5 things i love right now

1. this song by PHONY, "great white"

 

hearing two of the unquestionably best tunes i've listened to all year in one week? what did i do to deserve such blessings? (the first one was "disco" by geese). california has been good for PHONY, the solo project of neil from one of my favorite —now-defunct — bands of the past decade, donovan wolfington from new orleans. i was a little unsure for the first, oh, 20 seconds of this one, but that chorus melody just tickled all of the right parts of my brain and the entire song just feels exactly like the end of summer. breezy, light, catchy. it's apparently about an almost-shark attack he experienced while surfing, which makes the lyrics really amusing. i keep checking spotify every day to see if it's there yet because i need to add it to my playlist stat.

 2. these dreamy new england videos

i'm a sucker for all things *~new england charm~* and these videos are basically like ASMR for folks like myself. yeah, the narration is a little over-the-top/cheesy/corny at times, but the visuals are gorgeous and i just love living vicariously through people with uber-curated lives. into it.

3. affogato

affogato is seriously the simplest dessert in the world: pour espresso or strong coffee over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. but i don't know that i've ever had it before last week? it's rich and comforting but also somehow sophisticated and i'm going to go make another one right now.

4. this app/website, swimply

a month or so ago, my friend cassidy and i were lamenting that we really wanted to go swimming but didn't really know anyone who had a pool, the hotel pools around here are only available to guests on weekends, community pools are full of gross kids, etc. etc. so i was telling another friend about this predicament and she asked me if i'd heard of swimply. i had not, and it solved the exact need we had! basically, people (in the 'burbs, mostly) rent out their private pools by the hours to city-ish folk. brilliant. show-stopping. amazing. genius. so cassidy, who is always as down for a weird adventure as i am and god bless her for that, drove us up to woburn a couple sundays ago and we floated around for three blissful hours, drinking alcoholic arnold palmers and eating watermelon and oreos and chips and salsa in this gorgeous pool. sure, we had no clue what the living situation was at this home because the host was not around — her very sweet elderly parents greeted us — we met a random woman who rented a room there, and another unidentified younger woman was at the house when we showed up. might have been a boarding house. but so what, who cares? the pool was immaculate and the landscaping was adorable. would swim again. you da MVP, swimply!

5. this ridiculously-named fragrance i bought a few weeks ago

those closest to me know that i am not a shoe girl or even a jewelry girl, but i AM a fragrance and handbag girl. more fragrances than handbags. i was in the market for a new one because i like to switch it up every season or so, and it was driving me insane that i couldn't find anything that felt right and "me." legit, i spent probably two hours in ulta and sephora spraying and sniffing and sighing and it was so dumb. so imagine my annoyance and embarrassment when i finally found one i was crazy about and i looked more closely at the name. the scent is delicious: very woodsy and vanilla-y and sandalwood-y with a little bit of fig and bergamot and amber. and like, i get it, it's kinda sexy! but i pray a stranger on the street never asks me what i'm wearing because i'm just not going to be able to say it out loud with a straight face.

5 things i love right now

1. this song by before the king, "low expectations" (and the music video)



this tune is a total summer bop, no question about it. but what's even more fun is this video. i'm going to put this man on my vision board because he embodies my exact favorite type of energy in a person. i guarantee you that this guy dances like a goofball at weddings. he's the fun stranger you meet at a music festival or on vacation or at the bar that you end up hanging out all night with and that makes the whole experience better. he's the absolute opposite of a "bump on a log" aka my LEAST favorite type of person. okay, i'm obviously projecting here, but you get what i'm saying. crank it up!

2. the baby-sitter's club on netflix

like many of my fellow '90s children, i grew up devouring the entire baby-sitters club series by ann m. martin (and even the spinoff, the california diaries—anyone remember that? bueller?), but i was still a little wary when i heard about the tv series and was thinking it would be a girl meets world situation where it's, uh, geared toward young'ns rather than the folks like me who remember the original. i was pleasantly surprised to find that it bridges the gap; i thought it was accessible for all ages, but i didn't feel elderly watching it—except when i realized alicia silverstone was playing kristy's mom. yes, we're that old, guys! they kept the storylines pretty faithful to the books while adding a modern twist, which was nice, too. also, claudia's style is still so fiiiiire.

