Monday Memos // 60

Happy New Year! 2—0—1—8!

A Monday, a full moon, a fresh start... everything feels good and right.

Listening:

"Audrey (Spending All My Time With You)" by The Shacks. 

"After Hours" by The Velvet Underground.

"Wild Heart" by Stevie Nicks

Reading:

Mistakes You’re Going to Keep Making Forever. 

The Anti-Resolution Revolution: 5 Vows You Can Keep.

9 Ways to Be a Better Person in 2018. Accept the things you cannot control. We reported on the wedding of 98-year-old Gertrude Mokotoff and 94-year-old Alvin Mann, who, like so many couples before them, met at the gym. The groom, who also earned a bachelor’s degree in history last year, shared this advice on living a long life: “Of course, one part of it is medical science, but the bigger part is that we live worry-free lives; we do not let anything we cannot control bother us in the least.”

Of All the Blogs in the World, He Walks Into Mine. I'm such a fan of this couple through and through.

I'm into wishes. (image by Julia Rothman via nytimes)

Craving:

After spending most of December eating all the treats—favorite's including mom's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, magic cookie bars, peanut butter blossoms, and Christmas carrot cake; an outstanding chocolate macaron from Ladurée; a homemade birthday peach pie... the list goes on—I'm ready for our lucky New Year's Day dinner (and hopefully leftovers): Hoppin' John. We're mixing it up this year with Black-Eyed Pea Chile Verde.

I love green food. (image by Gentl & Hyers via bonappetit)

For those uninitiated: "Hoppin' John, also known as Carolina Peas and Rice is a peas and rice dish served in the Southern United States. Eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck." The peas = pennies or coins. Leafy green vegetables = more wealth. Cornbread = even more wealth, the color of gold.

If you're looking to eat your way to a better year: 10 Foods That Will Bring You Good Luck in the New Year.

I support the idea of cake being good luck. (image by Shay Harrington via bonappetit)

Wearing:

The theme lately is warm feet. Birthday and Christmas brought me new boots (amazing black hiker boots, beautiful black Chelsea boots, and perfect for sloshy weather brown snow boots) and new socks (a running pair, a medium height/thickness pair, and a heavy duty pair—all Smartwool). Stepping into a new year right! 

Watching:

Want to see: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." "The Shape of Water." The new Netflix Chappelle specials: "Equanimity & The Bird Revelation."

Saw and loved: "Ladybird." Yes, finally, perfection.

Enjoying on a regular basis: "The Great British Bake Off." I'm one episode away from seeing every episode that exists. Highly recommend season 4 on Netflix. "The Big Family Cooking Showdown." My parents and I have been watching an episode a night and drooling. I want to eat all the things.

Treasuring:

Reflections. I'm not worried about great, big, overwhelming looks back on 2017, but I am holding onto the best of times in my memory. I traveled more than usual (Maryland, New York, California, Washington, D.C.). I got out of my comfort zone constantly (making huge changes, moving, moving, moving, trying, exploring). I made new friends (several incredible people came into my life in new, exciting, challenging, loving, heartwarming, and creative ways). I spent more time with family. I wrote more. I got incredible job opportunities. I felt great amounts of love and fell in love and cried about love and created things from love (direct, indirect, abstract, solid, complicated, superb). I found many things that gave me a spark, and to realize how long the list is, even though so much of it felt incredibly difficult, I'm taking that as a win.

Freshness. I am looking forward to this new year—the idea of novelty, crispness, and possibility buzzing around. Cheers to more of the best.

Great words, as usual. (via @adamjk)

Monday Memos // 58

Listening:

"Drivin' On 9" by The Breeders.

You could be a shadow / Beneath the street light / Behind my home / Drivin' on 9 / I sure miss you

"Just Another Diamond Day" by Vashti Bunyan.

"Sister" by Angel Olsen.

"For You" by Sharon Van Etten.

Sharon just reissued her 2009 debut album, "because i was in love," with a two new tracks (this is an old one) entitled "(it was) because i was in love."

I was hoping that you knew I'd wait for you / I do, I do

“Blissing Me” by Björk.

The second song released from her tenth album, "Utopia." "Much like “Headphones” (released twenty-one years earlier), the track is a subdued electronic ballad about 'two music nerds' falling in love via swapping music."

