Favourite Summer Photos

by Liz Heather in

I’ll be honest, this was a great summer. Favourite photos ahead!

August Actions

by Liz Heather in , , , , , ,

Words cannot express… the emotions going on inside me right now.

AUTUMN IS A FEW SHORT WEEKS AWAY. This is absolutely the start of the best time of the year because it’s basically autumn eve. That’s how I treat all of early September. Last year I went a little nuts in celebrating every single day of autumn and… I want to go even harder this year. I sort of winged it last year, but this year I’ve already started planning ways to celebrate the best time of the year. I have a problem. I know. But I’ve come to terms with that, so you should too. So let me tell you what went down last month so that we can fully move into the GREATEST, PUREST TIME OF YEAR.

  • I watched Why Do Fools Fall In Love on Netflix and jesus christ, the dog-being-thrown-out-the-window part? WHY DID NO ONE WARN ME. Will not watch again.

  • I love a good summer shark/alligator/dumb movie, so we obviously saw Crawl and it was very fun. The dog was the best part. (Are you seeing a pattern here? I’M NOT HARD TO PLEASE, HOLLYWOOD.)

  • I forced Maya to come to a sunflower farm with me and it was lovely. Why would a person with a bee allergy want to go to such a place? I’m not well.

  • I rewatched my favourite John Ritter movie Stay Tuned because it’s just something everyone should do once in awhile. Such a weird, perfect movie.

  • I attempted to read Samantha Irby’s book We Are Never Meeting In Real Life and I just couldn’t get into it, so I stopped. It’s weird ‘cause I really enjoyed Meaty, so I don’t know what happened here. Maybe ‘cause it’s summer and I think I hate reading in the summer? Haven’t picked up a book in months that I wanted to read.

  • I do not need to be the one who tells you how good hazelnut Kit Kats are, but I guess that’s what I’m doing at the moment - SO GOOD.

  • I watched part of the new 90210 reboot and ughhhh. It’s awful. In every way. Also, Luke Perry JUST died. They couldn’t have postponed or cancelled this trash?

  • I watched the first season of Tuca & Bertie and it’s so, so crazy good. Absolutely love it. Thank you to Harmeet for making me watch! I was so skeptical at first, but it’s incredible. So many similarities to Broad City in its goodness.

  • I went to the CNE with my Mom for the first time is yeeeears and it was so nice.

She did my braids, I can’t do nice braids on myself

  • Since Restaurant Week is always a big part of my life, I went to Park Avenue Summer for lunch earlier in the month and got the corn bread, corn gnocchi and corn creme brulee. YES, YOU’RE READING THAT RIGHT. Love a fucking cob. It was all very tasty, if not a little too corny (but that’s my fault, let’s be real). I also got the chicken and it was incredible. I’d love to be able to crisp a chicken skin as perfectly as they did.

And now you will too!

  • I made this hot honey salmon and if salmon weren’t such a disgusting fish, this would be a killer recipe. (And if you actually enjoy salmon, this really is great.)

  • I finally watched the rest of the new Black Mirror episodes and I stand by my thoughts that the Striking Vipers one was the best one of the season. Smithereens was okay and all, I’ll always love a Topher Grace. The main actor (Andrew Scott) did a great job, too. And the Miley Cyrus one was just okay? I don’t understand why that’s the common favourite of the season. It’s average, at best.

  • Favourite thing I’ve bought this summer: this jumpsuit with lace from Zara.

  • I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it before, but I love reading the (monthly?) Grub Street Diet columns from New York Magazine. They profile different (semi-known, sometimes-famous) people and what they eat in the span of a few days. I mostly love it for recommendations of good things to eat around New York, but also I love hearing about what people do for snacks and routine meals.

  • Someone buy me this Danny Meyer Chocolate Cream Pie. Please.

  • I watched all of On My Block on Netflix and it’s so, so good (thank you, Marla!). I’m an idiot for not watching it sooner. My favourite character is definitely Jamal, I love the florist with the gnomes, and the musical choices are phenomenal. Such a great show. If you haven’t seen it, I’d describe it as a modern day coming of age story set in South Central LA inspired by The Goonies. SO GOOD.

  • Did you know that eating tomatoes helps prevent colon cancer? Did not know. I’m forcing Nathan to eat them now, enough of this “I don’t like tomatoes” shit. Not standing for it anymore!

  • I went to two weddings this month, which were both beautiful. LOVE a wedding.

