First things first, welcome to (under normal circumstances) the best time of the year. Will this perfect time of year be different than previous years? Of course. Weāre all still trying to function in this modern version of hell. SO that being said, I am still going to try and make the most of the seasonal things I like to do (minus seeing the people that I love and havenāt seen for almost a year, eating the baked goods from places that Iām not allowed to visit, or being able to just hug my family). MINUS ALL OF THAT. I will cook what I cannot go out to eat. I will watch the movies in my home that Iād normally insist on watching with others. I will decorate. I will light all of the autumn-scented candles that I can get my grubby hands on. Autumn will happen and I will do the best that I can. And I encourage you to do the same. Hereās what happened last month:
I found out that there will definitely be a Scream 5 and I am pumped.
Two more songs that I love off of Taylor Swiftās new album: epiphany and mad woman. Itās fast becoming my album of the summer (Iām, like, super indie, I know).
Blue Diamond has these flavoured almonds out right now and the salt & vinegar as well as the dill pickle flavoursā¦ are insanely good.
I sent this to my mom and she loved it as much as I do (below).
Scott Hubbard (@scottyhubs) has created a short video on TikTok with music sonido original. | This was in my drafts š #fyp #tiktokpets #dog #cosplay
I tried samples of the Verb Ghost Shampoo, Hair Mask and Spray and they were all equal parts bullshit. Who sends out a spray sample in a small packet, so that it canāt be sprayed? Ignoring the idiotic packaging, the products themselves just fell flat. Absolutely nothing special here.
I tried Ops Pizza in Brooklyn and it was great! Better than Prince Street or Mamaās Too? Not a chance. Still good, though.
I bought this mask off of Etsy in anticipation of Octoberās arrival.
I also got this Tan Lines candle that smells incredible. I know itās basic as hell but candles might be saving my life.
I tried beef carpaccio for the first time (!) at LāArtusi and it was great! Iād describe it as a lighter, more dainty steak tartare.
I also tried the vegan chicken parm sandwich at VSPOT and dear lord was it good. Tasted exactly like a regular chicken parm. Must remember this place and go again.
Oneya (@angryreactions) has created a short video on TikTok with music original sound. | #duet with @bobbysrey that cake is beautiful. #fyp #foryou
Iām not sure when Iāll feel okay about visiting the new Krispy Kreme flagship, but Iāll tell you one thing: I canāt wait. I remember when they opened their first Canadian location and my dad was soexcited, I think thatās where my love of the company comes from.
Iāve decided to stop trying to lose weight. When I diet, my brain goes crazy & I binge & make matters worse. I choose to accept & love myself as I am NOW. I will treat myself with care to ensure I can live fully. Not sure why Iām telling you -maybe someone needs to hear it? ā„ļø
hot take: people only like summer because it was our only time off for like 12 years and its ingrained in our minds to like it. the actual season is fucking atrocious
Every summer night, in every neighbourhood in Canada, thereās a middle-aged man proudly playing The Tragically Hip in his backyard, loudly singing along with Gordie into his beer. Tonight, in my neighborhood of #JunctionTO, that man is me.
my midwestern ex doesnt give ppl the finger (that's mean) so when he got mad while driving (a lot) he'd give ppl a thumbs down out the window so they'd know he wasnt mad, just disappointed, and to this day i think that is the funniest shit in the world
It's amazing how quickly "the President is going to cheat to win" is just normalized as a factor we must all work around because the system itself is far too corrupted to stop him.
No mail. No healthcare. No jobs. No free or fair elections. Banned from the rest of the world. Our taxes blown on giveaways to corrupt corporations and institutions. Police violence against anyone who challenges this arrangement. Weāre living in a failed state, no doubt about it.
young people the messaging couldn't be more clear!! Stay at home! Go to work ! We'll give you CERB! Unless your minimum wage job needs you ! Social distance! in the back of the restaurant you work in! have a pod of 6 people! its just your co-workers! lol! y r u so selfish?!?
i need every creator to always keep this sentiment in mind bc even though i try to tell my fav creators i love their work theres alot of gushing n silent admiration n looking to it for the inspiration they don't see pic.twitter.com/lkqOuIQP4n
I jokingly asked my grandpa to pls not let any visitors into my room bc of work, then later walked into him posting a sign on my door that said āDO NOT ENTER, KAREN IS BUSYā w a calligraphy brush in a traditional top-down, right-left korean sign š we are the only two at home š
Weāre so numb as a nation that when NASA reports a possibility of an astriod getting very close we read, consider it for a second and then keep scrolling to see what else is going on that might be more juicy.
