Just delightful.
How on earth did I forget about this perfect scene?
September Shenanigans 2020
The leaves are starting to fall, the colder winds are coming, the pumpkins are starting to appear and I’ve never wanted an October more than I do right now. This time of year stirs up so much inside of me, I can barely breathe. However you enjoy this season, I hope you take some time to bask in these autumn days that are typically so fleeting. Here’s what went down last month.
I recapped what happened off of my summer list.
I made an autumn list of things that I’d like to do this season.
I cannot stop playing this John Legend song on repeat. Especially in recent days.
Some other songs I have on repeat: Never Let Me Go by Alok & Bruno Martini & Zeeba, Savage Love by Jawsh 685 & Jason Derulo and that old Sarah McLachlan song Ice Cream for some reason.
Absolutely in love with the limited edition apple pie flavoured Kit Kats. Unreal.
I made these pumpkin pie overnight oats and they were a big hit. Great autumn breakfast idea.
I ate at Buvette and their snails were definitely the highlight.
I saw the movie The Car and it was phenomenal. You have to see it. The dialogue is atrocious, but a young, smokeshow James Brolin? Christ, he can get it. It’s a perfect bad movie.
I went to Gramercy Tavern and of course that place never disappoints. The service, the food, everything is impeccable. Some photos below.
Something new: did you know that Sephora has in-store rewards available that are different from the rewards shown on their website? Something to check out near the front cashier the next time you’re in a Sephora.
New favourite potato chips: Torres Selecta Black Truffle.
I bought the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion again because it’s such a great product for calming down acne and one bottle lasts at least six months or so.
A great piece about the arts scene in New York City right now.
I rarely listen to podcasts, but I listened to the Conan O’Brien episode of the Michelle Obama podcast and it was great. The episode is about marriage and I liked it so much because I love hearing about how couples first met and fell for one another.
With SNL returning this weekend, I rewatched one of my favourite sketches in recent memory.
As with every other person on earth this month, I watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix and then immediately deleted all the games off of my phone. I know the whole message was to delete Instagram and Facebook, but I’ve never had Facebook on my phone (what am I, 90?) and I truly don’t go on Instagram that much (not by choice, I have a shite battery that lasts about eight minutes a day).
This girl helping senior dogs is an absolute angel on earth.
Fighting ever urge in my body to immediately buy this emerald beauty.
I started watching Girlfriends and even though the pilot is rooooough (as most pilots are), it’s an all right show. It’s insane that Sex And The City basically stole this entire premise. I did, however, stop watching because all of the women are so wildly tiny, it warps my brain to sit and stare at skinny women for long periods of time.
I bought this scalp massager and holy hell, it’s incredible. It elevates a shower times a thousand.
I tried a sample of Fab Pharma’s Rescue Mask and it’s pretty great. It’s weird to not wash a mask off yes, but your skin feels amazing in the morning after use.
My friend Dusty had his movie reviewed by Roger Ebert’s website which is so huge and amazing. Wildly proud.
I started watching Sister, Sister on Netflix and Lisa is the greatest character of all time.
The new autumn candle at Trader Joe’s? Honeycrisp Apple! Already bought! Already sold out! Will I light it or just keep it to smell every so often? None of your business.
Another great New Yorker cover.
I was fortunate enough to eat at Atoboy (thank you Katie & Greg!) and it was perfection. I’ve never eaten tuna so heavenly. Such a wonderful meal and the service especially was warm as hell.
A roasted oyster cheat sheet for NYC, if you should find yourself in need.
A great piece talking about how people make up voices for their dogs.
I rewatched Grease and I can’t believe how often I forget how good the music is in that movie. Every song smashes.
One of my favourite restaurants in Astoria, Mars, opened for lunch recently, very grateful.
REVELATION: Not drinking before bed gives you a crazy, deep, restful sleep. How on earth did I not remember this?
I finally bought those Aerie bike shorts I’ve wanted for months and they’re incredible. Bike shorts should always be this damn soft.
Finally ate at Arte Cafe on the Upper West Side and loved it.
I visited the Krispy Kreme flagship in Times Square and it was pretty great. Most locations in every suburban city have glass windows where you see the donuts being made, so I didn’t get the huge appeal?
I may or may not have indulged in some of the seasonal desserts at Comfortland in Astoria, I won’t tell you details because they weren’t anything amazing. Honestly, nothing compares to the apple fritters at San Remo’s in Etobicoke.
I watched the Surviving R. Kelly sequel on Netflix and it didn’t really have any new information, which makes sense because there hasn’t even been a trial yet.
I also watched all of season one and some of season two of Twin Peaks (for the first time) and I have some thoughts. First things first, the pilot is incredible. But… why is the background/theme music so terrible? It never matches any of the scenes in tone and it just leaves me confused most times. Some parts are so fucking off and bad (acting-wise, script-wise) that I literally googled certain scenes to see if they were supposed to be funny or if I was missing something. What the fuck is with all of the dancing? And THIS scene? What in the good holy fuck?? UGH, and then David Lynch SHOWS UP IN THE SHOW? Kill me. The entire series should’ve lasted one season. I can officially say that I don’t give one shit about who the fuck killed Laura Palmer, she’s the luckiest character of them all to be dead. Blow me, Lynch.
