Fall Fridays Vol. 4
Fall Fridays Vol. 1
Welcome To Autumn
Fall Fridays Vol. 9
Central Park, NYC
Central Park, NYC
Welcome to the final Fall Fridays! I know that autumn technically ends on December 20th, but I refuse to acknowledge that. If I see a Santa display then that means it’s Christmas. The seasons (as I know them) are: spring, hell, autumn, Christmas, winter - I don’t make the rules.
BAKING/COOKING
I made a rice krispies pumpkin pie for American Thanksgiving and it turned out pretty well! Kind of a perfect dessert for a kids table.
Rice krispies pumpkin pie
CRAVING
The duck confit poutine from Duck Season at the Union Square Holiday Market that reopened this week.
DRINKING
Spinach smoothies in the morning as soon as I wake up. I never thought I’d get into it, but it’s annoying how good it makes me feel.
EATING
I’ve started making omelets with caramelized onions and goat cheese daily and I have to tell you: it really makes you think you’re better than other people. It’s so fast and easy and delicious that I’m a little mad I didn’t start doing this sooner.
EXPERIENCING
I went to see the miniature train exhibit at the New York Transit Museum (in Grand Central Station). I don’t know when my passion for miniatures began, but it’s deepening at an alarming pace.
Miniature trains display at Grand Central Station, NYC
LISTENING
It’s Black Friday, so the Christmas playlist is officially playing.
LOVING
Family Matters Christmas episodes. I should probably do a post on other sitcom Christmas episodes, I can sense how much you want that.
SHOPPING
Got some gingerbread whipped cream from Target for the rice krispies and whoa. It would be heavenly in a mug of hot chocolate.
Gingerbread whipped cream at Target
WATCHING
I watched the new episodes of The Crown and this show is just sick. Showing conversations between two dead people that no one can corroborate? Get a life.
WEARING
Sometimes I wear all one colour and it tricks me into thinking I’m stylish. Sometimes it works and then sometimes I look like a farmer.
“She could be a farmer in those clothes.”
These weekly roundups have been really fun to do, so don’t be surprised if Winter Wednesdays turn up in a few weeks…
And you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
Fall Fridays Vol. 8
BAKING/COOKING
It’s almost American Thanksgiving so that means I’m gonna make my s’mores pie, which is truly the easiest pie recipe of all time.
CRAVING
A hot chocolate with a smidge of toffee syrup in it. I’ve only thought about it in theory, so as soon as the temperature drops below zero I’ll go get one.
DRINKING
Blonde flat whites for life. I’m a creature of habit.
EATING
So I finally went to the new Wegman’s in the city and the best deals? Three pounds of family pack ground chicken for $12. I’m sorry, but that’s wild. Also their $9 frozen wild blueberries family pack, get out of here. Deals for days in there.
EXPERIENCING
I’ve started arranging my saved reels into categories (makeup, funny stuff, etc.) and it’s made my life so much easier. Didn’t even know that was an option.
LISTENING
90s Disney soundtracks. They’re so soothing. Aladdin especially.
LOVING
Nathan did the Gramercy Theatre for the New York Comedy Festival and it was so phenomenal. I understand how you could think I’m biased but I truly don’t see him on stage that much, so when I do I’m usually pretty excited for it. And this tech stuff was so good. He works incredibly hard and I’m so happy that it was such a success.
SHOPPING
I DO NOT NEED MORE CANDLES. So obviously I bought the new chocolate croissant one from Trader Joe’s.
WATCHING
We saw The Shark is Broken on Broadway and it’s hard to accurately express how wonderful it was. It closes this Sunday and I’m grateful that we got to see it. Every single element (acting, script, set) was overwhelmingly good.
WEARING
I’m currently going through my entire closet and trying to arrange full outfits so that I don’t have to think too much about what I’ll wear each day. I’d just love to be a little bit more put together next year - or at least give more of a shit about that stuff. I only started thinking more about this when I realized how much I love putting together my vacation outfits and how happy that makes me, so here we are. Let’s see what happens.
And you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
Fall Fridays Vol. 6
Central Park, November 2023
Central Park, November 2023
BAKING/COOKING
I physically cannot stop making chicken marsala. This recipe is restaurant quality.
CRAVING
It’s November so my radar is set on the Thanksgiving dumplings from Mimi Cheng’s as well as the Bobbie (Thanksgiving) sandwich from Capriotti’s.
DRINKING
So many blonde flat whites. There is no better hot beverage.
EATING
The heavenly duck croquettes at Satis Bistro in Jersey City.
EXPERIENCING
My dear friends Paul & Richard got me the (TikTok famous) bloody shower mat and it is great, if only slightly jarring. Nathan had a strong reaction to it, so we used it exclusively on Halloween and then I delicately packed it away for next year.
The TikTok bloody footprint shower mat
LISTENING
So I can’t stop listening to bad Christmas movies in the background while I wrap gifts. My logic: I don’t want good ones on in the background because I’ll want to watch those. If I have bad ones, then I can focus on what I’m doing but still have a Christmas vibe happening. And I can’t just put on Christmas music, it’s only November 3rd, I’m not a full psycho.