3. random people's retro home videos

one of my favorite quarantine discoveries has been old footage from the '60s, '70s, and '80s on youtube. it's a beautiful, hilarious treasure trove of human experience! in particular, this day in the life of two bill-and-ted-esque hooligans is just delightful:



there's also this slice of life from a 7-11 in 1987:



great stuff.

4. anthony kiedis' autobiography, scar tissue

i've never been particularly attached to the red hot chili peppers—though, as you may have seen recently on twitter, anthony kiedis in the "under the bridge" video was my first celebrity crush when i was around five. the long hair, the tattoos, the lack of shirt, and the running all burned themselves into my brain in a most favorable manner back then. and i'm also low-key fascinated and obsessed with john frusciante because he's a fucking insane player. i'm aware that RHCP are one of those bands that get a lot of hate and shit by music critics and snobby fans; some justifiably so, some not IMO. i personally enjoy quite a bit of their stuff, though there's certainly a major nostalgia factor there. i can still close my eyes and see myself in my friend's den in 1999, watching the "around the world" video because MTV played it a bazillion times a day.

anyway, this book came out in 2004 but i'm on the waitlist for flea's autobiography, so i figured i'd just go on a chili peppers binge and bang this one out too. despite not being super into the band, on a personal level, it's actually a pretty fascinating peek behind the curtain of this musician who's been in the periphery of my life for so long. plus, beyond the standard sex, drugs (and drugs, and drugs) and rock 'n roll, there's a lot of great gossip and dirt, which is always fun with a book of this kind. really engaging so far.

oh! one weird thing i do is try and determine my top five songs for any "legendary" rock band, and i realized i hadn't for the chilis, so here goes. it's quite random. 1. knock me down 2. can't stop 3. soul to squeeze 4. scar tissue 5. fortune faded. i'd love to debate if anyone has the urge. and despite being the best song, "knock me down" has the dumbest, worst, most tacky 1989 video everrrrr.



5.  this converted dairy barn in rhode island

not a bad place to be stuck at home, i'd reckon.

5 things i love right now

1. this video about explaining the pandemic to your past self



imagine trying to prepare your january 2020 self for the absolute shitshow this year would become in just a matter of weeks. such a clever concept and i absolutely lost it at the walk part!


2. this new yorker piece about the strokes

...slash basically everything happening with the strokes right now, because we need them more than ever. their new and extremely perfectly-titled album the new abnormal, is their first in seven years. y'all, i love it so much i could cry. behind is this it and room on fire, it's probably tied with first impressions of earth and i might like it even more than that one, but i haven't decided yet. in particular, i've listened to "eternal summer" 2000 times since friday. each time, i close my eyes and start dancing like lena dunham in that GIRLS scene set to robyn. then, i imagine listening to it when this living nightmare is at least somewhat over (please, god, sometime this summer) with a cocktail in hand and surrounded by friends and weeping tears of gratitude for the simple pleasures in life and julian's impeccable falsetto.

there's also their hilarious zoom chat series, in which nick can't remember their songs, jules looks like he's in a teenage boy's room, fab is killing it with one liners while trapped in a painting, albert is albert, and nikolai doesn't speak. so good.

but oh yes, this piece! i love this piece. it explains all of the reasons i've loved the strokes since i was 16 and will continue to love them forever. an excerpt:

The Strokes’ music makes everything feel less high-stakes. This might be why it sounds so good in an emergency. Nothing is ever so unbearable that it can’t be shrugged off. People arrive and depart, relationships begin and fracture, things are lost, parties get boring—whatever.


3. this cute dress i might buy to celebrate when we can leave our houses again

4. this spice girls cover by the struts



along with friday night livestream living room concerts from my man kevin griffin (better than ezra), the struts' "sunday service" youtube episodes are getting me throooough the quarantine. and this unexpected (but delightful) cover of "stop" was something i didn't know i needed until it happened. those dance moves! can someone please tell me how the hell i remembered ALL of the words instantly when i probably haven't heard this song in over 20 years? brains are weird, bro.

5. this incredibly accurate tweet

5 things i love right now

1. this starbucks drink, the almondmilk honey flat white

it is RARE for me to be extremely into any starbucks drink (dunkin' 4 lyfe) but i'm making an exception for this absolutely delightful new beverage. lately, i've been in the bad habit of "needing" an afternoon coffee, and i'm no coffee snob, but our office machine is just unpalatable. can't do it. combine this with the fact that i try any and all new weird food and drink and here we are. it's a little creamy, a little sweet, a little nutty, and the espresso balances everything out nicely. plus, it's relatively healthy for a 'bucks drink, so it's got that going for it, too.

