. 

Reading:

My Week in Disposable Film, By Marie Claire’s Design Director

10 useful foreign language words without direct English translation — the Japanese word “tsundoku,” which means to purchase books but never read them, letting them pile up on shelves or nightstands.

Insufferable Eaters by Olivia de Recat

Craving:

Delicious baked goods and iced coffees.

I did lots of wandering this weekend and the heat index and humidity were not the best. In between mopping sweat off my forehead and neck, I drank lots of iced coffee and refueled my energy with various treats. My favorite were the chocolate chip, double chocolate, and oatmeal raisin cookies from Chez Alex Bakery. A peach blueberry muffin from Bake Shop was also a moist little lifesaver. Plus, there was a banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and a giant cowboy one that were both delights. So many cookies. 

Bake Shop has good neon signs and flooring. 

Wearing:

Striped t-shirts. Shorts. Slacks. Small and often floral dresses. 

Got this Everlane tee and I could wear it every day. 

Watching:

I'm not feeling very obsessed and in awe of tv/movie media from the last week. So tidbits...

YouTube: Such a satisfying journey—Pastry Chef Attempts To Make Gourmet Oreos

TV: Can't wait for Insecure to start up again next week.

Movies: I want to see Crazy Rich Asians (seems like a good, light summer movie) and The Favourite (always a fan of the visually stunning and pretty twisted films of Yorgos Lanthimos).

Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz in the The Favourite.

Treasuring:

Music and walking and walking and walking: I feel revived by music. Hearing new bands and getting wrapped up in songs. Listening to mixes and cassette tapes. I feel great at my 6-month mark in the city. I'm still so excited to wander for hours and happen upon new corners of this place. 

Casual Wednesday morning. Plus, the striped shirt!