Monday Memos // 69

Listening:

"Ojos Del Sol" by Y La Bamba.

This song got me. I heard it on High Maintenance (a thousand times over, it is SO AMAZING) and it reminded me of something else. It took me to another place. I want to listen to it on repeat. On Sunday I had this leap of happiness and I just wanted to walk around in the cold windy night with this song as the soundtrack. So I put on my warm layers and walked by the water and literally skipped through a tunnel and played this song again and again and again. 

Reading:

Your First Kiss: What Was It Like? - I think I spent at least half an hour reading every single comment. 

Bon Appetit's sandwich guide in the March issue is top notch. A particularly fun read: 7 Sandwich Secrets We’re Stealing from Chefs (Thanks, Chefs).

A Day In the Life of a Line Cook at One of NYC's Fanciest Restaurants. Great and eye-opening.

I love this picture and would frame it. "Wylie Dufresne’s Scrambled Egg Sandwich." (image by Alex Lau via Bon Appetit)

Craving:

To say there are a lot of delicious things in New York to eat is like saying there is a lot of water in the ocean. I am overwhelmed and delighted by it all. 

On Friday night I went to see The Shape of Water — I loved it — and in a fabulous twist, the random theater I chose just happened to be a few blocks away from Levain Bakery. HOW DID I FORGET TO GO HERE??? I had the cookies shipped to me for a birthday a couple of years ago because I heard so many rave reviews about them (thank you David!). I popped into the bakery around 6pm as the wind and snow were destroying umbrellas outside. The warmth and scent of cookies enveloped me. I could've fainted from the smell. I got a chocolate chip walnut and a double chocolate peanut butter cookie. They were both gone by the next morning. 

(Note: I wrote everything before I read about the Oscar winners. Turns out my pull to The Shape of Water this last weekend was a good feeling. Sitting there alone, in the middle of the theater, I felt very comforted by the colors and story and people sitting near me. I do wish there were always multiple winners. So many wonderful choices.)

Wearing:

Purple vans. All the jackets. Black loafers. My It's-It sweatshirt. Chapstick. I really should be stepping it up now that I work in the same building as Vogue, Teen Vogue, Glamour, etc. Lipstick? Wide leg culottes? Chic jumpsuits? Silk? 

Watching:

I watched the first episode of Here and Now. I'm intrigued, I have questions, and I'll give a few more episodes a try. I'm caught up with This Is Us finally and all cried out. I still miss my pretend Australian tv friends.

Yesterday I was reminded of the movie Delicatessen and it made me want to revisit all my Jean-Pierre Jeunet favorites (The City of Lost Children, A Very Long Engagement, Amélie).

The colors in The Shape of Water reminded me of Delicatessen. (image via Delicatessen)

Treasuring:

Wind: The wind last week was strong and made everything feel extra cold, but I loved it. The wildly dancing snowflakes. The whistling in the leaves. The rippling of the water. The hilarity when attempting to walk with an umbrella. 

A nor'easter y'all! (image via NYPL)

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE! I hope you win all the things.

Monday Memos // 67

Listening:

Similar to last week, I was eating another beautiful breakfast alone and the music playing was getting me deep in my heart. My brain then unlocked a playlist from another life and these jams just kept coming to me.

"New Partner" by Palace Music.

"Wish You Were Here" by Sparklehorse and Radiohead.

Reading:

My Grandmother’s Very Specific Meat-Related Rule for Finding Love 

The 25 best icebreaker questions for team-building at work - #20: How do you like your eggs? Recently I went out for breakfast and when the server asked me how I wanted my eggs, I responded with "over medium." She then said, "is that over easy?" Me: "Uh, no." And then she walked off. It boggled my mind for days. 

Angelica Hicks's NYC Apartment Is as Cheeky and Chic as Her Art - These murals are so good.

Always into cake. (illustration by Grace Lee via bonappetit)

Craving:

I have a strong urge to walk into every "healthy market" I come upon. There is something comforting about a store with rows of bulk bins (dried fruits, raw nuts, nutritional yeast, carob covered things) and oaten treats and maybe even a corner with a wheatgrass juicing machine. Yesterday, in such a store, I stumbled upon these healthy sweet treats called Cookie Brittle. It's just the right amount of salty and sweet and textured (almonds, chocolate, cocoa, oat flour, etc). The Brooklyn-based company, "Baked By Bibis," makes all sort of breads, crisps, and loaves. I've got my eyes peeled for more BBB delights.