LOVING
All of the wildly nice messages about our costume this year.
SHOPPING
I found these perfect (not expensive) high-end-looking gift tags for Christmas from Target. Sixteen of them for $5 is perfect.
Christmas gift tags from Target
WATCHING
God, so many horror movies - I’m 2% grateful October has come to a close. The last one I saw was Chucky 2 and it was actually pretty great.
WEARING
I tried on this Top Shop coat that I’m absolutely in love with. $170 isn’t insane, is it? I’m gonna wait for Black Friday.
My tombstone might say, “She took a lot of dressing room selfies”
And I’ve created an autumn highlight reel on my Instagram incase you care and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
The Best of November
You can find the best tweets of the month over here and here.
TIP: If you don’t pay for a Spotify subscription and you hate ads: just close the app every time an ad starts and then reopen the app and the song will start. How did it take me years to learn this?
So for the first time in nine years, Milk Bar didn’t have their Thanksgiving croissant. Criticisms have been declared and letters have been MAILED. If you think I’m kidding, you really don’t know me.
I rarely go to bars, but I went to Witching Hour in Brooklyn and I just loved the layout and general vibe. Must remember.
I returned to Minetta Tavern and it’s not as great as it used to be! You’re very crammed into each table and the food wasn’t really worth the price anymore. So that’s rough to realize.
I also went to Don Angie for the first time and the lasagna is as good as they hype it up to be - same with their incredibly photogenic salad. Make sure to skip the veal tartare and the dessert, though.
I tried the Thanksgiving dumplings from Mimi Cheng’s and they were just all right, which was a little disappointing. Maybe I’m still in mourning for the Milk Bar croissants.
The Starbucks seasonal drinks keep making me sick and I keep returning for more. Someone explain?
Obsessed with this slip I got from Free People.
Made a batch of the insanely good Alison Roman chocolate chip shortbread cookies for the freezer, to make closer to Christmas.
So there was a beautiful, summer-y day in early November so I found an outdoor pool and headed to The Rockaway Hotel. Day passes for their heated pool are $30 all season, which is kind of amazing.
Some links I loved:
This great Times piece on all kinds of stuffing.
I had no idea Coney Island used to have these grand, gorgeous hotels.
How to donate stuff straight from home.
I got a drink at Miracle on 9th Street which was very cute and the drinks were great. If I’d known it was all the way over near Avenue C, I might not have gone but I’m glad I did.
Some things I watched:
Terrifier: okay I shouldn’t really count this since I saw a total of fifteen minutes before leaving the room. But Nathan continued watching it, so I could hear all the screams and sounds from the bedroom and I still somehow had nightmares?? So no I won’t be watching the sequel.
We saw Halloween Ends on November 1st and it has to be the absolute worst Halloween of the entire franchise. Just unreal. It felt like punishment for trying to watch a horror movie past October 31st, so lesson learned.
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXXIII: it’s a bit depressing to hear how old Marge’s voice has become (this is an awful thought to voice and I apologize), but the Halloween episode was so good this year (especially the last segment).
Falling For Christmas: I am not a Hallmark movie person, but I was bored so I put this on and… I’m still firmly not a Hallmark person. These types of movies aren’t even enjoyably bad, I don’t get it.
A Christmas Story: this was never in my favourites of Christmas movies and it’s a very okay movie. Hundreds of better Christmas movies, though.
Knives Out: it was completely all right, nothing fantastic. I really hated Daniel Craig’s accent and the whole throwing-up-if-lying detail. Just seemed like a bad first screenplay idea.
The Fabelmans: it was good but not as epic as I’d hoped. It was really good at showing the memorable relationships through a child’s eye, especially when a kid starts to see his parents as real people.
The Crown (seasons 1-2): Love it, can’t wait to keep going. John Lithgow is wonderful. Loved this line: “I find, in general, people have very little understanding of who they are. One has to turn a blind eye to so much of oneself in order to get through life.”
Don’t ask me why but I watched some of the last season of The Big Bang Theory and just UGH. What a terrible show that was. The fact that the writers made Penny pregnant in the series finale even though there were countless episodes beforehand where she confidently said she wasn’t going to have children. JUST UGH. Of course it was written by a man.
I’ve already gone a few times, but the Union Square Holiday Market is really great this year.
You’re already Christmas shopping so just a gentle reminder: get the gift receipt.
The snow is coming and you will slip and possibly fall. Act accordingly.
I used to absolutely love Yogi Bear’s All Star Christmas Caper (it came out in 1982) and it absolutely still holds up. Link over here if you have kids and/or love nostalgia.
Some things I’m looking forward to this month: of course I’ll be lighting my bayberry candles on Christmas Eve as well as New Year’s Eve, December is always the most expensive month but it doesn’t have to be, don’t forget to buy your mistletoe, I’ll definitely watch some of these, I’ll absolutely watch The Snowman yet again, I’ll make a family Christmas video again, if you’re in Ontario you kind of have to ice skate on this gorgeous path, and once again I’m begging you not to give lottery tickets as gifts.
If you have any interest in reading what went on in October, come on over here and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
The Best of September
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 and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.
August Actions
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 and you can see more posts like this on my latest newsletter.