This is Ziggy. Heās practicing saying hi to the other dogs in the neighborhood. Just moved here and would love to make a good first impression. 14/10 pic.twitter.com/C2ZGWM3It9
I am always too afraid to exclaim, āin THIS economy??ā bc I donāt know how the economy works and am nervous someone will ask a follow up question
I know Iām harping on this but Hitler and the Nazis didnāt say āweāre going to scapegoat Jewish people and murder them by the millionsā; they said āthe Jews are a threat to the German way of life and we must defend ourselves.ā The same āself-defenseā rhetoric Fox & the GOP use.
This is the first generation where both men and women in a household work full time and barely get by, and people think theyāre the laziest and most entitled howād that happen?
Iām not from nyc (though I was born here), but I think part of what feels so dismissive about transplants saying ānew york is deadā is that theyāre revealing that the only reason theyāre here is to consume, and not to give in return. theyāre literally parasites.
Some movies that I rewatched: Itās Complicated (the family of children is so annoying in this movie, but I love all of the adults and the food and itās just comforting to watch) and Adventures in Babysitting (a perfect movie).
I started rewatching Moesha and itās great to see again, but I canāt believe I didnāt notice how incredible the side character of Kim is! She holds the show together! Obviously, this realization makes me excited for when her spinoff show The Parkers comes to Netflix next month.
I bought this strawberry shampoo from The Body Shop (impulse buy for $5) and the smell reminds me so much of being in middle school (meaning this in a good way). Is it a great shampoo? Meh.
I tried a decent sized sample of the moisturizing cream from Sunday Riley and the best part about it is the smell. I canāt imagine a world in which Iād pay $65 for a basic moisturizer, though, so that says it all.
I tried that anchovy pasta that Mindy Kaling recommended and itās basic as hell, wouldnāt make again.
I made my first purchase from Everlane and the quality of the shirt is beautiful, if not a little shapeless. Will I buy from them again? Probably not. Itās just so bland for the price point.
I own it already, but Iām so happy to hear that Safety Not Guaranteed is back on Netflix. Everyone should watch it. The ending is amazing.
Iām using the new Trader Joeās Strawberry Lemon Sugar Scrub and does it do anything magical? Not really. The smell is incredible, but thereās something gross about the little strawberry seeds in the scrub. No thanks.
New watch alert! $25 at Nordstrom. Iāve been making fun of Nathan having a gold watch for some time now and then realized it might be because I was jealous and wanted one of my own. So here we are.
Idea: take hot baths in the summer. I never used to do this and itās so relaxing. It doesnāt make any sense.
I tried the vegan burger patties from Trader Joeās and theyāre only okay, I wouldnāt get them again. The Impossible Burger is hands down the best one Iāve tried, with a close second place to the Beyond Burger.
The Met reopened (as well as their rooftop installation) and I canāt bring myself to go. I know theyāre taking precautions and all, but I just donāt want to do it. It does look incredible, though.
I tried the brunch burger at Vite Vinosteria in Astoria and I know I say this a lot, but holy shit. Might be the best burger in Astoria? What the hell is with Italian restaurants having these sleeper hit burgers all of a sudden? Vesta is the same way! Either way, Iām not complaining. I mean, look at this beast.
Brunch burger at Vite Vinosteria in Astoria
I started a Might Buy bookmark category in my browser window, to cut down on impulse buying and really care about what I spend my money on. Hereās a list of things that I canāt decide if I want to buy or not:
Iāve heard such good things about this face wash, but I have ten different open ones in my washroom so this is low on the list.
Some things Iām looking forward to this month: I think Iām going to start rewatching Friday Night Lights, Iām also working on my October list of what to watch each day that month, Iām so excited that Ijeoma Oluoās new book has a release date of December 2020, and Iām excited to finish the new book Iām reading (that youāll be hearing about imminently).
If youāve got any interest in reading last monthās roundup, you can see what went down in July over here.
In my ongoing quest to update my closet, I just got some more pieces from Femme Luxe that have dominated my end-of-summer wardrobe.
And look, I know that lounge suits existed before I started wearing them, but I never really understood their popularity before now. I never wanted to look too comfortable in public for whatever dumb reason. I was obviously wrong and Iām here to show you why.
