There are the types of photos Nathan sends me when I'm out of town.
Words
Sidenote: Happy Birthday to one of the best women I know, my friend Marla. You're easily one of my favourite people on earth and I love you an amount that I shouldn't admit aloud.
Happy Birthday, Mom!
Thank you for being you, Mom. You're the most unique, loving, caring person I've ever known and I try every day to become more like you.
Night Routine
This happens every single night before we turn the light off.
Spring List 2016
SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Finally.
So here's my list of things to do this perfect season of all seasons.
Eat at a Michelin starred restaurant
Drink at The Blue Bar in the Algonquin Hotel
Visit the new Whitney museum
Visit M. Wells Steakhouse
Make pad thai at home for the first time
Make an at-home strawberry face mask
Visit the Essex Street Market
Eat pizza in Staten Island
Attempt to make Julia Child's beouf bourguignon
Eat a business lunch at Sardi's
Have you started making seasonal lists of things to do yet? Are you really not into the idea?
My 31st Birthday
I'm 31! And it's not terrible, it's actually kind of nice. I keep waiting to be freaked out about being in my thirties and it hasn't happened.
I went to the Hayden Planetarium today with Nathan for the first time and it was perfect. Not really worth the price, but I was happy to have finally visited. Also, why the hell aren't the chairs more reclinable there? All the money that goes into a place like that and the chairs sit upright while you glare at the ceiling and kill your neck? Makes no sense.
In any case, it was such a nice day and thanks to everyone who had very sweet things to say to me today!
Winter List Revisited
You may recall that I made a winter list of things that I wanted to do. Did I do them? Let's see.
- "FINALLY try to make cauliflower crust for a pizza." - I did it! Check it out!
- "Visit the Martha Stewart Café in Chelsea." - I did, and it was lacklustre! And totally out of the way (it's near 11th Avenue), so don't ever bother.
- "Finally visit Fraunces Tavern." - I only made it there to have drinks (we got there too late to eat food or see the museum), but the drinks were average? I don't know, I didn't see the big deal. Maybe the museum part's cooler? No wait, that last sentence doesn't make sense.
- "Make homemade vanilla extract." - I completely forgot about this one, oops.
- "Eat a By Chloe vegan burger." - I did it and you can read about it here.
So that's that, I got 4/5. Not bad. Spring, here we go!
Friend Reminders
I like to tell you how to organize your life, I realize, and I'll probably never stop.
That being said, are you constantly forgetting things? I'm not talking about important things, those are easy to remember. But the lesser-important things like:
- A restaurant you want to try with a specific friend
- An episode of some show that you need to force someone to watch
- An anecdote that only your mom will find funny
- An idea of a birthday gift for your boyfriend
- ETC.
How are you supposed to remember these tiny, somewhat-insignificant thoughts? Why, in list form, of course! I use the Note Pad app on my phone for things like this and it's entitled "Friend Reminders" and in it I list my friends (and some family members) names and I bullet point things underneath each name that I have to remember to do or say to them the next time I see them. Does that seem like too much effort? No. And it shouldn't. Doing this lets my brain relax and focus on other things. And I highly encourage you start one if you've ever had trouble remembering nonsense.
Journelle
Journelle is a lingerie brand (with three stores in New York and one in Chicago) featuring luxury designer lingerie, bras, underwear and loungewear and it is EONS BETTER THAN VICTORIA'S SECRET.
At this point, you should be fully aware of the many things that make me mad. But something else that I could add to that ever-growing list? The annoyance of finding decent, affordable bras. There have been so many instances where I'll walk into a Victoria's Secret, find nothing that fits me the way I want it to, and just settle for whatever hurts me the least. Does that make any sense? Why am I willingly spending my money on crap that's never satisfied me?
Anyway, I had these thoughts the other day in a Victoria's Secret changing room. And maybe I was getting more worked up than usual, because I could take it no longer. So I Googled other bra places in the area and found a Journelle store a mere two blocks from me. I figured that it would be too expensive a place since it was in Soho, but I was desperate and thought, "I just want to see what else is out there."
Before I even get into how superior their bras were, here are just a few facts about the brand:
- They serve champagne on Fridays
- You get 20% off anything during your birthday month
- They have a program where you can return your old, used bras (purchased from anywhere) and get a discount on whatever you buy there
- They offer bottles of water and chocolates, even just for browsing the store
- They have signs like this in their dressing room:
And the bras themselves? Fucking heaven. There's every size in the world and they look (and feel) gorgeous. Even when I was trying them on, I finally figured it out: you're supposed to find a bra that fits you and not the other way around. Doe that make sense? Every Victoria's Secret experience I've ever had has been difficult because that store bases itself around the bras themselves, not the women trying them on. Even their campaigns aren't aimed at their immediate customer base - none of the VS models resemble anyone I've ever even seen in a VS store and yet we're all so quick to think it's the only place to get a bra? I don't get it! And the fact that they insist on having "specialty bra fitters" who tell you your size really doesn't make a difference since the bras themselves lack variety and quality.
In any case, I don't love Journelle specifically because of how much I'm beginning to loathe Victoria's Secret. For the longest time, I just felt that I didn't really have any choice in the matter since it's the largest bra retailer in North America, maybe the world? But there are definitely options out there if you look. Better options. Even if you don't live in New York or Chicago, I really just want people to be aware that VS may be the easiest option, but it's definitely not the best.
And if you DO live in New York or Chicago? Get your ass to this store. They're not even expensive! If anything, they're in the same ballpark of VS prices and the experience is a thousands times more pleasant. Love, love, love this store.
Geena Davis
You know who never got hers? Geena Davis. Granted, I don’t know what she’s doing right now - but I think, like once a month, that she really got screwed in how long she was super famous for. I remember seeing her in A League of Their Own and thinking, “Whoa, this is the Marilyn Monroe of my generation.” And then when that didn’t happen, I was all, “Wow. That’s insane and wrong.”
Maybe this isn’t post-worthy. But maybe it is… if you’re Geena Davis? I’d still freak out if I met this woman today. God, what a beauty.