Monday Memos // 85

Listening:

"Don't Go Back at Ten" by Girl Ray.  This video is brilliant.

"All My Friends" by Land of Talk.

"All Our Base Are Belong To Them" by The Books. Minute 1:28–1:56 is my favorite.

Reading:

Rejoice! A new advice column to read! Dear Pepper — I am becoming a great fan of Liana Finck.

The Extinction of the Middle Child. They’re becoming an American rarity, just when America could use them the most.

I still enjoy this even though I really did win the roommate jackpot and love mine dearly (also makes me want to draw little doodles): Perfect Roommates You’ll Never Find

For interior/color palette drooling: Inside Villa Stenersen, Oslo’s Under-the-Radar Gem of Modernist Architecture

"The gallery room, which would have at one time been lined with drawings and paintings by Munch, lies on the other side of the glass bricks. The family's residences — including the nursery and master bedroom — were located on the topmost floor." Aka DREAM ROOM (via sightunseen)

Craving:

Fresh cherries. Iced coffee. Trader Joe's quinoa pesto. Persian cucumber salad. Thai cucumber salad. Sparkling water. All signs point to: it's summer.

I want to make this Smashed Cucumber Salad with Hot Vinegar. (via bonappetit)

Wearing:

Chic black sacks. Think art teacher caftans and slightly detailed pillowcase dresses. 

Thank-You-Mom business skirts. My mom gave me a bunch of nice Banana Republic sort-of pencils skirts and I've been pairing them with tees and funky button-ups.

Cushioned shoes. The heat and all the wandering make comfortable footwear a must. 

Questionable meets fun!

Watching:

Friday afternoon I needed a break from work, from texts, from thoughts, from self. So I went to the Angelika Film Center (one of my favorite movie spots) to see Sorry To Bother You. I hadn't read much. I hadn't done research. I just knew Lakeith Stanfield would entertain me. Turns out it is INCREDIBLE. 

Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You ambitiously pushes the envelope of the sci-fi and comedy genres for a wholly unique, refreshing and hilarious film. —Molly Freeman

If you’re not bothered — also tickled, irked, mystified and provoked — by Sorry to Bother You, then you’ve fallen asleep on the job. —A.O. Scott

GO SEE IT NOW. If nothing else, it is worth it for the outfits and Tessa Thompson's constantly changing statement earrings.

I am now even more enamored with Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson. 

Treasuring:

Oceans and elation: On Saturday, I woke up too early and saw a bunch of hilarious street art in Harlem. I got a free juice from a literal oasis—Oasis Jimma Juice Bar. I took a long train ride to Brooklyn. I took two busses to the beach. I had an outrageously wonderful time in the ocean breeze, swimming in the water, eating snacks, telling stories, feeling so happy to have amazing new friends.

I laughed a lot. I was sandy. I took more bus rides. I wandered. I took more train rides. I ended up in Queens, at a party with a great deejay, lots of machinery covered in tulle, and great outfits to observe. The city got windy and the trash swirled in the air. I basked in the smell of my favorite tree (calliandra/powder puff). The rain poured. A stranger stuck his foot in the door of the 2 train so I didn't have to wait for another. I got into bed with my tangled matte of beach hair and thought about how many stupendous days I've had this year. 

Calliandra surinamensis and Calliadra haematocephala (Pink Powder Puff Tree). (image via youtube)

Monday Memos // 84

Listening:

"Who's That Guy" by Ricky Banda.  This Zamrock! album is so good. Listen to it all. 

"The River" by Diane Cluck and Jeffrey Lewis.  This song brings me back to a time in my life that I want to smile, laugh, and cry about. Reminds me of jamming on a melodica. 

"Crazy In Love" by Antony and The Johnsons.  This is a wild Beyonce cover, but I've been an Anohni fan for many years. I once had a dance routine set to the original, so I definitely know all the words. 

Reading:

Important thoughts: How to Tell the Bad Men From the Good Men. If anything, read the last paragraph... "despite sex happening all the time, everywhere, we still — still! — haven’t found a way to talk about it that is truthful, open, informative, and not scaring the living daylights out of our young people. We seem not to have told them, at any point, how lovely it all should be. We’ve somehow managed to screw this up. Our tabula is still rasa."

I would hang out with this cast in a heartbeat: Nothing Is Off the Table at Dinner With the Cast of Queer Eye.

Where Your Personalities Go While You’re Having Sex.

I just love Don Featherstone, creator of the pink lawn flamingo. (Image via Seth Resnick/Science Faction, via Corbis)

Craving:

Last week felt like an infinite weekend with the Fourth of July holiday falling on a Wednesday. It was also a major heat wave. For better or worse, I consumed quite a bit of ice cream to combat the constant sweat. I had received several free pints of dairy-free ice cream, so I had minimal stomach aches/heaviness. Whole Foods has some new almond milk-based ice creams that weren't bad — I recommend the chocolate chip peanut butter option. Häagen-Dazs really was the winner though, since their varieties are just like eating cold, creamy truffles. 

The rest of the week could be categorized with beach snacks, tiki drinks, more ice cream, the most bubbly water, and multiple late night pizza pit stops. To say it was a fun week would be a vast understatement. 

This is one of my favorite photos from many moons ago (hi Kyle!). My ice cream tendencies are strong and secure.

