Spring List 2020

by Liz Heather in

It’s spring.

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It seems almost insane to have a list of fun things to do this season when we need stay inside for the safety of ourselves and of others. And yet, here I am! So I’ve come up with some things that are appropriate for right now. I encourage you to make a list of your own, as always, because we all need things to look forward to, I can’t imagine not looking forward to anything.

  1. Sit on my fire escape. We haven’t done this once since we moved in last May and I’ve always wanted to. What better time than now.

  2. Bake something spring inspired.

  3. Rewatch my favourite Hitchcock movies. I was a huge fan of his when I was younger and I haven’t watched any of his movies in years, so I’ve been really wanting to lately. Nathan and I watched The Birds the other night and it’s such a good, calming movie (I know it’s about birds attacking and killing people, but there’s no background music in the whole movie and it’s just so gentle without being terrifying).

  4. Try some new hairstyles and new makeup routines. I (like many women) get into such a basic routine when it comes to hair and makeup and I want to venture outside of that.

  5. Watch at least ten things off of my To Be Watched list of movies and TV shows. I’ve had a growing list on my phone of recommendations from other people for years and even though some of them get watched, I really should make more of an effort.

Here we go…

Winter List 2019 Revisited

by Liz Heather in

Well, that was complete bullshit. Where in the FUCK was winter? ‘CAUSE IT WASN’T IN NYC. This was originally a very angry post, but anger is not what is needed at this time, so it was heavily edited.

  1. Visit Fantasy Explosion.

    • I went! I thought it was going to be a regular sized store, but it was a tiny corner in a weird little mini-mall space. Even still, they had great stuff. If I ever find myself in Brooklyn again in this lifetime, I’ll return!

  2. See a movie at The Roxy Cinema in Tribeca.

    • Damnit, I didn’t do this one. I did keep checking their listings and nothing seemed appealing! I should have put more effort in, though, and just went to see one of the Nicholas Cage movies from the past month. This is my fault.

  3. Finally eat at I Sodi in the West Village.

    • Irene and I went! And it was… disappointing! Food was average and the service wasn’t even amazing and it’s a little pretentious and WAY too expensive for what it is. Maybe the build-up in my mind was too high?

  4. Start a binder full of ideas for the big Euro trip in June and July.

    • Ugh, I did start doing this but with the state of the world, who knows what will happen throughout the next few months. But since I hate that kind of thinking, I’ll continue to add to this binder because that’s what you do when you’re faced with obstacles, you press on and hope for the very best.

  5. Take at least five bubble baths.

    • So I took four. Not bad. but not perfect. To be fair, this decade hasn’t gotten off to the greatest start, so I haven’t exactly felt like I could bask in a bubble bath most nights.

So all in all, I got 3 out of 5. Not terrible! Christ, now I have to come up with a Spring List. It’ll have to be Spring 2020 appropriate too, like making a dress out of leftover plastic bags or some shit. All right, I’m gonna go brainstorm.

February Feats 2020

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

I write this from underneath two blankets, perched atop three pillows. This is day three of being sick (Nathan just joined me in illness yesterday) and I think I’m getting better but that could just be blind hope. In any case, I still have to tell you what went on last month. Forgive the tone of this post, it might be… affected.

  • I heard that Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker are going to be in the Paul Simon play Plaza Suite together and so I casually thought “Ooo, might be nice to catch” so I looked it up and tickets START at $700. So I guess fuck me then. I swear to god, this fucking city.

  • The best cover so far this year:

Brian Stauffer, The New Yorker

  • I rewatched a movie I love: The Door In The Floor and it really holds up well. Kim Basinger and Jeff Bridges and both too good at what they do. Love this movie so much.

  • I rewatched The Evil Dead and look I understand it’s probably a “good horror movie” especially for its time and budget, but I fucking hated it, maybe even more so than the last time that I saw it. Never again. Why do I keep rewatching things that I hate? I don’t have to like everything. I must repeat this to myself daily.

  • I had lunch at Daily Provisions and their lemon cruller was really good and light and the chicken club sandwich was good, too. Always a solid morning/afternoon place.

  • Favourite tweets of the month:

  • I tried Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Couscous and maaaaan, it was so good. So I guess all couscous is good? Gotta get my hands on that pearly couscous. That seems like the money cousocus.

  • I made this Greek Couscous Salad for lunches for a week and didn’t get sick of it at all, I gotta remember to keep this in the rotation. I also kept the salad and the couscous separate until I wanted to eat, and then I’d join them together.

  • I can’t believe I hadn’t seen this sketch before (calling someone a “goofy bitch” just about killed me), also ignore how bad an actress Cardi B is:

  • I finished watching The Good Place and yes it was a good show. I don’t think l liked it as much as pretty much everyone else in my life who loved it, but it was definitely a good show. This scene was the best part of the finale, for sure. That song used in the scene will always elicit tears, I remember falling in love with it when it was used in the movie that everyone hated but me, Swept Away.

  • Again, I visited Everlane and it still disappoints. Why do I keep thinking it’ll be different each time? What the fuck is wrong with me?

  • I saw Parasite and it was wonderful and everyone who hasn’t seen it should see it. I haven’t heard from one person who didn’t like it. Universally liked!

  • I listened to the new Strokes single and hated it, so that’s something. Growth?

  • I haven’t seen the whole episode yet, but I really liked RuPaul’s SNL monologue.