  • I tried the seasonal tomato gelato at Il Laboratorio Del Gelato and it was rough. I did taste the corn gelato and that one was actually pretty good, I should’ve gotten that one. This was my first time here and my main thought: it has a horrifying interior. Like if Patrick Bateman ran an ice cream shop.

  • Lately I’ve started shopping more at small businesses and less at chains. Partially because these places will disappear if I keep doing what I’m doing and I hate that idea. So no more writing/drinking at Starbucks. No more books from Amazon. No more crazy cheap dish soap at Dollar General. No more plants from Home Depot. Enough of this shit!

  • Nathan and I celebrated our ten year anniversary and went to Vermont (again, haha) and I did a full post on it, so take a look if you like. While we were away, we did rewatch the first It (still great), Sleeping With The Enemy (always a favourite of mine) and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (which is even better than we remembered, SUCH a good movie). Also, if you enjoy Instagram stories of vacations as much as I do, I posted our whole Vermont one on my Instagram.

  • This sounds like a broken record, but I did Nathan’s podcast again! We talked about our relationship and why we think it works, etc. etc. Very self-indulgent stuff here, guys.

  • So you know how I tried and loved that chocolate dessert hummus a few months ago? TRADER JOE’S IS RIPPING IT OFF & has made their own version. For two dollars. Now look, I know companies get ripped off all the time by bigger corporations who steal the idea and make their own… but fuck. This fucking sucks. I first heard and tried dessert hummus because of seeing it on Shark Tank (the company is Delighted By Hummus) and I want to say that they invented the idea, but I can’t say for sure. I hate this.

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: I’m SO excited to see It: Chapter Two, possibly planning out details for a trip to Salem, finishing up the last of the summer things to do list, I’ve gotta find something new and good to read, there are so many photos that I love from visiting my family/friends this summer so I might do a photo post solely of my favourite ones, finalizing my AUTUMN THINGS TO DO list, and I’d really love to pack away all of my summer clothes at some point this month to make room for the gazillion sweaters I’m waiting to wear.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, go on over here and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.

The Best of June

by Liz Heather in , , , , , , , , ,

Happy Canada Day! Here’s what went down last month.

  • I finally started taking collagen powder and I really think it’s working (thanks for the tip, Harmeet!) because my nails are longer than ever and my hair seems more luscious? I could just be feeling myself on the hair, though. Hard to tell for sure.

  • I made the mushroom garganelli pasta that I dream about from L’Artusi and it was phenomenal. The mushroom ragu tastes EXACTLY like it could be a meat sauce. Even Nathan agreed that it was amazing and he hates mushrooms. Makes zero sense. This dish is witchcraft.

  • Earlier this month, I finally overshared about what our new apartment looks like, if you’d care to take a look.

  • Made my way to see the new Camp exhibit at The Met.

  • Saw Late Night, and while I will always support that vision of a woman, the movie was only okay. Very specific opinion, but I wish Cate Blanchett had played the main character.

  • Speaking of Mindy, look at this gorgeous, perfect outfit.

  • Remember those flavoured powders for popcorn that were popular a few years ago? How have I never thought of making a homemade dill topping for at-home popcorn?! HOW?! Such a good idea.

  • Watched the Black Mirror episode Striking Vipers and loved it, I don’t want to even watch the other two new ones because how could they possibly be better than that one. (Also, are we really calling three episodes a season? Get real.)

  • I have made Ina Garten’s rigatoni with sausage & fennel so many times this month and I’m still not sick of it, such a crazy good pasta. Especially if you’re trying to impress someone.

  • IDEA: Turn burger buns into garlic bread, THEN eat as part of a burger.

  • I don’t know why but I finished The Big Bang Theory. I know, it’s embarrassing to admit. It was not a good show!

  • ‘NOTHER IDEA: Clean your Apple headphones with toothpicks! Totally didn’t know you could do this. And if you haven’t, you really should. Some nasty stuff gets up in there. It’s pretty satisfying to clean, too. Just do it in private.

  • Tried the (super tiny) burger at Whit’s End in Rockaway and yes it was good, but WHERE WAS THE REST OF IT?!

I should’ve put a quarter next to it for scale

  • I rewatched Waiting To Exhale (I think I saw it when I was a kid) and man, that movie holds up. So, so good.

  • So in love with this brand. I don’t love the phrase Toronto VS. Everybody, but if they make a Mississauga one? WATCH OUT.

  • Love this New Yorker piece my Dad sent me about getting a dog.