I wore this outfit for about 80% of my time when I was away on vacation last week. Itās so light and airy, it was the easiest thing to throw on when I wanted to get out of the room fast. And while this was definitely my most-worn outfit, this black one (below) was a close second.
The material on both suits is incredibly soft and stretchy, so they could really be worn outside or as pajamas even, depending on your personality. And last but not least, these were the final two items that I tried.
Iāll be honest here, the pants are a little smaller than I expected (which is weird because I got the same ones in black and those fit perfectly), so be forewarned to order a size up if youāre buying. But the grey cropped shirt? One of my very favourites to wear. Thereās just something about a loose-fitting cropped shirt that Iāve been loving lately. I feel like Iām making up lost time for the many years when I was so afraid to show my stomach in any way.
All in all, great pieces to have as the weather turns cooler.
Sometimes even I forget that weāre Vermont people now. Nathan and I just came back from another trip to Manchester, Vermont and god, I love that state. I havenāt been away anywhere since January, which is abnormal for me, so I was really happy that we were able to go somewhere. The hotel was pretty isolated (itās in the mountains), which was perfect and Baby Dog had the time of her life. She ran out of the room (leashless) on the first day and just bolted. Nathan ran across two fields to finally grab her and they both ran out of view, so I stood, alone, in a field, silently having a heart attack and envisioning her alone in the woods at night trying to make friends with a bear or something and then promptly getting eaten. It was a hellish ten minutes.
The view from the back porch
Our room, the Norman Rockwell suite
This candle smells like HEAVEN, bought it at the bookstore
Here she is, slumming it in a king sized bed
Other than that, the week was wildly uneventful (in a good way) and relaxing. How are there a hundred thousand million stars in the sky and weāre all so RELAXED about it? Just beautiful. Our room was upgraded to a suite (the Norman Rockwell suite, to be precise) that had a jacuzzi, fireplace, two TVs, and a back patio with seating: it was incredible. I love that hotel so much (The Manchester View). The weather was incredibly autumn-inspired, so I wasnāt even mad that I only made it to the outdoor pool once. We ate many Baja tacos, some vegan burgers, and a few salads. Weād never gone to the restaurant Seasons on any of our past trips here, and it was great! Have to remember that if we go again. Of course we went to the bookstore in town since they always have the best postcards.
Growing up, I remember being in hotels like this with my parents and brothers and constantly dreaming of the day Iād be in a hotel with a man I loved, casually getting ice from the ice machine and pretending to be on vacation with someone who chose to love me, putting the key in the door and thinking āThereās some great person on the other side waiting for me to get back to the roomā and just being so excited at the thought of that being my reality some day. It all came true.
So glad we were still able to travel this summer, even if it was only a short trip. It gave me a chance to actually miss New York, which is always a good feeling.
This was our third time staying in this town in Vermont (are we nuts?) and I have no regrets, itās a solid little town. You can read about the other twotimes weāve visited if that pleases you. I also made an Instagram highlight reel for the trip on my Instagram.
I was given this book as a gift and knew nothing about it going in, but Iām so glad that I read it. Favourite parts ahead.
If she could go back and talk to her younger self, sheād say: āFrom the second you took your first breath, you were worthwhile and valid. And Iām sorry you had to wait so long to learn that for yourself.ā
There is such a funny childhood story about this awful girl who wanted to kick her ass, you have you read the whole chapter (it starts on page 79). I canāt do it justice. Even if you donāt buy the book, read that chapter in the book store or library.
āI donāt remember which one of us called 911, but the police got there fast. I am grateful I was raped in an affluent neighborhood with an underworked police department. And an underutilized rape crisis center. And overly trained doctors and nurses and medical personnel. The fact that one can be grateful for such things is goddam ridiculous.ā This whole chapter about her rape brings up a lot of stuff that just sort of sits inside women whoāve dealt with any kind of sexual abuse, so itās a hard one to read but equally necessary. The bravery that this woman exudes is mind-blowing and inspiring.