  • Why isn’t everyone putting pickles on grilled cheese? Makes no sense. Fucking taste explosion.

  • I finally tried the (off-menu, must be requested when it’s not brunch) Cacio E Pepe at L’Artusi and holy christ, it might be better than their mushroom ragu. I KNOW. Such wild developments! (They also started serving at lunch, but only lunch delivery, not dine-in. SO this means nothing to me.)

  • I think I will officially stop buying candles from Bath & Body Works. The ones at Marshalls are cheaper, last longer and the variety of scents is endless. I have a candle from Marshalls right now simply called STORM and it really does kinda smell like stormy weather. Obviously I’m waiting for a thunderstorm to light that mother. I have mental issues?

  • I watched the newest season of Shrill (no big spoilers ahead) and loved it, obviously. The disappointing-ness of parents is so nicely shown (that moment at the restaurant when she asks her dad what he thinks of her boyfriend and he’s so indifferent, ugh so perfect), I absolutely LOVED the wedding episode (infact all of the episodes following that one are the best ones, I think I just love the episodes not centered about this not-great relationship with her and her boyfriend), the WEHAM episode is perfect (finally someone making fun of makeup for for legs), and I continue to love the character Fran. Really hoping for a third season, especially based on the season finale.

  • Don’t ask me why, but I watched most of the Police Academy movies and I think the Miami one might be the best one?? I couldn’t make it twenty minutes into the Moscow one, so I feel like you might want to trust me when I say that I know what I’m talking about.

  • These are my new favourite leggings of all time, they feel like you’re wearing nothing at all.

  • Cannot get over the beauty of these women and these outfits.

Camila Mendes

Nyma Tang

  • I watched the Michelle Carter documentary and I don’t know how other people feel, but it’s absolutely unreal that she was found guilty. Of course Nathan disagrees.

  • I ate at Frank for the first time in over a decade with the one and only Irene and it’s still great. Love that they do the opposite of al dente pasta here. Photos below.

Tagliatelle special

Roasted garlic bread

Mushroom pappardelle special

  • I can’t find a link for them online, but I bought some reusable Leak Proof Snack Bags by Kitchen Details at Nordstrom Rack and they’re perfect since we typically use a million of those disposable ones for holding sunflower seeds and almonds

  • I threw out a lot of clothing/shoes/bags, so I went out and bought some things that I absolutely love. I now have a faux fur, brown evening coat that I’ve long dreamed of owning, a new everyday purse, a vintage, gold, mesh evening purse, new everyday shoes, more sunglasses and some new wedges that may or may not replace the older wedges I’ve had since 2006 (the ones lovingly referred to as my Terminators because of the massive fall that I took in them upon exiting the movie Terminator Salvation). I could show you all of the new pieces, but I’d much rather slide into a room you’re in to show you my new fur coat. However if it annoys you not to see any of these new things that bring my joy, here are two of them.

Classic Reeboks from DSW

I also got them in blue

  • I’ve actually started using tiny drops of facial oil mixed with my nighttime face lotion and even though I’ve only just started to do this, my face is already way less dry when waking up. I don’t know if I can do this in the hotter weather, but for now I’ll keep it up.

  • I know all of these are old songs, but I recently heard and fell in love with this Taylor Swift song. And this one. And this one. Oh and this one too.

  • I went to Giorgio’s of Gramercy again (the last time was a few years ago with Nathan) and it’s still great! I haven’t had a steak in awhile, but the one here? Holy hell. Magnificent.

  • I went to see the new Kubrick 2001 exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image and it was pretty neat. They have one of his Oscars on display in a case, which was actually really cool to see.

  • I read and reviewed a biography of Johnny Carson that truly sucked.

  • So Nathan and I are in the middle of watching McMillion$ and can I just say: boooooooooooooooo. I’ve never seen a “documentary” more over-produced, self-indulgent, superfluous and WILDLY overdone. It’s a bloody six part series that could’ve EASILY been an hour and a half movie. If you ever need proof of a documentary having too much money spend, my god have you found it. Of COURSE Mark Wahlberg has something to do with it, this man needs to fucking STOP. I know they are countless other men attached to the project too, but it’s much easier to shit on just him. God, what a waste of time. The Wikipedia page is more succinct.

  • I watched To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before 2: P.S. I Still Love You and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. Loved the Adventures in Babysitting reference right off the top (I’ll forever love that movie and it doesn’t get talked about enough), I loved pretty much every musical choice (these are my top three songs from the movie), and I loved the idea of doing another Thanksgiving in March (although I’m pretty sure Chrissy Teigen did this a few years ago and planted that great seed in my head). Definitely the best thing on Netflix at the moment.

  • Seeing this restored footage of NYC in 1911 is both exciting and eerie as hell, for some reason.

  • Nathan and I went to the Raptors game that ended their winning streak, sorry about that.

  • I’ve been consumed with reading so much stuff about what’s going on right now and this was a little helpful: 4 Practical Ways to Prepare Your Home for a Pandemic. Don’t judge me for sharing this link! I’m delirious.

    Things that I’m looking forward to this month: visiting Collingwood and going skiing with my family, I might splurge and get that mini birthday cake from Momofuku Milk Bar, and the new season of On My Block comes out on the 11th. I’m pretty into the idea of turning 35, usually I’m more jacked about my birthday month but I think I’m too down to care at the moment. Caring coming soon.

    If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in January over here.