Hot tip: wine bottle as a ravioli maker!
Neve Campbell is definitely onboard for the next Scream!
Best tweets of the month ahead.
Some things that I’m looking forward to doing this month: I must decorate, I really want to make this fall kale salad that sounds incredible, I’m planning a visit to Sleepy Hollow for the day, if I can find the time I really want to try these vegan burgers, I need to finalize the details for my costume this year, MUST BUY these winter stamps, I cannot wait to get my hands on these again, I’m intending on doing my 31-days-of-Halloween celebration yet again (which means that I’ll try to do at least one spookily themed thing each day), and I will definitely be watching some of these 90s sitcoms Halloween episodes. Also, I’m not a huge cronut fan but these flavours (below)?! Get out of here. Already pre-ordered.
If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in August over here.
Autumn List 2020
The absolute best time of the year has officially begun. So as the world crumbles around us, let us look to the falling leaf. Let us carve a pumpkin and bask in the candlelight that shines back upon us. Let us believe for a moment that things will get better. Here’s what I’d love to do this season.
Make an apple dessert.
Visit Sleepy Hollow.
Jog before sunrise.
Make homemade hot toddies.
Have the most epic Halloween possible since it falls on a full moon this year and that, my dear, is magical.
However you’re spending the season, I hope it’s everything you want it to be and more.
Summer List 2020 Revisited
Hahahah, remember when I made a list of summer things that I wanted to do? That was cute.
“If I can make it to Canada in the next few months, I’d love to go see Tew Falls finally.”
Didn’t even kinda make it to Canada.
“Go swimming at least twice. (Where? No idea.)”
I went once! In Vermont! And I’m grateful for even that one time.
“Try a Vietnamese iced coffee for the first time.”
Did it! It wasn’t anything miraculous, but happy to have tried it.
“Eat the burger at L’Artusi.”
Done! If you put “eat a burger” on any list of mine, it’d be wild if I don’t move mountains to eat that mother.
“Start planning San Francisco (and area) trip.”
Truly just forgot about this one. Still intending on researching the hell out of this trip.
So 2.5/5, which is actually not terrible for a summer that essentially did not count. Autumn list coming tomorrow!
August Actions 2020
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. We’re 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 haven’t seen for almost a year, eating the baked goods from places that I’m 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 I’d 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. Here’s what happened last month:
I found out that there will definitely be a Scream 5 and I am pumped.
I read Gabrielle Union’s latest book.
I did two posts about the clothing that I got from Femme Luxe.
I wrote about our recent trip to Vermont.
I have been doing Nathan’s podcast on Patreon a lot lately, and it’s honestly just so fun to do.
Two more songs that I love off of Taylor Swift’s new album: epiphany and mad woman. It’s fast becoming my album of the summer (I’m, like, super indie, I know).
Blue Diamond has these flavoured almonds out right now and the salt & vinegar as well as the dill pickle flavours… are insanely good.
I sent this to my mom and she loved it as much as I do (below).
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 can’t 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 Mama’s Too? Not a chance. Still good, though.
My friend Dusty has a movie premiering at TIFF! Too incredible.
I finally got to eat the tomato focaccia from Lilia and now I can’t get it off my mind and have to go get it again before summer is over.
Christ, I love these Cult Gaia bags.
I am fighting every urge inside me not to buy a Halloween tree.
Yep, I’m definitely gonna watch the new Sofia Coppola movie. But obviously not in theatres.
I bought this mask off of Etsy in anticipation of October’s arrival.
I also got this Tan Lines candle that smells incredible. I know it’s basic as hell but candles might be saving my life.
I vote for more light-hearted news items, please/thanks.
I must try these vegan sandwiches SOON, they sound so good.
I’m not sure when I’ll feel okay about visiting the new Krispy Kreme flagship, but I’ll tell you one thing: I can’t wait. I remember when they opened their first Canadian location and my dad was so excited, I think that’s where my love of the company comes from.
I watched the movie Phantasm and even though the fear scene was great, this is one baaaaaaad movie. Just complete shit.
Best tweets of the month ahead.
Some movies that I rewatched: It’s Complicated (the family of children is so annoying in this movie, but I love all of the adults and the food and it’s just comforting to watch) and Adventures in Babysitting (a perfect movie).
I started rewatching Moesha and it’s great to see again, but I can’t believe I didn’t 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 can’t imagine a world in which I’d pay $65 for a basic moisturizer, though, so that says it all.
Forever in love with this summer panzanella salad.
I tried that anchovy pasta that Mindy Kaling recommended and it’s basic as hell, wouldn’t 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. It’s just so bland for the price point.
New songs I keep playing on repeat: Surrender by Natalie Taylor, Savage by Megan Thee Stallion, and (*drops head*) this dance remix to a Taylor Swift song (stop judging me).
I own it already, but I’m so happy to hear that Safety Not Guaranteed is back on Netflix. Everyone should watch it. The ending is amazing.