2. this singer, briston maroney



well...i've been into him since january and i know i've already turned a few of y'all onto this dude, but i'm still going strong, so i wanted to share the love. the first time i heard his latest, "steve's first bruise," i had one of those "where has this guy been all my life?!" moments and retroactively declared it my favorite song of 2019 (uh, to myself). it's one of those rare tunes that demands that you pay attention to it the whole way through, from the stark beginning to the raucous end and the rises and falls in between. the rest of his songs are actually quite a bit more low-key (i highly recommend "freakin' out on the interstate" and "small talk") but that voice! and the way he uses it! and he's only 21! go, briston, go.


3. this piece about being ghosted before being ghosted was a thing

so poignant. so perfect. chef's kiss.


4. this choreography set to harry styles' "adore you"



the only thing better than dancing to harry styles songs? watching really really good dancers dancing to harry styles songs, of course. so smooooth! and ugh, the chemistry between kaycee rice and sean lew. yes, when you watch these routines as much as i do, you start to know the dancers' names. it's fine.

5. these relaxing videos of people walking around cities in the rain 



so i never really understood the whole ASMR thing and still don't completely, but what i do know is that these videos i recently discovered of people walking around in the rain are soooo relaxing and pretty. i especially love this one in beacon hill, and then i read the comments from people all around the world talking about how beautiful it looks and my heart felt so full because it IS beautiful here! there are also some really good new york ones, too:

 

5 things i love right now

1. this song by muskets, "violent paradise"



grunge + bratty british punk is one guaranteed way to my heart (other methods include chicken piccata, t-shirts that say dumb things, and whiskey cocktails). the nirvana influence comes through loud and clear, and when the chorus hits, i'm reminded of a quote in a newspaper article from the typically meek owner of a now-defunct record store in nashua, NH that my friend and i saved because it was so funny/perfect:

"when i buy a record, i like to rock it. i want to smoke it, YEAH. i want to play it loud and stage dive onto my bed."

this song DEFINITELY makes me want to smoke it and play it loud and stage dive onto my bed. and then maybe skateboard off of my roof for good measure, YEAH.

2. the jazzercise studio in stranger things

as a former jazzerciser, i screamed with glee when i saw it. also, the starcourt mall in general is a dreeeeam and i was so stoked that this season revolved around it. if only scoops ahoy were a real place...

3. mall pretzels

speaking of malls—yesterday, i went to one because it was 1000 degrees and it was on my way to a get-together i was going to at 3, so i didn't want to eat a big lunch before i got there. like a mirage, this place called pretzel twister appeared in front of me, and the idea of a big, warm mall pretzel just felt so right.

i got the plain one and it was super buttery and a little sweet and exactly what i wanted. let's hear it for mall pretzels, guys.

4. this top i got on clearance at anthropologie that's actually a pajama top but i didn't realize it and i'm wearing it as a regular top 

it was on the rack without the bottoms, along with all of the other regular tops, so how was i supposed to know? i'm wearing it today tucked into these cute linen pants and it looks great and not at all like PJs, so whatever. pajamas are a social construct.


5. rediscovering this awesomely bad nickelodeon teen drama, fifteen



oh. my. god. i was reading something that referenced this show the other day, and the memories of it came flooding back to me. i was 5–7 years old when it aired from '91–'93, so i vaguely remember it being on nick and seeing commercials for it, but was probably never old enough to really grasp what was happening. the acting is SO ATROCIOUS that i seriously can't look away, i'm obsessed with the outfits, one of the characters named ashley sounds like she's whispering all the time, and a young ryan reynolds is in it. it's like if degrassi were terrible and had no sense of humor. i can't get over it. also, brooke is such a bitch!

5 things i love right now

you know, aside from "old town road."

1. this new album by the drums, brutalism



more than any other musical element, a great, infectious melody can completely make a song for me. and the latest record from jonathan pierce aka the only remaining member of the drums is chock-full of 'em. its dreamy, surf-y vibe is totally perfect for spring. apparently, many longtime fans don't like the new sound...which, of course, means i do. :) my favorite tune so far is the breezy "626 bedford avenue."