  • Gotta be honest, kinda excited to see the glaze waterfall. You know what makes Krispy Kreme better than most donuts? Not a lot of doughiness inside. The best kind of donut showcases the outside coating. A KK donut is all outside coating. It’s practically hollow on the inside. This is the secret. I could go on about this, but I’ve already said too much.

  • Completely forgot about the show You Wish, which I can’t stop watching. Summertime sadness?

  • Saw the new Child’s Play as well as the old one. Obviously the old one is better, but the new one really isn’t that bad. Human murderers are always better than robot murderers.

  • Excited for Samantha Irby’s book that comes out next year.

Salmon with dill sauce

  • Saw Ma in theatres and you know what it really wasn’t bad, whatever anyone tells you. I think I’d classify it as wacky as hell.

  • This is honestly the best egg salad I’ve ever had. It’s definitely due to the addition of dill pickle juice (fucking nuts for dill this month) and the elimination of celery.

  • Found maybe the best poutine in this country at The Astorian in Queens.

Check those fuckin’ curds

  • I started using Benefit’s Mini Gimme Brow and it’s cool?? Honestly, I don’t even know. Sometimes I think I need another, smarter woman to just sit me down and tell me what’s good and what’s not. This is supposed to help make thin eyebrows look bushy, right? If that is actually its intent, then it’s doing its job correctly.

  • All right, look. You KNOW that I hate having opinions on celebrities (ie. people NONE OF US KNOW), but I’m putting a hold on that for a sec. Here’s who I hated this month: Amber Rose (or anyone repping any fucking laxative tea), Bernie Sanders (the arrogance that comes off of this man… I can’t stand it, he doesn’t have all of the answers, can we please stop acting like he’s some sort of savior), and Chris Brown. How is Chris Brown still someone people are in love with? How are people still okay with him? MAN BEATS PEOPLE. For fuck sake.

  • The only winner this month.

  • Love this exchange so much.

And that was June! Some things I’d like to do this month: visit Profundo Day Club for the rooftop pool, find some humidity-proof houseplants (recommendations welcome), spend some time in Coney Island, try to see Crawl and maybe make some fun food for the 4th of July.

If you enjoy reading these monthly posts, you can find the one from last month over here and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.

Spring List Revisited

by Liz Heather in

Honestly, this was the greatest spring, weather-wise, in recent memory. We actually had a real spring! Some rain, cool nights, and not unbearably early heat. Just unreal. And with the worst season officially arriving tomorrow, we shall revisit my spring list.

  1. Eat at a Michelin starred restaurant (bonus points if I finally make it to Casa Enrique).

    • All right, so I went to a Michelin-recommended place (L’Artusi), which isn’t the same thing but it’s on the right path. But still. Not the same. No point.

  2. Go on a mini spring trip.

  3. See Us in theatres.

    • So done! Even watched it again at home! I should get double points, but let’s not get crazy. (Such a good movie, too!)

  4. Read Lindy West’s new book.

    • The date of the book was pushed to autumn! So I’ll take it off the list until that time.

  5. Make the salted caramel chocolate pie from the Waitress musical pie book (they sold these mini pies at intermission and this. pie. was. insanity. and it needs to be made).

    • I looked EVERYWHERE to find this recipe and it simply isn’t available to the public. I even looked in the official Waitress pie cookbook to no avail. So I took a photo of what the ingredients are on the actual pie container and will one day attempt to make it, not knowing exact measurements.

So in total? 2/4 - Not “good” but let’s move on.

Now welcome to hell on earth… summer.

You can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.

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Our New Apartment!

by Liz Heather in

I’ve been waiting to write this post for about… five years? So just a warning: it’ll be a meaty one. We finally moved into a great apartment! And look, I loved our old basement apartment as much as one could love a basement apartment (this song seriously helped a lot), but we needed more windows/light. And an oven. And a doorbell. And a bathtub. And a reason to get up in the morning. And somehow we managed to find this great place that we’re pretty over the moon about. Everything is finally set up and I’m honestly so happy with how it all looks. I got a bunch of little things that I've always wanted to have in my home, so if you have any interest in seeing the place, then this is the post for you, baby.

Here’s the kitchen!