I’m using the new Trader Joe’s Strawberry Lemon Sugar Scrub and does it do anything magical? Not really. The smell is incredible, but there’s something gross about the little strawberry seeds in the scrub. No thanks.
New watch alert! $25 at Nordstrom. I’ve 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 it’s so relaxing. It doesn’t make any sense.
I tried the vegan burger patties from Trader Joe’s and they’re only okay, I wouldn’t get them again. The Impossible Burger is hands down the best one I’ve tried, with a close second place to the Beyond Burger.
I love this idea for basil breadcrumbs on top of a lasagna.
The Met reopened (as well as their rooftop installation) and I can’t bring myself to go. I know they’re taking precautions and all, but I just don’t 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, I’m not complaining. I mean, look at this beast.
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. Here’s a list of things that I can’t decide if I want to buy or not:
I already have three cropped hoodie sweaters BUT I don’t have one in the colour Heather Stone.
I’ve heard so many good things about these Spanx leggings for years. Might make a move on them.
I’ve always wanted all-red sneakers.
A scalp massager because… might be fun?
These pumpkin dish towels are cute as hell.
I’ve 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 I’m looking forward to this month: I think I’m going to start rewatching Friday Night Lights, I’m also working on my October list of what to watch each day that month, I’m so excited that Ijeoma Oluo’s new book has a release date of December 2020, and I’m excited to finish the new book I’m reading (that you’ll be hearing about imminently).
If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in July over here.
Femme Luxe - Part Deux
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 I’m here to show you why.
I wore this outfit for about 80% of my time when I was away on vacation last week. It’s 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.
I’ll 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 you’re buying. But the grey cropped shirt? One of my very favourites to wear. There’s just something about a loose-fitting cropped shirt that I’ve been loving lately. I feel like I’m 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.
Another End of Summer Trip in Vermont
Sometimes even I forget that we’re Vermont people now. Nathan and I just came back from another trip to Manchester, Vermont and god, I love that state. I haven’t 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 (it’s 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.
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 we’re 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 wasn’t even mad that I only made it to the outdoor pool once. We ate many Baja tacos, some vegan burgers, and a few salads. We’d 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 I’d 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 “There’s some great person on the other side waiting for me to get back to the room” 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, it’s a solid little town. You can read about the other two times we’ve visited if that pleases you. I also made an Instagram highlight reel for the trip on my Instagram.
We're Going To Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union - A Review
I was given this book as a gift and knew nothing about it going in, but I’m so glad that I read it. Favourite parts ahead.
If she could go back and talk to her younger self, she’d say: “From the second you took your first breath, you were worthwhile and valid. And I’m sorry you had to wait so long to learn that for yourself.”
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 can’t do it justice. Even if you don’t buy the book, read that chapter in the book store or library.
“I don’t 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.” This whole chapter about her rape brings up a lot of stuff that just sort of sits inside women who’ve dealt with any kind of sexual abuse, so it’s a hard one to read but equally necessary. The bravery that this woman exudes is mind-blowing and inspiring.
“I 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 doesn’t exist. I often get asked if my fears have decreased as I move further from the rape. No. It’s 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.”
When she’s talking about her first marriage and its problems and describes it as, “We were on the Titanic, asking to see the bar menu.”
When she’s talking about internet trolls: “So many people really love the attention they get by trolling. It’s a temporary cure for their invisibility.” and hearing her friend offer this sound advice: “An empress does not concern herself with the antics of fools.”
Maybe the best paragraph of the whole book: “Do you know why no one asks men how they balance it all? It’s because there is no expectation of that. Bringing home money is enough. We don’t 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. You’ve got to volunteer at the school, you’ve got to be a sex kitten, a great friend, a community activist. There are all these expectations that we put on women that we don’t put on men. In the same way, we never inquire about what’s happening in a man’s urethra. ‘Low sperm count, huh? That why you don’t have kids? Have you tried IVF?’”
I loved reading about the Prince parties that she attended. I’ve only ever heard incredible things about that man.
Definitely a great read. Thanks for the recommendation, Marla!
Femme Luxe
I’ve been especially trying to not buy things from Amazon recently (for a million reasons) and since I still don’t feel incredibly comfortable going into stores (and even if I did, dressing rooms are still closed in most places) I’ve 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 I’ve tried has been reasonably priced and pretty great quality. I wouldn’t recommend these specific blank pants (shown below) as summer clothing because you can get pretty hot in them (or maybe that’s just me because I overheat in every kind of weather), but I’m so, so excited to wear these in literally every other season. The sizing is wildly accurate too, I’ve never had pants (that weren’t stretchy) fit me like this before. I’ve only tried two pairs so far, but take a look at the fit. It’s insane.
I meeeean, am I wrong? Even the sweatpants look good.
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 didn’t know that I could be into tapered pants? I’d always thought they’d make me look even shorter than I already am, but it seems to be having the opposite effect. It’s making me question what other things have I inherently always questioned that could actually look really good. In any case, I’ll definitely be ordering from them again.