āI cannot enjoy a meal if my back is to the door. That feeling of surveillance, of being hunted, never goes away. Fear influences everything I do. I saw the devil up close, remember. And I see now how naive I was. Of course I can never truly have peace again. That idea is fiction. You can figure out how to move through the world, but the idea of peace? In your soul? It doesnāt exist. I often get asked if my fears have decreased as I move further from the rape. No. Itās more about me moving from becoming a rape victim to a rape survivor. I am selective about who I allow into my life. I can spot people who make me feel anxious or fearful, and they are not welcome.ā
When sheās talking about her first marriage and its problems and describes it as, āWe were on the Titanic, asking to see the bar menu.ā
When sheās talking about internet trolls: āSo many people really love the attention they get by trolling. Itās a temporary cure for their invisibility.ā and hearing her friend offer this sound advice: āAn empress does not concern herself with the antics of fools.ā
Maybe the best paragraph of the whole book: āDo you know why no one asks men how they balance it all? Itās because there is no expectation of that. Bringing home money is enough. We donāt expect you to be anything more than a provider, men. But a working woman? Not only do you have to bring home the bacon and fry it up, you gotta be a size double-zero, too. Youāve got to volunteer at the school, youāve got to be a sex kitten, a great friend, a community activist. There are all these expectations that we put on women that we donāt put on men. In the same way, we never inquire about whatās happening in a manās urethra. āLow sperm count, huh? That why you donāt have kids? Have you tried IVF?āā
I loved reading about the Prince parties that she attended. Iāve only ever heard incredible things about that man.
Definitely a great read. Thanks for the recommendation, Marla!
Iāve been especially trying to not buy things from Amazon recently (for a million reasons) and since I still donāt feel incredibly comfortable going into stores (and even if I did, dressing rooms are still closed in most places) Iāve been on the hunt for new places online to find new clothing. I only recently heard about this brand Femme Luxe, so I got a couple of things to see if they were anything special and was pleasantly surprised at how well everything fit and looked. So far, everything Iāve tried has been reasonably priced and pretty great quality. I wouldnāt recommend these specific blank pants (shown below) as summer clothing because you can get pretty hot in them (or maybe thatās just me because I overheat in every kind of weather), but Iām so, so excited to wear these in literally every other season. The sizing is wildly accurate too, Iāve never had pants (that werenāt stretchy) fit me like this before. Iāve only tried two pairs so far, but take a look at the fit. Itās insane.
I meeeean, am I wrong? Even the sweatpants look good.
Sad face = Iām so comfortable I donāt need to exude happiness?
I was a little shocked at how good they looked in real life, especially when things can appear so completely different from how they look online. Also, I guess I truly didnāt know that I could be into tapered pants? Iād always thought theyād make me look even shorter than I already am, but it seems to be having the opposite effect. Itās making me question what other things have I inherently always questioned that could actually look really good. In any case, Iāll definitely be ordering from them again.
The key word being was. We bought an air conditioner! Weāve been an A/C-free family for some time now, but since weāre spending so much time at home, we figured now was the time to be cool. In other news, everything still blows! What a shock! Hereās how I spent July.
I didnāt even know another Halloween movie was being made but of course Iāll go see it even if it turns out to be trash, you gotta support classic horror franchises, thatās just basic horror etiquette 101.
This is the most basic, boring-sounding sandwich on planet earth, but it tastes incredible I promise you (I didnāt add bacon, but I did add fresh mozzarella) and whatever bread you use, itāll still be great. I find myself constantly forgetting about the greatness of mayo because I, my dear, am an idiot.
I ordered a bunch of new address labels on Zazzle because they were having a Christmas in July sale, so I bought some seasonally inspired labels to use over the next few months. If youāre not seasonally co-ordinating your return address labels, are you even living?
I attempted to watch the new Baby-Sitterās Club on Netflix and itās really not meant for me. I was never into the books or the movie or any of it, I never liked the idea of kids caring about making money, it seemed too sad to me. āJust be a kid!ā Iād always thought.
Speaking of childhood nostalgia, I have started to watch reruns online of Sweet Valley High, which I loved as a kid. Itās no Breaker High, but itās still pretty great to rewatch. God, Jessica really was an absolute bitch.
Some other things that Iāve rewatched: Con Air (practically a perfect movie, will always love, *Nic Cage forever* might be the only tattoo Iād ever get), Supermarket Sweep is on American Netflix and I was so excited (for about three episodes) then I moved on with my life, Sleepless in Seattle (still a very nice, average, reliable movie), Bill & Tedās Excellent Adventure (actually a really great summer movie, will always be a fun time to watch, will forever be a huge Keanu fan, I just feel like I could trust him??), and Dick Tracy (will always love this movie even if it has eight million too many montages, the set design is gorgeous, and this one outfit that Madonna wears makes me questionā¦ everything).