Reading:

I can't concentrate on any books lately. Is my mind too full or are they just not the best books for me? I started "Telegraph Avenue" by Michael Chabon, though, and I like thinking about all the East Bay scenery and characters. 

"A big-hearted and exhilarating novel that explores the profoundly intertwined lives of two Oakland, California families, one black and one white. In "Telegraph Avenue," Chabon lovingly creates a world grounded in pop culture—Kung Fu, ’70s Blaxploitation films, vinyl LPs, jazz and soul music—and delivers a bravura epic of friendship, race, and secret histories."

One of the rejected covers of the novel. (via huffingtonpost)

Craving:

I continued my leisurely, lifelong adventure of trying all the Ethiopian platters/combinations that I can. This week took me to a random strip mall in Ellicott City, Maryland. There were minimal tables, one family eating, and seemingly one employee—also a local realtor. The smell was divine. My younger brother and I shared two combinations—kindly put together as one giant plate. For the first time in all my dining experiences, we were offered hot sauce. It was red, the thickness and color of Sriracha, the slightest bit tangy, and really good. The chicken was a bit tough, but everything else made up for it. 

Also consistently eating: dark chocolate, almonds, cashews, dried sour cherries, extra toasty toast, and spinach.

Kind of hard to show a bunch of piles of brown food in a flattering light. So here is a beautiful food image by Leah Goren. (via pinterest)

Wearing:

I had an epiphany last week: "I need to be embraced in the hug of my It's It sweatshirt!" When it's cold outside and you feel a little under the weather and a little sad, encase yourself in the image of a fabulous ice cream sandwich. Luckily I knew where to find it in the storage unit of all my belongings. We are reunited and it is so cozy. 

I know I have mentioned the sweatshirt and delicacy here before. (image via zielcreative)

Watching:

I watched almost the entirety of "Easy" season two in one sitting. From awkward to hilarious to mind-boggling to heartbreaking, the characters, stories, and music are wonderful. 

For those who appreciate The Great British Baking Show/Bakeoff," Netflix has another sweet and mouthwatering option, "The Big Family Cooking Showdown." 

I've heard nothing but praises and heartache around "Call Me By Your Name." This romantic drama is more fully and convincingly realized than most cinematic love stories in recent memory.

On the other hand, "The Disaster Artist" looks entertaining and goofy. Because I know Kelly Oxford is involved, I am extra thrilled.

Treasuring:

Emotions. Sometimes you have those periods of time where you cry a lot. I try to embrace those times and let it all wash over me—pour out of me. Sometimes you have to cry on the sidewalk and at a restaurant and in a car and on the couch—wherever it strikes. I think 2017 needs to squeeze a little more out of us. It is going to no matter what.

Untitled by Pablo Picasso (via missmoss)

Vintage Marimekko editorial in a LIFE magazine edition from 1966. (via missmoss)

Monday Memos // 54

Listening:

"Fool" by Perfume Genius.

"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell.

"Superstar" by The Carpenters.

Reading:

A rabbit hole of research led me to revisit a favorite magazine article about my maternal grandparents. It's adorable: Mary and Lloyd—the second couple. I could reread it a thousand times.

I like reading about perspectives I know nothing about. This is a great example: Dating as a Single Mom.

I also love when a link in a story leads me to another wonderful story and so on and so forth and then I am just filled with new ideas and information: "Artist David Hockney Says The Drive To Create Pictures 'Is Deep Within Us.'"

"In a recent series of photographic drawings, David Hockney, shown above in his studio, plays with the relationship between painting and photography." (image via Richard Schmidt/David Hockney/Abrams Books)

Craving:

Cold weather carbs (hot pizza, hot pesto pasta, toasted bread with butter and jam), carrot cake and chocolate cake balls (my Whole Foods in the vicinity weakness), and coffee coffee and more coffee. 

Not my preferred slice, but it's beautiful nonetheless.

Wearing:

My (paternal) grandmother gave me a jacket that had been a gift to my great grandmother from a friend's trip to China. It's a thick silk with floral embroidery. Reversible! One side is black and one side is bright red. The red side makes me feel like Michael Jackson. I put it on for a try and kept it on for hours. I think I might just wear it all the time.