1. Dining area

2. Hahahah, but also watch out

3. Windowsill that looks out onto the courtyard

5. Spices & countertop

KITCHEN DETAILS

  1. Aprons should be hung in the kitchen because if you see it, you’ll use it - I’ve only recently learned this fact (I found this apron at an antique store years ago). The fruit bowl is from Anthropologie (it isn’t available anymore, but they do have other nice ones) as well as the recipe box beside it. I’ve only started to use the recipe box, and I only put recipes in there that I use constantly so I don’t have to have my laptop in the kitchen when cooking. I’m not in love with that table runner (from Marshalls) but it was the only summery one I found, so I got it. Yes, I like to have seasonal table runners, it’s a condition I have. And the huge clock hanging above is something I got online years ago because everyone should have at least one big clock. It always reminds me of Benjamin Button. Also, the rum cocktails dish towel was a gift from my parents from some island. I think I put it up in hopes to make those drinks some day.

  2. Nathan got this sign in Texas and it makes us very happy. Self explanatory.

  3. The watering can is the can that literally every woman in my life owns because she has good taste (from Ikea) and the plant is an orchid from Home Depot. The window ledges in this place might be my favorite part. On one side of the place, they all look out to the courtyard of our building which endlessly reminds me of Rear Window (which maybe doesn’t seem that impressive but I loved Alfred Hitchcock so much growing up, so this is big for me).

  4. The utensil holder is from Crate & Barrel (only $10!) and I only own four cookbooks (two are Chrissy Teigen ones, one is the Bob’s Burgers one and the last one isn’t really a cookbook but a guide about what ingredients work well together called The Flavor Thesaurus), but doesn’t it make sense to keep them in the kitchen? I’m on the hunt for more really good cookbooks and warmly welcome any suggestions. I keep my garlic in that yellow butter dish (from Anthropologie, bought years ago) and the spice ledge is from Bed Bath & Beyond.

  5. Not shown is a casserole dish from Amazon that I absolutely love and is the exact same one that my mom has. Also, we got this storage container to keep Baby Dog’s food in atop the fridge. As well as this pots and pans organizer rack for inside the cupboard. And lastly, these new sink strainers that have zero jagged edges.

Here’s the washroom!

1. The fluffiness of this bathmat makes my life complete

2. The best reference to Trinidad & Tobago I’ll ever own

WASHROOM DETAILS

  1. The floor mats are from Bed Bath & Beyond. The Aqua Notes hanging on the wall inside the shower is from Amazon (it allows you to write notes/thoughts while you’re in there) and the curtain is from The Container Store. Pretty basic stuff here.

  2. Again, I love this so much. Got it a few years ago from Springfield Stitches.

Onto the hallways & closets!

1. When I die, wrap me up in this carpet and then Bin Laden me

2. WHY HAVE I NEVER HAD THIS BIN BEFORE NOW?!

3. Hallway heaven

4. Closet storage

5. Baby Dog’s accessories

6. Towel organization

HALLWAY & CLOSET DETAILS

  1. I love this hallway runner carpet so much, it blows my mind that I found it on Amazon. It’s so pretty, I want to die. The mirror was $20 from Ikea and I like it so much that I’ll eventually buy the larger version of it as well. Now… the shoe rack is something I don’t love, but Nathan likes it there so it was a compromise (it was originally hiding within the closet). The gorgeous shoe tray that I bought and loved is now in the closet for boots, etc. but really… I’m over it. Can you tell? His main reason for hating the shoe tray: “Are we serving the shoes??”

  2. This bin from The Container Store is on a shelf in the front hallway closet and it’s been kind of a dream of mine to actually have. Never again will we have bags of clothes/other shit lounging around on the floors to get rid of now that we have this allocated bin! Honestly it’s small things like this that make me feel like I’d be a monster as a parent. Self-acceptance though, yeah?

  3. The gold hooks are from Ikea. The mail/key rack that I love love love is from Bed Bath & Beyond. Can it hold incoming or outgoing mail? Up to you! (Not in my house, though. Only outgoing.)

  4. This is the storage closet! Labels were made from my laminator machine that I’ve had since I was 15, duh. The dry cleaned winter coats stay in here when it’s not winter. We’re all following the policy of dry cleaning our winter coats come spring, AREN’T WE?

  5. All of Baby Dog’s personal stuff is in that first bin (toothpaste/toothbrush/treats/bags/medicine/leash) and the second bin (that’s supposed to store shoes I think?) is from The Container Store and I use it to hold her new pee pads. Opening it each day to take out a new pee pad fulfills me in a way that I didn’t know I needed.