Some new movies that Iāve watched: Always Be My Maybe (so, so great! How did it take me so long to see this! So many good scenes, such a good movie), The Karate Kid (insane that I hadnāt seen it before, kids were uncomfortably mean in the 80s, favourite part was when Mr. Miyagi beats up the children, great movie), The Stepfather (pretty fun time, so happy weāve starting watching horror movies again), Eat Pray Love (ugh, I donāt know, I do love movies about women just leaving and doing fun shit alone and abandoning their lives, but this was pretty lame, I hated James Francoās character more than life and truly didnāt understand how Julia Roberts was even briefly into him), and finally the original The Hills Have Eyes (which I loved weirdly enough despite being incredibly tense the entire movie, I just thought it was so well done and scary and incredible, the rape scene is of course awful and I shut my eyes for that part, but that was the only thing I hated, it doesnāt make sense that I liked this movie so much).
I donāt know how to word this, but something is off with the reasonably priced (and almost too cheap) parmesan sold at Trader Joeās. It melts weird. It doesnāt taste like normal cheese. Something is afoot and I wonāt buy it any longer. Iām truly dreading and equally anticipating the day that all of Trader Joeās secrets are exposed. Be warned.
That being said, obviously Iām in love with the seasonal summer candles that TJ just released. We have a complicated relationship.
Trader Joe summer candle trio, 2020
I made this gruyere mac and cheese with caramelized onions (I used almond milk and it still came out good) and can every recipe just include caramelized onions? The world is ending, letās just put sweet, tiny, brown onions on everything and call it a day.
I have to remember that Essieās vibrant colours just f-ing suck. Only their muted/bland colours are good. They should really just stick to those. And if youāre looking for loud colours that stand out, the summer collection at Urban Outfitters is my go-to (and thereās always a 3 for $10 sale with them).
I listened to Taylor Swiftās new album and so far my favourites are definitely: the 1 and this is me trying.
Iāve been thinking about cancelling my Ipsy subscription again (because I think I donāt care about makeup at this current moment in time) and when I logged on to cancel, they let me choose one of the items being sent next month as if they knew I wanted to leave! So I chose a Sunday Riley product (because any sample Iāve tried from them, Iāve loved) so maybe Iāll cancel next month?
I tried a sample of Drunk Elephantās shampoo & conditioner (which smelled so lovely) and my hair did seem softer the next day. Thereās something about this brand though, I feel like they might be tricking us with their beautiful packaging and minimalist persona.
I bought and tried the ancient Biore Strips and I have absolutely no idea if they did what theyāre supposed to do. Are you supposed to see the blackheads or whiteheads come off onto the strip? It felt like it just tried to peel my face off. No idea whatās going on with these.
I have been in love with the Peter Thomas Roth Correction Pads, I use one pad before bed each night and I think theyāre doing something good because I always wake up with no new pimples. It has even started erasing all of the redness Iāve been experiencing lately from the summer heat and sweat and mask-wearing. At this point, I can definitely see myself rebuying when I run out, and if I do then Iāll definitely not get them from Sephora because you can get them way cheaper at other online retailers.
Iāve also started using this Dr. Dennis Gross All-In-One face cleanser and I think itās a good one. Itās hard to tell because I started using it the same day at the correction pads I mentioned above (yes that was a bad idea but here we are), so maybe theyāre working together to make my face good? Weāll revisit this.
I finally opened up this Belif set I bought a few months ago and itās really nothing special. I think the face cream is probably the best item in there because you truly donāt need to use a lot to feel moisturized. But the face cleanser? Meh. I donāt think it does very much, it definitely didnāt help any redness. And the toner? Donāt get me started on how I kind of think toner might be a scam. And the āeye moisturizerā? Seems superfluous. My eye area is plenty moist, thanks.
Perfect summer soap scent: Fresh Rainfall. If I canāt travel this year, I will escape into this scent. (Send help.)
Very excited to hear about Lindy Westās new book.
So I heard that Lady M now ships their cakes to Canada and I was able to scream in excitement for approx. four seconds before looking into it and seeing that itāll cost you over $100 to get ONE cake sent. THE GALL, I tell you. THE GALL.
I briefly looked into the app Sweatcoin after hearing good things, but it really just seems like an app where its main goal is to track you. And yes, your phone already does that whether youāre aware or not, but I think Iāll pass on the extra tracking.