I put on my (maternal) grandma's wedding ring last week, as I often do when I need some extra strength. I haven't taken it off since and I think it's helping.

Watching:

Cannot wait to see: "Ladybird" (absolutely everything about this makes my heart sing; Greta Gerwig is my newest hero) and "I Love You, Daddy" (Louis C.K. and John Malkovich and total weirdness, yesss!).

Recently viewed: "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story" (so strange and fascinating and sad) and "Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold" (incredibly inspiring and quite heartbreaking).

Treasuring:

Family hangouts—it's really nice when you think your family is the best (because they are) and get to be with them and laugh with them and take goofy photos of yourself with them.

Flexibility—as stressful as the limbo phase of life is, it's kind of cool to be able to move around and explore and work from a computer and try on different environments.

What Would Peggy Do? (Unknown photographer, Peggy Guggenheim in her bedroom, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, Venice)

Monday Memos // 53

Listening:

"I Want To Be Evil" by Eartha Kitt.

"Time of the Season" by The Zombies.

"Morning Dew" by Kelsey Lu.

Reading:

"Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes" by Alison Roman.

Last week I went to an interview/Q&A with Alison Roman at Books Are Magic. She was hilarious and inspiring and made me want to eat boiled potatoes dipped in butter and sea salt. I've been following her on the internet for years and I'm excited to see her success. Plus, her food just always makes my mouth water. I am looking forward to reading this and making some delectable things.

“This is not a cookbook. It's a treasure map. Open Dining In and you'll find Alison Roman joyously leading you to the promised land of extraordinary home cooking. Into every one of her stunningly beautiful recipes she's tucked the clues that will invariably lead you to deliciousness: keep it simple, have fun with your food, pack in the flavor, and, most importantly, share it with the people you love.” — Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat 

The images and styling are beautiful—she served the cheesy persimmon pear thing at the book event. Plus, Pocky, she loves Pocky. (Photos by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott, via Clarkson Potter.)

Craving:

It's so exciting to feel chilly air and want a hot beverage. I've been on an almond milk latte kick—a few shakes of cinnamon on top. And soup! I have never been much of a soup person, but I've been eating it several times a week. Boxed, canned, freshly made, I have dipped my spoon in it all.

Also, my sweet tooth won't quit. I made a repeat trip to Ample Hills for their incredible ice cream. I've had to make many trips to cafes for internet access and can't help myself to a simple chocolate chip cookie or appley, oat-y something. I could go for some pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving can't come soon enough.

Look at this stunner: butterscotch pumpkin pie. (via acozykitchen)

Wearing:

Broke out my favorite denim jacket this weekend—it feels like a hug with it's faux fur collar tight around my neck. (Floridian in the north enjoying real seasonal weather)

Yesterday I was walking in the rain and instantly realized slip-on Vans were a terrible choice in footwear. But wooden, Mary Jane-style clogs or cheap loafers didn't seem great either. I need some weatherproof boots. It's a fun project to be on the hunt for footwear (and to actually need it). The secondhand shopping in a big city is thrilling.

Tis the season. (illustration via Jordan Sondler)

Watching:

I'm excited to dig into the second season of "Stranger Things." I think it's surprising I haven't heard any spoilers yet.

Mostly I have only seen a few episodes of things this week (don't ask me about my internet problems): "Better Things" and "Broad City." I'm constantly blown away by how both of those shows cover difficult topics and make them both hilarious and tender and new. Ilana tackled seasonal affective disorder with a lamp and RuPaul and it was nothing short of genius. 

I'm ready for all the November/December movie releases. Particularly, Paul Thomas Anderson's latest, "Phantom Thread." Christmas Day! Daniel Day! 

"Set in the glamour of 1950's post-war London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) are at the center of British fashion, dressing royalty, movie stars, heiresses, socialites, debutants and dames with the distinct style of The House of Woodcock. Women come and go through Woodcock's life, providing the confirmed bachelor with inspiration and companionship, until he comes across a young, strong-willed woman, Alma (Vicky Krieps), who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Once controlled and planned, he finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love."

Daniel Day-Lewis's final film! (image via thetelegraph)

Treasuring:

Extravagant costumes. Colorful fallen leaves. Supportive friends. Strong brainwaves. Funny podcasts. Lively environments. Feelings that make my eyes water and my heart swell.

By Hart Crane