2. this movie, the boy band con

as a bona fide "old millennial," the boy band craze was an integral, amazing, wonderful part of my life from ages 11 through 32. i mean, uh, 16. i loved backstreet (nick!), 'n sync (ehh, JC i guess), o-town (dan!), LFO (brad?)—basically everyone except 98 degrees because they were too vanilla for my edgier pop palate and by that i mean they had zero songs with bizarre, heavy-handed sexual innuendo. lame!

i digress. i obviously had to watch the tell-all about the man behind it all: the late, disgraced, ponzi-scheming mogul lou pearlman, so i signed up for a youtube premium trial and canceled it immediately after viewing. honestly, i can pinpoint the moment back in high school when my friend molly and i knew he was creepy as fuck: during a scene early on in making the band when he said "papa's here to protect." shudder. we started saying it apropos of nothing because we thought it was as funny as it was gross, but...ugh.

there wasn't much it revealed that i didn't know before, but the nostalgia of the TRL clips, ashley parker angel's surprisingly insightful commentary, and aaron carter looking ROUGH while defending lou made it worth watching, especially if you're a woman of my certain age.

3. this clothing company, stoned immaculate

okay, so this brand showed up in my instagram feed as a #sponsored post and i felt personally blessed and attacked at the same time. blessed because every single item of clothing is extreeeeemely my shit. their tagline is "vintage inspired woman’s clothing for the dazed & confused," for god's sake! attacked because big brother is clearly watching and because every single item of clothing is at least $100. blaaaah.

4. this now-defunct podcast, mystery show

the great poet lil uzi vert once said, "all my friends are dead." well, all my podcasts are dead. it never fails that my favorites always get canned after a short while (FOUND, why oh why) or, by the time i discover them, they're long gone. such is the case with this one, which came recommended by my friend sarah last week. i dug into the first episode on monday and binged all six by wednesday.

the premise is simple: host starlee kine solves kinda quirky human interest mysteries (i.e. a writer whose obscure book only sold 1,000 copies total sees a paparazzi picture of britney spears holding the book and confusion/intrigue ensues).

my favorite episode, however, was about this badass belt buckle a child found in the street—pictured above. yes, that's a toaster, and a frying pan with eggs, and the name "HANS JORDI." but who's hans jordi, and what was the deal with this belt buckle? you gotta listen to find out, folks. probably the most entertaining podcast episode i've listened to since the reply all "long distance" one. and really, all of the episodes are incredible.

5. this new chocolate-cherry cold brew from dunkin' donuts

i've explained before that i'm one of those weirdos that always tries new food and beverages born out of desperation for product innovation at corporate headquarters. they're almost always short-lived, being discontinued mere weeks or months after they arrive. so i've learned to act fast.

my latest foray is the chocolate-cherry cold brew from dunkin' DONUTS (i will never stop adding the donuts and nobody will stop me). it's basically just cold brew with some sort of "natural" syrup in it, but it is delicious, and the fact that i can drink it black is absolutely huge. now, i wouldn't say it necessarily tastes a ton like chocolate or cherries...it's subtle. refined, even. jk, that's a stretch. 

5 things i love right now

1. this bizarre new show, the masked singer/rob sheffield's hilarious take on it

has anyone else been watching this cosplay fever dream? i happened upon it one night when there wasn't much else on, and seriously thought i accidentally dropped acid or something. basically, the gist is that washed up celebrities sing pop songs while dressed in these elaborate animal costumes. it's supposedly based on a korean show, and i can't get enough of its craziness.

just when i thought it couldn't get any better, one of my favorite writers, rob sheffield, wrote an absolutely hilarious article about it. a preview: "how did robin thicke reach the “judging a fox singing contest with jenny mccarthy” point of his fame arc so fast? why is terry bradshaw crooning a florida georgia line song in a deer costume? who the hell came up with this idea and why it is so ludicrously perfect?" i'm dead.


2. the new catfish and the bottlemen song, "longshot"



NEW CATFISH! i absolutely love these brits, and both times i've seen them live, they were fantastic. they haven't released anything in a few years, so i was super stoked when they dropped this single a couple weeks ago. my first two listens, i was like "hmm, it's decent, but it's not blowing my hair back." then something just clicked on the third listen and i was aaaaall in. dig it.