"A healthy treat." If you say so... (image via sephardic.org)

Wearing:

I cannot wait to recover more of my clothes as I begin to live again beyond my suitcase. I have a simple formula lately: black puffer coat (looks similar to a thin sleeping bag), sweater (solid colored turtleneck), pants (jeans or patterned black slacks), wool socks, boots (black Frye hikers), sometimes a hat or a scarf or a handkerchief. At least I'm warm. 

I went on a hunt for cheap sweatpants this weekend. I had the specific goal of finding a pair to wear for my wintery walk to the gym. As I was browsing the discount activewear section and all the not-totally-ugly sweatpants were too far in the double digits price range, I had my aha moment. The old standby: look in the kids section! I found decent pair, youth large, for $8. Perfect. When I paid, the cashier said, "I hope he enjoys them." Ha! My son, aka myself, will.

I didn't see enough wildness during Fashion Week. (image by Aisha Franz via nytimes)

Watching:

I can finally reenter the world as I fully, obsessively (now mournfully) finished my Australian show. Just a day later I miss my characters. 

I'm interested in seeing HBO's latest series, "Here and Now." Holly Hunter and Tim Robbins with creator Alan Ball. Seems promising, but I've glimpsed mixed reviews. I'm also curious about Netflix's new show, "Everything Sucks." "A coming-of-age story, set in the 1990s, that revolves around the A/V and drama clubs at a Boring, Ore., high school; the two crews of outsiders join forces to make a movie and endure the purgatory that is high school." Sounds like a mashup of a variety of popular tropes. 

Treasuring:

No Conclusions / Many Happy Endings. Cup of Jo is the land of wonderful stories and amazing comments. This comment was highlighted the other day and I found it to be more than I could articulate... Says Kate on an accidental wedding dress: “I was married in a rose-colored dress, am now divorced but count my ex-husband among my closest family members, and am in a monogamous (unmarried) long-term relationship and full-time parent to my partner’s two step-kids. On the day I got married in that beautiful rose dress, I never, ever would have predicted that a decade later I would find myself here, living a completely different life. And so I offer you this: There will be many milestones but no conclusions. The feeling of being settled is a transient one — regardless of whether we remain married to one person ’til death do us part or spend our lives single, stability comes and goes, and any belief to the contrary is an illusion. There is at once no answer and always an answer: It exists right here, in this essay, inside yourself, in the people you love and places you go and the work you do. You are the answer, the one constant in the cornucopia of happily-ever-afters that will most likely exist within the span of your lifetime. So, let’s let go of the idea that there is one happy ending and celebrate the many happy endings, the shapes of each other’s lives and the many shapes of our own. And let’s do it in whatever damn dress (or jeans or pajamas) makes us feel most like ourselves.”

(image by Gabrielle Assaf)

Monday Memos // 65

Listening:

"All My Loving" by The Beatles.

"Ubik" by Reptaliens. 

Reading:

The Mugs That Our Favorite Ceramicists Can't Live Without - I love these kind of "favorite things" pieces. The artwork is so great too. "One recent study found that one in six people have an emotional attachment to one particular mug. A third would be “angry” or “totally devastated” if their favorite one broke. So it’s totally normal to grow attached to a certain mug; it’s always there for you, unless someone else is using it. (Don’t do that.)"

What's your favorite mug? (illustrations by Maria Sainte via bonappetit)

Doing the Right Thing for the Wrong Reason

(images by Miss Lasko-Gross via thenewyorker)

I’ll Need Your Café’s Wi-Fi Password Because I’m Working on My Novel Today - "Would you like to take a photograph of me and hang it up, so you can one day tell your patrons that a famous author sat here for twelve hours using your Wi-Fi and only purchased a single coffee? What size for the coffee? The smallest you have, please."

Craving:

A moment of wanting a big bowl of something delicious nearby brought me to the fast-casual restaurant Cava. I can always go for Mediterranean food. The sauces and pita and toppings were all so good I went back a few days later.

I'll be back. (image via zagat)

I finally tried a cookie from Ovenly. As their website says, "we adventurously explore culinary traditions with an unexpected twist, thoughtfully melding sweet and savory with a touch of spice." Even though I just had a simple salted chocolate chip cookie ("secretly vegan"), it was so wonderful. I'm still dying to try their Brooklyn blackout cake. 