  6. Shelf dividers (from Bed Bath & Beyond) because I come from privilege?

  7. Other things not shown: a clear plastic box from The Container Store with the label of Cord City because every household has a comical amount of wires & cables that no one knows what to do with, but might come in handy some day. Another box from The Container Store that holds the tool box and any other loose tools and nails. I also bought these binder rings to hang/store individual purses in my closet.

Onto the bedroom!

1. Night stand!

2. Moon prints!

3. Overview

4. Above my desk!

5. Dresser!

6. Desk!

7. Fire escape!

8. Corner!

BEDROOM DETAILS

  1. This night stand from Target is so lovely and comes fully assembled, which is madness. It reminds me only slightly of Mad Men, which I think is a good thing.

  2. These prints came from Etsy (and they come in every size imaginable) and I’ve wanted moon prints for years and years. I think it has to do with having those glow in the dark stars & planets on my ceiling when I was a kid (which I think every kid should have, I feel like it makes you dream big… like you know, for laminating machines, etc.).

  3. This is a pretty decent photo of what most of the room looks like. Might be my favourite room. I hung the hats on the wall like that with nails because I feel like seeing them all the time will encourage me to wear them more. The small print above them is from when Marla & I went to Costa Rica years ago, still love it. The hamper that you can barely see in the right corner is beauuuuuutiful (from Bed Bath & Beyond) and I want everyone to have it (and with coupons it was $10!).

  4. The wire basket is supposed to be used to hold bathroom accessories, but it works amazingly as my Cards & Stationary holder that houses any upcoming cards I need as well as my address book. Above that hangs my letter from Queen Elizabeth as well as a print that Harmeet gave me years ago that I love dearly (it’s a page from a book about two rabbits who travel across Canada together, I think). And not to get too corny, but the roses alongside are the first flowers that Nathan gave me years ago.

  5. Had this dresser for years (it came from a furniture store on Steinway) and here you can see that gorgeous hamper better. Who knew that a hamper could prompt such desire in a person? Not me! Well, maybe me. A beautiful photo of Ma hangs above it.

  6. My desk! Got it years ago from somewhere on Steinway, too. The small photos on it are of Camden as a baby and Jasmine. There’s a beagle coaster. Baby Dog’s paw print stamp. Alarm clock from Ikea. The glass jar is filled with notes from over the years that have things I don’t want to forget written inside (funny stories, kind things that have happened, generally just things that have made me happy).

  7. The view of the fire escape! I’ve wanted a New York fire escape for a trillion years and that dream has come true. I wanted to get a small bird house for the fire escape since my desk looks out onto it, but decided against it because I read a story about a woman who did that and the falling seeds from the bird house attracted rats on the ground. So that idea was quickly abandoned. I refuse to have any more rat issues in my lifetime.

  8. This shelf is from Amazon and it’s pretty easy to put together, even without instructions. The daisies are from the Union Square Greenmarket. The iPod dock is from Best Buy (bought about 20 years ago so there’s no link) that I still use often (I think I’m the last person on earth who happily uses her iPod). The candlesticks are from Ikea that have been discontinued. And there’s a Vincent Van Gogh doll down there that has a detachable ear.

  9. Not shown: 1. Me, excitedly sleeping. 2. Nathan’s closet because that would be weird of me to show you. I’m not a maniac.

And lastly, the living room!

1. Overview!

2. Windowsill #1

3. Windowsill #2

4. Basket of Baby Dog’s friends

5. Coffee table

6. Tickless clock

LIVING ROOM DETAILS

  1. Nova Scotia flag. Nathan’s desk. Chair from Ikea. Simpsons painting from my mom. Moose from FAO Schwartz.

  2. Sunflowers from Union Square Greenmarket.

  3. Dahlias from Union Square Greenmarket. Both those plant pots are from Ikea.

  4. This basket used to hold winter hats & gloves, now we use it to hold any of Baby Dog’s friends that she’s not playing with.

  5. I love this coffee table from Target. It weighs a ton and was pretty easy to put together. The flowers are ageratums from the market as well.

  6. This clock from Amazon doesn’t make any ticking sounds and it’s lovely. Just bought a second one in a different colour for the bedroom.

  7. Not shown: Nathan’s whole desk area because of, ya know, privacy. (But basically all you’re missing is a Hulk Hogan statue, a rooster painting and various artifacts celebrating his many successes.)

And that’s the place! Too much information? Possibly. But here you are reading about it, so maybe this is partially your fault for silently encouraging me. If I didn’t think people cared about this kind of stuff, then I wouldn’t have wanted to write about it? Wait, that’s a lie. In any case, thanks for giving a shit!