3.  this instagram account, theboyandhisdickies

funny, skater-inspired poetry. pure art.

4. sam and jake kiszka's sparkly vintage jackets on SNL this weekend

one of each, please. actually, can i just raid all of their closets? because they wear the best vintage shit on the regular. love me some rock stars that dress like fucking rock stars with a weird-ass hippie twist. but jake better STOP because i'm way too old for him.

also, the bassist of twin peaks endorsing them via instagram story made me almost as happy as big boi posting that "black smoke rising" was a timeless classic (it is), and alex lifeson of rush shouting them out unprompted at the rock 'n roll hall of fame the other day. they get it! haters be damned.

5.  this text my old coworker sent me:

5 things i love right now

1. hanging plants!

 

more specifically, this hanging plant in my new apartment (because there were already hooks in the foyer molding so it was meant to be), but also just hanging plants in general. i'm starting small, but obviously my eventual goal is to just end up with a situation like the one below. ALL OF THE PLANTS.

2. this show, sweetbitter

i have to hurry up and watch the rest of the episodes that have aired by, like...tonight, because it's on starz and i don't get starz, but they're having a free preview weekend and i was hooked after one episode. it's based on a book, and follows a 20-something who moves to new york and gets a waitressing job at a super-fancy restaurant. drama, intrigue, sex and drugs follow, natch. i love the characters, and i think it's because some of them vaguely remind me of the people i met during my summer working at an irish pub here in boston during college. if you've ever worked in a restaurant, you know that they're a special breed. memories!

3. rediscovering "best song ever" by one direction



yes, this song is 5 years old and i was obsessed with it during that summer, too. but the other day, right as i got into my car, the DJs on the morning show on JAMN 94.5 (which is a hip-hop station, making this even weirder) started playing it and singing along. i'd been in a bit of a funk, but let me tell you, by the time they got to harry's "through the doors and past the guards (ow!)" i was on cloud nine, belting it at full volume. then i looked up the video again later and it's such silly, carefree fun. i don't care if you're eight years old or 80 years old, this shit is pure sunshine, and we could all use more sunshine in our lives these days.

4. these snackable marshmallows, smashmallows

ever see weird new shit in the grocery store and wonder who on earth would buy it? the answer is me. i buy it, which is why i desperately need an adult and shouldn't ever be left unattended at wegmans. but on a whim, i ended up with these guys the other day (in the cinnamon churro flavor, because there are different varieties that include mint chocolate chip and cookie dough). they're SO GOOD! and fortunately, just one is the perfect little snack, as promised by the label. they're also non-GMO or whatever in case you care about being "healthy," but i'm guessing you don't if you're also entertaining the idea of buying snackable marshmallows.

5. pictures of joey ramone holding a cat

because strangely, there are more than one. fun fact: i was wearing my road to ruin t-shirt the other day (which i've had since 2003, YIKES) and as i was ordering my lunch at a cafe, the cashier goes "for here or to go? and can you please sing a verse of rock 'n roll high school?" i managed to squeak out "i just wanna have some kicks, i just wanna get some chicks" which is technically not a verse, but i was so caught off-guard! this is why i rarely wear band t-shirts in public.

5 things i love right now

1. this song, "your dog," by soccer mommy



i first discovered soccer mommy (real name sophie allison) by way of her song "try" on my spotify discover weekly playlist. of course, probably because of the name, i imagined a fellow early 30-something woman singing it and was SHOCKED to discover she's 20 years old. ugh, the youth, i know. but she's really good and her lyrics are wise beyond her years and she's like a liz phair for the next generation (fingers crossed). this tune in particular, from her excellent new album clean, just stuck with me. to quote her instagram bio, it's "chill but kinda sad" bedroom pop, which we all need sometimes.