One of everything please. (image via ovenly by winona barton-ballentine)

Wearing:

Unintentionally, my entire wardrobe was black, grey, and blue this week. I suppose my red knit hat adds a dose of color, but I could stand to brighten things up. Most likely I'll throw in some sparkles and bright plaids. It's so cold, burrowing in black just feels right. 

Colorful inspiration. Top image: Marni Spring 2018 Ready-to-Wear fashion show on Vogue Runway. Middle image: Lupita Nyong’o photographed by Erik Madigan Heck for "The Guardian." Bottom image: Gorman clothing.

Watching:

Turns out they're making a Big Lebowski spin-off based on John Turturro's character, Jesus Quintana. I'm weary but intrigued; also, the Coen brothers aren't involved. "Strangely, this film is apparently a remake of the 1974 French film "Les Valseuses." This new version, which also stars Bobby Cannavale, Audrey Tautou, and Susan Sarandon," is titled "Going Places."

So deep in my Australian tv romance I can hardly watch anything else. I did manage some hotel viewing sessions of "Jeopardy" and "Seinfeld" as palate cleansers. 

(image via slashfilm.com)

Treasuring:

Revival. Some synonyms include: improvement, recovery, rallying, picking up, amelioration, turn for the better, upturn, upswing, resurgence... I'm feeling my happiness returning. I'm remembering what it feels like to be excited about the entire day (for several days in a row). I'm so busy and fulfilled I'm doing more than crossword puzzles and wandering around the mall. A few nights ago I turned out the light, going to sleep with tears of contentment streaking my face and a smile in my heart. The kitten on the poster was right: hang in there. 

🖐🏻Must love cats. (drawing by Nadine Redlich)

Monday Memos // 59

Listening:

"Shelia" by Atlas Sound.

"Cathy's Clown" by The Everly Brothers.

"Kiss" by Scout Niblett (Feat. Will Oldham)

Reading:

When you want to do something that seems unattainable: A Story of a Big Dream and a Single, Small Step.

I love the Smarter Living section of the New York Times. From sleeping to running to hosting a party, they've got some good words/ideas to help out. How To Be Happy.

Poppy! (Illustration by Esther Aarts via nytimes)

Craving:

Roasted squash, pesto on everything, Acme Bread (specifically the Cranberry Whole Wheat Raisin Walnut loaf), peanut butter by the spoonful, and microwaved chocolate mug desserts.

Thanks Mom and Dad for schlepping this from Berkeley! "The natural sugars from the cranberries and raisins make it a great choice for breakfast toast or mildly sweet snacks throughout the day. This bread also sticks to your ribs and keeps you feeling full and well-nourished for hours on end." (image via acmebread)

Wearing:

Back to my old habits, entering and winning giveaways, I received this perfectly funny and quite beautiful pizza pendant necklace from a favorite maker: Yellow Owl Workshop. It definitely speaks to my deep love of pizza. I love wearing it. 

They make so many whimsical designs. I have a cat and terrarium pendant, too. (image via yellowowlworkshop)

Watching:

"Lady Dynamite." Maria Bamford silliness. "Series is based on what Maria has accepted to be 'her life.' The occasionally surreal episodes, refracted across multiple periods of the actor/comedian's life, tell the story of a woman who loses - and then finds - herself." So many outstanding comedians as guest stars. 

"She's Gotta Have It." I've watched several episode of the Netflix tv remake of Spike Lee's movie. It's entertaining, the music is great, there are some thought-provoking elements, and it's a little cheesy. So much of the dialogue is emoted like a spoken word performance. It can be really hilarious and a little cringe-worthy. I'll definitely finish the season.

I've been itching to watch some Christmas comedies like "Elf" or "Home Alone." I think a dose of Will Ferrell is always a good cure for the winter blues. 

Treasuring:

Cold weather. Snow! Boots! Hats! Scarves! Even if it makes my nose run, it's exciting to have some weather other than hot. I'm enjoying the slipper-centric, hot-cocoa-desiring briskness. Plus, it makes the holiday season feel more exciting. To wake up with snowflakes falling was such a treat. My cat has been tucking himself into my blankets at night and it's so sweet and cuddly.

This is my current and future self. (ILLUSTRATION BY KONSTANTIN KAKANIAS via nytimes)