You can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.

The Best of May

by Liz Heather in , , , , , , , , ,

I have officially done a year’s worth of these monthly roundup posts.

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Is it clear how much I love to write them? I guess I’ll keep doing them until they become a bother. Here’s what went down in May!

  • I’m still screaming from the rooftops about how great Booksmart was, can’t get over it.

  • Losing my mind over how good these Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups are.

  • And look, I tried to try more of the collagen powder but Nathan finished it all (and his hair has been looking pretty good lately now that I think about it) and I’m waiting to get more. I promise to finally take this regularly next month.

  • One of the regulars in my snack rotation has been these zucchini pizza bites that are surprisingly delightful, especially if you’re adding sopressata and/or jalapeños as part of the toppings.

  • I saw Jason Mantzoukas walking in Soho and he was so handsome I was afraid to say anything. Like alarmingly handsome. I knew he was good looking, but in real life? Whoa.

  • I am in love with this font. Someone tell me if it has a name.

  • I attempted to start season two of Barry, but it’s been so long since I saw the first season that I forgot most of what has happened. Could I have just rewatched the finale of season one and then moved on to number two? Sure. Will I? Now that’s another question.

  • Someone was singing this on the subway and I’d never heard it before, but Jesus Christ. So lovely.

  • This was a pretty heavy podcast month for me (kill me for that sentence), I did three of them! The first one is with Nathan talking about the new apartment, the second one is with Irene talking advice and the third one is with Nathan again talking abortion.

  • I just bought a pair of these heavenly, high-waisted, button-fly Gap jeans and I think everyone should go buy them ($42 right now with the sale), they fit like a dream. I might go back and get another pair in a different colour. Actually, yeah. I’m definitely doing that.

  • Ate at La Contenta and it was absolutely nothing special. Everything was too salty, overpriced and crowded.

  • I’ve already made three batches of these banana walnut muffins, they’re so perfect for the morning or for a snack. Ignore that they’re paleo, I promise you they’re good. Definitely not a party muffin, but a good-for-you muffin.

  • So excited that people will finally stop talking about Game of Thrones. Usually I don’t mind when other people love something that I don’t care about, but with this show it’s just been overkill. We get it. It was a show. Let’s move on?

  • So excited to hear that there’s going to be a new Mindy Kaling book next summer!

  • Nobody told me about how smokey it gets when you attempt to make burgers in your kitchen at home? Or was everyone aware of this already but me?

  • I just bought pink sunglasses (at Nathan’s encouragement) and I just became cool. May 2019. That’s when it happened. (I’d post of photo of them but I’ll be wearing them until I’m cold and dead in the ground, so believe me, you’ll see them on me soon.)

  • I can’t believe how good this looks. I love it when fall movies just say fuck it and come out in late summer.

  • I can’t say that I 100% relate to everything in this piece, but some parts of it are so on the money: “Men Have No Friends and Women Bear The Burden.“

  • I tried the mozzarella sticks at Big Mozz in Chelsea Market and whoa. They’re pretty serious. The tomato sauce that comes with them is insanity, too.

  • My niece Tianna came to visit New York for the first time! Some highlights: I finally ate a cronut and they’re waaaaay too sweet, and coming from me that should mean something because I love all things dessert. Maybe it’s because we ate it so early in the morning? I don’t know. I really don’t understand the big deal about them, though. We also walked through Chinatown and down to the financial district to get lunch at Manhatta, which was lovely. I forced her to eat my favourite pad thai at Lovely Day in Soho. We shared a cheese plate at The Cellar at Beecher’s, walked around the west village to see the Friends building and the stoop from The Cosby Show, we had dinner at L’Artusi where she had her first steak tartare. We walked through Grand Central Terminal to get to the dog museum (which is cute as hell), we saw and went backstage at the musical Waitress, had dinner at Shake Shack, saw the 9/11 memorial, shopped at Century 21, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, got pizza at Juliana’s (which wasn’t as good as I remembered?), walked with Baby Dog in Central Park to see the Balto statue, perused Chelsea Market and walked along The High Line, went to the galleries on Thursday night where we met Luis Guzman (!), and ate gelato at Grom. This was all within four days. No idea how we did that much stuff, but I slept for 13 straight hours the day after she left, so maybe I’m not as young as I once was.

Tianna, backstage at Waitress!