Wearing:

Broke out an old red-and-white striped jumpsuit (short-shorts) for the holiday, more so for the trip to the beach and the heat versus the patriotism. Wore stupid baseball hats. Wore silly sunglasses. Felt a great swell in my heart that I have new friends I can be my weirdest with. 

Said sunglasses.

Watching:

Saw: I finally saw the movie Band Aid and loved it more than I imagined. Also, Duck Butter — absolutely go watch it, Alia Shawkat is amazing.

What's cooler than a girl named Sergio? (image via variety)

To Be Seen: I'm ready to go sob in a theater watching Won't You Be My Neighbor?  Also can't wait for Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot. Gus Van Sant, Joaquin Phoenix, Jack Black, done!

Jonah Hill is always great too. (image via variety)

Treasuring:

Bliss: I'm channeling playfulness, contentment, and unobstructed joy. I'm attempting giddiness without doubt or worry. Last night I fell asleep with smiles and laughter for myself, in my newly air-conditioned room, cocooned in blankets and lightness. I think it's working. I recommend it.

Accurate representation of my brain.

Monday Memos // 83

Listening:

"Breathe In, Breathe Out" by Melody's Echo Chamber.

"SUMMER" by The Carters.

"123" by Girlpool. 

Reading:

MODERN LOVE: He’s Going Back to His Former Wife. Sort Of.

Good photos, interesting outfits: What 9 Instagram Employees Wore to Their New Offices

Read this for the sake of "Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins: Do You Have a Favorite Poem?

Great tips and excellent tricks, and the best piece of advice "build your trip around croissants."

I love the nanny story too. (photo by Aubrie Pick via bonappetit)

Craving:

Last weekend I was in Seattle and ate so many fabulous things. I even got to experience first class Alaska Air breakfast (scrambled eggs, french toast with rhubarb thyme compote, and ricotta with salty honey, berries, and slivered almonds). 

At The Whale Wins, a white and blue cottage-like space, I ate burrata with asparagus, pesto, wine-soaked cherries, and breadcrumbs, custardy French toast, carrot and beet hummus with braised collards and jammy eggs. At Manolin, probably my favorite spot, I had oysters, perfect plantain chips, rockfish ceviche, giant fresh mussels on toast, grilled beef with creamed yucca and chimichurri, and some refreshing scallops. I had the best sushi ever. I had three halves of the some outstanding doughnuts. There's more, but I'm jealous of my past self already. 

I want to own a home with Manolin-esque decor. I love the PNW. (image via manolin)

Wearing:

I've been wearing lots of patterns and/or dresses lately to deal with the summer and the heat. At the end of every day my clothes were sweat-soaked and I needed a cold shower. My favorite look of recent days: a big vintage silky blouse as a dress, over a slip. It was just the sort of comfort and fun to wear for a full Friday. Lots of Keds and structured sandals. 

Watching:

Saw: I finished Killing Eve — watch it. I've watched a few episodes of Nailed It for some comic, baking lightness. Saw some Godard at one of my favorite New York theaters, Metrograph. 

To Be Seen: Beautiful Boy, which I am sure will make me sob. Three Identical Strangers looks wild and wonderful.

Short Bits: The BA video team is making some highly entertaining stuff.

Treasuring:

The Pacific Northwest: Seattle was beautiful. Chilly and breezy. Mountains and ocean. Waterfalls and ferris wheels. Fresh fish and pastries. One of my best friends and one of my favorite felines. I laughed so much and wandered and lazed. I cannot wait to go back.

This app randomly inserting a rainbow filter and it perfectly coincided with pride weekend. 

Monday Memos // 82

Listening:

This week is brought to you by brevity.

"Gladly" by Tirzah.

"Velvet Ring" by Big Thief.

I discovered NPR's Field Recordings and it's a worthy rabbit hole to fall into. 

"Take A Sunset Cruise With Mac DeMarco"

Reading:

IN PRAISE OF AN AFTERNOON AT THE MOVIES

WHOLE30 CHANGED MY ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD BECAUSE I’M DEAD NOW

If you ever need a laugh and love snacks, these Trader Joe's write-ups are gold: Trader Joe’s New Not-Flamin’-Hot-Cheetos Are the Devil’s Work

I love a food pattern. Coffee Toffee Shortbread Cookies (photo via bonappetit)

Craving:

More granola. Mixed nut butter. Mushrooms. And all the fruit. 

Also, how about these high carbohydrate lamps. 

Summer always reminds me of this William Carlos Williams poem. 

Wearing:

I'm leaning back into one of my old standards: dressing very Florida retiree. Big button-up short sleeved shirts with some sort of flora. Shorts. Comfortable sandals or old Keds. When I'm not going out in public it's a lot of tank tops and elastic waist pants. Summer comfort. 

ADAMJK provides a worthy reminder. 

Watching:

Tears running down my face by way of new episodes of Queer Eye.

Next weekend The Great British Bake Off is back and I am delighted for more bakes, sweetness, and accents.

Treasuring:

Rest: This past weekend included delightful lounging. Long bus rides. Afternoon naps. Lying on the floor with cats. Stopping to admire flowers. Floating around in a pool. Taking strolls with family and sharing bites of a single caramel. Eating wedges of cookies and handfuls of berries. Lazing in bed to read and write and edit and write. Just the thing to recharge for more adventures.

Plus a mom-made berry galette.