I heard that the upcoming Halloween Bobās Burgers episode will āfollow the kids as they try to deliver a burger to the hotel on their street.ā Itās such a sad little bit of tiny information, but I love their seasonal episodes so much that Iāll take any crumbs available.
Christ, why do I keep forgetting that Bareburger is absolutely nothing special? Why in the good fuck is it taking so long for a Shake Shack to come to Astoria?!
I ate on the patio at Hoja Santa in Astoria and the tacos were nothing to write home about. The service, drinks and chips were outstanding though, so I may have just ordered badly.
I refer to myself as dark skinned and people are like āwtf no youāre notā I refer to myself as light skinned and people are like ālmfaooo this bitch is delusionalā so from here on out I will simply be referring to myself as....skinned
Hey, I think President Trump is on to something with this idea of limiting COVID infections by not testing as much. Who knew the secret for staying forever young was as simple as not celebrating your birthday?
small dog slander makes me sad. Of course theyāre āyappy,ā they have tiny bodies, itās not a personality trait. They also have teeny tiny paws to put on your leg when you are sad
I woke up with a small, specific sadness: I miss being on a trip with family or friends and waking up to the murmuring sound of other people, already awake, having a conversation in the kitchen in the morning.
i remember my ex got mad at me bc i once tweeted i wanted to cuddle with shia labeouf, lmaooo like every argument we had he would be like āwhy donāt u go fuck shiaā like bro i would if i could š
Has everyone stopped to meditate on the fact that an 87-year-old woman on chemo has to keep working full-time, full-force, because she's quite literally the only thing stopping the country's full slide into fascism?
Canāt keep 900 baseball players safe with almost unlimited resources but sure we can protect millions of kids jammed into schools where teachers have to raise money on GoFundMe for like pencils and shit.
My dog decided it was time to go to bed about twenty minutes ago. Off he went. I stayed on the couch, ya know, as is my right. Iāll me damned if he didnāt just walk back in here and look at me like ādid I stutter? It is time for us to go TO BED.ā Welp, good night, yāall.
I tried Thai iced coffee and it was so wildly sweet and too aromatic, I probably wouldnāt get it again. And I also tried a Vietnamese iced coffee and it was the perfect level of sweet! Whatās the difference between the two, you ask?
I finally tried the katsu sandwich at Hi-Collar as takeout in the East Village and it was absolutely nothing special. No idea why people are so into it.
I havenāt been to Bite in so many months, so it was nice to get takeout earlier this week. God how Iāve missed their ciabatta bread. They use it on their sandwiches and it comes from Balthazar each morning and itās always heavenly.
I tried a grapefruit shandy and holy shit, it might be my favourite new summer drink.
I ate on the patio at LāArtusi since it just reopened and good god, that carbonara will change you. So psyched to see they have the wagyu steak tartare on the menu now, too. The burger, the panzanella salad and the charred corn were all great, but that carbonara was the standout.
Yeah, Iām NOT gonna get a Manhattan??
Carbonara heaven, 'LāArtusi
LāBurger with roasted potatoes at LāArtusi
Sweet Irene!
Some things Iād like to do this month: Iād love to try this tomato toast with blue cheese mayo, Iām going to start using a new clothes steamer I just bought with the hopes of getting rid of my iron & ironing board, I rebought a tube of Revitalash because of how great my lashes were looking when I used it a few years ago so Iāll start using it on August 1st and track my progress to prove how great this product is, I canāt wait for Moesha to be coming to Netflix this month, and I am waiting waiting waiting until I can find time to return to Lilia (on the patio) to eat this incredible tomato focaccia & garlic butter (shown below).
If youāve got any interest in reading last monthās roundup, you can see what went down in June over here.
Can someone just hit me in the face hard enough so that I wake up in 2021? As a favour to me? (Also I love that weāre all assuming that a new year means a completely fresh new slate and that none of the actions taken this year will affect the rest of our lives? Itās ridiculous, but itās a type of logic that I can absolutely get on board with.) In any case, life is hell right now. Hereās what went on in hell this month.
I started doing Ipsy bag reviews again. The best find from the bag this month: a REALHER lipstick. Just amazing quality and I need to look further into their other products.
I tried hard seltzer (not White Claw, it was a brand called HOOT) and it was very okay, I just donāt see the big deal? I think we all have low standards for things being good.
God, I miss Jon Stewart. I find myself just watching old segments from his show which are sadly still incredibly relevant.