2. chris d'elia's instagram 

given my immense love for chris, i'm not sure why i wasn't following him until a few weeks ago, but it was probably because i avoid following most celebrities since i find them annoying and spammy. however, i've been missing out on some amazing content. it's the captions that really make it:

3. this guy, cade foehner, on the american idol reboot




you guys all know that i was quite probably the last person in the entire world watching the original incarnation of idol (something about it just makes me all warm and fuzzy and happy, unlike the weirdly soulless and hollow quality of the voice #shade), so it shouldn't be any surprise that i took a chance on the new version. however, i'm pretty shocked to say that even without simon and randy and the "pitchy, dawg"s and the making fun of people, i'm really into this take on it. even katy perry, who usually annoys me, has an amusing dynamic with lionel richie and luke bryan.

anyway. i was watching the other night and this guy just blew me away with his raw, bluesy rendition of "feel it still" by portugal. the man (singing starts at 1:08). he has it all: a great voice, commanding stage presence, and a fucking dreamcatcher on his guitar. calling it now that he's going to be in the top 5. side note: i was home for easter while watching it and my mom just started laughing as soon as he came on screen and goes "there's your guy!" my immediate response: "i just know there is a southern, long-haired, lanky, age-appropriate man out there for me and i will not rest until i find him!"

4. this thrift store sweatshirt i barely resisted 

so it wasn't this exact one, but it had the california raisins and it just said "raisin hell." after milling around the store, not being able to stop thinking about it, i marched up to the counter.


"i need to know. how much is that california raisins sweatshirt in the window?"
"40 bucks."
"maaaan...."
(guy smirks) "i know. i know."

i've been thinking about it every day since. being a responsible, grown-ass woman is truly the worst!

5. this podcast, style your mind

i love me some inspirational podcasts, and this is probably the best one i've found. it's just for ladies (sorry, dudes), and hosted by a woman who worked a corporate job she hated until quitting to start her own business in her 30s. a new episode drops every monday, and it's chock-full of practical tips for pursuing your dreams, manifesting your desires, and adding a little luxury to every day. it just puts you in a darn good mood and makes you feel like you can conquer the world. because you can, man.

5 things i love right now

1.  this beacon hill townhouse

looking at houses i can't afford is my therapy, okay? and this lil' loft--for a cool 2 and a half mil--just soothes the soul. there's also a fireplace in a bedroom. a. fireplace. in. a. bedroom. i can't even wrap my head around it.


2.  the haunted lore of the mount washington hotel

last week, i spent a few much-needed days with my family at this bougie resort up in the white mountains that was basically like the setting of a hallmark movie IRL, minus the hot love interest (though my zip lining guide was basically the crunchy bearded hippie of my dreams and i gladly let him handle my hooks, heyooo). there was a big fireplace with a moose head above it in the lobby, an arcade, speakeasy, and coffee shop in the basement, a spa, fire pits, indoor/outdoor pools and hot tubs, like 3 restaurants, and amazing floor-to-ceiling windows with beautiful views of the mountains.

unfortunately, on the second day, it poured, so i made the best of it by reading by the fire and getting my nails done. my manicurist, um, tipped me off to a daily hotel tour that gave an overview of the hotel's history, so i was all about it. long story short, this 20-something woman named carolyn stickney married some rich dude and inherited the hotel and then the dude died, so she became the HBIC. she did all sorts of wacky shit, like watch the female guests arriving to dinner parties from her private balcony and changing her outfit if they were dressed better than her, having an assistant draw the curtains on the pool and kick everyone out if she wanted to go for a swim, etc. etc. you can read more here.

creepy-ass rendering of carolyn

she's rumored to haunt the hotel to this day, and room 314 in particular, where she spent most of her time. during my visit to the speakeasy, the bartender verified that "a lot of weird shit" has happened in the 4 years he's worked there, including a chair inexplicably moving across the room when he was closing up by himself after midnight, and a female guest (staying in 314) freaking out at the front desk one night because the covers were ripped right off the bed while her and her husband were sleeping. do you love it? i love it. also, unrelated, but this clock with the moon phases was just really cool.

3. this stripped-down version of greta van fleet's "black smoke rising"



yes, i'm still riding the GVF train, man. i pray these kiddos never get into hard drugs because they're so wholesome and wonderful and full of raw talent. i've gotten into this song in particular lately, and it sounds even better acoustic, IMO.

4. rediscovering zumiez

sooo i think i'm regressing, but i don't really care. back in my college days, my friends and i were regulars at the zumiez in the poughkeepsie galleria--both for the sk8r clothes and the fact that most of our local musician acquaintances worked there, or worked elsewhere in the mall and just shopped there. either way, it was a scene, as they say. and while looking for some snowboarder-chic clothing for my aforementioned trip, i popped in there last weekend and bought like 12 things (including this "not today" hoodie which i'm wearing right now). somehow, i dig their selection even more than i did when i was 19. it's fine.