Tianna, The Brooklyn Bridge

Tianna & Baby Dog, Central Park

  • I started watching the new version of The Twilight Zone with the assumption that I’d dislike it since the original is so great, however I’ve only seen one episode so far (the blue scorpion one) and I think I really like it. Obviously the classic series is untouchable, but this one is done really well.

  • I learned about the existence of Book Off in midtown, it’s a store “for the people who don’t want to waste.” They buy your old CDs, DVDs, books, action figures, electronics. It’s amazing.

  • Season three of Riverdale is over! This is the only show that I watch every week, so it was a big deal for me. And honestly, it was a fun season, despite everyone on earth’s opinions of it. Favourite tweet from the finale?

  • Strawberries are about to be in season, so I got a huge carton of them from a farmer’s market and made these strawberry oatmeal bars. Pretty good! They also work well crumbled up in greek yogurt.

  • Another good snack idea? These baked sweet potato fries.

  • I have made this chicken marsala so many times that I’m taking a break from them. But for the first few times I made it, it was so, so satisfying.

  • All right, look. I fully expected to love Wine Country on Netflix, but maaaaaan. It is not good. It isn’t funny or sweet or anything. I think I also hate it when Tina Fey tries to be a character actor, it’s always just the worst. Do not watch.

  • Here’s your semi-annual reminder that Bath & Body Works is having their huge twice-a-year sale starting on June 1st, I think. It’s never advertised in advance, but I’m almost positive that it’s the first week of June. Apologies that this sounds like an ad, I just really like their foaming hand soaps and I’m cheap as hell.

  • Made the roasted cauliflower, feta, orzo salad from Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook and yes it was really, really good. The only issue is that the portion size is way too big. We had leftovers for days and got pretty sick of eating it, so if you’re doing this for two people, definitely size it down. Also, I had no idea there were different types of feta. French feta is creamier than traditional Greek and maaaan is it good.

  • Loving this kale salad lemon dressing.

  • This shall be my June mantra.

  • And this is just great.

What am I looking forward to next month? I’m planning on seeing Mindy’s new movie Late Night, watching some more of the new Twilight Zone episodes, polishing off my spring list, preparing my summer list, thinking about if I’ll ignore or celebrate National Best Friend Day on June 8th, figuring out a Father’s Day gift for the 16th, I do want to see Toy Story 4 but it feels weird to not see it with a niece/nephew, and I’ll definitely take photos of the new apartment and my favourite items that I bought for the apartment post I promised last month.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, here’s a years worth of other ones like it: April 2019, March 2019, February 2019, January 2019, December 2018, November 2018, October 2018, September 2018, August 2018, July 2018, June 2018 & May 2018.

And you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.

The Best of April

by Liz Heather in , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April is one of the best months. It’s still cool enough to have my winter blanket on the bed, but warm enough to maybe go out without a coat. Nothing is better. Sorry about the weather-talk, but it’d be insane of me not to mention it’s so beautiful out. Onto this month’s happenings! So many things took place!

  • Firstly, the big news. We’ve moved! Only a few streets away, but into a waaaaay better apartment. It’s almost a joke how much better it is. We were coming from a basement apartment, so pretty much anything above ground floor would impress us, but there are a hundred little details about our new place that I’m in love with. So crazy thankful and happy with it all. We’re still getting settled into the place, but I’m planning on doing a post about all the little things I’m doing to it with the decor and storage and boring things (but oh so fun to me) like that, so keep an eye out for that post coming out most likely before the end of the month. So excited to get this place homey and lovely.

  • I went to a Rapters game at the Barclays Center and whoa, it was a dumb amount of fun. Nathan met someone in the audience at one of his shows who works at Barclays and got him a few VIP tickets (fifth row from court side!) and it was pretty incredible. There was tons of free food (shriiiiimp!) and soft serve ice cream and beef tenderloin and fancy water and free snacks, it was the best. I could list all the food specifics here, but I don’t want to seem like a dick who thinks she’s better than you (but might be?).

  • I went to the Glossier flagship store again to try this highlighter aaaaand it was pretty basic, so that was disappointing. I also tried their Boy Brow again and I think that yes, it is a good product. Although is it worth $16? Not sure. I’m still considering Benefit’s mini version for $12, so that’s likely the next eyebrow product I’ll buy/try.

  • I treated myself and bought the full size version of Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask (which is HUGE and should last me eight hundred years) as well as a new Fenty sponge because my old sponge was beginning to look nasty.