I visited this coffee shop in Astoria called Coffee + Cake thatās so lovely. They make freshly baked goods each day and homemade ice cream and Iāll definitely return. This is their tomato & parmesan focaccia bread.
I tried to eat the black stem for some reason too?? Not my smartest idea.
I started taking antihistamine eye drops for seasonal allergies and theyāve cured me completely. Itās insane. I love them.
I tried birthday cake Kit Kats because why wouldnāt I and of course theyāre good. But theyāre basically justā¦ white Kit Katsā¦ and thatās already a thing that existsā¦ and look Iām not trying to hate on them, so Iāll keep my mouth shut about it from here on out.
If I became famous, the first thing Iād endorse would be Vicks (obviously), but the second thing? This dairy-free, almond milk yogurt DAH! Yes, the name is terrible. But the yogurt is heavenly. The madagascar vanilla will change you.
Finally made this ricotta jam jar with crostini and it was everything I wanted it to be and more.
Iāve been keeping a collection of photos taken of the city throughout the pandemic that are just gorgeous photos, here are a few.
April 2020, photo by Jerome Strauss
March 12th, 2020, the first night of Broadway going dark - photo by Gretchen Robinette for Gothamist
June 2020, photo by Benjamin Norman for The New York Times
April 2020, photo by Jerome Strauss
April 2020, photo by Jerome Strauss
I watched the Holy Chicken! documentary from the Super Size Me guy and it was okay. I did know a lot of those chicken facts already since we havenāt been eating meat these last few months, so it wasnāt anything revolutionary. And then after I watched it, I was reading about it and then came across all the gross behavior by the creator of the film and uggghhhh I wish I hadnāt watched and supported it now.
I tried this New Orleans cold brew and whoa. Good stuff. I donāt exactly know the difference between cold brew and coffee and itās such a boring thing to look up, soā¦ here we are.
Will forever love the food at The Thirsty Koala in Astoria. Thank you Katie, Greg & Irene for gifting us so much of their food this month! Truly so sweet of you.
Favourite tweets of the month.
They criminalize the homeless so that they donāt have to house them. They criminalize drug addicts so that they donāt have to address substance abuse as a public health problem. They criminalize the poor so that they donāt have to address wealth inequality.
— antifaās bus driver (@Lwrathofkhan) June 6, 2020
Nothing more insulting than your dog walking into the room you're in, looking around and then leaving.
The US has tried to get rid of covid the way I try to get abs - I try really hard for a couple months then I get annoyed that itās taking so long and decide abs arenāt real.
Remember when Pizza Hut pan pizzas were basically a goddamn culinary delicacy? Theyād bring them out in a real fucking skillet that was piping at about 700 degrees Fahrenheit right as your third song kicked in on the jukebox after youād played a game of Galaga. We were kings. pic.twitter.com/G7dQBRd3qQ
Imagine someone u love is fast asleep in bed after a long day of working to help others. Imagine that while she is asleep armed strangers break down her door & shoot her in her bed 8 times. If this was ur daughter or sister, u would want justice. #BreonnaTalyor deserves the same.
not everyone who has been sexually assaulted immediately recognizes that is what happened to them. it can take days or weeks or even years for someone to realize what happened to them was not okay. believe victims rather than questioning why it took so long for them to speak up.
My conspiracy theory is that time travel IS real & someone keeps trying to fix 2020 by changing something but every time they do, they unwittingly make it worse. How else do you explain the sudden disappearance of murder hornets? They saved us from those but at what cost?!?!
Itās mind-boggling to me that, due to the failures and incompetence of our leaders, weāre all effectively going to lose a year of our lives. At least.
I bought a ton of underwear from Aerie since I donāt feel comfortable going into any stores or on the subway yet, and theyāre actually pretty great quality (Iām sorry I didnāt get on this sooner, Marla.) The sizing is a little off in that one medium doesnāt fit like another medium, but once you figure it out, youāre good.
I learned how to make vodka martinis at home, so what Iām trying to say is that Iām better than you now.
Truly donāt know how I feel about this news, but I think I have to support it, right? I wish we could just leave good things alone. Why must we always want more.
I watched The Joy Luck Club and hereās my takeaway: donāt have daughters. And also maybe donāt have mothers? It seems like everyone is a disappointment to every character in this movie. I was expecting to love it, so when that didnāt happen I was a little disappointed.