5. this adorable "how i met my husband" story

i was tooling around last weekend looking at blogs, and came across this post from last year about how this woman met her husband. i'm always a sucker for a good meet-cute story, so i was immediately drawn in, not even realizing until i got to the end that it was written by eva martino, susan sarandon's daughter. honestly didn't even know she had a blog. but it was really uplifting and adorable and sweet and gosh darn it, we need more of that in our lives!

5 things i love right now

1. this tv show, the bold type

we all need at least one silly, cheesy YA-ish show to devour every summer, and the bold type has become mine. the show (on freeform, obv) centers on three 20-something recent grads working at a women's magazine called scarlet (i know), and the unrealistic drama, scandal, and romance that ensues. it's just right for all of my cheesy tv needs.



2. podcasts!

just in general, because i couldn't narrow it down to one. now that spotify has a bunch of 'em, i've been binging on podcasts like it's my job. though, admittedly, it's extremely hard to come up with clever headlines about pants while simultaneously listening to tips on making your dreams come true, so i've reserved most of my listening for my commute. just a few of my favorites:

the tim ferriss show (the morning routine episode is really, really good)
girlboss radio (which is now defunct, but was probably my favorite)
missing richard simmons (because who doesn't wonder WTF happened to him?)
the school of greatness

3. kesha's comeback 

i've long said that if i could choose to be any pop star, it would probably be ke$ha. i still remember the first time i saw the video for "tik tok"--still one of the greatest pop songs of our time, IMO--and was instantly fascinated by her hot mess style and DGAF attitude.

more recently, our girl has "had a time," as they say, and stepped away from the game to handle some very public personal issues and recharge. but she's baaaack and better than ever. albeit without the dollar sign, but it makes total sense when you hear her new songs and see her new vibe. i love all of the tunes i've heard thus far, but "woman," which features the dap-kings horn section, is a modern day aretha-franklin-esque anthem of female empowerment. dig it.

4.  my butcher block kitchen island

because i'm kind of weird, i've always harbored a dream of having a little butcher block kitchen island. and this past weekend, that dream came true. as soon as i laid eyes on it in IKEA, it was game over. so cute, right?

5. this hipster grocery store, city feed and supply 

 
i've already been a pretty frequent visitor to this gourmet grocery/deli/coffee shop in my 'hood, mainly for their sandwiches, but i just strolled down there tonight for their "first thursdays" event. basically, a bunch of reps give you samples of delicious stuff fo' free. it's like a mini bougie costco up in there! i had sauv blanc, rose, cava, and then some nitro cold brew and jerky for good measure. love it.

5 things i love right now

1. the new caffè nero in my neighborhood

just what i needed: another coffee shop to feed my addiction. but i'm a sucker for any cafe with bookcases, fireplaces, or comfy chairs, and this one has ALL THREE. plus, amazing cold brew. i won't disclose how many times i've been there in the past two weeks, but let's just say that i'm almost through a punch card. :| still forever loyal to kickstand, though.

2. this hip-hop group, flatbush zombies



this past weekend at boston calling, i was reminded of an underrated, great part of festivals: actually discovering new artists. while waiting for piebald to start, my friends and i caught the second half of flatbush zombies. from the name, i expected them to be a lo-fi indie band or something. i was immediately hooked -- not only by their dark, aggressive, drugged-out rap, but also their out-of-control energy, intriguing aesthetic (one of them was wearing an iron maiden shirt??), and hilarious stage banter, which included references to seinfeld and good-natured jabs at the crowd. the deal was sealed for me when they brought up a random fan to rap along with them for their last song. he killed it, flying around the stage, filling in the verses at all the right parts, and holding his phone over his head to document it all on social media, of course. it was just a fantastic festival moment and so much fun to watch. and now i can't stop listening to this one song in particular, "trade-off." bump it.

3. this instagram banana artist

The Last Supper #throwbackthursday #LeonardoDaVinci #biblebanana #fruitdoodle

A post shared by Stephan Brusche (@isteef) on Apr 13, 2017 at 6:52am PDT

peels and skeeeeels.