  • I tried the new basil foaming hand soap from Trader Joe’s because that’s an amazing idea for a scent. But the quality of the bottle itself is so cheap, it makes an awful squeaking sound when you use it. Don’t buy.

  • Loving these two songs lately.

  • Yes, I hate receiving foundation samples. You know this. That being said, I tried the one from Yves Saint Laurent and even though it was the wrong colour for me, it felt crazy nice and moisturizing on my skin. I can see why people go so crazy for this product. I still won’t buy it because I don’t really love wearing foundation, but maybe one day when I believe that foundation makes a difference?

  • I tried the Smile Foot Mask from The Face Shop and HOLY SHIT. It’s good enough that you can ignore the creepy baby feet on the packaging. And I mean, my feet are pretty well taken care of already, but this was some next-level shit. Definitely keeping this one in the rotation.

  • I know that I told you I was going to start taking collagen, but with the move I slacked a little so I don’t want to comment on it yet. I’m gonna start it again and take it on a daily basis starting tomorrow so I will definitely have thoughts on it this time next month.

  • Love this meme.

  • I went to Niagara Falls with my family and it was the best. Just a ton of fun.

That’s right

At the Healing Salt Caves with Mom

We’re missing Amanda & Tianna!

Camden’s first Shirley Temple!

Sweet Jesus

Mom & Dad

  • I started watching Schitt’s Creek and it’s pretty good so far. I only saw about five episodes, but that’s enough to have an opinion, yeah? I want to watch more, but those Frasier reruns aren’t gonna watch themselves.

  • Watched The Bye Bye Man and wooooooof, it was rough.

  • I also watched Crazy Rich Asians and it was great! I’d wanted to see it for awhile and it was just a fun movie. A friend of mine accidentally called it Crazy Sexy Asians and it made me laugh, but that’s a way better title. I love, love, love Elvis’ version of this song, so whenever it gets covered, I’ll love it to pieces. Also, the wedding scene? With the water? Jesus! So nice. Even watching it now makes me teary, it’s so beautiful.

  • Ate at The Cactus Club with the lovely Marla for her birthday (!) and it was goooood. The short rib pappardelle? Heavenly.

  • One of my favourite recipes that I haven’t been able to make for awhile since I used to live in a place WITH NO OVEN is this baked pickles one. Just made it last night and still holds up. So tasty.

  • There’s an upcoming lantern festival in Mississauga that I just heard about on August 10th that seems pretty lovely.

  • Have you ever tried chocolate mint coffee before? We just got some beans from a place near us and made some this morning and I was jacked for about three hours. Really tasty, I just don’t understand how a person could drink coffee every day.

  • I was in need of a fancy dress so I went to Burlington in Union Square and was shocked at how nice/inexpensive everything was. I got a Calvin Klein dress (that I later returned because I’m CLASSY) for $40! Such a great place. Easier to browse than Century 21, for SURE.

  • The reason I needed that fancy dress? I WENT TO THE OPENING NIGHT OF THE BEETLEJUICE MUSICAL! And it was incredible. I have a friend who’s in the ensemble and graciously invited me and it was everything. I’ve never been to an opening night before and the air was electric. Such a fun time. I met Richard Kind at the after party and gushed about Clifford for approx. two minutes before he ran away.

  • Really enjoyed the new Lizzo album, the best songs are definitely Like A Girl and Soulmate.

  • I tried the relatively new chicken pieces from Shake Shack and there’s literally NOTHING DANNY MEYER CAN DO WRONG. They’re delicious, obviously.

  • I had no idea that The Strand will buy your old books. Amazing.

  • There are no Home Sense stores in the States (as far as I know), which sucks. But I came across Home Goods on the Upper West Side (thank you for the suggestion Harmeet!) and even though it’s really not as good, it’s actually okay. I appreciate the attempt of them trying to be a Home Sense.

  • I went to the new Rec Room in Square One and it was pretty good, I thought. Obviously you need to walk in with a full wallet, but I mean… it’s something to do? It’s pretty much Playdium with better food.

And that was April! Some things to look out for in next month’s roundup: highlights from Tianna’s visit to NYC, I’m going to a screening of Booksmart, and I swear I’ll do that apartment post. Honestly that’s the only thing I’m really, really looking forward to - I love this new place so much. Thanks for reading!

(If you have any interest in past monthly roundups, they can be found here: March 2019, February 2019, January 2019, December 2018, November 2018, October 2018, September 2018, August 2018, July 2018, June 2018 & May 2018.)

And you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.