I watched Dan In Real Life (mainly because of Steve Carell who was way too good for this movie) and it suuuuucked. Hated Dane Cook. Hated the plot. Hated the whole white, rich, we-dance-as-a-family type aesthetic of the whole movie.
I watched the first season of You and a few episodes of the second season and uuuuuuuggggghhhhhh what a garbage show. I donāt need to see anyone romanticize some pathetic Gossip Girl loser who I feel no empathy for. Itās actually just so badly written and how on earth did someone green-light this trash. Hereās a good piece written about it.
Also watched a bunch of reruns of 3rd Rock From The Sun and what an underrated, great show. Wish I remembered it more.
Iāve been on a real Harrison Ford bender lately and I canāt see it stopping anytime soon. I watched Sabrina (which was okay, the best part was seeing him play a nerdish, unlovable character). I also watched Working Girl (which is really not a great movie, but it was only watchable for Ford). Also saw Air Force One and what a movie. How on earth have I never seen it before?? Such a fox. If you havenāt seen it before, I shall entice you with this one line:
Rainier cherries are in season now and while I donāt particularly love a cherry, these are delightful.
Iāve been sucking down these Saratoga Springs sparkling waters for days and thereās no turning back, theyāre refreshing in a way I didnāt think existed. Just pure magic.
The only summer salad thatās worth a damn is this panzanella salad, but make sure you add fresh mozzarella to it.
I never thought I liked biscotti until a friend recently made it, so maybe Iām just into chocolate biscotti?
What a great idea (below):
If youād like to hear the birds in NYC right now, get on over here.
I started watching Insecure but couldnāt really get into it, maybe Iāll give it more of a chance, maybe not. I feel like if youāre not hooked into a show within three episodes, itās not gonna happen.
I rewatched Clueless and itās really just a perfect movie. I could quote every line in this movie at one point in my life and I think I might still be able to. Still looking to emulate this perfect outfit one day.
Cannot stop making this broccoli pasta with Banza and the Beyond Meat sausage.
I finished watching Fuller House and Iāll never know why I wanted to, itās such a corny/actually-bad show and yet I still watched. Thankfully itās over forever.
Incase youāre looking for an alternative site to Amazon for buying books: Bookshop.org
Itās been a harder month than normal and I found myself watching The Land Before Time and uncontrollably weeping onto my yoga mat (I like to watch movies in the background when Iām working out). A kind of cry that comes around every decade or so where you canāt really breathe and youāre blinded my tears and everything is too much to handle. I know itās a sad movie, but I think it was the movie and the combination of this month that made me react that way. In any case, I hope kids today still want to watch that movie. Itās a hard one, but itās really still so good.
My grandmother Ma passed away this month and since travel is not allowed, it was especially difficult for this to happen now. I felt helpless being separated from most of my family so I wrote a bit about how it made me feel. I could talk about the greatness of this woman endlessly, how itās insane that you could live in this day and age and not read or write and still enrich the lives of everyone you know, thereās no way to sum her up as a person. Iāll just miss her. Her voice, her endless encouragement, all of it.
Some things Iād like to do this month: Iād like to not sink into an unending pit of depression (thatād be great), Iād like to keep going on our nightly walks with Nathan, Iām likely going to buy these bike shorts as soon as theyāre back in stock and you canāt stop me (I already have an outfit in mind, trust me itās gonna look good), I was looking forward to movie theatres reopening (the Regal near our house specifically) but the dateās been pushed again to the end of July (which will likely get pushed again), and Iād really like to start and finish another book this month.
If youāve got any interest in reading last monthās roundup, you can see what went down in May over here.
The worst season in the worst year is suddenly upon us! Look at that! With everything a few weeks away from shutting down again (itās happening, I can feel it), hereās what Iām going to try to do this season.
If I can make it to Canada in the next few months, Iād love to go see Tew Falls finally.
Go swimming at least twice. (Where? No idea.)
Try a Vietnamese iced coffee for the first time.
Eat the burger at LāArtusi.
Start planning San Francisco (and area) trip.
Other summer things I wouldāve loved to do if the world was safe and normal: I wouldāve gone to go see the installation on the rooftop at The Met, but I wouldnāt feel very comfortable being around that many people even if it does open, so next year it is. I wish carnivals were still happening this year, even small street ones, but that doesnāt seem likely. I am looking forward to summer tomatoes and corn, so thatās something. Iāve got to start planning my Halloween costume, too. Maybe this season wonāt be a giant train wreck?