4. this donald trump impersonator on america's got talent

america's got talent is the perfect summer guilty pleasure and i have absolutely no shame in admitting that i watch it because it adds a significant amount of joy to my life. on that note, i may have been in a weird mood when i saw this one, but i honestly can't remember ever laughing so hard at an audition even though it's incredibly stupid. apparently bruno mars songs + fake trump = comedy gold?

5. this smoky sweatshirt

5 things i love right now

1. this cover of the talking heads' "this must be the place"



covering talking heads is sort of like covering the beatles: if you're going to do it, you better damn well do it right. i was extremely skeptical (but intrigued) when i saw this on my spotify friend feed and listened intently, as the original is one of my favorite songs of all time. i hear a bit of vampire weekend, a bit of alt-j, and a bit of ra ra riot. i love it! what do you think?

2.  this new york times series, sunday routine

i'm endlessly fascinated by glimpses into the lives of random individuals, and this wonderful little times column satisfies all of my curiosities by profiling a sunday in the life of a well-heeled NYC resident each week (a radio city rockette, the editor-in-chief of redbook, bill nye!). i'm always surprised at how typical and similar to my sundays they are. and now, it's become a little sunday tradition of my own to read about them along with my morning coffee. how meta.


3. this insane dance choreography to the lil' jon classic, "snap yo fingers"

okay, SO. you guys know by now that i could happily watch dance videos from the millennium complex in LA alllll day. and probably have. but i've gotta say that willdabeast adams (red shirt) is the only choreographer that just kills it on a consistent basis, and i love that he mixes it up with not-so-current songs (like this one). his girlfriend, janelle ginestra, is a beast of a dancer in her own right; check her out in the front of that first group. and like, just look at them dancing together to one of my favorite guilty pleasure jams. power. couple. please never talk to me again if this doesn't make you smile:

4. this show, 13 reasons why

this teen drama, based on the novel of the same name, is minimal on the cheesiness, maximal on the drama and darkness, and just a really good guilty pleasure to enjoy with some wine and cheese while painting your nails or whatever. the basic premise: a teenage girl commits suicide, and leaves behind a set of 13 cassette tapes that explain her fateful decision. i'm only on the third episode, but i'm totally hooked.

5. these perfect summaries of harry styles' new, epic single, "sign of the times:"

fusing every song on Side 1 of Aladdin Sane with Black Box Recorder's "It's Only the End of the World," or as Harry Styles calls it, Friday

— rob sheffield (@robsheff) April 7, 2017

i want to listen to the new harry styles song while he & i hold hands on an empty pier at dusk wearing only silk robes billowing in the wind

— Matt Bellassai (@MattBellassai) April 7, 2017

The end of the new Harry Styles song kinda feels like pic.twitter.com/kQsuxag12S

— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) April 7, 2017

5 things i love right now

1. this townhouse in harvard square

the exposed beams! the skylights! the loft! the private deck! not the price tag! 


2. this hip-hop dance routine



one of the few things that make me happier than actually dancing is watching people dance who are better than i am. i completely geek out on youtube choreography videos and discovered this one, set to usher's sexy "no limit," after i got sucked into yet another vortex the other day. as with most of my favorites, this one was shot at millennium dance complex in L.A., which makes sense because ... L.A. that chick in the front of the second group?! i yelled "get it, girl!" out loud in my apartment. which reminds me that i also absolutely love that the other dancers hoot and holler the entire time. now if you'll excuse me, i'm off to teach myself this choreography. i'll, uh, see y'all next year i guess.

3. this village voice article about bob dylan 

a bit of a long read, but so, so cool. basically midnight in paris in article form, and set in 1970s new york instead. can you imagine hanging out at a diner with bob dylan and patti smith and joan baez and joni mitchell? and hearing dylan create blood on the tracks because you were his upstairs neighbor? well, the author did. oh, and partied with norman mailer, too.


4.  this gilmore girls-inspired coffee club

i mostly just wish i had thought of this idea. indeed, this is a legit coffee and tea subscription service inspired by gilmore girls, with roast names like "luke's no-nonsense special," "stars hollow autumn festival," and "taylor doose's town meeting." i'm almost certain it's just like, green mountain coffee that's been relabeled, but these geniuses know their market and that we'll eat this shit up with a spoon from emily gilmore's expensive flatware collection. sigh. full disclosure that i haven't subscribed ... yet.

5. this cat flask

much like hooters restaurants, this flask is delightfully tacky yet unrefined. purrfect for covert winter boozin'.